The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1861-12-28


you know to be suited for the position OF
Chairman, and to him you commit the Whole
work. He goes at it with all his energy
The committee is simply body to sit with
this man and help him-they meet with MIN
once month, perhaps oftener, and CONFER
on the subjects in hand. AS soon as the
meeting is over, the committee dismiss tne
subject from their minds, but ne always Is
thinking on this one subject. They are the
body-he is the head and soul. de guides
the committee, and they, Of course, Will re-
strain him when he goes wrong. They are
as it were, the session, and he the PaStor'-
To give the election of this officer into the
hands of the committee would give them
entirely too much power. am not wiling
for you to take from me right to vote on
the election to this position, nor am Will
ing to allow nine men, select them Where
you will, to have this choice in their hands,
and | very much mistake the temper OF this
body, if they can be got to sustain these
views.
Mr.. Phillips-If you make this Secretary
an er o6iciO member of the committee and
make the Treasurer also a member, you
virtually appoint committee of eleven In
stead Of nine. But in regard to another
point it has been said that this matter is
Of such Importance that it should not be
given to committee. Might you not go
farther back still, and ask, "As this Is
matter of such Importance, you must give
it to the Presbyteries, or go farther back
still and you will give it to the whole body
of Christians" Just see what that position
leads to.
DR.. Foote-It is evident that the church
is anxious that the work Of Foreign Mis-
sions shopld be carried or, ard sthey &re
looking to us to provide some means OF car
rying out their desire. But it Is the great
end for which we are living and dying, we
cannot carry it on as a body, and hence we
select q committee TO whom We give the
oversight of this work. We roll upon them
the responsibility. We say to them "W
cannot do this work, but you must. We
commit it to you. We will, however, keep
strict scrutiny over your proceedings. We
will bless you when you have done well,
and when you have done ILL., we will not eX-
pose your error. But We mean yon to feel
the responsibility resting on you" That
committee should not be too small nor yet
too large, but when we have put the respOn-
sbihty upon them, we surely ought to al
low these men who have all the RESPONSE
blity to select the man who shall discharge
the most important duties deyolyed upon
that committee.
DIR. Thornwell-As the discussion of this
subject is the discussion of the whole sub
iect, will say something on it now, if car
get five minutes allowed to me. 1t was a
question that came up before the committee
appointed by the Assembly of the UnlteC
States, to investigate the proceedings o.
the Domestic Board. Among other changes
that were proposed in that committee, con
sisting of seven members, of whom Dr.
Humphries, DR.. Daniels and myself were
three, this subject was discussed, and the
committee came to the conclusion, that II
was preferable to give the election Of the Cor
responding Secretary than to the Assembly
though some were very much opposed to it
listened yesterday to the arguments offer
ed, and if the subject had been absolutely
new, would have been very much like
balance equally poised. As friend said tt
me about a subject on which he did not wish
to commit himself: There was much to bt
said on both Sides" But, think, that there
is q logical consistency in the appointment
of this officer by the General Assembly,
The difficulty arises from misconception o.
the relations of this officer to the commit
tee, and this misconceptlon has arisen from
an unfortunate name, name connected
with corporation which had absolute anc
entire control over the officer to whom the
name was applied. | refer to the Ameri'
can Board of Commissioners for Forelgr
Missions. The Corresponding Secretary was
simply their instrument, their tool, then
servant, possessing not particle OF power
beyond what that body gave it, Now the
Missionary corporation of this church. Is TIL;
General Assembly. and this officer must be
an officer of this General Assembly. The
Secretary in Boston is the Secretary in the
American Board, and it is as prepOsterou;
to delegate the election of this officer to 6
committee, as it would be for that BOarC
to delegate it to subcommittee. 1t /:
this General Assembly who h conducts the
work of Foreign Missions, and this commit
tee is the hand by which it executes, and il
Immediately responsible to the Assembly
This officer is what in Scotland they cal
the conyener. All business is entrusted tt
him-the responsibility falls permanently
upon him-and they are only his cO-adju
tors. He is not their master, nor they hi
slaves, but they meet in common council he
at their head. Just as it is in the committee
on Bills aed Ogertures. He who writes the
report, does all the work, and regularly re
ports to the Assembly; is the cOnvener, the
chairman. Now the Secretary stands in re
lation to these Assemblies, precisely in the
attitude of conveDer. This is preciselJ
the organization of the Free Church of Scot
land. Some years ago, they made these
committees, to some extent, separate from
the church, but they have since adopted
precisely the same scheme with that adopt
ed by us. They, however, have no CORES
pondiDg Secretary. They have Conre@lr
think we might perfectly harmonise al
views by little change in the phraseology
propose to change the second sentence 81
as to read, 1.-The committee shall be knowr
as the Executive Committee on Foreign
Missions, and shall consist of Convener,
Treasurer, and nine other members, three