The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-05-17

The GENERAL ASSEMBLY, OF THE fHES'
BYTKRIAN CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES.
tThi4 body, which lis now holding it's
fourth anpuals SESSION in. Baltimore, is.
oomposed 'of tsabout 800 opmmisai
representing, Sthe Preshyteries which,
until the yeAr 1870, formed the Northern
sections OF the. Old and New School
branches OF the Presbyterians Church;
the Southern sections having united in
1851, now forming the Presbyterian
Church South. It will be remembered
that the original Presbyterian Church in
this country, after remaining ono body
for fifty years, was divided in the year
1888 into two branches, known fami
iiarly as the. Old School and the New
School. This division took place in
Philadelphia, where, however. in 1870,
the reunion OF the Northern sections OF
the two schools was effected. Is is now
anticipated that an effort will be made
tions Of the two schools, and thus re-
uniting all the elements Of the original
church.
The government OF the Presbyterian
Church is representative, and by sys-
tenn c: jaaica:o.ies. The church session
is the lowest iudicatory, and consists Of
u
lar congregation. Tho court is charged
with maintaining the spiritual govern.
ment OF particular congregation. Tie
second jndicatory is the Presbytery,
which consists of all the ministers and
one ruling elder from each congregation
within certain district OF country. This
church court has power to receive and
issue appeals from church sessions,
| GoiY ho
ministry, approve or censure records of
doctrine and discipline, aud to order
whatever may pertain to the spiritual
welfare of the churches under it's cure.
The Synod is the third judicatory, in
cluding ut least three Presbyteries, and
having the same ratio o; representation
OF elders as in the Presbytery. The
Synod receives and issues all appeals
brought mp from the Presbyteries, re-
views the records Of the Presbytcriee, &c.
The body now in session is the highest
court of the denomination, and consists
OF one clerical and one lsy delegate from
each Presbytery represented, aud al a1-
ditional clerical aud hy delegate from
each Presbytery comprising more than
twenty -four churches
The General Assembly receives and
issues oil appeals an4 references coming
from inferior judjiatories, receives the
records CT Synods. decides all contro.
versies representing doctrine and disci-
pline, and superiltends the concerns of
the whole church, examining the pro-
gress Of its ben violent work as presented
in the reporte of the boards and com.
mittees, of which there are eighty, to
which the seferal departments Of that
work are cormitted. such as home and
foreign missions, education, publication,
&c. !; hearing reports relative to the CON
dition of theological seminaries, of
which thove are eleven; receiving dele.
gates from other ecclesiastical bodies, at
homo ard abroad, &c. The number Of
Presby4ries now to be represented is
166. \
Thep |esent will be the third occasion
when Presbyterian General Assembly
has eoAyened in Baltimore. The Old
School ASSEMBLY met in the year 1913,
in DR.. pckus' Church, then situated at
the cors IL If Fayettee and North streets,
and was NlHned by the late DR.. Thorn
we'll, Of South Carolina, and in 1868 the
Southern ! ,embly met in the Franklin
Street Ch }ch, (Mr. Murkland's,) and
was opened by the late DR.. Moore, OF
VirginiaR
The latest curiosity in crime is the
case Of lad ont in pittsbnro Pa civ