The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-27
...,.0,. i the church belongs to the

~. ,.cr.meut. Of the Church oe'o"E' " '"'
ordained m hnnw aid that the Constitution
pr, wU %'.,ro, had already settled tue mat
anu 'n Ts w .ssndard had already peen es.ao.
, ,e,. .cd 70 attempt to modify or cnangc
tsa dcc, zines Of the Church was a.Dse'I re-
s"s. I 70 The subject under dlscuss'vn' M
so,d that the 15Sth question 10 Tue Lalss'
C"sechism was explicit upon tnIs very pv the
and settles II beyond ell conirose'rSyy. .rd ~
nmestion is "By whom IS ,ne WI, s,ror
God IN be preached y" Ana .ne aII ~ %
reads as follows: "Tbe Wora u All
he preached only by such as are sun SUN "ai,ed
gifted. and also duly approved a"u '"s"
TO that Office"
OPPOSITION TO INNOVATION
Tho Rev. Jahleel woodbridge thought
r.. sI,o Church Of God should set us ioot
down upon any innovation upon Tue '~''
Of the ministry. oeerod Inv
The following substitute was ohereo W
the Rev. w. c. Primrose o.ro,
"Tt "a the Judgment Of this General AS
s.,,,hIv that the official preaching by women
,s not sustained by the Word OF God, ana
sbonld moi be countenanced by any cnurch
holding connection with this General AS
DR. 7. r. Wilson referred to the tendency
| NJ the times in the direction OF lay preacn-
In, and hoped the substitute would NOT
receive the support OF tue Assembly. NO
harm could come from the adoption OF tue
renort Of the committee. There could be
no misconception OF its meaning. VI.
Woodrow had anticipated him In dennins
the technical use OF the word preachiug'
No one denies the right OF any one TO ex-
hort, but no unordained person mas Tue
right to "preacb."
DR.. Kirkpatrick made the point OF order
that the substitute was In the nature OF al
amendment, and could not be entertained:
The Moderator ruled the substitute out OIL
order.
The Rev. Mr.. Primrose appealed from the
ruling OF the Moderator, who was sustained
| by the Assembly.
THE RIGHT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.
The Rev. Mr.. Martin insisted that it was
exceedingly important the Church snouid
| issue no uncertain sound upon this subject,
because In various parts OF the country we
are overwhelmed by self-constituted preach
ers Of the gospel. Even so distinguished a
man as DR.. Bonneman holds that the only
distinction between independently and pres
byterianism is that the independents claim
that every man has the Inherent right 10
preach the gospel. Lay preachers are COM
| ing upon the country like flood, ana he
hoped the report would be adopted.
DIR. Girardeau moved to amend the re-
port BY inserting the words "and Official"
so as to read "public and official preach
ing" He thought this would meet all the
necessities OF the case.
STUDENTS PREACHING.
DR.. Woodrow said that the Assembly at
Knoxville had refused its sanction to un-
authorized preaching. 1t Is common
thing for not simply so-caled eyangellsts,
but for theological students totally unbt Tor
the work OF the ministry to preach. There
can be only one kind Of preaching, and the
Assembly can recognize no other. III II say
public official preaching, it will in effect give
its consent that other preaching Is author.
lied than that approved by the Church and
authorized in the Scriptures. 1t is OF the
last degree OF importance whether the
preaching OF the Gospel is to be carried on
not BY constituted ministry, but by "good
men, II this plan is to be set up the AS
sembly should say SO, but so long as the
Church has a cons tuition and catechism it
should stand by them, and not by intro
ducing new element into the ministry
bear down the walls and say that the
Church has no constitution.
DR.. Leyburn said that the very matter OF
difficulty would be remedied by changing
the report so as to read: "Inasmuch as the
public preaching OF women is not sane
toned by the Word OF God and the stand
ards OF the Church, it is not to be counte-
napced."
Dir. J. Z. Wilson moved that the whole
matter be ref, rred back to the committee for
further consideration.
EXPLORATION.
The Rev. A. w. Clsby said the course OF
the discussion showed the great importance
OF adopting the report pure and simple.
The objection is raised that the brethren do
not want to bave the preaching OF theologi-
cal students estopped. This would not
prevent them from exhorting. But preach
ing il the public authoritative exposition OF
the Word OF God, and it belongs to that
man who has learned to know what Gods
Word is. II should be done only by the re-
cognized officers OF the ChuI CHI set apart for
this work.
The motion to recommit was lost.
Mr.. Walsh moved TO lay the amendments
oil the table. Carried.
DR.. Girardeau said il the Assembly adopt
ed the report OF the committee it would pre-
vent the public appearance OF theological
students. He thought the matter ought to
be left to the presbyteries. There is broad
distinction between public eXhortation and
official preaching. He was decidedly OPP
posed to the restriction Of Christian effort.
There should be some limitation, and this
might be fixed by the Assembly declaring
that no public or official preaching shah be
done by any but regularly minis
tiers OF the Church.
"OFFICIAL."
The Rev. j. N. CLANCY thought the addi-
ton OF the word official" would discount
tenance the labor OF those who never could
labor officially"
DR.. j. X. Wilson said the Assembly should
avoid anything like surplusage, and the
word "public" in the report applies to
everything that Is called preaching. An
official preacher Is one on whom the Office
OF preaching has been laid. II an official
woman preacher had been licensed and or
dained according to the standards OF her
own Church, she would be officially author
lied. The word "public" includes the
whole matter.
DR.. Kirkpatrick asked whether the addi-
ton OF the word "official" would exclude
woman who had been ordained in some
other Church recognized by the Presbyte-
rian as fraterna, for there are other Churches
in correspondence with this Church who
recognize women preachers.
DR.. Girardeau argued that the word
"otticial" would not take away from the
theological students the right to exhort.
The Rev. Mr.. Reed said that 1t is, per-
haps, more necessary for young ministers
to be instructed than old ones. The ques-
.. 10