The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-04-06

0.Aooio WILL, III great measure, De lOSC
also.
End. The great work of missions I'M
questionably needs for its best success
such an organ of communication with the
churches as it now has in the Mission
arg. The experience of fifty years of
missionary work in all denominations
has demonstrated the need and the value
of such publication.
The great features of this work ought
to be kept continually before the minds
and hearts of the people. Those to
whom this important enterprise is en-
trusted should have the means of bring
ing directly to bear upon the whole
Church, the solemn and weighty reasons
that ever impel to its vigorous prosecu-
ton. The urgent needs of the great
field, the spiritual desolations that exist,
the efforts that, are being made, the
measure of success attending them, the
methods of work employed, and the men
and women engaged in the work-all
these must be in the mind and thought
of the Church, and no measure is as
likely to accomplish this under the
grace of God, as such publication as
the Missionary. Not only do those who
have the oversight of the work, but the
workers themselves, the missionaries
need to be In communication with the
great heart of the Church, the Church
needs to be acquainted with them and
their work through their letters. The
Church in its missionary work cannot
afford to do without such a medium of
communication; it is required as meas
ure of efficiency, and It's value would
without question, be greatly impaired by
its union with, or absorption in, any
other paper. If the whole cost of the
Missionary were betrayed from the treas
ury, and nothing received from its sub
scription list toward its support, we
would consider the money well applied
and would rather urge that it's free dis
tribution be extended until it should find
It's way into every family of the Church.
1t would seem therefore that if the ques-
ton of efficiency alone is considered, the
union of the two publications is greatly
to be deprecated.
3D.. If we look at the proposed measure
as question of economy, we have no
hesitation IN asserting that it will prove
the very reverse of economical.
The Earnest Worker has increased its
subscription list within three years past,
from about 1900 paying subscribers to
over 5000. This growth measures not
merely the success of the magazine, but
to certain extent the degree in which
the Church controls its own Sabbath
School work. In 1877, the Earnest
Yorker afforded no income to the
Church, but now it pays between six
and seven hundred dollars per year, be-
ing its full share for editorial work, be-
sides being furnished freely to the minis
tiers of the Church to the amount in value
of over 5000, so that it must be regarded
as entirely self-supporting, and as i'm
posing no burden of expense upon the
Church. If now its efficiency be i'm
paired, and it be rendered by the pro-
posed union less acceptable to our Sab
bath School workers, either by dimin-
lshlng the helps offered, or by increasing
its cost, the inevitable result will be such
loss of its subscription list, as to make
1T an expense to the Church instead of a
source of income. That this would be the
necessary result of such course will not
be questioned by any one who is familiar
with the wants of our Sabbath School
work, and who knows the well-defned
purpose of our foremost Sabbath School
workers to have the best Sabbath School
hel ps within reach.
The present vantage ground has been
reached by hard work, and with the
gaining of this position there has been
gained also better organization of our
whole work, and better control of it by
the authorities of the Church. Shall
these advantages be hazarded by more
than doubtful experiment?
So far as the Earnest Worker then is
concerned, there is no economy in the
proposed measure.
4th. When the question of economy is
considered with reference to the Mission
arg, the solution, if it be not apparent
on the surface, is not the less certain.
The cost of the Missionary, over and
above its receipts for subscriptions, was
last year only triAe over $500, it will
probably be still less this year. 1t was
distributed to the ministers of the Church
free of cost, to an amount in value of
about $780,. This free distribution was
worth to the Church, if we take the
lowest view of it, and regard it as
measure of advertising, five times as
much as it cost. There are of course
higher views of the matter than this,
which we pass by, that would greatly
enhanca our estimate rs ito value bn+