The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-05-29

lnTormaGlOn the O6CTSGGry uds auuL 0oo0N vi
cular letters to the Chairmen of the Presby
terial Committees Of Education, and the re
suit of these efforts has been perhaps an ap
Proclamation to the real state of the work.
In so far as information has been obtained
is reported that there are in all about on'
hundred and fifty candidates for the ministry
who are pursuing their studies at various
stages of advancement. 1t is proper that /
should be made known that, according to tht
reports of some of the brethren, the number
of candidates would undoubtedly beincreased
but for the fact that poor and pious young
men who are earnestly desirOus of entering
the ministry are discouraged By the well
known inability of the Executive Committee
to promise them the needed assistance, The
amount of money expended by Presbyterie'
for the assistance of candidates, SO far as as
certaiued, in addition to what has been re-
mitted to the Treasury of the Executive
Committee may be reported at about seven
sbcusand dollsrs.
The general statement of the PresbyteriaI
Committees as to the prospect Of an increase
of candidates is, on the whole, somewhat dis
couraging, and this fact should quicken the
Church to lively sense of her duty to pray
the Lord Of the harvest that He would send
forth laborers into His harvest, and that He
would, by His Holy Spirit, stir up the peO-
pie of God everywhere to greater degree
of liberality in furnishing the requisite means
to aid young men in fitting themselves for
this arduous calling.
The Secretary has during the past year
completed the work of visiting the Synods.
This visitation has required four years-the
conflict in the times of meeting rendering it
physically impossible to visit more than four
during any one season. The distance of the
two Svuods of North Carolina and Virginia
from Memphis and the Western SynOds, one
of which he visited in October, made it diff
cult and expensive also to accomplish much
in this direction The reception of the Sec
re!ary wherever he was enabled to present
the cause was kind and encouraging.
The exhaustive Report of the Special Com
mittee on Beneficiary Education, which was
drawn up by DR.. J. B. Stratton, was printed
in the Appendix to the last Annual Report
of the Executive Committee, and in separate
pamphlet form, and as wide circulation was
given to it as was possible.
The Executive Committee has turned its
attention to the securing of the greatly to
be desired object of having this cause laid
before every church in our connection, and
to this end the Secretary has issued on pos
tai cards, at two successive periods, separate
appeals to each minister whose name appear
ed in the Minutes of the Assembly, and also
to the session of every vacant church whose
Post office address could be ascertained, and,
this method has been attended
with gratifying success.
We have on our roll, according to the
printed Minutes of the Assembly of 1877,
eighteen hundred and thirty churches. OF
these two hundred and ffty-three are under
the caro- of PresbvtAriee rot CO operating
with the Executive Committee OF Education,
leaving fifteen hundred and seventy seven
churches belonging to Presbyteries under
stood to be in full sympathy with the Com.
mittee, commending to its care their candi-
dates, and supposed, of course, to entrust it
with their educational funds. But when it
is understood that not quite so many as one
half of this number have thus far been con-
tributors to the treasury of Education, it will
90 far toward accounting for the deficiency
which is reported for the year closing April
30.h. For if the remaining non.contributing
churches had remitted to the treasury only
two dollars each, there would have been no
deficiency to be reported, and if they had
contributed in the same proportion as the
other churches have done, We should have
had surplus on hand. Nor would this sur
plus have been superhous at all. For as the
session of one of our Theological SeminarieS
begins in August, there is need of funds,
and application has been made more than
once for money to enable candidates residing
at distance to travel to the Seminary, which
application we have been obliged to decline
for want of funds. Indeed, all the Institu-
tions where we have candidates begin, at
latest, two months before the Committee can
avail itself of the contributions of the church
es to make the first remittance to students
So that even upon the supposition that there
should be found surplus in the treasury
over and above all demands, this would re-
suit in no disadvantage to the work, but
would often meet great want. 1t is not
doubted, however, that were all the churches
to contribute to this cause according to their
ability, this provision of the requisite funds
would encourage many young brethren to
enter upon course of study for the minis
try, who now turn sadly away for want of
the means of paying their expenses Thus
it is seen that there is no sort of danger OF
funds contributed to the cause Of Education
lying idle, or unemployed.
There is pressing need Of bringing into
close connection and full harmonious co.ope-
ration with the Assembly's schemes of Be-
nevolence, every one of our churches. 1t is
needed to make these schemes successful
1t is needed to cultivate spirit of Christian
iberality. 1t is needed to cherish in every
heart the principle of the communion Of
saints, and to intensity that sympathy among
the members of Christ's body, which is in
deed inseparable from the relation Subsisting
between them.
The problem as to the best method Of at
tanning this consummation SO deVoutly to be
wished, has not yet been solved. 1t is not
the province of your Committee to lecture the
ministers or Presbyteries as to their obliga
tons. They can but report the state Of
things and the success or failure of theil
work, and with most profound respect, ven
ture modestly to suggest action which thi'
venerable Court may in its superior wisdom
ignore or reject. With one single sugges
ton then the Committee will leave the mat
ter in the hands of the Assembly.
1t has been found that by the indefatiga
Bile energy and fidelity of one evangelist in
Presbytery of the far West, for two years il
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