The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-06-04

recommended by the committee of confer "A OF
the two Assemblies" -
,. An overture from the Pennsylvania Pres.
bytery 10 the same effect with the additional
formal request that the Assembly shall give
such shape to Its action as shall tend to settle
permanently this and kindred questions, includ-
ing that Of organic union"
3. The record of the proceedings of the con
ference of the Joint Committee at Louisville
November l, 1883 with the remarks predatory
thereto submitted by the Chairman of the
Southern Committee.
All of these papers referred to your committee
have received its careful consideration. 1t will
be seen that action upon the first and second
will be found essentially included in whatever
action may be taken upon the third and to
this attention may be Immediately directed.
Upon examination it does not appear from
this paper that by any formal act of the South
ern Committee it was ever adopted at regular
meeting of that committee and ordered by it to
be forwarded to this Assembly as its report
The document, however, does contain " GER
titled copy Of the proceedings of the joint con-
terence, and your committee, waving the in
formality of the paper, addressed themselves 10
the consideration OF its matter.
The substantive propositions contained in it
are three. The first is the recommendation con.
corning the Joint occupancy Of Danville Semi
nary, viz "a Joint use and occupancy of Dan
vile Seminary according to the terms of that
offer from the Northern Committee, and on
condition that this occupancy be in perpetuity,
and that the Seminary be removed to Louisville
KY"
The second, that with reference to plan of
cooperation in Home Missions This Assem-
bly,, while asserting its rights to labor in every
part OF our common country, would most earn
estly enjoin those charged with the direction of
Home Mission work, that they see that nothing
be done through strife or vain glory that in !
prosecuting this work, the interests Of the other
Assembly already In occupancy, either with an
organized church or missionary labor, shall be
most carefully respected and that the matter
OF consolidating feeble churches, and cases of
disagreement, threatening the disturbance of
fraternal relations, shall be referred to a Joint
commission Of the Presbyteries having jurisdic-
ton"
The third, that respecting comfy in matters
of discipline" R ResoLUed, That this General As
sembly, as matter of comfy between our own
Church and the Northern Presbyterian Church,
growing out of the fraternal relations so recent
ly established, enjoins upon our church sessions,
Presbyterles and synods, that they have due
regard to the discipline of all the sessions pres
byteries, and synods of that Church and nutatis
nlutandis."
Your Committee urge that because of insu-
perable difficulties the FIRST recommendation be |
not adopted
With respect to the second, your Committee
report that they believe it impossible to devise |
any specific plan of co operation in Home Mis-
slons which shall be universally applicable |
throughout the Church. and they therefore re-
commend that no such plan be adopted by this !
Assembly, but that the Assembly be content to |
leave this whole matter to the working of those |
broad principles of justice and Christian charity
which alone will restrain either Church from |
encroaching upon the natural territory of the
other. In the judgment of your committee, if
these principles are not adequate to the securing
of harmony between the two Churches then that !
result can never be attained by the mere adop- |
ton of any plan of cooperation.
With regard to the third, it is hereby recon-
mended that this Assembly adopt the concur
rent resolution with reference to comfy in |
matters OF discipline"
Respecting that part of the overture of the
Presbytery of Transylvania, which urges this
Assembly to give such shape to its action as
shall tend to settle permanently" the question
OF organic union, your Committee make an
swer that no such action is necessary, for the
reason that we regard tie mind of the Church as
fully expressed by the action of former Assem-
blies. See Minutes of Assembly 1882, pages
567 and 56S, and 1883, pages 81 and 5S