Daily globe., 1879-05-27
PRESBYTERIANISM /.

Ing OF Secular Newspapers on the Sabbath
Placed Under the Ban-Hot Discussion
of the Overture Regarding Roman Catho-
lie Baptism-Strong Following in Favor
of Declaring the Roman Not Christian
Church.
SARATOGA, May 26.-At the opening Of the
Presbyterian general assembly the mileage
committee reported and were directed to pay
the sum due to the several commissioners. The
committee on theological seminaries made q
report showing the number of seminaries is
IS; number of students last year, 5S4; number
of professors, 537. It was voted to hold the
next session in the state house, at Madison,
Wis.
SECULAR PAPERS.
The resolution offered regarding the reading
of secular papers on Sunday was adopted, as
follows:
Resozued, That the general assembly believ-
ing that the practice on the part of church
members of reading of secular papers on the
Sabbath day is alarmingly on the increase, and
believing also that it is 2 grevious injury to
personal piety of the readers and serious OBJ
stacle to the cause Of Christ in every communi-
ty, would deprecate the practice and would
urge on all who love the Lord and desire the
spread of his kingdom in the world to do all
in their power to discountenance the same.
slis THEATERs AND OPERA.
The following resolution was adopted regard
ing attendance of church members at theaters
and operatic performances:
RESOLVED, That in view of the increased at
tendance of church members at theatevs and
opera, this assembly bears earnest and solemn
testimony against this practice as inconsistent
with Christisn duty, since it not only gives
countenance and support to an institution
justly described by the former assembly, ''as a
school of immortality but is in itself spirit
ua'ly hurtful and tends to obliterate the line
which should always be plainly visible between
the followers of Christ and the world.
ROMAN CATHOLIC BAPTISM.
Regarding the overture against recognizing
Roman Catholic baptism, the committee re
affirm the action of the general assembly Of
1876, leaving it with the pastor and convert to
decide whether q baptism shall be made. /,
The report was attacked by Elder e. @. Drake
and Rev. DIR. Prime, and defended by DR.. Pat
ton, chairman of the committee, who declared,
as he had done in his opening sermon, that the
Roman Catholic is q branch of the church of
Christ. He said in the fight against material
ism, otherwise communism, and other enemies
Of Christianity, the Roman Catholics are one
of the strongest allies the church has.
Rev. DR.. Prime denounced the decision Of
the committee as emanating from the cl0istera
of theological seminaries. He said that while
claiming to hold such doctrines as had been
claimed by DR.. Patton, the Catholics had apos-
tolized from Christianity.
Rev. DR.. Gautz offered us substitute: This
assembly is not prepared to decide on the in.
validity of all Catholic baptism, but prefer to
leave it to church sessions and pastors.
I Rev. DR.. Patton gave q history of the over
lures of 1885 and 1875.
Rev. DIR. Prime moved the overture of 1885:
Resolued, That it is the deliberate and decid-
ed Judgment of this assembly that the Roman
Catholic church has essentially apostolized
from the religion of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, and, therefore, cannot be recog-
nized as Christian church.
Rev. Col. Lewis opposed the substitute.
DR.. Prime upheld the Catholic church o.
Christian.
Amotion to adjourn was lost, 1856 to 1856.
DR.. Fullerton said that appeals had beer
made against Catholics being anit-Christ
anti-Baptist, and raised the cry of old, but
John Knox and other fathers of the churcl
only had Catholic baptism and Catholic ordina
tiOn. s
Rev. DR.. Patton said the confession Of faitI
said the Pope is anti-C Christ aud there is moth
in the report and resolution of the committe,
to the contrary. A man may hold false view
regarding alteration of the Virgin and otlle
errors of the Catholic church, and yet be
Christian. He did not differ with DR.. Prim,
| regarding the corruptions of the Catholi
! church. Adjourned till morning.