The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-05-28
SECOND DAY.

LITTLE Rock, ARK, May 18th, '7S.
The Assembly met at 9 clock. A. NJ, and
was opened with prayer by the Moderator.
The minutes of yesterdays Session were
read and approved.
[The Standing Committees were given last week.
The Stated Clerk read a commission for
Rev. Chas. II. Stitt, D. D., from the Synod
of the Reformed Dutch Church, and he was
introduced to the Assembly by the Modera-
tor; who also said, Brother Stitt, we cor
daily welcome you to the floor of the AS
sembly, and invite you to participate in our
deliberations"
The hour for the order of the day having
come, Rev. R. McIlwaine read the report of
the Committee of Sustentation.
The following are some extracts from the
report:
"In presenting this Seventh Annual Re-
port of Sustentation, the Executive Commit
tee desire devoutly to thank the great Head
of the Church, that some advance has been
made in all the departments of work intrusted
to their care. While the expectations of the
last Assembly, and the earnest hopes of the
Committee have not been fully realized in
regard to any branch of the work, it is yet
gratifying to record some improvement in
each.
The first point to which we ask your at
tention, is to the important matter of finance.
FINANCE.
The receipts for the past year, from all
sources, have been as follows:
Sustentation. $23,524.54; Evangelistic
Fund. S2,671.36, and Invalid Fund, $8,-
O95.62. This shows an increase over the
former year of $915.S4 in the contributions
to Sustentation, in addition to the amount
for the Evangelistic Fund. There has been
gain of $1,45062 in the Invalid Fund.
Gratifying as is the fact that there has been
this advance in all these departments, when
we compare these results with what they
might and ought to have been, there is room
! for humiliation. In order that this Assem-
bly, may have before it distinct comparative
view of the measure of support accorded to
each of these objects of bene6cence by the
Presbyteries and Synods under its control,
We present below carefully prepared tabular
statement, showing the number of churches
in forty-eight Presbyteries INCLUDING the
Presbytery of Indian) which have contributed
to them, and also the number of churches
which ought to have contributed in each
Presbytery to each object according to the
statistical tables of Minutes of 1872 if the
ipjunctions of the General Assembly had
been obeyed.
From this statement it may be seen, that
somewhat over one half of our churches (out-
side of the Synod of Kentucky have con-
tributed to Sustentation, about one-tenth to
Evangestic work and somewhat over one
fourth to the Invalid Fund. Several re.
marks may be make on this exhibit:
l. 1t will be ascertained by reference to
the Treasurer's report, and comparison
Herewith of the statistical tables Of the
Minutes of the General Assembly, that the
delinquent churches are by no means all of
them vacant and destitute of gospel ordi-
nances. A lamentable proportion of this
latter class do indeed continually fail in the
discharge of this part of covenant duty, and
vet it is true that from a considerable num-
ber of them there flow regularly into the
Church's treasury contributions nearly ap-
preaching, if not fully reaching the average
standard of the Church's benefactions !;
whereas in many cases, churches thoroughly