Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-11-20
For the YorkviTle Enquirer
TO THE CHURCHES OF BETHEL PRESBY
Terry.

The Committee on Education for Bethel
Presbytery, at their meeting on the 18th in
slant, directed the Secretary "to issue, in their
name, an appeal to churches assessed by Pres
byteral authority for the support of our eight
candidates for the Gospel Ministry; but who
have neglected their obligations in this par
ticular, and to request the proprietor of the
ENQUIRER to print the same in its columns" D."
The Secretary desires, in the outset, to dis
claim emphatically, on behalf of the commit
tee, any intention, by this action, churlishly
to advertise the dereliction of the churches,
or excite public sentiment unkindly against
them The Secretary feels assured that the
committee are actuated only by the most af-
fectionate and conscientious considerations, in
urging upon the churches who have been
sluggish or wholly negligent in their duty to
our candidates, the aspect in which the sub
ject appears to themselves.
1t is assumed that the discipleship of the
Redeemer, under the pastoral care and episco-
pal authority of Bethel Presbytery, have been
used to comply with the injunction of the
Lord of the harvest, and have prayed Him
s'to send laborers into the harvest" Gra-
ciously responding to their sincere and solemn
supplications, He has issued His sovereign
command to the hearts and consciences of
half a score of precious young men-reared in
our homes, and children of our own churches
of whom He requires the suppliants to take a
faithful care, and with cheerful gratitude to
make provision for their support while in
course of training for their stupendous work.
We may not challenge the prerogative of the
all-wise Lord, to choose "the poor of this
world" to preach His gospel ; and of the ten
candidates under the care of Presbytery, eight
are entirely dependent upon the duty of the
churches to sustain them while preparing for
the ministry. So far as these young brethren
may be personally unknown to any in our
churches, the committee has no hesitation in
commencing them, as in every way entitled
to confidence and respect.
The Committee fully realize the soreness of
the financial trial to which our people have
been called by Him, who is alike the God of
Providence and Lord of the Harvest. We
know that it is by no means easy for our
churches to discharge the obligations imposed
upon them by the Presbytery, in the name Of
the Master But while we have been tender
ly considering the necessities of our candi-
dates, we have not withheld our anxious re-
gard from our membership, whose precious
Faith has been subjected by Him who "sit-
teth as Re6ner," to fiery test We have
been thinking of the peril of those who prayed
for the harvest-men, should they postpone or
put away the Redeemer's call to make sacri-
fees in these hard times, to support the labor
ers He has given in answer to their prayers.
Indeed, the disregard of the authority of
Presbytery, the cruel embarrassment of the
Committee, the distress imposed upon the stu
dents in the Seminary and College, are not so
deplorable as is the calamity of selfindul-
gent or avaricious discipleship making light
of the privilege of needing the Masters i'm
perativs call to take care of his young har-
vest-lnen! Finally, We hold that the church
es are not so grievously straitened, that they
cannot furnish the amounts indicated in the
assessment of Presbytery In our "great
trial of af1iiction" and "deep poverty" the
same grace of the Lord Jesus, which impart-
ed willing and Christ-loving mind to the
Macedonian Churches of St. Paups day, can
repeat among ourselves their joyful and
abundant liberality. Surely it is in the "acilE
ina mind'-and not in the means, that we
are poor. No sound mind will deny that the
case of the poor saint who was so pressed that
he could only afford, by a tremendous effort, to
contribute fifty cents to the suffering interests
of His Saviour, but who easily found SIS
to take his family to the circus, is not so sim
gular as to be quoted in the annals of the
marvellous Let the Christian who is striving
to live "roid of ofense toaoard God and to,rard
man." call to mind, as he lies down upon his
quiet couch after the labors or enjoyments of
the day, when he reads this appeal, the anx'
ious students in the Seminary and College
whom negligent churches rob of their repose
and then think of the day, when the King
shall utter those searching words, "Verily
say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one
of the least of these, ye did it not to ME-"