The Washington union., 1857-05-22
PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

The Old School general assembly Of the PRESBYTERIAN
church met at Lexington, Kentucky yesterday The
New School general assembly also met at the time
at Cleveland, Ohio The subject of most public interest
which is likely TO before the latter body relates to
home missions ms connected with the following rcsolu-
ton of the executive committee Of the American Home
Missionary Society, which may be regarded as the
action of the society itself
Rsolred That in the disbursement of the funds COM
mitted to their trust the committee will not grant aid 10
churches containing saveholding members, unless evi
dence be furnished that the relation is such as in the
judgment of the committee, ustifabe for the time be-
ing in the peculiar circumstances in which it exists
The Presbyterian Witness, published at Knoxville,
Tennessee expresses strong belief that the general
sembly will not sustain this resolution 1t asks
'sShall we allow an irresponsible money power in New
York city controlled by few men, who themselves
controlled in good degree by Congegaonaliss to sit
in Judgment the character and standing OF our church
members Shall continue to give them our money,
and thus uphold their power, when that power is used
against church Are the northern members of
our body prepared to such ground the Amori
can Home Missionary Society have taken in reference to
slavery VIII they deny the Gospel to the people of the
South Will they tell the world, the American Home
Missionary Society have DONE that all southern professors
of religion who hold slaves to be treated criminals
until they prove themselves innocent The Assembly
have yentured upon such ground, and we have
no expectation that they will change their position
to please the American Home Missionary Society.
The Witness therefore, looks for the following
suits
/ The Congregational and ultra abolition element will
withdraw from the Presbyterian church A large pro-
portion will return to the Congregational church, where
they properly belong and where they should have been
all the while few may go to independent Presbyte-
rars. The Lord go with them and teach them better
sense and better manners in time TO come
2. When we rid of this disturbing clement,
the slavery agitation will in the general assembly
hxrt
congregational influence. Many men, who cared moth
ing for Presbyterian principles and order, have remained
in connexion, year after year. simply for the purpose
Of furthering aboonism When their eyes are opened
to the fact that they drive the South to dstrac-
ton control the assembly they will leave body,
and shall have grateful respite from our annual
troubles.
g. The general assembly will be forced to form Home
Missionary Society Of their This Is Just what the
Presbyterian Witness has desired since 1851 The church
needs such society IL has suffered long for the want OF
il Not few churches in the South have utterly perish
ed because such society did not exist We in
fair way to have this long and much needed in
stuton Let it be organized and located at Phiadel-
pbia, and will begin in our denomnationa
history.
When the results above named shall have been wit
messed the way for reunion with the other branch of the
Presbyterian church will be to some extent opened We
will then be clear of congregational influence. We will
have given up measnraby the voluntary societies Thus
we will have acknowledged that were wrong in 1887
40 far as these matters concerned. The other branch
the church have already confessed by their ans that
they were wrong TO doctrines They have received
the independent Pesby erians Of South Carolina without
questioning their orthodoxy They have offered to
ceive whole synods from the New School assembly the
game terms They confess, then, that are good
Preshytcrians they They have conceded much
We have also made important concessions. The tenden-
ces therefore, are to reunion, and the way is being
opened more and more.
IL is thus that read the signs of the times and II
are not mistaken the action of the American Home Mis-
sionary Society, while designed for evil will work out
under God our denominational salvation.