Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-24

all upon condition OF faith In Christ, nor i
restraint laid upon the freedom of anyone t.
| hinder bis acceptance of this offer, yet hatl
He no pleasure in the death Of the wicked
nor is 1t His decree, but the wickedness o
their own hearts, which restraineth ant
hindereth them from accepting the fret
offer Of His grace made in the Gospel.
Infants Among the Elect.
The section relating to elect infants ii
also changed. By the old Confession the
inference was left that some infants went tc
hell, as the wording ''elect infants" i'm
piled that there were "non-elect infants u
The new section clears that mystery, read.
ing as follows:
Infants dying in infancy, and all other
persons who are not guilty of actual trans
gression, are included in the election OF
Grace and are regenerated and saved by
and where and how He pleaseth. So also
called by the Ministers Of the word"
The other essential change is in section
relating to the Roman Catholic Church in
the unrevised Confession. In the revision
the section reads as follows:
The Lord Jesus Christ is the only head of
the Church, and the claims of the Pope of
the Vicar. of Christ and the head of the
Church Universal is without warrant in
Scripture or fact, and is a usurpation dishon-
OrlQS TO the LOrQ Jesus ClrlSC.
A Harsh Word Changed.
In another chapter, where reference is
made to the Roman Catholic Church, the
change is from "Papish sacrifice of the
Mass" to "Roman Catholic doctrine of the
sacrifice of the Mass"
Those who have opposed revision from
the outset intend to make a fight on the
constitutionality of this Assembly taking
definite action on the report, asserting that
by new rule of law made at Detroit last
year this report must go to a special COM
mittee appointed for the purpose of receiving
it, and which shall decide whether or
not the changes proposed shall be
recommended to the Presbyteries for adop-
tion. Though the conservatives were de-
feated two years ago and a revision ordered,
it is possible that even now, by technicality,
they may defeat the entire work, as the
committee at this meeting to receive the re-
port may decide that the revision is unneces-
sary. The report says:
It was found impossible to meet the indi-
vidual preferences of every Presbytery
without setting aside what were known to
be the views of the large majority of the
Church. There was an effort made to see
harmony at any sacrifice. The report is the
very best that the committee has been able
to prepare.
The routine rule of the session to-day en-
braced report on the Indian schools, pre-
sented by DR.. Bartlett. It was recommend
ed that henceforth all public moneys for
Indian education should be expended by
Government officials, and that appropria-
tions for sectarian schools should absolutely
cease. The constitutional amendment now
pending, looking to this end, was heartily
approved. DR.. Bartlett addressed the as
sembly in support of the recommendations.
The report of the Board of Missions to
Freedmen showed that 371 missionaries had
been sent out during the year; that 800
churches and missions had been aided and
80 parochial and IA boarding schools main
tanned, with total of 1929 pupils The
receipts amounted to S172,000 with e1pend-
itures almost equal The Board has also
under its charge 276 Sunday schools. with
have been erected at an expense of $3.50, 900.
Property for church and school purposes
has also been purchased at Richmond,
Asheville and Little Rock. Ten new
churches have been organized during the
year and $250,0 are asked for the COM
ing year.
First Round in the Briggs Battle
A special order for o'clock was the pre-
sentation of the conference reports of the
Assembly's Committee with the directors
of the Union Seminary by the Vice Chair
man Of the committee, DR.. William E.
Moore, and by DR.. Kingsley, Secretary of
the Unions directory, who had been sent as
special messenger by that body. In each
case there was double report The report
prepared by DR.. Patton, the Chairman, gave
brief account of the proceedings at the
conference, with formal papers which had
been passed there. 1t ended with the sin
gle Recommendation that status quo "be
recognized in the hope that some action
may be taken which may lead to harmoni-
Six members of the Conference Commit
tee present in Portland have consulted to-
gether and made supplemental report, in
which, after statement of the status of the
question as understood by them, the recon-
mendation was made that without snr-
rendering its provision and control the
questions at issue should be submitted to
arbitration. The Seminary directors re-
port on the conference was then presented.
1t dwelt upon the Conference Committees
of the parity of the
parties to the agreement by which veto
power over seminary appointments was
granted to the Assembly in 1870. It was
also shown that the transfer of DR.. Briggs
to the chair of Biblical Theology was not an
election according to legal requirements.
Briggs Was Appointed, Not Elected.
In the matter of elections the directors
said:
The board respectfully reports to the AS
sembly that we can but regard ourselves as
bound by our Interpretation of the
agreement and must discharge our duties as
directors accordingly. In 1870 this board
one thing, and only one, to the
General Assembly; the right to disapprove
the election or appointments of professor.
II DR.. Briggs had been appointed to the
chair Of biblical theology, disapproval Of
the Assembly would have been decisive
with us. But a professor can be elected in
this institution only in accordance with our
avs. And according to those laws, DR..
Briggs was not elected.
A memorial from the Secretary was also
presented in which it was claimed the
at Detroit last year transcended
It's power under the agreement in such a
way as to infiict serious wrong upon the
Seminary. The veto of DR.. Briggs was the
first test applied TO the agreement And it