The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-11
-. pr1sT GENERAL ASSOCIATION
OF VIRGINIA.
SATURDAY, juno Q, 1866.

took the Chalr, ana tho minutes Oh the pIc-
vious days proceedings were read and ap-
proved.
Rev. J. d. Taylor, IT., presented report
from the committee appointed to revise the
list of Baptist ministers of Virginia, and on
motion the report was recommltted, Win
instructions to complete the list ana pun
liSh il with the minutes Of the proceedings
OF the Association.
J. r. Watkins, Corresponding Secretary
of the SUNDAY School and Publication
Board, read the annual report OF the
Board.
The report passes a just culogy upon the
manner in which the Rev. y. r. Dickinson
performed the duties Of Superintendent OF
the Board, and regrets that he mas lei,
compelled to resign the Office. The Board
state, with satisfaction, that many persons
previously in the employment OF the BEARD
as colportcrs came forward and offered to
rc8ntcr the service without fee, and were
accorded temporary commissions |" heiP
in Sunday schools and preach.
The report then alludcS to the services
of eight ministers employed by the Board ::
Rcvcrcnds John VIM. Jones, in the Valley
of Virginia: John W. Ryland, Amherst
and Nelson and in the Rappahannock AS
ISOLATION: W. X. u. Moncurc, in Stafford
Robert Ryland, at Four-milc creek, eight
miles below Richmond; Roy Temple, in
Albcmarlc Association; and }. IL. Fox, IN
the James River Association. The report
dwclls with emphasis upon the Importance
of the Baptist colportagc, and declares that
il is most Intimately connected WIN iho
success of all the enterprises 10 which the
Church is committed.
Money being indispensable, the Rev. I'm
drew Broadus was sent TO the west amt
north 10 solicit aid, in which effort he was
successful. The report cXpatiatcs upon
the cInbarraSSmcnts of the times, and the
manner in which the efforts OF the Board
have been retarded for the want OF means.
They recommend the abandonment OF the
system of bookstores and repositories ~
expensive and uncertain III their operation,
and the more questionable since the Board
has no legal existence. They have Il plan
for distribution OF books 1T cost price,
which they deem practicable, but do not
explain at present. They represent the
scarcity Of books rs very great, tn" super
ntcndcnta Of schools all crying out for
more books.
Correspondence with the Sunday school
supcrintcndcnts is rcviving. Still the Board
complains that il is not more regular. The
report suggests that Il pions zeal, such rs
impclcd the apostle 10 endure "tnHgcr,
thirst, cold, and nakcdncSS," would invent
some means of keeping mp the schools. 1t
is desired that the names oi aupcrlntcnd-
ents and their poSt-oliiccs should be hand
ed in.
The heard from number Of Sunday
schools is 30: officers and teachers en-
gagged, about 500; scholars on register,
5,0OO-in attendance, 5000. Teachers con
vcrted 80; scholars converted, 275.
The Board exhorts the Church 10 cXcr-
ton in behalf OF Sunday schools. A
Sunday school in every Baptist church - Is
their motto; and con ;ludcS with a strong
appeal Tor aid. =,
The report Of the TrcaSurcrol the Board
was also read. From the report il appears
that the receipts for the year amounted TO
S2,325.l0, and the expenditures 10 s.
OOG .O6; the balance on hand being S3l9.0l.
On the motion for the adoption ot these
reports, the Rev. G.. W. Samson, President
of Columbian College, Washington, y. C.,
addressed the Association. He said
that he had read the report on home mis-
Sions with great interest, and was more and
more convinced Of the grand Importance
of the Sabbath school system. During the
war the Sabbath schools had gone on with
out interruption, and this, 50 marked Il
contrast TO all else, proved couclu>iNcly
that their work was divine. They were
carried on 10y unpaid labor; and tlat was
the grand test Of sincerity. Unpaid labor
in the cause of religion is divine OFT Of
hrtutu-,igit htmItd scholars Hut httd besa
hrce i,o,drea o,d tlreaiy-fo,a co"ra'>ion>,
and in Dr. B0gby'S Schooi o"C-foe1h u III,
$CLoi0r> hod bcta concerted n one yfU.
Is not this, said he, voice from above :
Is not this the voice ol the Heavenly Ia
Their, saying, This is the place To begin
the work From all his experience and
study, he had determined that the work OF
God is always marked by the conversion OF
children. Dr.. Samson then traced the his
tory of the Church from the days Of the
EvangclistS, and showed that the Church
of God was always the Church of little
children. \ century since, in one OF the
provinces OF the States OF the Roman
Church, little children had remained firm
in their faith when their fathers and mo-
Tiers had fallen away; and he had believed
in the work of conversion in Ireland, twelve
years ago, when he found that little child
rem were being converted; "God was about
to bless His Zion, and the work had begun
among the little children"
The Rev. c. Tyrec, of Powhatan, alluded
to the moral grandeur OF the Sabbath
,,,l 4, tl,. M flpII :
Of children, many OF them orphans, who
depended for their religious teaching upon
the Sabbath schools. He would ask the
brethren to go home and seek ont the
children: would ask them Ia organize Il
Sabbath school, if they had none; and ii
they could not get superintendent, would
ask them IL be superintendent them
selves.
Rev. j. B. Taylor, ST., cited instances
from his own experience, showing the
great extent to which the children were
absorbed in their devotional services ut the
Sabbath schools.
Rev. n. b. Cobb, of North Carolina,
said that in his State there were two hun
lred thousand persons who were depend
cnt upon Sabbath schools for elementary
instruction, and that the work appealed to
us as patriots and children. lie then de-
scribcd the progress Of the Sabbath schools
in North Carolina, and showed the grand
results that had been obtained 10y pcrsc-
verence and labor from the most unpromiS-
ing beginnings. lie alluded to the ragged
boy who years ago was running about the
streets OF Raleigh, and said that boy was
now President Johnson, the man who con
troled the destinicS Of the south. How
proud would any one now be il he had