Scotland/Scots > Licht frae the smiddy o' Saunders Dinwuddie

58 CHRISTIAN KINDNESS TO MINISTERS.
and he canna weel want a pony, if he be a
weakly man, and his flock be scattered far and
wide. And how can the worthy man do a’ that,
and muckle mair than a’ that, on a hunder, or a
hunder an’ twenty a year ? Perfect nonsense! I
say again, ministers are scantily and scrimply pro¬
vided for. Some o’ them may ha’e siller o’
their ain, or ha’e a wife wi’ a tocher. What o’
that ? Is a minister to be obliged to pay for his
ministry to a congregation wi’ his ain siller ? Is
that fair, or richt, or reasonable ? Fie ! fie!”
“But, Saunders, a congregation maybe small
in number, and so poor as to be unable to make
an adequate provision for their pastor.”
“ That may be, Sir, but as they say, necessity
has nae law. If sic a congregation canna support
a minister, let them be content wi’ a cathechist,
or a missionar, wha can mak’a fend to live on the
wages o’ a common journeyman. Starvation in a
richteous cause is a grand thing if starvation ad¬
vance the cause o’ richteousness. No itherwise.
For if starvation dae nae mair than keep folk frae
doin’ what they themsel’s oucht to do, and frae
gi’ein’ what they themsel’s are bound to gie, it is
an evil thing. There’s a savour and a sough o’
common sense in that, I trow. What think ye.
Sir ?”
“ I cannot approve, Saunders, of the churlish
spirit shown by many professing Christians in
dealing with their ministers. If each member of
the Church were casting into her treasury accord¬
ing to his ability the ministry would be well pro¬
vided for. But, I am sorry to say that the con¬
tributions of too many are not in answer to the