The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-14
BRIGGS CASE AGAIN.
General Presbyterian Assembly
Meets Next Thursday.
NEW CONFESSION OF FAITH.
Infant Salvation and the Doctrine OF
Election to BE Balloted "a by Repre-
septstives Of the Presbyteries-

WasHsSGroS CRY. May Special
Correspondence. Two great ecclesiastical
bodies. representing considerably over
,.ooo,0lo COMMITMENTS OF the rresbyte-
Ran church IN this country, Will meet on
May Is.
The general assembly o! the Presoy;e-
rian church in the Ua,led States of Amer
lea will meet in the New York Avenue
Presbyterian church. Washington City,
and the general assembly OF the Presby-
terrain church in tine United States will
meet in the First Presbyterian church,
Macon, Ga.
Tie two bodies thus distinguished by
slight difference of title that seems TO leave
each claiming 10 be the sole general repre-
sentative body of the Presbyterian church
in this republic. really represent the two
great branches of ina; church. whose divis-
ion as yet is geographical rather than
doctrinal. They are the Northern and
Southern assemblies of the Presbyterian
church. and the existence Of two such
bodies Is a silent memorial of the civil!
conflict raging in this country from 1851
to 1865
The two assemblies will include COM
, missioners from every state and territory
in the union. The line OF division between
the two jurisdictions is as near as may be
the famous Mason and Dixon's line Of
history, though churches in some of the
border states Immediately below the line
are represented in the Northern assembly,
as are some negro churches in the far
South. The Presbyterian church of the
North numbers little less than $40 900
communicates. distributed among about
7,1oo churches, under the care of 6.a66
| ministers. The territory included with
in the church is divided into 10 presby-
teries. including wha: may be styled tho
missionary presbytery OF Rio de Janiero,
Brazil
The Presbyterian church South num-
bers nearly 100000 commandments seat
tered over the whole territory from Viz
gina to Texas. This territory is divided
into - presbyteries. 1t numbers o.5.2
churches. $50 ministers and 1850 elders.
The Southern church contributes to.
ecclesiastical purposes about 100000
per year. 1t is a growing body pc
culiarly strong in those parts Of the
South settled by Scotch and Scotch-Irish
immigrants. 1t rejoices in the fact that
Francis Mackenzie. the reputed founder Of
Presbyterianism iii the United States. es-
tablished his earliest churches. now more
than 200 years ago, uron the eastern shore
of Maryland and Virginia, and died a
slave holder in Accomack county OH the
eastern shore. 1t is noteworthy. however.
that the group Of churches established by
Mackenzie now belong to the Northern
assembly.
The two great Presbyterian bodies
always convene upon the same day. and
exchange Geographic expressions of
brotheriy good will. They have joint
standing committee on union. and at one
time or another strenuous efforts have
been made to bring the two bodies to-
gether. 1t is unlikely that the question
of union will attract much attention
I'm either assembly this year, and it is pos
sble that the action of the Northern as
sembly upon the two important questions
coming before it may create such doc
trinai disagreement between the two
bodies as shall leave them further than
ever asUnder.
The Southern church is a much more
conservative body of Christians than the
Northern, and as yet is not seriously dis
turbed by doctrinal questions that are
even now pressing for solution at the
hands OF the latter. 1t thus happens that
the assembly of the Northern church Is
exciting more interest than that of the
questions coming before the Northern
body.
The 10Sth assembly of the general as
sembly OF the Presbyterian church in the
United States of America will probably hc
called uron TO promuiga,e an amended
Confession OF Faith, as the Presbyterian
creed is called. TO pass final judgment upon
the charge of heresy brought against the
Rev. Charles A, Briggs. u. d.. of Union
Theological seminary, ana 10 make final
decision as 10 the future official relation of
THAT seminary 20 the church.
The general assembly of $50, submitted
to the 30 presbyteries for their decision
twenty-eight overtares for a revision OF the
creed. and the presbyteries have for some
time past been declaring uron those over
lures. and choosing to the general Assem-.
bly, commissioners whose duty 1t shall he
TO aid in shaping the revision. The es-
sentias of the suggested revision lie in
the proposed utterances upon inian. saliva
ton. and the condition of the non-eiect.
! Those who favor revision wish 10 have in
serted IN the Confession of Faith such clear
declaration ~ shall make no longer posi-
be the charge that the Presbyterian
church believes that unhaptized infants
dying incur eternal aamnation. The en-
emies oi revision. however. hod that the
| creed as II nov exists, gives no color to
this charge. and perhaps no Presbyterian
North or South. believes thai the three
span-iang unchristened BARNS" of
Burns' Tam 0'stanter," inhabited the
realms Of Satan. The proposed article of
revision declares on this point: Infants
dying IN infancy, and all other persons
no! gritty of actual transgression, are in
uded IN the election of grace. AMI are re-
generated and saved by CHRIST through
the Spirit who worketa when and where
AND now he pleaseth.
The over;ures of revision propose. while
clearly declaring the doctrines OF foreordi-
nation and election 10 omit from the
creed the Affirmative declaration as TO
wha: Is called "preter.tioB," that is. the
Ia/g/Sly