The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-14

Things Grave and Facctious MtsceI Ianeous
Business Foreign MiSsions-TheC hoctnw
Indians Character and incidents China and
ItaIy-Thc sabbath in Char!cstown-Prcach
Ing in the Churches -Synodicai Communion
The People of Charlestown-P Parting ords.
CHAsLrsrowx, ". v, November ., 1867.
Having disposed OF the paper on the ordina-
ton Of colored ministers rs mentioned in my
last SYNOD took up about L. M. the report OF
the Committee on Ministerial support. hein.
the second order of the day foc today tSatnr-
d7yl. This importan; Pr per, offered last night,
was mentioned in the report OF yesterday s
proceedings, and an outline of it was given.
The resolutions We're taken up scfidti'n and
the debate was about The power which
Il gives 10 the chairmen OF Pres bvterial COM
mittees 10 look into the affairs of churches,
and Prcshytercs 10 control the Church. The
first resolution, requiring weekly collections,
SO amended as merely 10 recommend F"
them.
Rer Thomas H. Preston objected to the second
resolution, which recommends co.opcra ton
with the General Assembly in the work Of
sustentatou. His Prcsbytcry L"Xingtbnl
had refused such cooperation. Or. Wilson.
who spoke last night, whom he respected. and
whom every one that knew him or had ever
heard OF him respected. had said he was pniTCd
at this action OF this Prcsbytery. He would
not have regarded the remark If 1t had not
come from one OF so much influence in thu
Church: but when Il Yudsi representative" o.
the General Assembly said he was p"inc3 at !;
Presbytery's doing what they had Il right &c
do, he regretted TO hear such An expression
His PresbyteTy had taken its position ana II
il was wrong. did not wish 10 maintain
it but If they hid Il right to DO what they
did, he did not soc why such an express 'Oh
should be used, rs IL they had been gully OF u
crime.
Dr. Wilson explained. The General AS
scmbly had not arbitrarily dictated any course
OF action 10 Presbytcries they had 4 right to
elect their own method of carrying on their
operations. He had intended TO no harsh
ness He did not ccnSure the Preshytcry Tor
such al election but was pnlncd by the pT'",t%t
of the Prcsbytery, rs ii the Assembly had
adopted some d"spoiic measure 10 coerce the
Presbyteries. when their action was only &
mild recommendation. He was glad 10 say
that out of forty six Pre>bytcreS forty-two
had agreed 10 cooperate with the General
Assembly. The resolution was adopted.
Dr. PEEK objected 10 the fifth resolution on
the ground that empowered the chairman OF
the Presbyteral Missionary Committee ''to
see 10 it, that the churches contributed. He
would like 10 know what this meant. Ii was
the duty of the Church Sessions 10 order cell
lections. and we might as well have an agent
10 order our ministers when 10 preach on j'tSti-
fcniioa, and when TO preach on SURci fcutioa.
Mr.. Shcarer said that the resolution as it
read now made the Chairman of The Mission
airy Committee q censor, and gave him inqn-
siorial power; he therefore moved Il verbal
change.
Rev. r. McIlwaine said that the expression
was " see =; there was no "t0 il :. and the
to il : was, he supposed, the hard part
This said Mr.. McIlwainej is Il new Office and
we may rs well discuss it now. He thought il
q most desirable function 10 he conferred.
There is lack of Presbyteral power. W'St
Hanover Presbytery had resolved that its
churches should contribute 10 foreign mis-
sions; and out Of nineteen churches only
seven had Contributed / know that brethren
will cry out about Diocesan assumption, and
the introduction Of rules not warranted by
The Constitution. Mr.. McIIwaine advocated
the resolution on the ground that il gave
the officer in question the power to inquire
into pastoral efficiency. The pastoral relation
was TOO often regarded rs Il marriage, Ia con-
tinun for life. He alluded 10 instances IN
which the continuance of pastors had been ;irt
evil and thought the measure necessary in
such c;.seS.
Rev. Ed. Martin was gi&d Mr. McIlwainn
had brought ont his poinl. which h" feared
was the point Of that paper. IL was InQu>i
torial and unconstitutional. Tho PreSbvIcry
already had the right, by our law, TO inquire
into cases Of pastoral intllicinncy.
lie begged Synod TO pause il is better for
'snstehtaton to 20 10 pieces than for us 10
conntenance such am invasion Of the Con<i-
tuition.
Dr.. CrHrerSe had heard The address in behalf
OF sustentation last night with earnest de
sire that its advantages through the agrnc; ~
The love of God, should be extended 20 cvn!y.
church and minister in our bounds Their,
was no conflict in the remarks OF Mr.. Nartiu
and Mr.. Mcilwain", us the agent is The SER
want Of the Presbytcrv
MIR. Miller, OF Petersburg, heSitated because
he was chairman of an executive commilte"
OF missions. and he thought that il these new
powers were conferred on the Office all VIII,
at present held it should yacate il, in or,tp.
that the appointing might lie made a fr,.S
lie had heard 50 mlch about lie Old Virginia
doctrine OF strict construction to-day that
he was dizzy. He hardly knew where
ne was O" where power was, or whether
There was any power 1T all. II reminded
al I'm .fI,ll,,
med the ;auiomaion 10 see where the man
who was IN i; had hid himself; turning il
round and round, and looking into every hole
ana corner. 50 We have turned over The
General Assembly. the Synod, and the Pres
byterr, looking for power. Mr.. MILLER argued
Tor the existence of power in the original con-
shtntIon OF the Presbyterian Church. II IL
was not conferred by The laws of the Kirk OF
Scotland he knew not where in human com
pacts il could be found. There was power
wrapped up in the fist of our General Assem-
bly, rms meet 1ainded paper only proposed 10
'enJoin " or 10 recommend =; II was II
harmless document, that could hurt hobouE
lie asked if We could not delegate 10 man VI
body of men under our control tn;tt Whici w
have right 10 do ourselves rms Il .tia :"
proposed 10 do. We want pastor iol Na. 49,,
spaces like the chairman proposed III the LII
MIR. Miller was opposed TO putting ~ iiSv
upon those churches where the P's'o ~
regularly paid. ,a ,,. roso,u,io,
I'D non.;dared the mowers conferred upon In,
proposed chairman constituted 4 new oi,lce'
Res. Mr.. Leps advocated me resolution u
desirable TO promote Tie eh'e'eh'S Oh 'h'
~, Mr.. Hooper said his Presbytery had n
the usual committees, but did not object /,
This. He explained its operation, and believed
n necessary TO promote the highest efficiency
of the Church 1t was no new exercise o
power, but SyStemat:inJ Of The lahors O
Presbyteries.
Rec. Mr.. PR:er said the proposed chairma,
was Il Presbyterial spy.
pr. Moore said no minister would make ~
offensive use OF the office.
DR.. Udbnfy argued that the Office was strictly
within constitutional bounds, and said tina
while II is shown 10 be what we all want
presto we have made Il prei1tc. The pres
ence of our beloved bro thcr here Or WllSOu
rs the representative OF the General Assem-.
bly, is 4 living instance OF the sort OF medium
which We require between Ike higher and th-
lower body. What is evcryhody'S business Il
nobody's business The whole meaning Of the
resolution Is 10 make certain duties the SJ,r.
ctdHy Of some one. The chairman is only 4 com
mittee. He has no authority TO go about aoSinJ
into the dissatistactions that may exist in con :
gregal,ons towards pastors. If the minister
IS PAID, the people have Il right to exact III.
tale of service. This is corOllary of the mower
conferred III the plan
Rec. T. l.. Preston wished 10 make such alte.
rations in the paper us TO strip ii OF lis obl..-
tlonable features, and then IL would NOT b.. ac-
ceptable 10 its friends, and would !ai to the.
ground which was That he desired lie con
tended that II the gift OF sum Of money from
the central Committee of Susientation at Co.
lulitota gave TO this Prcsbyteral chairman,
as Inc representative of that committee the
right W inquire into The affairs of Il church,
then the church was made responsible 10 :;
tribunal outside OF It's own Preshytary. The
matter or It's efficiency or netciency rests III
timately al Columbia We do not intend To
let our churches be thus res pons lille. In Len
Isl e Ia.