The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-07-26
For TIE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
To the Public.

The following card was extensively published in
the religious journals in the month Of August Of
last year:
PRIZE OF 5000 FOR A TRACT
A benevolent gentleman, member of the Pes
byterian church offers prize of 5000 for the hest
Tract or 1.-The Nature, Design, and Proper Ooser
vance of the Sabbath. The tract must not exceed
in length the little tract volumes known as =" Come
to Jesus" and Call to Prayer"
The Revs. Z, T. Baird, D. D., NJ D. Hoge, d
D and Charles Fl. Read, D. D., have been APP
pointed as a Committee of Award. Manuscripts
will be received until the first day of March next
The writer's are requested to send them to the first
named member OF the Committee at Richmond,
with their names in a sealed envelope, which will
not be opened until after the award has been made.
The tract will be issued immediately after the
award, BY the Presbyterian Committee of Publiea-
tion The other manuscripts will be subject to the
order Of their writer's.
The undersigned, the Committee of award named
in this card now submit the following report:
In response to the above notice the number Of
manuscripts received within the prescribed time,
was one hundred and eight These manuscripts
came from all sections of this country, and some Of
them from abroad The work of careful examina
siderable magnitude, involving no small RESPONSE
bility. The rules adopted by the Committee, for
their own guidance we're
lst. To test the several essays by the conditions
proposed by the gver of the prize, to wit: the true
unfolding of " the Nature, Design, and Proper o.
servance Of the Sabbath. -
2ud There must be q comprehensive, scholarly,
clear, and forcible treatment of the whole sui jsct
81. A style calculated to arrest public attention,
to meet the demands of correct taste, and to pro-
duce deep and permanent conviction of truth and
duty.
The aim of the Committee has been to select
from all the manuscripts fl red to them, the one
which, u their judgment should, in all respects,
best meet and answer to these several conditions.
The committee have reluctantly declined several
manuscripts of remarkable ability some of them
in some respects superior perhaps, to the one to
which the award is unanimously given and pro-
found regret is felt that the strong and noble points
and sentiments of considerable number of these
papers may not be made the common property of
the Church and the world; as by them the litera-
ture of the Church might be enriched and its pety
elevated aud inyigorated. ---
rue decision has CasAed Judgment, and the
award has not been made without solemn thought,
Mingled with some Selfdstrust.
We humbly commend our action to the favor OF
God, and the prayers of His people ourselves
uniting in the petition that through the blessing OF
God the essay approved in cur estimation, may
have wide spread and permanent Influence in the
better, the hoer, practical appreciation of the
Nature, Design, and Proper Observance of the
Sabbath Of God
1t remains to be said, that in their reading and
decision the committee have been entirely ignor-
ant of the several authors even Of their names
We have awarded the pr z, to an essay sub
scribed Sigma" and upon opening the sealed en-
veope, the name of the author is now found to
be- Rev. James Stacy, Of Newman, Georgia.
NJ. D. HoaH' Committee
G. H. READ,
Richmond, Va, July 5:h, 1876.
X VIM. A. Moore, L: O., Ruling Elder in the
First Presbyterian church, Atlanta. Ga.