The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-10-08

Hanover, N. H.; Rev. 8. r. Seclyc, D. D.,
Easthampton, Mass; Rev. NJ. II. Buckham,
Burlington, VT; Rev. z. /. Goodell, DID,,
St. Louis, Mo-; Francis Bradley, ESQ.
Evanston, ILL.,; Rev. Z. II. Byington,
Brunswick, Me-; Rev. G. B. Hubert, Ben
nington, Vt.
The congregation then sang the eighteenth
hymn
"Comc thou long expected Jesus
Born TO set Thy people free"
Rev. Dr. Selah Il. Treat then read the
following very able and important paper
upon
THE FINANCIAL PROBLEM OF THE BOARD.
A problem presents itself to the board at
this time, which asks for q thoughtful vet
speedy solution Our receipts and expen-
diturcs, rs must be obvious to ALL exhibit
a strong tendency TO drift asunder. If this
were owing to the transient influences, the
evil might be left TO cure itself: hut while
some of the causes may be regarded as tenn
porary, there are others of n different char
acter. To the consideration of the latter;
the prudential committee iDytc the atten-
ton Of this body.
Some arc accustomed to ascrbc our re-
cent financial cmbarrassments 10 events
which have occurred since the meeting at
Salem such as the disastrous cunflagra-
tions at Chicago and Boston, and the com
merclal arrangements of the past year To
do this, however, is To substitute part tor
the whole, and make no account Of the
fact-nost important of all--that the dOna-
tions Of the Congregational churches have
never reached the point which insnrcs the
steady support OF our missions.
Shond it he asked, why, if this is so,
has not the deficiency made itself known,
distinctly and painfully. at an earlier day."
The reply is 'wofold; % The support of
our Presbyterian friends was not with
drawn suddenly, but gradually. Indeed. it
is not wholly Withdrawn TO this dav co
The legacics reported at New Haven were
$4,000 above The average of the previous
ten years, and those of two other years
were exceptionally large.
The committee beg leave To submit the
following inquiry: "lIow, in coming
years. shall the receipts and expenditures
of the board he harmonizcd p Two an
sweIs are possible
l. The appropriations may he reduced
to "A level which can be easily and uni
formly reached This plan is openly
favored 10y some, and silently. it would
seem, by more.
But where is The level OF easy access 1t
is handy safe tOeNutCt more than SD, 900 a
year from Icgacics. Within the last ten
years the receipts from tins source have
fallen below $4,000 three times. bclo,
SU,CD0 four times and once they were
barely sos 900 1t is not wise to place the
miscellaneous receipts (incomc from the
permanent fund, eic.) higher than So
. al l,nV NOT aJ
this amount in eight years. In no instance
between the meetings ut Norwich and Min
neapolis have the donations of our COngrc-
Talional churches exceeded the sum of
4 -320,U 900. Assuming this as the maximum
oi contributions to be readily secured and
allowing $4,000 for donations from our
| Presbyterian friends, our Canadian friends,
and iOrcgn lands-a large cstimite-we
have II total of Si200 600 Dcducting eight
per cent for home expenses, we have
$3.50, 900 for the missions.
|. The first objection TO this plan of a
level that can be easily reached is. that it
fails To make suitable provision for our
missions, the cost whereof Gold and new
in 1872 3 was S43S,227 in 1878 A, S443,-
5GS; and it should be understood that our
brethren in the foreign field have already
for reasons which they deem perfectly con
| than ihev asked last year. The disastrous
effect ii reducing the expenditures to
| $3.50, COO can readily he imagined
: Tu.s plan is seIf-dcstructiyc. Accord
in" to It's underlying thought, it is to he
| wolNrH easily, or. to speak more accurate
ly. Il is to work itself. There are To be no
more debts. and hence, no more appeals be-
cause Of them, or through fear Of them.
Tie current of bcnevolence is to flow on
ward according to tits own sweet will"
But the history of the church proves con-
clusivcly that giving for the good Of others,
especially for the distant, the unknown
and the unlovcly; is something that needs
constant and careful husbandry. II left to
| grow as il pleases, it is almost sure to be-
come stnted and uncomely One of the
saddcst revelations made by the missionary
work, is the amazing readiness of christians
to excuse themselves from all participa-
ton therein. The constituency of The
board is believed to equal any other in
christian liberaity Bnt when it was an
nounced some thirty wears ago that legacy
! OF S4O,UUO was To be received within Il
twelvemonth, the offerings of the
churches began at once to diminish, and it
was found in the end that the generous gift
Of an honored friend had actually cost the
board mOlc than its entire amount, "a re-
sult which the late Mr.. A. G.. Phelp fore
stalled by making his bequest of 500. 600
| payable in miscellaneous, thereby saving the
donations from the slightest reduction. A
| serious hndrance to an advance in our in
come is the feeling cherished by so
many that the board will never be left to
suffer. IT, therefore, we adopt the plan
of basis that can be easily reached,
we need not ilatter ourselves that
EASEMENTS. In the absence of appeals and
reminders, there Will be constant ten
dency To a lower and still lower basis. We
have no machinery in our churches which,
II lett to run itself will secure therelrom
$500 900 or even $500, 600.
=. The donations can hc raised to a point
which Will insure reasonable support for
the missions. The highest prosperity of our
Work requires that the appropriations, in
both departments, for the coming year, be
made upon the basis of $500 000 and this
sum, even, will not give our fellow-laborcrs
all which they desire. The inference Is
obvious. AS only 100000 can be expect
cd, aside from the gifts of the Congrega.
tlonal churches, 100000 will be needed
from these churches, twenty-five per cent
more than the largest sum received during
any one year prior To last year, and six per
cent. more than the contributions of last
year. To submit such problem to this
body, may argue great holiness in the COM
mtlee; and yet necessity is laid upon them
To do it..
!. They owe it To those who represent
MS IN the foreign service, 49, ear after year,
with the consent of the churches, appeals
have been made for the choicest of their
sons and their daughters and many have
said in response. Here are we. send u.s.