Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-12
TENTH OF THINE |S GODS, Say the Southern BaptistS in
 Convention Assembled.
 THE GOOD OLD TITHlNG WAY
Is Almost Unanimously Recommended to the
 Several State Conventions.
STRIKING FEATURES OF THE DISCUSSION.
The Historical Sermon Delivered by Profes- sor Whitsitt- The Broadus Memorial Services at O'clock This Aft
 ernoon-EveDing Session

Washington, May 1l.---It was ten min utes past o'clock when President liar alsons gavel fell, and the second days proceedings of the Southern Baptist con vention were begun with prayer by Rev. Dr. Lotion.
 The reading of the minutes by Secre- tary Burrows revealed the fact that this was the fortieth session of the con vention, and not the thirty-ninth, as previously stated.
 Committees were appointed on the following topics, with chairmen as named
 Time and place of next meeting-W. L. Pickard, Kentucky.
 Nominatons-W. w. Tandrum, Vir- ginia.
 Foreign population--J T. Christian, Kentucky.
 Reports of -presidents.-J. K. Pace, Mississippi.
 Reports of home mission board--J. $. Thomas, South Carolina.
 Treasurers report-S. NJ. Yeatman District of Columbia.
 White population-R. P. Pitt, Virginia.
 Papal felds-H. F. Sprouts. Missis- sipp.
 Pagan fields-T B. Tha., Virginia
 Isinai, 'al policy of Sunday school board-J. J. Taylor, Alabama.
 Woman's work-I. G. Vaughan, Ten hessee.
 Young peoples work-J. l.. White, Georgia.
 Church building board-Gcorge A. Nunnally. Tennessee.
 Rev. c. A. Nunnllly of Memphis of fered a preamble and resolution provid- ing for the appointment of church building board to aid congregations without houses of worship to secure the same. It was referred 10 a committee of one from each state.
 The report of the committee on tithing was read by Rev. +. M Ellis of Brook- lyn, who was at the time of the meeting last year located at Baltimore and made chairman. and he made the report at the request of the committed.
 The report said: Great as has been the success of the convention for the past fifty years. her diScouragemcntS and struggles have at times been such as to test the faith and endurance of her most faithful friends and staunchest leaders in the very crucible of financial embar- rassments, so great at times as to almost paralyze the work of the conven- tion. These oft repeated disbursements were not caused for want of numbers, nor. for want of wealth. We have the numerical strength, the intelligence and the wealth. The oft recurring embar- rassments are evidently the natural re- suits of our defective financial system.
 Your committee believe that full re- lief need not be hoped for until our church members individually and volun- tarily adopt the Scriptural systematic plan of paying to God at least one-tenth of his income. Then we believe the means will be available for all the pur- poses of Christ's kingdom. We are sons and daughters of God, not slaves and serfs
 bot dt1tt I. a1s,ft just and practical than Gods law of the tenth. All can give a tenth no matter how poor. Is not this law as important as it ever was? Consecrating wealth is consecrating power. If a tenth of the Jews income and a seventh of his time was not too much to ask of him, is it too much to ask of the Christian? Is ours a lower standard than was the Jews? Will the Christian excuse him. self for what was the robbery of God in q Jew? The tenth is sacredly Gods be- fore aught is claimed for ourselves or for others.
 Your committee recommend the adop- tion of the tithing system, and that our several state conventions, district as- sociations, the preachers, churches and missionary societies increase their ef- forts to educate our people in paying systematically to God not less than one tenth of their income"
 Accompanying the report were letters from many prominent members and min isters of the church in support of the, plan.
 Before proceeding to consider the re- port on motion by Rev. T. T. Eaton of Kentucky a fraternal greeting was ex- tended to Rev J. E. Gilbert, D. D., see retary of the American Society of Re- 1igious Education, who briefly addressed the convention, calling attention to the Biblical conference to be held at Ashe- vile in July.
 '--lr...e discussion of the report of the com mittee on tithing was opened by Rev E. Y. Millens of Baltimpre. He said that hard times did not cause depleted mis- sionary treasuries; depleted missonary treasuries caused hard times. There was more sense, he said, in the blunt ques- ton asked old Malachi, "Will a man rob God?" than was shown by all the late congress on the financial question.
 Rev. George A. Loftin of Nashville said that the adoption of the tithing sys-, tenn was the one great need for the Southern Baptist convention at the pres ent juncture. Without the aid of 1t or some plan for raising money there was little prospect lof accomplishing more than had already been done. He stated that the best way to make the system ef- fective was for the preachers in the con stituency of the convention to lead in the matter of tithing. Of many thou sands of cases, he knew one who made