The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-05-25

Two years ago the Assembly appointed
Drs. Girardeau, Dabney, and Peck a
committee to prepare this report. 1t
discusses thoroughly the office and func-
tons of Deacons in the Church and has
an intimate relation to the questions
which are agitated in regard to the ma
chinery of our benevolent enterprises.
The report takes the ground that to the
deacons alone belong the management of
all the temperatures of the Church, and
the collection and distribution of funds
for pious uses. 1t will be easily seen
how the application of this teaching would
affect the work of our Executive Com
mittees, and the bearing it might have
upon the question of reform, so-called
There was an effort made to consider this
report at once, and get the judgment of
the Assembly in regard to it, as step
towards the settlement of the plans for
conducting our benevolent enterprises.
But the great length of the report (the
reading of it consuming more than an
hour) and the novelty Gas it appeared to
mapy) and Importance of the principles
involved, determined the Assembly to
postpone its consideration for another
year. The report will be printed and
laid before the churches.
The whole of the remaining hours of
Saturdays session and of this day has
been occupied in the discussion of the
reform movement Rev. A. G. Hopkins,
chairman of the committee on this subject,
supported, in an able speech, the views
presented in the majority report. He
spoke two hours Saturday and more than
an hour this morning, so that his oppo-
nent, Rev. S. T. Martin, humorously said
he had occupied considerable portion
of two weeks in the discussion. Mr..
Martin, who is the author of the minority
report, replied in a speech of equal abil-
ity, but evidently labored under the dis
advantage of feeling that the current Of
opinion in the Assembly was against him.
He carefully distinguished between the
minority report and the question of re-
form, and labored to show that even il
very few would fully endorse the report
there was very widespread desire in the
Church to make some modification of the
machinery of its benevolent enterprises
His objection to the secretariat was moi
on account of the men who held the office
but on account of the Office itself.
LIST. AS contrary to the genius of Pres.
byterianism, and dangerous to the liber-
ties of the Church.
I'd. AS calculated to repress the gifts
of Christ''s people to benevolent obi ects
The development of the grace of giving
and OF the activities of the people was
not by the secretariat but by the pastorate
Sd. The proper financial agents of the
Church should be deacons and not min.
listers appointed to be secretaries.
Judge Bullock, of Louisville, KY.
earnestly deprecated any attempt to up-
settle plans which had operated SO well
as these in the Church. No change
should be made unless found to be abso-
lutely necessary. He presented letter
to the Assembly which he had Just re-
ceived from DR.. Stuart Robinson. This
letter was read and listened to with great
interest. DR.. Robinson expressed his
decided conviction that the agitation oil
this subject was likely to do mischief
to impair the confidence of the people in
our Church work and hinder its progress.
Instead of unceasing fault-fnding let us
rather strive to give effect to our plans
and push forward our work for the sue
cess of which we only need earnest and
united effort AS yet the Assembly has
not reached any result, and the discus
sion will be resumed tomorrow.
Tonight the report on Foreign Mis-
sions will be considered, and addresses
will be made by Drs. Hoyt and Palmer.
Yesterday all the churches in the city
were filled by appointments from the AS
sembly. We had the pleasure Of hear
ing DIR. W. E. Boggs in the morning at
the Baptist church, and in the evening
DIR. Palmer at the First PRESBYTERIAN
church, which was packed to its utmost
/ 1aw III.