scrip, and without purse; that those, to whom they ministered, should entertain and support them all their journey through; that they should inquire for the most worthy persons, and there abide, as putting honour upon their host; for, it is a maxim in Christ's kingdom, that He and His faithful servants richly repay their entertainment, since the labourer is well worthy of his meat.

When, therefore, the Spirit descended on them at Pentecost, the Apostles gave themselves up wholly to their ministry; so entirely withdrawing from all secular concerns, that even the distribution of the alms of the faithful, was not sufficiently spiritual for their hands. They said, therefore, "it is not meet for us to leave the word of God, to serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you, seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and the ministry of the word.”*

In those letters to the ministers, Timothy and Titus, in which Paul portrays the character, and describes the duties of the Christian Pastor, he says, "give thyself wholly to these things, that thy profiting may appear to all." "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier."+

I know, indeed, that it is objected, that Paul himself is an exception to this rule. But this very objection admits, that the rule is, that ministers should be supported by the people of their charge. How strange, then, is the perversion which makes the exception their rule, and the rule an exception! And for what reason did Paul make himself an exception to that which he declared the Lord ordained should be the general practice? Because there were some, among the first churches, who being ill-affected to his person, his ministry, and doctrine, would gladly have seized any opportunity to charge him with sinister motives. He determined, therefore, to cut off all occasion, "from them who desire occasion, that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we." Who, therefore, can require their minister to imitate the Apostle, in thus abstaining to receive support from those to whom he ministered, without making the unenviable admission, that they imitate the ill-disposed persons, who view the ministry and the gospel with an evil eye; whom it is therefore necessary to melt down by heaping coals of fire on their heads; to vanquish, by such a course of voluntary martyrdom for their welfare, as would stop the mouth of an infidel, and compel the bitterest foe to admit, we were their disinterested friend?

For this reason, our missionaries among the heathen are obliged, at first, to support themselves, or must be assisted by the churches at home; because, we cannot expect idolaters to contri

*Acts vi. 2-4. 2 Tim. ii. 4. 2 Cor. xi. 12.

bute to the support of a religion, whose truth and value they have yet to learn. But shall we deal thus with the churches of Christ? The love of Christ forbids that we should treat you, brethren, as heathens, or ill-affected towards that Gospel, in which you glory and exult.

"In

But after all, it was only at certain intervals, and in particular places, that Paul laboured, working with his own hands to minister to his wants. For we read most distinctly of the contributions made to his support, by the disciples of Christ. One beautiful acknowledgment of their liberality may well suffice. Thessalonica, ye Philippians sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift; but I desire fruit that abound to your account. But I have all, and abound; I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God: but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

may

Even in Corinth, where the Apostle received nothing from the church he served, he was assisted by churches at a distance. "Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the Gospel of God freely? I robbed other churches, taking wages of them to do you service. And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man; for that which was lacking to me the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied." If the persons, to whom this was written, had any generous sensibility, how must they have been stung by this reflection on themselves, and how must they have envied the churches of Macedonia their superior honour, in supporting the Apostles of Christ!

3. It is the dictate of what may be termed natural religion; as it is but common justice that those who labour for others, should be supported by them. Had not God explicitly interposed his authority, nor regulated this subject in divine revelation, but had he only said, now judge of your ownselves; does not nature teach you what is right? would it not have been manifest, to every man of common sense and just feeling that if one class of society give themselves to secular duties, and to provide what is useful for this life, and another devote their days to mental and spiritual pursuits, to promote the interests of the soul, those who derive the benefit of the spiritual man's seclusion and studies, should share with him the benefit of their labours and commerce ?

To wish that it were otherwise, betrays such a perversion of mind, and such a destitution of all just moral feeling, as is utterly inconsistent with common honesty, apart from all consideration of the nobler impulses of Christian religion. For the flock to desire the advantages of the minister's exertions, his mental solicitude and physical powers, while he receives no benefit from their worldly gains, is as manifestly unequal and unjust, as for the mi

nister to be supported by their labours, and do nothing for them in return. Few services would be to me either more difficult, or more ungrateful, than to defend sinecures in the church of God. But, against those who plead for what they call a free Gospel, I would pledge myself to prove the propriety of making the ministry a mere emolument without study, and without pastoral care or public instruction. For if a whole people may derive the benefit of one man's labours, and yield him no recompense; surely one man may be supported by the whole, though he should never devote to them his private moments or his public toils.

I am fully aware, that in apparent opposition to all this reasoning is the practice that prevails among a people who show, in all the intercourse of life, a very correct sense of retributive justice. The body called Quakers are supposed to deny the duty of supporting those who labour in word and doctrine. But, on this point, considerable mistake prevails. The Friends, as they term themselves, do not deny the propriety of providing for those who give themselves to the labours of the ministry, but they actually perform this duty with exemplary liberality and love, wherever it is required. They restrict it, indeed, to the time that the ministers are actually engaged in travelling and preaching, so as to be entirely taken off from secular labours; for their peculiar views, of a certain special inspiration in public speaking, leading them to consider it unlawful to use previous study, they, of course, suppose, that no more time is consumed in the ministry, than that which is employed in travelling, and addressing the assemblies convened."

For such Societies, as profess not to hold the Quakers' principles, concerning an inspiration in public speaking, which supersedes previous study, and yet make no provision for the support of the ministry, I can devise no excuse. Unless the mischief be counteracted, by the knowledge which other bodies of Christians may furnish, ignorance will soon prove their ruin; as covetousness or injustice is already their sin and shame.

Let us now consider

II. The mode which should be adopted to attain this instituted end.

In many instances men could wish that God had interposed more specifically, prescribing, by authority, the exact mode in which we should pay our homage at his throne. But, to an attentive observer, it will appear a striking characteristic of the Christian Religion, that it rules by grand general principles, while the Jewish dispensation abounds in minute regulations. Line upon line, precept upon precept, was given to the church in its minority; just as we rule lines for children, and give exact prescriptions to those whom we cannot trust to exercise any discretion. But now that we are no more minors, under governors and tutors, but have VOL. V.

2

attained that maturity, in which we enjoy all the privileges of adoption, the style of instruction and of precept is exchanged, from the minute to the grand, and we are left, as men endued with spiritual wisdom, delicate consciences, and generous affections, to follow out the general principles of the Gospel to all their legiti

mate extent.

As that paramount authority, which prescribed exactly what should be given to the ancient religion, has not said one word of the precise sum, or peculiar mode by which ministers are to be supported, in the churches of Christ, it is manifest that we are left to free-will offerings-the sacrifice of the heart. Well, indeed, this becomes a religion which touches the heart, in the tenderest place, by saying, "ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich!" That every thing was originally voluntary, in the Church of Christ, the New-Testament proves; and that it must have been so, for three hundred years, all may know, from this consideration, that Christ took care to keep his Church, during all that time, entirely separated from the State. Even the supposed law of a community of goods, in the infancy of the Church, at Jerusalem, had no existence. All was voluntary. For Peter says to Ananias, "why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whilst it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was seld, was it not in thine own power?" The sin of these persons lay, not in giving only a part of what they had; but in falsely pretending to the honour of the sacrifice of the whole.

It is asserted, and with considerable evidence, that the earliest mode of supporting ministers, was, by contributions at the Lord's Table. When the Churches celebrated the Holy Supper every Lord's Day, and in the ardour of their first love, gave liberally to that communion which was then made of goods, as well as of hearts and of privileges; the whole amount was divided into three portions; of which, one was set apart to be distributed by the Stewards among the poor, a second was devoted to the support of the ministry, and the remainder was reserved for the incidental expenditure of the Church.

Whether we adopt this, or any other mode, it must be a maxim with us, that the most voluntary is the best. For this is most in harmony with the genius of our religion, most grateful to the feelings both of the pastor and the flock, and most honourable to that Lord, whose glory is the ultimate end of the institution of the Christian church.

For this reason, I cannot but deeply lament, and seriously protest against the mode of supporting ministers by a seat rent. I readily admit; for it is, indeed, incontrovertible, that, as long as men are at liberty to take a seat, or entirely abstain even from entering our doors, this cannot be called a tax. Yet it has so much

of the appearance of a rate imposed, and is so unequal in its operation, that I most earnestly entreat you to supersede this, as far as possible, by providing for the support of your ministers, chiefly by voluntary subscriptions, in which every one may give according as God has blessed him with property and religion. For your sakes as well as your ministers I urge this change; for it is only in proportion as the support of your pastor is the spontaneous effusion of a grateful heart, anxious to render some kind return for spiritual blessings received, that it secures the approbation and blessing of the Saviour, which is better than life. (To be concluded in the next Number.)

Biography.

MEMOIR OF MR. THOMAS TUCKER.

Communicated for the Methodist Magazine.

It requires no examples of biography to illustrate the truth of the Divine declaration, that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. We see it to be so in all the gradations of life-whatever round in the ladder of human depravity the spectator occupies. Rarely indeed does it fall to the lot of a religious paper to record the memoir of one distinguished in the estimation of the world, and at the same time eminent with saints for piety.

Mr. Thomas Tucker, late of Danbury in Connecticut, whose manner of life is now to be noticed, enjoyed no remarkable tokens of civil or military honour, no marked success in his occupation. We utter his name, and deem his memory dear, because he was a Christian. But although he has not been thus singularly distinguished, he has not been abject and forgotten in the community, but has received a merited share of respect from his acquaintances, and realized the happy situation which the pious Agur sought for in his petition, give me neither poverty nor riches.

As every one's religious character is more or less interwoven with his pursuits, it may not be superfluous to superadd a few facts regarding the history of himself and the interesting public scenes in which he was concerned.

James Tucker was a native of Gloucester in England. He emigrated to New-York, where Thomas, the seventh son, was born February 9, 1744. Thomas was educated a merchant. The property which his father was enabled to leave him was inconsiderable, and this circumstance stimulated him to act with diligence and fidelity toward his employer. When arrived to years of majority, he commenced mercantile business for himself, and continued it in the city, with some success, until interrupted by the revolutionary war, when he removed his family into the