HERALD
OF THE
KINGDOM AND AGE TO COME.
RICHMOND, VA., DECEMBER, 1851
“FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS.”
The present is the last number of the first volume of the “Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.” In commencing it we promised no more than is implied in the title—to publish “the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ.” This implied promise we have not failed to perform; but have laboured diligently, and in all good conscience and sincerity, to enlighten our subscribers, and to make them “wise” in the wisdom and knowledge of God, as he hath revealed it to his servants the prophets of Israel, and the apostles of Jesus. We have earnestly endeavoured to enlighten them that they might be saved in the kingdom; so that being there, they may “receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing”—Revelation 5: 12, with David’s Son and Lord, as joint-heirs with Him who is Heir of all these things for evermore. We have burned gallons of “midnight oil” in the development of our arduous, but self-improving and agreeable, enterprise. We have suffered indeed from weariness of flesh and spirit; still, though surrounded by discouragement on every side, we have never flagged—our course has been onward, untiring and as yet untired. And be it remembered, this uncheered perseverance is not a thing of yesterday, but an affair of seventeen years persistence. He that knew us in the beginning finds us now as then, “examining all things; seizing upon the good”—1 Thessalonians 5: 21; and without reward, or fear of consequences, making it known that others may share and enjoy with us the fruits of our research. We speak boldly, and as some may suppose, boastingly in these details. Be it so. “As the truth of Christ is in me,” said Paul, “no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.” We testify of facts, and commend not ourselves in doing so; for we have done no more than we ought to have done, and could not have done less without hazard of condemnation by the Lord at his coming. But we remind others who believe of these things, and who are better able than we to go and do likewise, that we may “provoke them to love and to good works,” that they may lay up in store for themselves a good foundation for the future (eis to mellon) that they may lay hold of the life of the Age to Come—1 Timothy 6: 17-19. We have proved our devotion to the truth, and disinterestedness in its advocacy, by our works as the indispensable manifestation of the perfecting of our faith. We desire to see others do the same, that they may not be dismayed and put to open shame at the coming of the Master. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” and not “what have you professed?” will determine the acceptance of the saints. If their doings are resolvable into mere words that cost nothing but a feeble effort to pronounce them, they can have no part in the kingdom of God and the Age to Come. Thus saith the Lord; therefore let no man be beguiled by vain deceit.
In regard to the Herald, seeing that we have done our part, we would enquire have our subscribers performed theirs? Some of them have not—why, we are not prepared to say. All who did not return the First Number constituted themselves subscribers for the volume, as it is written on page 27, “all who decline the work will please return this number.” About forty retained it and continued to receive it for several numbers, and then ordered its discontinuance without payment, thereby discrediting themselves and inflicting a loss of forty volumes upon us. Others from want of due reflection, we suppose, or perhaps, from an impression that we can print without money as well as preach, and that consequently all the “patronage” the nature of the case demands is to take it out of the office and read it gratuitously, have failed thus far to pay up their dues. Some of these kind, but inconsiderate and as yet unprofitable “patrons,” have not paid us for several years. What can we say of such? Can we commend them, and hold them up as bright and shining lights worthy of all imitation by the friends of literature and truth? If all our subscribers had “patronised” us with such truly “spiritual” patronage as this, we say not where should we have been, but where would have been the Herald of the Age to Come? Non est inventum! In the lowest sheol of literary abortions. But why is this? Why are our friends so remiss? Some of our profitable patrons—vos sane patroni estis—have suggested as the solution of the quandary that we do not “dun” them; for that certain are so constituted that they have no idea that any necessity rests upon them to pay their dues unless their creditors are incessantly knocking at their consciences. We trust, however, that this is not the case with our subscribers. It is true that we have done very little in the dunning way. It is a business we do not like, though we see it is practised very much by others. There ought to be no necessity for an editor even to hint a word about money in a paper subscribed for by persons who profess to be in search of truth by which they hope to “make their fortunes” to all eternity. Would they not willingly pay two dollars to a man who would only show them where by hard labour they could dig out gold by little at a time? And do they begrudge to pay the same paltry sum to another who they profess to believe is able to show them where they may find, and how they may secure, eternal riches? There is an appearance of ingratitude, ignobleness of mind, and ungenerousness of disposition in such treatment of their friend who is subjecting himself to much trouble and some hazard for their improvement and everlasting weal. “The liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand”—is it a liberal thing to make an editor work for nothing and find himself? Will our subscribers in arrears study this text, and in as short a time as may be, make a practical application of the discourse?
We say so little about our wants that we fear our friends, with very few exceptions, have taken up the notion that we have no necessities at all! They receive their papers regularly; they read of our journeying from the States to Britain, travelling over that country in all directions, visiting the Continent of Europe, returning to America, “running to and fro” in Virginia, and finishing for the time being with a tour to Baltimore, New York, Boston, Halifax in Nova Scotia, and return—a journey exceeding 2000 miles; they find no appeals to their pockets for money to indemnify us for our time, labour, information, and expenses before we will go forth to diffuse the knowledge of the Gospel of the Kingdom; when among them, they see us well clothed, they hear no tale of distress, contributions of money are not solicited—if they give, they give; if they don’t, they don’t; and there’s an end on’t: —we make no personal applications for subscriptions to our works, and so forth, but leave all the cooperation we receive to emanate spontaneously from our friends themselves as the result of the inworking in their hearts of the truth believed. Knowing what incessant appeals are made by others for money to carry on their operations, they naturally, but not scripturally, suppose, that if we were in want of funds we would dun the public likewise. But if they really imagine this, they neither know us nor the principles and spirit which actuate us. When it comes to this that we can only carry on the work by squeezing unwilling counters from our friends, we shall wash our hands of their cooperation and retire to private life. It has puzzled many to divine how under all the adverse circumstances we have had to combat we have been able to persevere and keep afloat? When they have read the following statement their perplexity will not have considerably diminished; we will just tell them however so much as this, that the rule by which we work is—reduce personal expenses to the minimum and little money will be needed to supply them; economise that little, and there will be the more to spend in the service of the truth. We work by this rule, and its results will enable us, we think, to compare with the richest of our friends when the Lord shall confront us before his Judgment Seat.
The following is a statement of arithmetical facts showing what has been expended and how much has been received in the work of carrying on the Herald, and advocating the gospel of the kingdom from January to Christmas of the present year.
STATEMENT.
Subscriptions received for Herald $405.00
Donations received over actual
travelling expenses $186.75
Total receipts for the Herald and Lectures $591.75
Aggregate expense of printing
The Herald $527.95
Balance $ 63.80
Forty volumes spoiled by illegal
Discontinuances $80.00
Subscriptions due on current volume
by “patrons” actually receiving it $400.00
Time, labour, writing materials
and knowledge, furnished for
twelve months at the moderate
estimate of $500.00
Keeping body and soul together
while employed in editing;
with current family expenses $500.00
Seventy lectures (besides home
service for which no charge is
recorded) this year at less than
the ordinary clerical or
“evangelical” compensation $350.00
$1830.00
Offset by balance including $10
Counterfeit on Exchange Bank
of Virginia $63.80
Editor’s contribution to Gospel $1766.20
We do not think the above estimate an exaggerated one. We have supplied 200 copies to individuals at our own expense thus far; which, we opine, is a tolerably “liberal thing” for one of our means. We have also set down a thousand dollars for wear and tear of body, soul, and spirit, in the affair of editing. One of the political editors of this city gets eight hundred dollars a year for a narrow column, about a page of the Herald, per day, and often less, of a small neutral sheet. He gets no abuse, nor is there any reproach attached to the work he performs. Not so with ours. We are the jest of scorners, and held up to contempt by editors and advertisers in the public papers. This makes our editorialism worth something more in this life than his; we have therefore set down $1000 and reproach, as about editorially equivalent to $800 and peace and quietness. And besides, if one D. S. B., a Campbellite “evangelist,” at Louisville, Kentucky, in 1843, was not over-paid at $1000 per annum for three one-hour speeches a week, we conscientiously believe our services from morn till eve, week after week, are not over estimated at the same price.
The seventy lectures have averaged two hours each though some of them occupied three hours and a half. “Evangelist” D. S. B. would deliver in a year 156 speeches, which at his per annum would be $6.41cts. a speech. Our seventy discourses come within sixteen hours of the duration of his hundred and fifty-six; and according to the scale propounded ought to be rated at eight hundred and ninety-seven dollars, and forty-four cents. But we have been moderate and put down the whole at three hundred and fifty; though we believe there are but few who would travel upwards of a thousand miles to speak fourteen hours for two dollars and fifty cents an hour: but we did so 0 per hour and fifteen dollars minus for expenses at that.
But, let it not be objected, “Oh, this is not money out of pocket!” True, it is not; but it is something expended of more value than money. Time, labour, and knowledge are capital; money is only the interest thereof. A money capital of $2000 at 6 per cent per annum will only produce $120; while $1766, our contribution to the gospel, is the interest of 28,000. The capital we have devoted to the service of the truth for years would have made us rich in the things that perish had we applied it to the practice of our profession. Our old religious enemies in this city that hate us cordially, would employ us nevertheless, if we would return to Esculapian pursuits. But no; shall we turn from the service of the gospel of the kingdom to serve ourselves in patching up the crazy mortalities of the children of the dust for filthy lucre’s sake? Not so long as we can make the world our debtor, and by labouring in the vocation of the gospel “lay up for ourselves a good foundation for the future.” The time of a physician is valuable, for when professionally employed in a city it will yield greater returns than most other pursuits. We regret not the sacrifice we have made of the last seventeen years of our existence; we would repeat it could we retrace our steps; and God willing, we intend to spend the remainder of our days after the same sort. We will do all that is possible; more than this none can expect us to perform.
But, Oh, this “cooperation,” what do men mean by that? Must we answer the question experimentally? Were we to do so we should point our reluctant finger to that ominous “balance” in the statement above! Knowledge confessedly precious, and a whole year’s valuable time and labour, the contribution of one man, added to $63.80 bestowed by the many. This is equality and fraternity, cheering to the heart, and strengthening to the hands of the mighty few who have to bear the burden and heat of the day! And what is this delectable cooperation for? For our own individual advantage and behoof? We refuse to accept it upon any such understanding. When we want money for our personal necessities we can do better than toil night and day for $63.80 per annum. Is it then the cooperative contribution of the many for the service of the gospel? Is this the estimate the many put upon the gospel of the kingdom which they say is defined, proved, and advocated in no other paper in the world? Ought they not at least to contribute $500 independently of the subscribers to perpetuate it? And would that after all be doing any thing to boast of?
Cooperation is two or more persons working together to one end. What is that “one end” in the case before us? Is it to support the editor of the Herald, or to diffuse the knowledge of the gospel of the kingdom among the people? If it be said, “to support the editor of the Herald,” the editor begs leave most earnestly and respectfully to rejoin that he wants no such cooperation, and thanks no body for even suggesting it. But if it be said, “the one end of our cooperation is to diffuse the knowledge of the gospel of the kingdom for the obedience of faith,” that is a working together to a mutually profitable, honourable, and praiseworthy end. But cooperation is “a working together.” What does that mean? Is it all the work, all the hazard, all the self-denial, shall be laid upon one man, while nearly all the rest are devoting themselves to their temporal interest and enjoyment? We do not so understand the matter, nor do we acquiesce in such a definition of the thing. There is no reason why we should bear all, and others next to nothing. Will any physician or farmer change “cooperation” with us? Will he give us his practice or his farm and take our place? He will get no reward in heaven for serving himself in his secular calling; surely the exchange will be profitable, for our labour in the gospel will be recompensed in the kingdom of the Age to Come.
Such is the report with which we conclude our editorial labours for 1851. Next year the world will be on fire; and in the midst of the blazing elements we should regret having no medium of thought with the faithful, through which to stir up their pure minds by way of remembrance respecting the things coming speedily upon the nations. We shall therefore venture, if spared, to continue the Herald through 1852. We hope that at the end of the year we shall be enabled to report considerable improvement in their ideas of “cooperation,” and that they have learned that they are responsible to God for the diffusion of the knowledge of the gospel among their contemporaries as we, neither more nor less; and that our service, however abundant, is no discharge for their activity, self-denial, and contribution to the war.
