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1901.THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.Personals.The Rev. Dr. Henry M. Field, so long the editor of the Evangelist, and a very notable traveller, enters his eightieth year on Wednesday of this week, April 3rd. The Evangelist of this week will be- a Dr. Field's Birthday Number, with a paper of his own reminiscences.The visit to India (as Harrows Lecturer) of President Charles Cuthbcrt Hall, D. D., of the Union Theological Seminary, has been postponed till next year by the University of Chicago. This was done at Dr. Hall's request, as his responsibilities to the Seminary appeared to demand his presence here this year.The Christian Intelligencer, reporting the meeting of the Reformed Church Union in New York last week, says: “The Rev. James I. Vance, D. D., of the North Reformed Church, Newark, was introduced. and spoke on The Man for the Hour. lie captivated his audience with his eloquence and the masterful way in which he handled the subject.”Dr. Ilenry Alexander White, of Washington and Lee University, will lecture on April 12th before the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. on “Virginia’s Part in the Making of the Federal Constitution.The office address of Rev. R. F. Sample, D. D.. LL. D., is Room 814 Presbyterian Building. 156 Fifth avenue. New York City.Hie Ministers’ Association of Lynchburg, composed of all the Protestant ministers, has decided that the - inounccmcnt of church services will not be published in the Sunday papers.The anniversary meeting of the Bible Society of Virginia will be held in the First Presbyterian Church Sunday night, April 28th The anniversary address will be delivered by Rev. John Fox, D. D.. of New York, secretary of the American Bible Society. Dr. Fox has visited Richmond before, and created a fine impression here.The Twentieth Century Fund.Report Prepared for the Synod of Virginia and Approved by a Conference, Lynchburg, March 28, 1901.Your Committee beg leave to recommend the adoption of the following course of action with reference to the proposed Twentieth Century Fund in behalf 01 the cause of Education:I. Declaration of principles with reference to Christian Education:(1.) The Synod of Virginia reaffirms its belief that the Presbyterian Church must take part in the work of education.Presbyters arc the genuine bishops of the New Testament. One of the essential, scriptural marks of a presbyter is aptness to teach. One of the distinguishing features of historical Prcsbyterianism. as a system of doctrine, worship and life, is the parallel development of religion and education.The Westminster Assembly declared that the Scriptures give the law to the Church, and that the Spirit of God guides the Church in interpreting this law. The Assembly affirmed that the highest and supreme office and authority of the presbyter is not to conduct ceremonials, but to interpret the written word of God. The Assembly thus organized in Great Britain not a ritualistic Church, hut a teaching Church, with the imperative requirement that the teaching members of the Church must be trained through the agency of a classical education. From this teaching Church of Great Britain sprang the Hanover Presbytery in Virginia, in the year 1735. In 1774 the Hanover Presbytery decided to establish a school for the liberal education of youth.” As the basis of this school, they adopted the Augusta Academy, then under the control of a minister of the Presbytery, the Rev. John Brown. They placed it under the care of another minister, the Rev. William Graham. In April. 1775. the Presbytery in a body, paid an official visit to the Academy to make an examination of the pupils with reference to “pro ficicncy in the Latin and Greek language and pro nomiring orations. In May. 177b. the Presbytery again held an official meeting in the Academy and examined the students with reference to their pro. gress in classical studies. In January, 1776. the Han-n -er Presbytery opened the doors of the Prince F.d.. Bailward Academy. It was organized by the Rev. Samuel Stanhope Smith for the promotion of the same system of education. This system was Christian education, wherein biblical and spiritual instruction were combined with classical studies. These two schools, under the personal control of ministers of the gospel, in conjunction with our theological seminary, have been since their foundation the chief agencies in the maintenance and extension of the Presbyterian Church in the Virginias and Maryland. The successful usage of more than a century, under the guidance of God's Spirit, has established the law that the Synod of Virginia must continue to make provision for the liberal education of youth.” under the care of teachers who are at the same time prepared to impart spiritual instruction.(2.) The system of education maintained by the Synod of Virginia must be Christian. By this :s meant, that in connection with instruction in classical. scientific and literary subjects, the fundamentals of the Christian religion must also he taught. As stated by Dr. Robert L. Dabney, It is properly the whole man or person that is educated; but the main subject of the work is the spirit. Education is the nurture and development of the whole man for bis proper end. To this end. the support of this Synod will be given only to those schools whose administrative organization, consisting of the Principal, or President, and a majority of the trustees shall be, by charter or other satisfactory guarantee, Christian and Presbyterian. Moreover, the English Bible n ust be placed in the course of study of every school patronized by the Synod, and some instruction in the principles of the Christian faith must be given at regular intervals, in the form of sermons or addresses. to the entire body of students.II. System of Schools to be maintained by the Synod:(1.) Church or congregational schools, under Presbyterian control, should be established and maintained wherever practicable.(2.) Academies, of high grade, supplied with teachers capable of preparing our youth for collegiate courses of study, should be maintained by the Presbyteries. Two or more Presbyteries may unite in I be support of a single academy.(3.) Female institutions of high grade should, in like manner, be maintained by the Presbyteries.(4-) The collegiate institutions already established by the people of this Synod should be further equip-peri for the work of giving a liberal education to our youth.(5.) The Union Theological Seminary, as the crowning part of our educational system, should be placed upon a more ample foundation for the prosecution of the work of training young men for the gospel ministry.III. Character of the support to be offered by the Synod toward the maintenance of this system of education:(i.) All the people of the Synod are hereby urged to devote their best energies to the work of leading the youth of our Church into our schools.(2.) The Synod hereby lays it as a special charge upon ministers and elders that they cease not to teach the necessity of Christian education. The Church must urge forward the work of Christian education, or the Church itself will fall into weakness and decay.(3.) The Synod considers it necessary for the success of the work of Christian education to raise the sum of $330,000. and to distribute the money as follows:Llnion Theological Seminary.......$100,000For collegiate instructioi............ 100.000Stonewall Jackson Institute........ 20.000Lewishtirg Female Institute........ 20.000Hogc Academy.................... ao oooPresbyterial academics............. 70,000Tn,al..........................$330,000(4 1 The Synod recommends that the money raised m behalf of academics ($70,000) shall he distributed among the Presbyteries in proportion to the number of church members. None of this special fund, however. shall be given to any one of tlie tbree Presbyteries in whieb are located the Stonewall Jackson Institute. I be Lcwisbiirg Female Institute, and the Hnge Academy. Synod further recommends that each of the Presbyteries shall raise an additional sum for its own local needs, and that none of themoney of the Presbyterial fund shall be used in the erection of buildings for Presbyterial academies.I his fund should he invested as a permanent endowment. The community selected as the location for the academy should furnish the necessary buildings.IV. Plan proposed for raising the sum of $330.0010:(1.) This sum shall be apportioned among thePresbyteries in accordance with the ratio of church membership, as follows:Abingdoi................... .... 50oChesapeake.................2 .... 13.000East Hanover.............. 5 ____ 37.300Greenbrier, ................. 3 .... Vj.jooKanawha................... _» .... ,5i000Lexington................. IO .... 75,oooMaryland....................... 13,000Montgomery................5 .... ^7500Norfolk....................3 .... _,_,sooRoa«okc...................3 .... 22.500West Hanover.............. 2 .... 15.000Winchester................. A ... {O0OO44 $330,000(2.) Each Presbytery is urged to assume its apportionment and to distribute the amount assumed as a further apportionment among the congregations of the Presbytery, to he paid within the period of five years.(3.) The Synod recommends that each Presbytery shall appoint a permanent committee of two members to take entire charge of the collection of the fund. I lie Presbytery it,elf should make choice of the method to he followed in securing the money. All funds collected in the churches of any Presbytery should he forwarded to the Presbyterial Committee, and by them it should at once he distributed in the proper ratio among the schools already named. This Presbyterial Committee should keep in constant touch with the progress of the collections in the churches. To this end they should visit the churches, distribute pamphlets, and secure the delivery of public addresser, aim mg the people of the Presbytery.(4-) I he Presbyterial Committee may, at their discretion. employ suitable canvassers to aid in me work of collection.(5.) If any individual donor prefers to designate the special object of hi- benefaction, his wishes must be followed implicitly.(6.) A lil record of all collections and subscriptions must no kept by the Presbyterial Committee, and a complete report . f all work accomplished must he made to each session of the Presbytery.V. An appeal for liberality and self sacrifice in behalf of the cause of Education:The Synod of Virginia lays it upon the hearts of all the people as a solemn duty that they show forth the spirit of liberality and self-sacrifice in behalf of the cause of Education. Our Church is face to face with a serious crisis. Destitute fields are calling for additional ministers of the gospel. Many of our youth arc entering upon the active work of life without sufficient mental and spiritual training. This training our Church must f-rnish All of the youth of our Synods must le: brought umlcr the care of competent and worthy instructors. The schools already established within the Synod must lie more completely equipped. Larger libraries, more extern sivc scientific laboratories and a greater number of teachers must he added. The people of this Synod must furnish the money with which to secure this additional equipment.For the mental and spiritual advancement of their own sons and daughters, the people of all the churches in the Synod are urged to make sacrifices. In the days of the planting of the Presbyterian lt;iiurch in Virginia and Maryland, men labored with their own hands to build houses of worship and houses for instruction. Even the women took part in the work by bringing from a distance some of the material used in the construction of the walls of oak and stone. The same necessity for labor and for self sacrifice in behalf of education rests to-day upon the people of this Synod. The work of establishing and maintaining an adequate system of instruction must lie placed fir,t among the duties which we owe to our children, to our Church, and to our God.Lot the people of every congregation within the Synod of Virginia bring large gift, strengthen and to perpetuate the system of Christian Education which the God of our fathers hath abundantly blessed.Henry Alexander White, Chairman.
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Central Presbyterian
Richmond, Virginia, US
Wed, Apr 03, 1901
Page 14
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OH, USA 13 Mar 2025
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