The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-01-03

churches; during the life of their pastor,
an opportunity to provide for his family
after his decease. The provisions OF the
scheme are are as follows; Each church
by paying into this fund $50 per annum
will entitle the PASTORS family at his
death to 81, 200, by paying $50 per annum
they will draw 2,400, or by paying $i00
yearly they will obtain So, 900.
AS the Conference met under the call
Of the Executive Committee Of Domestic
Missions, and as this Committee is, 30
far as our Presbytery Is concerned, iden-
titled with the Sustentation Committee
of the General Assembly, located at Co
lumbia, and as the collection for this
cause is appointed to be taken up on the
first Sabbath in January, or as soon
thereafter as practicable, / deem it not
Inappropriate. before closing, to add q
Scheme, and the relation of its Commit:
tee to our Committee of Domestic Mis-
Fsions. The idea of this scheme, (of
which, the COMMITTEES and its work Is an
attempt at the execution is to bring all
of our churches iuto the closest relation,
SO as to realize, and give practical eff
cheney to, the oneness of the body Of
Christ, to afford an opportunity for the
strong and the weak, the rich and the
poor, to contribute to one common fund
Which shall be used for the benefit OF all
who need il, $50 that those who have little
should indeed have no lack. I'm order to
the perfection of this Scheme in its
practical outworkings, three things must
fcombine. 1st,,,AN the churches, las we'll
those who. have abundance OF. wealth, as
those who are in the depths Of poverty,
as we'll those who number their number
by hundreds, as those who are scattered
and peeled. and number only half doz-
en-, must contribute regularly, punctu-
| ally, and literally according to their
means; I'd. Each church must do h0n-
estly for itself oil that it can do; Sd. The, /,
Central Committee must have accurate
information respecting the wants Of ey-
cry church requiring aid. Given these
three conditions, and the Scheme Is o
nifcentsuccess Withhold partially
or wholly either of these condi ditions, and
the work Is materially crippled. "A mo-
ment's reflection will show, that wheth-
er these conditions are to be supplied or
not, will depend entirely upon the Pres
bytery and the Presbytery,s Committees
of Domestic Missions. 1t is the duty of
these Presbyterial Committees to see to
it. that, 1st. Every church contribute TO
the Central Committee; 3D.. Every
church does what. 1T can for itself; and
Sd. All necessary and accurate infornaar
ton be furnished the Central Committee.
4 Thus II will be seen, that the Central
4 Committee is principally, simply the
agent of the Whole Church, (hence prop
erly appointed by the General 4ssenstly,)
to receive and disburse the funds contrib
4 uted by the Church aa q sOhole, for the
relief of its wants as a sUhole, upon IN
4 formation received from the schote
4 Church. Thus (farther) it will be seen,
that each Presbytery should entertain,
and cultivate, as deep and abidlng tnter-,
lest in the Central Committee, as any
other Presbytery, and should support as
heartily the Central Committee as glts
own Executive Committee of Domestic
Missions. For 1T follows, farther nom
the foregoing, that the COMMITTEES Of Do
|mestic Missions has no need Of any other
treasury than than the central treasury !;
: that every dollar contributed to the cen-
!, trail treasury Of the Committee of Do.
lmestic Missions; that, (if needed, the
!, Presbyt terfal Committee can draw from
8 the: Central Committee, every dollar con-
oEtributed by the churches Of our Presbyte-
ooFry In Ja1uary' that II all Of our church
e les will do their whole duty in January
> for the Central Committee, and each fee
: BILE church would do its whole duty foy
!. itself, the Presbyterial Committee would
!, have no cause whatever, to call upon our
? churches for q single contribution to its
> own treasury-one collection year
: : world serve all the purposes of both
! Committees the Central Committee
5 would be able to furnish all the funds
> needed by the Presby yterial Committee to
= supplement whatever was lacking on the
! part of our feeble churches. This Is
: Something more than theory has been
: put to the test of practice, and experience
: has demonstrated its truths in other Pres
byteries.
: The Committee of Sustentation, thus
; constituted, seeks to fulfill its mission,
by, LIST. Carrying on the aggressive work
Z of the Church-planting new churches
: in destitute and frontier sections evdn-
: gelising;; I'd. Aiding feeble churches in
!, their efforts to support the gospel within
Z the bounds of their own congregation
J. Sustaining Sd. Aiding feeble churches
e to erect new places of worship, or repair
, old dones-:evangelizing OF sustaining ac-
cording to circumstances.
, To the Executive Committee OF SuS-
tentation is likewise intrusted, the Inva-
} lid Fund, the Relief Fund, and the
: Evangelists' Fund, but the funds are
kept separate and distinct from each 9TH
err, and from the Sustentaticn Fund.
This branch of the subject, however, as
} not pertinent to my scope, will here dis
miss.
AS to the Conference it was unquestion-
ably good thing; it has done good la
ready, and will yet do more. Itwas good
to be there, good to the private members,
to the deacons, to the ruling elders, to the
ministers. The Committee of Domestic
Missions should thank God and take
courage. Another Conference should be
called in due time to gather up and con-
serve the fruits of the first one. -
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall
ask in prayer, believing, ye shall re-
ceive." KoINoNIA.
Why JEFFERSON DIED tPooR.-It is
related Of Jefferson that he might
have been rich and not poor man,
as he was, but for the multitude Of ad-
Imiring visitors who thronged Monti.
cello from years end to years end,
/ ~ bouco onI