New-York tribune., 1869-05-20
THE PREsBYTERIANs.
ASSEMBLIES TO-DAY.

ASSEMBLY IS-MOYEMENTS TOWARD NHIsI1 ~
- TtAN UNION-PREsENT ATTITUDE OR ihN
REUNION QUESTION
The General Assemblies of the Presbyterian
rrcb which convene on Murray Hi IN this city, this
morning will attract much public attention. chleny from
the fact OF their being occupied with the eaoing move
ments now making in tho Christian community lo"aru
general evangelical union AS IL Is proDaDle tnaV 'no
sessions OF the two Assemblies will be attended by many
o our readers we present the following sketch OF the
Assemblies themselves and the business before them
The Presbycran Church, properly speaking, is that
division of the Church Militant which in pOlty holds to
the equality Of all ministers "Presbyters, ejectng
all preates under the authority o. government constr
tuted like that Of the United States aud IN doctrine to
the theological system known as Reformed, Cayimstlc'
or Augustnian Presbyteransm thus opposes the poty
which as in the Roman Catholic, Methodist Episcopal
and Protestant Episcopal Churches) makes three ORDERS
IN the ministry but also that winch tas the Bapus"'
Congregationasts and Unitarians) allows no higher w
thority over any church society than its own meuO
and officers II opposes in doctrine. the Arininlh
theology. The Presbyterian Church in TINS ~coun,S COUNTY,
dates from 1851 when Francis Makeme PrespS 'erla
clergyman from ireland, organized ChuICn IA IN" |
Hill, Nd. Tie denomination has NO" nv 80
eleven divisions, having been diVldeu' auuou w. 80 80
throughout the period from Makemf nm @ tv reTresHt
General Assemblies now c9nyenns III hHceS ,mS ne Old
the two foremost OF these DIVISIONS OI Sr styrS
9SnUU, s, o % The Presbyterian Church in the United
States OF America" The Others are to Se1n ,h 20, -
Sor,nod aud tbe Dutch Reformed, both OF them now
FLAMING The title Of the Reformed Churcn anu not
altogether admitting their PreshyerlaIsm tnG @ TuloTI @
sonth the Presbyterian Church South the free ana tne
independent PesDytsrapS al % GCne"b5 boSss me
United lPresbyterians, the Reformed PTeS9y,,
tbe scotch 0venanty" sort peculiar for their adher
enee to Rouses verified Psalms OF David lother hymns us
being deemed unlawful aud "cose communion" Al Al
these bodies have Their supreme councils meet IN TINS
month every We ar The General Assembly (eaieu zen.
era synod by some of the branchesl when Is the % nS
Of each Of the two bodies conyening IS the inquest
judcatory the Church 1t thus derives It's chalaGIS
single church society is governed by ts pastor au
number Of church members called elders OF pI9sO1t
all OF whom have been soemnly ordained 10 tner WoS' '
and all Of whom together consul9te to cnSn b soss,
EiouD The minister and one elder from eac. sesSoh s
in given distinct form me tS5n fe church
session All the members Of the presDy tees Wl'in C3
The General Assembly Is made up Of delegates, called
Commissioners, chosen from the various lIeSn ,eie
zion II is Intended that the number Of elders that
lay1neu shall equal the number OF ministers pu as l III
fessors In theological semnaues and other ministers WHO
are HoI "a Lss& & 90 The rsse The General Assembly thus
The only elected body, and is constituted ant tdC year
II is presided over by moderator chosen from e MN
sr Tepresented and has four secretaries two of whom
Ike t6e moderator, are elected each year but the
other two of whom called stated and Permanent
Clerks. are permanent officers. The business
Of general supervision Of the Presbyterian Chuieni
inciudug both Legislative and judicial acts II appoints
(thrOngh the MODERATOR IA standing committees seven
of which receive the reports Of those Boards Whch con-
on them for the nna action: Beside these, the Jndican
and Overtures Committee entertain memorials Nc tte
'Poty Church. matters pertnentto that subject
Narrative Of Religion compile narrative OF the rehS-
o state OF the whole Church from the reports SynOcs;
willie thOes on Mileage" Devotional Exercises" ad
Leave Of Absence" discharge evident duties. The Old
School Assembly has several additional committees be
side these named. In the main the two Assemblies 90
Assembly Of the Presbyterian Church. constituted
precisely alike, and hardly differ il any even minor
But the business which viii especially occupy these two
Assemblies this year. will be the great question Of reunion
of the connections they represent Ihere are AT
present three distinct movements looking toward ecele
Of the various Presbyterian churches and although
Of them Will not and another may not occupy much Of
the time OF these asSeIOles5 eI tHCy are 30 Coseg
lated to each other and are OF so much Importance TO the
religious community at large that We may properly
allude TO them briefly here.
The least Of these, at present is the mere propo-
The Christian IHlehgeneer, for general Christian Con
gress delegated from all primary ecclesiastical bodies in
during the coming Autumn, 10 seek uuionorgauie, #
We have been unable 10 learn that this plan has pro-
gressed any further than mere proposal.
2 The second and more contracted plan for Christian
union emanated from tho Reformed Presbyterian Church.
and fusion Of all the branches OF the Presby
highest authOry-proposed May 1867 to the General
synod OF Assemblies OF the other resby teran brancnes
Presbyterian union convention IN Philadelphia in NOyem
ber 1867 That convention composed OF delegates from
seven OF the Dranches uLCluuIg lhe then, heiOIneu
Dutch Church One met at that tue and las become
historical as the "PampTesbyterlan Convention" lMT
George IT, Stuart President OF the Christian Commission
the original prOposer Of the convention, aud was It's
ecclesiastical Office Of elder by the very next General
Synod OF the Reformed Preshyterians for his
convention wholly unexpected, and seemed to many
almost miraculous. Members Of the COvenantng tR
+. and U. p churches, Cumberland, Dutch ana New
porSsI CIristan discussio NOT of dferences hit OF
agreements aud separated after adopting basis Of Or
ganc union 20 be proposed Tor the acton OF the separate
churches. This basis was Entrusted 10 q com.
tor a Joint Committee Of Conference, ana that
pointed may report some further plan for action this
year But the most remarkable and valuable result OF the
convention was the impetus given to the thrd plan oi
The third and most important as u was also the hrs
IN time, OF al these movements toward organic Cnsl5h
luOn has been that effort 70 Teunte the two greatest d.
visions OF the terrain (leleh, ~hiCa Wl oe the
chief matter OF public interest at the assemblies cOnYen
ing here to-day. Tins the most important OF al present
Earliest egnnng it is now the farthest advanced hav
ing been altogether conducted IN strictly legal ana reRu
lar manner; 10 is not exclusive OF other denominations
but rather opens up the way for gradual Or II may he
~ Gods providence rapid broadening Of the effort
- 10 include all evangelical Christians; ana II occupies
the attention Of two OF the most important aud infueu
aal divisions of the Church
Before passing 70 speak Of the present position Of this
.lrd effort for union the cause for 1t may be briefly
stated Tie General Assembly Of 1881 Or 70 the sepaEa
On Of the Old and New schools adopted resolutions con
1emuing the American Home Missionary Society as tend
ng TO propagate lax theological views; aud hnayaso @
trary action the four presbytcres (Which were commit
ed 10 friendship fO That society OF western Reserve,
Geneva Utica aud Geuesee In 1885 the eXscnded presby
geTes sent commissioners as usual To- the Assembly but
they we're denied admission; whereupon they declared
themselves with an the other regularly appointed COM
Missoners who sympahizcd with them, the true Assem-
Dy, aud proceeded 10 organize that body which Is
repeated lu the New School" General Assembly.
The two Assemblies, thus separated, met by accident
IN lie same place in 1856 That place this city the
Old school meeting in tine First FrcsbytcriaU Church Qhc
Rev Dr Phips's then, now Dr. PaXtOus Oh Fithave),
ana TIE NcH school On the then completed Madison
square church, the Rev Dr. AdiIuss Although IL be-
came evident during those ten days that organic reunion
could not then even Do Initiated yet much doubtless was
nceCmpisEti toward traerua interchange OF feeling
y he aSqnntapces which sprang up in consequence Of
Ihe hcdrLtss OF the TWO 20 each other. singular
Providence both the Assemblies that met ia sGappont-
60 LOUIS Tor the place Of meeting in lCC wholly without
design or knowledge Indeed, u was greatly feared
when the coincidence became known that tho hospital
ltGs OF ST. LOUIS WOuld be ~