The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1883-05-09
For the Central Presbyterian.
DIR. McIlwaine and Home
Missions.
By a Home Missionary.

NeSSrS Edators-The eminently Just
and wise remarks of Presbyter" in your
issue of April 25th, are followed last
week by an equally wise and prudent
overture from Paris Presbytery to the
next General Assembly. 1 wish to add
a word or two to what has been said.
would not underrate the Importance
and wisdom of having such man as Dr.
McIlwaine in the presidential chair OF
Hampden Sidney College. Nor do wish
to detract particle from the usefulness
of the field thus offered as the head OF
that venerable institution-an institution
$ essential to the growth of our Church and
deserving at her hands every concession
which can be made consistently with her
duty to the more important branches of
her work In a word, am friend OF
the college, and shall greatly rejoice to
see her continue we'll manned and equip
ped for her effective work
But believing that DIR. McIlwaine's
acceptance of the presidency of HampdeR
Sidney would expose the cause of Home
Missions to great risk, if not dangers, I
am decidedly in favor Of the action Of
Paris Presbytery alluded to above Ny
reasons for this are
l. The college is not as dependent upon
the exertions and ability of its head as
the cause of Home Missions. The work
of the former depends more upon its
faculty than upon its president, while the
latter is more dependent upon the eff
cheney Of its secretary than upon It's Ex-
ecutive Committee. While, therefore, the
work of the college may be done almost
or quite as well under the leadership of
man less valuable to the Church at
large than DR.. McIlwaine, the work of
Home Missions requires the most valua-
bic man the Church has in her bounds.
g. There are others in the Church who
would bring to the college nearly or quite
as much- influence, would conduct her
affairs with wisdom and prudence, and
who are as peculiarly qualified for the
position as DR.. McIlwaine But where
would we find man who could FIJI his
present position with the same satisfac-
tion to the Church at large2 In other
words, the presidency of Hampden Sid
ney does not require the same combina-
tion of so many important and compare
lively rare qualifications as Secretary of
Home Missions, and therefore, can be
more easily filed.
3. I do not assume that there is not
another Dr. McIlwaine in the Church
but do say that Dr. McIlwaine has been
tried and is so thoroughly fitted for Sec
retary Of Home Missions by his executive
ability, his rare business qualifications,
his forcible and pungent style, his lucid
statements of the condition Of the cause,
his thorough knowledge Of the details of
the work, that it would be, in the writer's
humble judgment, extremely unwise for
the Church to allow him to retire to a
less important field. He has done much
to arouse the whole Church to her graft
tying interest in the cause Of Home Mis-
sions, if she does not owe this present
state Of feeling on this subject entirely to
him.
|, therefore, heartily endorse the action
OF Paris Presbytery, would urge DR.. Nc
liwaine to listen to her wise counsels, and
express the hope that the Church at large
WILTON with that Presbytery in endeavor-
ing to dissuade him from resigning his i'm
portant trust. More could be said to the
same effect. OUDE1s.