The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-06-30

made, we think, to meet the engagement OF
the people, but as a contribution OF the
stronger to aid the feebler parts of the body
of Christ, that none may lack the ordinances
of his grace Nor should such aid be afford
ed till the people themselves have fully dis
charged their own liability. Some objections
might be made to such conditions, but we
are persuaded that in the general working
of the enterprise it is essential to its fullest
success. The Assembly's Committee have
adopted one or two bylaws with special re
ference to this end viz: to avoid cultivatlng
spirit of dependence upon such aid among
our churches, and so lessening their own et-
forts, or of transferring the responsibility OF
meeting their special engagements to the
General Committee. Upon the Presbyteries
however, and their committees, depends their
success in this matter. We hope, therefore,
our Presbyteries in adopting this plan, will
remember what the Form Of Government
teaches the ministry is to be MAIN
tanned by individual churches supporting
their own pastors; the benefits OF Susten-
tation plan being to render necessary assis-
tance when churches are too feeble to do all
themselves the necessity Of such plan at
all as that now under consideration will be
gradually lessened as our people become
more prosperous and our committee more
thickly settled.
2. Another caution which we should en-.
tertain in acting upon this plan of a mini
mum salary, is not to absorb IN the older
Pres6yteries the funds needed and largey
contributed for the missionary cause IN new
Pres5yteries and frontier regions. Neither
the title of our Committee, nor any plan of
action effecting, as this does particularly,
these parts of our territory where there are
already settled ministers, should for mo-
ment exclude from or minds the fact that
this Committee is the executive organ of the
whole Church in the Domestic Missionary
work, 1t is the channel through which the
Church extends its borders, and disseminates
in the destitute frontier settlements of our
own territory the knowledge of the "glori-
Gus gospel of the blessed God" The Church
should not let go this thought, either in its
contributions, or in its use of the funds. 1t
is not merely the purpose of this Committee
to aid feeble churches, many of which in the
older States and PresbyterieS, cover terrific
ry so pre0ccupied by other denominations,
as to preclude the hope of such increase,
but to join the Sacramento host of God in
carrying the banner of the Cross into the
EXTREMIST border of our land. This, know;
is in the heart of our most esteemed and be-
loved Secretary, and of all the members of
that efficient committee. But none can be
too deeply impressed with this fact. As
Presbyterians we have come very far short
in working effectively our SYSTEM in its ag
gressive feature We seem never to have
risen to that eminence as Church, whence
we took survey of the whole field Of mis-
sionary territory, even at home, and used
our ministerial and pecuniary strength &C.
cordingly. And the Secretary of Sustenta-
ton reports the fact to the Assembly at
Mobile, that in "the Synod of Texas many
of our churches are in languishing condi-
ton from the want of Gospel ordinances
The efforts of the Committee Gin co0pera-
ton with the Presbyteries of Texas to sup |
ply these deficiencies, are as yet attended
with very partial success" And the Mod |
orator, Rev. Stuart Robinson, in his address
to the Assembly upon this report, remarked
that, "the command 'go ye into all the
world does not mean limit yourselves to
this side of the Ohio and Potomac" The
Committee should certainly hold itself in
readiness to send the truth as we maintain
it, wherever in all our land, the providence
of God opens the way. To carry forward
this most important part of our work, Of
pushing forward the outposts of our Church,
will make heavy draft upon the treasury
of the Sustentation Committee. Men who
are qualified to undertake the evangelistic
and missionary work make sacrifices that the
settled pastor does not. He loses many
opportunities of providing for the comfort
of his family, which every minister that is
with his family possesses. His services,
sacrifices, or his talents may demand high
er salary. And certainly men of this class
should be literally sustained. And such
demand may lessen the ability to raise the
salary of other ministers to the minimum of
$3.50. And so the feeble churches in some
places may have to be sustained by special
visits and supplies made by the Presbytery.
The care which we should exercise is, not to
bind the Church in the use of this plan so as
to restrict us in entering fully and untram-
melled upon this work. Nor as Presbyte-
rians should we expect that amount of aid
which would place such restrictions upon
the Committee, The prospect for progress
by our Church in disseminating the truth,
appears very encouraging. May We then
aid this Committee in doing its full work in
this sphere of its action. And to this end
the nature and necessities of each case should
be weighed in applications to the Committee.
n I'M D.aobu+on;or aL..,1J bo O.,,o.J