The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-08-25
atoru. and needhlL.
OUR FIELD

1
Stretches from Maryland to Texas, from
Missouri to Florida, and covers fifteen
States, which contain twelve Synods and
sixty-five Presbyteries. Not one of these
Presbyteries has occupied the ground it
covers, and in every one of them there is
room for much aggressive work, while in
most of them the unoccupied territory
far exceeds what has been taken posses
sion Of There is room within the bounds
of the Church for ten-fold expansion and
when this has been reached there will
still be much to do. This is proved by
the fact that rapid progress has been late
ly maoe in some of the oldest Presby-
teries, and the yet wider efforts they now
find it necessary to put forth in order to
meet the openings before them, as well
as by the extensive and distressing desti-
tutions existing in most of the younger
and weaker Presbyteries. Nor is the
field for which we plead adequately sup
piled by sister denominations In some
places our evangelists are now, as in
former days, the pioneers, while in many
more they find numbers of people who
are not willing to attend such preaching
as they have because of its unproftable-
ness, but who gladly come to hear them,
and are anxious to have regular Presby-
terrain services. Were it true that our
whole territory is covered by edifying
ministrations from other Christian min
listers, we might pause and consider
whether our whole aggressive energy had
not better be turned in other directions,
although as Presbyterians, holding funda-
mental doctrines of Gods word which we
esteem essential to the proper culture and
development Of the Christian life, and to
the highest usefulness, purity and efici-
ency of the church, it would still be our
duty, In faithfulness to God and his truth,
to propagate them by all proper means.
But there Is no occasion for the discussion
OF this question at present for the field
is white unto the harvest" There is
enough in this land for us and all the
protestant brotherhood to do for Christ,
without awakening any other than a gen
erous rivalry, which will provoke one
another to love and good works There
are multitudes of the white population in
our cities and towns, as well as in the ru-
raj districts who are very inadequately
supplied with the ministration of Gods
word. Hundreds of thousands, too, of
the negroes of the South, have yet to be
taught the way of Life. No insignificant
portion of one of our states is still occu-
pied chiefly by the Church of Rome.
There are also wide tracts of our territory
rapidly filing up with immigrants from
the older states, who must be followed by
the preacher, and among whom churches
must be organized and the ordinances of
religion be established. In some places
important colonies from foreign lands are
settling with people Of diverse languages,
customs, habits, and religion, who need
the labors of Christian ministers among
them to win them to Christ and assimiate
them to the ideas of our Christian COM
monweaith. The large mineral and
manufacturing operations now projected
and being opened within our bounds,
with the communities they attract about
them, call to the church for commensu-
rate energy and effort, and the vast sec
tons of country developed by railroads
already finished, and others in process of
completion, with the towns they rapidly
create, all call for the speedy and liberal
exertions of Gods people to meet their
wants and to supply them with the means
of grace. Not only in Arkansas, Texas,
Louisiana, and Florida, but in Virginia,
North Carolina, Missouri, and all our
states, there is much waiting to be done
for the extention of the church and the
salvation of souls. Our population must
increase rapidly, and it behooves us not
only to keep abreast of it but to make
gains upon its flowing tides. Tie field IS
east and important and its needs are m'-
gent.
THE REASONS
For prosecuting this work with vigor are
manifold Only few of them can be
touched
a. THE church aOa8 established to do
this Ueyy a0ork, and only as she does 1t as
she true to Ter divine Vocation.
It's one of the distinctive marks of the
Christian dispensation that the poor
have the Gospel preached unto them.
The command of Christ is, ego into the
highways and hedges and compel them
to come in If the church does moi
wish to be derelict to her adorable Lord.
she must 90 forward.
(2) The prosecution of this nork is
necessary to the chwch8 purity no less
than to her usefulness and progress.
Christianity is not merely belief it