The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-04

with what they supposed to be the unanimous
wish of the churches, not to report if it could
possibly be avoided, a continued deficit at the
slose of the year. They propose to pursue the
same course in the future, unless otherwise
instructed by the Board, and will do their
utmost not to appropriate one dollar beyond
what they may reasonably expect to receive
from those who intrust to them their gifts.
If then the members of this Board are determ-
ined as prudential men not to burden them
selves with large debt there remains but one
method of securing the additional sum needed
for their enlarged work, viz: they must raise
it in some way as an additional special con-
tributlon, and their Prudential Committee
must be instructed to appropriate for the ends
proposed only the amount thus contributed
for this special purpose.
THE EXPERIENCE OF HOME MISSIONS.
We may learn something in this direction
from the experience of the churches in their
broad and varied home work. 1t has been
found absolutely necessary that special con-
tribution be solicited and secured for one
department of this work, viz. ass istance to
feeble churches in the erection of church
edifees.' A special contribution is also So
ieited and secured for that important and
interesting department, which emphasizes
peculiarly the education of the freedmen of
the South. A special contribution is also
solicited and secured for the education Of
young men for the Christian ministry, and
for the endowment of Christian colleges. A
special contribution is solicited and secured
for our city missionary work in our great
cities, and for our New West Education Com
mission,--all these appropriately and wisely
in addition to the regular, and it should be
the generous, contributions to the several
State and to the American Home Mission
airy Societies. This is as it should be upon
the home field,-all administered as efficiently
and as economically as possible, though en-
ploying in this case several distinct benevo-
lent organizations.
SHALL WE ORGANIZE NEW SOCIETY?
Now what shall we do with our broad
foreign missionary work Shall we orga-
nize a distinct society for assistance in
church erections Shall we organize another
society for collegiate and theological edu-
cations And still another for publication and
Sabbath-school work. And yet another for
some one parcular field, as we attempted a
few years ago with Papal Landss
A PRACTICAL RECONSIDERATION
Shall we not rather give our united gene
rous support TO the one Organization which,
as economically as possible, is caring for
all these interests upon the foreign field, and
which from its history has deseryedly gained,
and still retains, the hearty confidence Of
the churches Shall we not be also willing
to contribute to that organization annually,
at least one special additional liberal con-
tribution for its enlarged and enlarging edu-
cational work! The work itself we must
not for one moment think of abandoning OF
ofallowing longer to languish or be crippled
so l,o~ nd IL 4. rer
upon us in manner to call forth our most
grateful Acknowledgements to God. This
fact will be emphasized in special papers, to
be presented in behalf of the Prudential Com
mittee at the present meeting.
By invitation of the Presides t, the Rev.
John C. Vose, D. d., of Providence, led in
prayer.
The Report of the Treasurer was read by
Langdon S. Ward, Esq, of Boston.
TREAsURER's REPORT.