New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-18
AID FOR AGED MINISTER'S

tiOnal exercises led by the moderate" an" ''o i'""
Ing Of the report OF the Committee on b' anu O>Vl
tpr~s the greeting. of the Assembly sent TO the
Assemble of the southern Presbyerans the CuhDcr
land Prcsbycrians and the United PicsbS'erahs'
The Rev Dr. j. T. smith reported for the Com
mittec ou Revision OF the Confession Oh f"'h anu
the Catechsms that they had completed ueir WORK
on the Confession and asked to be continued iof
thar on the Catechsm,. which was done
In taking up the report of the Committee on
Methods. making changes in the Confession ana Coh-
situton, il voted that after the speeches OF DIS
Crosby and Patterson, speeches be Limited 10 zen
minutes. DR.. Crosby said there were two questions
Can Constitution be amended and II 80, now
Is the adoption act high okmplan god that cannot
be touched lie added
We have only TWO u,tersnceS that are german me-,
says that amendments 70 the Discipline and Doctrine
must be proposed by pIcsoytergi, ana nGored oS
me AdoPns ac Is he9ns eeG 9g Siae ng 3T M, he
Constitution. it l. a constitutional rule; Now,
a. 10 the method of proposing changc-this must
always he by the Assemby-but the overture for this
must always be from PTc>byteries. Hence, when one
third one half OF them desire such action, we mus,
exchange through which the rrysbyteTies come to
do with revision or anti revision. Able and Learned
avoiding anarchy. IT shows that we do not mean
Interpretation Of that Which ha' been differently,
soGy eoSd Sn a'q se ceTr Without
that it was wiser than il ever would be aferward.
We ought 10 recognize no such nebuo"s inal!ibiity
in tho Adopting act.
The Rev Il. W. Patterson. of Philadelphia said
that he not Influenced by his views Revision.
His position he had held for lie said
The P'esbycrles, as we'll as the Assembly, have no
authority Of Scrptur, My whole aim Is u discuss
the cnactpg power Of the General Assembly. ! pro
hSs 70 Sf S rue 1 a or a rraSH.s sRS
the General Assembly and approved by thirds Of
General assembly bcfr II Snail b,came Obligatory on
the churches. ireccdeat. are on hon >d"s Of the
But if there is any precedent for the refusal Of The
Assembly to approve wha has thus been desired by
two thirds OF the Pre>by erc>, that would be Of great
weight. IN Moorc's digest. page, ~ ana 23a. We
have a case that cover, this. The Assembly indch
nitely postponed the consideration Of change pro
by,eTes. Was that not legislation TIE Irc-bytcri-s
haG adopted five 9at Of 'A amend4en ,,., Ihe
assembly SCI aside the whole Of tAcm ne
cause wax dnLpP oS u OF Sae ,d ,, I5c
child and creature of the irc>bytcre, ana has no
powers not derived from them. There was an
original PTesbytory that ~ erward' suhdivided mo
eubordi aate Pr sbyteries. AID having don. ms, ad-
iourred TO meet the next year a. synod Of Ihila
thai this synod regarded Itself a, successor the
original Presbytery. Later The synod or-anizcd TIE
synod, and although it waited y'"r for suf
gestions from churches and P;ely;cn :, YET
thofty. ana under tina; constitution
now WORKING We MAY. have the legal. hut we
have Pros vcrian right - make the change pro
posed in the report Were We To do So il might be
possible for minority of the Church 10 change both
The cent s-ioI ANA discipline. The report docs not
leave the Assembly the power 70 postpone even for
y0r, their purely ministerial at Of passing down
amendments TO the Presbytere> but third Of these
Presbytecs may include majority OF all the churches
and members. and vet they would be powerle, under
This report to prevent q minority from making ritual
changes: besides, the Confession can under us re-
port, be altered more easily than can The discipline
Governor Beaver. Of Pennsylvania. said he would
rot argue but would simply illustrate. He did not
believe that the stream could rise higher than the
fountain, that the Adopting act can bind forever,
some have proposed. But he could not agree to
tie report. because under IL the fourteen representa-
tives - the New-IoTk Prcsbyery would have only
One-cNcnth the power OF fourteen commissioners be
longing small prcsby tories In the south.
West or foreign lands The assembly should adopt
Dr. Patterson amendment and give 10 the Assembly
the power 20 lcgi,late such questions, and
SHOULD embody ia the same form the principle that
tio majority must govern. d.. Hoyt of Philadelphia,
had ,ad that t'us not revision, bat revolution.
and pOrcnt0us one. Governor Beaver 'ntinuod
Dr. van Dyke admitted that tn rp,w would
make revision easy
\ voice 40; bat make il LEGAL and regular.
Governor Ecaye.-Dr. Dyke did not. / admit
say that the jet va, TO make revision cay. but
that /, my inference. It require, wothrds Of Con.
sf S Of p d rp ea"Fe ,,m and '0 ih.n
they must be raahcd ty uute Ioniu's
Of the state. Tie report puts it N the power oi
numerical minority o. propose and enior,c ,ntnsc
in docrinc a. well a, discipline, No uhIm WI ~
ID "
Iuss this report and can tell where We shall be-
judge Alfred Hand. Of scranton, Penn. said that
the Assembly Is tine supreme iudcaiure OF tie Fresiyt
nan Church and thai II Is tic privilege oi %
eupreme Court 10 interpret it. Consultation. Dr.
Patton had said that ia 800 the Assembly had made
blundcr. supreme Courts have right 10 mako
their blundcr~ law. The highest legal courts ever!
where admit that the decisions f tn shc,t tribunal
Of any cccic,iastcal body ana and beyond appeal
IN questions of doctrine and discipline. In 5000
erat1
decided That change in the confession mast lie form
ulatcd by the Assembly, ana passed down T. tn
P,sbyteries and must be approved By two-thrf, Of
uc,e before the Assembly declare the pr1pJ.ed
amendment % be l.w.
out and Out revsiOnist but while ~ appI0ve d
80 slow. The Assembly must not dO-a, the report
seemed 10 dO-lmpalr the coordinate power Of The
down - the irc-l ytcries for approval. Keeping Jns
power TIE Assembly prevents numerical minority
NowIer-@y Win Dr. Patton Included He moved
:Sai section II the report, %aeh eompc the As
sembN 70 send down proposals. even IL 1t does not
s 9e @ for q p h9 Mn s1G M
widows ard Orphans Of Deceased Ministers presented
hciares on me roll : "a "a. IA mH!ssr,. 25s
medical mis,ionaiy Al the Minister Home at
perth Amboy, y J.. eighteen faniies were cared for,
lat year. forty four persons on the roll have died,
added 50 much 10 the funds Of the Board that no
snacal appeal to the churches needed. I'm, aid
given accordng to rllc adopted hy hc last Assembly,
nroyidng that every hOnOraby retired minister over
seventy Years old. who has served a. missionary or
pastor not than thirty years, shall be entitled 10
receive not more than $500 year without an annual
recommeu daton from his preebyteTy ~ heretofore.
The Oldest minister aided f. III his ninety fourth year
the average Is seventy eight and The ayeregc time
I'm service l. forty eight years Twenty slN veterans
received - go Just rceiourths the amount given
con NJ the Judges the United supreme Court
when retired at the age of seventy The income Of
The BOARD from all loD241 for the year
and The expenditure Slf3.9e2 for the same pcriOc.
leaving a balance OF S15,263.
4 resolution adopted urging the churches t.
raise not less than $l3O,oO0, and the ruIaS elders
were exhortcd 20 ser that this was done: . .
Remarks were made by the Rev. DR.. ". {. Cattcll,
lie emphasized the fact that there were $500 non
contributing churches and a st larger number that
contributed only two mites. .
William L. Dodge. OF New York. said that nat rally
>,iristerS are sensitive about pushing contributions