Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-10-21
Ylse lsresbyteria,s>.
MEETING OF THE SYNOD or BALTIMORE AND ORGAN
R,TioS, TUESDAY fyGSINC--sEKMOS GY Nh
FULTON. oE EAL1INnnr.

Iz,TioS, TUESDAY fvGSINC--sEKMOS GY MR..
FULTON, OF BALTIMORE.
The Presbyterian Synod OF Baltimore con-
vened in the Central Chur H. this city. last eve
ming. The opening session was largely attend
cd by visitors, to whom all the sessions are open,
aud the church was very comfortably filed
Not more than half tho delegates. il so many,
were present, but rs only some half dozen We're
absent by sickness it is expected that the az
tendance Will be swelled by new arrivals to-day.
The opening sermon was preached 10y Rev.
Robt II. Fulton. OF the Second Presbyterian
church, Baltimore, Rev. Or. Marquis who bad
been selected for that duty, being disqualified
by sickness Dir. FultOn's text was "And Lead
us not into Temptation" Matthew GLIB. De-
lining temptation as n sort of test or trial,
measured by u force eXerted upon tho moral
character, Mr.. Fulton proceeded to notice some
of the tests winch God ~ wont TO apply to hu-
man character, making direct reference 90 our
first parents IN the garden of Eden, where mans
obedience to his Maker was tried. 30 OF Abra-
ham who was commanded to sacrifice his sons on
Il mountain in horiah. But the purpose Of these
tests is not to seduce mau to slu (for God eau
not be tempted of evil, neither teuiptsth He any
MANI ut to prove whether We love our Lord with
all our heart and soul; they are meant to cOulirm
us in holiness, never TO seduce us into wrong.
All such temptations, however, occur in our
contact with the powers Of erl-the devil, whose
attitude toward the race is Of aggressive ho.tili-
ty. But common mortale, Mr. Fulton thought,
have very little personal conflict with tho devil.
Asr,iu t.ut,'or may nave him whoi. is lust-
ed his inhstand at tue apparitiun in his c amber;
but any OF the little devils is moro than
match for most men. There in
not need that Satan should be personally active
in assaults upou the human heart, for having
achieved the conquest Of tho race in the fall
of Adam and Eve. with its consequent faint and
bias towards wickedness, he may Withdraw from
the light aud exert his comprehensive geIliii in
the detailed actions OF ms emissarios.
Passing to a consideration Of the manner in
which temptations influence rla, Mr.. Fulton said
they came rs suggestiOHs-by persuadlng ny to
course OF action. Thoy cannot take hold of
us and compel us TO an unwilling performance.
for this would destroy the essential of personal
responsibility. Such influences moving us AZ
move children, or idiots or insane persons,
would neither be right or wrong, for they would
lack al moral quality. These temptations are
also suggestive enticemeuts, and therefore NJ t.
representations of truth.
Looking at the conditions within man un-
der which he is especially lahlo to temptation,
Mr.. Fulton named among there extremes OF
prosperity or adversely, a. espi oiRliy danger
ouH. In middle cou,se removed alike from
wealth and penury We walk most safely. But
recall our commercial history Of the past four
years and you will have an exhibition Of
each eXtreme. In the Inlsnse volume OF
trade consequent upon the over-atimulsted ac-
hvty OF war-tmes, the gigantic schemes for
national development, and ihe predominant
mania for speCulation-the natural resuL Ct an
inflated cuneucy--the, whole nation seGmed to
ride upon a flood tide OF fortune. And then what
a forsaking was there Of tile ancient landmarks
Old habits of frugality gave place to prudigsity.
the DAY Iaborer turned Dives must don the rur-
pie aud fine linen and fare sumptuuGsly livery
day. Conservatism was ruled ont; prudence
yielded to reckleaBuesg, and d. ahing Il-k in
the East, aud u more d7shing Eul't,n III the
West were the men chosen to guard great trusts
and manage great Enterprises, 1t was an era
OF universal excess. We had Touched nothing
that we did not quit ovnrdune. fortune was the
goal aud sucCes5 the criterion OF every action,
so, from having been one of the most upright
and stable peoples, We quickly became one of
the most debanchri and unsuDstautial AZ
might have been expected the tide that made
shipwreck of our public morals feCedcd and with
IL tiOatea away our prosperity. Then
came the collapse in trade, tho SHRINK.
age in values, the stoppagI Of mills, and
Thousands standing idle win no man to hire
them. Here We were precjpitatod from Que ex-
treme OF temptation to auOthcr, and it were
hard to tell which YVES the greater evil, the'yle.
thorn OF imitation or the gripping Of contraction.
For us the one made mon lavish OF money, tho
other male them layieh of tIoir good unmr
aud our country has witnessed tho lunilariug
spectacle OF men who stood as pillars OF trade
not only become bankrupt in properly but what
Is worse, revealing in their lg6uGM ruin that
they had before been bankrupt in character
The state of our health and periods of leisure
arc also oppurtune times for temptation Hnt
msiii0us M are all tho devices OF satan and his
miuous, and great as are tho dangers in the way
OF escape, they may all be overcome by hslltual
caution, firm adherence to right, aud the liz
voking Of the divine AID by prayer.
THE ORGANIZATION.
After the sermon, liev. Gaylord L. More in the
absence OF tho retiring moderator, called The
Synod to order, aud prefaced the proceedings
with prayer Roll was called, and Rev. james j.
snyih. Of the Now Castle Prosbytely WAS cleo
ted Moderator by rising vote. VIM. II. Colo
and Chas. Baird were elected Recording Clerks,
and Rev. d. II. Riddle, of Warrington, Railing
Clerk.
"WEDNESDAY MoGsIHG Session.
Tho Synod of Baltimore was opened with de-
votional exercises this morning, after which the
regular ofher of tie day was suspended to hear
the report of Rev. DR.. J. T. Smith, the synods
representative on tho committee Of the Genera
Assembly on System of Benoyolence. Tho re-
port was referred to apscial committee.
The subject for discussion, M printed in tho
programme, WAS then taken up aud cDls.deIed
to recess at 1890.
The following Standing Committees wore then
announced
Judicial Commttee-levs. A. @. Haaton John
Chester, J. Henderson, d. d., and elder ]. n.
Brown.
Bills Of Overtnre-Reys. ]. ]. Smytb, ]. NJ p.
Otis, Thomas simpson, and elder d. H. Nous-
ton,
Minutes Of the synod-Reys. DR. Spottswood
and L q. Brewster.
Presbytery Of Baltim0re-Gevs. q l.. More,
Chas. Beach and elder ". s. venahles.
Presbytery of New Caste--RGy. w. IT, Cooke
]. I. Kelley and A. L. Louusbury
Presbytery Of Washiugton-Reys. j. G. Um-
stead, ID. J. Beach aud W. J. Todd.
Minutes of tho General ACCOMMODATIONS. B.
Sunderland, j. II. Johns and elder II. Ii. Fgulk.
er.
Fnance-Dr l.. p. Bush, ]. II. Haskell and
s. II. Howell.
Leave OF Absence-Revs @. p. Clover. G, T,
Boyuton and elder Ferris Moore
Committee on Narrative-Govs. J. @. Crowel,
j. G. Thompson and elder Robt. Leach.
recess was then taken to o'clock
- LIN two Nnars older than rnu y anih a ItLln