The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-03-20
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
To the People Connected with the Pres
byterian Congregations in Virginia
and the other Southern States.


There has been recently organised in this city,
under favorable and promising auspices, an in
stitution which is called, "The Arlington Mutu-
| al Life Insurance Company of Virginia" 1t Is
now fully and fairly in operation, and the char
acter of the Directory, and of all the active
officers and agents of the Company gives assur-
ance of safety and integrity in the management
of the important trusts committed to them, and
of complete success in the rearing of an institu
| ton, which we believe will confer incalculable
| temporal benefits on the families of all those
men who will embrace its provisions, when they
| themselves shall have passed away from the
| destitute and impoverished homes where now,
anxious and dark forebodings of the future, rob
| toll of all its sweetness and satisfaction.
Being members of the directory of this com.
pany, having taken an active part in Its organi-
zation, and having full confidence in its perma-
| nency and efficiency, we take great pleasure in
calling your attention to its claims, and asking
you to consider earnestly and calmly, for the
sake of your own, and your minister's families,
the great and pressing Importance of LIFE IN
| sURANCE. m
| We are deeply interested in all that concerns
the temporal welfare of the people, and the min
istry of the Presbyterian Church in our own and
other States. We know that nearly all of them
are stripped of their earthly possessions: their
lands are impoverished, their property of every
description wasted, their investments almost all
utterly worthless; and it is sad and distressing
fact, that recent calamites have fallen with most
heavy weight, upon our ministers In every part
of the land. Their salaries are for the most part
entirely inadequate to comfortable support,
and the prospect for their families when they
shall be taken away is gloomy beyond expression.
| What is to become of the widows and orphans
of the present generation Of men, is solemn
| and momentous question. We would not en-
courage distrust of that kind and gracious Provi-
dence which orders all things in righteousness
we believe that God "supplies the want of every
living thing that she feeds the young ravens
when they cry" and that when "the eyes of all
wait upon Him He gives them their meat in due
season." We are assured and we believe 'that
those who trust in the Lord and do good, shall
dwell in the land and verify they shall be fed.
But while all these things are true, and ought
never to be forgotten, it cannot be denied that,
in the mysterious orderings of Providence, in a
land once filed with plenty and luxury, want,
almost to the point of starvation, stalks abroad
and that numerous widows and orphans, who
were once in affluent circumstances are now ex-
periencing the desolation of extreme and hope
less poverty. To you who are now struggling to
maintain in comfort those whom God has placed
under your care, and whose minds are too often
perplexed with sad thoughts about their future
welfare, Life Insurance benignantly proposes
providentially the security for which your be-
nevolent heart so fondly yearns. 1t presents to
you simple and easy method of providing a
competency for your family in the event of your
death. raj
| The objection that Life Insurance is contrary
to Providence urged in former times by many, is
now seldom heard; to those who still have scru-
pies on that point, we may say, that the objection
arises from the erroneous impression that Life
companies attempt to insure against death,
whereas, they simply insure or guarantee GER
tain sum in case of death so far therefore from
attempting the wiekedness of arrogating to them
selves an attribute of the Almighty, Life lnsur-
ance Companies aid, and assist in carrying out
His benevolent will by encouraging all to pro,
vide at death for those depending on them. "
The chief objection, however, and the only one
which we now hear, is this-.-"I cannot afford to
insure my life" "my yearly income is not sufh-
cient to enable me to pay the premium" If
you will examine the table of rates of the Insur-
ance Company which we represent, you will find
that, many of you can well afford, by prudence
and economy to pay the comparatively small
amount of premium Lessthanffty cents week
will insure $1,000 on the life of a man aged 3O,-
therefore, S2. so week will insure $4,000 on the
life offs man ofthat age; sixty-fve cents week
will insure $1,000 on the life of man of 40, and
ninety-tour cents will insure 81 900 on the life of
a man aged go.
Now, for the inestimable benefit of $1,000, or
even 81 ZOO, secured to your wife and family, at
your death, can you not deny yourselves, and
families, some useless indulgence, or hurtful lux
ury for the purpose of laying up in store the
small amount needed to provide for the wants of
those who may have none to care for them? Are
there not many families in this desolate land,
who, (when their fathers are gone, will be left
desolate,) are now wasting annually more than
enough to pay the premium, which would secure
an insurance of at least $4,000, payable at their
death?
"Life Insurance is benevolent institution
providing for the widow, and orphan who might
otherwise be left in restitution, and at the same
time promoting prudence, forethOught, and econ
omy in those who insure. A man can never re.
proach himself for having done good deed for
the benefit of others. Life Insuranceis teach
,er of prudence. Its possession gives rest and
quietness to the mind-tranquility of mind gives
strength tc the body. Both these together tend
to strengthen the very life of him who insures."
In view of the certainty of the approach of the
messenger death, and the uncertainty of the hour
of his coming, we advise you, while you are now
in possession of life and health to obtain the Sc
curity which this benevolent Institution offers
We have already alluded in this address to
the Importance of your endeavoring to make
some provision for the families of your ministers,
in the event of their death, by means of life in.
Surdnce. We invite your serious attention to
the subject, and would urge you to undertake,
without delay, the performance of this sacred
duty. In all the churches of this land efforts |
are made to provide for the families of the de-
ceased and disabled minister's in some of them
the provision is liberal; in others it is ample |
and entirely adequate to the object. But our
Church having but just commenced its separate
existence, is poor. 1t has no rich
and powerful Boards, no valuable vested funds,
no ancient endowments from which there NAV