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od among all classes of joeiety. Such charity is the glory of the gospel, ind by its practice in a regular and orderly manner, we shall all of us duly realise our Lord's memorable saying, * It is more blessed to give than to receive.' I would further recommend that it be read in every family of my diocese. "JOHN TORONTO." "To the Rev. Dr. Fuller, R.D., " Rector of St. George's, Toronto.** It is now circulated, with prayer to Almighty God that his blessing may be vouchsafed it. TorcrUOy 30th December, 1861. .■tt M *\ W,.^M M j^ii ■;• i'M"-''*''i m\ •■<> (;V 1-' l'(-4Wti'^ ,,♦(, V. !' .1 h m "II v-> .'* m-y i' s --*.;• ■M.^fi.'^l'. S-) f ?i i»if> >:.:\ .*i , "l :.l '^ f*i -f! :'iUj', (>!■■ U'0\^ '^•'f'rK.) yiH ■ <••'(, >ii4% •*! •,r,:\i^i Ail f. It 'yy.nnrl-'- V M ■{ .4 jf-ii i'i-*>-^i^ ^1^' n i The pres in regard t< are in a tn of a body, England, a to that of a future mu people. true positic fitted to th^ the sacred Most of ministratic country) b North An debtednesi of the Cl< the counti the tithe < the piety made up church, a calculatic They support, children ii^mt 'ii 3 ^ c^-^ SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. ■ 1 ' The present position of our church in this diocese, in regard to its finances, is a very peculiar one. We are in a transition state, passing from the condition of a body, dependent on missionary societies in England, and on provision made for it by the State, to that of a body, whose chief dependence for the future must be on the free-will offerings of the people. Our people have not fully realised their true position in this respect ; nor have they become fitted to their places, as the chief financial pillars of the sacred edifice. Most of them — cither accustomed to have the ministrations of religion furnished for them (in this country) by societies of that noble land, to which all North America gladly acknowledges its deep in- debtedness, or provided for them from the proceeds of the Clergy Reserves, or maintained for them (in the country from which they have emigrated) from the tithe of the land, set apart for that purpose by the piety of their forefathers — feel the demand now made upon their means for the support of the church, as one for which they had made little or no calculation. They have made provision, it is true, for the support, the clothing, and the education of their children ; but they have made none whatever, or very little, for the maintenance of religion amongst them. The consequence has been, that various expedients have beea employed, to obtain that which ought to be freely offered with prayer to the Lord ; expe- dients that partake more or less of an injurious character, but which, however, the exigencies oi the church seem to demand. . ,.^ ... . i,-. JSlven the appeals which are made from the pla,tform and from the pulpit, to induce people to give to God*s service, too often partake of the spirit of the world. •; • ^: ; r; THE NECESSITY FOR SOME NEW PLAN; AND A PLAN PROPOSED. I- ■ . What then is to be done ? Means a,re required, not only for the extension of God's Churchy which should be deemed by us not only our duty, but also our privilege ; but for its very maintenance. Many congregations are burdened with heavy debts. The mission board of the diocese, trusting that the mem* bers of the church would respond to the urgent appeals that have been made to them from time to time on behalf of the destitute portions oi the dio- ceac, have extended their aid to a few of those desti- tute places, but what has been the result ? It is told in the recent appeal on behalf of the board by the Lord Bishop, in which his lordship states that it wiU require 03,540 to meet the engagements of tha board on the first of January next. The question then recurs, whai is to he done to meH tl^e inereinspii demf^ndi^? I firmly believe that the sciioceih veftth«|>i eitension knoWledg* means of i , -a J * • One of tian wor! 10 cotiec no Tesp< the imp Afe^ was f a^ a few admira 8tBC0ti< thinra^ Igion amongst \re required, ^^rch, which '^y» but also mce. xMany ^^^ts. The at the mem- the urgent *Ki time to ^ the dio- Jioso desti- It is toJd ^^ by the that ii will that the 5 a^ptiM by our people of the principle laid dowru by the Apostle Paul, that it is the chrUtian^s duty to itMe a fixed proportion o/hit income to God* 8 service, li He, in His infinite goodness and mercy, is pleased td bless him— ^and a more extensire and constant teaching of the same duty in our families, in our Safiday tchooln^ and by means of the press-^would enable churchmen lo discharge their duties in this r^ard ; to dispense with those plans for the raising of money for church purposes, of which> in their con- sei^nce^ they do not entirely approve ; and to con- rert th« pTOCuring of means for the maintenance and eitension of God's church upon earth, from an ac- kndtv'ledged hindrance into a rich aad abundant means of grace. . r .. -citiUV iu; ■'? ( rti ' J.'c.,, Tint AElkARlCAaLE VKANIMltt OP CHttldtlAN WRITERS, ■iyjiiJii. OF VARIOtJS B01>IBS, ON THIS POINT. i'^sy;; One of the n&os^ eficouraging featurdai of the chris- tian world, at the present day, is the return of many 10 cotrect principles of thought and action ; and in no respect is this more manifest than in regard to the important subject now under consideration. A few years ago every clergyman in this diocese was furnished gratuitously, through the liberality of a few churchmen in Montreal, with a copy of an admirable work called ** Gold and the Gospel/' This Work Comprised fivd excellent ebsays " on th6 dufp of gihingi according to mettne and income;" written, the fifM^ by a ctergymkn of thb chnroh in Ireland ; the second^ by a Free Kirk likiiiielev of Bbotland ; the tkird, by ai minisMr eC t)ie Syirad •f Uleter in Ire- land ; the fourih, by an Independent minister of England ; and the fifth by a layman. In 1855, a clergyman of our diocese, a brother full of zeal and ability, had the honour of writing and publishing a very able manual, under the title of " the Sacerdotal Tithe," which has not been without producing most valuable results. Since then, the American Tract Society has published a volume, entitled ** Systematic Beneficence,*' being the three premium essays written by three Congrega- tional ministers of Massachusetts. And about the same time the Tract Society of the Episcopal Metho- dists in the United States published a volume on the same subject, with the same title, written by three of their ministers. »y. V - - -h And it is well worthy the consideration of all chris- tians, that these various works, written by so many different individuals, belonging to so many diflferent denominations, and in so many dififerent countries, lay down only the one plain christian duty^ tiMt each should devote a regular proportion of his income to €rod*8 services^ as God has prospered him ; and this arising from the fact that God has so willed and ordered it to be done* ^mum^^ ■itntau wvfi jr»^>jds»if :tf«iifM|Ost yft O0D*S GRACIOUS DB8ION IN RBQVIRINO BENEFICENCE sti? li?, \^^wtt « WROM HIS PEOPLB.'*^^"^'*^'""-* "^^^ ' «.f<(T, ■ / ',k():i^V' :-H«.i •i.miiv 4iw».' "- «-•'>'.(,«.:>. vjiiow -alrfwiiuil' , We should remember that God has been pleased to employ his people as instruments for effecting his purposes on earth. Had it been his gracious will, He oould have so diffused his gifts, that there would have been no poor, and He could have pub- lished His goj I in man to His Bat God kn hhould cultival I He left us H world, and H |lhe blessings Iwanso/develo IbMA pleased, |oui duty to I Itjtima^ hy 1 Id like ma Iwho is anxiou IbeDeficence ii Ineans, and t hhould be pre Ihim opportut IbeDeficence. The duty c Ituaent, not s( Icessities are < |ic%ving the |thiaos, and s] lof the poor, SI |thing, in fait dl diligence Lbound in t IbeDeficence. isking assis 4id not add iwhom he jDQ high-wrc Uhom he as 7^': tithed His gospel to every creature without calling :. ionaan to His aid. *ikiu/:t;v '/-'it. vu .f»••- ' ■ ■,; . :■_ " ij.-;.,^ ' '- ■■: '_ ^^' ■ '^ ■ ■ ■ ' • "- OOD's REaVIREMENTS FROM HIS PEO^tE. The practice of giving gifts for religious purposet, as an act of homage to GK>d and benevolence to msti was long prior to the law given to Moses on Mottfltl Siwai. i^r W9e< iiid that Abrahaim gAf6 tithes to Mtil' chlsedek, the priost of the liiost hfgh God i that JaeoV vow«d a to&th «t Beth6), lind thibt^ the custiOtt of givittf to God's aetviee is fullY r«y..' ',■ 1) ■""' St. Paul, in the second epistle to the Corinthians, ch. 16, V. 1, lays down an excellent rule for the christian's guidance, a rule to be observed by most, however, rather in the spirit than in the letter ; for it is not possible for every person to set apart his pot- tion each week ; but this duty should be performed periodically, at longer or shorter intervals, as circum- stances will admit ; for it must be clear to all, that the spirit of the rule laid down by the Apostle cannot be met without some form of stated systematic action. «To shew how this can be done, I will notice two cases : the one 1 have met with in my reading, the other was mentioned to me by the person who ob- serves it, a lay member of the church in this city. fl jfkt former, every Sunday eveningj at the hour of his liijfvte derotions, lays aside the sum which he liitiks he ought to devote for that week to cbaritahle Ud religious purposes, according as he has been tfoipered. If he has not the money at his command, ke charges himself with the amount in favour of his (btritable fund» When a call comes he takes from his fund what his conscience tells him he ought to give; but when the call is for more than is to the credit of his fund, or when several come together, 18 is often the case, he overdraws this fund and leiwrges it with the balance to be re-paid from the in- I emie of future weeks. This is an easy and simple I method, and of great value as connected with the I spiritual exercises of the Lord's day. ■ *^ft "*'^V^'*«*f The latter case is that of an individual who has practised it for twenty-six years, and who has found the promise of his God fulfilled in his case ; for whilst scattering freely his means have been greatly increased. He began twenty-six years ago by setting aside religiously his tenth of his earnings 18 a journeyman tradesman ; and he has gone on un- til three years ago his tenth had increased to £260; his income being that year jS2,500. His plan is to nake up by the 1st of February in each year an ac- ! count of his income for the preceding year, and hav- ing thun ascertained its amount, he puts aside a tenth part for charitable and religious purposes for the ensuing year; and having done this, he looks npon it as no longer his^ but Qod's, and to be tued uldy /or hit service, jv.. i :i^«i*| ;.., •'«i»*'-v. 1^8 admirable rule of the Apostle Qpensii-vfty -by Ijbe jK>Qr are encouraged to give to 6od*A -tnr- lnu. Tbe amount tbey can give at any one tine, Bthout the previous plan of laying fl8id« jsgnlaffly iQod has prospered them, is so small, thai other- jffjie they would be discouraged from «ttMi]|ktiDg Lf thing ; but let the labouring man, foor inctance, u/by one-tenth of his wageis, and much to hia sur- 1^ he will ^d that he has sixty-thvee cents yd required from his ancient people the Jews. Vfyjf they are much smaller sums lha& mMky a la- booring man i^ends each week and each year upon Itbiogs ruinous to tbe body and perilous to die nevto- Ujing soul, but which being spent frxMn day to 4ay |in scarcely missed. < ; ^f- t^'^ It was once remarked by the late celebrated and Iwy excellent Dr. Chalmers of Edinburgh, that if ike good people of Scotland could be induced to forego llie use of snuff and save the money thos wmted, lilisy would have more means at their dispcnal than m whole amount contributed for the support of all iebristian missions throughout the world. Let scny iRMler of this appeal, who feels in fats comCMnctt {that he is spending those means (of which Qod has aide him steward) on any indulgence, wbiUiever it nay be, that he feels to be injurious to him, break loose once and for ever from the evil habit, and le^ him devote to Qod's service that which he has been I more than wasting. Let any one who is in the receipt of inoome from any source whatever, be it labour, or business, or p perty, only lay by one-tenth of this income for God' service, and whilst the treasury of the Lord will b( overflowing, he will have greater ability to give yeai by year, till he is called upon to render an accoun of his stewardship to the Great Judge of all. It would be well if every one, young as well ai old, practised self-denial, in order that they ma have to give to God*s service. We often creat wants, and then find it hard to supply them, withomi trenching upon that which belongs to God. I know' a benevolent lady, who gives a great deal each year to the poor, the destitute, and God*s church, and feels great pleasure in doing so ; but she is economi- cal, in the true sense of the term. She denies her- self in things which others in her rank and statidn, and with her means, allow themselves, in order that she may indulge herself in the pleasure of doing good to the bodies and souls of others. I know a sweet girl of eleven years of age, who being anxious to give something of her own to an object in which she felt interested, proposed to her father, (who is a clergyman,) that if he and her mother would allow her during Lent to do without cakes, preserves, and sugar, and would give her at the end of that season the amount she had saved the family, she would be glad. ) ^ The proposition was accepted, and she carried out h^r plan ; and has repeated it twice since then, much, no doubt, to her own benefit. •• •^^ r • THE GREAT CONVENIENCE OF THIS RULE. The godly principle inculcated in the words of St. „ enable] tfully. _jed in lich, (on oneevenl Ling his laF tfiib so "^H Ugingiy ; Ijithis city Iptes not 01 Ike consider jOn enquiry Ly friend, ^ liied systei {salts. One peci; jofgivingini (or meeting it are read J business, or POM Income for God'] fhe Lord will J P'ty to give yea] Her an acconnj ^ofalJ. ' *""§: as wellaj that they may e often creatfi Ihem, withouJ '^°^- Unofff deal each year 's church, and she is economi. She denies her. ikand statidn, s» in order that asure of doing '^^' I know a ^^irig anxious »ject in which her, (who is a r would allow ^reserves, and >f that season y^» she would le carried out ' then, much, Ifti I, enables the christian to give willingly, nay [fully. A clergyman of this diocese, who was red in the arduous duty of collecting for his< iirch, (on which lay a heavy debt,) was complain- one evening to a few friends, how very disheart^ [(tiog his labours were, in consequence of meeting Ifiib so many parties who refused all aid, or gare, Uidgingly; *yH; ;}■■>,' One peculiar advantage resulting from the system of giving inculcated by the Apostle, is that the means for meeting the calls made upon those who practise it are ready whenever the call is made. ,., . » ..^ t- :■- words of St. COMPUANCE WITH THIS RULE TENDS TO THE TEHPORAl -t -. GOOD OF THOSE WHO OBEY IT. - , •. - Obedience to the exhortation of the text tends to the promotion of even the temporal interests of the giver. We have the clearest scriptural evidence for believing this. St. Paul declares expressly in his second epistle to the Corinthians : ** He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and ho which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.^' •> Every man, according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give ; not grudgingly nor of neces* shy, for Qod loveth a cheerful giver." ** And God \m 19 abla to malce all grace abound tawaitl» you ; ttaa 70taliMi3F8. having all sufficiency in all thingv ng^l l^uund: to mety good work." * . ^ < . . ^ ithsaheen' welliemaiked, in regtard to this pM-l atfgt^ that ^a inczease hero promifeod is all stttfrJ cieney in all things* to enable ua to abound in eiraryl good wodif and aa the giving of alms is one of theae good; wodcs^ a supply of the means fo¥ ftitme ^fts must here be included in the inereaise of grace { whiiohis: hen promised. ^ "i?j The plan here recommended tends to the cultiva- tion; of indui^ouB and thrifty habits. It has ofien been a great blessing to a young man to have the support of a beloved mother and tender sisters thrown upon him. The feeling that they depended upon him for support spurred him on to exertioits, audi begot in; him habits, which, without it, he would probably never have acquired. So it is with him who feels that Qod has a claim on a portion of his income. In order to meet that claim, he exerts him- self and practises those economical virtues, which enable him to save more from wasteful expenditures than the amount he gives to Gud*s service^ whilst neither he nor his family are the loosers, but are greatly benefitted thereby. Thisr habit of beneficence also involves a practical aoknowledgment of God and Bi& blessing, as the soureot of all pmsperity : which aoknowledgment is a direet means of securing blessings. ** Honour the Lord with) thy substance and the first fruits of their incieaae, so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." Nor should this surprise us, when we remember, that it i» being ;" and all tl fruitful lonrce of ' get on th| iccordingi that they ' paid agail while bad Date spec jnme wha is meet." This pi its workir longed to supplies f And the i purpose ii its meast by the ( were aboi entrench* Jehovah 1 had conq of raising He plain became s IS God 1 support! energy. 17 tliat it 18 in God ** we live and more and have our being ;" that << in his hands are our life and hreath lod all things;*' that to Him we are indebted for firoitful seasons, and abundant harvests, the real MUiTce of a country's prosperity, and that thosa who ict on the scripture rule of giving to Qod's service, iccording to means and income, will invariably find that they are paid first in their own coin, and then paid again in the coin that is current in heaven ; while bad crops, bad debts, midnight fires, unfortu- oate speculations and the like disasters, often con- tome what is gained from ** withholding more than is meet." This plan of beneficence is exceedingly simple in its working. It has been well remarked that it be- longed to Divine wisdom to lay the plan for raising supplies for the wars of the cross against the world. And the plan which Divine wisdom devised for this purpose is above the products of human wisdom in its measure, as much as is the plan of salvation by the cross. The little company of chiistians were about to engage with the powers of darkness [entrenched in the strongholds of heathen Rome. Jehovah had sent them to conquer the empire that had conquered the world, and He gave them a plan of raising supplies that was equal to the emergency. JHe plainly saw that if all christians, as fast as they became such^ adopted this plan of weekly oflTerings, I as God had prospered them, the war would be self- supporting in its progress^ and increasing in its energy. • ■ ' ' ^i •■ .d"-; -■- ^ -■-,-■-■ -'•jft'- t**>^^i 18 ; l. THE PRACTICE OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH. The rule of systematic beneficence is strongly re- commended by the practice of the primitive church. The spirit that warmed the hearts of the first cou* verts to the gospel, and brought forth such self- denying fruits, continued to infiuence their followers for the next two generations. Many denied them- selves almost the very necessaries of life, in order that they might have wherewith to extend the bless- ings of the gospel to the heathen world. Some who had no property gave the avails of their labour, and it is recorded of one man, that he sold himself as a slave to a heathen family, in order to obtain access to them for their conversion; and for years cheerfully endured the labours and condition of a slave, till he succeeded with the whole family, and obtained his liberty from the gratitude of his converts. The same most zealous christian, on a visit to Sparta, again entered himself as a slave in the family of the governor of that city, served two years, and was again successful in his design. It was this spirit that, through the blessing of God, extended the conquests of the cross, so that before the close of the second century, most of the nations of the civilized world were more or less evangelized. * The primitive christians abounded in works of charity. They felt that this was quite cls much tJieir duty ai was prayer to God. Contributions for thei;e purposes were made regular parts of public worship. In cases of great and urgent calls, the people fasted, and gave to the church what they saved by abstin* ence irom .19 • ■•/ ■ /J; eDce from food. Indeed, so greatly did the first christians excel in these respects, that they consti- tuted their chief characteristic, and the wonder of the heathen world. It is related, that so glorious ind impressive was the white robe of charity, worn by the primitive church, that Julian, the apostate emperor of Rome, seeking to revive in h^s day the prostrate institutions of heathenism, did his utmost to clothe paganism in the white robe of charity, fondly hoping that it would, like the bones of Elisha, give life to the dead. «. THE PRACTICE OF MODERN CHRISTIANS. The principle of devoting a regular portion of his income to God's service, has influenced many emi- nent christians in modern times. Sir Matthew Hale, Lord Chief Justice of England, Dr. Hammond, the eminent commentator, and the Rev. Richard Baxter, observed the rule of giving at least a tenth part of their income. The Rev. John Wesley, a still larger portion ; Archbishop Tillotson and Dr. Isaac Watts devoted a fifth. To these might be added the names of the Honourable Robert Boyle, and many others ''nfiinent for their piety, who have felt it a duty and a privilege to give regular portions of their income to God's service. Nor are those wanting in this diocese who are acting on this principle of giving a tenth of their income. It has come to my knowledge, that in ad- dition to several laymen, there are nine clergymen amongst us who are doing so, thus in several instances religiously setting apart j£15 per annum from their 80 incomes of j£150, though they have i«inilie8 to 8U{».| port. la conclusion, allow me to urge upon those whol read this paper the adoption of this plan. It is ia my opinion the only one which will enable you to discbarge your duty to Qod, and to render an accouot I of your stewardship which will be accepted «f Al- mighty God on the great day of account ; and, if on a review of the past, you &xid ihat you have corns far short of your duty, endeavour to make amends ibr your past short-comings by doing the most for the future. And defer not till to-morrow to do that which you ought to do to-day. .. „^, „ ., , ui io r''i-- ■■ ■■'■'■ . . t 1- -J,, ff- ,-.^ . ' 4 iiv" .'.-i ; •r-'^at '-i ■ *• } •r: ■ • ■ f5.;'v'-^.- iJ'T."-' tr^; ■-;,-», 7 »^-.., ;.. '. 4 f'^WV'' .TMTS'Y' '■;:',"> ?»fr I it '■slit 'i'y-*! fyrn'i^'r- iCj^t'V's^ ^f; ■ '" " ' ■ ■ ■"•"^^■^■^"'"" " ■■■■"■••■-■■■ .1^ IB! II I - iBa^MaaMa«aM«M« ■ ■ ■ iM^a^^i ■ i iiM^M^aaMMiMaM^^w^— v KOirstlX * XUIS, PBINUM, KUIO ST., XORORXO. ■^f^