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

1872.] PR~5BYTERIAN CHURCH. 355
ationalism is not only great, but its supervision and authority
are so exercised that our sessions and pastors would at once
rebel against their enforcement. It seeks for enlargement not
through union societies, but through s~hemes under its own
control. Hence but little is given by it to the Tract Society,
the Sunday School Union, the American and Foreign Christian Union, City Missions, &c. These have been mainly
supported by Presbyterians and Congregationalists, and such
offerings are then to be considered when any comparison is
made between the liberality and efficiency of our own and
other denominations. The Free Church of Scotland masses
her efforts upon herself. Her churches and manses are mostly
built, while her members lie compact and within a ~imited
territory. The calls upon her for the great variety of home
objects that are ever appealing to the sympathies of our people are but few. The average membership in the local organizations is nearly three-fold greater than with us. All these
things economise means for benevolent schemes. The wealth
of the Methodist Church may not be as great as that of our
own, yet seven years ago its historian, Dr. Stevens, wrote:
iNot only has it more diffused wealth than sister denominations, but its cases of individual opulence have within the
last quarter of a century greatly multiplied." Admitting
these and kindred facts that have a bearing upon the points
under review, and we have the following statistics, as nearly
correct as can be made of the benevolence of different religious bodies.
CI~urch. Com~unican~s. Benev. Contribu~ions. Average per
member.
Methodist 1,421,323 $996,011 70.
Baptist 1,410,493 630,000 45.
Presbyterian 455,378 1,444,388 $3.17.
Reformed 63,483 143,600 2.26.
Free Church of Scotland 250,000 250,000 1.00.
United Pres. " " 179,652 523,656 2.91.
Pres. Church of Ireland 115,495 110,838 96.
In this tabular statement we have done great injustice to
our reunited body, we have taken no account of her memorial
gifts or her contributions to outside objects. The latter are
iiiduded in the offerings of the Methodist Church. The mis