Newspaper Page Text
March 12, 1913]
ne8s man. He was trained as a professional
accountant For twenty years
he has been engaged first in mercantile
and later in the abstract and title business,
and duing this peripd his services
have been in frequent demand as professional
expert accountant.
(Mr. Willis is a misBionary-hearted
man. For years he has been one of the
missionary leaders of that famous missionary
church, the First Presbyterian
of St. Joseph, Mo. Six years ago when
the executive committee called for a
man to be both missionary at Shanghai
and business agent lor the China Missions,
Mr. Willis offered his services,
bis noble wife, of whom he was bereaved
a year ago, being in fullest sympathy
with his missionary aimA. The
place, however, was filled from the Held
instead of from the homeland.
Mr. Willis has a thorough understanding
of our church machinery and
activities, and has received from those
who know him best everv nossible nroof
of their confidence and esteem. When
called by us be was ruling elder and
Sunday school superintendant of the
First Presbyterian Church of St. Joseph,
after serving efficiently for many years
as Sunduy school teacher and secretary
of the board of deacons.
We bespeak for Mr. Willis the affection,
the co-operation, and the prayers
of our whole church, that he may
find In his new position a happy and
fruitful field of service.
EGBERT W. SMITH.
Executive Secretary.
THE OSLY THISG IS THE WAY.
The debt upon foreign work will be
paid to the last cent if the people are
given a chance.
df the self-denial envelopes are
placed in the hands not only of the
churches, but of the Sunday school, on
March iith and a clear statement be
made from the pulpit, the people will
do the rest. The burden is not tipon
the pew, it is upon the pulpit.
Brethren, let us give our people a
chance. T. A. WHARTON,
Sherman, Texas.
LET I S l'AY.
Bey. Robert Hill, IT. D.
Let us so arrange it that we may
soon hear the last of our Foreign Mission
debt. We owe the money. We
can pay it. Let us do it. It matters
little what plan of campaign Is followed
so we gain the victory. If you
don't like the Talent-Money plan adopt
another. No one can find fault with
the Se!f-Denial envelope. Self-denial
Is certainly scriptural. Let us do the
work cheerfully that we may taste the
sweets of noble effort in a worthy
caune. "He that soweth bountifully,
shall reap also bountifully." Let us
Dallas, Texas.
WHY THE DEBT SHOULD BE PAID.
1st. It is a debt. That means that
something is due from us as a Church
to some one; that means also that It
is something that we as a Church are
bound to pay. It is an obligation that
we arc to discharge. The divine Injunction
is, "owe no man anything, but
to love one another."
2nd. It is onr debt The Executive
Committee of Foreign Missions carries
on the work of. the Church in the Foreign
fields. But that Committee is our
Committee. They are chosen by the
- General Assembly. The Assembly is
composed of members sent by the Presbyteries.
The Presbyteries are composed
of men, (and pastors) sent by
the sessions of the churches. The elders
are elected by the members of
the individual church. It is clear that
the secretaries and the Executivo Com
mlttee of Foreign Missions are outs.
Ta? PRE8BYTER1
They are our representatives delegated
by us to do the work. We are responsible
for that work. The debt that
thus has accumulated is our debt. It
should be paid by us.
3rd. It is an honest debt. However
mn/iK M-n mn? 1 ?'
uiuxu n? iuu ? uioa^itn; as to lUB witfdom
of incurring this debt and of the
policy in the past of going too far in
the advance of the Church, the debt
is a just one and honest. The accounts
have been found correct There has
been no squandering or misappropriating
of funds. The work which this
debt represents has been performed;
results have been obtained. The kingdom
of Christ has been advanced, mission
points have been established,
churches have been enlarged in membership,
and the mission institutions
have been bettor equipped for the more
successful carryine on of the work It
ir. easy to see bow such a debt can
arise. An individual or a church undertakes
tne support of a missionary.
Providential changes take place in the
ilnancial condition of those who support
the missionary. The responsibility
of keeping the missionary at work
rests upon the Church at large. Members
of an individual church die or remove
from the bounds of that church.
Their loss places increased responsibility
or burden on those who remain
In rilPAf thA Ahl{troHr*no u
? ^...^vtuuo uial.^aiB IKt'll
assumed.
4 th. The Church has the financial
ability to pay the debt The South is
growing by leaps and bounds in wealth.
Read the bank statements of the banks
in all of our cities as well as in the
small towns and you cannot but be
amazed at the enormous amount of
money in capital and surplus and the
individual deposits connected with
these banks. It is not for moment to
be supposed that the Presbyterians who
are 1q (he lead in most things are not
large owners of a vast amount of this
wealth. And when we see how lavish
our mein!ber8 are in the expenditure of
money for themselves, it is not a
stretch of the imagination to say that
our uieinDersnip nas tne means herewith
to paj' the debt.
5th. The debt should be paid for the
sake of Jesus Christ. If we are honest
with ourselves we say that we owe all
to him?our success, property, health,
means, happiness, home, church, country.
He is the source of all our life
and light, the Giver of all good gifts.
Gratitude, to say the least, should
prompt us to lay in his pierced hands
our willing offerings in such amounts
as may be-needed to carry on his work
without hindrance. If the members will
but stop to think, the debt will be
paid with little difficulty. "We believe
tbat it will be paid.
P. T. McFaden.
Richmond, Va., March 7, 1913.
Greenville, Miss., March 3, 191.
To the Editor of the Presbyterian of
the South:
Not in any spirit of controversy, an.i
certainly with no desire to "keop in
the limelight," seeing my identity is
concea'ad, but solely with a view to
assisting the "cause," and for the further
reason that "Layman No. I's pastor,"
and another correspond en t? in
your Issue of February 26th, In express
Jng their appreciation of Layman's"
proposal to be the ten thousandth man
to subscribe $20.00 towards liquidating
the debt now resting upon the Committee
of Foreign 'Missions, both, as it
seems to me. fall to see what "Layman
No. 2" advocated in your issue
of February 12th.
We understand very well the propriety
of a business man committing
himself to a subscription of $10,000 to
the capital stock of a corporation with
the express understanding that his subscription
was not payable unlasa a
AH OF THE 8O0TH
specified additional amount was subscribed
to complete the organization,
but that principle will not held in military
life, from which the Great Apostle
drew so many of his illustrations when
he wanted to raako a forcible presentation
of the subject, and much less in
icligiou. or in any time of stress. For
w hat would be accomplished by an army
u ai x.3 3 command, "forwai-fl," Instead
of stepping right out. every man in
tie command waited to sec what the
ofber men would do before he moved?
And what would be accomplished In
religion, and for Christ, were it the
role that no one was expected to coititbute
to any cause until he had ascertained
that every one else had contributed?
There are a great many of us who
feel that that debt should not have
been contracted, for the contracting of
any debt, when the assets with which
to pay it are not in sight, is wrong,
and we are glad to know that "Layman"
gave $100 towards its extinction,
but the intimation that the flnnatinn
of an additonal sum by himself might
still leave it unextinguished, yea, and
even act as an encouragement to the
contracting of further indebtedness, is
an insinuation reflecting upon the Committee.
which the "Pastor of Layman
No. J" should not have published, unless
he is prepared, with proof, to sustain
an action for its removal.
What we want is the paymenf of the
debt, and if ten thousand people who
are members of the Southern Presbyterian
Church, will each pay $20 into
their home chureh fr>r> tVila
cause, March 30th the thing will be
accomplished, and if there are those
Who can give more it will be the more
easily accomplished, though that is all
that this writer feels able to give.
While, If "Layman" had $100 to give
at one time, he may have that much
more to give again, and we would say
to him right here, and now, that be
should give it, for, in the words of
Mordic.il to Esther, "Who knoweth but
that thou art come to the kingdom for
just such a time as this?" And let us
not wait any longer to see what others
will give, but, as was previously asked,
id. dicij ouc wui: can possiDiy raise
$20, have it ready on March 30th, with,
the feeling of tho great leader of Israel,
who is quoted as saying, "As for
me and my house, we will serve the
Ix>rd," for if t "1 is not "serving the
Lord" we need not give it at all, and
if our suspicion of the integrity of the
Committee prevents, then the Committee
should be removed.
So, as with the "Rebel Yell," which
some of us remember so often preceded
victory in "Stonewall's" time, "let uk
take up our banners," and with the
same courage and determination which
the followers of that brave man displayed,
forgetting who was to blame
for the contracting of the debt, and
not caving whether the 9,999 of the
supporting column are in line or not.
only remembering that the "eye of the
Master" is upon us, let us place them
firmly on the breastworks of the enemy,
, which in this case is the "debt," and
to Him bo all the glory. Verburn Sap.
Fraternally yours,
Layman No. 2.
THORNtYELI, ORPHANAGE.
The past month has brought occasion
for thanksgiving to the Thomwell
Orphanage. While receipts for the five
1>rereriln<r mnntVia hoil
4 o WW UMv* lOlUIIICU CI I CXI I Ing
off from the year previous of at
least $1,500, February showed an Increase
over last year's February and
better still, the expenses were less than
the Tecoipts.
i Another great blessing was the gift
of $5,000 toward the endowment fund
by Mrs. Nettle F. McComnlck, the Interest
only to be used and that only for
(231) 15
Where the finest biscuit,
cake, hot-breads, cruets
or puddings are required
l&yal is indispensable.
ZfoVJWlr
Balcinrf Powder
Absolutely Pur*
Not only for rich or fine food
or for special times or service.
Royal is equally valuable in the
preparation of plain, substantial,
every-day foods, for all occasions.
It makes the food more
taSty, nutritious and wholesome.
repairs and improvements of the seven
cottages donated by her to the orphanage.
Then, the Lesh Infirmary has been
authorized by a noble Christian woman
of New England, the building to cost
$10,000, work to begin at once.
And in addition to all this we had a
visit from Dr. Lokcy, of Atlanta, accompanied
by Drs. Wright, Rhodes and
Jones of the same city and a trained
nurse. This band of specialists put in
two full days operating on the noses
and throats of all the young people of
the institution that needed their care.
Seventy-one minor operations were
performed and for all this work they
made no charge. Dr. Nichols, a dentist
from Abbeville, had just visited the
home for dental work and that wholly
at his own expense.
So the month has been a blessed one
for the good work and has filled us
with gratitude of God.
The budget for the next ensuing
months will call for a monthly contri
button list of $2,200, with which suin we
think we can get through to the end of
our official year without debt Applications
for the admission of children
continue to pour in. Work on the
Florida Icottage has ceased for the
present awaiting a little more cash
and the furnishing of the sixteen rooms.
About $30 to $40 will furnish a rooov.
WU. P. JACOBS,
President.
FORE ION MISSIONS AND DR. WM. 8.
l'LUMER.
The following incident -was related
by my pastor, Rev. A. P. Silliman, on
returning home from the first meeting of
our General Assembly after the close
of the var, using about these words:
"In view of the extreme financial
straits of our people, a discussion arose
xc to whether or not the cause of Foreign
Missions should, nt least for a time,
be abandoned, the venerable Dr. Wm_ 8.
Plunier arose and spoke most earnestly
against such a thing being done, ad
ding, 'Let me die before this Important
work Js abandoned.' The Assembly docideJ
to go forward with It. See now
the grand reetilts for this catrre since
Rev. 17. B. Inslee of Mississippi was
sent In 1867 and established our first
station in Hanchrrw, China."
The striving to love our fellowmen la
itself that striving to now God which
Christ has told us Is eternal life. Be
your religion what It may, your learning,
your charity, your church-going
what you please; If you have not the
spirit of lo\e, you have still to learn
Christ's alphabet. ? Henry Melvlll
Qwatkln.
How many are In the Inn near where
Christ Is brirn, yet they know nothing
of the glory.?Q. H. Morrison.