New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-16
THE ANNIVERSARIES.
PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL AssEMBLY-NEw
SCHOOL

terdSy morning IN Ut Aunms Sn"i0n, !" NNA
square. large number Of Commissioners were IN al
tendance. Tie Rev. DR.. BorD of Virginia opened
with prayer, and the Rev. Dr. BENAs Of Troy read
the sixteth chapter Of Isaiah. The five hundred and
nineteenth hymn then sung in long meter, and al
ter another prayer the five hundred and sixteenth
hymn in short meter was sung.
The Rev. Dr. WV. C. WIsyER Of Lockport, n. T.,
Moderator Of the Assembly last year, then preached
saI mon from the text,
Remember the former thinn of old for am God and
there IL none else; God and there none like me-
ing the end from the besnnins and from ancient times me
h,p'' d is, !. ~. my nSt ssn e1"e nv $40
These were the words, he said, of the Great God,
and they declared that everything which took place in
the universe occurred in accordance with the eternal
purpose of God This might be thought bold; but all
were agreed that God controlled the physical world
He appointed the ordinance of heaven, and set the
dominion thereof upon the earth. They all felt that
God must govern absolutely the material universe.
So too many things in the history of free moral agents
were controlled by God. He appointed the day OF our
birth and eur deah by the time and circumstances OF
our life. They saw Him distinctly in history-they
recognized his hand in the work Of Luther Napoleon
and Cyrus He referred to the history OF Joseph and
the wondous series Of events by which he became the
savior of his fathers house. His hearers perceived
that God intended that Josephs brethren should sell
him into bondage. And if God intended it, he intended
II nom ali eternity. Still Joseph's brethren acted
wickedly. He alluded also to Acts w., 27.ss, in
connection with Acts IL, %: " Him being delivered
by the foreknowledge of God ye have taken
and cruciftd and slain.' Free agency consisted
in the power to do as one pleased. Absolutely an
event was just as certain in itself. To Omnscence
there was no contingency. God could see what men
would choose to do by their own free agency. The
reluctance with which man sometimes acted did not
infringe on his free agency. The nebriate, WHO, In
considerable moments, resolved never again to touch
Il. Il l..
the inebratiDg bowl acted voluntarily when ne gave
away TO his al.controing thirst. An individual might
have the tootbache and be very unwilling to have the
offending tooth extracted but the continuation OF the
pain might reconcile him to the operation without m-
pairing his free agency. The will was ruled by the
Judgment, the Imagination, and even to certain
extent by the nervous system, but without losing its
free agency; only brute force physical force, could
infringe upon that. God might exert positive nfiu-
ence men leading them to do evil, and YET not
interfere with their freedom. Still they thought too
well of His character to think be would do that. They
were asked by their opponents how God could
ordsin sinful events without involving Himseii IN
guilt The objector seemed to suppose that
Coos ordaning these crimes was proof OF prefer
ence. on His part, for them over what they
supposed might otherwise have taken place. But
tLey were part oft he system of things The eternal
purpose of God did not fix upon single events out upon
The whole system throughout all eternity. Single
events were recognized only essential parts of an
organ c and complete whole. To view them from the
Divine standpoint, must transport ourselves across
the centuries to the time when God alone was. Au
rossible g, stems are distinctly before Him. and He
civ eyery ninitessimal event of every one.
Among others the present is comprehended eartn,
man. and the angel hosts. He sees that II he adopts
this system, a portion of the angels must tall; lie
knows he nature of the triumph OF Satan over Eve
and He knows that He cannot consistently Win his
own dignity order it otherwise. He sees that IL COM
nds the conflict of ages between the powers OF
light and Darkness until the former are gonneo IN
heaven and the latter are vapquisned ana smut up An
haaf
and after L was decreed, He foreknew all thlng'.
The decree of God was based upon his ioresnoweage
of possibilities and His forcknowledge OF eetahes
was based upon His decree, On the %nole, upa
thought this system best and who would dare desire
that il should have been otherwise, who would mld
fault with God for having done Infinitely Wen. ms
system a system of free moral agency. Uod per-
nttd sin part of the system because he Thought
il was best all things considered, to do so. Why 1t
was lest had never been revealed to any prophet
Nor Lad 1t been revealed why men should not live for
ever. why they should not have wlDgs This was
:, ffcient TO yindcate the character of God. 1t GER
tainy could not be derogatOry to his character TO
bring good out Of the wliul wicke dness OF men, lie
did not tempt any man to evil: The Apostle James
never tempted any man to evil, but that men were
tempted by their own lusts. God only made wicked
ness it's own aDtdote or remedy in turning evil to
good in the end. What more need he say in vindica-
ton of the character of God They were sometimes
asked If your doctrine is true that things will turn
out a, tQey are decreed, why need we exert our
sevesi" The answer was that the system was GER
TAIN and that the exertiOns of individuals which were
In Paul's shipwreck it was revealed to him that
the whole crew would be saved They low
erd the boat, but Paul advised them not to
s ssTe the chip and and, they cut wO sTiy take 1s O' Ii;
advice as well as that they would be saved. He fore
saw fiom all eternity what Influence would be brought
to bear upon them and the effect which they would
produce. 1t idle to cavi that we might do as we
Al k,,f cArdr nth
and could OF be changed for the means was included
in the certainty and pTedesinatOn inteigenty view
ed was the groundwork on which human activity rest
ed Faitf in fate the strongest incentive to &C,
ton 1t ', as the incentive which supported Cromwell
and Napoleon. And, its effect was q strong upon the
afe ctions of men as upon their ambition. DIR. Wilson
alluded to the de ath of DIR. Fuller OF ST. Louis, bya
railroad accident, last Fall. He viewed 1t as link in
the vast concentration Of events which stretching from
the beginning of things the realm of time, lost
itself in the unfathomable abysses of eternity The
separation ofthe Schools Of Presbyteans was depend
ant infinite train Of events and as Just caue
for ifeelDg between them. Letthem therefore cease
ii cir contention and behold how beautiful it was for
brethren to dwell together in unity.
After the benedicton, by the preacher, he took the
Chair, and the business Session was opened by
prayer by the Rev. DIR. Dufield.
The roll was called, and large portion of the Conn
mssioners responded to their names. The Assembly
then proceeded to the election of Moderator with the
following result:
t. p Hickot D. D., Synod Of Albany .....1s
George DufieS, D. b., Synod ofMlchigan....H
p A. Ross, d. D., Synod of Tennessee
TIE Moderator declared DR.. Hickok elected.
Dr. T. A. MILLS of indianapolis said that by vote
passed three years ago a majority was required to
elect. He therefore moved that Dr. Hickok, having
received plurality be declared Moderator OF the AS
senbly. The motion was carried.
DR.. WIENER then introduced DIR. Hickok as Moder-
ator referring him to the rules of the Assembly for its
Cove rnmtpt,