Philander Chase

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Philander Chase implores the editorial board of the Banner of the Cross to solicit money for the Missionaries in Illinois, who are not being supported by the Church. He writes that he would aid them financially himself but he does not have enough money for this.

Date

12-8-1842

Keywords

Philander Chase, Banner of the Cross, missionaries, finances

Transcript

To the Editor of the Banner of the Cross

Jubilee 8 Dec’r 42

My dear Sir;

Through the medium of your excellent and wide spreading paper (which for one I desire to recommend as holding the middle course of truth and righteousness) may I not say a word or two in behalf of the worthy Missionaries of Illinois! All their little salaries having been pledged to pay their current expenses they are in great distress those due the 1st of Oc’t not yet paid. Not like the men of the world who can, without a twinge of conscience, wipe off their debts at a stroke by becoming bankrupts, they know and feel that the persons to whom they have become indebted must be paid: and if neither the Parish nor the Miss’y. Society will enable them to be honest men, what can they do?

Not only their Creditors are complaining but their own families are suffering. Long ago have they been obliged to do the duties of their household in becoming man, boy and milkmaid & woodcutter: this they bore without a murmur for they had yet something from the Missionary Society to buy bread and meat & a little poor clothing for their families. Even this last resource has now failed them-- and the edict has gone forth that there is nothing more, after paying the Salaries of Clerks and agents, in the treasury to save them from starving.

Now what is to be done? After the very bad character which the “little Book” I mean the Spirit of Missions, has left on the public mind (by their last number) of the Bishop of Illinois it is to be feared that there is little hope buy to assure the Church in general that I am not such a heavy, bearing down Incubus as to wish to squeeze my Clergy to death; but on the contrary that I feel for the woes of every one of them and would do any thing in my power to help them: I would go a begging for them and implore all who have any bowels of compassion to send to the Missionary Treasury something immediately lest they starve to death: but my health is poor and I have no salary to bear my expenses neither at home nor when travelling especially [in] the winter. I am obliged to keep my room & sometimes my bed by reason of a bad cold and cough & night sweats: so that I have no other way left but that which I am now taking which is to entreat everyone who reads these lines to send immediately a small sum of money with this superscription for - what? Not for “Bp. Chase’s Mission” but “for the poor Missionaries in Illinois.” Or, to pay the regular stipends of the Missionaries in Illinois.” It is a small sum at most. Had I the ability they should not ask for it twice; for I know not a more worthy & faithful set of labourers in Christs Vineyard: and as to their opinions and churchmanship I believe not one of them wishes to go either to Rome or Geneva. Jerusalem the place and city of the Firstborn: the primitive Church is the place of their destination. There the Son of David reigns; not the Pope nor [?] nor his “Company.”

To conclude I have been travelling all the summer & fall & trying to do my duty: and tho’ I have had no one to keep a note book and send off the contents for weekly publication yet I intend our beloved Church shall in some way hear from me while I can hold a pen or draw my breath[.]

I am now in study sitting by a good coal fire during my sleepless moments (& they are many) writing my “Reminiscences” of that busy period of my life when founding & rearing the Walls of Kenyon College. Two more numbers perhaps will appear in the Spring

Yours sincerely

Phil’r Chase

Letter to the Editor of the Banner of the Cross

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