The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-08-25
For the Central Presbyterian.
Our Education Cause.

TOT In6 O6ulTdl presbyterian.
Our Education Cause.
The undersigned wishes to say that the
letter by Candidate in the Central OF
August 18th, is one that does great cred
it to the writer, because of the noble, and
in every way commendable, spirit it
shows. If all candidates were anything
like this one, l know of none of our
causes to which l should more cheerfully
contribute than to our Education cause.
l do not think, however, that our young
ministers ought to regard themselves as
having contracted pecuniary debt to
the Church to be paid back after they en-
ter upon active service. In my view, the
only debt incurred ought to be one of
honor, making the aided student feel ur-
der obligation to be all the more diligent
in business and fervent in spirit, and
more fully a servant of the Lord. True,
the money given by the Church to aid
him is only the Lords money after all,
disbursed by His stewards. But, then,
these latter must be made to feel that
they are putting their Lords money
where it will do His cause the most good,
and one who receives aid from the Church
funds certainly ought not to bring re-
proach upon our Education cause by such
remissness in duty as would be reprehen-
sible if he had earned every cent of
money with his own hands.
An her yervs ;rns point has not yet
been touched upon, and that is, that our
candidates are often so painfully straiten-
ed by the failure to pay what has been
promised them by the Church. Ct know
what you want to say to me here, but
you Just wait awhile.) 1t is desperate
position to be in, and many an honest
nature has had to suffer cruelty from it.
The trouble is if l understand it Alright,
that all (?) candidates are received and
promised aid, if they apply. Then, the
contributions may or may not be enough
to redeem these promises; ordinarily
they are not, believe. Then our Secre-
tary has to shoulder burden, in which
l most deeply sympathize with him 4. e.,
he has to go to work a Id try to stir up
the Church to make special contributions
to wipe out the debt; and as the Educate n
cause is not the only one that finds itself in
this predicament, the people get weary
of the constantly recurring appeals.
| do not say they ought to, but they do
and the fact that they do, does not help
the causes for which the appeal is made.
Besides, is not this result likely to hap
pen-viz, some people having conscien-
tiously determined that, say ten dollars a
year, is all they can give to this one
cause, give six at the regular collection
and reserve four for the special appeal,
that they may not set the example of
giving nothing for an urgent crisis l
have myself known this to be done. If
we could so arrange matters that the APP
preparations were made on the basis of
money actually contributed and in hand,
then the evil would be obviated Our Sec
rotary could then put forth his efforts to
induce the people to give more, that more
candidates might be aided, and not that
our candidates may be able to pay the
bills they owe their boarding house keep.
ers or their washer women, &c., as is too
often the case now. At any rate, it
would seem as if the duty of the Seoreta-
ry was simply to disburse whatever
money the Church chooses to give, be
that much or little. Our pastors ought
to be the men to stir the cousciences of
their people and induce them to give
more largely, and to do 1t regularly and
not by fits, or as the result OF special APP
peals.
Now, this is what you wanted to say
to me "If P. @ r. recognizes that all
his money is the Lords money, and if he
feels that we have too few ministers, and
if he sympathizes with Secretary and
candidates when the contributions are
not up to the mark, why in the world
does he stop his own contributions? He
had much better double them, if he can,
even according to bis own showing.
Well, dear director, P. @ r. Dants TO
render to the Lord the best account he
can Of every dollar put into his hands,
and he holds that hardly a better way OF
using this money can be found than aid
ing the lsborers whom we pray the Lord
to send into His harvest. But as things
now 60 on, he thinks that, perhaps, he