The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-05-27
Presbyterian General Assembly.


CINCINNATI, May 26.-In the Pres
byterian Assembly, Dr. G. P. Hayes, of
Colorado, opened the debate. He said 4;
The plea is made that the minimum of
the truth being retained. the corruptions
that overIie 1t do notinvalidate the min
imum. If we believe there is truth
enough in this church, we act inconsist-
emily in sending missionaries TO South
America and New Mexico 10 labor
amongst the Catholics" He then spoke
upon what baptism was, and referred to
the catechism and gospel of Saint Mat
thew as authorities. He continued !:
The whole of surroundings and circum-
stances show that there must be some
thing more than external 1t must be
a seal as we'll of a sign. 1t seems that
the question is of no small Importance
which has been argued; that, inasmuch
as the Roman Catholics recognize
our baptism, therefore, we ought
to theirs. l want to say that, in New
Mexico, they rebaptize every one of the
proselytes that they peryert to Pro
testanism. l want you to remember
that claim to God. a deity they claim
for an inspiration of the Bible. If Paul
could have gone to Rome and preached
Jesus Christ TO be worshipped beside
Mercury and beside Mars and Vulcan,
he would have been welcomed and his
God into the Pantheon.
Rev. c. K. Burnley, of Sennett, N. Y,
said: 1--WE are on the verge OF adanger.
| believe that it is dangerous 10 pass.
this resolution. We put into the hanos
of the Roman Catholic priesthood, and
every devotee of the Roman Catholic
church, Just the weapon they have been
looking for"
Yeomans offered the following reso-
luton: "ResoIUed, That it is the deci-
sion OF the general assembly
that its last deliverance on the
subject of Romish baptism, leaving the
question of rebaptism to the discretion
of the session in which the question may
arise. does recognize the validity of
such baptism, while it does not enjoin
upon the session the admission of Ro-
man Catholics into their communiens,
without rebaptising. This assembly re-
affirms the decision of 1875 as its deliv-
erance at this time The decision of
1875 is as follows: That The decision in
question be left to the judgment of each
church session, guided by the principles
governing the rules concerning baptism
as laid down in the standards of our
church. ,"
DR.. ]. T. Brownson, of Washington,
Pa, moved to lay the whole matter on
the table. Carried unanimously.
The committee on bills and overture
reported in favor of permitting the
churches to elect deacons for term of
years instead of for lille, as heretofore.
A new synod was created, to be known
as the synod of Northern Dakota.
Adjourned until tomorrow.
All overtures sent to presbyteries by
the last assembly proposing changes in
the book of discipline were accepted.
excepting the fourth. The request of
the presbytery of Los Angeles for
further. change, was refused. Judge
Drake resolution on Romish baptism
was overwhelmingly defeated. a
Rev. DIR. Wylie and other representa-
tives of the Philadelphia presbytery of
the reformed church, ask the assembly
to receive their presbytery.
The report of the committee on the
relations of the home and foreign mis-
sion boards to work among Indians and
Chinese was adopted. The Chinese work
under the care of the foreign
board. &4 -