New-York tribune., 1875-05-17
RELIGIOUS COUNCILS.
THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLIES.

WITH TIE SOUTHERN '-i"'-''--
OVERTURE ANOTHER FACTOR IN Thh WV
FEDERATION SCHEME.
The four principal Presbyterian bodies IN
this country win hold their assemblies this month
The Northern Assembly will meet at Cleveland, Ohio the
outhern at ST. Louis and the Cumberland ut Jefferson,
Texas May 90; the United Presbyterian Assembly VIII
open at wooster, Ohio, May 25 The Assembly rs the
highest court Of these churches 1t composed OF aee
rates from presbyt and the chief officers OF the va
r,ous boards sit as corresponding members 1t hears all
appeals from Synods receives overes from presbyte
res and reports from the departments OF Mssons Euu
cation Publication etc, exercises supervisory power
pyer theological seminaes, and In corporation WIN
the Presby effects changes in the government oi e
church.
The Presbyterian Church In tho United States OF Amer
Lea Northern, comprises ia presbyerios OF wmon 10
are In foreign lands arranged In 35 Synods III mas A'o
634 communicates, 4946 churches aud over hali nli
lion Sunday scholars In 1s37 the churcn was dr
yided and the parties known as the Ola anu NC"
School Churches although these were not Official desg
natjona In 1870 the Old and New School Assemblies
formed a organic unon and became the leading Pres
byterian body in America
The Northern Assembly will be opened at Cleveland
May 90 with sermon by the Rev. Samuel j. Wilson,
Moderator of the last Assembly Among the subjects
for delbcraton and action will be fraerna relations with
the Southern Church. the finances OF the Boards the
overture the eldership negotiations with the Keioeu
Church OF America for closer union, the susleh"uon
scheme court OF appeals the hymnbook quesuon, 'ne
mileage system the ratio of representation and minis
terial relief.
Tho question Of fraternal relations with the southerh
Church has lad wide discussion since the failure OF the
conference Baltimore last January The comments Oh
the denom press, at first somewhat sharp nave
become ndor the spirit shown on both sides leads
to hope that reconciliation may yet take place. inc
pot OF difference between the committees which ended
tho conference enthusiastically, appears from the fol-
lowing extract the address Of the Southern 10 the
Northern Committee:
All that we desire that the mpuations lCf heresy.
sclsn blaspheDyl which We conceive to be resting
upon our Cucn by h9 ia aoS at 0 ySpr n5 50 Ry directly
cover tbe case. You brethren Lave not the a1,-
6ST f G "a amSe nnS Ho' 10 to it Whatever
your julgneu; may be proper 10 settle these troubles
sS y0TT words 10 nat Sf et tSat these obnoxicus things
said al done in tunes OF high excitement that ttsS 9e
nr6v"S thai Npld end the diifcy &C once. We would
be far from 0SpCs.to 10 contend or -eIe Puncuno
The Northern Committee replied:
Were il rg that we regard you as " a church organ a
perpctuate the interests of slavery did We DeeVe @
that you held opinions heretical ana bsgenos, tJao %
would ind ed be insepnabe barrier TO closer rea-
tions. The se-rospoct Of the venerable edy we repre-
sent would have prevented the Pr h ,on C V cnnccT
ing your Church bad been in The most poslHye ana Son
I}dTc Of ~ bSding eisct they hc declarations
compained of we're made in peculiar times and under
ss Hgs9esy yIGI ove y They no% @ belong 10
history. AID idle to talk OF erasing the1A But we
are nod that these acsS are not now
law, ric. or precedent in Church; and in giving
this assurance, cannot present IL in stronger way
than TO record the acts u our AsscnO! tnfouon Sei'es
OF years.
The course II each Committee appears to be approved
bv its Church Representative Journals and men of the
Southern Church declare that all they require condi-
ton precedent opening Of friendly relations an
act from the Northern assembly approving and declaring
what the Northern Committee admitted at Baltimore
The Northern view generally is that the Southern Com
mttee asked much The Committees are to report TO
their respective Ass nbcs, and viii then be decided
whether negotiations to be continued Several Fres
byteres in the North have adopted Overtures to the
Cleveland Assembly respecting the subject The Presby
tories OF Platte No, of Newcastle De- OF Osagc MO-
and some others ask the Assembly to aceede to the de-
mands OF the Southern Church The Prcsbytery OF New
York urges tn Assembly to continue to &D,r lor Det
tor between the two Churches by the a
pointInent OF a committee who shall be ready 10
meet any committee of the Southern Assembly that may
be appointed, or by adopting such means promotNe u
harmony as its wisdom may dictate"
The el ership question promises TO occupy consdera
HE share Of attention The last Assembly sent down to
IL, Presyte.cs for ratification the following overture:
Jfauv rortclar church, by vote 0 members in fnll
comIndncn shall prefer to elect ran e!aers ior nm m
ied time In exercise Of their flnctoIs ihls may De
done; provided TIE full time be not es t!an Three years.
en the session nade TO consist of three classes one OF
which only shall be elected every year; ana pIovded
tnat elders ordained sh not Ds 1Scseea 1 so 10
Office when they are no. reclecc but snail oe enten 70
renrescni thai particular church in the hiSner Judca
tories when appointed by he session OF thc ffespyteIJ
Return have been received OF he vote OF lO3 PresDy-
te7ics On the overture; 20 vote Yea, 20 Nay and cast
"te- votes OeY Prcsbyterics yet to be heard FROM
but it is not probable that their votes viii defeat the
ratification After the Pfesbyeries have ratified the
overture the assembly must again approve II De1ore IL
ran become operative Some who have scrltnized the
vote carefully say that the Nays frot those Presby
te1ics situated or the border OF Mason and Dixons ne
and which represent the conservative elements OF Presy
toranis Il is contended by them that il VIII he danger
rerous in Wow O. the strength of this sectional opposition
for the Assembly to insist upon the immediate passage Oh
the overture expressed that another schism
may be forced by tie su1dcnness with which consti'
tn change IS proposed to be effected after the reunion
The Monmouth Prcsbytery takes this view Of tie question:
and has adopted an overture the Assembly asking to
suspend its sln lon Among the prominent commits
sioners 10 the mbly the Rev Drs John C. Lord
OF Buffalo Y. W Patterson Of Chicago B. D. Hotchkn OF
the Presbytey Chester g. T. Wilson OF the Presbytery
of Unnfin-lon AMI u. S. Goolalc Of Albany. Commits
soners are expected from some Of the foreign Pfosby
teIes.
The Presbytery Of New-Yori will bo represented In the
Assembly rs fellows Ministcrs-The Rev Mcssrs.
George ii. Wells, q. j. Mingns, T. p. Payson, W. W
PAGE W. ". Aticybary. L. r. Booth. Edcrs-R Carter
BENJAMIN Lyman, j. L. Parsons, Henry Day, Charles
Collins L. F. Hyde. The Assembly usually sits two
weeks more.
The condition Of the various Church boards is repre-
sented US follows Homo Mssions-Recep;s $4,000 in
advance OF las. yclr the debt OF the Board Is S2l3'2
The Relief n hae received about the same as last year
Tic Board Of iucaon has fallen OF in its receipts but
Is not SO llch cr5 ERASED It last year The re-
CENTS 0! the Church Erection Fund $4,000 in ad
vance O, the receipts Of last year. The Sustenaton
Fund received than $4,000 in the month OF March
Its actual d,Jt somewhat $4,000 Foreign Mis-
sions-Rccoipta. SiJG,700 expenses, $i9J,OO0
The solthorl Presbyterian Church comprises the ele
ments Of the Cd an New School Churches in the South
ecbf In Epy.Sc