Southern Christian Advocate

Criticising the Minister.

Ministers are public teachers, and of course come in for their share of criticism. They are targets for shooters from all quarters. They are pincushions, and not a few think it their right to come round occasionally and stick one in. Some people think it is good for the minister's health—physical and spiritual—to be well punctured. These criticisms are varied. Sometimes they are just, sometimes not. Sometimes they are kindly—oftener hasty—once in awhile vicious. Sometimes they are amusing—once in awhile painful. Now they are called peculiar, now not sociable, now ill-tempered: now too plain of speech, now not plain enough: now proud and now affected, which is the same thing: now they preach too loud, now not loud enough: now too long, and now too—I was going to say too short: but I hold. I have not heard that criticism often. Now they are all the time after money: "all the time going down into a man's pocketbook:" and now "why don't you have a better choir?" which means much more money—if not more piety. Now they are too liberal, and now not liberal enough; now he does not go to see some sick one—especially when he does not know that one is sick—and so the gathering wave rolls on until it becomes a flood. But I stay. I have just turned to a page of personal experience which I have had turned down for some time. I have given the reader one-fourth of it, enough with the mercury in the nineties. Oh, it is easy to criticise. Any one can do that much. What shall the minister do in such a case? Paul, under a far greater burden, said: "None of these things move me." Let us be sure to have the Master's approval, and to maintain a conscience void of offense among men, and go on: Blessed the people who see in their minister, not an angel, but a sincere, earnest servant of the Master, for whom they daily pray, and whose hands they hold up. Such have a right to criticise the minister, and no others have.—Dr. Rhodes.