216 CHURCH UNITY 



When the pressure of debt was heaviest, 

 what did our vaiious soeieties do ? Instead 

 of getting together and inquiring how mis- 

 sions as a whole might be more economi- 

 cally administered, they did two things : 

 they reduced the salaries of the mission- 

 aries and the appropriations for the work 

 — already too small ; and they increased 

 the number of agents whose business it is 

 to appeal to already overburdened churches 

 for increased subscriptions. There have 

 been progress at home and splendid vic- 

 tories abroad, because truth makes itself 

 felt in spite of the methods by which its 

 interests are often promoted, but it is time 

 that the facts which thus far have been 

 stated were faced and given Christian con- 

 sideration. 



The question now arises, What shall be 

 done? It is folly to describe symptoms 

 unless remedies maybe suggested. I am 

 addressing a theological seminary, and that 

 leads me to say that the first thing for a 

 Christian man to do is to set himself like a 

 flint against the multiplication or perpetua- 

 tion of divisions and strife. It is not 

 within my province at this time to enter 

 more into detail. Fortunately the mighty 



