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

e., congregational ehuien'
L. B. CASTOR, Presbytery of Chickasaw,
! II. Long, Presbytery of Arkansas,
R.. H. Orr, Presbytery of Central Texas,
| J. E. Bright, Presbytery of Red River.
This overture was answered in the AMIR
native.
OVERTURE NO 8.
| Referred without reading.]
OVERTURE NO. Z.
Bethel Presbytery respectfully submits
to the General Assembly the following over.
ture for their consideration and action, TO-
wit:
That a considerable number of people
from the Southern States have settled In the
Empire of Brazil, especially in the Province
of San Paulo, and among them members OF
our churches and three ministersin our con-
necton; 4-
/ Wherefore it is suggested by this body,
| that this may be door opened; by Divine
Providence for the successful propagatiohof Of
the Gospel in that extensive Empire, and
one which we as part of Christ's body
should not fail to improve with reference to
this great object.
1t is further suggested to your venerable
body, that with view to this end, one of
your committee having charge of the work
of our missions, be empowered and instruct
ed to take the spiritual oversight of that
people, and make such provisions as the
committee or committees aforesaid may be
able or deem expedient, to aid in the great
work of church extension in that immense
Empire.
The above is true copy of the overture
adopted by Bethel Presbytery at its late
sessions at Unity church in York District,
S. c., April 9Th and 10th, 1869, and or
dered to be forwarded to the General AS
sembly, to meet at Mobile. Ala, in May,
1869. VIM. BANKS,
Stated Clerk.
Hazlewood, S. c., April 26, '69.
OVERTURE NO. s.
From the Presbytery Of Nashville.
That in view of the vast destitution of our
Southern country, and the great difficulty
of meeting its claims by the present modes
of operation, this Presbytery respectfully
overtures the General Assembly to take such
order as may be needful, to require every
licentiate to spend two years in itinerant
missionary labor, before being settled in
regular charge; except in such extraordi-
nary cases as the Presbytery may deem it
proper to suspend the rule, believing as we
do that this work of itinerant missionary
labor will be an admirable training physical
| ly, mentally, and spiritually for the settled
| pastorate.
Answer Assembly adopted the fol-
lowing resolution:
RESOLVED, That while the Assembly be-
lieves that the employment of competent
| Evangelists is the most effectual means Of
lIsucctyivy4 4tHc acct;tut;ss.s oouiias, ycV
in view of the fact that so few of that class
can now be secured. it recommends to Pres
byteries to throw their licentiates, as far as
practicable, into the destitute fields around
them.
OVERTURE no. 9.
Overture of the Charleston Presbytery to
the General Assembly.
This Presbytery respectfully overtures the
Assembly on the following point, viz:
Is it an infraction of our standards for one
of our ministers to baptize the infant child
of parent; or the ward of guardian
standing an loco parentis, who has not pro.
fessed personal faith in Christ, but who was
baptized in infancy!
THOMAS II. LAW.
The overture was answered in the affir-
native, and the Assembly would refer to the
following portions of our standards as rea-
sons for this answer:
1st Chapter %, section 4, Confession of
Faith.
End. The answer to the 166th Question
of our Larger Catechism.
3rd. The answer to the 95th Question of
our Shorter Catechism.
The reports from Presbyteries on Syste.
matte Benevolence and on Sabbath Schools,
and the Narratives on the State of Religion,
were handed in.
Presbyterial reports were handed to the
Stated Clerk.
The last Assembly referred to the Pres
byteries the question of striking out. chap.
| 10, sec. 4, of the Form of Government,
which reads as follows: "Where two or
more congregations are united under one
pastor, all such congregations shall have but
one elder to represent, &c"
Answers were presented from ten Presby-
teries and were referred to special com.
mittee composed of Rev. }. K. Bowman,
Dan'l Brown, j. W. Burton.
Synodical records were reported from all
the Synods except Alabama, Texas and
North Carolina.
!, The reception of the delegates from bodies
with which we are in correspondence, and
the reports of cur own delegates Zap
pointed at the last Assembly, to foreign
bodies, was made the order of the day for
one o'clock.
1t was ordered that standing committee
be appointed to be called the Committee of
Evangelistic Labor Rev, Henry Brown,
B. NJ. Hobson, T. L. DeVeaux, Thos Wha-
rev, Messrs. Jas. NJ. Hull, David Banks, n.
; G.. Buford.
Rev. DR.. J. L. Wilson, Secretary, then
read the report of the Executive Commit
tee of Sustentation. These reports of the
committee will necessarily, from their length,
7 have to be deferred to future number of
, the paper. 80
After reading the report, DR.. Wilson made
: the following statement: The last General
f Assembly Of the Old School Church in
structed their Freedmen's Committee to cor
3 respond with our Committee of Instruction
\ upon the subject of the instruction of the
: freedmen. The Freedmen Committee made
\ a proposition to us, to which we replied that
5 we had no present authority to act in the
matter. A personal correspondence fol-