The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-27

TIoN-sHALL WOMEN BE ALLo"ED AZ
rRr.cHy-AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION
IN WHICH MANY MEMBERS PARTlci
pArE-ovERTUREs-Fo RECEPTION
OF A MESSENGER FROM THE REFORMED
CHURCH OF AMERICA-THE SUBJECT ot
DANCING AND WORLDLY ADJUSTMENTS.
CHARLESTON, s. c., May A-Promptly al
II O'clock on Thursday last the retiring
Moderator, Rev. Joseph X. Wilson, ID. ".
opened the Assembly, preaching an admf
rable sermon.
The Assembly was organized by the cleo
ton of Rev. DIR. T. A. Hoyt, OF Nashville
Tenn, us Moderator.
Among the commissioners enrolled were
the following from the synod OF virginia
| Abingdon: j. Nj. kirkpatrick, j. II. Cald'
well. Chesapeake: j. A. Scott, w. IL. Hot
laday, East Hanover. j. ID. Dudley, W. N
Scott, d. Calendar, w. j. Dance. Green
brier: ]. II. Lewis, j. NJ. Sydenstrlcker
Lexington j. l.. Kirkpatrick, ID. nj. swift
ger. r. Sitlington. Montgomery: j. M
Rawlings, w. s. Graves. Maryland John
Levburn, l.. c. lnglis. Roanoke: X. G.
Reed, o. G. Clark. West Hanover: l.. b.
Johnston, A. l.. Holiday. Winchester
M. w. Woodwork, j. W. Walkup, 7. W.
BOYD, S. G. Jamison.
Friday morning the Assembly heard the
reports from the Committees OF Home anO
Foreign Missions, Education, and Publica-
ton; the reports from Union Theological
Seminary and the Tuscaloosa Institute fol-
coIored students. and received oyertures
from the presbyteries. These were referred
to the proper committees. To give these
committees time to prepare their reports
the Assembly adjourned at 2 O'Clock until
Saturday morning.
COMMITTEE on PUBLICATION.
The Rev. DIR. Hazen, Of Richmond. OF
fered the report OF the Committee on Pub
lication. Duri0g the past year SS,041. ii
were received from the churches and indl-
yiduals for the publication interests. Only
S6S churches OF 1892 contributed anything
TO the cause. The committee owes debt,
with interest, exclusive OF the mortgage on
the house, OF Sl0,S70. In 1877 this debt
amounted, in round numbers, to $4,000.
The committee publish three Sunday-school
papers, all OF which are in good condition
and have large circulation. During the
past year SO, 900 books and pamphlets were
published by the committee. This great In
terest Of the Church is more encouraging
than it has been for many years, and tie
work that it has accomplished cannot easily
be computed.
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.
Among the noted visitors 10 the Assem-
bly, are DR.. Plumer, OF Columbia, and Dr.
Palmer, OF New Orleans. DR.. Plumer Is
supplying for the present the pulpit OF one
Of the churches in the city.
Personal.
Saturday the report OF the Directors OF
Columbia Seminary was read and referred
to the Committee on Theological Seminaries,
as that from Union Theological Seminary
had been the day before. DR.. Glrardeau has
resigned his professorship OF theology, and
the directors have reported TO the Assem-
bly, that they deem 1t best to close the Semi
nary for the present. DR.. Howe, who has
been professor for fifty years, will have
the oversight of the buildings, with sal.
airy of $1,000, and DIR. Pumer, as emeritus
professor, will have salary Of $1,000, and
DR.. Woodrow will be occupied with his
editorial and other work.
MONDAYS WORK.
The Committee on Oyertures reported on
the overture from the Presbytery OF Men,
phis, asking the General Assembly TO inter-
pref article 5, section -, OF the Form Of Gov
eminent. The committee recommend that
the provision OF the chapter and section in
question is intended as an additional safe
guard to the purity and efficiency OF the
ministry, and the phrase care admitted 10
membership" is to be interpreted in its
most comprehensive sense as regards the
ministry, and applied not only to those adj
I.x, orIs Al y
from other denominations, but also to those
received by letter Of dismission from one
presbytery to another OF our own Church.
WOMAN AS A PREACHER.
The Committee on Overtures reported on
the overture from The Synod OF Texas ask
ing the deliverance OF the General Assem-
bly, upon the question Of women preaching.
This overture came up through the Synod
OF Texas from the Presbytery OF Dallas, the
Synod having already negatiyed the right
of women to preach, and declared that any
one who should introduce woman into the
pulpit guilty of an offence.
The report of committee is as follows:
"Inasmuch as the public preaching OF the
gospel Is a branch OF the ministerial office
to the authorization OF which ordination or
licensure is essential, and inasmuch as in
spired scripture, as interpreted by our
standards, nowhere, In the case OF women,
sanctions such sOemnity, but, on the con.
trary, seems clearly to prohibit 1t, this AS
sembly does therefore declare the assump-
ton OF this sacred office by women to be op-
posed to the advancement Of true piety and
TO the promotion Of tbe'peace OF the Church,
and this to such an extent as 10 make the
introduction Of women into our pulpits for
the purpose OF publicly expounding Gods
Word an irregularity not TO be tolerated"
A motion was made to adopt the report Of
the committee, which brought out very
earnest discussion, in which many of the
most eloquent and forcble speakers OF the
Assembly participated.
A MILDER ANSWER SUGGESTED.
DR.. Leyburn, OF Baltimore, thought that
much milder answer for the Committee on
Overtures to make would be that the women
preaching Is without the sanction OF the
Scriptures.
Judge White, Of Nashville, Tenn, OBJ
jected to the adoption OF the report with
much warmth, and claimed that every Chris.
tian had the right to preach, and it would
be an unheard OF hardship to close the lips
Of any who were calculated in many ways
to extend the knowledge OF Christ. The
Bible sanctions this view OF the subject, for
1t makes it the broad duty OF every true
professor Of religion to spread the know
ledge OF salvation. He was in favor OF
striking out all OF the first part OF the COM
mittee's report. He urged that the adop.
tion OF this report would not only exclude
women from the pulpit, but would also
curtail and prevent the young men Of the
theological seminaries from trying their gifts
OF argument and oratory. The training and
experience the young minister would receive
in this field would be worth more than all