Year: 1873

The Annual Collection for Education


The time appointed by our General AS
sembly for the annual collection for the cause
of Education is at hand. It's recurrence
again brings with it the obligation which the
Assembly has imposed on its Secretary of
Education, to present in the form of circu-
lar brief statement of the leading points of
the situation as bearing upon the duty of our
churches in making their offerings to this
cause.


On the one hand, the cheering aspects of
this branch of our work as a Church, as pre-
sented in the large and growing company of
candidates seeking the ministry, continue
unclouded. The number, already SO large,
continues to increase, whilst of these there
are about as many as last year, who must
depend on the means furnished by the church
es to this Committee for assistance while
pursuing their studies. And although the
immediate responsibility Of these youths to
their respective Presbyteries precludes the
necessity or propriety of our receiving Off
cial reports as to their character and dill
gence, yet we have abundant evidence that,
as class, they take the highest rank in the
institutions which they attend, for moral ex
celence and scholarship. Whilst such is the
character of the noble band of youth who
are pressing eagerly forward to the work,
under the auspices of our Church, there is
nothing, certainly, in the indications of Prov
idence and the aspects of the world, to justi,
fly, on our part, relaxing of effort for their
prompt equipment and early mission to the
vast and widening field of labor which beck
onS their eager footsteps.


On the other hand, the means placed at
our disposal by the contributions of the
churches have been so inadequate as to rem
der it impossible to pay the final instalment
of last sessions appropriations made to those
candidates who are in the collegiate part of
their course This painful necessity cannot
but have involved serious embarrassment to
our beloved youth and detriment to their
studies. To meet these and the other de-
mandS resting upon US, in this connection,
for the current year, will require the sum of
S2O,OOO


At the moment when this circular is penned,
our whole country is realizing the depressing
influence of the recent financial crisis in New
York. The effect has been seen in the al
most entire cessation of the contributions Of
the churches to our treasury. We trust
however, that the paralysis thus realized will
prove temporary and without disastrous eff
feet upon the interests of this cause Oul
authority as a legitimate branch of the
Church of the Lord Jesus is absolutely de-
pendent upon the condition that we recognize
it as our highest duty and privilege to uSt
every means and opportunity to send forth
the gospel to every creature. 1t follows
clearly, as essential to this our lofty calling
that we should use assiduous diligence il
training and sending forth those whom th'
Master calls to labor on our behalf in thi
great work. Not only is this principle par
amount and controlling of the Church as
body, but it applies to each individual mem
Der. By virtue of his profession of faith AM
communion in the Church, each one is


member of that missionary society to whicl
the Lord has entrusted the great work o


evangelism, and as such, is under obligation
and pledge to aid in its accomplishments


The principle is commonly set forth and ia
. miliar to US that the widows mite is as valu
bic as the rich mans Offering This is nc
only true in the higher sense Of its eStimg
3 ton by the Lord of the harvest; but it
e also most true and important to US, in tn
e lower sense, that the replenishing of OF