The morning news., 1894-11-22
THE SYNOD OF GEORGIA.
PTeSbyterialS in Attendance From All
Parts Of the State.


ministers who had arrived in the city be-
gan to gather at the church shortly be-
fore o'clock, and at that hour about
fifty of them had assembled. The session
was well attended by the members of the
church, and others who are interested in
its work.
The small attendance of ministers and
delegates was due to the fact that this
was the opening session, at which moth
ing but preliminary business is done
and the others who expect to attend will
arrive this morning
Col. j. \. Billups, the moderator at the
last session, and Rev. E. II. Barnett, D.
D, Of Atlanta, occupied seats in the pull
pit. The services began with the siging of
the long meter doxology, and after a
prayer the hymn Bless, My Soul, the
Living God" DR.. Barnett who was re-
quested to preach the opening sermon by
the moderator, read the seventy-third
psalm, after which the choir sang Gloria
Patri.
DR.. Vass stated that the ruling elder
( Col. J. A. Billups, was moderator Of the
synod, but that the rules required that
the synod should be opened with a sermon,
and DR.. Barnett had been requested to
preach this sermon. After. the sermon he
said the synod would proceed with the
election of officers and permanent organi-
cation. He said that all the sessions
would be opened to the public, and invited
members of other denominations to at
tend them. A special meeting will be held
tonight he announced, with regard to
foreign missions, at which Rev. S H.
| Chester, D. D., secretary of the foreign
mission board, and others, will speak.
| DR.. Barnett took his text from the 18th
| Psalm; 1T is good to draw near to God"
| We owe much, he said, to the sufferings
/ of other people. The saying, though trite,
! is still true. The sons and daughters owe
/ much to the trials of the fathers and
| mothers, the nation is deeply indebted to
| the sufferings and hardships of it's fore
/ fathers, and the Christian owes everything
| to the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ
/ He spoke of the trials of Job and the les
/ son that the Christian could learn from it..
| He referred to the fact that the Psalm
! he had just read was written on the same
! line as was the book of Job.
He went into an explanation of what
| the Psalmist meant by drawing near to
| God We are spiritual creatures, he said.
| and our nature allies US with the spirit of
God himself The good to be sought. he
said, was not that of the passing world,
! not that temporary good of the body but
/ the good of the spiritual man. Man, he
said, is not only spiritual and religious,
| but he is also immortal. The good to be ac-
| quired therefore is not that which will
! Will V7o 4 3
| said, meant the exercise of the souls con-
! version, through the merit and blood of
| Christ. He said, in speaking of the world S
| parliament of religions, that the Christian
could stand on no platform which did
| not make redemption dependant on
| Christ. Drawing near to God, he said,
would elevate and ennoble our nature and
our thinking, and enable us to reach out
/ for that which satisfies our lives. If man
| desired any peace at all and ease of con-
! science he should draw near to God 1t
would not only calm conscience and ele-
vate thinking, he said, but would also
! solve many other problems which are
| otherwise inextricable. The good that the
| spiritual man wanted, he said, was a good
Tor all times, seasons ages and peoples, d
good obtained only by drawing near to
| God.
After the singing of the closing hymn
the moderator announced that the synod
.
/ Dr. Plunkett Rev. DR.. Barnett of At
lanta was, on motion of Rev. Mr.. Goetch-
/ ius of Rome, unanimously elected mod
. orator. on motion of DR.. Nass Rev. Rob-
ert Adams of Americus was elected read
| ing clerk.
The stated clerk, Rev. DIR. Stacy of New
nan, called the roll of the synod, including
the ministers and lay representatives of
. the churches. There are six presbyteries
/ in the state-Athens, Atlanta Augusta,
Cherokee, Macon and Savannah. The cler-
ical representatives, present We're as fol-
lows:
Presbytery of Athens-Rev. G. II. Cart
ledge, Banks county; Rev s. j. Cartledge
| Washington; Rev. r. y. Cartledge, Rev
r. r. Telford, and Rev. f. S. Allyn
/ Presbytery of Atlanta-Rev. James sta
cy, ID. D., stated clerk of the synod, New
nan; Rev. Henry Quigg, d. d, Conyers;
/ Rev. G.. b. StriCkler. d. D., Atlanta; Rev.
Z. II. Barnett d. D., Atlanta; Rev. T. P.
Cleveland, d. D., Atlanta; Rev. j. b.
Mack, D. D, synodical evangelist; Rev.
Nj. +. Duncan, Forsyth; Rev. J.. B. Davis
Atlanta; Rev. Samuel Young. Atlanta
Fresbytery of Augusta--Rev. T. NJ
Lowry financial agent Of the Presby-
terian Seminary; Rev. J. T. Plunkett, D.
d, Augusta; Rev. j. X. Smith, Augusta
Rev. D. NJ Brannen, Milledgeville.
Presbytery of Cherokee-Rev. George T.
Goetchus, Rome; Rev. j. II. Patton, Ma
/ fletJai Kew. X. +. Baird, ACworth; Rev.
f. D, McDouGall Gainesville.
Presbytery of Macon Rev Robert
Adams, Amercus; Rev. w b. Jennings
Macon; Rev. S. L. Morris, Macon
Presbytery of Savannah Rev. l.. c.
Nass u. D., savannah; Rev. r. Q. Way
Rev. E. w. Way, Rev. G. c. Carson, Rev
l.. r. Way, Rev. NJ. McGiHivray, Rev
W. S. Porter and Rev. w A. Nesbitt.
The attendance was not as large as il
was first thought IL would be, but a large
delegation was expected on the late trains
last night, and others viii arrive on this
mornings trains.
The time of the sessions OF the synod
for to-day We're fixed as follows: Morn.
ing session $3.50 until o'clock evening
session at $ o'clock. The evening session
will Doe devoted to the subject of foreign
missions, with AN address by Rev b
Chester of Nashville Tenn, assembly
clerk OF foreign missions The remainder
OF the programme. 10 include speeches bS
"a number of members Of the synod viii bf
arranged to-day by the devotional com,
mittee ana will be announced al the close
OF the morning session.
a number OF visiting clergymen. among
them br. Chester Rev. DR. w. a. Me.
IfIrU.. H. ~ fWt nrauINftrInu a.rfIrars