CHAPTER XIV.

CHEATING BY CHURCHES, AS CHURCHES.

Samuel Greiting was a plain, straightforward sort of a man, by trade a shoemaker. He was a man of good common sense, and was a praying, devoted Christian. He acted on principle in his family, and out of it; on the week days, as well as on the Sabbath; in the world, as well as in the church. He conducted his business on principle, and was scrupulously honest in all his dealings; and no man could convince him that there was any good reason why all Christians, and in fact churches also, should not act on principle.

One day as he was in his shop (which was located not in Philadelphia, but somewhere within a thousand miles of that city of "brotherly love,") with his Bible open before him, for he was accustomed, as he sat upon his bench, hammering the leather upon the lap-stone, or driving the pegs into the shoes, to have his

Bible on a little stool, opened, that he might read a verse, and then think of it as he worked; we say, one day as he was thus engaged, raising his head, he saw Dr. Barclay passing by his window. He immediately dropped his work, ran to the door, and cried out, doctor, "why is cheating in a church any less sinful than in individuals?" Dr. Barclay being thus suddenly accosted, turned round, walked back, and entered the shop, saying as he was entering, "what do you mean, brother Greiting? What are you at now?"

Greiting. Why this morning I read this passage in the ninth chapter, 14th verse of 1 Corinthians, (reading it loud) "Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel," and I have been thinking it over since, and it seems to me that many of our churches don't keep it in mind, for how many of them there are which do not support their ministers, and do not even pay them as much as they ought considering their ability, and how many churches too, let their ministers go away unpaid, and then refuse even to pay them. Now where is principle, CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE, when churches conduct in this manner?

Doctor. I suppose some of our churches do not provide for their pastors as well as they can, but I reckon it is not often the case that a minister goes away without being paid all arrearages.

G. Oh, yes it is.

D. Do you know of many such cases?

G. Yes, indeed I do. There was good father B- who labored for the church in

sometime, and when he left them, they owed him seventy dollars. He has repeatedly requested them to do something about it, but they refuse. He told them that if they would take up a contribution for him, he would give them a receipt in full, even if it did not amount to ten dollars, but they wouldn't Now if that's not cheating, I don't

do it.
know what cheating is.
brother L, the church in

Then there was

more than $300, and they have

him one cent of it to this day.

father D too, the church in

owed him

never paid

There was

owed

him $400 when he left, and they might have paid him the whole of it, before this time, if they had raised only thirty dollars a year towards it but they have never paid him a

levy of it. Then the church in

owes

brother R$200, and they won't pay him,

and brother M

by the church in

has

never yet been paid Now all these cases

I consider just as much cheating, as it would be for me to agree to pay you $500 for a year's labor, and then only pay $250, and refuse to pay the rest. Don't you?

D. Why yes, I suppose it is-but you know it is said that corporations and associations have no souls, and I suppose churches are included, for they are associations of be lievers, and the societies connected with them, you know, are often incorporated.

G. Well, if they don't have souls they ought to have, and churches especially, should not cheat, but act on principle, or else they disgrace religion.

D.

That is true, but what can we do about it? I do not see as we can do anything. Do you?

G. Yes, something can be done about it. If other churches and ministers would take the stand they ought to, the evil would soon

cease.

* That is twelve and a half cents.

D. What stand?

G. Suppose a church, as a body, should uphold the drinking of ardent spirits, it would be considered such a grievous sin that other churches would not fellowship them, and good ministers would not preach for them; so they would be compelled to renounce this iniquity. In the same way they should conduct towards a church that refuses to pay its honest debts. Now take these churches I have mentioned. If other churches and ministers refused to fellowship them, or have any thing to do with them, till they paid their minister, they would soon clear off their debts. But as long as they are fellowshipped just as if they had never cheated their ministers, so long will they continue their iniquity.

D. I know that is the true course, and if churches and ministers would act on principle, they would follow that course. But they will not, so I do not see as the evil can be cured.

G. It makes me heart sick, when I think how little real principle there is among Christians. Now if I was a minister, I would no more assist in ordaining a man over a church which had cheated their last pastor, than I