The daily gazette., 1877-11-20
METHODIST MISSIONARY AP-
PROPRIATIONS.

The General Missionary Committee of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, after
four days session here, have substantial
ly completed their work, and we believe
wisely and well. Differences of opinion
exist in this Church, as in other church
es, touching the relative importance of
foreign and domestic missions. The OBJ
lection is often heard against sending
bread to the heather while our own peo-
pie are starving, But with Europeans
and Americans it is not question of
bread or no bread, Gospel or no Gospel,
as it is with the heathen. We have our
spiritual bread provlded,F and the only
question is, at whose table shall we eat?
The Missionary Committee and the
Church they represent offer to feed us
who speak the English language as long
as Sl40.O0O will supply. But recognizing
the more pressing needs of the heathen,
they offer to spread for them such a
table as $268, 900 will furnish for year
While to the heather "to the manner
BORN and to such as come hither from
| heather lands, together with such Euro
pedn emlgrantS as can be induced to par
take of the proffered food, the value of
ST3,0 $50 of spiritual instruction and food
will be given. Now this is really equal
TO an appropriation of s341 1907 to foreign
mission work, with this exception, that
a small fraction of this work is located
here: 1t is certainly anoble contri button
to the missionary operations of the
| Church, and yet it does not represent a
1.-THE of the needs of the work at home
or abroad, nor of the ability ofthe Church
to supply those needs. But committee
cannot draw the money out of the pock-
cts of the people. They can only say In
Getail how much they want and what
they want it for, and leave the rest to
the conscience OF the membership and
the persuasive eloquence of pastors, mis-
sionary and bishops.
During the past year the Church las
done grandly for missions. 1t was ask
for S66S. 800 and contributed S62S, ,977. II
paid off S92 ,979 of the debt of its mis-
sionary treasury and cut down its ex
penditures, so that now, at the close o.
its fiscal year, it has cash ind ebtednes
of only So2,S ,S24 and letters of credit anc
drafts for foreign missions due the frs
) OF January proximo amounting to $50,
55l. II is no small thing in a year Ink
that just closed to have given more thai
I half a million dollars to mission worl
, and 500, 900 for indebtedness. But thi
r can be improved. and the committe
Y have very wisely asked the Church thi
r year to pay off $4,000 more Of Its mis-
: slonary debt, SO that its work can b
: strengthened and enlarged. The vas
continent of Africa is now opening u
IS and presenting itself as never before a
b a missionary field. Ethiopia is stretcl
: ing out her hands unto God, and yet tn
n committee have been able to give onl
Is $500 where S25, 900 could be well use
5. now IN the high and healthy lands
IL the interior. But church in debt ear
% not make advances in this or in any otl
at er direction until its credit is place
ie where its word is equal to cash. La
ie year and the year before very pathet
reports were received from "the gras
a hopper region" of our own great Yves
l. This year there is neither grasshopp,
n nor Indian to molest nor make afraid S
r. that the committee were able in fol
G. days to complete the woik which HI
usually taken them six 10 accomplis
They show their apprecl tiun of the 81
W uatlon tins year by saw several hui
ss dred dollars expenses, as hey did la
et year, by contributing twenty thousaI
,d dollars toward the payne Mt Of the de
~ of their treasury. Their work will
VI forth to the Church during the prese
week, and while it is fresh nd interes
o. ing il should be used hv Preachers al
W. people to swell the coslrTb bu slons and
at place the mission wolk W ere it belon
IL in the forefront Of h. + l yoient a
III Chr!stiaEizing ageIL Mir
ht teeBth centuIy.-N, Y Befolu.