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

366 s';sT~MATic BEN~FIcENcE IN~ TllE [April,
eign Missions combined less than $70, and this in regular
weekly collections, when under another system this same
church gave neaAy three times as much as this for only one
of il~ese causes. Another church can show over its former
system a great advance by U~e adoption of regular Sabbath
giving. Bev. John B~oss, of Backney, England, who has for
many years been a stndent of Christian Finance, and who
has devoted much time and labor to the elucidation of this
subject, in his book on storing on the Lord's Day, after referring to the growing favor of weekly offerings among all
denominations, says: "Abundant experience teaches that
unless weekly offerii~gs be sustained by`storing the Lord's
portion,' it will be uncertain, inefficient and of temporary
duration." (2) Intelligence is all important to bring every
giver into the closest sympathy with every scheme of the
Church. Some of the plans advocated are well calculated in
their structure and administration to make unintelligent giving, and in time the fruits of these will be seen. No session
or body of men have a right to take the gifts of the membership without their consent, and distribute them at will.
It is the duty and the privilege of every believer to exercise
discrimination, principle and prayer, in the allocation of his
own offerings, and when he ceases to do this he will cease to
take a lively interest in the extension of Christ's Kingdom.
Men cannot, as a class, be impelled to give in the abstract,
they must be moved by appeal, controlled by facts, and stim-ulated to action by pressing necessities. No provision is made
for the presentation of the different Boards in some of the plans
of weekly offerings, and in some congregations not a word is
said about them throughout the whole year. To meet this
state of things we hear that the monthly concert is now to
embrace "all churc~ work," and there the wants and conditions of the Church's schemes are to be considered. But do
the mass of the people attend this service? Why not have
the celebration of the Supper at such a time? Is Christ's
last command not as binding and as important for his glory
and the honor of his name, as the one he left to his people
just before his crucifixion? If the one is worthy of being