The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1891-04-15
For the Central Presbyterian.
Overture to the General
Assembly.

pended below. In this first placing
OF the matter before the Church no
effort has been made to secure names
merely for number, the idea being
rather to have them representative
OF different portions of our territory
and different departments of the
work of the Church. For this rea-
son the names are classified, and
the name of the Presbytery is added.
Even on the basis named the list
could have been largely swelled had
time permitted.
1t is proper to state that the over
ture in its present form grows out
of an article in the March and April
number of the Union SelniRdrv Mar
dEjnc, and that most of those sign
ing 1T had no hand in shaping it.
While all its signers are agreed on
the main point, namely, the remouat
Of the scholastic barriers wbere hey keep
from oar ministry men otherwise pro-
Periy qualified, there are questions of
detail upon which all are not agreed.
The correspondence upon the subject
has also brought out the fact that
a large body in our Church desires
an additional line of amendment
the relations of Iicensure
to ordination; so that the standard
of theological requirement required
for licensure may be relaxed, and
the more extensive and thorough
examination be placed at ordination.
For this reason many expressed a
preference for one year as the mini
mum period of study before Iicen-
sure. These changes were embodied
III the overture as adopted by Will
mington Presbytery-the first Pres
bytery to take action with regard
to it.
All ministers or elders who desire
to unite in this overture to the As
sembly, Will please send their names
to Rev P. II. Hoge, d. D., Whining
ton, n. c., who viii be glad to receive
information with regard to any
action taken upon the subject by
Presbyteries.
IL tie VeneraJie, Ihe GoHerM AssenlB5y of
tie Presbyterian Churcb IN tie UHtted
Suites
We, the undersigned ministers and
ruling elders of the Presbyterian Church
III the United States, do respectfully over
ture your Venerable Body, to send down
TO the Presbyteries for their consideration
and action, the following amendments to
Chapter VI. of our Form of Government
the design of which is 10 remove those bar
rlers for which no sufficient reason can
be found either in the Word of God. or i'm
the dictates of human eXpediency, that now
debar from our ministry many men who
are qualified both by nature and bv grace
for the exercise of its functions; while at
the same time ample provision is made for
the high standard of education
which our Church has always maintained
and for emphasizing certain requirements
not now explicitly made, but which are
demanded for the fullest efficiency of the
ministry in its high and holy calling: to
wit
In Section v of the said Chapter "Of
-he ordination of Ministers" etc, so amend
Art. III. as TO omit all reference to scholas-
tic requirements by emitting the word
philosophy and the clause 'the Greek ard
Hebrew languages, and such branches of
learning as to the Presbytery shall apDear
requisite, and as to his knowledge": thus
RELOCATING the whole subject of scholastic
requirements to the trial for hcensure
where it properly belongs and to the same
article after the words discipline of die
Church add the following: "and as to his
SnOwledge of the nature and contents of
he Holy Scriptures and his ability to use
hem in the establishment of the truth and
he REPUTATION of error
In Section vi "Of the Licensure of
Practitioners for the Gospel Ministry" nj
he end of Art. III. add the words "except
rs herein further provided In Art. ~
after the words, Church government" add
he words land on the nature and contents
If the Holy Scriptures and under the
lrst head of the parts of trial omit the
words lin Latin, as a useless anachronism
destroying the practical value of that part
Of the trial
And finally, for the whole of Art. VI
substitute the following candidates
who have not passed through the usual
curse of academical studies, and who. ON
recount of age or other reasons cannot.
n The judgment of the Presbytery. profta-
ply do so, shall be examined bv the Presbv-
cry as TO their knowledge of the usual
English branches of the elements of the
'Iogy oil the history, government and
.acraments OF the Church and of thenaturc
md contents of the Holy Scriptures They
hall also be required TO present to Presby-
cry discussion Of a thesis ON some com
non head of divinity and an expository
ecture and sermon, as required of other
candidates And no candidate. except I'm
'XpositOry cases, shall be licensed until he
shall have studied divinity at least two
years under some approved teachers of
theology and whenever any Presbvtcrv
shall see reason TO depart from this rule. FL
shall always make record of the fact upon
ts minutes with the reason therefor"
PEOFEssOHs IN SENuNARrrs.-J Il. Lati-
ucr, Roanoke w. Wy Moore West Han
over W. NJ NcPheeters Abingdon.
PAsTONa III IInWea LnNinnInn II