The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-07-11
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
ADVICE TO THE PREsBYTERIEs.

ADVICE TO THE PRESBYTERIEs.
In the recently published report Of tn
Committee of Sustentation, the fact is mer
toned that within the past year some Pres
byteries have ceased to cooperate with tn
Committee, and on this ground some advic
is rendered to them. The advice may b
considered by the Committee to be thorough
ly sound, and it is unquestionable that it i
offered with entire sincerity. And yet thes
two conditions may not prevent its being dis
tasteful to those to whom it is offered. A
PresOytery may choose to exercise an inde
feasible right in managing its own affairs
and may legitimately reject interference from
any quarter. If this advice be of such q
character as to imply desire to interfere il
the exercise of this undoubted right, more
unwise thing could not be done by the Com.
mittee than to offer it.no matter how strong
the conviction ntsy. Itas Che advice Itself
is wholesome For while it may be an ap-
propriate function of the Committee to furn-
ish necessary information to the Assembly,
it is beyond its province to offer adverse crit
icism upon the action of the Presbyteries
that have sovereign power in the premises.
The Presbytery in which we are most in
terested is that Of East Hanover, which is
one of those mentioned in the report. The
partial presentation of case may contain no
statements that are not absolutely true, and
yet may make an impression that will be
not only erroneous but injurious. The first
statement of the report that touches US is
this: "We are sorry to report that during
the past year the Prebyteries of Augusta and
East Hanover have also terminated their
connection with the Assembly work." 1t
may be unfair here to offer more than a ver-
bal criticism-that criticism we ofer-that
it is an unfortunate use of language to say
that Presbytery has terminated its connec
tion with the work of the Assembly, when the
fact is that portion of every collection for
this cause taken up in all our churches is
forwarded directly to the Committee for its
unrestricted use, and when further, the fact
is that larger amount is thus left in the
hands of the Committee than heretofore
We object to the attitude which our 'Presby.
terry is made to assume with respect to the
work of Sustentation and to the Assembly's
Committee. 1t is said that the effect of our
action "seems adapted to contract the efforts
in the stronger Presbyteries to the limits Of
the PresbyterieS themselves, and to leave out
of view almost altogether the urgent demands
for help in the newer and most destitute
parts of the Church" In fact, however, the
result will be found to be the very reverse of
this. Under Tne ofS plan East Hanover
Presbytery demanded that all the money
contributed by her churches should be re-
turned to her, and if any amount was ever
left in the treasury of the Committee it was
only pro forma to indicate the desire to help
others. Under the present plan the tithe of
every contribution is sent directly to the
Committee, and the amount is larger and
more certain than before. The report goes
on to say, "it is evident that if the work of
single Presbytery is set before its churches
as nine times more important and obligatory
than the work in the rest of the Church, the
people will naturally look upon the former as
the more pressing claim" The answer is
that whatever the theory may be upon the
subject, the facts do not support it, for to-day
the Presbytery asks of its churches larger
amount than has ever been asked by the
Committee, she gives more to the support of
her churches than she gave last year, and
leaves more in the hands of the Assembly g
Committee. Added to this is the question
whose business is it to take care of the work
within the bounds of the Presbyteries and
is destitution less important in Virginia than
in Texas?
1t is the most idle thing in the world for
Presbytery like East Hanover, that en-
braces thirty-nine counties and contains one.
third of the whole area of the State, that has
but about twelve self-sustaining churches,
and that leaves the larger part of its counties
without any preaching whatever, to talk
about seeking place to help the destitute
There may possibly be wider destitutions il
newer States, and their Importance may seem
greater than ours, but while we are looking
after Texas will the Committee supply oul
| wants?
Finally, the laws of the Sustentation Com
mittee are such that under them We canno
support our feeble churches at all, and there
fore modified form of cooperation is to u
necessity. If the Presbytery of E. Hano
YER can do its own work better than an.
Committee can do it, ought any one to OBJ
ject? PRESENTER.
A CONSIDERABLE influx of Jews into Jeru
salem is reported by travellers. New block
of buildings are to be seen everywhere b,