The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-04-02
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
How Supported?


Mr. Editor,-I have studied very carefully the |
suggestions of an article in the Central OF the 26Jb
ut, entitled, Our Benevolent Schemes; They must
be Supported But ho,o?"
The writer has evidently given the subject care
full thought, and therefore his views are entitled
to candid and careful examination. How?' Is |
the oaly part Of his article upon which am dis
posed to comment.
| object to the plan suggested, because 1t is a
mere expedlent not based on any Scripture. 1t
proposes a minimum stsadard" for Christian
benefcence for which the word of God does not
afford the shadow of pretence. Ii 1t should be
adopted by any Presbytery it would tend to settle
its people In another rut of stnginess, on plan
a little above the present one IN which they are
travelling indeed, but at an infinite distance below
the plane ON which the charities OF the Church
ought to move.
What right has any Presbytery to fix " mini
mum standard unauthoTize y the word OF GodY
Now the statement prop the writer is de-
termined by two things 10 probable wants
OF the Committees for Il ming year which
the writer estimates at $lt 009; and secondly,
percentage on the aggregate OF ministers salaries,
that percentage being determined by the probable
want aforesaid.
Now the principles upon which this scheme is
constructed, seem to me 10 be false and danger
oaLs.
l. Let us consider the wants of the Committees.
FIRST, Foreign Missions. Our Church ought to
have at least fifty missf aries 10 Japan, htty In
China, and fifty in.South America. TtcS hundred
missionaries to the heather is the very smallest
number that we ought to be this very hour sup
porting; because the Church is abundantly able to
support them. By reference to the Minutes OF
1872 it will be seen that our thrtysx missionaries
required $50 600 for their support. Two hundred
missionaries would cost the Church 5000 600. Now
multitudes OF the heather are pershing for want
of these 5000 600, which the Church is spending
on its own selfish indulgences and extravagances.
Secondly, Sastentation could readily employ
500, 900 more; and wants the sum, if the Com
mttee only dared to dream of getting it.
Thirdly, Publication wants 100000 more
to pay for its new house and to publish the mum.
beress MSS Of our ablest writers and thinkers
that have to go begging Yankee concerns to let
them appear in print.
Fourthly, Education wants at least $4,000
to help the candidates whom we have, and to en-
able them to live decenty, like Christian gentle
men.
Thirdly And OH who can contemplate the
condition of the widows and orphans of our dead
brethren, and know that the great Church in
whose work their fathers and husbands starved
while they were alive, doles out to them the patry
sum of $74 per annum, without feeling the blush
of shame and Indignation tingliug in his cheek?
Here is another want" of at least $50 600.
Altogether their wants" amount to $500. 600
Now the writer of this article holds himself bound
to demonstrate at proper time, that our Church
is able to spend 5000 600 per annum for these OBJ
iects, and then not give the tenth of its income
which u. w. P" thinks is the least that the
Church ought to give.
3 But the aggregate of salaries paid to the min
istry is made the basis of the calculation of the
I percentage.
Let us see how this would work, if carried out.
D The Church to which l have the happiness TO min
ister gave during the year just closed percentage
on its pastor salary, as follows To Foreign Mis-.
sons "a per cent; to the Invalid Fund, per
cent to SustentatioD, Is per cent; to Education,
80 per cent. to Publication, per cent; 81 per
cent. in all. And yet, j kao,o that il they had
given at least one-tenth bf their incomes to God,
G they would have contributed more than 400 per
cent of the salary of their pastor But according
to the plan suggested which calls for only 80 per
cent, the contributions Of this Church would be
diminished SO per cent.
Let us now look at the same thing from another
point of view. The salaries of most of our minis
ters are VIGOROUSLY rueagre Is that to be assumed
as standard of Christian benefcence which is a
sin and shame in the Church? Is the Church
to be forever tied down with the very shackles OF
its own penuriousness? Ought Presbyteries, or
, any body to seek to educate the Church to any
such DaIrowness? The Presbytery, to which the
writer with whom have the misfortune to differ,
aludes, has in my humble judgment done grev-
Gus wrong to its churches by any such "appor-
toniaq of the amount estimated to be necessary for
lSusteatation." Such Presbyterial action tends to
indoctrnate the people in false principles; and, in
the case Of some churches that l could mention,
would lead them to say, the less the salary, the
less for the Committee" No! no. Let the Pres
byteries and the preachers boldly teach the doc
trne of Christ as contained in the Old Testament
interpreted by the New; and then the Church will
come up to her duty 1t is not vain to expect to
reach the goal at once, since the goal of which
this writer speaks is the very starting point Of all
true Christian life. But the Church never will
reach the goal, if the ministry and the Church
courts persist in attempting unscriptural expediens
for raising money. The whole plan is otjectona-
Bile, because it is an attempt to heal slightly the
hurt of the daughter of my people. The hurt
of the daughter of my people is CovEToUsNEss !;
and the Church will never get well OF les present
impotence and policy until some Retormer shall
shake her as Luther did, and teach the ministry
and the people the peoples sin. 1t Gods people
only kne,o their duty and did it, a great revival
would set in all over the land; and the Church
would become thing of life and inspiration, be-
cause, like the wheels of Ezekie the spirit of the
living creatures would be in it.
Law AND GOSPEL
Reasons for Separating from the Church of
England