Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-11-26
The Moderator caIIed Intention, al n

The M0derat0r called attention, al the
request of Mr.. Berry, of Nashville, and
recommended TO the members of the As
sembly the first volume of the History Of
the Church of God, by Rev. G. @. Jones,
ID. d. tsat.
Rev. DIR. Smith, from the Committee of
Bills and 0gertures, presented a report
which was unanimously agreed 10 by the
Standing Committee with a request that
when the matter is considered by the As
sembly, they precede such consideration by
PRAYER to God for divine guidance. The
report is in answer to an overture from the
Synod of Virginia, and concerns the action
of the last Assembly touching the in
struction ofthe eolored people. DIR. Smith
proceeded on behalf Of the committee to
say, the committee felt that some action
interpreting the deliveranee of The last As
sembly was necessary, inasmuch as its
meaning had occasioned good deal of dis
cllssion among our own ministers.
Il was moved corrective aud refer, and
pending the passage of the motion, the As
sembiy joined in prayer with Rev. John
Mack. The motion was then adopted.
Rev. E. II, Cumpsten moved to have he
motion printed for the tssa of the members
of the Assembly. III. z, .-f
DR.. Doremus was opposed to the paper,
and hoped the matter would be widely and
thoroughly discussed. He thought the
paper did not rise to the height of the
great want involved.
Rev. DR.. J. r. Wilson thought there was
no reason why the matter should not be
printed az other proceedings we have no
concealments to make.
Rev. DIR. Smith said that of course until
the House adopted the paper it can only
be considered as private or personal Uiecs,
not the res. gestqe of the body.
Dr. Hammer moved that the matter be
printed in the regular reports of the city
press.
1t is accordingly printed for information,
and is as follows: @
/ The Committee on Bills and 0vertures report
overture number =, from the Synod of Virginia,
proposing revocation of the actions of the last
Assembly. ON the relation of our church to the
cOlOred people =; and overture number :. from
the Pres5ytery of Mississippi proposing such
modification of the action aforesaid, "as shall
authorize the Presbyteries in the exercise of
their discretion to ordain TO the gospel ministry,
and to organize into separate congregations
duly qualified persons of the eolored race and
so declare that mere race or color is not regarded
by us as bar TO Office or privilege in the Pres
byterian Church in the United States"
Your committee report for the adoption of the
Assembly: this minute:
In view OF the misrepresentation which appear
to exist respecting the purpOrt of the action of
the last Assembly on the subject Of these over
tnres as well as for the sake ofladopting some
action which may be acceptable and useful to
the whole church. and also decided and definite,
and neither contrary to our constitution nor
outside of its provisions,
Resolved, l. This Assembly deems that the
provisions of our constitution for training ed
ucated ministry including the special exceptions
forming part Of these provisions, leave no ne
cessity for further action the part of this As
sembly. even had the Assembly the power to
Ordain constitutional plans.
2. That in the first part of resolution of the
last Assembly, (See Minutes, p. 36,) that whilst
nothing in our Standards, or in the Word of
| God, prohibits the introduction into the Gospel
ministry of duly qualified persons of any race,
society, and from the proYidential causesI which
may and should restrain the application in the
church Of this abstract principle, by the clause
yet difficulties abstract principle
| the last Assembly can only be understood, con
slstently with the provisions of our constitu
| ton, to recognize the practical difficulties"
obviously existing, owing TO the comparatively
| limited literary advantages and attainments of
| even the most intelligent and piOus among the
| class ofpeople contemplated; and this Assem-
| bly, holds what 1t believes the current opinion
| of our ministry and our people, that these prac
teal difficulties removed, the whole subject may
be left, and must be left, 10 theuntrammeled action
/ of our Presbyteries, in such cases as may arse
| in the eourse of Divine Providence.
8 That the Assembly decline, on the
| ground OF Its incompeteney, to takeSuch action,
aud on the ground Of the mex ediency Of such
| action, to make any declaration respecting the
future ecclesiastical organizations of such freed
| men as may belong to our communion. The
| Assembly believes that the responsibility, as
| well as the course to be adopted must devolve
| on those persons who are both politically and
enthusiastically free, as all others, TO serve God
according to the dictates Of their own eonscien-
! ces.
| A. The assembly hereby reiterates the recon-
mendatien ofthe last Assembly. to all our min
| listers and people to embrace all opportunities
and use all diligence in affectionate and chris
tian efforts for the spiritual benefit of the col
| ored race within each of their private and pub
| lie ministrations, and seek by all lawful means
| to introduce them into permanent connection
| with our branch of the Church Of Christ.
The records of the Synod of Virginia
were approved as far as written, with the
exception that the last meeting mentioned
has no record of the absentees at that meet
ing. Also, on page "a, there is notice of the
adoption of an overture on the change of
boundary between the Synods of Virginia
and North Carolina, which is deficient in
that it does not designate the change made.
The hour of 2 o'clock having arrived,
the Moderator called the Rev. j. s. Will
son, ID, of Atlanta, to the chair to con-
duct the devotional exercises, after the con-
clnsion of which the Assembly adjourned
until tomorrow morning at 81 o'clock.