New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-25
PRESBYTERIAN n. s. GENERAL ASSEMBLE

CLEVELAND, O., May 81, 1857.
The annual meeting of this Assembly is likely to be
one of unusual interest account especially OF two
questions which are to be discussed. The action OF the
American Home Missionary Society through its Exec
utve Committee has excited very different feelings IN
different sections and parties in the New School Pres
byterian Church. One class received with exultaton
the action which refused assistance to those churches
which tolerate slavehoding Another class regard it
a. infringing on the essential feature of Presbyteranism
in thus erecting voluntary society into tribunal
superior to the Presbytey PROFESSIONALLY the ecce-
siastical principle has been developed largely IN the
church within few years, especially since the meeting
in Utica five wears ago when certain measures were
instituted which served to indiyidualize the action of
the Church as distinguished from the cooperative acton
of former wears in connection with the Congregational
lists The resolution of the Home Missionary Society
has been approved by many Presbyteries at the west
and il has been condemned by many OF those more
closely associated with Philadelphia tnah VIII New"
York. ,s
This Home Missionary question is but one phase OF
the main question, which will come up ON the memo.
rials of several Presbyerles, calling on the uenerh
Assembly 10 take more decisive action IN reference 10
The position Of the Southern Presbyteries, many of
whose members openly declare themselves TO DE slave
holders and glory i'll it, defying The Assembly to do
lis utmost The letters of Dr. Ross, of Huntsville, Ala
bama, published in The Philadelphia Christian Oh
Sercer have served o cOmphcate the general question:
and also the side issue in the Home Missionary Society
In those letters he declares Slavery 10 be divine in
siitution authorised by the Bible and regulated by it.
This declaration, sanctioned, as il is by many New
School Presbyterians in the South, and defended IN
more than one New.S School newspaper, has ehcited
prodgious feeling among the Western and Northwest
ern Presbyteries. Many members of the Assembly
speak in gloomy terms Of the prospect but no predc-
tons can yet be made about the result, which may,
perhaps be foreshadowed in the election ct the Mode
ratOr this afternoon
Rev. Laurens L. Ickok, ID. d., Vce-President OF
Union College preached the opening sermon Iu
these exercises he was assisted ny tne heT;
A Mills d. D. formerly of Indianapolis. DIR. Hckok
selected the passage Exodus xvii: ll-l3 as his text
He expounded the passage, showing that lSraeis tn
unph over Amslek depended upon the harmonious CO.
operation of all the means employed IN securing the
grand result Moses, and Aaron, and Hur, ana
Joshua and the soldiers all must do their part in order
TO triumph. The failure Of any one OF these produced
temporary defeat His theme he deduced IN these
words " The ChVrch of God, Thoroughly organised
a. and taithfnHy at rork shall perpetuaUy TRIUMPH"
This theme was examined under three propositions,
viz |. The Christian Church is Gods institution 2
Al parts OF this divine organization must work t0get-
er according 10 the grand design. And-3. Such
harmonious cooperation will secure constant success.
Under the first head after fully discussing the gene
raj principle that the Christian Church Is Gods insti-
tuition the preacher descended to the particular dec
laratOn that every Presbyterian Church. while freely
and beray contributing the general cause of Christ
through other channels of voluntary effort is bound to
give heed to every call which comes egitimately from
its own organization.
The second head Of discourse was examined at
length in the light Of analogy and experience In It's
special relations to the Presbyterian Church, 1t was
shown that the pastor bishop the elder the deacon
and the private members of the Church must cooperate
tremendously in the grand design OF the Church For
God will not permit his mystical body to suffer
long as "bya broken tooth or a foot out of joint"
That such harmonious action will give the Church
perpetual success argued, rt from the fact that
otherwise there would be an impeachment OF the d.
vine wisdom ID A failure here would subvert the
faith of the moral universe 3d. proof of success is
also given in the manifest tendencies of such untedco
operation. 4th. Experience declares that such CO.
operation shall be successful. The inferences were
lst. BY reason Of human lmperfections, this harmon
Gus cooperation il not likely always to be expected
for This thought was elaborated at length, and
with power Under this influence, DIR. HickOk re-
marked among other things that Slavery is yet TO
be defined, and its system and working so clearly
1" be apprehended that the great body of the Church
"shall come clearly to know what forms of servtude
Z" are righteous and may be permitted, and rk0t
essentially aRrfghte0uS, and must be pnrged out at
sang sacrifice, that tie old eareH may not be dHored
"fO spoil the ner leaf. Orr Church IS among the
"surest and safest and tuytAest on the nsy 10 ts de-
" stred and destined cOhSummdtion.
would be glad to give fuller abstract of this able
and interesting sermon, but the want OF time forbds
1t was less than hour in length, and WAS Astened to
with unhagging interest by large congregation.
In the afternoon at o'clock the Assembly met and
elected, by very large majority, the Rev. Samuel
W. Fisher, ID. d., OF Cincinnati, Moderator. The
Revs Moses Gray of Kentucky, aud Dufiied of Phila
dephia, were elected temporary Clerks.