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

~62 SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE IN THE [April,
~enerous gifts forwarded to the homeless and the distressed.
Christians must have a similar consciousness of the guilt and
needs of pagandom, and the spiritual condition of those whom
they are to succor, or they will never attempt great things for
their deliverance. Facts must be rehearsed, appeals presented, information steadily imparted, or weekly offerings
will soon degenerate into the merest trifles. But the plau
proposed seeks to do for the Church what the State does for
the taxpayer. It prepares its budget and says give in mass,
not for the separate departments but for the whole. It virtually declares to the individual, you need not discriminate as
to the wants of the different schemes, others will do this for
you, and when this becomes the rule liberality will lose a
great impelling power.
It also draws away the churches from living contact and
sympathy with the Boards. Distinct causes drop out of
sight and "church work," as it is called, takes their place.
Contributions are sent not to the Boards but to a common
treasury. The centre of interest is not the scheme aided but
one removed from it. who becomes from his very position a
mere banker.lle has nothing to do with administration and
supervision.Now, the treasurer of the Board often receives
kind words of cheer with the remittance, warm expressions of
interest in the work or inquiries about it; but this ceases, and
be who receives the funds has no part in the direction and
knows nothing of the peculiar wants and state of the Boards.
Then those who administer have no care or call to stimulate
others in contributing to this or that scheme. Giving is entirely separated from ilie appeal, or, if it is made, the contributions that are gathered are not for a specific object, but for
the work in general. Divided responsibility soon loses its
force. This fiscal arrangement is what no denomination has
adopted, and this is not the time when our Church should
begin to experiment and to unsettle. We need to have every
cause brought into the closest connection with every Christian heart, and every motive brought into action to keep these
hearts under the power of the cross, the cal1~ of providence,
and the influence of the work to be done, but we do not need