The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-06-02

| Paine as alternate, to attend the meeting OF the
General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church in May, 1870.
Respectfully submitted,
Gro. A. CALDWELL, Chairman.
CAMDEN, ALA, Nay Goth, 1869.
| To Moderator and Members of General Assembly,
to. meet IN Mobile Ala, May 9th, 1869
Dear Brethren At this late holr have learned
that our alternate, who had beeninformed of our
inability to be with you, would $50 be prevented
from attending your meeting Allow me, there
fore, by letter, to represent the Associate reform
ed Synod of the South in your venerable body,
and to bear to you her Christia salutatlons. =
Small in numbers, yet we trust, FIN in the faith
once delivered to the saints, it is natural Tor us to
seek for that sympathy and fellowhip SO congenlal
and supporting to the spiritual tie OF Individual
Christians aud churches. And 'e speak not In
vain terms, when we tell you tbn the ties that
bind the hearts OF our people you, are closer
and stronger than those that BS us TO any other
body of Christians in this broad land. We have
passed through the same perils ofate, and to-day
we lie PROSTATE together in the lust OF poverty
and temporal ruin. But a higheiand nobler bond
of union than this community of suffering, is our
common preservation of the kingdom OF Jesus
Christ unentangled with the kingdom OF this
world. Loyalty to civil government is not with
you or us test of allegiance to Jesus Christ, and
we thank God that that stain is not upon the re-
cords of our churches.
The lines of our ancestral history in the old
country, for centuries, were Identical and in this
country these lines, for more than hundred years,
like the lines of longitude, have been side by side
and concentric, and they will meet if sufficiently
produced.
! And we need not recur to the fact that we have
a common standard of faith, and forms of worship
SO alike, that our people feel altogether at home
in each others churches 1t i not strange if
these ties Of blood and spiritua affinity should
bind our hearts together, and mike us feel that
we are one. We have not time give detail OF
our statistics. Our College and Seminary at
Due West, South Carolina, are regaining their
former prosperity and high staining, and, after a
while will infuse new lifein lnguid churches
/ We write hurriedy on this fist day of your
meeting, in hopes that these lines may reach you
and give assurance of our higl Christian re-
gard for your worthy body Ant now brethren,
though one of the small tribes o Israel, we ask
not to be forgotten in your prayes; and we will
not cease to invoke the peace ofGod upon your
Zion in all your members and inteests
Il In Christian bonds, J'HN MILLER,
In behalf of A. R Synod of Soth.
REPORT ON DUTIES OF DACoNs.
DIR. J. R. Wilson read the repot of Special
Committee; appointed at the las Assembly, on
} this subject, which is as follows:
The General Assembly of 1865, referred to the
undersigned, Overtures lst and 2nd, with accom-
panying papers, instructing US to examine and re-
! port to your reverend body. Having performed
this duty as opportunity allowed we would re-
spectfully report as follows:
, That these papers raise two connected ques-
tons:
lst Whether congregation which Deacons
exist may commit the collection of the pastor
salary to any other persons thar the Deacons, OF
the Session?
3. What degree of control over the acts of the
Deacons, and over the funds in their hands, may
be rghtfully assumed by the session.
The Assembly's COMMITTEES on Bills and Over
lures in 1868, proposed that the first question
should be answered in substance thus That it is
constitutional to commit the collection of the pas
tors Salary and othor Temporal affairs of the
church, even where deacons exit, to Trustees, OF
to committee of members Tothe second ques
tion they propose this answer: That the Session
has control over all such funds as are contributed
by the people in acts of worship but inasmuch
as the Committee supposed thatprovision for the
poor of the church, and for its secular support do
not fall under this class of contributions, these
funds are subject to the discretion of the Deacons
or Trustees, and not of the Sessin.
Ruling elder S. D. Irvine ao moved the AS.
sembly that the Church Sessions the only ruling
body, and that the Deacon's worl being only min.
isterial is subject in all its brances to the control
of the Session.
''These papers, after considerable discussion,
were referred to a Special Committee, to submit
their report to the next General Assembly.
"This Committee was appoited to consist OF
Rev. R. j. Dabney, D. D.. of a.. /; Rev. j. r;
Wilson, D. D., Of Ga; Rev. j A. Lefevre, of
Fl. Lindsay, ESQ.,, of N. c.; Judge j. A. Ingis,
of S. O.; and VIM. i. Mitchell, ESQ.,, of Ca"
We therefore respectfully recommend to the As.
sembly the adoption of the following, to wit:
|. The DeaconS are the constitutional officers Of
the church, for administering Is obations and
temporal goods While therefce, Trustees, who
exist by the direction of donor bequeathing to
the church, or by the act of the Commonwealth,
may, without violating our Chuph Constitution,
perform the single duty of protecting the tenure
of ecclesiastical property under he State tits un-
lawful for them. or other unCrdined or private
persons to exercise any part OF tie administration
of the Church's goods save as assistants of the
Deacons Tor Elders and under teir direction
And in all that large number ofchurches, whose
church property is vested by the avs of the Com
monwealth in Trustees, the DeCeOnS of all such
churches should, as early as practicable, be made
the Trustees, and in future, Deacns alone should
be Trustees.
3 To the Church.sesson, constituted of the pastor
and ruling elders, belongs the spiritual rule of a
particular church, which rule exends to all the
members, deacons, and elders, andto all the public
acts of worship. The deacons an therefore sub.
ect to the authority and discipline Of the session,
for both personal and official offences; and owe
obedience in the Lord to such inuIctions of the SEES
sion asappoint unto the congregation any scrptural
acts of contribution, obation, ans-giving what
soever, or unto them the fuflment,f any pecuniary
obligation of the congregation fawhly incurred.
But otherwise the Deacons, bling ministerial
officers appointed in the church b! its Head, and
representatives of the faithful in he administra-
ton of all their contributions even as the session
is in the matter of spiritual oversight and rule,
are entitled to their own digestion, free from the
control of the session, touching the ministration
of what the people of God entrust to them. If
the session Tor any private member deem that the
deacons abuse this, their discretion, and yet the
case be such as cannot be reached by seasonal
discipline, the proper remedy will be by complaint
against them to the superior courts.
In explanation Of the above, | would respectful
y state that the committee being unable by reason
of distance, to meet, have only conferred by cor
respondence, submitting their several views to each
other through the undersigned THE chairman,
and he, his to them. :,
| roco1utiooC oro ,,,hcto moo. tho ra.