New-York tribune., 1877-05-16
PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY

| THE UNITED sTATES-THE UNION RFPECTgDr Dr.e,
YEAR-QUEsuONs TO CONE UP-ITs POWERS
| THE EDUCATION OF MINISTER'S.
The General Assembly Of the "Presbytorian
Church in the United states Of America meets omorro
In Chicago. II will he ccmposed Of 900 conrn,.
sioners elected by 172 prosbyieres. The comnissoa,-
consist OF equal delegation n ministers oder,
from each presbyery in the following proportion: Each
presbytery consisting Of not moro than "a mrisier,
sends minister and elder. and each prosbyerv
consisting of than "a ministers sends two minister
and two eldors The assembly meets every year On tb.
third sday Of May The retiring moderator preache.
the opening sermOn, and pIesdes during the orgaUlz
ton. This duty falls today on the Rev. Henry j. Van
Dyke Of Brooklyn. The Rev. Dr. Edwin +. Hatneldo,
NewYork has for many years been te assenbys STAYED
clerk.
Presoyferiansm in the United States dates from IN.
latter part Of the seventeenth century The first genera,
assembly was organized in Philadelphia In 1889 DR.
John wiherspOOn preaching the opening sermon r..
church grew with great rapidity until the year 1897
when il divided into two known rs the Old and the Nev
School In 1870 the Old and New School bodies united
again, the fret assembly being held IA PHILADELPHIA
Since that year the church has been prosperouA
The statistics the meeting OF the assembly ot 1870
showed 80 synods, i72 prrs5yteIes 7OJ candidates io-
the ministry 4,7il ministers, 5O77 churches, 53J2lO
commandments and j5j,347 sunday-school mcmbcr
Tie contributions for all purposes were s9.s10223. on
gatonal expenses S3I i603 fer home missions s399787
for foreign missions and 2,lOOIj0 for ncsIlaaeou,
objects These figures show increase. the re.
union in s7O OF SOC ministers jj chuchcs and 98Gi9
members Az compared with 1871 the aggregate con.
trbutions show an increase of S7l2Jl7.
Tic great achievement OF the last session % tho Gen
eral Assembly was the restoration Of tcrnal relations
with the Southern Presbyterian Church. Former efforts
made to establish fraternity had failed Of success. Early
in last years session the Committee Correspondence
presented resolution declaring it 10 be the cordial de-
sire OF the assembly TO establish frateal relations with
the Southern Prcsbyterans on terms OF perfect equality
and reciprocity, as II is agreeable % tler bott
rem to respond TO this assurance by similar expression
favorable reply this proffsF was received Each
assembly passed the following declaration and the work
was done In order to show disposition 10 remove.
part all real seeming hiuderanee to friendly
feeling the assembly explicitly declares that. While con
demniug certain acts aud deiveranccs Of the southern
Northern General Assembly, no acts or deverances Ot
the Northern Souhernl Assembly, or Of the historic
bodies Of which the present assembly il the successor
are 10 bc construed or admitted tmpugnng in any
way the Christian character of the Southern Northern
Assembly or Of historical body bodies of winch
il the successor" The adoption Of this resolution BY
the Northern Assembly was Immediately followed by al
outburSt Of praise.
One OF the most perplcxng questions which has ofae
years come before the General Assembly Is that Of
"reducod representation" It is contonded by many
that the body is uuwcldy and that It's size makes pro-
vision for the commissioners during the sessions difficult
in any city. In 1875 overture was sent down from
the assembly TO the prcsbyteries, prop sing synodca
in place OF presbyterial representation On this 20
presbyteries voted Yea, lO5 Nay, aud ~ did not
rcprt The assembly OF $40 referred the whole sub
icct to special committee. directing them 70 mature
Plan and TO publish theIr report in the church paer
In the report. which appeared last February. the com
mtee express the opinion that large reIFeseniati;n IS
not necessarily evil, and recommend: Q) An IN
crease OF the number Of ministers ucccss1ry 10 constitute
a pre5Dyely from five to ten (2 The rtquilementof OF
each pcshytcry pay the expenses Of it, own comms
soner 90 Tho increase Of TIE contingent fund. and the
appropriation OF part Of 20 the entertainment o. no
assembly In view of the difficulties which surround
this subject il has been proposed To make the meetings
of the General Assembly trennial instead Of annual IS
at present.
The assembly is a body Of large powers. r decides in
all controversies respecting docume ana discipline it
has also ;hc power OF "eprOyng warning. or bearing
testimony against error IN doctrine or immortality in
practice in any church presbyte, or synod Of erecting
now synods when may bc Judged necessary OF super
intending the concerns Of the whole church; Of come
spending with foreign churches on such terms as may 10
agreed upon by the assembly aud the corresponding
BODY: Of supprcs,ing schismaucil contentious and
dsputations. and, in general, OF recommend.
ing and attempting reformation Of manners,
and the promotion Of charity truth, and holiness
through the churches Under care" To the assembly
also pertains the direction Of the boards placed n charge
OF the chuych's benevolent work and the theological
scm,narirs. Standing committees Fcycw the w0k0i
each year in all these departments. The a1Scmb.Fs
boards are the Home Mission Foreign Mission. Eluca-
rou Publication, Church Erection, and Relief cords
abcd miuis,cI>l. Besides these there permanent
committee OF mIssi0n7 for freedmen Tho -ustanta;on
scheme. which dates from the time Of the reunion, has
been made department Of home missions. Since 1902
there have been sent out Tor the prosecution Of home
mission work 37.g69 missionaries and contributions
have been made this charity 20 the OF SGl32
l67 Since 1870 the board has commissioned 5.529 mis-
,.on9rics and collected SI,slO,9J7. bout 900 home
missionaries al present employed az cost annually
OF S271O00 or over The sustcntation Depart
ment aims TO raise the mission churches 10
a s,lfsuppolue position. and 30 secure to each pastor
a minimum salary of $1,000 This Is accomplished by
encouraging tach church 20 reach certain point Of pay
mcut 10 ia, pastor when an appropriation is made from
tine suStcnaton fHuds The Foreign Mission Board dis
burscs onchaf million yearly and employs force Oh
l5s persons in foreign lands. u oldest mission i7 that
To the seneca Indians In this state, which dates from
ISL The Board Of E2ucntion aids young men who
cortomuatc the ministry pursuing bp'h their acadcm-
zeal and theological studies. II has usually nearly 300
bcnedclrc, ON ITS list Il spend, an annual sum Of over
$1,000 Complaint is made, however, that the number
OF ministerial candidates does not keep pace with tho
growth OF the country the necessities OF the Pe'hy
tcrian Church. The Board of Publication has MS pub
fishing house IN Philadelphia It's yearly receipts arc
nearly 100000 derived from sales Of books
and periodicals and contributions The contributions
to what is known a the missionary fund OF t'S
board are used in colp1uaSc and the pr'molOh
Of Sundayschool work. The Board Of Church Eiechol
disbmseS $4,000 yearly with which sum help is gwen
for the building about l2O churches The Board u
Relief aids nearly 400 famc, OF AGED ana de'ea'ed
ministers. 1t has Invested fund oi 9l3'''3i @h'
distributes each year $4,000 Tic Committee oI MS
sion. Tor Frcedmcn haYe M fhcrhtsnnal HllOOD YcaN