Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-09-29
TIL e PRESBYTERIAN ALLIANCE.
TO.daY,S Session of the Council

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 29-This mornings sas.
son OF the council OF the Pan-PreSbyterian AL
Thomas Main, d. D., OF the Free church OF
Scotland, presiding. AT the conclusion OF the
devotional exercises an Invitation to the coun-
Gil to visit Union college. Schenectady, was re-
celVec and accepted. An extended and spirited
discussion was elected by the presentation OF
the report OF tie committee on credentials rela-
tive 10 the applications for admission to mem
beTship in the alliance OF the Cuberand Pres
by ter1an church and the United Presbytery of
Pb1laGelplia. TIE committee recommended
the adoption OF a minute setting forth that the
adoption OF the constitution OF the alliance
should precede applications for membership. and
as there was no evidence that the two churches
referred 10 had accepted that constitution
their applications for admission be not granted.
In less than five minutes there were many
motlons. amendments and substitutes Offered
ia connection with tie questions and the
oebate embraced POINTS or American parlfa
mentary law and usage to determine which OF
the various motions on the question, which
they had greatly complicated, should take pre-
ce edence. Professor Bruce. OF Glasgow thought
5naI eon an n Application ,nro Of the principle laid
commiitte would Gesrive them of the
members hip OF many churches now belonging TO
the alllaLce. as there was no documentary evil
dence TO show that they had adopted the con-
stltution. He thought the sending of delegates
was sufhcient evidence OF a willingness 10 ac-
cepJ the constitution. DR.. Breed, of Philadel-
phia, said this notion reminded him of Baptist
Clergy man who used to boast that he'd baptlze
anything that would hold still long enough
Prof: Bruce proposed TO admit anything that
would G. me along, to n membership In the alliance
Dr. Deckty, OF Philadelphia, also opposed hasty
or Ill considered action in the admission OF
members to the alliance, and Prof. Watt. OF
Belfast, urged that While the constitution
required that churches to be eligible for adInts-
sion should have creedS in conformity with
the concensus OF the reformed confessions one
OF the appl! ing churches, IL was we'll known,
had creed that Gid not SO conform. [The allu-
sion TO the Cumberland church evoked cries OF
No, no." from various parts OF the halLl
Finally, Principal kainey moved to amend the
report OF the committee SO as TO make
the minute present THAT the council Is
unable, hoe statu, to admit as members
representatives OF churches whose relation
to our constitution has not been eX-
planned to the council and cannot now be
considered" The amendment was accepted by
the con mittee through its chairman, and with
tie report adopted BY the council, and the or
DER OF the day was then proceeded with. This
was the reading OF papers on the theology or
The reformed church. The council adopted the
Recommendation OF the committee on creed ana
confessions for the appointment OF a committee
to consider and report upon the advfSaoiity OF
defining the coDcensus OF the reformed COMES
sions as required by the constitution OF the al
lance,