The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1866-11-22


The "General Assembly Of the Pres
byterian Church in the United States
commenced in Memphis on Thursday
last; and forthe information of many
of our readers who feel special in
terest in the proceedings of that body,
we will refer briefly to the business of
Me first three days
The Assembly is composed of rep
K resentatives from the forty.seven
Presbyteries Of the ten Synods in the
Southern States. The session was in
augurated at the First Presbyterian
Church-that spacious edifce being
filled to repletion on the occasion.
! The opening prayer was offered by
the Rev, DR.. Howe. Moderator of the
last session, who also delivered the
opening sermon from the text Zacha-
afiahiv 6, ,S, 10:
"This is the word of the Lord unto
Zerubbabel, saying, nor by night, nor
by power, but by my Spirit, saith the
Lord of Hosts. Who art thou, O
great mountain Before Zerubbabel
: thou shall become palmer, and he
shall bring forth the headstone thereof
with shoutings, crying, grace, grace
unto it. For who hath despised the
day of small things ? for they shall re-
loice, and shall see the plummet in the |
: ~,hrnd of Zerubbabel wiM those seven
0they are the eyes of the Lord, which
run to and fro through the whole
earth"
The delegates present from the
Synod of Mississippi were: Rev Dr.
j. H. Rice, Rev. j. w. Phillips, Rev.
", F. Gillespie, Rev. J. T. Davidson,
IVA. H. Barkley, and Ruling FL
ders J. P. George, ]. S. Connerly, H.
p DartIetr; and y. Hendrick.
The Assembly having proceeded to
q permanent organization, Rev. DIR.
A. Kerr, of Memphis, was elected
- itor, and Rev. VIM. Finn, of
EgfA Temporary Clerk.
he second day was occupied mainly
Eeceiving and considering reports
IN the various Mission and Educa-
tlonal Boards of the Church. The
report of the treasurer of publica-
ton committee shows receipts for the
year by donation and sale of books,
amounting to SIS, ,174.15, which, with
the exception of balance on hand of
S2,296,79, was appropriately ex-
pended. i
A general missionary meeting was
. held on Monday evening, conducted ,
by Drs. Palmer, j. L. Wilson, b. NJ. ,
Smith and Dr. +. A. Ross.
The discussion which had been cut
eh by the special order ofthe day, was
resV9ed by DIR. Miller, who again '
woke n few minutes, granting that 8
the new book of canons offered
many advantages over the old one
vet, in all his researches from Calvin
and Luther, down to the present time, I
he had found but one writer who took t
the grounds of the committe who had /,
proposed the canons.
DIR. Baird did not intend to detain
the Assembly by entering upon a Q
theological discussion; but, as mems Ii
ber Of the committee on this work, he q
wished to make plain some things
that had, for two generations, been
construed in twew Ways; and all the Z
committee wished was to make the b
thing PLAIN to the'Chufch The only d
.diff fence between the adult and child q
is, NAT the one is entitled to the
lords table and the other IS barred, u
on Account Of unbeliefy If they pro- a
eelief they do belong to the D
IN.
Dr.. Rice could NOT see the difference
cen one class and another OF :
members. II is charged I
fs, that we want to throw out 2
! children-sshaul them up" 4
he Church, and throw them
the sympathy, prayers and good
Wtsf snd drive them from the pale "
of IN Church. "