Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-11-20
WE CAN IF WE WILL.

unuCrtakcn IN the Associate Reformed
Church, it is not at all uncommon [,
! hear it said, "Wc arc not ablc-w,
arc few and feeble" 1t is true tha
Ill ourselves we are not strong, but i
may encourage us to look back ane
sec what we have accomplished.
About thirty years ago, there wa
in Due West IN academy for boys ant
girls, presided over by Rev. John S
PrcssIy. When it was suggested
that this academy should be turnet
into college, VIC have no doub,
many good people Said to themselves
"Ihe thing is imposSiblc-we arc not
able. What! raiso six thousand dol
lars for a college building! 1t can
not be DONE" And yet it was done
and done easily and done quickly.
About twenty years ago, liberal
friend offered to the College nh Gle,
giant telescope, to cost ut least one
thousand dollars, OH condition that
tho College would mount it. We
were present when the matter was
submitted to the Board of Trustees,
and we rcccoilect the question rs to
what should be done with it, was II
pcrplcXing one. Various schemes
wero proposed for fitting it for us.
Tho idea Of erecting the magnificent
building of which the observatory is
tho crowhing glcry-, was Mt first
laughed at-wc couldn't do it. And vet
it was done. 4nd dong easily and done
quickly, and no one was hurt.
About. twenty-five years ago, the
idea of starting Il religious magazine
for the use Ct the Synod w.s broacli-
cil by some ono. There is no doubt
many felt the undertaking was too
great. But it was started and sus-
tanned for number of ycars-not rs
well AS it ought to have been, but it
lived and did much good.
Out of the ashes of tho Southern
Christian Mugazine the Due West
Telescope arose, and for dozen Years
went forth regularly on its mission,
and at tho opening Of tho war was
growing in prosperity and usefulness.
We found that we were able to do q
great deal more than VIC had sup-
posed.
When Lindsay Hall had boon CON-
n!ctcd, and tho now telescope had
been mounted, it was suggested, prob
ably by ''Il:," thar Ersllinc ought to
have an endowment of fifty or seven
ty-tivc thousand dollars! Somebody
said, eyes, let lis have it," A thou
sGnd said, "NO-thc idea is prcpos-.
ferrous We arc few in numbers, and
poor besides. 1t can't be done" And
yet, it was done, and done easily and
done quickly.
IA little over n year ago, it scomcd
necessary to do something for Erskinc
again. The war had swept away, in
l"*go measure, tho old endowment,
and it could not live upon the tuition
received. A scheme for temporarily
sustaining the College was.proposcd.
Some may have thought it feasible;
doubtless many thought it visionary.
eve are too poor. Everything had
been lost. The money could rot be
raised" And yet it has been raised,
Cat least, the most of IT'D and rsised
easily and raised quickly.
The Associate Reformed SYNOD of
the South has never failed in any en-
tcrprisc that she has undertaken for
the want of money. The people have
Slways-gtven for church. enterprises
whatever was asked. and have gcncr-
ally given it without being pressed.
Our people, considering their circum-
stances, arc a liberal people. They
only need to know what is wantcd-
to haze any measure presented fairly
to them, and~then they may DO relied
upon for any reasonable amount.
The facts above show this to be truo.
%hy, then, should the Synod hesitate
to undertake. any work to which shc
seems to bc called? 80, ye of little
faith, why didst thou doubt 2"
We hope that by next September
the Synod will see its way clear to
enter at once upon the work of For
eign Missions. It is our duty. It
Would unto us in homo enterprises:
1t would quicken our zeal in the do
mcstic work. It would enlarge the
views of. tho Church, and would stir
up her zeal in the Masters cause, az
perhaps nothing else would. We az.
ad1s-iet us go up and holp topossess
the land,
HEALTH OF FARMERs.-There are
seven reasons why farmers are health
Ter than professional mon. viz: