Year: 1877

The General Missionary Committee OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church, after four
days session here, have substantially COM
pleted their work. and we believe wisely
and we'll. Differences of opinion exist in this
Church. MS in other churches, touching the
relative Importance Of foreign and domestic
missions. The objection is often heard
against sending bread 10 The heathen while
our own people are starving. But with
Europeans and Americans it is not ques-
ton Of bread or no bread, Gospel or no
Gospel, as il is with the heathen. We
have our spiritual bread provided, and
the only question is, at whose table shall
we eat? The Missionary Committee and
the Church they represent offer to feed us
who speak the English language as long as
s14S, 900 will supply But recognizing the
more pressing needs of the heather, they
offer to spread for them such table as
S26S, 900 will furnish ior a year. While to
the heathen .to the manner born and TO
such as come hither from heather lands, to-
gether with such European emigrants as can
be induced to partake OF the profered food,
the value Of S73, $50 of spiritual instruction
and food will be given. Now this is really
equal to an appropriation OF S34l,9oI TO
foreign mission work, with this exception,
that small fraction Of this work IS located
here. 1t is certainly a noble contrlbu-
ton to the missionary operations Of
the Church, and yet it does not rep
resent tithe Of the needs of the work
at home or abroad, nor of the ability of the
Church to supply those needs. But the
committee cannot draw the money out OF
the pockets of the people. They can only
say in detail how much they want and what
they want it tor, and leave the rest to the
conscience Of the membership and the per-
suasive eloquence OF pastors, missionary
secretaries and bishops


During the past year the Church has done
grandly for missions. 1t was asked for
$G6S, 300 and contributed $62S,977 1t paid
off 500, ,979 of the debt of it's missionary
treasury and cut down its expenditures, SO
that now, at the close of its fiscal year, it
has cash Indebtedness of only S82, S24 and
letters of credit and drafts for foreign mis-
sions due the first of January proximo
amounting to SSG,551 It is no small
thing in year like that just closed
to have given more than half mill
ion dollars to mission work and $4,000
tor indebtedness. But this can be improved,
and the committee have very wisely asked
the Church this year to pay off S120Oo0
more of it's missionary debt, SO that it's work
can be strengthened and enlarged The
vast continent of Africa is now opening up
and presenting itself as never before as q
missionary field. Ethiopia is stretching out
her hands unto God, and yet the CON mittee
have been able to give only 50, 500 where
S25, 600 could be we'll used now in the high
and healthy lands of the interior. But a
church IN debt cannot make advances in
this or in any other direction until it's credit
is placed where it's word is equal to cash.
Last year and the year before very pathetic
reports were received from 'the grass
hopper region" of our own great
West. This year there is neither grass
hopper nor Indian to molest nor make
afraid, so that the committee were able in
four days to complete the work which has
usually taken them six to accomplish.
They show their appreciation of the situ-
alton this year by saving several hundred
dollars expenses, as they did last year, by
contributing twenty thousand dollars to-
ward the payment Of the debt of their treas
ury Their work will 60 forth to the
Church during the present week, and whilo
it is fresh and interesting it should be used
by preachers and people to swell the con-
tributions and to place the mission work
where it belongs-in the forefront of the
benevolent and Christianizlng agencies Of
the nineteenth century.


Suicide u Remedy.