The Messengers composing the Towaliga Primitive
Baptist Association: To the Churches whom they
severally represent-send Christian Salutation.
Beloved Brethren: Having been permitted by the
great Head of the Church, to meet in an
associate relation, and to receive as evidence
of your mutual friendship, the epistles sent by
your messengers, we, in return, affectionately
address you by letter, according to our usual
custom, praying that grace, mercy and peace from
God, our Father, and Jesus Christ our Saviour,
may be multiplied unto you.
The subject to which we would invite your
earnest attention, and which, we believe to be
of vital importance is, the support of the
Gospels. And as a foundation for the following
Circular, we refer you to 1 Corinthians
9:14.--"Even so hath the Lord ordained that they
which preach the gospel should live of the
gospel."
The world, ordain, which we find in the text
signifies to appoint, to decree, to establish,
to institute. We refer 1. To God's appointment.
2. To the nature of that appointment, and 3. To
the objections that are made against the support
of the Gospel.
1. We refer you to some of those passages which
prove God's appointment, 1-Cor. 9; 13 --"Do ye
not know that they which minister about holy
things, live of the things of the temple, and
they which wait at the altar are partakers with
the altar?" Mat. 10; 9, 10. "Provide neither
gold nor silver, nor brass in your purses; nor
scrip for your journey, neither two coats,
neither shoes, nor yet slaves; for the workman
is worthy of his meat." The first verse referred
to, brings to view the custom of the children of
Israel and the literal Priests under the command
of God; that while the priest waited at the
temple, and upon the altar, they were made
partakers with the altar; and the principle is
kept up to the gospel dispensation, and is
referred to by the Apostle, showing the duty of
the Church or spiritual Israel towards her
minister, and the right that he has to partake
of the temporal substance of the Church.
In the second passage which is the language of
the Savior. He charges them to provide nothing
for their journey, but lays it down as an
established principle, that the laborer is
worthy of his meat.
2. The nature of that appointment, 1 Cor. 9: 6,
7, 8, "Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power
to forbear working? Who goeth a warfare at any
time at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard
and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Or who
feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of
the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith
not the law the same also?" Why is it that the
Apostle asks the first question, relative to his
and Barnabas' forbearing to work? Is it not
because he considers the Church bound to support
them and release their hands from it? The second
question is, "who goeth a warfare at his own
charge?" The inference we are left to draw is,
that a soldier is not to go on a warfare at his
own charges or expense, but the government that
he is in the service of and fighting for, is
bound to support him. And it would be considered
that any government that would withhold and
refuse to support her soldiers that were
defending her coasts and territory, would act
unjustly in withholding from her soldiers their
just right, and that they could not expect the
smiles of Heaven to rest upon them while acting
thus. If the inference be correct that it would
be unjust to take a soldier's time and service
without rewarding him for the same, it would be
equally unjust, for a Church or Churches to have
the time and service of her minister engaged in
a spiritual warfare in defending her coasts and
religious principles, and for the Churches to
fail to reward him for his time, trouble,
expense and services.
The Apostle still carries out the idea by
referring to the husbandman in planting of a
vineyard, and asks the question, "Who planteth a
vineyard, and eatheth not of the fruit thereof?
Or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the
milk of the flock?" The Apostle says "Say I
these things as a man? or saith not the law the
same things also? The Apostle would have his
brethren to understand that it was not his views
as a man only, but that the law saith the same
things also. That is, that God's law makes it
right, that if a man feed a flock he is entitled
to eat of the milk; and if he plants a vineyard
to eat of the fruit of it. If God's law holds
out the idea, what can be more reasonable than
for a Minister who attends to the Lord's
vineyard to eat of the fruit thereof? Or the
Minister who attends the Lord's flock to eat of
the milk of it? In further support of the idea,
we refer you to 1 Cor. 9; 11: "If we have sown
unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if
we shall reap your carnal things?" This verse
explains the manner which God has appointed that
the Minister should live and be supported. For
the further illustration of this subject, we
refer you to the husbandman, who sows his seeds
at the proper time, according to the laws of
nature; he plows in hope and thresheth in hope,
and the promise is he shall be made to partake
of his hope; or in other words, the Minister
sows unto the Church spiritual things -- labors
in the gospel field, and in return he expects
and has the right to reap your carnal things.
And it is your duty in return, to see that he
does reap your carnal things to the full extent
that he sows to you. We refer you to one other
passage, 1 Cor. 9; 9: "For it is written
in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the
mouth of the ox that treadeath out the corn." We
suppose a case. You go to your neighbor to get
his ox to tread out your corn or wheat, as the
case may be ,when you get him you turn him loose
without feed or support; is it not reasonable to
conclude that after such treatment, the ox would
not visit you often, and have but little
disposition to serve you? And it is equally as
reasonable to suppose that the owner of the ox,
when he knew of the treatment his ox had
received, that he would be unwilling to let you
have him anymore. We suppose that you agree that
the treatment would be hard upon the ox; if so,
we ask you is it not equally hard treatment to
call a minister to serve you, get his time and
service and then muzzle him? or withhold from
him that which you are justly bound to give him
for serving you; and if so how do you think they
can preach to a people that they believe are
withholding their just rights from them.
Objection 1st. We, old school Baptists, have
declared a non-fellowship against all those
things.
Answer.--We remark that not withstanding we have
declared anon-fellowship against religious
speculations, yet we deny having ever declared
non-fellowship against the support of the Gospel
or the Gospel Ministry; but we hold it to be the
duty of the people that have the time and
service of the Minister to reward him for the
same.
Objection 2d. We
want a preacher that is obliged to preach
whether he gets any thing or not.
Answer. -- We suppose then, that you will call a
Minister to serve you and say to him, be ye
warmed, and be ye clothed, and yet give him not
wherewith to warm and clothe him.
Objection 3d. We are opposed to giving to
preachers, because there is danger of spoiling
them.
Answer.-- The Churches will have to alter very
much from what they are now doing, if they spoil
their Ministers by giving to them: but we ask
you if your fears arise because there is danger
of spoiling the Ministers, or because you are
afraid it will touch your purse: Again: is it
right to call a Minister to serve you through
heats and cold -- deprived of the enjoyment
around his fireside with his wife and children
-- take his time and service, and all the
expense attending the same, and all for the good
and prosperity of the Church and glory of God:
and then for you to withhold from him the
temporal blessings which God has blessed you
with? It seems that the answer is easy and plain
that it is not right.
We say to you in the conclusion, not to call a
man that you believe that giving would spoil;
for in calling such a man to serve you, you act
unfaithfully, and also endanger the Church; for
such a man, you must know would make merchandise
of the Church if it was in his power. Again, we
recommend to you, not to call a man and leave
him in a worse condition than you found him: and
not to tie your Minister's hands by withholding
from him that which is his just right, and
which you are bound to bestow. By withholding,
you Ministers will be reduced to poverty, and
subject to the frowns of the world; they will
also be compelled to retire home to attend to
the necessities of their families; and the
consequence will be, a famine, produced not for
want of bread, but for the word of the Lord.
Finally, brethren, Farewell! Let love be without
disimulation; abhor that which is evil; cleave
to that which is good and the God of love and
peace shall be with you.
William Moseley, Moderator.
Joel Mathews, Clerk.
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