New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-12
THE PRESMTERY TO DISCUSS THE CUES
TON OF DIAGNOSES

TON OF DIAGNOSES
The BRETHREN DIVIDED As TO THE WISDOM
OF ESTABLISHING TINS oFFICE-Two
REPORTS TO BE PRESENTED.
The Pre,bytery Of New-yorlI will hold it, January
meeting this afternoon when. is fair to assume. the
woman question will be taken up with good deal
Of vigor. At the las, meeting two reports wcr1 sub
mttod by the committee appoln 10 consider the
overture in reference 10 the elevation OF woman by
mailing them dcacOnceSo>. The majority report Wa,
signed by the Rev. DR.. George ". +. Birch, chair
man of the committee: the Rev. Dr. j. j. Lampc,
Professor Il. II. Bull and Peter Carter. This com
mcc oppos' "a the constitution Of he new order. While
Professor Francis Brown of the Union Theological
seminary: Dr. Charles l.. Thompson, "A former mod
orator of the Genera! Assembly. and J. G. CldN. an
CIDER presented the minority rcpor', fHvo;nE the
oc, Of dciconcss 1t /, by the signatures to the
two reports and 10y remarks made at yafior' meeting,
by member, the Prc>bycry that the lines drawn laI
winter on the revision OF the Conf s>on OF Fa!'h viii
be followed somewhat closely this year IN the new
discussion. The Presbytery is called to vote upon
these questions
shall the following sections be added TO the Form
of Government, namely ~. IN 1hapt-r W. section
10 be numbered section II. a. follows ,
IL. Women also served the Apostolic Chufch. a.
deacone>>c>. whose Office and duties we're similar t"
Ana &; in tnap I. MIL section 10 DC numbered
*. Deacone,ses may be elected 10 Office in man
apart by prayer.
The majority report recommends that the answer
of the Prcsbyery to both Of the proposed amendments
be No. for the following reasons:
l. Those who plead for the >cIptural warrant Tor
the deiooncss rest their p!ca> On 10 positive clara
ton OF The Word of cod.
= Ii is conceded bl thOs, Who favor the institution
Of dca'oncss that the Once Sir" "ut oil I'M pee '"
Circumstance which environrd the female sex ainon-
the Gcntil> in the days OF the apostle GIN u,'u,e'
which no longer exist that tine concession "b'ai0
the necessity of the PROPOSED amendmenls Inc con,
cc>NlOn, however amounts I" yer! Hlc' III We" 80
doubtful mat writers have transferred +" the earlier
age OF the church the 3r.4illa ION OF la,'f bow, ,
). The history "i the hiisu IN "i '"n nov 't s
has been hludcIrd IN the cAerc.s" OF h'r
dence there be here and there an cAerI''i "I i
she has judged, like Deborah, and PR phc~lcd, Xxx!
IIulda and the four daughters Of Philip the ENdni
gci>t, explained the way OF God NOR P.HrItN' Inc
Priscilla, served the Church, Ike Phccuc, these cA'
not TO Dc oruained to ecclesiastical Once me 9oth
crn Presbyterian Church sccmo 10 htN" ST-l"d Inc
eOluch mean on th'> qiyHtloi' - 'G 't,l.,t
Heediul, the church session may scI,,I ana dlI"'".
cody women for the Of the sick prisoners, OF
the poor widows and orphans, and IN GENERAL Tor tho
relief Of distress" and tnerc Is god reason for
departure OF the Presbyterian Church from WHAT h'r
t. If the once Of dcacones, Ire established there j.
no logical escape from the ordination OF woman 1"
the ruling eldershp and the Gospel ministry.
The minority report begins with the assertion that
those who signed it are in hearty accord Win tar
proposal to revive the ancient Office Of dcdc0nc'. II
Will be observed that the committee speak Of r,Nvnt
an Office and not establishing new ONE Ait".
tracing the origin Of the Office and the development
Of the Christian work Of women in modern religions
life and paying beautiful tribute to the worn that
t.y ar, dons today (e Committee close, IL, report
ia these words:
Ia one respect We ind ourselves at variance with
the Judgment Of the General Assembly special Com
mlttee. 1t 10 not 80 clear to IL th"' the o"'" ' "'
cones existed in the Apostolic Church mat We
think ii desirable 10 have statement 10 tns elect
introduced into our organic law. without tnlci.LS
into an eAceet!cd discussion, We tAlAA uIt
| are justified IN aging that expert opin" j. not
sufficiently agreed III hnding the dcaccAcNa IT, a.
tnct ono, in Romans Xvi. J. (thc only New Testament
passage citd by the special committed or IN nm pPI
~, - ano timothy H. H. v 3D. ana "l'.l Pa
ages upon which Dependence hdo sometime, u''I
placed to warrant the commitment OF great Ch"4'|
Tie spcc.1l committee lt.cl appear, to ri the
argument for IT, first pr posed Amendment 'u'' -
conoss .aTs to have been a. ''r OF t" Apostolic
Church. IL seems 10 be possibly uH. rabbi" Ih I'D.
Romans Nv ID and 10 have Iecn ~ fail a'u'' r.. b.. t.e
sub-apostoic age -. z, PlIy- letter 10 lrIan' What
il DIS most unfortunate If declaration "ric - %"
incorporated IN Our Form of Government I'll "lih 10"
ion Of d single .cw Testament prs-S-c and p.ti-!-
be inference from sin-" ph'~' l Ieiir ii"." 'e
uu,ympathctic heather Governor oil e'"s'' roman
province. ,..........,
essential to The end sought By iAc -P'I" ','''''''
Whether moi the draconr>,, a. dl-'H'l once 'P
pears in the New Testament Church thr p'' I'4'.-
and establishment Of ,uch al once j. '4.'' 90 '
mOny with the prominence gwen - ti" !iH' u'H 'i
women In that Church. IT j. becoming m'N ana
more evident to students Of the ~" Testament ana
Of Christian history That Oh" vi the cAl-iht 'vi
Of church organization has it, exact 'ouil"FPt'! ii
the Testament. but tl-it germ, ar" b"4" "hi'i
have developed into them all. The C4uVh D. not
rlgd and u!cc>s machine, made, ono" IN tI, l'"N't
unchAugcabic. II Is living body, ana NE lipI ~li
dwell, within il. Under HIS moulding P""c' lI
grows. taxes new forms, ahApt~ H-"Ii l" hr" ''
dOnS. supplies itself with n"N atrutc,. nih- li'-I
channels for IL, hcs born energies. II appear ~
rs that il is Ills voice wuch j. DOW speaking q" H0
through the fruitful labor Of our Chn-l.Au women
and the obvious necessity that the or'fll"d '.A7 d.,
a. the visible representative Of the Kingdom ~ 'od
on earth Should either officially recognize t"s" ib''
or be itself dlscr.dcd by thcm-bddIng ~ u" oar
Christian freedom, ard seek By ryyMg th'7 aH'rW
Office b. make these labors authoritative expression
Of the organic life Of the Church.
The committee would therefore recommend;
l. That the Ircsbytcry answer the former part Of
the questions sent down by the General Assembly lu
tllc NEGATIVE. viz. shall Tire following section, be-
added 10 the Form Of Government. viz, - IN chapter
VI a section b. be numbered section = a. piio" Il
Women also served fthr Apostolic Church 90 dct
cOne,s whose Office and duties were similar t. tlo.c
Of dcacOns ~
tlc Ouc,tiOn IN The Affirmative, VIZ, th1i proposing
cj In CAapcr XIII. section t. be- numbered ~'fipu
o. follows: TX. Dcacpuc-~c9 may b" rl"t q -
of'lcr IN a manner similar 10 that appointed for
deacons and set apart by prayer