Unfortunately I have mislaid the first three slips, each about a newspaper column, sent me by Dr. Lansdell, and hence am unable to give their titles. Commencing with the fourth, the titles are as follows:—

IV. Egyptian War Tithes.
V. Pre-Historic and Spartan Greece.
VI. Græco-Persian and Later Greece.
VII. The Romans.
VIII. The Pelasgi, Britons and German-Saxons.
IX. Where Did Abram Learn Tithing?
X. Jacob’s Vow.
XI. Israel’s First Tithe.
XII. Israel’s Second, or Festival Tithe.

Naturally the first three would have reference to the very earliest history, including lately discovered evidences of Tithing in pre-historic times.

One would suppose that such original and late matter as these titles indicate, prepared by a thorough scholar, would be gladly accepted and published by the religious press. That it is not carries its own comment.

My own experience has in some respects been similar. To illustrate: Two or three years ago I offered for a limited time to send gratis, express prepaid, to Christian Endeavor societies, Epworth Leagues, and Baptist Young People’s Unions such literature as I publish on the subject of Tithing sufficient to furnish one of each to every family represented. I had the offer printed, occupying about an inch of newspaper space, and sent it with a personal letter asking publication to practically all the Evangelical religious newspapers in the United States and Canada. I kept no accurate record of the replies, but probably one-fourth, possibly one-third, cheerfully published the offer; two or three editorially called attention to it, while a few returned it with an offer to insert it at regular advertising rates. The rest ignored it.

As to Results. These, judged by any fair standard are not only deplorable, but a shame to our profession as Christian men and women. The old lady who boasted that she had been a Christian for twenty-five years and had never failed to give a dollar a year to Foreign Missions was a good deal above the average. If she had given a like sum, less than ten cents a month, to Home Missions, she would not have suffered by comparison with the rest of us; and yet we are the richest nation in the world, and while now passing through a season of unexampled prosperity, our gifts to Missions show very slight increase; in many cases they are less than ordinary. No wonder the world sneers at our profession of love for Christ and desire to see His Kingdom established throughout the world. They have the right to sneer in this regard and we are the last people in the world who have a right to criticise them for doing it.

In this respect both our Heavenly Father and the world about us occupy the same standpoint of judgment. No matter what our profession may be, both God and the world measure our real interest in this as in all other subjects by what we do for it, and for us laymen and lay-women our doing is measured rightly and of necessity by our contributions, the money we give.

So far as we are concerned I can think of but one excuse. I admit that it is a poor one but it is the best we have. We have either been wrongly, or insufficiently, taught by our religious teachers regarding this of all subjects to us the most important. There has been little or no “Thus saith the Lord” about it; nearly all our teaching has been on the line of ‘Give, Give, Give’; very little of definite payment of what we owe and letting free-will offerings commence after our debt has been paid. We have been continuously and persistently taught that we can give money to God. We have even been exhorted and urged to be systematically benevolent in the matter of gifts to God. Think of it! Systematic benevolence applied to our Heavenly Father. The whole system of our teaching on this subject has been based on “Giving,” everlastingly “Giving.” If this teaching is right we laymen can justly claim the right to give what we please and as we please. Gifts and payment occupy very different standpoints. If I owe a debt, it is a definite amount and I must pay it when it is due, or be branded as a defaulter, but no man owes a gift. True, we both give and pay when we pay Tithes, but the payment is to God, the giving as His stewards and agents is to our fellow men for the upbuilding and advancement of His Kingdom.

It is only fair in this connection to say that ministers have the same excuse, poor as it is, that we laymen and lay-women have. They have been the victims of wrong teaching by their professors of theology and teachers of practical—not theoretical—religion. The only sensible thing for us all to do is to repent and reform.

That I may not be accused of overstating or misrepresenting the situation, I copy the Pledge of the Tenth Legion of the Christian Endeavor Society. This Pledge has been signed by over 25,000 of the young people of our churches. It clearly perpetuates this false teaching and will of course bear its legitimate fruit. At the time the Tenth Legion was started the attention of its officers was called to the mistake as I regard it in the language, but they declined to change it. It reads as follows: