The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-06-02
CENTRAL Pr ES [ E r | n

ments with the argument hereunto annexed by
the undersigned personally, will place the merits
of the question fairly before your venerable body.
Respectfully submitted,
r. L. DABNEY, Chairman
This report was referred to the Committee on
the revision of the Book Of Government.
REPORT ON SABBATH SCHOOLS.
DR.. Bright presented the following report:
The Committee on Sabbath Schools respectfully
report to the General Assembly that they have
received information from the Presbyteries of
Greenbrier. Chesapeake, Lexington, Central Texas,
Nashville. Florida. East Alabama, Montgomery,
Vile, s. Carolina, West Hanover Brazos, Central
Ohio and North Alabama, leaving thirty seven
Presbyteries from which no information has been
received. The cause Of this great neglect of so
lmportant q duty the committee is unable to ex-
pain unless it be from the neglect of stated Clerks
to forward the reports of their Presbyteres. tits
hardly presumable that 80 out Of IS Presbyteres
would totally neglect duty so vitality connected
with the prosperity of their churches.
Even among those reports which came before
the committee, only few contained specification
of items, being mostly expressed IN general TERMS
affording but little information.
The aggregate number Of pupils in the sixteen
reported Presbyteries is about 5000; only one or
two making any statement at all concerning num-
Der of teachers. amount of monies raised, and to
what applied.
The Nashville Presbytery, however, has report
ed 1850 scholars, 226 teachers and contributions
during the year to the amount of 474 a. setting
a noble example in systematic benevolence.
In view of these facts, as it regards the meagre-
ness of reports from the different Presbyteres the
cto fnl ale ~
teries be enioined to send up to the Assembly as
full and as definite reports as possible concerning
all the Sabbath Schools under the care of their
churches
The items to be reported are recommended to
be, the number of schools, teachers, scholars, the
amount of contributions and for what purpose,
the number added to the church from the Sabbath
Schools and their plans of working.
According to suggestion found in the report
from the Nashville Presbytery, the Committee
would recommend that the Sabbath School gear
be considered as closing on the last Sabbath In
March, thus affording time for the church sessions
to send to the spring meetings OF Presbyterles a
full and definite statement Of what has been done
during the year.
In conclusion the Committee would say, that,
in their Judgment the Sabbath Schools under the
immediate control of our churches should receive
the most prayerful attention, as 1T is from this
great nursery of religion that our future member
ship and ministry must be derived.
The Committee would recommend that our
church members, everywhere, should organize
Sabbath Schools if practicable send for the books
of our Publication Committee, and adopt some sys-
tematic mode Of benevolence by which our children
could be early trained in the noble grace of giving
All Of which is respectfully submitted.
j. b. BRIGHT, Chairman.
Rev. H. H. Paine offered a resolution on Church
Music as follows: vle
RESOLVED, That this General Assembly, repre-.
senting as it does, in one body, all the churches
under its supervision and jurisdiction, and deeply
sensible of its obligation to note with jealous care
all innovations and irregularities which might in
juriously affect the peace of the Church and the
interests of religion have been painfully impressed
with the tendency in many portions of the Church,
especially in our large cities and towns, to secular
Use our Church Music and divert it from the grave
simplicity of the Gospel, and the usage of our
Fathers, and do hereby instruct our Presbyteries
to carefully inquire into this matter, and enjoin
upon the church sessions to take oversight of this
important part Of. public worship: requiring the
leaders of the music in their respective churches to
study the peace and purity of the Church, by en-.
couragng congregational singing, and the improve
ment of our youth in the service of sacred song
Mr.. Paine-There are two difficulties to be met.
One is that many of the members of our choirs are
not men of piety, and they select tunes that are
not known to the people on account of their in
trinsic beauty. Others, in order to crafty their
desire to make their own voice heard, select such
tunes as the congregation cannot sing. [ have
heard one person express the opinion, that the
wishes of the choir deserved greater consideration
than those of the pastor And one singer in a
Il. L4n,, Al A.
minister would not sing The matter needs at
teDtion.
Mr. James Sorley-l agree with the brother in
his desire to avoid display in our churches. But
there is an extreme in the other direction, of fall
ing back upon the old camp meeting tunes. Let
us hold medium ground.
Mr.. Sorey moved to refer to Special Com
mittee.
Rev. J. T. Leftwitch-It seems to me that the
personal experience of the first speaker has led tt
the strong language of the resolution. do po
believe that the evil is generally prevailing az
the resolution represents. And the resolution
opens up so many Observation-Disclosures the music
must be entirely vocal, whether we must fall back
upon Rouse's version-that think the Assembly
had better have nothing to do with the matter
Rev. S. S. Gaillard-I have another difficulty
The resolution is in the form of an order to the
Presbyteres to do this or that And then there are
so many degrees of error, or different standards Of
taste, that the assembly cannot speak definitely
| think we had better have nothing to do with the
matter
Mr. A. ID. Dickinson-ln order to send the
whole matter back to the Sessions, where it be-
longs, move to lay the whole subject on the table,
The subject was tabled by vote Of 43 to 40.
Rev. A. L. Hogshead presented the following
paper on the subject of Church music the next day
The undersigned respectfully overture this Gen
eral Assembly to enjoin upon the Presbyteries to
take such order as may seem best calculated to Sc
cure the end, to awaken among our people high
er appreciation of that important part of divine
worship that consists in prasing God with the
spirit and with the understanding secure a
more general attention to the cultivation of sacred
music, to the end that our people may more gen.
orally be able to participate in this divine service
not leaving it, as is so common, to be conducted
by select few; and, to check a prevalent and
growing evil in some parts Of the Church, espe-
cialy in our cities and larger towns, the intro
ductiou of species of music wholly unfit for the
sanctuary, and unsuited to inspire feelings of de-
votion or give effect to truth.
The undersigned would recommend to the As
sembly, that it be enjoined upon the Presbyteries
to question the ministers and elders constituting
the Presbytery, in ''the free conversation on the
state OF religion, as W Tue aCIeuCloh pau W Ills
part of divine service and to any evil prevalent,
and embody such information in the narrative to
the Assembly.
A. L. HoGsHEAD,
A. 9. MAXWELL
j. n. LEWIS,
- H. III. PAINE,
DANIEL Brown,
j. Brooks,
JAMES d. STEELE,
WILLIAM T. RICHARDSON,
A. NJ KENNEDY.
Mr.. Hogshead-I must regret that the matter
of this resolution was presented yesterday in form
not acceptable to the Assembly. But there is an
evil to be remedied, land nearly one-half of the
Assembly do believe SOL and it is well for US to
brethren do not feel the evil will they not take the
testimony of others, that there is such an evil,
ond ;o;n with us in an effort for its correction