Newspapers / Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.) / Sept. 15, 1873, edition 1 / Page 4
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i li)4 Zioat') L-aadiarirks. COMMUNICATED. GltEEXVILI fl line .L/ih ,■ 1\ 1). Gold:—- I Ilia liilcd with Imniblc j.:, S. C., )_ le 3rd, 1873. f grat(Tal- ji '.-rfto the Giver of all blessing!^,wlien 1 I'OMicmplatethe rca«ni 1 have to hope jhar it ia iny jirivilege to say Bi other. i^.-.ir Brother, 1 am often made to r II’ Zrox’s Da’si) if ARKS is 1 -idiv sneli a feast to otliors as to my- -'i-d', bat it was not always thus with For a iinmber of years it has been a visitor at my home, and I v.onld pick it np and read a little in i: ihrong'li respect to father, because if '.vas Ids pajter ; but I cannot telltlie '.'■onble of my mind (when I began to ilonbi: the consistency of various mis- siomirv operations, when brouglit to compare them with Bible teaching). I aiii aiixions to closeout a little note to von to-night, (although it is now after 10 o’clock',) and such a recital would lx vp me u]) too late, and I fear tres- p,!.- - upon your patience. Sullice it O) -uv, I was much troubled as to ■\ hieh was right the Missionary or P’hmitive Baptists. I lived in deep lUixiety of mind for about two years ai'.d something over a year ago I united with the Primitive Baptists in South West Georgia. I have not -i nee had the precious privilege of i'.earing an Old Baptisl preach, or even grasj)ing the hand of one, as my husband moved to Greenville, S. G., where we now live. I have often felt desirous of writ- ing to each of the dear Bretlircn and .Sisters at f^rovidence, where my mem- b 'rship reiuains, and have gone so far a. to commence several letters to com- crinieate tiirougii your paper, hut it would always appear so trivial, and j. would feel so unworthy in aspiring to bring myself before tlieir notice. I b. ave often asked myself the fruestion. Why it is I desire so much to write? It is certaiidy not that I expect to ad- \'‘)nee any one by what I migh.t S!iy, so I have ^lever eliscovered but one reason as a conclusion, which is this: hen we are a long way from home and loved ones, what a delight to in- diilge in the interchange of thought aii-1 feelings by means of writing. Wlien we first reached this place and attended preaching for the first pine here I felt that I certainly would be tested. I could not doubt and could not control the impression I had previously, and so recently un dergone; but wiiere was I now?— h'iie little dock v;hose cause I had just espousel, so far away from me, mid yet, I am usherciP info a gay city whose liouses of worshij) rival cacli other in .splendor. Pom2) and dis- ])l:iy are constantly the order of the ('■•iv. hly prayer was: “Oh God, for- 's.ike me not, but make me to know' and perform my duty, under ‘any^ and er:;;'_y cii'cnm-stancs of life, tliough I be despised for the opinions I • enter- (ertain, though I be looked upon with disdain for ever daring to lift up one word in opposing any idea prlginaling from heads so learned, ’ (should I be called on for an oipin- ion). Brother Gold, I (‘an say, “Ek\ssed be the name of the Lord, who doeth all things well.” I have witlr’n the last year enjoyed mi'self more in a re ligious ])oint than ever in the same length of time, and my blessed Faflier has remembered me when I would be alone, and I Avould sometimes be his word and jiraying for to give me more light. "We he has not written further about it. TIo])ing you will often remember me ot a throne of grace, I arn if one at all, A’our unworthy Sister, Emily Kiyg- One thoush.t more ere 1 close, the go-'pe!. lias tins taken away? I Irnve to find V here it was bin on ihe other ha:i right ever oc's; not iiecn m. c revol'od. i- ahirnad ■ and more fiiily defincvi in 1 I 3, to 14, Paul savs to ti. C'lr. I; a'.l iuwe, “kline answer to tiiem that no evim- this “Have ve net nowea ;ne me is reading him have had the privilege of listening to some good preaching, both in llic City and the country around us, and I hope that my heart mayatever be so filled witli prejudices as to cause me to lose tiia good part of a sermon by li.s- tening for something to differ from and criticise. God grant that I be shielded from shcIi a spirit, neither \vould I be wafted about bv any nc'.v wind of .doctrine, I pray that mv mind and heart may be constantly, sweetly, and safely stayed on Christ— his word and my duty. I have wit nessed tise commemoration of t’ne Lord’s Supper a few times wliilc at tending preaching in the country, and wdiile I felt awed by the solemnity of the occasion, I did not feel it to be my duty to participate then and there, for the same reasons that actuated me in taking the step I did over a year ago, w'hich step I Irave neyer regret ted, but feci better satisfied with, eacii succeeding occasion [ liave for ponder ing the matter over, I iiope I am not deceived, when I feel that my greatest desire is to live and die in my duty, yet I live so very far away from my duty some times, aiid if left all th rilease request Brother Ilespess to gi\’«^ us tile continuation and conclusion oi l iq lead about a wile n Sister his experience, commenced in May, ; or, “I only and Bar in the 1 Mil No. of Zion’s L.vnd- YAP.KS. My father sent me a copy of his (Brother Pespe.ss’) sermon, that was recently printed. I enjoyal it very much. E. ll. Ac.,-- w (f LUil 'hen jn - tiuw to myself Lwould go astray I ume. Sii.6e I was a little girl I have ’ had various' reasons for wishing to reach heaven after tliis life is over,— But for the last few years, if I am not mistaken, it has been pilncipaliy for one and the same object—to praise God the Father, God the blessed Saviour, for all ids goodness to me, an unworthy dust of the earth, for I have never been able to do so satis factorily to myself while here, neither do I exjiect to until this mortal shall have put on immortality—then, and not until then will our joy be com pleted. Brother Gold, I did not, close with a short note to you the night I com menced this as I expected, but have lengthened it to a letter of several pages, of which I fea'r you will- be come tired ere you reach its close, i have no excuse to offer only that I became interested and , neglected to stop. My busband hearing rae say a few days ago that I would write you a note and send.on a remittance, sug gested that I say to you, wlieu you are traveling to come to, Greenville and make its a vi.sit and preacli for us. I w'ish much that it may be in your power to do so. "\Yo are ex pecting a visit from my father and mother 1;lii.s Summer, I hone tve may not be disappointed, and that the health of each, may be thereby im proved, if the wdll of God. Father expects to travel about some, ’tho Terrell County, GaoitGiA, ) January 24tb, 1873. J Brother Gold:— There is a writer in No. ii, Vol. vi, December loth, 1872, eliciting some explanation of vrord.s u.sed by Brothers J”. II. Bespess and I. R. Teat, one of wdiona says “dVe oive our preacher, we owe him, it is a just debt!” Tiie other says : “I believe that Ministers v/ho are in the service of the Churches, are entitled to, and Iiavc a go.spel right to claim such re muneration from them as will sup port and relieve them from daily Bihsr, that they may have the opportunity to rest and study the Scri])tnres.”—• One says : “We owe,” the other says: “The right to claim I” If the one is correct, the otiier is so to some extent at least. The question noiy is—does such right exist in fact ? either in part, or in wdiole? or, is it altc.getlier illu sory? Y/e can make no decision U(Xm this point but what the Scri])- tiires dec.are ; if they affirm it, it is so; if they deny or be silent upon it, it is visionary. Now, if the^BcrimTU’es give the Minister«the rigu-t to expect and to iwceive a remuneration ii^ temporal things, for liis time and labor devoted to spii’it’.ial things, and ha does not receive sucli remunera tion, v/hat shall ■pewi ;■ Ll also siiows the reason right, he says, “Vfho not power to fiirb'car ivorl says, “Mine answer,” tlieSG three questions eont swer, for L’iOUYii questions, yet the answer implied, or that wo have t!;o This tlicn fully settles the righ.t. Ii( ibiemss of ihiu gf.etn a war fare at his own eliargcs, vTo planU-lJ! a vineyard and eateth i\at of tie ff-iiit,” &c., and ho says furtlier; “Say I these things as a man, or saictli u(K the law die same also?” In tiie lav.' it is said, “Thou shait not nuimtlo the mouth of the ox diat ticadcth (ait the corn,” and he says, “Doth Gii>l take care of oxen-,” oi', .suithlie it altii- gethcr for our (the IVlinista''!') takes. For our sakes no doubt tills is writ ten. The right tlien, that the Mini.-- ter should expect, and sdiouhl icceivo a needful remuneration, is clearly e.'- tablished both by iiricquivocal exiircs- siom^;, liy reason, and by the law of Moses. (WliO would deny or esteem, this riglit in alight manner.) And, to impress this more iVdlv, he savs J «/ “If we have sown unto you Sjiiritual thiugs, is it a great tiling if wcshou;l reap your carnal things?” It may be asked, if God has inqiosod iiiis duty lurch to.n..;.|>’v tiu. |Mini:; >n wc say, is it due him or not? The ploughman should plow in hope, but disappointed hope wdio can bear ? But, in looking to the Scriptures for a light to expect a remuneration, we wdll not find it given to contract as betwx-en man and man ; it is a right of Divine author ity, imposed by the author oi Eternal Salvation, and if the Minister is a Spiritual gift to the Cliurcli, he is not iiii own, but bought with a price ; tiierefore he is to glorify God in his body as a faithful stewuird, and were he to sliift this obligation wliich God has impo.sed upon the Church by 'a personal contract, he would act with out autliOrity, and would not be faith ful. We now look to the Scriptures —Math 10: 10, it is said “the work man is worthy of his meat.” Luke 10; 7, “the laborer is w'orthy of his hire.” The disciples under tlie.se di rections doubtless went forth expect ing to receive a support,—and in Luke 22; 35, Christs asks tliem and says: “When I sent you without pur.se, and scrip, and shoe.s, lacked ye any thing ? A iid they said, Nothing.” '\Yesee then, the right to expect and to receive all needful things for a sup port was granted in the beginni ng of ^er’f lempora! need, mid h^!.^ gmentiio prcaelier the right to expe;.i and re- ■ ceive it—lias not the Minister lieu the riglit to stipulate how naich lie is to receive, and demand it. Yfe can not find wiiere tlie Scriptures author ize tlie preacher to stipulate for wages or pay,i.and if be contrads witliOiit Scriptural authority, it Leocmes a worldly contract, and la: wi'iildhavea. right to deina.nd and sue for it in a Criminal Court. Paul .“ays, never- thele.s.“, “dfic liave not used this pow er but'siiifer all things lest we sliouhl hinder tho gospel of Clirist.” Thir- expression, “lest we should himier the gospel of Clirist” i.s certainly very full and forcible. He then alludes to the holy tilings of the Temple and the Altar, and says : “They wliich wdlt at the Altra’ are partakers with the altar,” even so says the apo.stIe : “Hath the Lord ordained, that lliey which preach the gospel should live of the gospsel,” showing, as I under stand it, that it being tlius imposed by God himself, is a holy duty and one which tlie Church may not light en by a contract with the preacher, or wdiich the preacher may not make more- heavy by demanding a surplus—but the Church is accountable to her Lord—and ivere a contract to bo- made the Church would be accounta ble to her preacher, and. he w'ould be obnoxious-, to the charge of acting- without faith, also-,be liable to violate-.
Zion’s Landmarks (Wilson, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 15, 1873, edition 1
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