The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-01-18
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
TIE CRISIS.

Ihe Crisis IS upon us IN Montgomery
Presbytery in relation to the education Of
our benefciaries who are candidates for the
Gospel ministry. We shall be compelled in
short time to do one or the other of two
things-either to tell these benefciaries to
abandon their studies for the present, or to
furnish the u ,ney necessary to enable them
to continue their studies. By order of the
Presbytery, and trusting in the liberality of
the churches, we have placed our beneficial
ries in various institutions of learning,
where they have contracted debts for the
tuition and the board which are generally
required to be paid in advance. In some of
these instituGons the tuition is gratuitous
for candidates for the ministry. In some
cases we have secured board for them, either
without CHARGE, or at reduced rates. In no
case is the full price of tuition charged. In
every case the strictest economy, consistent
with the imparting of thorough education
has been observed.
The month in which collections are annu-
ally taken up for this cause (November) has
passed, and the Secretary of the General
Assembly informs US that he can at the
present time send to our benefciaries only
One-fomrth Of the amount required. Some
thing must b, done very soon N the way of
obtaining the needed funds, or these young
men must not only abandon their studies for
the present, but leave behind them unpaid
debts which were necessarily contracted.
The fen churches that have reported to
the Presbytery's Committee-as they are all
required to do by their Presbytery-the
amounts they contributed to education last
November, have come ar'short of the sums
apportioned to them, with one single excep-
ton. The church of Blacksburg has given
more than the amount of its assessment
The assessment was only at the rate of 80
cents per member. If it is in answer to the
prayers of Gods people in Montgomery
Presbytefy that the Lord of the harvest is
raising up in the midst of them laborers for
her ripe fields, then We feel sure that with
that spirit of prayer He has given both the
means and the willingness to support the
candidates while they are preparing for the
ministry If the Lord is indeed answering
our prayers, then He is now assuredly calling
upon his stewards for the money He has de
posited4h their hands for the very purpose
of furnishing the laborers He has bestowed
with the proper knowledge and mental train
ing. Withholding from the Lord His own
money, do we expect Him to answer our
prayers by furnishing our candidates with
food as He once furnished Elijah?
"To the poor the Gospel is preached, y
and it is from the poor that God generally
raises up ministers. And one reason for
this undoubtedly is, that the grace of be-
nevolence in the hearts of His people might
be cultivated. We must either cultivate
that grace now, or else ask the Lord to send
us ministers only from the families of the
rich.
Let every member of the Presbyterian
Church in Montgomery Presbytery who
takes the Central Presbyterian, and who
reads this article, ask himself whether he sc
ardently desires the Lord of the harvest to
send laborers into His harvest as to be viii
ling to give 80 cents for the accomplish
ment of this object, and also to do his best
to get his neighbors who do not take the
Central to give the same amount. Perhaps
there are some men who use SIS or SIC
worth of tobacco in year, and some womer
who wear S5 or $40 worth of clothing more
than is necessary for comfort and decency
or who give entertainments, costing SIS OIL
$40, to their friends who are not poor
manned, lame and blind, who have the same
degree of love to the cause of education, ant
are willing to give the same amount to ad
vance its interests.
We earnestly beseech those who love tn,
Lord Jesus to look the crisis that is upon III
in the face, and arouse themselves to Dc
something to bring our Church out of he
present strait. If all those who read thi
appeal will 60 to work and do their duty, tn
money needed will soon be raised.
May there not be some pious persons il
our bounds to whom the Lord has given o