The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-18
RELIGIOUS.
Meeting Of the Presbyterian
General Assembly.
COMPOSITION OF THE BODY.
Present and Prospective Plans of
Representation.
BUSINESS TO CONE BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY.

shis morning shall have gathered In tho
Tabernacle Brooklyn large and important body
Of ministers and laymen representing the Presby
tsrian Church (North) throughout the United
States About 500 representative men OF culture,
dignity and emnence will begin consider the wants
and condition of their denomination to-day Sent
by the Presbyteries to which they bolong they rep
4o90 churches. great and small with aggre-
gate membership Of little half million souls
The total number Of ministers in the body Is 706
The most important question that has before
the Presbyteres during the year has been the last
Asssmby's overture representation in that body.
After due elaboration and consideration sxy-nine
voted against the measure and twenty-five Tor il
There have been something radical and subvcr-
sive OF Presbyterian poity in It to have secured
such majority against it better
Outstanding OF the importance OF the will
be arrived by brief recital Of the several judcato
ries Of the Presbyterian Church The lowest tho
local church Session, which looks after the spiritual
interests OF the individual society and It's component
parts including the minister the Presbytery, which
consists OF the ministers pastors or mott and one elder
from each church within city or . given district OF
country All Presbyterian ministers are equal in &C.
clesiasica rank and standing, whltever their employ
menI For mutual protection, counsel and discipline,
number Of churches not less than ten nor moro than
Is the next highest court in Presbyterian eocesast
clsm II is composed Of as many Presbyeries may
be convenient, generally not less than three nor more
than nine. It's members consist or all the members
belonging 10 the Presbyteries which compose IT, and
elder from each church. There are I73 Presbyte-
RES and thrty-sIx Synods session holds meetings
from time to time, occasion demands Presbytery
meets semi-annuay, or, in some cases, quarterly,
with special meetings in case Of urgent business
Synod meets annually. Tho General Assembly has
held annual meetings since 1885,
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
s composed Of delegates commissioners sent from
the Presbyteres Each Prcsbytery sends two commits
sioners in proportion to evory twenty four ministers
or fraction of twenty -FOUR which compose It, One OF
these commissioners must be minister tho other an
elder. There will thus be about 500 delegates
present in this Assembly. body composed OF 800
men is considered by some be entirely too large
During the unhappy division OF tho Presbyterian
Church into two branchcs-the Old School and New
Schoo-from 1888 to $780, the Assembly OF each body
met separately zach bringing together about $50
commissioners. Tho Assembly which to-day convenes
will be the seventh Of the reunited body. Each
year since the union there has been much discussion
10 how to reduce the number of commissioners but
yet no plan has been suggested which meets with
general approval Last year plan wus presented for
the Prcsbytcries to vote on which involved sending
the commissioners from the Synods instead OF from
the Presbyteries and thus sending fewer II has
now been voted down by large majority, and the
representation stands before In the two branches
Of the Church North and South there arc 5000
preachers, the Northern branch having 4, FOG
The Presbytery Of Chicago voted against the Assem-
bly's overture on representation by Syrods and made
First-It is considered an extravagant and wasteful
expenditure for the churches to spend $50 900 year
In sending commissions to the General Assembly But
the churches wisely NE think spend many times this
every year In giving salaries 70 their pastors
which enable them to take vacations journeys
cursons, aud in hiring supplies for their pupts during
bly,, though involving often hard labor, is yet change
and a rest for the clerical delegates.
TIM HOSPITALITY QUESTION
Second-It Is SAID that bat few places in the land
are capable of entertaining SO large body. But the
American Board finds bountituI hospitality at its
annual meetings for usually much larger number Of
Yet they have been eagerly invited and generously
ertnined by such small cities Norwich, Conn, and
Lynn, Mass, OF which there are hundreds III the land
Of equal or greater size.
TRird-It is said, again. that tho sixe of tho Assem-
bly, must be reduced because II Is now TOO argc
transact the business with convenence and DESPATCH
This objection since the reunion has often been raised
How much Of its present force may be due ire-
auent Iteration we do not undertake TO say but that
there present any serious difficulty fail 10 see
The English House OF Commons. one of the leading
Legislative bodies Of the World IN has ga momDers-a
In any General Assembly OF our Church. We have
never heard that the efficiency of this body is de-
Chamber OF Deputies Is composed Of $50 members;
the German Reicnstag has 1897 members, the Prussan
mates 7sl This Presbyery expresses the opinion that
the efficiency OF the Assembly may be promoted far
more by providing for the withdrawal il OF ALL or
nearly ALL Judicial which generally perpox
ing and which often consume much time, than By re-
ducng numbers. Let the period OF time usually de-
voted to its sessions be shortened rather than diminish
its membership, Tor which there does not seem to be
ut this stage OF the Church's growth any urgent call
tho dam mat tim nj v1f eli fbo
present form Of representation by presbycrics
offered plans of their own, which will be presented 10
the Assembly during its session here, looking toward
reduction In the number Of commissioners. One plan
retains the form but cnlarges
BAsIs OF REPRESENTATION,
making thirty ministers instead OF twentyour a. at
present. On this basis the Assembly would DO
duccl TO o6S commissioners instead of $685. its present
legal number But IN seven instances this plan would
unite small Presbyteries SO as TO give them q repre-
sentat,on and the time reduce the aggregate
small presbytcrcs, would have only four; China which
has SIX would have two; Colorado with four would be
gwen two India, with i've would be allowed three;
would be reduced from four to two and Wisconsin from
nve 70 ono or tho l73 Prcsbyteres only fifteen
main by this plan unrspresentcd and these nearly
Ill missionary Presbyeres, most OF which even now
rarely send commissioners
into wo pars and ss one hair be- n
Assembly and the other in the succeeding Assem-
bly,. And as the Presbyterics enlarge and multiply,
tins plan would sin divide them into thirds and
fourths that each part should be represented In
General Assembly in three or four years. that
more than $50 commissioners should at any time DO
chosen TO that body. The designer OF this plan has
grand prospect in his mind. The General Assembly Of
the United states may grow into the Assembly Of tho
world Il may become the representative OF Presby-
tcries in every nation under heaven and still by this
scadusting ruc 1t cannot swell into court too largo
and unwcldy.
Some time ago DR.. Talmage and Elders Freeman,
Corwin Hathaway and S.lcox were appointed by the
Tabernacle Church an executive committee 90 make
The necessary arrangements Tor the meeting and enter
tainmcnt OF the General Assembly. They have had
great deal Of correspondence 10 attend TO, both with
The several commissioners and with their respective
entertainers in Brooklyn and New York. Al first
Presbyterian families were rather slow IN accepting
delegates. because OF the
CUSTOM PRESBYTERIAN COMMISSIONERS
bringing wives and sometimes daughters and whole
families along with them. while tho theory OF tho
Church asks entertainment the delegates only
the custom doubles the expense and the troube but
by frequent appeals OF the committee, personally and
BY letter. beiorc Prcsbytcries and through the pross
the committee has secured pleasant homes and enter
tainmcnt FOR the commissioners during their two or
three weeks stay hero. A lunch will be spread every