The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1883-02-21

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We regard the subject Of Church Elk
tension as one of the very most impor-
tant matters which concern at present
the Southern Presbyterian Church. Our
estimate of its Importance may be meas
ured by this: that we regard it as trans
cending in Importance the cause of For
eign Missions. Our article on this sub
ject published month or more ago is
calling forth a very noticeable expression
of opinion with regard to the duty of the
Church to take some action in the matter.
Every article which we have received is
IN sympathy with the general views
which we expressed. We publish this
week under the head of "The Voice of
the Church" a number of these commu-
nications and letters All thai we re-
quest in the matter is that the communi-
cations sent US on the subject may be
brief and to the point, and courteous IN
tone.
We need hardly say again that no one
values more highly than we do the care
full training which it has been the policy
of the Presbyterian Church to give to its
ministers. We shall be the last to lower
that standard in any case where the can
didate for the ministerial work has the
.-e means, and the opportunity to
go through the Seminary training at pre-
sent required. Indeed we are in favor
Of extending that course where the candi-
date seems qualified by his talents and
stUdious tastes to equip himself with
even greater learning to meet the de-
mands of the times All that we had in
view in the original article on this sub
juct, and all, as we understand it, that
our correspondents have in view, is to
make provision for the authorization of
class of evangelists and preachers, who
have thoroughly commended themselves
to the Church by their devoted piety,
their general talents, their sound theo-
logical views, and their "aptness to
teach, though they may not have made
themselves proficient in the Greek and
Hebrew languages.
1t is very well known that even as
matters are this proficiency" in the
Greek and Hebrew languages exists
rather in the imagination of the Church
and in theory, than as a fact. The truth
if it must be told, is that the majority OIL
our Presbyterian ministers know little
Greek and less Hebrew.
Augustine was man of considerable
value to the ancient Church; in fact he
was the grandest and greatest of the
fathers -" more profound than Am
brose, more original and systematic than
Jerome, and intellectually far more dis
tinguished than Gregory the Great
And yet, we are told, that he was "igno.
rant not only Of the Hebrew, but even o.
the Greek, and was compelled to rely
upon his Latin translation Of the Scrip
lures
While we should insist on having {
learned class perfectly familiar with thes,
ancient tongues, and able to expound tn,
meaning of the Scriptures from the orig
mails, we should in many cases be per
fectly satisfied to have as our representa-
tive in Presbyterian pulpit such mar
as Augustine.
John Bunyan's father, we are told b.
Macaulay, "was able to send his son to
village school where reading and writin
were taught" and in Bedford Jail hi
two chief companions were "the Bibl
and Fox's Book Of MartyrS;" but hi
knowledge Of the Bible, his Geographic
adds, twas such that he might have bee
called living concordance"