The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-29
THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

REVIEW or ITS woRK-THE CONDITION AND
ATTITUDE or THE CHURCH.
Ton days ago the Presbyterian Assembly convened in
the Tabernacle Brooklyn and during that time they
have discussed various topics OF more or less
to their Church and denomination. The opcning any
was spent preminares, in tho election OF officers
and the appointment OF some few committees Tho
next day the committees completed, and at once
the Assembly plunged into us business Occasionally
during the proceedings the Assembly has been thrown
into a snarl by motions and amendments ard subst.
tutes, and what not, offered by members o.
tho freshman class, and il required the in
gcnuity Of Judge Strong or some other good pnriIn
mentarian TO release the body from its dim
Guilty But, on the whole. for largo body this
Assembly has done remarkably well in this particular
This result DUE perhaps, much TO the ability aud
experience OF ia Moderator 10 any other cause In
It's efforts 10 effect closer between the Presby
terian Church and bodies VINO hold its doctrines In
common the Assembly year or two ngo made over
lures to the Reformed Dutch Church for such union
Those oye.ures were rejected by latter and instead
thereof 1t offered terms Of cooperation in mission and
certain other work performed in proximity TO zach
other by both denominations This the Assembly has
declnei inexpcdlcnt and unnecessary. Early IN
Its deliberations tho Assembly adopted resolutions
complimentary to the Centennial Commission tor
the Sabbath, and subsequently, sent committee Of its
strongest and eminent ministers and 10 pro-
Gent the greetings and the sentiments OF the Assembly
this question 10 the Commission, aud yesterday
letter IRON tho President OF tho Commission In re-
spouse read to the Assembly. II Is surprising how
small n matter may interfere with good Prcsbyte
rams peace and rest member OF the Assembly fet
himself aggrieved by the common namc given 10 tho
sabbath SUNDAY; that he requested, by resolution the
Assembly to order the word Sunday 10 be stricken
out OF all its official records wherever It occurs and
the words s.sabbathn Lords Day" substituted.
And he gave his chief that tho violaors Of
the Lords bay" sabbath call Il by
NAME, SUNDAY"
which has sacred idea connected with it, Tho logt
cal absurdity OF this proposition rs apparent on isace
The change of name Won't make the day more sacred
than II make vioator less, and IT, after so
centuries OF there Is no sacTcdness Attaching
the pagan name sunday how many centuries will
II take make the Lords Day. or tho sabbath"
sacrcds Why, there men and youths today who.
after 500 years. think no more Of the Lords name
than they do OF his day and 1t oienor in profanity
than in Worship Why not change HIS name also as
ON the question iraternal relations with the South
ern Presbyterian Church the Assembly was almost
unit There few sensitive members of the body
believed that the first in this direction should
from the South, since tho Church there had
Northern body But the Presbyterian Church tNorthl,
the Moderator and others very truly expressed IT, IS
national and not sectional II belongs no more 70 the
North than TO the South. Like Methodism, 1t claims
the world its parish Ii can, therefore, afford 10 be
magnanImous aud in this case it has SHOWN most
beautiful Christian spirit by making effort TO-
ward reconciliation and union. 1t would be
something OF an anomaly to find quar-.
rel or a generation past continued into tho day
the great Presbyterian family throughout the
world arc preparing Tor grand Thanksgiving day. and
all tho scattered members are prcparIng TO meets
year hence around the paterna hearthst0nc OF 1aud
lang syne." Shall there DO vacant chair in that
great gathering in Edinburgh in 1877. and that the
chair which should be filled with the Southern Presby.
terrain Churchy
Home and foreign missions hold very exalted and
very dear place IN the Presbyterian Church i isa
living Church because II is missionary Church. Its
representatives hold up the in every land and
preach It's doctrines in almost every language and dia
lcct II has representatives IN this Assembly from tho
cradle or the human and from the grave Of its
Rcdcemer, from pagan and heather Asia and Catholic
South America Men who have spent from thirteen to
forty years 10 heather or countries are here
in this Assembly enthusiastic as II they were In then
first love and had learned rodcmptions story yester
day. The venerable DR.. Calhoun who has spent forty
years OF his lie in the regions around Lebanon Coca
back again to new field OF labor as II ho were
his only wish being that be may die among tho people
whom he has to Christ And scarcely less en-
gagged mission work among the Indians and New
Mexicans and ON the frontiers OF our own country.
Connected with the home mission work Of tho Church
II department OF sustentation. This Is designed ia
obviae the growing evil OF supplies rather than pas.
tors settled churches. This evil has increased TO
such that from one-third 10 onehar Of all
tho Presbyterian ministers In tho United States
out Of the regular pastoratc and churches are left to
luck or chance Tor tho preaching OF the Gospel
There various reasons given for this con-
dition OF things. but the chief one Is financial
inability of tho churches TO settle regular pastors The
salaries give every pastor coming under s
provisions salary 81 900 year Ono OF tho pro-
visions OF this scheme requires church TO contribute
aggregate OF 81 80 per member per annum to tho
support OF It's pastor. Tho result has been that many
churches make big effort to raise this amount, settle
thousaud-dollar pastor for year, and then eithc
fall back into worse condition than they were bci0r
look for higher priced man and let the sustents
ton pastor fall into the rut whence he had been taken
The German population OF the United States have
become numerous and important an elc
ment in our political social anu religious life tha
mot NM bn faa
The Methodists have the lead IN labor among them al
present; the Baptss doing little and the Presby
tcrians little MORE but not enough Hence tho
Assenbly's attention directed TO this matter
couple Of days ago one OF great Importance Aud
doubt efforts will be made to turn the subtle Ger.
mind from rationalism toward Christianity in tho
coming year.
sion OF matter that had very little business to
before IT, and tho venerable father who advocated the
measure felt and knew that he had neither the sym.
pathy the ear OF hH brethren. IL was discussion
OF the question substantialy-Is the Roman Catholic
Church church OF Christ or not? Tho Assembly Of
1885 decided that not the Assembly OF 1876 do
cidcd that IL is II II was not true church OF Christ
IN 1885 and the centuries preceding, what respect
has changed since SO that forty years lator another
generation Of Prcsbycrans decide tho question In the
anirmativoY II has added the Immaculate Conception
and tire Papai lnfaib'Iity TO Its dogmas. II these
have made II more evangelical would seem from the
Assembys delveranco year ago, II is - delegate
expressed 1t yesterday, little too lato In tho day
10 % Of nv % roos
deep and strong, and IL has been growing too
long. this brother remarked, Tor this Assembly 10
try TO pull up thros IL down. Its missionaries
are in every land and have been In Some for contu
rics-ycs, centuries before modern Professionalism
conceived the plan OF missions More OF its preachers
and teachers, too have laid their bones IN heather
graves Tor Christ and His Gospels sake
probably, than Of all other denominations com
bincd. n the Presbyterian denies tho validity
OF Roman Catholic baptism, or any other ordt
nance is not tho Baptist July justified IN denying the
validity OF tho ordinance administered by tho Pres
bytcriany And, indeed. according 10 the testimony
given to the Assembly yesterday tho Roman Catholic
Church recognizes Presbyterian baptism rs genuine
while the Baptist church does not In the Baptists
view logically the Catholic Church IL, 30 far tho
Protestant sacraments Involved, as much a truo
church OF Christ the Prcsbyterian-but no counts
both Of them false and claims his own 10 be the only
Gospel church. Tho Assembly was very plainly In no
mood 10 put itself tuis centennial year in antagon-
ism 10 any branch Of the Church Of Christ and there
fore II referred tho inntter TO committee, which.
after years incubation will present u full aedgcd
Chicago IN 1871
A NEW CHAPEL.
a "A