The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-05-31

so prevalent that the attendance of children on
Sunday Schools should dispense with their at
tendance upon the regular worship of the.
church Pastors and parents should urge the
necessity Of attendance on public worship as
something which cannot be Supplemented bv-
any other exercises. The report was adopted
The report Of the special committee on Sab
bath Observance was read by Dr. Arbuthnot
1t recommended a continuance of the agitation
for legal aids enforcing the observance of the
Sabbath, and to this end suggested the continu-
ance OF the permanent committee
Some irregularity in the minutes of the SYNOD
OF Missouri were rectifed
Reception of Bishop Stevens
Bishop Peter F. Stevens, of the Reformed
Episcopal Church, said 1 am commissioned to
bear to you the fraternal salutations of the Re
formed Episcopal Church. The privilege Of fra
ternal relations between Christian bodies ought
to be cherished as one of the most precious of
our experience In 1873, at the Evangelical
Alliance Bishop Cummins. of Kentucky com
muned at the hands Of Presbyterian minister
and for this he was criScised. He then resolved
to be fr,e, in order that he might feel at home
with Gods people wherever he met them New
ness OF name does not imply newness of heart.
lie organized the Reformed Episcopal Church
The new Church appreciates the courtesy of the
Presbyterian Church South, which is the only
body that has yet recognized US, and to whic[.
we look up, as does a little damsel not vet in
her teens who stands on tiptoe 10 reach the
hands of her elder sister.
The Moderator replied to Bishop Stevens
briefly assuring hin of the friendly feeling en-
tertained for his body.
The Moderator announced that by the court
esy of The Atanta Constitution, he had a mes
sage to read to the Assembly Before doing so
however, he called attention to the rule declar-
ing dlsorderly all manifestations of applause or
dlsapproval. The Stated Clerk then read as fol-
lows
SPRINGFIELD, Ill, May ..
Editors Constitution, Atlanta: The official
telegram from the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States, now
IN session IN your city, has Just been read in our
AS emily here The reading was received with
long and thrice repeated applause. The matter
was then referred to the committee on cores
pondence, with Instructions TO report at tie
earliest possible moment
HERRIcK JOHNSON, Moderator.
The Park Case.
The Assembly then resumed consideration of
the Park case by the reading OF the record in
the case. Rev. ]. NJ. Rose, on behalf of the
Presbytery Of Memphis, disclaimed anv desire
to abrldge the rights Of Rev. Mr.. Park because
of his color Mr.. Park was an earnest. pious
worker and deserved honor for his modesty.
1t Is not by his act that this case is here-Ie
never desired to vote. This action is brought
by others who wished a settlement of the oues-
tions involved In 1869 the General Assembly
AUTHORIZED, with view to the ultimate uDbuiId.
ing OF an African Presbyterian church, the or.
dlnatlon Of colored men to the ministry Under
that deiiVeTance the Memphis Presbytery, OF
April "a, 1874, ordained Rev Sam. Park as am
evangelist " to people of his own color. with a
view to the organization Of a colored Presbvterv
as soon as possible"
One OF the candidates for the ministry was
killed by accident, and this, in connection with
otheT causes, operated to defeat the formation Of
colored Presbytery. 1t was expressly stiau-
lated that he was not to be invested with the
power Of rule in tle Church Mr. Rose read
from the records of the Assembly to show the.
basis on which the Presbytefy acted. At
Germantown, the right of Mr.. Pfrk to vote in
the PTesbytery was challenged The Moderate
sustained Mr. Parks claim. An appeal was
taken, IN which the decision was reversed. From
TINS action the minority appealed to the Synod
and the Synod sustained the right OF Mr. 'Parl,
to full membership. To be relieved from this
ruling by which we are compelled to receive
as member one who never was a member. the
Presbytery Of Memphis appeals to this Assem-
bly,. Mr.. Rose pl Proceeded to read letter sbow-
ing Park untitness for ordination to the regular
ministry.
Mr.. kirkpatrick objected TO the reading. az il
was in the nature of evidence.
Moderator Smoot-It is presented as a Dart
OF an argument and NAV be so read He
can read Youngs Night Thought, if he feels
like it.
Mr.. Rose resumed-The letter is from Rev
" b. Boggs, of Atlanta, who was at that time
member of the Presbytery The latter pro.
ceeded to state that Park could not read q Chan
ter or a hymn correctly, but he was earnest and
sincere 1t was well understood that Parks o..
dlnatlon was for a special work which he wac
to create for himself, and the fact>of his o-dino-
ton no more made him a member of the Pres
6ytery than the baptizing Of a native of Mexico
by a missionary sent to that country. If the
Presbytery Of Memphis counted Park in its li.t
In order to get double representation in tbe
Synod, 1t was an error.
DR.. Craig Of Holly Springs Mississ.1Di
counsel for the Synod Of Memphis. sustained the
iull force Of the ordination of Rev Mr.. P,r,s
The case is one with an environment 1t relatea
to colored man. The Church in 1865 decla-ed
that is only knew the colored man as a si1ner
lost and a sinner to be saved But he left our
Church gallery. The instinct of race vaq
strong in bin, and he wanted to be among bis
fellows. The darkey of the South has no bette
friend than the Southern white man. But tbev
won't come here. Now, what of the future
We must give them Church government and or.
ganHatlon. In furtherance Of this purpose tie
Memphis Presbytery ordained Sam Park. That
Memphis Presbytery was badly mixed It.
claimed to license Park to preach only to the
colored people, yet ordained him to preach igsf
as was every minister here Mississipr.
darkey, who was a magistrate, undertook to t-v
q murder case without Jury and found die