The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-05-22

S.ol 0i ueep Interest to u considerable ftortion
OF the Church. There wig conscientious
aiuerences opinion on tho subject. and lie
!" common With maGy others desired 1t to be
calmly weighed by the Assembly or a COM
niittee of it, and i deliberate and final de-
ci'ion made. Would this body undertake to
slight this wishp ,He thought not IL was
100 serious matter to be dismissed with a
moments thought, II story, or n Jest. II was
not ms purpose To discuss the main question
lnfoired; but incidentally he showed that
iturg'es We're not without able defenders
even IN the Presbyterian Church. and quoted
at length from q book written bv an eminent
scotch Presbyterian divine in support of his
position. Luther, Calvin, Melancthon, Twin
gle. and Knox were accustomed to Use es.
'ahlished forms of prayer. 1t could not be
Sa'a That ignorance was their excuse, for they
ana the people to whom they preached were
quite rs well acquainted with the principles
ot the Christian religion as we are, and we
surely necd cr,ltcnes as much "a they. The
thufch could not so fur wrong in following
| The lead of such men as lie had named.
KEY. DR.. ;. K. Wilson followed Colonel
Preston. He denied that liturgy was used
| ny The Presbyterian Church i'm its earliest
uay. Liturgies came in with ignorance and
darkness. As to Calvin and Knox, he adj
mttted that they used liturgies, but used
them only to improve them, and he claimed
that i'll all ages the most spiritually minded
Christians had been least addicted to forms
Of prayer. DR.. Wilson replied at length to
Colonel Preston. The hest answer the Gene
raj Assembly could give to his question
would be, "We will not entertain it,"
Colonel Collier called the yeas and nays
and the call was sustained.
| The motion to adopt the resolution was
then dcfcatcd-ycas, i; nays, les.
me Assembly then adjourned until s.
o'clock p. NJ.
N:glt Session.
The Assembly convened again at S:lJ p.
| NJ, the moderator in the chair. The fifteenth
hymn was sung after which Rev. DR.. Howe,
ct South Carolina, led in prayer.
Key. DR.. Finn. OF Louisiana, presented
the report of the standing committee on
| suSTENTATIoH
| This report recommends the adoption of
the following resolutions:
| fesolred, That the General Assembly
cordially commend the diligence and fidelity
OF the Executive Committee Of Sustcntation
III discharging The arGuollS and important
| duties assigned them.
| 80. That the General Assembly again urge
upon the Prc>bytcrics the importance of
continued and increased diligence in llboring
to stir up the churches under their care TO
still greater libcraity in contributing of their
money to this cause is God has prospcred
them, that ample lncans may DC placed in the
| hands OF the committee TO enable them eff
GENTLY to do the work entrusted to them.
| "3. That the Prcsbytcric> he urged to de-
wise and recommend to the vacant churches
under their care some plah, il possible, by
| which they may be assembled together at
least once every Sabbath day for conference
and Worship"
DR.. Finn, in presenting this report, gave
4 brief history OF the SllStentation cause i'm
connection with the Southern Presbyterian
| Church. 1t was il scheme to sustain weak
| churches and assist in the support of poorly
| paid preachers. Thanks to it. no church has
| since the war become extinct for want OF
funds. But the operations OF the committee
are necessarily restricted. There are four
hundred vacant Presbyterian churches in the
South. and these the committee cannot
reach. Now. the health and prosperity
Of Il church depends to Il great extent
| upon their meeting together to sing and pray
and hear the Gospel preached. What shall
lac done with them: One Of the resolutions
above reported proposes their resllsitation.
| The speaker suggested that the Prcsbytcrics
send suitable men to !he vacant churches to
gather the scattered sHe4p and To encourage
them to meet together weekly, whether there
is Il minister with them or not. Let them
| hold Il praycr-lnceting and hear Il sermon
read. Thus may the c,tl>c be revived and
the now dormant churches he brought into
fruitful action. He knew oil and citcd in
stances in which this plan had wrought " on
drOus results.
Rev. Dr. Marshall. OF Lexington. wa, the
next spcakcl. He spoke al length OF Texas
a< 4 missionary ticld second To none in lis
claims upon the Christian Church. There
was IL fine foundation there 70 build on, but
men and money were wanted. He thought
the men could be found if the money was
raised. Indeed, he had come 10 the concI-
sion thai the want of money WAS the root of
the whole evil. 1t was impossible tor men
to live on faith alone, although it had been
very nearly done in Texas. The speaker saw
il brother present who had lived for months
ON boiled corn and faith.
He remarked, also, that gOni men were
needed for the Texan field. They had no use
for inyalids or persons in search Of well
ftithered ncsl:. They wanted lacn OF .iu,l!s-
ment and ability---men who Gm live on very
little, and in the mean time work and wait.
In conclusion, the Doctor made IN earnest
appeal for the prayers, Synpathies, and con-
1rihutiOns of the Church in aid OF The spread
OF the Gospel in the Southwest.
Rev. DR.. Bunting, OF BraZo>, TrXas, fol-
lowed DR.. Marshall in III earnest and clo-
q,lent appeal in behalf of the Sne great field
: He sketched the history OF llIs. Presbyterian
Church in Texas, beginning with the date OF
the organization of the first church
in the days of the Texan Republic.
1t had long enjoyed Il foot-hold there,
but had done little in COMPARISON with
what other denominations have ccompliShed.
The example of others should stimulate Us.
1t is territory naturally belonging 10 lis,
and we need men aud Meals 10 occupy ii.
The SllStcntatiOn Committee have apprc-
c,lcd the situation, and are doing what they
can for Texas, but their efforts cannot be SUE
ccSstul unless seconded by the people. Let
the money be raised and the mcn would not
be lacking.
When DR.. Bnnting concluded the doX-
ologv, Praise God from whom all blessings
tiow,' was sung, and the Assembly adj
nurned until % O'Clock this morning.
Postal.
A new puSt-oiiice is established at Fruit
Plain, northumberland county, VA, OH the
route from Warsaw to kilmarnock, with
William A. Wilson ~ postmaster. Also at
Buffalo Ridge, Patrick county, Va, with
Thomas Jefferson, postmaster, on the route
from Patrick Courthouse to Floyd Court.
house and at Flat Rock, Powhltan county
Va. with Augustus NJ. Shooter Us pOStmas.