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

~68 THE BENEVOLENT WORK OF THE CHURCH. [April,
~nce reunion, he doubted not that he himself could do the
same." Dr. Buchanan and others have done this for years
in the Free Church of Scotland. Do not numbers of our
brethren, members of the Boards, know enough, and do
enough, of such work, to be able to confirm these views of
what is practicable? Indeed, if any one will take the trouble
to understand the case as it is, conferring with our Secret aries, and ascertaining just what is done and what is needed,
and then deduct from these labors what it is proposed to pnt
upon the General Commission, what upon the Committee of
Benevolence and Finance, what upon the Presbyteries,
through their committees or otherwise; we are confident his
conclusions, ere long, would be in favor of such a consolidation of our home work, as both practicable and eminently
desirable. We undertake no prophetic utterance. But we
hope and believe that a more correct apprehension of the
plan proposed will relieve it from the prepossessions of its
opponents, and induce its ultimate and cordial adoption by
the Church.
The proposal in the Report to allow to the several Boards
such officers and helps as might be necessary," was plainly
misconceived, when it was inferred that there was no anticipation of a reduction in the number of the officers, and the
amount of expenses. The Committee merely left this, where
it would properly belong, to the conferences and experience
of the General Commission. An unwise economy would be,
not economy, but extravagance. Our benevolent work must
involve labor and expense, and the best talent of the Church.
Yet real economy of men and means is sure to be the effect of
a wise consolidation. As for our brethren, the officers in the
several Boards, we believe every right-minded man among
them desires, that in the arrangement for our benevolent work,
the first question should be, What will permanently and best
avail to make it efficient, acceptable, and successful?
The pro~osal that the Board of Publication shall sustHm
ilseif with its present resources, and such donations and bequests as may be made to it, seems to have been greatly misapprehended. It was not designed to take away its mission