Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-01-21

As members OF the Church oil bod-clerl-
cal and lay-we will punctually attend to
family and private devotion; tie former,
morning and eUenjmg; the latter, morning,
noon and night, We will discountenance all
methods of merely carnal and worldly amuse
ment We will by all means endeavor to re-
vive the interest in the class-meeting institu>
ton that once characterized US, aud rest not
till we shall have carried our point to tie er-
tent Of making attendance on This means of
grace matter of conscience l1uh all our
people.
We recommend to onr preachers to bring
these items to the attention Of our people, by
reading to them an their public assemblies
This report, and enlargiHg upon and entorc-
ing tie subject matter herein set FORTH,
Respectfully submitted,
(Signed) w. G. Coz,
JAS. Ii. MARCH,
WM Il. DENNY.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE on TEMPoRALITIEs.
The Committee to whom were referred the
temporal interests of the Church in the Win
chester District, have given the subject such
consideration as the limited time afforded
them allowed The magnitude of the ques-
tions involved demand much time for thought
"a chief purpose in the minds of your Com
mittee being to inaugurate some system by
which to meet the demands upon the Church
for the successful conduct of its various en-
terprises, including, as of prime Importance,
the support of its ministry. Want of sys~
TEN in its financial operations has always been
an evil in the Church. On some circuits and
stations, crude and imperfect attempts at
plan have been made-but even these at
tempts have rarely been energetically carried
forward. Nor can such feeble and spasmOd-
ic efforts be assigned the place of exceptions
to what we regard as the general rule among
us-a tgant of system IN our finances.
Our members should understand distinct-
ly that their contributions to the church and
its enterprises, are not to be viewed in the
light of charities, but that it is no less the
imperative duty than the privilege of every
one of their number to contribute to these
things, "as of the ability which God giveth, ,"
''not grudgngly, or of necessity, for God
loveth u cheerful giver." These demands
create a debt which we owe to God; and
surely we are not at liberty to regard such
dues as of less dignity than the debts we con-
tract with our fellows for food, raimcnt and
other, the nccessaries and comforts Of life
Nor are the poor among them to consider
themselves exempt from the universal obliga-
tion to give-as an incentive to do what they
they can, they may observe that in the view
of the Divine Reedemer, the two mites of
the poor widow were Of more worth than the
gifts of those who cast into the treasury Of
their abundance.
Many of our members do not seem to un-
derstand why there is now SO large an in
crease on the amounts formerly levied on
their circuits and stations for the support OF
their pastor-not bearing in mind that the
cost Of living is, in the aggregate, double Of
what it was before the recent war 1t is
needless to inquire the causes of this fact j.;
the .tact itseyf must be recognized Gy as dH.-
The producer, the merchant and mechanic
have, OF necessity, severally advanced their
rates. And is there not a corresponding ne
cessty on the part of the church to increase
its allowance to the ministry and its benevo-
lence in all its enterprises? Your Commit
tee can but believe it is only needed to bring
this matter distinctly and fairly to the atten-
ton of our people, to secure a prompt re-
sponse to this increased demand.
Our membership should also be prompt in
meeting their monetary engagements. The
preachers's salary should be paid iii full, at
least quarterly. Is it right, that owing to
neglect in this matter, he should be compelled
to 90 in debt for the necessaries of life, while
the Church owes him just debt, which, if
| paid at the proper time, would ObyIate this
unpleasant necessity? In many places the
finances are suffered to get so far in arrears,
| that, on the eve of the Annual Conference,
! in order to raise the amount due the preacher
/ huge public effort is made, always mortify-
! ing to him, and too often failing of success
| Indeed in some charges, this annual spasn'
| has occurred with such unadmirable regular
/ ity, and for so long a time, as to be now mat
| ter Of expectation at the close of the Confer
! ence year, and is verify regarded as one OF
! the inevitable adjuncts Of the season. Surely
/ these things ought not so to be. Let Us have
| system, that we may cure this dreadful defect
! Your Committee would also call attention
| TO the fact, that, as appears by the Reports in
! our last Conference Minutes, this District
was largely deficient, the past year, in tb.
disciplinary collection; especially in the col
lection for the Bishops support, and woulC
/ here express the hope Of amendment i'll these
respects in the future
Many of our churches are in dilapidateC
condition. Our people are anxious to repair
and improve them; but are discouraged from
any present steps in this direction, by reason
of persistent efforts to wrest our church-Pro
perty from US On the final settlement o.
the question of title, we are sure our people
will not be found wanting in attention to thI:
duty
In view of the premises, and Of other sub
iects referred to US, your Committee beg leave
to submit the following resolutions:
l. In order to introduce a uniform system
of finance, we recommend, that when the
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