The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-04
RELIGIOUS.

FOURTH DAYS ocEEDINGs-DoMEsTIC AMI
FOREIGN MISSIONS.

FOREIGN MISSIONS.
Reported for the Dispatch.l
CHARLoTTEsvILLR, November 9, 1888.
Synod met at $3.50, and after devotional
exercises and reading and correcting the
minutes, the question OF the place for the
next meeting Of Synod came up.
The churches in Lexington, Wytheville,
Fredericksburg, and Lewisburg all send
invitations. and, after a lively debate,
Wytheyille was selected.
The report on home missions came up,
and Rev. Samuel Watkins, OF Rocking
ham, criticised some OF it, statements.
Rev. w. f. Baker, OF stanton, held that
the aggreSsiveness OF the ministers was
crippled by inadequate support. A car
riage-driver in New York gets better pay,
he said, than many OF our preachers in
Virginia. Rev. Il. c. Gordon, OF Salem,
and DR.. McIlwaine, OF Hampden-Sydney,
followed in the same line. The Presby-
terry Of Lexington had guaranteed 500
salary to every preacher who gives his
whole time to the work Of the ministry.
Rev. j. G.. Carson, OF Bristol, urged
greater activity in the work OF evangelical
ton, especially in the line OF colportage.
Rev. K. s. Walker, OF Augusta, gave an
account Of evangelical work in Lexington
Presbvtery. Rev. William Il. Hill, Of
Covington, told Of the work in the Pres
bytery OF Greenbrier, where there is one
PRESBYTERIAN preacher TO $4,000 people.
Hon. j. l.. Marye, OF Fredericksburg,
earnestly argued for greater liberality in
supporting the ministry and in all Christian
work.
The discussion was interrupted by the
- ho a., fnrat.yp fnfc.innS Tho
first address was by Rev. Henry Woods,
recently ordained missionary to China. He
favored, he said, the idea OF foreign mis-
siOns in the promise to Abraham IN the
Psalms and in Isaiah. Rev. G. w. Painter,
missionary to China, followed. China is,
he said, the great stronghold OF heathen-
ism. 1t has great agricultural wealth. Its
mineral resources are undeveloped. The
Government was reviewed and the polltl-
cal divisions pointed out. Mr.. Painter
opposed any legislation hostile TO
| China. He reviewed Chinese history, go
ing back to the time OF Abraham. The
present code Of laws is, he said, 1000
years old. and commands the respect OF
learned European iurists. The art OF
printing was known in China 400 years be-
| fore CaXton. The ethical literature OF
China was, he said, OF very high order,
| bat il was destitute OF any real religious
sentiment and knows nothing Of a future
life. The Chinese are " AgnOstics." Their
greatest moral teacher taught them to lie,
and they do it TO perfection. They are
practically goddess. They know nothing
of heaven and he'll, and yet they fear the
hereafter. Ancestral worship is their re-
lieion. Their ethical systems teach charity,
| but the practice is almost unknown. 1hey
weigh and measure their sins, and then at
tempt TO balance accounts by doing merl-
torious deeds. Mr.. Painter spoke very SEN
siblv, and deeply interested the audience
DR.. Leighton Wilson, OF Baltimore, Sec
rotary for foreign missions, spoke. lie Is
over seventy years Old, but his voice Is
well modulated, and he is easily heard.
The foreign mission work was not, he lie
clared, waste Of our means. IL was IKE
the alabaster box OF ointment which q
woman broke and empticd upon the head
of Christ. DR.. Wilson alluded feelingy to
his call TO labor a. a missionary in Africa,
in which land he labored for twenty years.
He organized two churches, educated a
GOOD many preachers, and translated por-
lions OF the Scriptures into two OF the Ian
cuages OF Africa. DR.. Wilson's speech
was a plain, earnest statement OF his own
Experiences as a missionary. Ii was list
ened to with profound interest.
Rev. John A. Preston was called upon
TO lead the Synod in prayer for Gods
blessing upon the young missionary, Mr.
Woods, who is to 90 to China.
The report of the Committee on Nara
tives of the state Of Religion in the Bounds
of the synod was read by DR.. III. {. Alex
ander, of Union Theological Seminary
The report, upon the whole, is eneou
raging; but called attention to the little
importance which too many churches at
tach to the prayer-meetings. Some TWEEN
tv-one churches reported reyivals. The
great need of more. preachers was empha
sized. Not much has been done among
the colored peop,e. and there is said to b'
little encouragement to work among them
Altogether too little attention was paid t.
family worship, but it is believed tina
some OF the Presbyterians were improving
In this direction.
Some criticism was made OF the dis
couraging view of the report as to tn
matter of work among the colored people
pending which the hour for adiournmen
arrived.