The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-11-12
Report of Executive Committee
on Sabbath Schools to Win
chester Presbytery.

The Sabbath School Executive Com
mittee would report to Presbytery the
following propositions as embodying the
truth as related TO Sabbath Schools and
the Church's position, relative to this i'm
portant work
LIST. The foundation of all authority in
religious faith and duty is the revealed
will of Christ, the adorable and divine
Head of the Church. The work Of the
Church is not left to the deduction Of our
reason, nor to the dictations of expe
diency. The Church is not left free to
pursue the course as reason may suggest,
or, as policy and changing fashion may
seem to entice or allure her She is to
evangelize the world. She is to disciple
all nations, teachiag them whatsoever He
has commanded.
There may be left some margin-some
freedom to the Church-as to the place,
the time, and the mode of imparhng her
instructions to the world; but 10h0t she
is to teach is the truth of God, the 1chole
truth of God, and nothing but the truth
of God.
Ind. The Saviour not only gave com
mission to his apostles to preach His Cos
pei to every creature; but in the organi-
cation of his Church He has called all
believers to be co-workers with His min
listers, yea, co-workers with God in the
building up of his kingdom on earth
The whole Church is one body; yet this
one body hath many members. And
while all members have not the same Of
fee, yet every member that is in vital
union with the head has, undoubtedly,
some work to do in spreading abroad the
light of the glorious gospel.
Whilst, therefore, it is true that God
authorized and appointed a class Of men
to be His heralds and ambassadors to
preach his gospel, and whilst we hold
that he has continued this order Of men,
and to the end of time, they are to be
called and set apart to the work by His
Church in an orderly manner we at the
same time believe there is room and vo-
cation for all who love Christ to aid in
this great work of disseminating the Cos
pei. In perfect accord with these two
propositions, is the
3rd. The Sabbath School properly re-
garded is the whole Church at work-not
only among her children-but upon all,
old and young who may, or can be
reached by her many tongued teachers
The Sabbath School of the past fifty
years was the Church at work with the
young only-the children of the Church.
and the children Of the strangers and
those out of the way.
But as the gospel needs diffusion, not
only among the young, but among all
classes and ages, we are sure that when
the Church shall come up to the full
measure of her duty, the Sabbath School
of the future will be the whole Church at
work, receiving and imparting the light
of truth, to young and to old, to those
within and without the pale of the
Church. The Church which is the School
of Christ will be ever learning and ever
teaching the truth as it is in Jesus.
4th. The ministry of the word will not
be slurred or dishonored by the Sabbath
School properly conducted AS a college
does not detract from the honor Of its
president, by having large number Of
students, and large corps of professors
and tutors under him; so the Church
does not vacate, or dishonor the teaching
elder or pastor who superintends and di-
reefs all the course of spiritual instruc-
ton impaired in his charge. There need
be no conflict, or jar, in the scriptural and
divine machinery.
As the pastor is the teacher Of the
whole congregation, of the young and old,
his position and work must necessarily
imply that he shall have the instruction
of the Sabbath School teacher, and a
superintendent of the whole school, how
ever large and wherever ramifed. He,
as pastor, should have reports from sup
erintendants and teachers as to all that
is taught in his charge.
5th. This brings us to our last propo-
sition, viz: that all Sabbath Schools
should be under the control Of the pas
tor, and elders of the Church. To them
should belong the power Of appointment
of suitable persons to the several offices
in the Sabbath School, 50 that there may
be harmony and concerted wisdom in all
that is devised and done in the Sabbath
School, and in the congregation. We're
this subordination to the session Of the
Church maintained, we can see that many
tendencies to evil would be avoided, and
the whole energy and wisdom of the con-
gregation developed in the highest and
best good to all. Let us not encourage
the idea that the Sabbath School Is II
val or a substitute of the Church. Let
us hold to the safe, the scriptural and,
we think, the truly Presbyterian idea
that the Sabbath School is verify the
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