The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-05
PRESBYTERIANS.

TIE APPROACHING aENEHAL ASSEMBLIES
NORTH AND soUrH-YINANcIAL AND EU-
MERICAL CONDITION OF THE CHUncu-IDLE
MINISTERS AND EMPTY cHURcHEs-How TO
REDUCE THE REPRESENTATION IN ASSEMBLY.
On Thursday, tho 10th inst "The General Assembly
Of the Presbyterian Church In tho United sIates
Amcrica"-wnich Is tho full and loyal tito OF the
Northern Presbyterian Cnurch-wiil gather In Pitts
burg Pa, when tho retiring moderator, DR.. james
Eells OF California, will dctvor the customary dts
course. On the day tho Southern Presby
Asscmby-whch holds tho Same legal title tho
Northern, both claiming to be she representa-
uves OF the Presbyterian Church in tho
United Statos--wilI convene in Knoxville, Tenn,
when Dr. g. A. StilIman, tho retiring moderator,
viii also deliver tho usual sermon. Aud wednes-
day. tho 18th inst, the General Synod Of tho Rc.
formed Presbyterian Church viii meet this city
ann ua session. The iormer has thirty -scven synods
including each IN Kentucky, Missouri and Mary
land, zach IN India ahd CHINA. Embraced In
those synods lit presbyter,cs, which agnin
prise 1853 churches sol ministers and 1921 liccnti
ascs Some OF the latter have been ordained during
the year, some OF tho 072 candidates tho
and colleges Of tho Church have been licensed
within tho Same period. that, at this time, tho
number OF ministers and Iccntiates probably ca ual
tho number Of That result 10 necessary
Tor q pastor can sometimes look aiter Two three
or even moro small congregations. But in
tho Prcsby lorian Church q difficulty OK
pcr,enccd which, though not confined TO this do
nomination Is, perhaps, moro apparent and more
pha.ic hero than any other branch OF the Church
OF Christ Is tho difficulty Of settling pastors
churches. or the 900 ordained and unordained
In The ministry only 325S engaged In tho proper
work OF onlcc and, according to tho latest
ntes, only l,78s were In the passionate All others
numbering about twothirds or tho whole, either
supplies engaged In professional or secular lifc
without charge or nonorabiy retired. few are Gimp.
laips and cvangclists, and somo missionaries ut
homo anu abroad Tho problem OF tho Church ior
years past has been to bring tho 1000 unemployed
ministers and tho 2 900 ompsy pupts into sort
OF relationship. Tho Church needs q faith akin to
Paurs-that will not ask about tho pay, but Father
about work, ana that viii 80 to Acids where other
men shrink from, that souls may DO saved and
Christ DO glorincd.
II is quite true that mon cannot now live upon air.
Neither could they In Paurstimc. And II tho scnti-
mcnt Of all tho churches was not what II 10 tho
oGlcc OF ministry. preachers now, well 500
years ago, would DO abo TO .'work with thcir own
hands" and when they wanted, supply their own
needs SO that tho Gospel should DO without charge
and tho ministry DO spared tho accusation OF which
Paul was jsaloue that should appear 10 seek tho
pcople's money rather than thor souls Hence hc
would not o burdensomo 70 any; nevertheless, no
preached tho Gospel of God freely In regions whero
tho namo OF Christ had boon heard. 1t is
part OF The civilized world any man with
PauI's spirit would be allowed suffer
Tor tho ncoessarcs Of ito BY the people among whom
and for he labors. Iui The modern missionary
aud preacher has 10 depend upon what Paul not
largo sometimes wealthy societies behind them 10
that they do not want wnc engaged In tho wor X
oil the Gospel. And yet this anomalous condition OF
oh urohes ana ministers is tho result
RELATIVE GROW RI or rHK CHURCH.
| But Notwithstanding tins drawback winch ID n very
IN he PRESBYTERIAN Church, because TINS
Church scts college culture above on sense and
natural gifts, and refuses, except rare cases. 70 IL
| censc candiuatcg who cannot pass examinations In
Hebrew ana Greek as well as In Churcn history doc
,rtncs. government, &c -uotwithsisnd,na this arn "
back this Church has advanced very grcaty since tho
roun,on oil tho CD and New schools eight years
| ngo. Tho humber OF CONFERENCE.-The reported 10
tho last General Assembly 557,674, which
included os..7o admitted curing the year
4 1861, Of whom 4006S received on
| profession OF f,th and examination. This was u net
increase oil AGA church members the proceed
/ Ing year ana OF oo.5l0 over The year 1872. Tho
Southern Church numbers about 100000 communi-
Cants During the century aud oil our nalo nal
existence the Prcsbyterians o tho United Staos hnvo
! grown sxtv-oid, Notwithstanding The alleged and
supposed bindrsDcc OF Caivinism tho spread tno
Gospel. The ministerial increase IN tho
same ratio. wno o. ministers dicd aud ~ were DIS.
missed 10 other denominations l33 ordained aud
| 80 received showing a not increase OF only 63--not
enough TO replace those who TALL and supply
now churches The sunday school interests appear 10
be well cared Tor By the fresby,crian Tho msmbcrs
schools number 3sl ODD against 347 tho
| previous year, showing an increase OF "a, $50
Tho bcnevoiencc OF the Cnnrcn COOS IN the fol.
lowiDg NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. missions foreign msstons.
cducaion pubncatiou, church erection iai
roIicf freedmen sustcntaton o; poorly paia PASTORS
and expenses OF the General Assembly 10 tne sc sso
may DO added mlscc ancous interests which coinc IN
| fron gimo time, such ns Tho American Bible aud
Tract societies and others that DO a.
Presbyterian. These received during tho ing
year the OF 500 DOL. All oshor interests nam ed
received the aggregate OF 81 592 whcn tog
NON IN o. H.fAk
tho annual cot OF Pfcsbytcriansm the tNorthern
United states $s.295. 36l TINS IS considerably less
preceding SIX years, aud gives average oi nearly
, $40 per mcmbcr-not quo 50 costly as Methodist
aud perhaps somc other forms OF religious faith and
| uSwIgLpsEss OF rnE ASSEMBLY
The last General Assembly consisted vi 5O4 commits
soners OF Delegates, representing, not synods, but
presby tcries Those delegates lay aud cicricai are
allowed miicnro aud other expenses which last year
| averaged f43 6S por member or $40 IL per mcnlbor
moro than Js7L Tho assessment Tor this fund Tor
1878 is Ave per capita seventeen foreign pres
byterics and six Of freedmen are exempt iron
sessmenI SIX delegates IRON tho freedmen last year
drew from this fund $3.50 80 aud their presbytcrics
| contributed SIS % 10 w. SIX commissioners from
foreign prosby ,cr,os drew $lI2 40 Dut contributed
| nothing Two prcsbytsrics--New Orleans and South
OicgonaiIed TO contribute 10 ihts fund or 10 send
| com IN ,ssiouors 10 tho General Assembly. All the
other 100 prcsbytcrics pant tbcr asscssmont In full
not however, withou, much grunbling and many pro-
tests against the szc ana cverncrcasing OF the
| Assembly. There Is hardly any question that can
before the Assembly so vitality important 10 It's
|
Ovsrturcs and protests gone up year year
half dozen years, ut least vainy seeking 10 rc.
duce the size and lessen the expenses The smaller
prcsby teries having an equal with the large,
and having much to ssu but notning TO lose have al
outvocd tho usbyteries that have to loot tho
bulls That rciief ~ orm has been put on. Tho
Prcsby,cry OF Brooklyn ana others ia tne denomna.
tion resolved that II something be not done at
the ensuing session they will BAGS their cousti-
tutonal privilege and ~ the ola lime practice oil pay
Ing the expenses OF Their dccp acs, aud let other
presby do the same Tho Nm sncia pressure in
4
pevoIcnt interests OF tue Church. As for instance,
out OF the 90 aud more cnur, hes la the denon
ton, only 2bS hare contrbuted anything toward the
| education luna for training poor yonng men tor the
| ministry. In like manner 80 prcsby isrcs dtd MT
contribute anything toward sustcntation, freedmen
or publication; ~ gave nothing tor mnibtcris rciici
or church erection, ana 81 failed 10 contribute 10
homo MISSIONS white only Tiaiicd IN foreign mssivns.
of those prcsby tcrcs, however, arc thoinsevcs
largely II not wholly, sustained Dy missionary money