The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-04-15


Withespoon earnestly deprecated. These
brethren could not support their families on /
less. .thaH they are now receiving. The third |
sugsestion-to group feeble, churches, when. |
ever practical able-was perhaps the best soiH-
tion Of the. difficulty. And yet there weret
many practical objections to this course. He |
hoped the feeble churches would be fostered 1
uBfi1 Tide. Water Virginia was flied up with
q denser. population, Of which he had hopes
at no distant day.
Rev. j. .sM. Rose, who had been appointed |
TO address the Presby terry and the coDgre.
gatioH, said that he proposed advocating the
claims of new field (snfolkl and that his
.remarks would not be appropriate at this
stage Of the business.
.,t AvAsGHLlsTIc LABOR.
RsY. N. II. Woods then read report ger.
man to the general subject under considers
,tion-namely, the report Of the Presbytery
to the General Assembly On the subject of
Evangelistic Labor.
This report sets forth the wants of the very
large territory within the bounds ofthe Pres
Etytery. There is field that calls for the
services Of at least four evangelists, whilst we
have but one.
Rev.J. P. Smith read report on the cir.
cular Of the
sUsrBNTAfIoN CoMAITTEB,
which had been referred for consideration
to committee of which he was chairman.
He hesitatea to read the circular reported
on because OF Its great length. The read
ing, however, being called for, the long but
able and earnest circular Of the committee
was read to the Presbytery.
The report states that this year the
Presbytery has labored to secure the
grouping of the weaker churches into
self.sEstaining charges, but the territory
is SO large and the church so scattered that
| only a partial success is possible. or tie 25
churches on the roll 19 have been brought UP
| to systematic contribution. In 1s14-T5, 19
| churches contributed to sustenanee S2,488.
This year 16 churches contributed $3,W8-
an increase of $3.50. Of the s3,07s
given during the past year to sus-
ieentation more than one ealf-Sl,7 I'LL
has been given by oae church-the Second
1 church at Richmond. Excluding this very
considerable advance, the churches have
fallen behind former contributions. The
| Presbytery therefore recommends that the
sessions of all our churches give special and
|! formal consideration to the cause, inquiring
whether more cannot and ought not to be
| done through regular church contributions
ladies' societies, Sunday schools, SC. The
1 report further recommends that the chair
man of the Executive Committee be directed
to write to the sessions Of Amelia, PoWhatan,
Williamsburg, Sassex, bethany, and Make
mie churches, and urge upon them the duty
of securing contributions from theil
churches, sc.
Mr.. Smith said some things he heard hai
touched his heart Our churches must Ho
permit the salaries OF those who were preach
Il ing to the weak churches to be cut down
Whatever may be- the labor and sacrifice
necessary to stir up the churches to preVen
!; this deplorabie consequence we must no
shrink from 1t. These meagre salaries mus
not be diminished. It shall not be. I
would be o sbaGe .ts the Presbytery., H
urged that the sessions take the course re
commended In the report submitted.
aKNEEsxz, DISCUSSION.
i The Moderator stated that the whole sub
ject presented In these reports was open TO
discussion and such action as might be pro
posed.
Rev. j. N. Rose made some most interest
ing statements with regard to the prospect
of establishing church at Suffolk. Las
June few Presbyterians-about Dozen
that live in that community had been gath
cred into church, the organization o
which had not beencompleted because thes'
! were not suitable persons for church officers
most of them being female members. Sci
tiers have since msved to the place, making
about fifteen members of the Presbyterian
Church. Suffolk is row growing rapidly
its oyster trade becoming more important
Mr.. Rose had learned of other members o
our Church who are soon to remove to tht
place. A gentleman has already purchased
land for small colony. Several others have
made arrangements to settle then-amone
them three Presbyterian elders. Ht
thought before the endof the year fifty Pres
byterians might be gathered. These settlers
!, coming from Pittsburgh and vicinity, vii
Y secure q missionary fIom the Northern
u Church, and organize church in connection
i with the Northern Assembly il we do MOI
soccupy the field. There is also probability
that United Presbyterian church will bs
.lerganized If we do not organize one. Bu
i the field is ours If We are ready to possess 1t
Ehere was, too, good prospect OF securing
saeans for church building If we would &C
ct once.
/ Mr.. Rose suggested thst either a few o
the stronger churches support another evan
gesiss.for this field, or, if this could not bt
done, that Mr.. Lewis, who now preache;
TIVE sabbaths a. month In Williamsburg
shoniG be directed TO preach one Sabbath
each month in Suffolk.
/ DIR. BnoWn said he had always felt the
deepest interest in this cause OF domestic
missions. He believed the Church would
make mere progress, as had been recently
ably showa in an address at the The0
logical Seminary by DR.. Vaughan, if The
| office of evangelist had the prominence 10
! the working Of our system that it has In oul
theory. he thought it very desirable thai
i.the Presbytery should take steps TO secure
the services Of an able evangelist for the
work that Providence is opening up for US.
Elder Peaehy r. @rattan said he did not
think it necessary to resort to the. expedlent
suggested by the committee of grouping
| churches together under enc pastor. The
churches of our Presbytery are able to pay
all that is necessary to sustain all these feeble
churches. If the people were Informed as
| to the necessities of the work he believed
they would respond literally.
sUsrESTArIos AND EvANGELIzAT1oN.
The reports read having been all received,
Rev. Il. NJ. Woods offered the following re-
solutions:
1. Resoloed, That from and after this date,
or where engagements are now in force
which cannot be dsannulled at once without
great Convenience after the termination Of
those engagements, the Presbytery shall take
into its own hands the whole question of
susteptation and eYapgelization for its own
exclusive management and control within its
own Presbyterial bounds.
2. That so far from Presbytery's with