The work to be accomplished by the Christian editor and evangelist, is very nearly the same, though their mode of operation is very different. I understand it to be the business of the editor to hold to public view the glorious gospel of salvation, in all its facts, commandments, and promises; to enlighten the world on the great theme of redemption, by a full presentation of the word of truth; to comfort, instruct, reprove, and build up the saints; to oppose all dangerous error; and to defend the truth, and the church, against all the attacks of the enemy in all: the forms he wears.
Well, all this enters into, and forms a part of “the work of ah evangelist.” It is true the evangelist is to be more personally and directly engaged in introducing converts into the kingdom of Christ than the editor, and this is the main point of difference in their calling.
Now, seeing the work to be done by these two classes of public servants is pretty much the same, I will notice some of the advantages that the editor enjoys over the evangelist in accomplishing their work.: One advantage is that the editor can speak to so many more persons at the same time. The evangelist perhaps seldom has more than one or two hundred persons to address at once, on a week day occasion; oftener ten or fifteen in this country. And on the Lord’s day he seldom has more than two or three hundred, unless it be on a “BIG MEETING” occasion, . when he may have five hundred. And, do his very best, under the most favorable circumstances, he cannot address more than one thousand persons at once to advantage. But the editor can speak to his thou-sands and tens of thousands, scattered over a whole continent, at the same in-stant. And when one has read his address, he can hand it to another, until mil-lions may receive godly instruction through his instrumentality.
Another advantage the editor possesses, is in the amount of physical; strength necessary to accomplish his work. In this country the evangelist is compelled often to speak in open houses, old barns, and very frequently in the open woods; all of which is very trying on the lungs. With all the care and studied attention that can possibly be brought into requisition, they may de-stroy their lives by constant speaking under these circumstances. I never ex-pect to recover, from the effects of those things. From all this bodily toil, however, the editor, as such, is freed.
Another advantage which the editor possesses over the evangelist, is in the facility with which he imparts his instruction. Amidst the various seasons of the year, in order to accomplish the work in which the evangelist has engaged, he has all the inclemency of the weather to encounter. When the cold breath of winter has bound in icy chains the running rivulet, and the gentle current of life that flows through the veins of the forest, while the rolling snow moves in darkening clouds through the dense woods, and the hollow north winds howl, and roar, and rumble, around and about him, and the tall trees bend, and wave, and bow, and lash each other over his head; amidst all these trying scenes, he must press forward and pursue his course if he would speak to the people on the great subject of salvation. And when he makes his way over a roughly frozen road, some ten, fifteen or twenty miles, and arrives at his appointment, his feet being past feeling by the intensity of the cold, and icicles hanging to the fibrous guards which nature has planted around the organs of vision, he enters the house of worship, and perhaps he finds ten or fifteen old and faithful sol-diers of the cross to address. Thus his opportunity of doing much and inten-sive good, after all the labors of this day is very much limited.
But the editor, comfortably situated in his indicting room, “smiles at the storm.” Though the winter blast may blow and drift the white snow along the streets and lanes of the city, he sits by his warm stove, and with the aid of a small segment of a goose’s wing, still talks to his thousands of anxious readers on the great subject of human redemption.
One more advantage which the editor possesses, is the privilege which he has obtained, by common consent, to- ask for an increase- of patronage, and for pay for his services.
Although the evangelist has to endure all the fatigues, and sufferings and exposures of an itinerant life, for the good of the public, he dare not even ask for pay for his services. Should he ask of those whom he has long publicly ad-dressed, for a small remuneration for his labor, the cry of “preaching for mon-ey,” would be raised against him! And although he may make an arrangement with a number of churches for a certain amount, he must never say to any that he wants his pay. And when the year is out, if he has not received one half the promised amount, he must never say one word about it, or it will be said—“OH! HE CARES MORE FOR THE FLEECE THAN THE FLOCK!” But the editor can say—“We shall send this No. to many of our friends and brethren who have not had an opportunity to send us their names. Will they examine it, and if pleased with it, show it to their friends; and send us the names of all the good responsible subscribers they can get? Will all our subscribers use their influence to increase the circulation of our paper?”—C. R. “The readers of the— will remember, that after the 1st of July next, postmasters will not have the privilege of remitting subscription money to editors free of cost. We hope, therefore, that all those who are in arrears for the 1st and 2d vols. will avail themselves of the privilege of sending on their dues during the month of June.”—C. R. “The time has now come when every subscriber should pay.”—C. F. M. “We request all our agents and friends exert themselves to obtain many good subscribers to the work and frank them to us through their postmasters as early as possible.” —C.M. “Will our friends aid us? Will they send us our hard earned and just dues?”—C. M. These few abstracts will suffice as a specimen of the common language of editors, on this subject. Some will get up a paper by the suggestion of a few neighbors, without ever consulting the brotherhood at large, and in the first or second No. will come as warm appeal to the brethren to come forward and aid in sustaining the new paper, as if they were bound by special contract to support it. All this, too, passes well coming from an editor. Now, I am not finding fault with our good brethren of the editorial corps, but only name these things to show the advantage that edi- tors have over evangelists.
Suppose an evangelist should publish a prospectus to the brethren at large, calling on all to come forward and help him in the work, saying, “I have made arrangements now to give myself wholly to the work, and all that is wanting to enable me to do much good, is plenty of good prompt paying subscribers. Will all the brethren exert themselves to get assistance? Remember, the more is subscribed and paid, the more means I will have of doing good: my preaching will be improved, having more time to devote to the work.” And suppose when his year is nearly out, he should publish a circular, saying—“Come brethren, the year is nearly expired: it is time all had paid. Will you send us our hard earned and just dues?” What would be said of him?
Now, I do not say there would be any thing very wrong in all this, but you know, Br. Mathes, that we, as evangelists, are forbidden, by common consent, to pursue such a course. We must do the labor, and endure the toil, and if the brethren pay us, very well; but if not, we must not say any thing about it,
Br. Mathes, I do not wish you to suppose from these remarks that I am murmuring. This I have never permitted myself to do, since I embraced the gospel, as my rule of faith and practice. Though I have travelled and preached much without any earthly reward, and although I have failed to get much that has been promised, yet, for the last few years, I have found many liberal brethren who have done their part nobly. May the Lord bless them according-ly. Whether I embark in the field for constant labor the ensuing year or not, depends upon my physical strength, when I recover from my present affliction.
May the good Lord pardon all our imperfections, and finally save us in heaven, where the inhabitants shall never say—“I am sick,” is my prayer.
ELIJAH GOODWIN.