The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-09-30
The Presby terrain Alliance.

Yesterdays SESSION OF THE COUNCIL.
PHILADELPHIA, September 29.-This
mornings session Of the Council OF the
Pan-Presbyterian Alliance was held in
Horticultural Hall-Rev. Thomas Main, ID.
D., Of the Free Church Of Scotland, pre-
siding. At the conclusion OF the devotional
exercises an invitation to the Council TO
visit Union College, Schenectady, was re-
ceiyed and accepted. An extended and
spirited discussion was elected by the pre-
sentation OF the report OF Committee on Gre
dentials relative to applications for adms-
sion to membership in the Alliance OF the
Cumberland Presbyterian church and the
United Presbytery Of Philadelphia.
The committee recommended the adop-
ton of n minute setting forth that the adop-
tion Of the constitution OF the Alliance
should precede applications for member
ship, aud as there was no evidence that The
two churches referred to had accepted that
constitution, their applications for admis-
sion be not granted. In less than five miu-
ntes there were many motions, amendments,
and substitutes offered in connection with
the questions, and the debate embraced
points Of American parliamentary law and
usage TO determine which OF the various
motions on the question, which they had
greatly complicated, should take precedence.
Professor Bruce, OF Glasgow, thought that
an application OF the principle laid down in
the minutes reported by the committee
would deprive them OF the membership OF
many churches now belonging to the ALI
ance, as there was no documentary evidence
TO show that they bad adopted the con-
slitutlon. He thought the sending OF dele
gates was sufficient evidence OF a willing
ness to accent the constitution. DR.. Breed,
OF Philadelphia, said this notion reminded
him of Baptist clergyman who used to
boast that he'd bsptize anything that would
hold still long enough. Professor Bruce
proposed TO admit anything that would
come along to membership in The Alliance.
DR.. Deckey, OF Philadelphia, also opposed
hasty or ill.considercd action In the adj
mission OF members 10 the Alliance, and
Professor Watt, Of Belfast, urged that
while the constitution required that
churches to be eligible for admission
should have creeds in conformity with
the concensus OF the reformed confessions,
one Of the applying churches, it was well
known, had creed that did not so con.
form. [The alluslon TO the Cumberland
church evoked cries OF "No, no." from
various parts Of the ball.] Finally, Prin-
cipal Rainey 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 repres
Of churches whose relation to our consti-
tuition has not been explained to
the Council and cannot now be consld-
cred" The amendment was accepted by
the committee through It's chairman. and
with the report adopted by the Council,
and the order Of the day was then proceeded
with. This was the reading OF papers on
the theology Of the Reformed church. The
Council adopted the recommendation OF the
Committee on Creed and Confessions for
the appointment Of a committee to consider
and report upon the ACCESSIBILITY Of defining
the consensus OF the reformed confessions
as required by the constitution OF the ALI
ance.