The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-21
PRESBYTERIANS CONVENE
TITS MoyTH At HARRINGTON, MACON,
AND OTHER PLACE.

-Importnuce OF the Questions 60 Re Dis
cus.ed mt This Years Cenvent'ena.
Most Of the one and q half million Presby
tcrians In tho United States are represented
ct ono or the other Of the Conventions o
that Church now being hold. Presbyterian
IN Ep;to Of their stern doctrines. enjoy tho
smiles OF nature when spring has really ar
rived In this land. and they plan their an
nual general assemblies for that season
The assemblies are generally held In
q considerable city or at a fashiona.
bio watering place. Tho most Important oil
Theses bodies meet this year. respectively at
Washington and at Macon. Ga. These are the
Genorn! Assembly Of the Presbyterian Church
In tho United States OF America and the
General Assembly OF the Presbyterian
Church In tho United States. To tho ordi-
nary layman not OF Presbyterian bring
ing up those two titles have scarcely q no.
ticeable difference. but they mark an impor-
tsnt distinction. No church north OF Mason
and Dlxon's line belongs to tho Presbyterian
Church In tho United States. while no
church south OF that line. save some In
Maryland. Delaware West Virginia. Kentucky.
and Missouri. and n few colored congregations
In various parts Of the South. belongs to the
Presbyterian Church in the Unitel States OF
America. The only other Presbyterian body
that approaches the Southern Church In num-
srical strength la the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church. with rather more than 175. y NOM
bers. This Is for the most part n Southern
body. and with the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church tColored) II Is almost exactly equal In
numerical strength to the Presbyterian
Church in the United States The Pres
byterian body next in strength is the
United Presbyterian Church. with a mem
horship OF about 10O.0Oo. scattered over
twenty-eight States and Territories. In
point Of wealth 1t Is next to the Southern
Church. After that como the Reformed Pros
byterian Church. with between 10000 and
$4,000 members: tho Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church. with about 10000
members: the reformed Presbyterian Church
General, Synod. with about 5000 men,
bers: tho Associate Presbyterian Church Ia
North America. with about 1000: tho Re-
formed Presbyt erlnn Church In tho United
States and Cauada. with ono congregation OF
less than 900 members. and the Reformed
Presbyterian Church Covennnted. with fewer
than lCO members.
Tho Northern Church. or tho PRESBYTERIAN
Church in the United States OF America.
greatly exceeds all other Presbyterian bodies
combined. in wealth, and membership 1t has
considerably over 100000 members, AMI
though weak in the South. maintains
church organizations in every State ind Ter
ritory save perhaps Mississippi. Its church
property Is valued at about SSO. COO. 900, !
nearly Ave times the value OF tho property |
owned by all the others combined. Tho meet
ing OF the General Assembly OF this great
body. on the 18th of May. interests all Presby-
terlans in the United States. not only because
Of tn" overwl Ginning wealth and strength Of
this Chuic',. but because Of the IMPORTANT Is
sues that t seems the General Assembly Of
The General Assembly OF 1870, submitted to
posing a revision OF the Confession Of Faith.
IhS on r. ttei th,t Az ,rsrnrsd The ove,tures
e cSsi n Would = IG'':' rI pair i !" any o1 way aye he heG intesa
rity OF the reformed or Caivinisiic sy,tsm OF
Doctrines tt taught tIa In the H1ntss,ion Of Faith"
What tass!osiant esii nreteritIon.S %t n"h
; ;%s,.: oshs +. sn%; isksn ,osssnss: ss9s,G
The advocates Of change wish 10 remove from
the creel any phrase that may seem to imply
destination in such manner that the creed
Col brings sp into tie III " WorId Su In.ee'I Ssi Inss
whom from al eternity he bias ioreordainsIto
doctrine Of pretcri,ion simply represents God
as ln The course OF election: hayina "rassed
Some OF those WHO oppose revision BELIEVE,
That the creed as # Is cannot properly be in
that il does SO teach. The conservative gem
orally. are content with the present d"cltra-
whether Of the elect or Of tho " passed assei' neer." i
important as the question Of r~evision may
final determination, otthi;s case Seemingly viii !
while Tor frcsbyterisns I" havs any ersed. /
esss:rvs St least; rhii is The view Of ths
On apessi from the rat cai:ioa SIS q The RTs e. !
s fH,' Bib Ht hS %hiIs Il, the dffa qs.GStt the !niS ssss sss Of c
Commissioner to the Assem- bly, os-
. .Hefl0 ayti hs Is't tnSsr Or t GhpDS eass 81 oi br reE s.;ss: :
Ss their selection. The Afs.mh!yi nsst :
S;ajHdics,ion, Or dodge 4; The cn.e was orig.
York. over the head 1.-THE synodp s Of Kew W y aew I
the General Assembly q ! . That body ,
trial. and when that trial resulted ii acpuittal
prosecuting committee appealed over the
1893. Should the Assembly send the cSs =,
down to tho Synod. there would result only d
General Assembly. SO whateve the 'oio"iisi 2olna II
re n synod, ono side Or the other wouli appeal: Il
s%sining time. possibly wi,h' VI" " Vow Vow to a
SSuach ISllo ram ana ei Iss s in.,rud sGay Of rh TIC !,
likely to he iniaEioYs 70 the Church; may sssS
sision OF the case may bring about n schlsIn. s
Should SUCH schisni occur. tlero is no Fresby. 9
terian body to which. the liberals. II. friends I
ID. Briggs. could ally themselves. since no
.hown any disposition to cduntspance the !
ienial Of serlptural inerrancy. X.schistn over 5
he question Of revision, would leave the
night possibly result In tIeir union q
gith the Cumberland Presbyterihns. since t
he latter profess to have eliminated c
rom their creed everything that might be +
aiken as implying the damnntion OF unbap- .
lied infants. There Is no other considerable !
'ody Of Presbyterians to which a proGressive
action could go should there be- u sehism asa a
Ind fellowship In main matters. however, In Q
Ainost any branch OF the Presbyterian Church. =.
l9dy OF C,aiyinists by some fantastic tenet. y
Fhe creed Of the Presbyterian Church South y
Northern Church. aud the mass OF Southern Q
,resbyieri AIS are nearer to the conservatives o
the Northern Church than TO the liberals Il
The last great schism OF tho Presbyterian "
,hurch occurred ut tho outbreak OF the civil L
when about one-f0urth OF the whole body u
,eeume the PRESBYTERIAN Church in the Con- VI