Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-10
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
The Hundred and Fourth Meeting Of the
Presbyterian Church.

| Presbyterian Church.
The one hundred and fourth meeting Of the
Presbyterian church in the United States of
America viii be held in the First Church Of
Portland. Ore, beginning Thursday, and will be
opened with q sermon by the retiring modera-
| tor, DIR. VIM. Henry Green Of Princeton The
illogical Seminary, and q new moderator will be
elected.
Several great questions are to come up.
Chief among them il the revision Of the West
minister confession of faith and the position Of
Or: Briggs and the Union Theological Seminary
IN New York. There are many who think that
the report Of the revision committee will not
satisfy the great body Of Presbyterianism.
The result is too radical for the conservatives
and too conservative for the radicals, and as
the GREATER number of the ministers and elders
are in one of these two classes it is difficult.
they say, to prepare revised creed which will
satisfy them. Because Of this fact there is o
vigorous movement on foot for new creed
which shall be short, practical and scriptural,
emphasizing the love of God rather than His
justice. A greater number Of the Presbyterians
now unite in demanding the new creed than
agreed to ask for a revision of the Westminster
standards. and as it was impossible for the
Westminster divines nearly 800 years ago to
revise the thirty-nine articles, SO it is thought
that the present undertaking will fail and
another committee will be appointed to begin
the new work.
A CONSENSUS CREED.
There is q committee now which is discussing
a new creed-not one to take the place of the
Westminster confession, but consensus creed
which shall be used by all the Reformed churches
throughout the world holding the Presbyterian
system. This committee appointed in Sar-
atoga in 1890. and last year it reported that it
had been engaged during the year in the prep
aration of the draft of a consensus creed to be
t<cI
exchange of opinions.
DIR. BRIGGS TRANSFER.
Among the committees appointed by the De-
troit assembly none is Of greater Importance
than the one named to confer upon the rela-
tiOns of Union Seminary to the assembly.
The conference committee met twice during
the winter. The first time the committee recog
nlzed as binding the agreement of 1870, by
which Union, Lane and Auburn came under
assembly control, and under which the appoint
ment OF DIR. Briggs was vetoed. The question
then turned upon the construction of the agree
ment, the seminary claiming that transferring
professor from one department to another
was not covered by the agreement, and the vote
of disapproval of DIR. Briggs transfer by the
assembly was. therefore, illegal.
The committee proposed that the directors
by resolution acccp. the veto under protest, if
necessary. and then proceed to elect professor
IN place Of DR.. Briggs. thereby throwing tho
question OF the Interpretation of the agreement
OF 1870 before the next asseI ably. The question
was raised informally if, after such resolution,
1t would be illegal or discourteous to re-elect a
professor who had been vetoed once by the as
sembly. This question and others were dis
cussed at the second conference, held in Janu-
airy, which closed so harmOniOusly that the dox-
ology was sung before the adjournment.
After the second meeting "a statement signed
by DIR. Patton and DIR. Hastings was published.
In which it was said that there had been a full,
free and calm discussion of all the points at
issue. There throughout an obvious and
earnest desire to reach harnoniously some con-
clusion. The committee did not and could not
yield as to the general assembly's Interpretation
of the agreement of 1870. On the other hand.
the seminary directors did not yield their posi-
ton with regard to the transfer of DR.. Briggs.
The fact Is accepted on both sides that there il
an honest difference of opinion between the two
parties to the agreement of 1870. which differ
ence will be reported to the general assembly, as
for the present irreconcilable. The committee
will recommend that the status quo be recog-
nized, in the, hope that some action may be
taken which will lead to harmonious settle
ment OF the question involved.
PREPARATIONS BEING MADE.
A large committee Of arrangements has been
actively at work for many months at Portland.
anticipating not only every possible need of the
commissioners, but preparing for them many
treasures as We'll Everything tina; can be done
to make the delegates and thci friends COM
fortabls while in the city or on the Pacific coast
has been accomplished. Popular meetings. a
banquet, excursions, including one to Alaska,
are among the plans ready to be carried out.
Considerable interest centers every year about
the selection Of moderator, and this interes. il
unusually keen this spring, for while this is to
be pre-eminently home missionary assembly
If the desires of the hosts consulted. there is
no denying the fact that there is also to be a
gathering when some of the gravest questions
that can come before such body are to be dis
cussed. and the man called upon to preside will
need to have not only firmness and parlia-
mentary knowledge, but also all the tact of the
wisest men in the church. As much of the work
of the assembly is done in the committee rooms
great deal will depend upon the appointment
OF the committees, and that is left entirely to
the moderator
Among the candidates mentioned perhaps
the name most prominent is that Of DR.. Wallace
Radcliffe. pastor of the Fort Church of Detroit,
the host of the assembly last year. DIR. Radcliffe
is nearly fifty years old and has the confidence
of all who know him. DIR. s. J. Mcpherson OF
Chicago is also mentioned. Like DIR. Radcliffe
he received his theological training at Princeton
and also his collegiate education, while DIR. Rad
cllffe Is graduate Of jefferson.