The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-10-25
SYNOD OF VIRGINIA.
Editorial Correspondence)

extreme points within Its bounds. Charles
ton, the capital of West Virginia, is only
so miles from the Ohio river, and is $40
from Richmond the capital of Virginia.
1t is nearly 500 miles from Norfolk or
Baltimore, the extreme points of the
Synod to the east. There is, however, a
very good attendance, about 100 mem
bers being present, and some of them
living at the greatest distance from the
place of meeting. Not all the members
of Greenbrier Presbytery, within the
bounds of which the meeting is held, are
present, and some even of these had to
travel $50 miles to get here. Little could
be gained by any division of Synod in
the matter of facilitating attendance on
the meetings.
This is the era for centepnials. In FIVE
years the Synod of Virginia will hold its
Tooth session. This ought to be appoint,
ed for some central place where the largest
attendance can be secured and provided
for.
1t is hard to realize in Charleston that
we are not in Virginia. The distinction
Of West Virginia as a separate State is
one to which it is not easy to conform our
speech or our ideas. 1t is to us simply
Virginia all the way to the Ohio river
and to the Kentucky border. 1t is only
when these limits are passed that any
Virginian feels that he has got out of his
own State. Whatever ties may bind all
the States together, they are not quite
like those which unite the two parts of
Virginia which always ought to have
been one.
OF course there never was a pleasanter
meeting Of Synod than this, as the last is
always the best, and this will, no doubt
continue to be true until the time shall
come (long may it be deferred) when the
Synod, like the State, shall be rent in
twain. That certainly would be very
bad meeting.
We are favored at this meeting with
the presence of some of our oldest and
most valued members. Dr. Pryor and
Rev. Samuel Brown have both been
preaching fifty years, and DR.. B. NJ
Smith, DR.. Samuel R. Houston and DR..
William Brown nearly as long. They
are regarded not only with veneration
and love, but as our wisest councillors,
and none have taken a deeper interest or
a more active part in the proceedings of
Synod The old men are certainly not
at discount in the Synod of Virginia.
Three Of the fathers, DIR. J. @, Hammer,
DR.. S. B. Jones, and DIR. D. H. Riddle,
who could not be present, and two other
beloved brethren, Rev. DIR. J. M. P.
Atkinson and DR.. D. w. Shanks, suffer-
ing from protracted sickness, were most
afectionately remembered, and the Synod
addressed to them letters of sympathy.
All the great enterprises of the Church,
for extending her work either in the
boundaries of this Synod or to the utmost
limits Of the Church, have received at
tention, and never has any ecclesiastical
body manifested greater unanimity of
purpose to push forward these enter
prises.
In the Evangelistic work of the Synod
much progress has been made but in
such a territory as lies before us in Vir-
ginia, West Virginia, and parts of Mary
land, there are pressing calls for extern
sion. Year after year the chairman of
the standing committee on this work,
Rev DR.. A. G. Hopkins, has faithfully
brought forward every fact and every
argument to excite the Synod to put forth
every effort to supply the destitutions
that remain. The report this year was
particularly full and able. 1t was fol-
lowed by very interesting discussion
and by the adoption Of resolutions, found
elsewhere in this paper, which will, no
doubt, be carried out in successful action.
The fact that Synod was meeting in
Greenbrier Presbyfery, where there is
room for so much development in this
work, greatly increased the interest in
the subject But there is not a Presby-
terry in the Synod that does not present
a wide field for Evangelistic labor. Last
year there were twelve evanpelists re-