"To the work! To the work!" should be the watch cry proceeding from the heart and lips of every member of the Church of God. Especially its ministers should realize the outspreading demand required of them in order to the establishing of Bible truth--the diffusion of Bible light in the dissemination of the life, knowledge of salvation, and as much as possible aid in proclaiming the GOOD news of the gospel. Every member of the Church of God has a work to do; but that all have the same kind of office, and are alike successful, is surely a mistaken notion. Neither are we to judge rashly of our brethren, even if they are not as successful as some. We have no right, we are not authorized of God in his word to hold up some of our brethren to the public notice of the world as "lazy preachers" on the plea BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT REVIVALISTS. Neither have we a right to bring availing accusation against our near brethren in the Lord merely to satisfy and excited impulse of feeling incited by the apathy of Old Tell-tale Michael the arch-angel when contending with the devil about the body of Moses, dare not bring against him availing accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke thee." Much less should brethren accuse brethren, calling them unbecoming names. We should exercise the gifts we have in possession. We have not all the same gifts. The duties enjoined depend chiefly upon the office of each. "We are many members in one body, and all members have not the same office." "Having, then, gifts differing according to the grace that is given unto us; whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on the ministry; also he that teaches, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation." "And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers." "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." "And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? have all the gift of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" Now the duties enjoined are imperative according to the respective office of each. There is not always a deviation from the scriptural rule when but few, if any, are soundly converted. An individual may be successful in one locality at one time, and unsuccessful at another even in the same locality. Are all revivalists? are all alike successful? are ministers of the Church of God to be stigmatized simply because they cannot report scores converted. A regiment of superficial converts persuaded under the influence of emotional dicta is not worthy to be compared to our permanent, genuine conversion produced by the Spirit and word of God. Who are these "lazy preachers," said to be "assigned to fields of labor out of sympathy because they seem to depend upon the ministry for a livelihood?" Such diction ought not to be penned. It not only casts a stigma upon those Elderships that have those preachers thus charged with "laziness," but gives a kind of hypocritical pedigree to the stationing committees of those Elderships. True, everybody has his failing, but because we have heard a long story from Brother Tell-tale, informing us thus and so as to character, usages, success, etc., and upon these grounds assume the responsibility to call the dear, itinerant brethren "dumb," "sleeping," and "greedy dogs." Brethren, these things ought not so to be.

PHILOPHRON.      

[The Church Advocate 41 (May 16, 1877): 3.]

      Philophron's "To the Work" was first published in The Church Advocate, Vol. 41, No. 46 (May 16, 1877), p. 3. The identity of Philophron has not yet been determined. His essay is a response to D. S. Warner's "To the Work! To the Work!" first published in The Church Advocate, Vol. 41, No. 34 (December 20, 1876), p. 2. The electronic version has been transcribed from a copy of the article printed from a microfilmed edition of the newspaper held by the State Library of Pennsylvania. Thanks to Adams Memorial Library for arranging for the interlibrary loan, and to St. Vincent College Library for the use of its microfilm reader/printer.

      Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 3:      appostles, [ apostles,
            produced be [ produced by
            "assinged [ "assigned
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 23 May 1999.
Updated 15 July 2003.