The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-10-28

$1icn has SpcClst uiSa""ey n conn.
excellence In the young anu o'o' a,,r obi.
&c They chose the best they cou,o hnu,
h,,t - was due to them that the elsu' 20
,;ne hundred ministers Of our ChuIeu'
,.hnm there are 19i in Virginia, ana QUIZ
comna,ent writers, male and female, snou.u
sond thcm appropriate original mat,er iroAn
s,.hSoh RI furnish reading for our childreh'
The subject before Synod-the cause OF
referred 10 speclal CON-
mIttee. r.rro n
A rmstronr preached an impressive anu al
Alter dinner Synod assembled at half-past
3 O'Clock. The committee appointed 10 re-
view the records of Lexington PresbyteFy
brought in an exception to the action OF tnat
body in diyestipg DR.. w. II. Ruffner, at bis
own request, of the ministerial ONCE.
Rev. NJ II. Bilitnger, of the committee,
sustained the exceptions by citations from
the Assembly's digest.
Rev, J, r. Botcmdn defended the Tres
bytery by reading from the Form OF uo,
yernment, which provides that elders ana
deacons NAV 10. certain cases be removed
without implying hercsy or immortality, and
commended that by the phrase contained ID
the clause in reference to ministers id
like circumstances authority TO remove
ministers was implied. He referred TO tne
distinction of minus and Cttclun'-tne ior-
mer is the PERSONAL gift or calling OF the pro-
tber which makes him minister as he IS
man. the latter is the function conferred by
ordination.
Rev. S. ". Watkins took the opposite
ground, and wanted to know when you
take away the oticium what becomes OF the
inuh,tS.
Rev. ]. a. Lcferre agreed with Mr.. Wat
kins. and argued that the two gifts or quail
tications are inScpirable.
DR.. X. Is. JVh1te said that dismIsslon OF the
ministry in tue Presbyterian Church was
impossible. He said the precedent was
darccrous. Others might wish 10 dIVes1
one of bis ministerial functions against MS
own wish, and minister might apply Tor
discharge from bis office on account OF de-
spordencv or encouragement. He spoke In
the highest terms Of DR.. RUflner ana us
conscientious motives, and appreciated the
position of The PreSbytery when Appealed 10
by a gentleman Of SUCH character.
Dr T. Z. prcston's argument was in favor
If the action of Presbytery. Presbytcry
was. he said, induced by their belief IN the
call of the Spirit, in the first instance, to or
dain Mr.. kuAner. No" the voice OF IroVl'
dcncc. bv Mir. Rut1ncl's physical inability
and forced silence for tWcnty-one years,
spoke to the Prcsbytery. DR.. Preston sald
that the Providence in the latter case was 10
be regarded as equally potential with the
call of the Spirit. DR.. Rullner bad, in
sweet and gentle terms Of reverence for the
{,1I ~ q
ricpcc Of twcnty-one years, in which he had
been compelled, While yet minister, 70 en-.
gage in secular pursuits, had constrained
him to ask thai he might lay down the office.
He had told PreSbytery that as he had not
in all these years performed the functions OF
a minister he cid not expect to be able ever
to do so. To impose the Office upon him
under such circumstances was TO put MIN IN
false position before the world-was to
dishonor him by making him TO sail under
false colors-to make him appear minister
against his own will-when saving his cha.
racter as a Christian he is and can be, in The
ordinary pursuits Of life, only a secular man.
Judqe Inqlis, ruling elder, said that az
there was no authority in the book for the
action it was nullity. ifthe law is wrong,
correct the law. There is disposition to
break the bands of the law. If anywhere we
should look for restraint upon this DISPOSE
ton it should be in the Presbyterian Church,
and if anywhere in the Presbyterian Church
we should look for it in the Synod Of Nir-
ginia. Mr. Inglis argued that there was no
d,shonor in Mr.. Rutlner'S engaging in secu-
lar pursuits while yet a minister. He need
not use his titles in business. IL a lawyer,
he need not write on bis sign CIV. Ii. Ruff.
ner, ID. D., attorney at law"
Railing Elder Gray. of Culpeper, derived
authority for the GemiSsion Of the sacred
office from the clause which authorizes the
removal of elders and dcaconS, and refers to
the removal of ministers under similar cir
cumStances.
Rer. J. A. Leferre spoke again, and said
that man once minister was always a
minister.
Reu. ". T. Richardson claimed the au-
thOrity of previous action of the same sort
on the records Of Lexington Presbytery
twenty-five years ago, from which no eXcep-
ton had ever been taken by any higher court.
This subject pressed upon the conscience Of
DR.. Rutfuer six or seven years ago. and for
all these years tue question has been before
him, How shall get relief? not because he
not did desire the work of the ministry, but
because he could not perform it and felt that
he was occupying false position. Judge
Inglis, with all due Difference to his legal
knowledge, had misnterpreted the Con-
stitution. 1t is always eXpedient TO do
IN the back. We could not tell Or. Rufluer
90 and commit crime-because you are an
fnli In
could not do this though his health suffered
under the trouble of his conscience. | want
some people in this State 10 know this trou.
bic Of conscience was no recent thing, but 1t
has existed for seven or eight years.
Recess to =. DR.. Hoge breaches at the
same hour in the Methodist church, which is
used for this purpose.
Synod reasscmbled at Il O'Clock, and re-
Sumcd the consideration of the exception to
the minutes OF Lexington Presbyter which
declares The motion of that body in divestipg
Dr.. w. II. Rutfner Of the ministerial office
to be unconstitutional.
Ruling Elder Colonel II. j. l.. Preston took
the floor in favor of the action of Pres
bytery. He said that he had understood from
the arguments of the members on the other
side that there was no direct clause in the
book forbidding the action of Presbytery.
This Prcs6ytery had in three instances taken
similar action, and there had been no eXcep.
ton 10 their records on this account. Thirty.
one PreSbyterieS IN 1913 had voted for a new
and direct law to dire>t Il minister of his Of
flee, and tWenty.nine only bad voted against
it, which showed that the mind OF the Church
was divided Oh this subject. Colonel Pres
ton stated, in an interesting manner. the ma.
turc OF call TO the ministry, showing that
it embraced consccration Of all the candi-
,late's time toIaptS GO RI tko ,,,,rI- go. 4