The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-11-11

business { was answered that IN all bodies
OF this kind, some for various reasons would
be more prominent than others. Some have
peculiar qualifications to take the lead This
influence was salutary. But if they undertook
to manipulate matters in any Objectionable
sense, two things were sure to follow; nrst'
they would soon meet with resistance ana
overthrow, and next their work at home would
be neglected and their influence would 90 to
waste He besought the Synod not to tear
asunder this venerable body, now one inger
ing bond Of affection to all of us in the Synod
of Virginia.
Rec. VIM. Bro,on, of Richmond, followed
DR. Read He thought we often make long
speeches on short subjects and sometimes
fail to take enough time for the discussion
Of subjects really great, such as the one be
fore us certainly was. Great advantage is
often gained by the services of commit
tee-and where the subject was new and
facts had to be ascertained, he might allow
their opinion to decide his own. But in this
case it was not so. There was nothing to be
gained by the committee they had no facts,
no light before them which was not accessible
to all the members of the Synod. With great
respect, therefore, for this committee, he
could attach to their judgment no greater value
than he would to an equal number of any other
members of the Synod equally intelligent.
The question, it had been remarked, was
not new. Far back in the early part of the
century, such men as DR.. John ii, Rice and
DIR. Specie, who for soundness of judgment
and far.reachiug views had seldom been
equalled and never surpassed in the history OF
the Synod, had looked forward hopefully to
the day as not remote, when the Synod would
be large enough to be divided. The subject
was before the Synod at Charlottesville in lS4l e,
and again at Lexington in lS4S. At the
former place, if not brought forward by the
present Moderator, Or. Bocock) it met with
his earnest and able support. He was then
preaching at Parkersburg, and gave an anus
ing catalogue of the rivers and especially the
mountains to be crossed before he could reach
Charlottesville No wonder if from points Of
observation so elevated he was enabled to take
very wide view of the subject. His able
and eloquent speech at that time had thor
oughly convinced him (Mr Brown that the
Synod ought to be divided-only he thought
as so many are still saying now, the time
has not yet come" From such intimations
as could be gathered from the Moderator S
chair during this discussion, it was surprising
to find he had entirely back -sliddcn, and was
now entirely opposed to division. But that
speech in lS4l had so completely settled the
matter in the mind of the member then speak
| ing, that he must be excused for not being
converted the other way at this late hour,
when all the considerations originally urged
had become immeasurably strengthened by
years. The leading remarks presented were
| these:
|. As question of Presbyterian govern
ment. The principle is that our government
| is in succession of courts, the higher con
trolling the lower, the parts in each to be gov
erned by the whole. A proper Synodical
management, therefore, in which, upon an
average not one half were present, was unsat
isfactory- tended TO defeat the design Of our
form of government.
2. This question was not be settled upon the
idea of making an arrangement convenient to
every body You must view it as whole.
The objection, therefore, that any line bisect-
ing the Synod would not promote convenience,
was mistake 1t must have that effect upon
the whole, just as it required less travel to 60
over ten acres than twenty.
Omitting topics already noticed by other
speakers, it was remarked,
| 8 That divisions of this kind judiciously
made tended to the more careful cultivation
of the field assigned to each. 1t was stated
that in recent conversation with DR.. NJ. ID.
Hoge on this subject, after expressing his
conviction mot entertained till lately that the
time was at hand in which it was our duty to
divide, he referred to the opinion expressed
on this subject by Dr. James Hoge of Colum
bus, Ohio, the last time be visited him That
wise and venerable man, native of Virginia,
and who understood we'll her interests, re-
marked that he had long thought we erred in
Virginia, by delaying too long measure Of
this kind; that we were so harmonious and
our meetings so pleasant, we had unconscious
| " allowed the question of social feeling to
| override higher considerations; that he had
carefully watched that matter in the West,
and had come to the conclusion that whenever
any one Synod became large enough to answer
sufficiently the purpose of two, it ought to be
divided-that this stimulated enterprise and
contributed decidedly to the growth of the
Church.
4. The time was not unfavorable. No &c
clesiastical body on earth was more harmonious
than this Synod No question agitated US.
If divided into two Synods or three, whatever
the storm that might assail US without, each
separate part would be just as steadfast as the
whole united, and would be just as efficient in
self-protection.
Other points were touched, and the idea
urged in conclusion that separation for
Christ's sake and the gospels was not sever.
ance of Christian fellowship. No more so
than when James and John and Cephas, gave
to Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fell
lowship,' that the one might 60 to the Jews,
while the other went to the heather.
Not having any notes OF the able and in
teresting speeches that followed, we are in.
debted to the Christian Observer for the re-
port here given
ReU. DR.. Bocock'S reply was one of those
grand and eloquent outbursts of feeling and
emotion which cannot be reproduced on paper.
For an hour he held the Assembly spell bound.
He did not reply to DR.. Browns witticsms in
kind-for he felt this was too big thing to
make joke upon. He had not read the edi-
torial in the Central Presbyterian, advocating
it, because he thought no sane man can seri-
ously contemplate the thing at this time