New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-27
THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLIES.

The desire Of the Presbyterian General AS
sembly to have the theological semlnares of the
Church under It's control is entirely proper from
its point Of view The General Assembly or
what amounts to the same thing, n majority OF
its members hold that the theological and dog
matte dellyerances Of the Presbyterian Church
are n dlvlnely true revelation from heaven III
the Church is willing to accept this view of the
NATTER 1t Is obvious that 1t ought to put the
training of It's clergy under the superinend-
cncc of the General Assembly, which Is the
official aud authoritative voice Of the Church.
Nothing less will satisfy the requirements OF the
case man who is set to teach divine ruin
10 divinity students, who VIII themselves teach
divine truth one day, ought to be made respoh-
sbc to that body which alone has the rlght
TO guard and interpret the deposit OF divine
truth. ANY other arrangement must lead 10 dc-
plorable results For instance, 1t Is, we pre-
sumo. the teaching Of the Church that Moses
wrote the Pentateuch. Now, this belief in the
Mosaic authorship of the Pcntatcuch docs not
dencnd upon any facts in regard TO the qucS-
tion that have recently been discovered or may
no discovered. For II rests upon tradition and
the vote Of the General Assembly. But II the
theological semnaries Of the Church are 10 DE
independent of the authority OF the General
Assembly. what IS there to prevent It's pro-
fcssors from teaching the later facts that throw
light on the authorship Of the Pentateuch, ana
thus making shipwreck OF the falth OF the
Young men? It is idle for the liberals 10 say
that the dogmas Of the Church ought 10 square
with the facts-that Is, with the recently us
covered facts For If theology Is divine de-
posit Of dogmas once for all revealed any mod
crn investigation and revision OF 1t Is an ACT OF
high-handed rebellion against COO. by al
means let the Church assume the control OF us
Summaries 1t is the only way to insure inc
orthodoxy Of its ministers.
While the Northern General Assembly Is ne
rocally tramplng under foot the viper OF I'M
deity, we note with surprise that the southern
General Assembly appears to nave soH"WhaI
recedcd from It's conservative attitude. IL mas
lust decided the Sadie Means case III favor Oh
Sadie This young woman, who Is deVou'
Presbyterian was employed by telephone
company Of Columbia, S. C. Her duties re-
ouIrcd her 10 work occasionally on sunday
The church Of which she WAS member ASKED
her TO stop working on Sunday, ana on her IT,
fusinc 10 do so expelled her. She appealed 10
thc Prcsbytcry. which sustained tho decision OF
the church She then appealed to the SYNOD
which reversed the decision Of the fresDytery
Then the Sabbatarans appealed to the General
Assembly, now meeting in Nashville Tehh,
and it has decided the case in favor OF sadie
who will now have TO be restored TO full mem
bership in her church, in spite of the fact that
she engages In n gainful occupation on the SAD
bath. In the North, where multitudes OF SIN
ccre Christians are compelled to work on sun
day. with the virtual If not formal, sanction
Of the Churches. such a question could hardly
como up. But In the South religious people
generally observe Sunday with rigorous strict
ness: and the decision Of the General Assembly
in the Sadie Means case will doubtless seem TO
many Of them TO be in violent opposition to the
Divine law of the Sabbath. Whatever may be
said on that point, there Is no doubt that the
decision will do much to weaken religious con
scrvatsm in the South.