The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-04-03

gular nor extraordinary. They proved
beyond question what some of us are
continually alleging that we are doing
relatively as we'll as our neighbors
and that we are not sinners above
others. 1t will be instructive to con-
slider some of the facts and let them
teach us to look at the present situa-
ton broadly. There is such thing
as being sectarian in ones judgment
upon his own household of faith, and
both narrow and unjust by reason Of
deficient range of vision.
The circular referred to reports
that the Presbyterian Home Mission.
airy Association, has been obliged to
reduce all appropriations ten per
cent, and will make no engagements
with missionaries beyond March,
1897 The imperative need ofthis re-
trenchment is clear from the atate-
ment of the entire Indebtedness
which amounts to 100000. And
there is familiar sound in the words
of the circular explaining that this
debt ''has been occasioned mainly by
the growth of the work and by the
effort of the Board to overtake it,
stimulated by the requests and evan
gelical aggressiveness of the presby-
teries."
The Methodist Missionary Society,
covering home and foreign work,
after declining to undertake any new
work during the year and after cut
ting down the appropriations for old
work seven per cent, still finds itself
in debt to the amount of $175,00O.
The Presbyterian Missionary Board
notes decrease of $24, 199 in receipts
and reports debt of $32,253. The
Reformed Church has debt of ST.
500, is undertaking no new work, and
will send back no missionaries now
at home on furlough. The American
Bible Society makes a strong plea
for $250,000 needed to carry on its
work; and has to set over against that
amount, for the past year, receipts of
only S32, 307. The Baptist Missionary
Union had last March debt of $685.
600, and reports falling off in re-
ceipts of 100000.
The Congregational Home Mission
airy Society, after an effort which re
duced it's indebtedness by $4,000,
had still. on April 1st, debt of $751;
600 and reported falling off in an
nual receipts amounting to $4,000.
The American Missionary Association
Congregational closed its year with
debt of $66 ,572, after cutting down
it's appropriations $4,000 below last
year, and SIS 900 below the sums Civ
en- two years ago.
That is not pleasant tale to, tell.
It is cause for sorrow in all the
churches, and calls for the prayerful
consideration of all Christians. But
it has a special meaning for Univer-
salists, people who seldom inquire
whether their own symptoms are
shared by other Christian bodies. but
generally assume, on the other hand,
that their troubles are the disorders
of a peculiar people whose idiosyn-
crasies constitute them a class by
themselves. Here are the evidences
that we are by no means alone in our
troubles. We are not the only church
whose aggressive policy and forward
movements have put it in debt. We
are not alone in having to bear the
pangs of retrenchment. We are not the
only denomination which finds it hard
to match its missionary spirit with its
missionary funds. We need not take
any comfort in the thought that our
neighbors are as badly off as we are.
but it is only simple justice to our
selves to realize that that we are all of
us together suffering some common
drawbacks and victims of common
conditions.
OF course it will occur to everybody
what those common conditions are.
The grave depression in business SO
prolonged and so severe has had its
inevitable effects upon the churches.
Christian people who have had to cut
down their own expenses have been
compelled to cut down what they
gave to the churches; and they have
felt the necessity of providing for the
old churches before building any new
ones. This is beyond question the
leading reason why the deficit in the
missionary budget is so conspicuous
and universal. 1t is to be hoped that
this fact will attract the notice of
some of our low spirited brethren,
who think that the Universalist
Church is signally deficient in mis-
sionary zeal. The steady increase in
our contributions for the last ten
wears shows that the indebtedness