The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-26
PREsBYrERIAS GENERALAssEMBL
Judge brakes Revolution Against the
Validity OF Roman Gath olic Bap-
tism Discussed.

CINCINNATI, May 25.-At the Presbyterian
General Assembly this morning s. B. Bell,
d. D., of Missouri, offered resolutions against
Sundiy newspapers, a1d committing the
church % the policy of what is COM
monty known as prohibition" These reso.
In ions were referred to the Committee on
Temperance and Church Policy.
Bishop Foss, Of the Metl list Episco pal
Church, was invites 10 a seat on the plat
form and was recaivsd By the Moderator, the
Assembly standing.
The Standing Committee on Freedmen re-
ported that the ssotal receipts for the year
were s1l6,220 Under the care of this board
are 1893 churches, with IL 372 communicates,
1914 Sabbath. chools and 13,439 scholars.
During The year 1,G9S members have been
added to these churches.
Rev. r. H. Allen, ID. D., of Pittsburg, Sec.
retary OF the board, delivered q stirring ad
dress which was frequently epplaudsd. He
was followed be FL. N. Payne, of Iowa, who
ives Colonel OF a colored regiment during
the late war.
This afternoon Judge Drske's Roman
Catholic resolution is the special order.
The assembly having previously adopted
unanimously the report OF the j judicial Com
mitiee, to which was referred Mr.. Brad
staw's appeal from the Synod OF New
York, Recommending that the appeal os
dismissed on the ground that tha previous
6eliverancsp of the General Assem- bly have
left with the sessions the right ID decide
upon the validity Of Roman Catholic bap-
tism in particular cases. This ap peal was
based on the requirement of Princeton
Church that an applicant who had been bap-
tizsd in the Catholic Church should bs re-
baptized.
At D. m., when judge brakes rssolu
ton sgainat the validity of Roman
s'h'H be Welded I'p% the acor css sssine sioG tSs
some opponent open the debate an | t1st he
be sllo-ed 10 close. Ii. Alexander, Profes.
sor in the theological seminary o. San Fran
cisco spoke In opposition 10 The resolution.
He said Ii was useless, as II would not be q
deliverance but simply an expression OF
opinion for those voting. II was miBchievous,
aimee by passing 1t, we would make our.
selves the laughing stock OF the world. Ii
is more rapsl than all tbe PJpes com.
bined. 1t involves q presentation
OF the standards. according TO which the
"visible church" Is composed OF all those
who profess the true religion. This rssolu.
ton denies the validity OF the baptism ad
ministefed To millions OF persons, who have
come into the Protestant Church from tho
Roman Catholic Church, and never received
any other baptism.
DR.. Il IL. Nevin followed a. some length,
showing In what the corruptions OF the Ro
man Catholic Church consisted.
DIR. Schsff offered substitute for tho resc.
luton TO the effect that tho Roman Catholic
Church, though ourrupt and teaching many
untcbptural errors, yet, retaining tho
Holy Scriptures ancient creeds, with all the
fundamental truths OF Christianity, IL still
branch OF the visible Church OF Christ
and. therefore, the sacrament OF baptism ad-
ministered by that church, with the right TO
heptiGe, 10 true and valid Christian baptism,
which can not and ought not 10 be repeated.
DIR. Schaff spoke In fevor OF the substitute
by showing from the history OF the iuioh
that baptism administered in the n 40 o.
the Trinity with tho proper intent, O, re.
gardless OF the character OF the ono admin.
istering II, had always bean considered valid.
Further debate was postponed until to.
morrow afternoon.