The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-06-21

LIT. DuOHty Salu. nave oPO0,,ei in'OI0oo IL
that resolution, because have had considerable
experience of the iniudicious time selected for this
contribution. | have been urgently requested by
some of our wisest ministers to secure reforma.
tion if possible, in this very particular, not only
with reference to the Committee OF Education but
the Committee of Sustentation. Some OF the
statements made concerning the untlmely season
of this collection be echoed concerning the col.
lection for Sustentation on the first Sabbath OF
January. That Sabbath may be a very suitable
time in the Southern Cities and in villages and
towns but the most unsuitable possible Tor the
country churches in Virginia, Tennessee, North
Carolina and Kentucky. The weather is then at
the worst and our congregations are very llaDle 10
be mere committees of congregations all through
January. These facts bear in tavor OF some mod
i6cation not only as to the Education Committee,
but all the other Committees-some such modlh-
cation as is proposed by DR.. Pryor. If it were IN
order | should very much like to have resolution
passed including all the Committees, remttlng to
each Synod the duty of preparing suitable sched'
ule of times for its own Presbyteries. 1t is for the
Assembly to exact of all It's churches contributions
to all its Committees once q year. The result
| would be larger collections with greater conve-
knience would heartily vote for some such mo-
ton as that.
DR.. Ryor-The day appointed for Sustentation
is the most inauspicous one that could be selected
have long grieved that the collection for this i'm.
portant cause was on the first Sabbath of January.
[ agree with Dr. Dabney that this matter ought to
! be RENTED to the Synods.
Mr.. Strahan-It has always appeared to me that
the plan of fixing upon particular day to collect
for certain all over the land, was injudicl-
Gus. In my church | have rarely ever been able
| to accomplish the matter at the time Would 1t
not be equally wise to allow the churches to fix it
| themselves according to their circumstances-the
Assembly to secure from all of them an annual con-
| tribution to each object? If you fix upon time
in the summer season, collections at all adequate
cannot be taken in our city churches. The winter
season is equally unsuitable in the country. There
are difficulties connected with the thing all around
would prefer to refer it to the Presbyteries rather
than the Synods. The failure of many OF our
churches to give to some of these Objects is due
to the attempt to systematic our collections upon
particular days. A great number OF our churches
give nothing at all to some of the chief objects, not
because the people are not wiling but because OF
such difficulties as these. l would be in favor OF
! an amendment to remit the whole business OF hX-
ing time direct to the churches, and place upon
the Presbyteries the responsibility of securing the
collections. Let them make it specially to secure
| from every church contribution to every one of
| our schemes: The true plan is that adopted In
Kentucky-fort the Presbyteryt to apportlon to every
church what is regarded as fair contribution.
| The General Assembly with its high prestige ought
| to call upon the Presbyteries to exercise more
fidelity and activity in these causes. Many of our
Presbyteries when they get together are in such
ftror to get home that they will not take time to
attend to these great and important affairs. Let
this Assembly say to all the Presbyteries that this
is great and vital matter, and they should with
due elaboration and consultation in the fear of
God endeavor to bring out the full strength and
activity of all our churches to these causes.
| DR.. Dabney-As find the Assembly seems to
| be interested in this suggestion, | beg leave to
make few more remarks further illustrating the
subject. / will read this resolution-Q do not
know that it is in order)-" ResolUed, That each
Synod is hereby instructed to publish to the church
es under its care a schedule of times suitable to
| them for contributing to each of the Assembly s
| Committees. The remarks made clearly evlnce
the fact that time may be eminently suitable in
one part Of our Church for given contribution
and eminently unsuitable in another part. In some
| States the cotton money is just coming In about
the first of December; in my country the tobacco
money has hardly begun to come the first OF Jan
uary. Even in our Synod some years ago we had
kind of schedule, which allowed certain varia-
ton of times in the different Presbyteries. What
would suit the stockraising region would not suit
tobacco country. That schedule did not fix upon
certain day Of the month for contribution, but
merely the month. For instance, Lexington Pres
bytery was to attend 70 the cause of Foreign Mis-
siops IN such mouth, TO Education, such month,
| &c. Another Presbytery might have a different
routine. The schedule was printed on the cover
of the Minutes of the Synod, so that every pastor
and session knew all about it. We gave them a
margin in which to select good Sabbath and a
large congregation. [ think that is about happy
medium. We secure attention to the subject so
! far as legislation can we do not try to make our
bed too Procrustean.
| Our Assembly was led to adopt this plan with
| this view-that the contributions to given Com
mittee being made over the whole Church on the
same day or nearly SO, in a few weeks thereafter
the executive officers mig hit know how large coat
| they could cut out of their cloth-might know
pretty nearly how much funds would be coming to
them for the next twelve months, and how to issue
commissions. That is convenience; but would
not years experience on the other plan give them
substantially the same knowledge? At present
each of these committees receive the contributions
in sort of gush in one month, and then in little
dribbling stream running through the eleven
months. When they receive the main gush they
whole year. On this plan the different Synods
will contribute in different months, and there will
be pretty uniform stream all the year round. |
think one years experience would enable the COM
mittee to estimate its assets pretty wel-about as
well as they now do. This steady flow of income
will meet their liabilities, if any thing more con.
veniently than the present plan. If in order, l
move this resolution as an amendment.
R. C. World wish to say word as to the en-
velope system as means of collecting money
This system | am told has produced most remarka
bic results. | know of one instance where the
amount raised by it was eight times more than the
previous year. In one of the Atlanta churches
they raise from $40 to $50 week, while they
raised only five or six in the ordinary way. Ihave
been surprised that in these discussions, nothing
has been said upon the envelope system.
DR.. Dabney's amendment was adopted; the re-
naming resolutions and the report as whole were
adopted
REV. R. IRVING, D. D.
A report from the Committee on Bills and Over
lures was adopted granting the request of the Au.
gusta Presbytery to receive the Rev. K. Irving, ID.
D., from the Presbytery of Montreal, according to
the rule provided for the reception of foreign min.
listers.
LOCATION OF THE COMMITTEES.
DR.. Dabney from the Committee on Bills and
Overtures presenteda report on the Overture from
the Presbytery of Memphis, asking for the "re-
turn of the Committees of Education and Susten-
taton to the places where they were first located.
and from which the war necessitated their removal
the Committee of Education to Memphis and
Sustentation to New Orleans"
The Committee recommended the following an
swer, 'That there appears no evidence that the
above changes are required by the general senti-
ment of the churches and Presbyteries, and the
Assembly therefore respectfully decline action at
this time"
DR.. Dabney-I would say in behalf of the COM
mitee that we retrained from acting until the AS.
sembly had virtually indicated its own mind in the
matter. Coupling that indication with the other
fact-the absence of any such demand from any
other Presbyteries, and especially the Presbyeres
of the Southwest, we felt that whatever might be
our individual opinions, pro or CON- it was not we'll
for us to recommend any other action than this.
/ Rev. s. B. o. Wilson, have been instructed
ture. I feel delicacy in speaking upon it under