The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-12-13

unprovided family, aa by depositing it in tn
Relief Fund Of the Church, and securing al
annuity of one or two hundred dollars ayeal
to his surviving family. Whether he sbal
lie in one year or in ten, or in old age
whether he shall continue his payments fol
one, two, three, FIVE, or ten years, every dollar
paid up is secured to his family beyond con-
tingency or failure, both by the ability of the
Fund to repay it, and by the promise of the
Church to see that it shall be delivered to
them. If he ehall continue his payments
regularly his family will receive much more
than he has paid; if he shall die after one,
tso, or three, or four, or five, or ten conaec
utive annual payments, they will receive four.
or FIVE, or ten times as much as he has paid.
But should embarrassments or failure to
receive what had been promised him, or any
mistakes in his estimated debts, or expendi-
lures, or receipts, or any other cause, pre-
vent his regular Contributions, the CHURCH
promises that none of his former savings de.
posted in the Relief Fund for the widow and
orphans of her ministers shall be diverted
from this sacred purpose, but every farthing
shall be returned to them, to support and
elucate them when the husband and the
father has gone to his home in the sky. The
annuity which the Church promises is for
continuous, regular annual payments. But
if the pressure of the times or the necessities
of the family, or the failures of others, force
the minister who has begun these deposits to
discontinue them, after one or two, or any
number of payments, he can lose nothing al.
ready deposited. The Church will keep it
for his family when he is gone. They will
aot return it to him, to meet present wants
however pressing they may be. They have
received it for his widow and orphans, and
for that purpose and no other will they ap
propriate it, For that purpose they have
promised to keep it, and they cannot and
will not fail to keep the promise they have
made. If prosperity shall come, if health
shall continue, if the income shall keep up
or increase, if more and not less shall be
saved, he will secure the annuity by his reg
ular annual contributions. But if health
fails, if he is compelled to seek new church,
if he fails to earn anything, and has to de.
pend on the favor of others for his support,
all that has been deposited in the Relief Fund
will be kept for his surviving family undi-
ninshed and without fail.
Such is the new arrangement adopted at
he las. meeting of the General Assembly for
those who shall commence their deposits here
after. Young and old, from twenty to sew
enty, may embrace this liberal and advanta-
geous provision, provided only that they are
in good health and not therefore likely to
become an immediate burden to the Church.
It would be we'll for her to allow these favors
to all, whether strong or weak, but she has
not the means to do this. To those who are
sound and we'll she feels able and willing to
promise it, and what is thus promised will be
performed.
Before some new article Of furniture is
bought, before some new clothing is provided,
before some new books are ordered, however
poor and humble may be the cottage, how
ever small the income, is there minister
who can look on his wife and children and
say that if he should die next week, they
would have nothing, when the Presbyterian
Church offers them provision which can be
obtained for so small a sacrifice, very small
for the young moderate for the middle aged,
and not very large even for the old? If
they have really nothing provided for the
future, who is there that can do this?