Helena weekly herald., 1889-05-30
NORTHERN PRESBYrERIANS.
Reception of Committee Reports and
Discussion of Church Union.

Reception of Committee Reports and
Discussion of Church Union.
NEW YORK, May 22.-The matter of
adopting clause A of the recommendations
of the special committee on missions
among freedmen came up for discussion at
the afternoon session. This clause asks
for an expression of confidence in the COM
mite, and sn endorsement of the manner
in which it carried out the work entrusted
to it. A substitute was proposed by Dr.
HamliD, of Washington, that the special
committee be retained in Office for another
year and that it listen to the information
in possession of the Washington presbytery
He claimed that the committee had refused
heretofore to listen to the information.
After vigorous discussion the substitute,
was put and received about twenty ayes
while there were nearly 500 nays. The re-
port of the special committee as a whole
was then adopted without dissent. Rev.
DR.. Chidlaw, of Cincinnati, read the report
of the committee on publications and Sun.
day school work. The receipts for the
year were $337, ,7S1 and net profits S6 ,691.
NEW YORK, May 23.-In the Presby-
teIian General Assembly to- day the report
of the committee on education showed that
because of want of funds to educate young
men for the ministry an unusually large
number of churches are without pastors.
Rev. DR.. Terry, of Illinois, and Rev. Dr.
Poor, secretary of the board of education,
spoke on the report. The burden of their
remarks was that money must be had or
ho UorG nf Cd aatipO tho vnupr v,op uiIl
be seriously affected.
ence and fraternal cooperation in Ch ristain
work with the Southern Church was called
up The committees of both churches
agreed upon cooperation in foreign mission
work, co operation in the home field, and
in reference to cooperation in the evangeli-
zation of the colored people of both
churches be not allowed to remain in
stdtu quo the work among them to proceed
on the same lines as before.
The minority report, signed by Judge
Breckinridge and holding that nothing
short of organic union between both
churches was desirable or practicable, was
also filed. Part of the work relative to
cooperation in foreign mission work was
passed. The second part, on cooperation
in the home field, was opposed by Rev.
Jno. Cox, who held that the Northern
Church had already proposed marriage to
the Southern Church and was rejected.
He said part of the report under discussion
bound them to too close ties with the
South.
DR.. c. L. Thompson said it would be
economy of man and means if the report
was adopted.
Curry and Fulton, of Kentucky, opposed
the resolutions
Rev. DR.. Crosby supported the majority
report
One of the grounds of complaint against
it is that the Northern church has more
money than the Southern church. and that
therefore the Southern church would reap
greater advantage by its union. This
ought to be a source of qualification to US.
NEW YORK, May A.-On the over ure
of fifteen Presby asking for a re-
vision of the Westminster confession of
faith, DR.. Crosby advised that if any action
be taken with this standard of the church
it should be with the utmost caution. In
conclusion he recommended the adoption
OF the report of the committee, which
recommended that all Presbyteries
should be asked, "Do you require revision
of the confession of faith, and if so to what
extent" The report was accepted and the
Assembly adjourned.
NEW YORK, May 24.-In the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian church this
morning telegram was read from the
clerk Of the Southern Assembly, announc-
ing that. that body had adopted the ma
jority report in favor of cooperation in
home and foreign fields, in the evangaliza-
tion ot.colored people, and cooperation in
the matters Of publication, etc, by a vote
of SO to 81. The statement was received
with applause. The debate on the third
section of the majority report on coopera-
tion in the evangelization of colored people
continued. The report is the same as that
adoptedsby the Southern Assembly. Rev.
DR.. Stryker, of Chicago. moved to strike
while conceding the existing situation the
Northern Assembly approves the policy of
separate churches, presbyterie and synods,
subject to the choice OF the colored people
themselves" Carried by 800 to
SO. With this exception the paper
as whole was adopted, and
the paper on cooperation was also ap-
proved. The next thing was to adopt the
majority report as a whole as amended.
This was done, only few noes being
heard. The motion was then made to tele-
graph the Southern Assembly. Rev.
George l. Purvis, of Pittsburg, moved that
when he telegraphs the clause stricken
out, he also adds the reason it was done,
so as not to prejudice future action nor
outline the future policy of the church, but
simply because this Assembly did not be-
lieve it stated the historical facts of the
case. Carried by 2O2 to 1877.