Systematic Beneficence in the Presbyterian Church [pp. 351-370]

1872.] PRESBYTERIAN CHURCIl. 353
are to honor God and accomplish his own gracious purposes.
Let these things enter into and permeate obligation, and spasmodic giving, representative giving, forced giving will disappear. These are the evils under which we suffer. The mass
in our congregations contribute little or nothing. A few rich
men in our body by their large gifts represent the whole of
this class; the head of the household by his contribution,
~hether large or srnali, represcnts the whole; a few liberal
donors in every church make up the bulk of every collection.
Take away these and our beneficence would be shnvelled
and meagre. But the cry of the times and the voice of Provideuce are not to diminish these, but to add to them, until
every rich man, every father or husband, shall represent only
himself, and the power of every member, whether rich or
poor, shall be felt in all the benevolent operations of our Church.
The sum of $1,550,000 is required, according to the schedule issued by the Committee of Finance, to sustain on a
healthy basis the different Boards for the current fiscal year.
This in bulk is seemingly a large sum, but when apportioned
among the living membership it does not reach the daily offering of a cent from each, or the smallest coin in our currency. What a pittance for the Church's evangelistic and
benevAcut operations at home and abroad; and yet it is questionable, whether this amount, sweeping into it the legacies
of her deceased members and the gifts of her non-communicants, will be raised. This then brings ns to the main subject, by what system can the benevolence of our people be
best developed and sustained, so as to meet the varied claims
and increasing demands of Church work? (1) Shall it be that
of the Commission designated by the Committee of Twenty
one, consisting of one representative of each Synod, holding
semi-aunnal meetings, and supervising the whole benevolent
work of the Church in a more compact and consolidated forni
than as at present arranged? (2) Shall it be through a Central Treasury, the common receptacle of the Church's regular
weekly offerings, and apportioned, pro rata, to the different
Boards; or, (3) failing in these, what are the true requisites
to the desired ends.