Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-07-09
: To tho Rcu. " 3. johnson, D. D.

Yours, Respectfully,
/" To tic Ncp. " 3. johnson, D. d.
Dear Bro,her-I, affords me great pleasure
to inform you. that at the FIRST meeting OF the
Foreign hlissiou;Bnard of the Southern Bai'-
tist Convention, the following resolution was
unanimously adopted:
That this Board respectfully request the :
President of the Southern Baptist Convention,
TO make tour among the Churches on behalf
Of the Foreign Mission enterprise.
am, with high respect,
J. 3. JETER, Pres. Board"
To THE CHURCHES CoMpREuEEDEp IN THE
SoUrHERs BAPTIST CONVENTION.
Dear Brethren :,
Having, in compliance with the above re-,
quest entered upon the duties Of my mission,
l lake the liberty of asking your attention. to
the following Communication.
You are, dear brethren, with very few excep.e :
tions, embodied n Associations and State Com
| ventons. BY this arrangement the opportun:
ity is afforded of a judicious, systematic order
OF contributionandt transmissian of funds to tile.
| respective Boards of tire Southern Baptist,
Convention, for the propagation of the Gospel !:
OF Jesus Chlist Tie specific modes, by which
this order shall be carried out are left toyours
discretion. We have, inthe New Testament,
"givcn order" concerning the collection
for the Saints viz: Upon the frs: day Of
the week, lei every one Of you lay by hlm in
store. as God has prospered him, that there be
no gatherings, when come" This, order for !
collecting for any other benevolent Objects no.
binding upon the Churches by command, how
ever strongly it may commend itself 10 their
adoption as IN expedlentf for collecting forother
benevolento objecls. And to my own mind, as
the plan adopted by Infinite wisdom for one
| benrvoIrn, object am disposed TO adopt it for
euery such object. But as it is moi the practice
oil our churches to meet on the frs, day of the
! week. the adoption OF tins plan generally is iui.
practicable.
Iusead of this plan, another has met with
much favcr. Itis the collection taken. up in.
the monthly concert of prayer. Aud in, the
abser ce of the weekly collection, il is .very,
commendahle. thalthis concert Of prayer should
be adopted lhroughoutthe christian world. And
surely it is meet that, when we unitedly pray,
Thy kingdom come thy will be done on
EARTH us It is in Heaven" we should nc
company our prayers with liberal offerings of
money, that means may be effectively put into
operation for accomplishing the object Of our
| prtlliuns But oui ''hurches in country pla-
ces, it Is to be feared, do not engage in This
cuncrrt. If then, they have neither weekly
nor monthly collections, SOME other plan must
be adopted If they would comeup to the help
of The Lord against tile mighty in the great
cause of evangeIIzing the world.
With some Churches, an annual sermon is
preached after which collection is takenup,
aud in tIir absence of the weekly contribution
and the monthly collection, this plan may be
| ernpluypd 10 good advantage. There Is yet
another mode however Of gathering funds for
benevolent objects, which has met with gene
eral favor from christians Of tIe present day,
viz. the organization of Societies. The ad-
vantages attending this mode are worthy of
consideration, and as we have no mode pointed
out in the Scriptures fer the contribution for
benevolent objects, except "for the Saints"
we may very properly consider the expedency
of Societies, and adopt them five think them
advisable.
First, then,a "a Society may enbody those who,
are not members of Churches, with ltuse that,
are. From the members Of such societies,
sum will be draw annually as the condition of
membership. Life memberships may be OBJ.
tanned from many, a right 10 which will be- se-
cured by the payment of a sum larger than that
required for annual membership. Many
Churches and neighborhoods may be united
in one Society. Annual and quarterly meetings.
taking perambulatory course through the diff
lerent Churches and neighborbooGs, would
impnh interest to the Missionary enterprise,
by ditfrlsipg missionary intelligence, & exciting
Il missionary spirit, by which means larger
sums would he gathered. These could also
avail themselves of funds collected at monthly
concerts. and ai annual sermons. Solicitors.
appointed for different precincts, could swell
these amounts still higher, and thus promote
the great cause.
Secondly. AS many of our Churches are not
in the habit Of making collections for the For
cign Mission cause, bn, would If connected
with others, be readily brought into such n
measure. il would be a good and available
work, to have them enlisted i'll the service in
this manner.
Thirdly. Since our general benevolent ope-
rations commenced in 1914. the organization
Of Societies has been general, and powerful.
means of sustaining these operations. And
what are our Associations ard Conventions, but
benevolent Societies under other names.
II wasfor these reasons, ! presume, that the
Southern Baptist Convention made provision
in one of the articles ofits Constitution for the
admission Of Auxiliary Societies into its con-
su,nency, and then passedthe following reso.
luton:
"Resoivcd, That, in accordance with the pro.
visions Of the second article Of the Constitu.
tion this Convention will cordially embrace
and affiliate Auxiliary Societies upon its prin-
ciples, and recommend TO the brethron the for.
nation of such Societies.
This is one part of the duty assiynedao me
in my Mission, and respectfully request the at
tenton of the Churches to the measure. These
Societies can either send delegates TO the
Southern Baptist Convention or transmit their
funds to the Associations, which ~bodies:mav
send delegates. or TO the State Conventions.
and then send delegates.
twill be my pleasure, as it is my duty, dear
brethren to visit as many Of you as l can, but
ihr field is too large for Inc to occupy every
part. So much as can visit, | will readily see,
and will receive from its inhabitants their libe-
raj contributions for the great work. to which.
we have set our hands. This work is indeed
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