Creative Books

Down to 1700, Increase Mather
says, most salaries were less than L100, which he thinks "might account
for the scanty harvests enjoyed by our farmers." He and his son Cotton
both tell the story of a town where "two very eminent ministers were
only allowed L30 per annum" and "the God who will not be mocked made
them lose L300 worth of cattle that year." The latter also complains
that the people were very willing to consider the ministers the stars,
rather than the mere lamps, of the churches, provided they, like the
stars, would shine without earthly contributions.
He also calls the terms of payment, in one of his long words,
"Synecdotical Pay,"--in allusion to that rhetorical figure by which a
part is used for the whole. And apparently various causes might produce
this Synecdoche. For I have seen an anonymous "Plea for Ministers of the
Gospel," in 1706, which complains that "young ministers have often
occasion in their preaching to speak things offensive to some of the
wealthiest people in town, on which occasion they may withhold a
considerable part of their maintenance.


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