The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-10-25
For the Dispatch.
EAST HANOVER pREsRYTERY.
MOUNT CARMEL CHURCH,

Prcsbytcry now IN attciiu.ahee s.oth :,
over nightI0n their way 70 thc ,,,o,.Sb;,,
the horse of the pastor. At family worShif
the next morning one Of the number, heV.
DR.. Brown. of Richmond, baptized the In.
can't child Of this minister. The presence OF
So MANY members Of the Presbytery ADDED
TO the interest Of this impressive ceremony
and those who witnessed 1t esteemed IL a
privilege to De present.
FIRST DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
The Presbytery met ut IL O'Clock A. NJ.
October 2ls;, and was opened,with ser.
mon by the Rev. James D. Thomas, OF
Northampton county, the last Moderator
present, from Romans viii, 81" IL Goc
be for us. who can be against us Z"
There were present the first day the fol,
lowing members
MImisters.-Rey. William Brown, D. d.,
Rev. Thomas L; Preston Rev I,n .. A.
Waddcll, Rev. f. II. Rutherford:
RuLnq Elders.-Colone c. X. Barksdale,
Second church, Richmond; Hon. John Al.
IIcrndon, Fredericksburg; JOSIAH slnith,
Esq. Powhatan; Philip F. Howard, Esq,
United church, Richmond; Il. +. Lester,
Eso., Second church, Petersburg.
KEY. Thomas i. Preston was elected
Moderator, and Rev. }. d. Thomas and
Rev. James A. Waddell were elected tenn
pOrary clerks.
letter from Montgomery Presbytery,
tliSmissng the Rev. James L. smith 10 thls
Prcsbytcrv. was read and Mr. Smith, after
passing the usual examination, was enrolled
rs member Of the Prcsbytcry.
4 committee appointed TO organize a
church in Charles City county reported that
tbcy had on the 9th of last September Or
s,Inized church called ''Bethany," with
twelve members. one elder, and one deacon.
The Executive Committee Of Domestic
Missions presented a report setting forth
the fact that there have been encouraging
tokens Of the Divine blessing upon the Ia
hors of The brethren in charge OF the
churches aided from the funds OF the COM
mittce. They call attention to several va
cancics still existing, and urge the Presby-
tci.y 30 use their utmost efforts to supply
them. The report contained other state
ments not of public interest. 1t was re-
lcrred for consideration to committee con-
SiSting of Rev. DR.. Brown, Rev. j. \. w aC-
dell and j. VI. Herndon.
satisfactory excuses for absence from the
present meeting of Presbytery were sen1 ny
tho Kew. UrS. Read, Baird. StlteS, ana hoSe,
of Richmond, and the Rev. Mr.. Miller, OF
Petersburg. and by the Tabb-Street church
of Petersburg for the absence of its elder.
The next stated meeting OF the PrcSby-
terry was appointed 10 be held in the Tabb-
street church, Petersburg, on Tuesday be-
fore the second Sabbath Of April, 1870, at
=! p. NJ.
The Rev. james z. Smith having signiticd
his acceptance Of j call from the church OIL
Fredericksburg, it was ordered that the
!'rcsbvterv proceed to install Mr.. Smith as
pastor Of this church on the second Sabbath
Of November, and that the following be 4
committee for this purpose Rev. William
Brown, d. D., TO preside and propose the
constitutional questions; Rev. NJ. ID. Hoge,
l.. D.. to preach the sermon and deliver the
charge to the people; and Rev. Thomas l..
Preston to deliver the charge to the pastor.
\ call for the pastoral services of the Rev.
j. y. Thomas from the church OF Wythe-
vile, in the bounds Of Abingdon Presby-
terry, was forwarded to this presbytery, ana
by its action placed in Mr.. Thomas's hands.
lie afterwards signifed his willingness to
accept il, and asked dissolution OF the pas
tcral relationship now existing between him
and the Holmes church. This church was
then cited to appear, by its commissioners,
before Presbytcry at an adjourned meeting
IL he held in the lecture-room OF the Second
church, Richmond, on November 1st, at 10
o'clock A. NJ, and show cause, if any they
have, why this request should not be granted.
lresbytery then adjourned till tomorrow
nj 10 o'clock. The session was closed with
prayer.
-.. ..-.s SECOND DAY.
At 10 O'Clock A. NJ. the Presbytery was
called to order by the Moderator, and opened
with prayer by the Rev. DR.. Brown. !
In addition to those present yesterday,
the following members appeared and gave
satistactory reasons for tardineSS-ylZ., Rev.
j. y. Dudley, Rev. j. w. Moscley, Rev. w.
4. Campbell, Rev. George II. Denny, and
i. G.. Jefferson, elder from the Amelia
church. gt" .ls
The Rev. William U. Murkland, of the
rrcshytery Of West Hanover, and the Rev.
j. W. Hilldrup, Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church South, were invited by the Prcsby-
terry to sit as corresponding members.
The Presbytery resolved to postpone &C
ton on the new "Book of Church Order,"
referred To the Presbyteries for considera-
ton by the General Assembly, until its
meeting in the spring. Meanwhile the book
was referred to the following committee, to
report oil it at that meeting-viz., Rev.
William Brown, D. d., Rev. Nj. ID. Hogc,
u. D., Rev. C. ii. Read, D. D., and Elders
pcaciiv II. Grattan and L. Fitzhugh.
\ committee appointed at the last meet
ing of Presbytery to report ga complete
system, by means Of which the items Of
business might come up more regularly
from the churches, and be more regularly
attended to by the Presbytery," reported
"a Directory" forthe Presbytery; which
was adopted.
An idea of the nature Of this Directory
may be formed from the following list of
the items contained in it l. The bounda-
~ lines Of the Presbytery. 3. A roll Of the
churches, with list of the elders and dea-
cons Of each. 5. The officers Of the Presby-
terry. 1. The standing committees. .. The
quotas Of the churches to the Presbyterlal
Fund. 6. Reports TO be sent from the
churches to the Presbytery. 7. Attendance
- prashutary Rp-
ports to be sent by absent members. 8;
Standing missionary supplies. 10. Annual
payments to be made by the treasurer. IL.
A docket OF the business OF the regular
meetings. II. Oflicentiates and candidates.
IS. Collections ordered to be taken up.
The standing orders Of the Presbytery are
distributed under these various heads.
One provision of the Directory requires q
written narrative Of the state OF religion III
each church to be sent up to the Presby-
terry from the session instead Of the IN
formal verbal statements now made in the
free conversation on the state of religion
within the bounds of the Presbytery." This
change Of an old custom elected some dis
custom. It was argued in favor OF the pro-
posed change that written report would
occupy less of the time of PreSbytery and
Give more definite and satisfactory informa-
ton; that the verbal statements were often
diffuse and proliX. On the other hand it
was argued in favor Of the old custom that
verbal statements, being more interesting,
often conveyed more information by reason
Of the attention they secured than written
reports, aud that many items Of interest not
thought, OF beforehand would be suggested
by statements from others or elected by in-
quiriesi made in the 1Tfree conversation"
The rule was, after discussion, modified
by the addition that 1'the narratives, after
having been read, may be accompanied by
such verbal statements as may be desired"
Another custom OF the .Presbytery is