Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-05-26
Excited Plesbyteriians.
Kisses for Dr. Paxton at the
 General Assembly,

Kisses for Dr. Paxton at the
 General Assembly,
 DISCUSSING ORGANIC UNION. Report of Conference Committees from
 Both Northern and Southern Branches
 Presented, and the Whole Matter Finally
 Referred to . Special Committee of Six.
 PHILADELPHIA, May 26.-The seventh days proceedings of the Presbyterian gen. eral assembly were held in Horticultural hall. The first half hour was spent m de- votional exercises, conducted by Rev. George Pierson, of Henrietta, Tex The assembly was then called to order by the moderator, Rev. Dr. Thompson.
 Rev. Dr. Howard Crosby announced that an invitation had been extended from the Fourth Avenue church, New York, for the meeting of the next general assembly. Rev. Dr. w. H. Roberts said the committee rec commended the selection of that place. This was agreed to, and Rev. Dr. Crosby was ap- pointed to report committee of arrange ments.
 AAc I0pOIV Ou AOISl&A u1SS1OuS SGdISu Iuat the receipts of the year amounted to s9O1,- 1S0. 80, advance of $117 023. 21 upon last year. This splendid up lift along the grooves of finance is due to an increase from legacies, of s59, ,454; of churches, $2O, 12O, and from women's societies, of $46,S5I The additions to the missionary force and the losses by death and withdrawal since the last report, leaves a net gain of nine ministers and eleven unmarried ladies.
 A.. general assembly was taken up in the hear ing the report of the committee of confer ence This report from the committee of conference, with a like committee of the Southern assembly, on the question of the union of the two assemblies recommended that the assembly indorse the views of the committee as expressed in letter to the committee of the southern church. That communication, addressed to Rev. J. B. Strickler, D. D., chairman of the southern committee, set forth:
 "Touching our doctrine of the spirituality of our church: Our committee beg leave to say that we do not conceive it to be any part of the duty with which we are charged to sit in judgment upon the consistency of our church with itself at different periods of it's history; to institute any compensation with a view to this end, between the earlier and later deliverances of it's successive assemblies, but rather to represent the present attitude of our church toward certain issues which are regarded as pending between the bodies which we respectively represent.
 Our reunited assembly has no other doc Urine of the whole subject involved in this question than quoted in the Omaha paper re- ferred to by you, to wit: 'Synods and councils are to handle or conclude nothing but that | which is ecclesiastical; and arc not to meddle with civil affairs which concern the common wealth, unless by way of humble petition in cases of extraordinary, or by way of advice for the satisfaction of conscience, if they be shereunto required by the civil magistrate "As to the relations of the colored people l in the south to the church: Our church is not in favor of setting off its colored members into separate, independendent organization We believe that we have great work to do among the colored people, for their own sal vation and the good of the country; and that this is to be done by recognizing those who are in the church as entitled to all the rights and privileges that are involved in church membership and ordination. We believe, 1 too, that the great work among them can only be fully done by our churches reunited as one, and tkis is one strong motive prompt 1 ing us in our desire for reunion.
 We are of the opinion that our assembly will agree to basis of organic union, by I cies of presbyteries and synods in the south shall remain in statu quo, to be changed only l with the consent of the parties interested, l and that all new churches and new Presby- teries hereafter established shall be organ ized by and received into connection with presbyteries and synods respectively, as the interested parties may mutually agree"
 After alluding to the powers vested in boards of the church the committee states:
 "As to your fourth injury, concerning the existence of the heresy in the church. our an- swer is given only with view to enable your committee to correct the misapprehension which you say exists in your church on this subject, in order that you may lay the facts before your assembly. We answer emphatic ally in the negative. In respect to this sub- ject of doctrine in Its various respects we say that so far as our knowledge goes land it ern-
 braces the records of all our judicatories) there is no question of doctrine or of polity
 agitating any part of our church. The re.
 union of 1869 was effected on the basis of the
 standards without condition, and we believe
 that the subscription to these standards or T the part of our ministers and elders is frank sincere and without reservation.
 s'In conclusion permit us to express tho
 hope that our conference thus far may have disclosed such substantial unity of belief an6 practice between our two assemblies as vii induce your assembly to continue and en
 large the powers of your committee for the
 purpose of full conference on the sub ject o organic reunion with similar committee o our general assembly,
 ''We wish frankly to add that, while oul , church is heartily in favor of organic reunion , with yours, we do not believe that such re
 union is desirable, or could ever be effectiv, in the great work of the Master, unless it b. !. consummated with the fullest confidence i, \ the Christian character and dootrinal sound ness of each other, upon terms of perfec equality and reciprocity, with an earnest an, sincere desire to maintain the unity of tn
 church and our common faith, and on tn basis of candid and sincere acceptance o ? our common standards"
 As soon as the report had been read Di ' Kempshan presented resolution providin 7 that the original committee be enlarged b s the addition of three ministers and two elders j., with instructions to report to the next genera {. |