Evening journal., 1890-06-02
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
WORK OF THE RECENT SESSION
OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

g sermon on Presbyterian SIN, before large
congregation at the Rodney Street Pres
byterian Church, yesterday morning. he
said "The 10Th chspter of the Acts of
the Apostles, which was read in your
hearing, gives an account ofan important
church council After they had discussed
and decided the matters considered, they
sent messages to the churches. making
known their discussions. | thought that
it would be instructive and helpful to
give, this morning some account of our
church council which has just closed its
sessions
The one hundred and second General
assembly of the Presbyterian Church in
the United States of America met in
Saratoga on the 10 day of May and was
opened with sermon by the retiring
moderator, Rev. w. G. Roberts. There
are few places in the land that have
more facilities for entertaining large con
ventions, and the wide streets and we'll
kept lawns, the bracing air and sparkling
waters, the noble trees and beautiful
drives, have made it famous everywhere
The world has not forgotten how for
weeks it looked to the lovely mountain
near the city for the pathetic bulletins
that gave daily news of the nations
dying chieftian. Many who visit Saratoga
for a short time spend a few hours at
Mt. Macdregor, where General Grant
spent the last days of his life
Perhaps, there was never convention
held in Saratoga about which so much
interest was felt. as was centered in the
meeting of this General Assembly. The
whole Presbyterian Church has waited
for months for it's meeting, and its pro-
ceedings were being watched by the
whole religious world. 1t was anticipated
by all that there would be battle Of the
giants. 1t was known that the question
of the revision of the historic
creed of our church must be
settled. Thousands looked on
with anxious fear, and thousands
more waited with impatience the news
of the first step towards revision. Those
of us who were in attendance felt the
heavy responsibility that was laid upon
us. Out of our deliberations were to
come measures that would hinder the
progress or increase the usefulness of
our beloved church: the results of our
work would advance the Kingdom of
Christ on earth or delay his coming
There was danger Of disruption and dis
union; and there were the possibilities of
new impulses to greater and nobler use
fulness in service. At the opening of
the session the moderator reminded us in
his mastery sermon, that:
We are to-day spectacle to men
and angels. Our ministers and members
all over the land are anxiously watching
every word and act of this assembly.
Sister churches of every name are pray
ing and hoping that our deliberations
may be marked with the presence of the
| Divine Spirit. The hierarchy of Rome,
that has always looked upon our
church as the power behind the
throne of Protestant Christianity, is
hoping that the spirit Of discord may
/ confound our councils and deal deadly
blow at our growing influence. The
daughters OF the Philistines stand ready
toreioice at any mishap that may befall
us, because they deem the Presbyterian
church the last stronghold of orthodoxy.
II have never seen so many able men,
so many princes of thought in one as.
sembly Of people. doubt very much if
so many men known throughout the
civilized world, so many men OF great
reputation as pulpit orators. philosoph-
ers. scholars and authors have been
assembled in this land in
a quarter of a century. / have
never seen so august and learned and
/ dignifed men, and do not except the
| Senate of the United States. Among
the nearly 800 delegates, there were men
/ from every section of the country
| preachers whose names are household
words orators to whose eloquence
thousands listen week after week,
and whose utterances are read
by hundreds of thousands more
writers whose works are used as text
books on both sides of the Atlantic; by
judges of the Supreme Courts. govern
ors, senators and soldiers. There were
McCosh and Patton and Crosby and
| Cuyler and Roberts and Nicolls and null
titudes more the mention of whose
names would cause you to recognize
them as among the great men of the
nation. To such an assembly was
committed the settlement of these
important questions. A single
harsh word might provoke a
spirit of retaliation. A single un-
guarded step might precipitate an ava
lanche or cause the outburst of volcano
But remarkable as the Assembly was for
its brains, it was more remarkable for its
heart; and strong as it was in its wisdom
it was stronger in its faith in the Great
Head of the Church. And so instead OF
stIife there was prayer; instead Of bit
terness there was the spirit of the Mas
ter, and instead Of any party cry of vic
tory there was the full chorus of praise
to God, from whom all blessings flow.
The question which commanded the
most interest Of all the measures before
the Assembly was the Revision OF the
| Confession of Faith. The preliminary
question of the methods of revision was
debated through days. and finally the
Assembly unanimously adopted the
special COMMITTEES report, which pro
vides that amendments, to the
Confession of Faith. shall be
formulated by q committee, appointed
bv the assembly; the report must be
approved by the assembly, and then, in
the form of an overture, it is sent down
to all the 213 Presbyteries, two thirds of
whom must consent, in writing to the
change, and then the assembly enacts
the amendment and it becomes binding.
Changes in the Form of Govern
ment and Book of Discipline
may be more easily made. The assembly
of 1889 sent down an overture to the
Presbytery in these words: ''Do you
desire revision of the confession of
faith If so, in what respect and to what
extentY' A large majority amounting to
almost two-thirds of all the Presbyterians
made reply that revision was de
sired
The assembly just adjourned, there,
fore proceeded to carry out the wishes of
the ma ajority Mutual respect and yielding
.f ooo ba g ,,a.,f,,..,