The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-18
RELIGIOUS CONGRESS-.
-Four National Assemblies Of PreSby.
terianS and MethOdiStS.
Reformed Episcopalians in Church.
The Unitarians Will Deliberate at
the Same Tina in Harmony With
the Others.
Copyright, 1894.l

New York, March 17-Rarely do mat
tiers purely religious assume the interde-
nominational Importance of the present
preparations for the coming congresses of
the four great denominations, namely:
the Presbyterian General Assembly, the
general council of the Reformed Episco-
pal church, the Methodist General Coun-
Gil, and the representative. conference of
the American Unitarian Association.
The members of these great religious
bodies are now deciding upon the mem
bership of the coming Assem- blages, which,
for the first time in many years, will
represent practically simultaneous COM
ing together of divided flocks in the same
general spirit.
The Presbyterian General Assembly,
which is being chosen now, although It's
sessions do not open until some weeks
have elapsed, and the converting place of
which is Saratoga Springs, seems TO be
attracting more attention than any of the
others. 1t may be necessary to explain
here that the question of revision Of the
confession of faith still forms the dividing
issue, for the case of Prof. Briggs is now
looked upon as back number, he being
himself in the position of suspended
ululSUtE ever Sllltt bl6 IOEiuNl action
which proclaimed that he held "erroneous
teachings, views and doctrines" which
strike at the vitals Of religion" In the
matter of revision it seems likely that
the Philadelphia contingent of com
missioners, seconded by such emf
nent churchman as DR.. Charles A.
Dickey, Rev. w. II. Roberts, and particu-
larly Rev. Henry c. McCook, will en-
deavor to secure action somewhat similar
70 f1,aT Of q 1acf 10 r,,F+
ination, when practically nothing was
done in the way of that drastic revision.
which the radicals had been striving for
The Philadelphlans seem to wish more ac-
tiviJy in the way of spreading the faith
than in revising it. The western Presley
terians are more for change, as seems in
Dictated by the choices of commissioners
so far reported. DR.. Robert =. Harris. of
/ St. Louis. is considered high authority
on the ecclesiastical aspect of overtures.
but he is declared 10 be neutral on the
majority of them, where he is not op-
posed. The southern men will be very
strong in the assembly, which is WHY tits
believed that the foreign missions will
take precedence of the postponed cues
ton Of revision. DIR. ): ii. Chester, with
DIR. j. N Craig, Of Atlanta, DR. j. K.
Hazen, of Richmond, and DIR. e. NJ. Rich
ardson, of Richmond, will have more in
t1uence, individually, with the commits
SiOners than any other southern quaP-
tette, probably, and as they have given
their attention more to educational and
| mission matters than to revision, it is
inferred that the hundred and more com
missioners will not be disposed TO act rad
ically on the confession of faith The
session is expected to be prolonged to an
unusual length.
During the deliberations of the Presby-
terians, there will assemble at Chicapo
the general council Of the Reformed F,pis-
copal church, a denomination which has
attained phenomenal proportions numer-
ically since the converting of the first
council, fourteen years ago, Bishop
William Il. Nicholson, of the Philadel-
phia and New York synods, will be the
dominant personality, and the representa-
tives of the denomination will consider
principally the subject of church extern
sion. The trustees Of the theological
seminaries will be able to present an un-
usually favorable report this year. and
Bishop Charles Edward Cheney, Of Chi
cago, is understood 70 have a plan for an
extension OF mission work throughout
the country. The trouble with reformed
Eplscopalians has been lack Of funds
heretofore, but in view of the rapid ad-
vance in numbers, that embarrassment
has been to great extent removed
The Philadelphia seminary has
EIoWu 70 udLlOudl emlnenCe since
the choice of the Rev John Mcdowell
Leavitt as dean, and the men who have
won eminence in the faculty include Prof.
Max Muller, who is no relation TO The
German philologisJ and philosopher Rev.
j. Howard Smith and Rev II. $. Hof-
man. Philadelphia is the place which
will make the best showing at Chicago.
perhaps, but tho south, with Bishops 2.
+. stevens, Of South Carolina. and james
A. Latane, will have considerable rep
SentatiOn
Efforts will be made to collate the his
tory of the movement, for even to-day
there is much misunderstanding as to the