New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-19
PRESBYTERTANS IN SESSION
RESTING AFTER THE DEBATE.
PENNSYLVANIA MEN TO THE FRONT on
SATURDAY.
THE AGED MINISTERS CARED FOR bEFohh
THE BIG DISCUSSION WAS RESUMED d..
SEVERAL PROMINENT MEN in
SARATOGA PULPITS

SARATOGA PULPlTS.
rynox A SPECIAL. CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBUNEl
Saratoga. Nav 1s.-Sinoe there is so much in
herest manifested in the proposed revision of the
Westminster Confession of Faith, several OF the
speeches made Yesterday on the new chapter 10
the Standards are given herewith in ful' mere
were six speeches. four Of them by fenhsylVahia
men. one of them the Governor Of the State, ana
two by New-Yorkers. DIR. Howard CROSBY was
the first speaker He said:
MFR. Moderator. dislike long speeches. ana IN
spite of this vote will not make iOng one anG
inp br1es before us lust simply two questions one
is: Can our Constitution be anlenueu ouI oIs stS
here in the most remarkable way that we nave
something above the Constitution IL Is Salieu oi,o
Adopting act. do not know where it would be put put,
what name could be given IT, II Is sort OF nlgH
ompan god above all Times e can W be amended
Il pondesssrRt do not hIS Il anywhere except
Now do not believe that there is anything above above
our Constitution, far as we are concerned; "hat
Is the AdoPg sc I'm our bTSf b We This Whole sub
ject. One utterance is the Adopting act ltsen anu
the other the sixth section Of the rT %s fhe
Adopting act II is stated that all amendments Vi Hie
goOs Of 81 the a sGr be OF by the
byteres, and shall. after receiving the votes OF Two
proved il necessary if they think it, and enacted by
The Assembly. While Section 6, Chapter IL; declares
ment that is not the Book of Discipline that Is not
the Confession of Faith, but is called CONSTITUTIONS
Rules-that they should be proposed by the Asseln
bly, and become valid when onehalf of the Presby-
teries have said YEA -, .h, -
is notn sp I"t a e rule it
Of the Constitution It is not part OF e Of toT Disc
pine. II IS not part OF the Confession Of Faith
y dSss net ssGes to that Of c
1t Is not given TO the Assembly to discuss and enact
sfterwad 1t does not belong to That category. INC
belongs,
cerned, the sixth section of the twelfth cnapter
II is a constitutional rule And therefore. hold
that we have as an Assembly according to our Con
sttuton, right to adopt this report ana on tie
assent of majority of the Presbyteries we nave
right alter the Adopting act or the law winch the
Adopting act has given us -. ., ,,,a, o,,.,,-
SO that instead of this being great and hgn 0iy IN,
plan god above all else that cannot be disturbed IL Is
lower thing than the Constitution u Is thing more
constitutional rule, and ii is not as high as te Con
stuton itself Now in regard to the method hao aG IN
about proposing If ] am right in my. my premises re se
pose. and we have right to propose But suppose
II did not under that category and belonged to
Presbyteriesin case onehalf and in another case
nd thng Saat Is the S Spi 81 Ole an p ie
OF the law. As long as wothirds or one-half OF the
Presbyteries in either Of these propose to the
business how they came to propose, whether it was
by another proposition coming from outside or a
the Connection between PTesbyterys proposals and
Assemby's action is made we have got nothing to do
And hence we have perfect right, even i t4s other
sGs W as SrS an @ 10 Or aK the other e e
Assembly. Npplause2 And that Is the only way in
mon. The General Assembly is the grand centre Of
union the exchange if y4p please ls and IL is lust
people would be heard 1t is just in that way that
all changes would be made. The Church, represented
question that the Church IS fun Of now let ask the
Presbyteries to propose IT, In that way we could
ZION from the Presbyteres 1t is the natural way, and
% us the o w have To- E pen a
cious for we only propose to them that they shall pro
With 20 g0' o SnSs . % Sss
and apart. believe the lines are not to be
jet jet" that VIII come before u.s. own know ' they are
not the same know there are members Of
who agreed with me in the view take of this
repoa and think that this report will be a measure
Church. Why Because there has been, as we all
know. doubt about the Interpretation of the Adopt
Ing act and of the sixth section of the twelfth chapter
We all have our minds, perhaps, made up on it in
different ways, and we are al! very decided but
when we come and settle the question by cIearcut
statement like this that question is never going
10 disturb us The Church has acted on the prin-
said here that IL was doing wrong. Very we'll Let
us prevent it from doing wrong by enacng this law
Of the Church is 10 counter TO what of these
gentlemen think 10 be the right Interpretation of the
Adopting act Now, then, let accept this report
and then we will make perfectly plain what duty is TO
bTch NO means resdy TO break sn T a b 1s
are ready to make plain and clear the laws which
now and for a long time have been differently inter
preted
My only two points then, these FIRST, that
the Whole idea of proposing misunderstood by
OF our friends on the other side, aud the Assembly
has right 10 move; but nothing comes until the
view Of the procedure second: Ny other and main
point is this, that the Adopting act is nothing
than constitutional rule that the synod had no
power whatever to make anything else than con
sttuuonal rule with regard TO the Constitution they
have formed. and that therefore that constitutional
rule can be abrosated at any time or altered by
the Church hereafter.
Now, one thing else. The Church is not making
contract with another. and there has been false
analogy created here in minds. 1t is this
II man by ms VIII makes certain law as regards
his property and that man dies, that law which he
has made in regard to his property cannot be changed.
Jhat Is because there Is contract. There is
Qud pro quo 1t is between two parties But there Is
no o6 SHGy w Sy qE and a is GoqG
bind itself forever pplause II any eccesiat body
would bind itself forever by ing that it would show is
folly, because II would announce that il was wiser
than would be in any future generation. Npplause)
arrange as we please concerning organic law
that there is nothing of this strange nebulOus divinity
bulge or change-that there is nothing of that kind
except in some niDds-that 1t doe not belong IN our
Church TO recognize anything above Constitution.
eno therefore; VIC nave a perfect right to change 10
according 70 law We do not want TO be contrary
20 law, and If am right viii change The Adopting
act according to the sixth section of Chapter Twelve
But even If not. even If We are 10 change it as we
10 do it IN that form prescribed by the Adopting act
after which the Adopting act. if this is accepted
Dy WourdS OF the PTesbyteTies. has no more
power whatever. (Applause.l
The Rev. DIR. X. VI. Patterson. of Philadelphia.
the Editor of =" The Presbyterian Journal" replied
10 Or. Crosby, making these points
:, The Presbyteries, well as the Assembly, have no
legislative power that set aside modify the
authority OF Scripture. My whole aim is U discuss
the enactng power of the General Assembly. pro.
pose 10 bring up rule that hereafter any article asked
for py tNothrds Of the Presbytcrfes proposed by
the IresbytereS. shall be tlereupon enacted by the
General Assembly before ii shall became obligatory
The churches Preccdents are Oh both sides of the
.uesuon, whether enc third two-thrds of the
Pfcsbyteres must express their desire for change
But, thee Is any precedent for the refusal Of the
Assembly 70 approve what has thus been desired by