New-York tribune., 1869-05-20
THE PRESBYrERLINS IN COUNCIL.

THE PRESBYIERIANS IN COUNCIL.
"The General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church" meets in our City at Ii A. NJ. to-day.
Unhappily, there are two claimants to the title,
popularity distinguished as the "Old SCHOOL, and
the "New School," the former meeting at DIR.
Springs church, corner of Fifth Avenue and
Thirty -seventh-st, where the Rev. DR.. Mus
grave of Philadelphia will preach the opening
sermon and the latter at DR.. Prentiss's church,
corner of Park Avenue and East-Thirty fifth
st.. where DR.. SteaTns of Newark will preach.
Both houses will doubtless be crowded; and
each General Assembly will, at the close of its
religious exercises, proceed to the business Of
the session, which will probably require the
next ten or twelve days for its proper dis
cussion and disposal. Each body will consist
of one clerical and one lay delegate-usually a
Ruling EldeT-from each Presbytery repre-
sented, and of an additional clerical and
lay delegate Gf they be senD from each
Presbytery comprising more than twenty
four churches. Practically, however, the
attendance of lay delegates is seldom or
never equal in number to that of min
listers. We presume the "0ld School"
Assembly will consist of about 300 and the
"New School" of some 25O delegates-that
being about the number usually in attendance
on the two Assemblies respectively. The
Theological Seminary at Princeton, n. j., may
be regarded as the nucleus of cold School"
ideas that located in New-York the focus of
New SCHOOL, views. The cold School" is
the larger body numbering more ministers and
more laymen among its adherents, and making
larger annual contributions for the defense
and promulgatiOn of its faith. The number Of
communicates in the two Churches is consider
bly, over 100000 add the "United Presbyteri-
"ans." "Covenanters," "Seceders,' "Cumber-
Gland Presbyterians" and other small sects
essentially Presbyterian in their principles and
organization, and the total must considerably
exceed Half Million, indicating that not
far from Three Millions of our people
are Presbyterians in faith, though many Of
them are children, or, for divers reasons, have
failed thus far to unite formally with the
churches whereof they are birthright members.
In wealth, social influence, and the magnitude
of their contributions for religious phanthrOpiC,
and educational purposes, the Presbyterians
are relatively far stronger than their numbers
weuld indicate Combined with the Orthodox
CongregatiOnalists, (from whom they differ
slightly except in certain ecclesiastical arrange
ments,) they would form the largest denomi-
nation in our country, having from Five to Six
Millions of adherents.
The great question which will absorb all
attention in either Assembly this year is that
OF Reunion. The General Assembly of 1887
exploded and rent the Presbyterian Church
asunder lively hope is cherished that the
present year is to be signalized by its recon-
struction. The subject has been agitated at
each OF the last three General Assemblies of
either "wing,o and an earnest and growing
desire for reunion manifested in each Tbore
are stili dinerences to reconcile and obstacles
to overcome; but the practical question is one
OF time only, and its solution cannot be long
postponed, We but speak what is felt by all