Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-28

for the Sabbath School as the Best
Means of Securing the Greatest Success
to the School"
The Rev. Mr.. Wallace, Of St. Johns
Presbytery, was invited to sit as cor
responding member.
The Rev. S. Taylor Martin was heard
in behalfof new chair in Union Theo-
logical Seminary, and the cause was
commended to the churches of this
Presbytery.
The Centennial services were held at
IL o'clock to-day Saturday, the Pres
bytery having been organized here just
one hundred years ago. The Modera-
tor, DR.. Preston, conducted the deso-
tional exercises. and the Rev. DR.. Arm.
strong, Of Norfolk, who was pastor Of
Timber Ridge church for several years,
beginning in 1898, delivered the al
dress, followed by Major Jed. H0tch
kiss, Of Stanton, with interesting his.
tOrical facts.
A brief sketch Of these addresses
may be Of interest. DR.. Armstrong
said that from the organization of Han
over Presbytery, in 1855, till 1855, it
embraced all the Presbyterians in Vir-
ginia. In 1885 Abingdon Presbytery
was formed, inc uding the territory
west Of New River, in Virginia, with
Kentucky and Tennessee. The next
year Hanover Presbytery was again
divided, and Lexington Presbytery
formed, including all Of Virginia east of
New river and west of the Blue Ridge.
Eleven ministers were enrolled at the
first meeting, among whom were Rev.
John Brown, Of New Providence, born
at Liberty Hall, in Ireland; William
Graham, the founder of the small school
near Fairfield, which has grown into
Washington and Lee University Moses
Hoge, tho grandfather of the Rev. DR..
NJ. ID. Hoge, Archibald Scott, the pas
tor Of Bethel church; Ewing, McCGe,
Wilson, Shannon, aud others. Inter.
esting sketches were given Of the first
three of these. There were giants
in those days" and Lexington Presby-
terry in her infancy had her share Of
them-preachers and patriots.
The speaker discussed the changes in
the century which closes to-day, al
luding particularly to the conflicts
through which the Church has passed /;
the wave OF !nddelity from the French
just after the Revolutionary war, to
whom We were under deep sense Of
gratitude for help in our struggle f3r
independence the evils which followed
the great revival during the earlier
years of this century, resulting in the
organization Of the Cumberland Pres.
byterian Church; the disruption of the
Church into the old aud new schools in
1887, and the division of the Church
again, caused by the war between the
States. Then, abiding to the fact that
a part Of the employment of the apostles
while engaged as fishers was mend
ing their nets, so he said the Church
has often to stop and mend her net.
This she must patiently do. 1t is the
Lords net, and will doubtless continue
TO catch a multitude Of fishes. Al |
luding to the present troubles in our
be said the old net needed |
mending again, but he did not doubt |
but that it would continue to be very
useful. Notwithstanding these strug-
giles, the Presbyterian Church in Vir- |
ginia has grown from three Presbyte-
ries and twenty-one ministers in 1888 |
to ten Presbyteries and two hundred
and twenty-six ministers in 1886. The
territory originally covered by Lexing.
ton Presbytery is now shared by the
Presbyteries Of Winchester, Green.
Drier, and part Of Montgomery.
Major Hotchkiss has prepared an
excellent map of the Presbytery, which
10 will mail to any address for twenty
i've cents, giving the proceeds to the
,vangelistic work in our bounds. In
lis remarks he said Presbyterians had
. faculty for finding limestone, and
,uilt their houses and schools aud
on solid foundations. In
eaching for old records he had found
be call that was made by Timber-Ridge
hurch for the pastoral services Of
he Rev. John Brown mo relative to
Dr.. William Brown and brothers) in
.753, on which are found many familiar
James in Rockbridge and Augusta coun-
les. He also had the Ms. of sermon
reached by Mr.. Brown in 1857, and
be subscription list for the building Of
he venerable structure ia which we
meet to. day-built in 1856.
A vote Of thanks was rendered to DR..
armstrong and Major Hotchkiss, and
heir addresses requested for publics-
ion. A. Ii. Ii.
STEEL's TAVERN, VA, September
3. 1856.