The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-06-16
pREsnYrER1AN ASSEMBLY.
An Account of the Meeting 10y Mr
Patterson, of BrooLhayeu.

EDITOR BRooKHAVEN LEDdER.--
The General Assembly ofthe Presby-
terrain Church in the United States
convened in the First Presbyterian
Church, in the city of Staunton, Va,
on Thursday, May 10Th. at II a. M,
and was opened with a sermon by the
Moderator, Rev. T.. A. Hoyt, d. D., Of
Nashville, Tenn. in Gal. I. CT. After
the sermon the Moderator constituted
the Assembly by prayer. The Perma-
pent Clerk then reported the names of
the enrolled Commissioners in attend.
ance, VIZ: sixty-two Ministers and fifty
four Elders, making one hundred and
sixteen Commissioners present.
TIE first business was the election of
Moderator and Clerk. DR.. r. p. Far
ris, of the Presbytery Of st. Louis, was
elected Moderator. and Rev. G.. s.
Trenholm, of Bethel Pfesbytery, was
elected Temporary Clerk. At 3p. M,
Rev. j.. Leighton Wilson read his
twentieth annual report on foreign mis-
sions. The report noted the death of
A. Ober, one OF the board. and also the
death of Rev. b. T. Thompson. of the
L CIllulDuCO LliSoiOh. ~ LII iohoi
OF Baltimore, was appointed to fill the
vacancy made by the death of MIR.
ODER. A considerable increase in the
contributions in this cause was q pleas
ing fact regarding the past year. The
whole force now in the field and sup
ported by the church is eighteen mis-
sionaries, one mission physician, TWEEN
tv,six assistant missionaries from this
country, and thirteen ordained native
missionaries aud thirty-four native as
~sistants; the whole force being ninety.
three persons, en- increase of ten during
the year. The receipts of the veal
amount to $57,215.30, being an increase
of Sl0,7 34. Al over last year. Indebted
ness. about So, OILS; the amount Of
property held by the church, $4,000,
principally in China aud Brazil. The
Missionary has had 3,045 paying SUBJ
scribers during the year, an increase
of 425 More than one thousand copies
have been sent g~ratuitously to minis.
tiers, and the committee express theil
strong conviction that the best interests
of foreign missions are involved in con
tinuing the Missionary as it ls, and fur
ther announce that arrangements have
been made to publish 1t without cost tc
the missionary fund, and continue tc
send copies to all ministers that have
pastoral charges. The rPpo dwelt a
length upon the question: "Shall The
Southern church have a mission o. the
continent of Africa?' The whole ont
look of the mission work is hopeful in
deed and prayerfuily commended TO Thu
support of the church.
Rev. Il. NJ. Richardson, Secretary q
Education, made the twentieth ANNA
report of the committee. showing wb Il
had been done and what there is to b'
done. Receipts, $lO,335; dIsbursed
So, TAO to students, and 81, los for ex
pPnses.
Rev. James Hazen read the report o
the publishing committee. Receipts
s.. 0I6, an increase oven tho past year
The circulation of the Earn Ast Worker
had been greatly increased, also that q
Children's Friend. The issues OF The
press during the year: Earnest Worker
80 GOO; Chiliren's Friend, $4,000; Les
son papers, $40, 900; Lesson Quarterly
90. 900; Annual Reports. 1900; C'rcu
lars. 90. 900; Donation Work, 81. $50.
Rev. DIR. Pryor. as a delegate to the
| SYNOD of the Reformed Church il
America, reported his attendance on
that body, and spoke of his great pleas
IRE in the hearty welcome he received
and Christian fellowship he enjoyed
with them, and being directed to carry
back to the General Assembly the same
Christian greeting.
DIR. Stillman presented the report Of
the Tuscaloosa Institute. Fall Of inter
est. increase of students and hopefn
character of the work.
Second day. All committees appoin'
ted. Overtures from various Synodi
and Presbyterys were read and referred
to committee. A communication from
tho Cumberland Presbyterian Churcl
was read and referred to committee OF
foreign correspondence.
Rev. II McIiwain read the report o
the executive committee on Home Mis-
sions. The committee has felt embar
though it feels encouraged for what hal
been done. The total receipts hav'
been SAG, 302, which is $4,000 larger
than last year; for sustentation, SIS
526-s7OO over lest year; for Evangelis-
tic work. 80, 95S-$2, 500 over last wear
for colored Evangelistic fund, So97
Presbvterys report under their carr
Twenty-Five churches. sixteen ministers
and seven candidates. T~hirty-sever
Sunday Schools are reported under cart
of our churches.
DR.. J Z, Wilson presented q papeI
from the Christian Alliance relating tt
cooperation in the foreign mission
work-referred to committee,
The committee on foreign correspon'
dence was instructed to send fraterna
greetings 10 the Northern General As
semblv now in session at Buffalo, New
York.
Third day. Rev. J. L, Girardear
read an elaborate report upon the Dea
conate of the Presbyterian church. The
report asserts that the office OF Deacon
is not included in the higher offices o.
preaching and ruling, and that a prop
er division of labor gives to each office
a specific work. The functions OF the
preacher is TO preach and rule. OF the
elders to rule only, and of the deacon
TO distribute. A deacon cannot rule o.
hold a place in the ecclesiastical courts Of
the church, but no opposition is mad;
for Joint meetings of elders and deacons
for mutual conference and advice. The
functions of deacons are not confined e
the care of the poor alone, but covers
the entire temporalities of the charch
while his duties are not restricted tt
the special church to which he belongs
but that he is an officer of the whole
church; also that his Office, like that o.
the ruling elder, is perp 4tual, and tina
no re ordination is required in chang
ing from one particular church to an
other
A communication from Miss NJ. J
Baldwin, inviting the members of thu
Assembly to attend the commencement
exercises of Augusta Female Seminary,
was read and accepted with thanks.
The following message vas received
from Che Northern General Assembly
in session at Buffalo, n. Y. "The Gen
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church in session at Buffalo, gratefully
acknowledge the greetings of the AS
semhly at Staunton. aud invoke upor
its officers ard members grace. mercy
and peace, from God the Father ant
our Lord Jesus Christ"
A message was received from tn,
General Conference of the United
Brethren, now in session at Lisbon
Iowa. and referred to committee or
foreign correspondence.
Then the report of the comm ittee or
foreign missions was read. stating tina
the present state of foreign missionary
work was very satisfactory, recommen
ding the present form be adhered to
and the establishment of a mission il
Africa, and continue the present Sec