The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-05-20
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
Strengthen the Things which Remain


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1.-THE Church of God. The wealthiest and
strongest congregations find it hard to support
the Gospel and there IS great danger that the
feebler ones which have been deprived of theiI
pastors will perish. 1t is then most important
that these organizations should be fostered
and strengthened.
By little judicious counsel and manage
ment this can be done, at very trifing ex-
pense Let the settled pastors who are within
easy distances Of these churches make arrange
ments among themselves to supply these
churches once month, or once in two months.
By this division of the labor, each minister
would be absent from his own field for a length
of time which, however much his people may
prize his presence, is inconsiderable when COM
pared with the aggregate result thus secured,
viz: the saving of a sister church from extinc-
ton, and its preservation, by the blessing OF
God, as a nucleus of future growth and pow
er for good in a wide extent of the regions
around it,
This subject has of late assumed an impor-
lance which formerly it did not possess, for
all the signs point to large emigration to Vir-
pinia at an early day. So that if we can up-
hold our little churches in the country for a
while, we shall be enabled to transmit them in
short time, it may be, to wider fields of use
fulness in dense and busy population and
make them the means of infusing into the new
society the leaven of our sound doctrine and
conservative habits of thought in morals and
religion We are willing to give our lands for
a aud pro quo to new corners, but who is will
ling to Weld the distinctive characteristics of
our social. intellectual and spiritual training?
These cannot be maintained if the churches
lose their ascendancy. If they are permitted
to become extinct, society will be moulded by
the manners, and customs, and religious edu-
cation, of the emigrants; or other denomina-
tons will take the ground and teach the peo-
pie in their way-which, Of course, we hold to
be far less desirable than ours
To take an illustrations thelittle church at
Tappahannock has only five members; yet they
are ardent active members and earnestly seek
the advancement of Presbyterianism in that
part OF the State. 1t is the only Presbyterian
church found in a wide belt of country ex-
tending from Fredericksburg to Norfolk the
only one between the Potomac and the Pa
munky or York, even down to the Bay. Sup
pose that we neglect it and refuse it the stated
ministry OF the word: then the consequence will
be that the teeming population which by and by,
will seek the noble valley of the Rappahan-
mock, will fill other churches, and our inhu-
ence will not be felt in all that interesting
quarter of the State. Presbyterian families
migrating thither, and finding no church of
their choice will soon be absorbed by other
churches, and forever lost to us. The truth
of these remarks is established by the fact
that many interesting and valuable families
have thus in other places been taken away
from our denomination.
Let us by attention and by a regular minis
terial supply sustain the little church at Tap
pahannock, and it will be the rallying point of
the whole lower valley of the Rappahannock;
and Presbyterian families coming into Lancas-
ter or even into Matthews, hearing of regu-
larly supplied church at Tappahannock, would
at once send their certificates to it, and thus
be secured to us.
What is true of this small body is true of
many others all over our Synod, Strengthen
the things that remain as rallying centres
Tor our future growth. EVANGELIST.