The Benevolent Work of the Church, and the Report of the Committee of Twenty-One [pp. 246-272]

1872.] THE BENEvOLENT ~ORR OF THE CHURCH. 247'
This is an age of unprecedented development of all the
means of Christian influence, when attention is more than ever
given to the qnestion of the best methods. In Scotland, the
Established Church, the Free Church, and the United Presbyterians; in England, the Congregationalists and the Wesleyans; Episcopalians and Presbyterians in Ireland, as well
as the Southern Presbyterians, the United Presbyterians, and
the Methodist Church of our own country, have made more
or less experiments in this field. It is to be presumed that,
out of all this, our Church may receive hints for a judicious
improvement in the modes familiar to us and our predecessors.
An evident prevalence of discontent with the condition of
our benevolent work; the impatience of practical business
men because of so much nuskilfulness and waste in our operations; no less than the avidity with which some Synods
have, in their late sessions, seized upon the crumbs conceded
by the last Assembly, and the appeal for more-all betoken a
Pelt want. Moreover, there is a prevalent conviction that it
would obviate some difficulties, and be more satisfactory, if we
can thoroughly fresbyterian&e our methods.
At the reunion the committees, on reconstructing the various benevolent operations of the two branches, aimed only at
bringing them together, as simply and safely as possible.
This accomplished that immediate unity of action in al] departments of work which the Church determined at once to
effect. But it was felt, as the discussions of 1870 clearly show,
that the existing plans did not fully meet the permanent nece8$%t%'e8 of t~e Church. There was not enough uniformity, nor'
that consolidation, system and harmony which were desired.
Therefore, with great unanimity, a proposition was adopted
by the first reunited Assembly, to put the whole matter into
the hands of a committee representing all parts of the Church
And that "Committee of Twenty-one" was directed to considei
the feasibility of something more effective and ~atisfactory for
"enlisting t~e w~ole churcI~," and for "simpl~ying and unifyin~
t~ entire work." This is manifestly a very comprehensive
proposition, and goes to the roots of the matter.