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Presented to the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia, at Its Session in Athens,

in November, 1842.

BY REV. THOMAS SMYTH, D. D.

Published Under the Direction of the Executive Committee.

15-VOL. VII.

PREFACE.

The Report, as presented to the Synod, led to considerable debate. It was doubted by some whether it was expedient to publish such statements to the world, as adapted to convey wrong impressions as to the christian character and liberality of our churches. To this it was replied that this constitutes a Report only of what was done during the year, in support of the cause of Foreign Missions, and was not, therefore, designed to include the benefactions of the churches towards the Oglethorpe University, Home Missions, the cause of Ministerial Education, and other objects of charity; and that no sensible person, therefore, could possibly suppose that this Report included the entire doings of the Church, especially as other reports will be also published both in our own minutes and in those of the General Assembly. It appeared, therefore, highly expedient that the churches should know correctly what has been done in the cause of Foreign Missions, and also what churches have fulfilled their obligations by attending to this subject, and what churches have neglected to attend to it at all. This is the more necessary as by far the greater portion of the churches were not represented in the Synod, their Bishops and Elders having been absent. There is then no other possible way of conveying to these churches and bishops the facts in the case, and the views of Synod, than by the present publication.

The Committee certainly can have no pleasure in exposing the shortcomings of the churches, nor any possible desire to usurp any authority in the case. The Synod has repeatedly and unanimously declared that it was the solemn duty of every christian to co-operate in the support of Foreign Missions. The Committee has been appointed, by Synod, in pursuance of said resolutions, to take charge of this special department of benevolent enterprise, and to report to that body and through it to the churches, what has been accomplished; what has been the deficiency, and where; and to suggest remedies. The Committee have certainly done nothing more than their duty in reporting the facts in the case. These facts shew a melancholy neglect of this cause, on the part of a large proportion of our Bishops, Elders, and churches. And it is the one and only object of this report to inform the delinquent churches of their omission of duty; to remind them of the solemn nature of their positive obligations; and to beseech them, in Christ's stead, to do their part in assisting the Church to preach the Gospel to every creature.

The Committee cannot but hope that their brethren will rightly understand and properly consider the subject, and that every individual Bishop, Elder, and church member will endeavor to give to this cause as the Lord has enabled them.

It has been found that several churches which had taken up contributions had not forwarded them to the Treasurer in time for the Report. It is hoped that for the future all will understand that the Report must be closed before the meeting of Synod, and that all contributions ought, therefore, to be forwarded to the Treasurer before that time.

The Committee would, in conclusion, say that they have endeavored to modify the Report, so as to meet the views of Synod, and that, as there is no prospect at present of engaging any Agent during the year, they most earnestly hope that every Church Session will, at once, take this all important subject into consideration, and make arrangements for taking up a collection on behalf of the cause of Foreign Missions.

REPORT

Of the Executive Committee, to whom was committed the subject of Foreign Missions, to the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia, in November, 1842.

As no agency was contemplated during the past year, in consequence of the difficulty of procuring a suitable individual, and the embarrassed state of the times, your Committee had little more to do than to oversee and direct the funds raised within the bounds of our Synod, and from time to time to present the subject of Foreign Missions to the attention of the Churches, through the Charleston Observer.

We were called upon last year to notice the lamentable decrease in the funds raised within the bounds of this Synod, for the diffusion of the knowledge of salvation throughout the world. The resolutions of this Synod at its previous meeting having been then brought to the view of the Churches, it was remarked, that "the duty of observing the Monthly Concert, and of taking up collections in aid of our Missionary operations, was thus solemnly enjoined upon the consciences of our Ministers, Elders and Church members. Thus covenanted to God, and to each other-thus committed to the work and cause of Christ in the Missionary field-thus pledged before the world to do all we could during the coming year-what is the report now to be made to our own consciences, to the Church, to the world, and to our God? By the Treasurer's account, herewith presented, it appears that while the receipts of the last year had fallen off one-half from the preceding year, the income of the present year amounts only to the sum of $2,250.20, together with $755.10, reported to the General Board directly, and making a sum total of $3,011.30."

It was then stated that collections taken up at the Monthly Concert, were reported from only ten Churches; and other collections only from thirty-four out of some one hundred and eighty of our Churches. It was also shewn that, even according to the average amount contributed by the churches that rendered any assistance to the cause, if all the churches would do their duty, the income for this work would be $25,000, instead of three.

"Such," it was then remarked, and after solemn deliberation published to the world, in the Minutes of this Synod, "such then is the contrast between our solemn resolutions and our practical doings. Such the position in which we are placed this day before God and the world. Such the regard manifested by Presbyterian Ministers and Churches to the authori

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