The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1872-05-29
General Assembly.


Bills and Overtures.
The report Of the Committee on Foreign Missions,
presented last night, was adopted.
DIR. Armstrong presented an additional report from
the same committee, recommending the cordial ap-
proval Of the fidelity OF the Special Committee on
the Iuslee Fund and that their papers be placed IN
the hands OF the Executive Committee on Foreign
Missions for preservation. Adopted.
The Committee on Correspondence reported t0at
Drs. Lacy and BraRk, Corresponding Commit sion
ers, appointed BY the Synod Of Missouri having
been unable 70 meet the Assembly, had, with the
concurrence OF the Stated Clerk Of the Synod Rev
Dr. Brooks), requested the Rev. W. w. Tumbie to
represent the Synod. The committee recommended
that Mr. Trimbe be received as a delegate, and be
heard to-day after the reception Of Rev. DR.. Van
Zandt. Adopted.
BBLS READING.
The Assembly resumed the consideration Of the
report on Bible Reading. The question was upon
the adoption of the report.
DR.. HeRdrick This paper covers the ground
which our Church has always occupied. it Is Simply
% bring the CS@sch becl &c the ces.ogaai osr alh
ers IL Is entirely in accordance With th great prlu
cipies OF our DIRECTORY. The Old ergton would
have saved our Church from many Of tl evils trom
which we have suffered. We want the gospel in Its
simplicity not beautiful essays literature and the
beautiesof nature. We want the reading and ex'
pounding Of the word Of God, and return to the
ancient custom.
Dr. Arnssroag-I move to amend by striking out
on the Sabbath. The sentence which precedes
strongly eOmmends an increase in the amount of
expositOry preaching, and that is as far as l am
willing to 60. | would agree with the brother as to
the importance Of expOstOry preaching, taking the
expression In its large sense. Many OF Us, having
adopted the uniform system Of questions in our Sab
bath schools, follow the pian OF making our weekly
lecture expOsitOry; so that we are giving much
greater prominence to exposition than formerly. 10
60 any farther in that direction would not De We'll
/ DO not ike to interfere with the simple directions
Of our Directory, which leave this matter largely TO
ths iujgment Of the minister. dOnot want 10 en-
danger the matter b. attempting too much.
Dr. Palmer moved to amend by striking out the
whole paragraph, which is as follows:
ssIn order to accomplish which purpose, the Cen
eral Assembly recommend that, ordinarily, where
there is more than one public service day, In any
church. one at least of these services be devoted to
the reading and exposition of the Scriptures; and
that in this reading and exposition, the people all,
and more especially the children Of the church, be
encouraged to take with them into the pew copy
cf the sacred Scriptures, to follow with the eye
the passages read and thus imbue them more deeply
in the memory.
Or. ArmStrong accepted the amendment.
Dr. PllsRer-lt is estimated that when the last
APOSTLE died, there were in the world but five thOus
and copies of the wOld Of God In those days 1t
was necessary 10 have great deal of the public
reading of the Scriptures Some OF the early faith
ers tell Us that servants would rise before day. and
repair to the church to hear it; and in many cases
they could reeite the whole OF Epstle from
memory I think COnybeare and HOwson are right
in saying, that the ApOstles exhortatiOn to Timothy
10 give himself to reading, does not mean, that he
was 70 read tor his edhcatiOn, which IS lmphed
in the command TO mediate on these things" but
to give himself to reading the Scriptures 10 the peo
PIE and to exhortation The thing is very different
now The American Bible Society twelve months
AGO had circulated in this country, twenty mil
hons Of copies Of the word Of God. La .he Retor-
nation the Bible was chained and q man kept oeeu-
pied In reading 1t to the people. All our people now
have the word of God and it IS STUDIED a great
deal
This resolution goes beyond our Directory, which
is enough, and enoins that one service at least be
--;ven.t0 exDcSitory preceding art reading. That
The Bible eommends men who dlcern the require
ments Of the times. Suppose there is remarkable
state Of religious concern among the people, the
preachers hands ought not TO be tied The plan IN
our Church is to make every preacher capable OF
discerning what the times require.
/ am opposed to recommending to our people to
take their Bibles with them, that when we cite
- Isaiah xvi; L. the whole congregation Will De
rustiing the leaves. Whitebeld said that he noticed
this thing in Scotland as soon as he went there.
have preached a good deal to Scotch churches, and
have found this custom great hindrance TO the
mower of preaching. The very moment you cite
passage, the whole congregation avert their eyes to
find it, miss the next sentence you utter and lose
the cOnnecuOn OF your argument. 1ItslUcht Gu'
wards has given Us the true theory OF preaching -
He saws there is no such mental process as digest
ing the Sermon ~ but that by sermon you make
an impression, by another sermon another impress
sion, and so on. / preached fifteen months to
congregation, where old and young began to shuttle
the leaves as as l came IN sight OF Scripture
I asked them to give their eyes and their ears;
they did neither; and | do not believe soul was
converted the whole time. We are not prepared Tor
this measure.
DR. Hendriek-The model Of preaching is found
in the New Testament Every sermon there is eN-
pository. That famous sermon on the day OF Pen
tecost was eXpoStOry. So are allsthe sermons In
the Acts of the Apostles. 1T IS not legitimate con-
cusiOn from the resolution, that the second sermon
on the Sabbath must always be expository; but only
when circumstances viii allow. wish we could by
following the Scotch custom get Scotch Presbyte-
rans all this country. Ii was IN tins way that
they became distinguished tor their knOwledge OF
the Scriptures and taat their ministers made sUch
marked impressions and developed such strong char
aeters These were the kind of men and women
that constituted the original churches of this land.
The very thing am at is to have the word OF God
searched by every one as the "nOble bereans dld
and to famiharize the minds of children with It,
If the rustng seares the preacher let 1t scare him
into preaching accurately, and keeping well posted
Dr. s. H. wilson called for a division OF the
question: and the vote being taken on the first dy-
sion, namely: "In order to accomplish which pur'
pose, the General Assembly recommend that, ordl
Wnere Lnete Is MOIe imam OuG puDAtO oSAfASC
a iay in any church, one at least of these services
be devoted 70 the reading and exposition of the
Scriptures;" it was stricken out.
The second division, the remainder OF the para
graph was agreed to.
Dr. 4rBlsfrORg-The expression, % that all posi-
BILE prominence be given, is too strong, especially
when taken in connection with the following express
sion. A fair Interpretation of it would require the
whol service to be thus occupied. move TO strike
out "all possible and insert due" The mOhon
was agreed 70.
Nr NcKay-This expression in the third para
graph is not strictly correct;
Nevertheless, it is fairly questionable whether
there is at this day as large an amount OF sound
scriptural knowledge diHused among the masses de-
pendent on tor us for instruction, as there was hun
dred years ago"
According TO nv observation much larger amount
Of Scripture knowledge is now difused among our
people than could have been hundred years ago
Where are the results of all the Scripture teaching?
This statement ought to be qualified before send
it out as a declaration OF this body. Another para
graph states
of our Clergy to say that, taking all their pulpit
ercises together, it is more common to hear no
Scripture at all read, ercept the tert than TO hear
more than one chapter at service, to hear that
one chapter accompanied with exposition"
cannot agree to that statement. l also object
TO the following in regard to the discourses them
selves:
Are they sufficiently expository? Is it always
their manifest aim TO make the selected text a nu-
cleas around which to assemble as bright and I'M
pressve a constellation possible of kindred Bible
truths Do they never impress the mind OF de-
vout and GOdlOving listener with the thought that
the text is little more than a motto, by means OF
which the preacher seeks to unfold his own mind
rather than 'the mind of the Spirtp Certain 1t is
that when the teachings of the pulpit come without
the authority of 'Ihus satin the Lord they must