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

1872.1 THE BENEVOLENT WORE OF THE CHURCH. 263
crease of ministers' salaries, whose congregations are not able
to give an adequate support, what matters it whether the
church to be thus aided is in a more or less sparsely-settled
region, and composed of white or colored members? Why
have distinct schemes, of "Home Missions,"" Sustentation,"
"Freedmen" for this? We do not, but might ~s well, make
such distinctions between other nationahhes. Again, why is
it requisite to have a separate Board to increase ministers'
salaries, by adding their house rcnt (i. e. a manse) to what
they receive in money? Or why a specia] Board to give a
mar, disahlcd from active n~inistry, SOluC income, or assistnnce to his family after his death? Why still another Organi
zati:~n to aid, wben first a man is taken in hand by the Presby tory, to j)9~p~)~c to preach?
So soon as one gives himself to the work of the ministry,
do not all agree that lie comes under the care of the Church
an4, (as the Church is one body) of the whole Church? The
article al]uded to on "Organization of Charity," says as to this:
"A Church proposes to do its duty to the world, by giving the gospel
to every creature. There are two agents by which iliis is to be done,the pre~ch -`v qnd fl~e printer, the pnlpit and the press. The Church
req'`~ires an imstrumentab.ty to train ministers, support them while preach take care of them when worn out, and to provide for their families.
To do this does not require nor justify half-a-dozen Boards or Societies.
O?~(? Board, composed of live, good men, would do it all; do it better,
move efflc~eiitly, economically and thoroughly, than ten Boards can do it.
There would be more system, energy, intelligence, wisdom; less collision
and friction, less wear and tear, and waste, il~an now."
rf he terms of the Assembly's direction to the Committee of
Twenty-one imp'y that our various operations, -educating,
sns'~aining, supplementing with manse or relicf,-and this for
white or black, are ~~c;~[s 9j' one ~u1'o1c. Hence the desirablelie ss of a siu~ple, unif'~rui arrangement and administrat~on,
under one represei~ta-'{ive body, which, having il~e en tire field
and all interests at once in view, can better judge of the relative imp~rtance of applications, than when several Boards
separate]y consider them.
The Commiftee therefore proposed that, under a General
Commission, representing all Synods, and acting for the