New-York tribune., 1891-05-22
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HOLDS TTS
1osD ANNUAL CONVENTION.
THE REV. DIR. WILLIAM HENRY GREEN ELDOE
ED MoDERAToR-THE DISCUSSION OVER =
REVISION AND OVER DIR. BRIGGS'S
CASE NOT YET OPENED.
[pr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsEI


[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUsEI
Detroit, Mich, May 2l.-Harmony is again the
opening keynote OF the General Assembly. Tho
conservative element has its representatives in tho
chair with unanmity never surpassed, and
equalled only by the election year ago. The
Moderator was chosen by acclamation. At the
meeting In Saratoga last year the precedent was
started It was thought that the issue involved
namely, the revision of the Confession Of Faiths
was SO great that no faction should gain an adj
vantage by testing it's strength in preliminary
contest Therefore, DR. Moore, the permanent clerx3
| q moderate revisionst, was nominated by Dr. her"
rick Johnson strong revisonist, and the motion
was seconded by DR.. Agnew, of Philadelphia, q
strong anti-revisionisd The wisdom hf nhao
| choice was apparent throughout the whole meet
| ing of the Assembly
| To-day the lines are drawn no longer between
parties in regard to the Confession, but new
issue has arisen the orthodoxy of one OF the lead
ing professors Of the Union Theological Seminary.
During the debate carried on in the religious press
over the inaugural address of Dr. Briggs, one or
the most scholarly replies was furnished by the
Rev. Or. William Henry Green, the senior professor
of Princeton Theological Seminary, who took
strong grounds against the position advanced Dy
| Itr Briggs. DR.. Green's name has been before The
| Church for some time candidate Tor thd
moderatorship, but 1t was not known until yester-
day that he would be willing TO accept the honor
| were it offered him. DR.. Charles A. Dlckey, on
| Philadelphia one of the directors of Union Semi
nary, was also prominent candidate, and thlrd
was DR.. George ID. Baker, also of Philadelphia.
This afternoon DR.. Dickey moved the election Oh
| Dr. Green. The nomination seconded by Drl
| Baker, and DR.. Green elected by rising
vote of the commissioners amid great applause
10 oiytv siy ol6 He born
near Bordentown, n. j., and was graduated from
Lafayette College in 1S40. After teaching classics
and mathematics for three four years, he entered
| Princeton Seminary, graduating in lS46. lie was
pastor of the Central Presb erian Church OF
| Philadelphia for time, and entered Princeton
| Seminary in 1851, retaining his professorship OF
| Oriental and Old Testament literature for forty
years. His scholarship in this department is
unsurpassed. In addition TO his work.
as an instructor, he has published Hebrew gram
mar, a Hebrew Chrestomathy," Moses and the
Prophets" which was reply TO Robertson Smith
and Kuenen; The Hebrew Feasts," reply to
Welhausen, and many other works. He was one
of the translators of Lange's Commentary and
was one of the committee on the Revised Version
of the Bible. He is now serving on two General
Assembly committees the on the Revision of
| the Confession of Faith and the one on Church
| Unity DR., Green is recognized the highesu
authority in America on the conservative side In
| the higher criticism of the Old Testament. lie
has written extensively for several reviews, and
| as q Biblical student and Oriental scholar he Is
acknowledged to be a conservative, safe and wise
guide and is so regarded throughout the Church.
Not many of the faces familiar at Saratoga laso
year are noticed here, although one sees, slttin2
near the 'front.' President Patton, of Princeton and
George Junkin, of Philadelphia both members Oh
| ~ Nficio nf ha
of Faith and sturdy champions of the conservative
side. DIR. w. c. Roberts, of Lake Forest Unlver1
sity. the chairman of the committee and De
Moore. its secretary, are also here and, with many
other members of the committee, are wondering
how the report of the Revision Committee was
publshed in full in The Tribune on Wednesday,
| before it was presented to the Assembly.
| DR. Henry NJ Field, of The Evangelist oc-
cupies a front seat not taking notes. but enjoying
the discussion. Dr. Poor and DIR. McCook OF
Philadelphia, DR.. Morris and Professor H. I. Smthi
of Lane Seminary. ID. Hays. of Kansas Clty, ana
DIR. Smith, of Baltimore. promise to be prominent
figures in the debates which are coming.
The New York Presbytery is already represented
by Dr. Shearer. DR.. Wylie Professor Stevenson'
Dr. Birch. DIR. Lampe. J. j. McCook. John Y.
Tucker. w. r. Worrell and others.
Neither Dr. Parkhurst nor Dr. Thompson. his
alternate, is here.
Great disappointment has been expressed by
both parties in the Briggs controversy at the abb
sence of Dr. John Hall. of New-YOrk. the leader OF
the anti-revision party in that Presbytery yeal
ago. The Tribune correspondent asked one OF Dr!
Briggs's earnest supporters where DR.. Hall was.
Il don't know" he said. "A few years ago, at
| Omaha at the Unicn Seminary Alumni reunion, Dr(
| Hall made a most earnest speech in favor of DR..
Briggs, praising his work and thanking him espe|
cially for what he had done for his son Thomas.
| To-day DR.. Hall is absent when needed"
A member of the New-Yorlx delegation, when
asked where DR.. Hall was, replied: Trying his
oxen or seeding his piece of land, presume" 10
is expected however, that DR.. Hall will be here
to attend some of the meetings of the Board Of
Home Missions of which he is chairman.
The Union Seminary trouble has not been
brought to the attention Of the Assembly yet
except indirectly in prayers. Everybody seems
to be intent If great shadow was soon TO faliI
The discussion on Dr. Briggs's orthodoxy will prob-
ably follow the report Of the Committee on Ihes-
logical Semnares, to which it is expected thas
the overtures relating TO the inaugural address
will be referred. The report of the Revision Com
mttee will be read tomorrow Three reports
were presented this afternoon, an unusual number
for the first day, and all of them were Important!
One related to the Consensus creed, and was read
! by Dr. Moore the chairman. copy OF circular
letter sent TO the majority OF the reformed
churches throughout the world holding the Presby-
terian system was included in the report OF the
committee, which asked to be continued. DIR.
Lowrie, of Philadelphia, presented report on
the proof texts of the Confession Of Faith and
the Larger Catechism, which will be considered
on Monday. Dr. Macintosh of Philadelphia, read
"a report on The Church at Home and Abroad"
which will be discussed later on.
Each one of the three reports referred with sor.
row to the death of DR.. Howard Crosby, of New
York. Dr. Moore speaking of his unwavering faithl
| broad charity, love of unity and courage OF
victonn DIR. Lowrie said that the praise Of Dr.
Crosby and DR.. Welch in all the Church, and
the mourning for them had been universal DR..