Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

“It is our opinion that it is the members duty voluntarily to contribute to their
minister’s support, and if the deacon discovers any remiss in their duty, that
he shall cite him to the church; and if the church find him negligent in his
duty, we give it as our advice, that the church should deal f1021 with him for
covetousness.” f1024
At its meeting in 1788 this association
(1.) “Do recommend to the consideration of the different churches for their
approbation or disapprobation,” the “raising a fund in the first place by their
own contribution.
(2.) By public contributions from the inhabitants, twice in the year at least.
Which money so collected and deposited in the hands of some person, and
subject to the orders of the church, to be appropriated to the aid of any
traveling preacher, whom they shall judge to be sent of God to preach.” f1025
In the circular letter to this association, in 1791, we read:
“We proceed, in our circular letter, at this time, to make a few observations on
the necessary support of gospel ministers; although we are sorry that there
should be the least occasion to write or speak on that, subject. … Ministers
have a divine right to maintenance from the people.” f1026
T.H. Pritchard, D.D., one of our most scholarly and critical writers, says:
“I shall now prove from unquestionable historical facts that the associations
which are now anti-missionary were in favor of foreign missions up to the
year 1826, ‘27 and ‘30, and hence have no claim to the title of the Old School
Baptists.
“I will begin with the Baltimore association, perhaps the most famous body of
this modern sect in the United States. Their minutes for 1814 contain the
following record: ‘Received a corresponding letter from Bro. Rice, one of our
missionary brethren, on the subject of encouraging missionary societies.’ This
Bro. Rice was Luther Rice, who was then just from Burmah, where he had
gone as a missionary with Adoniram Judson.
“In 1816 these minutes in their circular letter say: ‘The many revivals of
religion which are witnessed in various parts of the country — the
multiplication of Bible societies, missionary societies and Sunday schools,
both in our own and foreign countries, are viewed by us as showing
indications of the near approach of that day when the knowledge of the Lord
shall cover the earth.’ The minutes of the same year state that ‘the standing
clerk was instructed to supply the corresponding secretary of the Foreign
Mission Board with a copy of our minutes annually.’ In 1817 ‘Bro. Luther
Rice presented him-self as the messenger of the Baptist Board of Foreign
Missions and was cordially received.’