(N.).

Contributions..

"If God's people," says President Edwards, in his narrative of revivals of religion, “in this land, were once brought to abound in such deeds of love, [charity] as much as in praying, hearing, singing, and religious meetings and conference, it would be a most blessed omen. There is nothing would have a greater tendency to bring the God of love down from heaven to the earth. So amiable would be the sight in the eyes of our loving and exalted Redeemer, that it would soon, as it were, fetch him down from his throne in heaven to set up his tabernacle with men on the earth, and dwell with them. I do not remember ever to have read of any remarkable outpouring of the Spirit that continued any long time, but what was attended with an abounding in this duty. So we know it was with that great effusion of the Spirit that began at Jerusalem in the Apostles' days. And so in the late remarkable revival of religion in Saxony, which began by the labors of the famous Professor Franck, and has now been carried on for above thirty years, and has spread its happy influences into many parts of the world; it was begun, and has been carried on by a wonderful practice of this duty. And the remarkable blessing that God has given Mr. Whitfield, and the great success with which he has crowned him, may well be thought to be very much owing to his laying out himself so abundantly in charitable designs. And it is foretold, that God's people shall abound in this duty, in the time of the great outpouring of the Spirit that shall be in the latter days. "The vile person shall no more be called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful. But the liberal deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand."-Of late years Christians have contributed largely for the distribution of Bibles, and Tracts; for the education of young men for the ministry, and for missions; and what has been the result? God has most wonderfully blessed the churches with the effusion of his Holy Spirit.

"The following list exhibits the name and income of the principal Religious Charitable Societies in the world.

28,670

"The income of the American Societies is that of the year 1828-9, except in the cases of the American Board and the American Baptist. Board of Foreign Missions, in both of which it is that of the year 1827-8.'

"The income of the British Societies is that of the year 1827-8, except in the cases of the Irish Education and Scottish Missionary Societies, in both of which it is that of the year 1826-7. In the case of the United, the income is that of the year 1826."

"Remark. From the above table, it appears that the income of all the principal Religious Charitable Societies, in Protestant countries, is a little more than $2,500,000, and that about one half of this sum is given to Missionary Societies, and one fifth part to Bible Societies." Christian Almanac for the year 1830.

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Questions in respect to the benevolent operations of the present day have been addressed by the author of this work to a number of the most judicious and influential Clergymen in different parts of the country, most of whom have returned answers, containing the same views and breathing, the same spirit. Extracts have been made from some of them in the Dissertation on Agencies. The questions proposed, and extracts from the answers of two of the gentlemen addressed are as follow:

Questions.

"Is there any better way of conducting the benevolent enterprizes of Christians than the one now adopted?" "If so, what is it?"

"Can the present plan of religious efforts be improved?" "If so, in what respects?"

"Can the Churches do this work of benevolence alone?". "If so, will they do it?"

"Can the Ministers of the Gospel carry forward these operations without the assistance of Agents?"

"If so, will they do it?"

"Must not Societies be formed embracing these different religious objects in order that the cause of benevolence be sustained and advanced?"

"If so, must they not have Secretaries, Treasurers, Publications, Editors and Agents?"

First Answer.

1. The benevolent operations of the day are indispensable to the prosperity and universal extension of the kingdom of Christ."

2.. 66 That these operations may be sustained each must have its own separate Society to be the heart and the sensorium, the seat of responsibility, and source of measures." 3. "The general societies thus organized must have, in the different congregations each an auxiliary.”

4. "Between the Parent and branch Societies there must be correspondence, by writing, printing, and visitation."

"Hence Agents, general and subordinate, are in my view indispensable. These must be men qualified for the business, men of great zeal, firmness and discretion, of good address and spirit."

"By those agents every auxiliary and the people where it is established must, after suitable intervals, be visited, be preached to, talked with, instructed, electrified, and put up to increased activity. Such a visit would do incalculable good."

"Not every Pastor is fitted to act as agent, even among his own people. No one is in circumstances to do the business in the best manner, and it is nearly impossible that any one should have on all points the requisite information." "Were the Pastors to undertake the business, they

would not secure for all the benevolent enterprizes of the day more than well qualified agents would for one. The weakness of the church is its covetousness. This would be so promoted by this measure, that, in a few years the churches would scarcely be able to sustain their own weight."

"Those congregations that have fenced out agents, are, some of them at least, becoming unable to support their own Pastors.”

"The present plan of religious effort is a good one. The main improvement of which it is susceptible, respects, in my opinion, its agents. These should be the best men that can be found.”

Second Answer.

1. "That those benevolent operations which are the glory of the present age, having for their immediate object the distribution of Bibles, and evangelical Tracts, the Education of pious youth for the Christian ministry, the support of Christian Missions at home and abroad, the extension and increased prosperity of Sabbath Schools, the reformation of prisoners and of seamen, the suppression of the sale and use of ardent spirits, all ultimately tending to one grand result, the conversion of the whole world to the faith and obedience of the Gospel, must be continued and increased until the great era contemplated by them is fully attained; is a point that does not appear to me to admit of doubt."

2. "There must therefore be voluntary Associations embracing severally all the great objects which the energies of the church and the world require us to aim at. Experience has shown most convincingly that a much greater amount of good can be effected in this way than in any other. Who will venture to affirm, that a tenth part of what has been accomplished during the last 30 years in benevolent efforts, would have been done without Bible, Tract, Education, and Missionary Societies ?"

3. "The different societies must have their officers, and some of these officers must devote their whole time to the transaction of the business entrusted to them, for this plain reason that the business cannot otherwise be performed."

4. "In what way shall these societies obtain the means of prosecuting their several objects? Must they employ agents to solicit donations, or can their treasuries be replen

ished in any other way? Can the ministers of the Gospel, carry forward these operations without the assistance of agents and if so, will they do it?"

"As to the efforts of ministers, there is here or there one who comes forward on behalf of the operations of the day efficiently without the assistance of agents. But, in general I seriously doubt whether without this assistance much would be accomplished by them. Most of our evangelical ministers do feel, I trust, an interest in the various enterprizes of Christian benevolence, and are in some good degree acquainted with the leading facts relating to them. But it cannot be expected that they should have that minute acquaintance with each great object, or should take that deep interest in it which is found in the agent whose time and thoughts are almost exclusively devoted to the object. The agent then in all probability will plead the cause entrusted to him with more ability than the minister and of course with more success. Even the ministers who are most efficient will often derive material assistance from the visits of an agent, and their people will be stirred up to ef forts far beyond what they would have been if addressed by their own Pastor."

"Can the churches do the work of benevolence alone? If so, will they do it? They cannot do it to the best advantage but through the medium of voluntary associations, nor will they, as it seems to me, without agents?"

"As things now are I do not see that the benevolent enterprizes of the day can be conducted in any way essentially different from that which has been adopted. It is however, desirable, that. the Pastors of churches should act more efficiently in relation to them than many of us have hitherto done, and that churches should make it more of a regular, systematic, business to contribute statedly according to their ability to the several objects to which their attention is called. Could a plan be devised appropriating one portion of the year to the Bible cause; another to Domestic Missions, another to Foreign Missions, another to the Education Society, another to the Tract Society, another to the Sabbath School Society, &c., and a pledge be obtained from ministers and churches that at the several specified seasons they would in the way which might be thought most judicious, take up the claims of the several Societies, and contribute what they could respectively raise in aid of them, it might be an improvement of the present plan."