CHAPTER XIV

MISSIONS AND   BENEVOLENCE: 1810-1850

" In those great and benevolent enterprises, for which the age in which we live has
been distinguished, it has been the privilege of the Brick Church to bear her part.
Taking the forty-six years of my ministry together, no church in the land has given
more bountifully to the cause of domestic and foreign missions."—Gardiner Spring,
1856, "The Brick Church Memorial," p. 29.

" As ye go. preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick,
cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."
—Matthew 10 : 7 f.

WHEN Gardiner Spring came to the Brick
Church, almost all the money received in
the collections was used for the church
expenses. The two established exceptions, it will be
recalled, were the annual collection for the support
of the charity school * and the provision that on
communion Sundays and at the time of the annual
charity sermon the collections should be devoted to
the needs of the poor of the church.f We have also
seen that occasional exceptions had begun to be
made from time to time in response to special ap¬
peals, but as yet the instances of these were so few
and scattered, that they must be regarded only as a
prophecy of greater things to come. J

Under Dr. Spring the collections for the poor §
and, as long as was necessary, for the charity school

* See page 90.                     t See page 85.                     J See page 87.

$ This money was administered as formerly by the deacons, except that
a small sum was put into the hands of the pastor for special cases. The
funds appear to have been ample till about 1842, from which date there
was frequently a small deficit, easily made up.

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