The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-11-06
SYNOD or VIRGINIA.
x,.es,.Courss Annual sssssen.
reur.h Dar-Niss, session.

=. vras Scccted a. Ahc hvAt pNaS. VI 4
buis - az synod by y vote OF 90 70 81 Tor /
h,,cS,isstnvn, W. Va. subsequently TINS
V 49, rcconsidered, aud ChariestoWn /
to'0 se,rcted by a vote oil Is 20 81 i
psy. Dr. Finley presented ,ne report OF /
~ committee on Systemst,c psu.,V '. I
NJ sS total contributions OF inc ffesoyte I
~ six objects ordered oy the Hehsral /
I...emhlv were ~ follows ADih8oon' I
.S,ts. Chesapeake, Si,934 last Hanover /
$500, Montgomery. S5,4s1; Roanoke, |
slit,eso,s west Hanover, 22,505; Winches- /
s|e,S',o Total increase, e6,073.
%, nr Armstrong, from the commit |
,ebo,n the matter Of dissolNinc Sac
iee \. - prcsbvtcry. in Brazil, was referred,
tau- resolution dissolying that Pres
ieiN.s dirccting it, records to be deposited
o{.tg' ~ synod 81 Virginia, and rcmanding
VIZ ministers 20 the PreSOyteries TO
,i.h they formerly belonged.
p,u1NG EIDEH HOLD rnE oYlcsoF
xoDERAT0Rg
p.v pr. Willism Brown. chairman, sub
.',t,1 a report on the above subject, which
l','.1e The order OF the day for saturday,
,s,rhich report is maintained the theory
80. while no express provision OF Cnufch
i.go iorhids the election OF arulng o!oer 10
80 noSltion Of moderator, YET IN view OF
-. nearly universal usage OF the ChlrcA
80 oifiee Of moderator had al al tunes
hsftrr be- filed by minister inc COM
80. sl., presented the following resolu-
me. nc thcir conclusion i'm similar case
IN. i'm The PrcsbytcTy OF Grcenhricr:
P,eoh,ed. That while the ruling elder
...c..os In courts Of the Church the same
l,.hcr;fy ~ The minister, and is nowhere
.-.,nrcSs terms prohibited by the eonStl-
me-, ~ our Church from holding,the Of
So. - moderator. Vet. upon reference %
IL, ,,i,ces i'm our Rules OF Government
~ Discipline. il appears by necessary
~a,,..o,,euce that this Office in all our
Ch,,r.b courts Except on extraordinary
-.c,si,rs in the session. Is to be filed by a
..,,i..cr oi the Word, and that this view
e. .o,frfocd bv immemorial Presbyterian
-, aud bv the decisions OF our General
Assembly, in 1876 and 1878.
> That the action Of the Proshytcry OF
cr,anhrier i'm elccting . ruling elder rs
,,,llr,tor was not 4 regular proceeding,
rl.the- indeed by the provisions OF our
t,rr,er or our present constitution, ana
ibli the execution taken by the Cominltlec
N povicw I'M 1879 be sustained, and also
T,.t n e,oy ri these resolutions be entered
mon the records OF said Prcsbytery.
Tbe report was received and aenotlon
ga. made 20 adopt the resolutions.
mis- motion elected an Interesting DIS
.,,.si,,- which was participated in by DIR.
smth. Judge Christian, and others, ana
Anon made the first order Of the day to-day.
Fifth nay.
synod met at - O'clock-thc Moderator
I'm fine chair. Prayer 10y Rev. Dr.. tlniey.
c,y, rrIlNG ELDER HOLD TIE OFFICE OF
nODEEATOEf
The first order Of the day was the report
and resolutions offered by Rev. Or. Brown
on thi.'subieet Oh Friday night.
Tbi, Is a matter tha. las caused a great
deJ IL interest i'm The Synod for one or
two vesrs. and IL gave rise to an elaborate,
aldo. and interesting discussion, when
was participated in by Dr.. William Brown,
Hon. John l.. Marye. Rev. u. K. Howison,
Rev. d.. II. ". Lacy, Dr. smith, Rev. [.
/. Uoeuc. and Others. DR.. Brown closed
tIe debate. discussing the rights OF the
elder>bip. quoting authorities end giving
decisions II General Assemblies on the
subject.
Finally there was q call for the uf'tion,
and the resolutions were adopted by very
decided vote.
STATE OF RELIGION IN THE PREsBYTEElEs.
Rev. p. p. Flomnoy chairman submit
ted the report OF the Committee on Nara
tive Of the State Of Religion, OF when the
following is an abstract:
The Committee Of synod OF Virginia
bees leave to present to that body the lol-
lowing narrative Of the state oil religion
within It's bounds:
/. As TO the official fidelity OF our min
i.ters. elders, and dcacOns only slXeo the
Presbyteries make explicit statement. III
some Of these, while there IS general COM
mendation. there is complaint on the ground
Of neglect Of pastoral visitation on the parI
Of ruling elders, and one report mentions
the failure Of elders in attendance on the
meetings o. PresbyteTy. 1t seems also liia'
there Is want Of organization and con-
sequent lack Of efficiency in the discharge
OF their duties on the part OF the deacohS
in some Of the churches.
>. The attendance on public worship Is
reported as almost uniformly good.
3. None of the PresbyterieS report any
very marked evidence Of general out
pouring OF the Holy Spirit.
4. The reports with regard to lntempc'
rance and worldliness vary much III tnt
ease OF different PresbyteTies. There /
no especial trouble on the score OF intern
pcrate indulgence in Intoxicating liquors
3. Only two OF The PresbyterieS report
ing state that The duty OF family worship l.
generally and faithfully performed. Inc
synod feels that there II great reason u
clll upon our ministers ana eiders 70 pcSlu
Themselves I'm the efforts to lay this duty OF
the consciCnces Of the heads OF families.
G. With regard 10 the catechetcal IN
strnction OF The young in sunday schools
and families, the reports indicate lncreaslnS
interest in general Suuday-school WORK
but not in the study OF the Catechisms o
the Church.
:. Most OF the Presbytcrlcs report very
general negligence in the Observance o
the sabbath. Sunday visiting seems greatly
prevalent. and perhaps Increasing, III soih'
localities. Only one prgSbytery reports al
improvement in this respect.
\. There are decided indications that oul
people are growing in the grace OF giving
9. SO far as the matter is reported by oul
Presbvteries, the churches are gehefaIl
supplied with the ministratiOns Of the Cos
pei.
10. The instruction OF the colored PEG
pie is a duty which seems generally ieV
and IN some instances is faithfully per
formed.
The lack Of candidates for the Oospe
ministry Is cause OF great apprehension
and we feel called upon with special earn
eslnes. to pray the God OF the harvest ina
lie viii send forth laborers into his harvest
The report was adopted.
Bills AND ovERTUREs.
Rev. DR.. White. from the Committee OF
Bills and Oycrtures, made report recon-
mending the fourth Thursday in February
70 be observed rs 4 day OF fasting ant