Year: 1879

always nursing your dignity, call the elder
to order for talking, and require each on
when he expresses his opinion, to riae an
address Mr.. Moderator.


: Do my suggestions seem trivial? Per
: haps they are, but I know by experience


what comfort il is to Session to have
moderator who knows how to drive his team
with an easy hand, and yet go as never e
drop the reins--who is prompt without being
pragmatical, and whose genislity never de
generates into levity.


A nice point for moderator of Session il
to determine when be shall announce bis
opinion, and how strongly he shall press it.
Ought be TO do it before proposition has
been discussed, or hold it in reserve for the
close !? If he does the first, it may have the
appearance of dictation, and is entirely at
variance with the customary etiquette of the
chsirman's position. If he does the latter,
he may fail to- - 1bise lesiAima'o navosse
upon those who may have committed them
selves in discussion Perhaps, if the matter
is one of Importance, he ought, at the first,
to give some indication of his general views.
he is expected to be better informed upon
church matters than the other members OF
the Session, and he is SO in fact, if be does
his duty, and this gives to his opinions a
weight which is acknowledged without grudg-
ing. But if the matter is small one, by
sll means let the argument over it be among
the elders-presently they will appeal to
you, and then you can express yourself in
way SO moderate, that most likely all will
agree, especially if some apparent or real
compromise be suggested, which 10 most
cases, will in fact, be the wiseSt thing TO be
done. But guard against the appearance of
arguing at any time for victory, and if the
vote is against you, whether in small mat
ter or great one, never show any temper.


This leads me to caution you to the most
absolute impartiality in the exercise of your
functions as moderator. You may have in
your Session some one, who by reason of his
age, ability, or standing, has more influence
than the others. If SO, and his influence is
good, it is very we'll. Let him do all that be
can. But do not add to his personal pres
tge an iota of your influence as moderator.
Show him just the same respect and no more,
that you do to the youngest, or humbleSt
member of the body. Good men are ready
to acknowledge to themselves that they are
not equal in ability to others, but not the
best men that ever l have known like to be
reminded of it.


Suppose, however, you have in the Ses-
sion, two or more men of superior ability,
and that they are in the habit of antagoniz-
ing each other-in different and palmer
words that you find party spirit among those
who ought to bSin closest sympathy? What
are you to do? ! cannot advise anything
except to pray and labor for revival of re.
ligion. Nothing short of this will cure the
evil. But there is one thing which you must
not do, if you would not make it almost USE
less to pray for revival; you must not take
sides with either. You may ALLEVIATE both
from you, but you must run the risk. You
must try and pull up this root of bitterness,
even though you should strain your back in
the effort. This thought however may en-
courage you. If you are impartial and mod
crate, you will probably rally around you
the other members of Session, and thus re-
duCe the leaders to agreement, by drawing
off their followers. l think, however, that
party spirit is rarely encountered in SeS.
zion. I have heard of it, but never have
seen it.


There is another spirit more common, and
thopgh less uncbristisn, hardly less dscour-
aging to pastor. 1t is spirit of apathy.
Some Sessions seem to thirk that it is their
almost sole fanction to be present when the
pastor admits new members to the church,
and TO distribute tie elements at communion.
They ssy nothing but "Ycs" to whatever the
pastor proposes, and leave to him the respon-
sibility and the labor of all action. How
different is the case 10 Session that know,
in which for more than eighteen years, every
question bearing upon the interests of the
church in which they bear rule, has been dis
cussed with eacnestness, and decided almost
always With uOaaimity, and always without
dissensioD. Uodar God, it owed this happi-
ness to the wisdom and skill of him who for
so long time vas its moderator, Or. VIM.
S. White.) May you be, in this particular,
as successful.


l close With an enquiry, D. you know, OF
does the editor of the Central know, or has
our General Assembly declared, what is the
precise relation between the Session and the
Board of Deacons? This is difficult and
an important subject S. L. G.
QUERY.-A correspondent says;


"Cannot the great Presbyterian Church
have q Quarterly, or a Monthly, for the ex
position end defence of the truth as she
holds il? As the Princeton is no more as
it was, let DR.. Van Rensselaer, Presbyterian


Maoasias be revived Many will gladly
. welcome it,


There is no doubt that the Princeton Re
view no longer satefss the Presbyterian
Church, and the project of another quarterly
has already been discussed. But might no