The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-09-01
From the Earnest Worker.
Earnest Work About Systematic Benefcence
by the General Assembly.


sembly on the above subject. The only part OF
that action which needs any vindication, is con-
tanned in the following extract:
"S. The Assembly hereby soemnly eDjoins the
Presbyteres to require of Church Sessions, in case
of failure to take up any one of the collections or
dered. to report in writing the reason therefor !;
upon the validity of which the Presbytery shall
pass Judgment, approving or disappearing, as the
case NAV be. And the Presbyteries shall state
upon the face of their annual report on Systematic
Bene6ceuce, in regard to their compliance with
this injunction.
4. 1t is made the duty of the Standing Commit
tee on Systematic Benefcence of each General AS
sembly to ascertain from the Presbyterial reports
on this subject how far the above iujunctons have
been complied with and to report to the Assembly
what Presbyteries, if any, have failed to comply
with either of them 1t is also made the duty o.
the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly to enter
upon the docket the duties hereby imposed upon
the said committee, as matter of business, SO that
the attention of the committee may be expressly
called thereto.
50 In case any Presbytery fails to report Oh
the subject of Systematic Benefcence, or to report
in due and proper form. as ordered by the Assem-
bly, or to report in regard to either OF the require
ments made in the above ipjunctons or if the re-
port in the case Of any Presbytery shows that II
| has not complied with the Injunction first named
in section above viz: In regard to the require
ment from Church Sessions of the reasons for Their
failure in any case to give the people an opportu
nifty to contribute, the Moderator of the Assembly
shall thereupon appoint some member OF SAID Pres
bytery as the Assembly commissioner thereto, to
bring the failure to the attention of Presbyterv
Aud the Presbytery shall send up to the next Cen
eral Assembly, along with its report on Systematic
| Benehcence, statement of the reasons for said
| failure
80. In order the more surely to obtain cOllec
| tons from vacant congregations without however,
essening the separate and full responsibility Of the
Sessions thereof in the premises, and in the ab-
seuce of supplies the Presbyteres are hereby en-
| Joined to require supplies sent to such vacant
churches to attend to this business and in case OF
| failure to do so, to render reason therefor.
10 regard to these regulations let it b carefully
observed
lst. In the language Of the report, the juris.
diction proposed is solely over ministers and SeS
sionS touching the matter of presenting these beneU-
client objects to their people and Otordiag them an
opportunity to giUe 1t does not trench, IN the
slightest degree, upon the Individual Christian 8
private judgment and liberty 10 regard to giving.
The importantly is secured to him, if he chooses to
| give. and this is the whole end contemplated.
2nd. The necessity for some such action, as
shown by the facts that gave rise to it. The Com
mttee OF Foreign Missions reported debt on &C.
count of the operations of last year OF SIS 600,
while from nearly half the churches no cOntribu-
tons had been received The cause of SuStenta-
tioR had been greatly restricted and hampered,
while in like manner, more than hdJ the churches
had failed to come to its aid. In regard to the
other causes, the facts still l0OrSe, and IN the
aggregate nearly tCOthrdS Of all the collections re-
uuired had been omitted This course of things
has continued from year to year. with an improve
meut in the number of contributing churches to
each cause so slow as to be scarcely appreciable,--
| The General Assembly yearly epjOlned the collec-
lions, and upon the Presbyteries to take such ac-
ton as to secure them from their churches. But
| there was no careful supervision on the part OF
the Assembly over the Presbyteries, nor of Pres
| byteres over ministers and Sessions in regard to
this NATTER with the unsatisfactory results already
indicated Must this state of things continue, with
not halt the congregations even asked to contribute,
and no effectua steps be taken to secure the pre-
sentation of these great objects of benevoence to
the people?
Srd. Granting, then, that some more efficient
measures were demanded to afford every congrega-
ton an opportunity to make its offering, are the
regulations enacted for this purpose legitimate?
They are particular and stringent. That point
will be considered presently. But are they lawful
The constitutional principle underlying them has
been long settled, for the Assembly has, for years,
without question, been exercising it, The power
to enjoin performance, implies, Of course, the
right to hold parties under authority to due &C.
countability for failure; and, in loose way the
| Assembly has been exercising this right. The pre-.
sent measure is but an attempt TO make this super
vision more effectual by making it more particular,
without at all transcending the power already eX
cised.
f. But, although strictly lawful, is this stringent
exercise of naked authority" expedient? Will
it not excite opposition Observe, again, that it
attempts no exercise of authority at all over the
people. 1t leaves them absolutely to their own
conscientious discretion, whether to give or not
and how much to give after having been duly en-
| lightened in regard to the general Christian duty
of benefcence and the particular wants of the
cause in behalf of which their benefactons are So
licited. The authority put forth is over the sub
ordinate courts and office bearers ministers and
ruling elders touching their official duties in the
matter of soliciting the gifts of such may be able
to give. In making which solicitations it is to be
presumed that they will do it with due infusion
of gospel instruction and exhortaton, that IN Civ
| ing the people may feel that they are not under
compulsion of ecclesiastical power at all, but only
under law to Christ, and constrained by love to
Him. DR.. Palmer, Of New Orleans, in the Gene
raj Assembly, spoke with his usual felicity and
force of language about the danger of asserting a
too naked authority" and the importance of
infusing as much as possible of the softening and
persuasive power of the gospel into this business
But he added, that the fault with US is the two
great disregard of the authority and punotions Of
our superior courts; and that our system is so
complete in the subordination of court to court,
that we ought to be able in single year to bring
the whole Church up to the measure of its duty in
this respect
5. Granting all that, are not these regulations
too particular and complicated? The simpler
piece of machinery is, OF course the better provided
it answers the purpose OF its construction. But
complexity and nice adjustment may be absolutely
necessary in order to efficiency, as for example
watch or a locomotive. If the simple Injunction
to ministers and sessions" of you have annual
collections in your congregations for these several
objects sufficient and had proven so, it
were best to go no further Nothing more, indeed,
ought to have been needful, in view Of the known
pressing wants and exigencies of the cause. But
experience has shown that such an injunction is OF
little avail. The Assembly and the Presbyteries
were compelled to resort to more particular meas.
ures and requirements, with some improvement
but still comparative inefhcency, The connections
and adjustments were still too loose. The present
measures are an attempt to remedy the deficiency,
aud, in the light OF past experience OF the inefh
cheney of that loose and partial supervision which
has hitherto been exercised it is hard to see how
a single part provision of these regulations could
be dispensed with, without endangering the value
of the whole. The particularly of specification,
e g., in regard to reports from the Presbyteries,
as set forth in the injuuctOns of section s. is not
uncslled for, in view of the past Irregularities of
the Presbyteries in this respect. The measure of
failure and rregularity in the matter of these re-
ports is, in truth amazing. For example, more
than one-fourth 2S per cent.-ot the four regular
annual reports required were not received by the
late Assembly. Only twenty-six Presbyteries out
of sixty-two sent up ALL thirty-sx failing in regard
to one or more of them. Sixteen failed as to one |
report from twelve two were lacking; from six
three; and from two, none were received while |
in some of those received, the irregularities and
deficiencies were so many to greatly lessen their
value.
g. These measures are not designed to wiring
from an impoverished people more than they are
able 10 give On the contrary they aim hv sennr.