The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-22
The Synod of New Jersey
Wrestles With the Prob
lem and Effects a
Compromise.
FROM DEBATE TO PRAYER
After T~ransacting Much Important
Business the Convention Adj
journs to Meet in Paterson.

y ~
of New Jersey completed the docket yes
terday afternoon at four o'clock and adj
journed to meet next year in Paterson.
The session was a harmonious one from
start to finish While there were some
animated discussions, yet there were no
differences of doctrine even in the back
ground to cause any discussions. The
showing of synodical home missions,
the pet scheme of Synod, was excellent,
not a voice having been raised against it.
There were three notable addresses on be-
half of the boards-one by the elder of
Burlington, who presented the work Of
the Board of Education; another by Rev.
Howard A. johnson. ID. D., who spoke
for the Board of Aid for Colleges, and the
third by Rev. b. L. Agnew, D. D., the
new secretary of the Board of Minister
ial Relief. The report of the Temperance
Committee created quite a Juror and oc-
cupied some two hours of Synod's time,
but at the close was settled well unani-
mously.
The popular meeting on Wednesday
evening was devoted to systematic bene-
fcenee. The report OF the chairman,
Rev. Thomas s. Long, was presented.
Addresses were delivered by Revs. Hugh
B. MacCaulay and Nelson B. Hollirield,
D. D.
On Thursday morning Synod esumed
it's business at nine o'clock. 1t was voted
to hereafter audit the accounts of the
treasurer of synodical home missions
quarterly.
A resolution was passed commenting
the work of the American Bible Society
to the churches of Synod.
The next meeting of Synod will be In
Paterson, an invitation having been eA-
tended by Rev. j. B. Galloway OF that
city.
If this plan is carried out, for the sixth
time the Synod will follow the State
Christian Endeavor Convention.
The order of meeting places, commence
| ing in 1893, has been as follows: Bridge
ton, Trenton, New Brunswick, Atlantic
City, Plainfield, and, next year, Paterson.
Rev. Allen H. Brown presented the
matter of the proposed monument in COM
memoration of events and men connected
| with the early history of the Presbyterian
| Church in New Jersey. A plan was pre-
scented for the same. The Synod adopt
ed the report, and furthermore ~intrusted
to Mr.. Brown the work of raising the me-
cessary funds. No steps will be taken
in the way OF the erection Of the monu-
ment until all the money had been raised.
Rev. Hugh b. MacCaulay presented
the report of the committee upon young
; peoples societies. Reference was made
movement. He did not believe that a
1 mere change of name would meet the
difficulty. The report also called atten-
| ton to the new arrangement of the
| Board. whereby the young peoples socie-
ties have been assigned to the womans
board.
There are $50 Y. 2. s. C.. =. societies,
with LOCO active members; 164 junior So
~eieties, with 3,S41 members; the total num-
Der of young peoples societies, $50, with
a membership of loo,S0S, total glfts Tor
| all benevolent causes, $15,S50; $l2,39S Of his
amount found its way to the boards OF
the church.
Two resolutions were presented and
| adopted. One commended the young peo-.
pie for their gifts to synodical home mis-
sions at Thanksgiving; the others called
upon the young people to do this year
their very best in supporting their Presby-
The young people of the Presbytery of
New. B~runswick have raised the amount
airy, Rev. c. A. Kiilie.
Rev. George Swain, DID,, presented
the report on Sabbath observance. The
lutions, among them being one calling
| upon the member of the churches of Sy-
nod to observe the law Of the Sabbath,
inasmuch as it is perpetually binding on
| all men; the second. that church members
themselves give the Sabbath a Biblical
observance. The resolutions were
adopted.
While the resolutions were pending Rev.
George s. Mott, DID, addressed Synod on
the subject. He is President of the
American Sabbath Union. The address
was a most interesting one. Among other
things the speaker commended the work
of the Woman's Auxiliary of the Sabbath
Alliance. He believed we should use the
labor union sentiment in favor of the
day, and draw them into an effort for
better Sabbath observance.
A question was asked as to whether any
effort had been made to get the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad to stop Sunday traffic,
especially the many special excursions.
sure brought upon the company in favor
of such excursions, while on the other
hand there was no corresponding protest
on the part of those opposed to such ac-
ton.
Rev. Joseph G. Mason of Metuchen also
spoke on the same subject. The recon-
mendations of the committee were
adopted.
Exceptions to the records Of the Pres
bytery of West Jersey was taken up, and
Synod listened to the stated clerk, Rev.
Henry Reeves, who explained certain
emissions.
Considerable time of Synod was taken
up in settling the matter. The exceptions
were, finally, sustained, almost unani-
mouSly.
The resolutions of the committee or
systematic beneiicence were taken up and
" ~ iAC 1He
The chairman spoke of the excellent work
of the Rev. w. P. Finney, of the Presby-
terry Of Monmouth. in this department.
The last resolution, with reference 10
the adoption of the Redstone plan of be-
neyolence, was laid on the table, because
it was deemed more desirable for Presby-
teriaris to act on the matter for them
selves.
AT l.30 O'Clock the docket was cleared
for the taking up of the temperance COM
I~nittee's report again. Since the previous
a ffarnnap thic matter had baan 6ica1tcca1
| pretty generally. All seemed to desire to
| go carefully in the action. upon it. There
| was a general demand that the Synod
should take some decided action, although
the resolution of the committee was
| deemed too radical. While at the first the
chairman refused to WELD a point, yet
later he was constrained to call his COM
mittee for a meeting, when a substitute
was prepared, in which the objections TO
the first resolution were eliminated.
The chairman, after reading his substi-
tute, said that the committee had had no
intention of dealing harshly with the
P~resbytery Of New Brunswick. he felt
the matter a most important one, and the
committee had not changed their opinions
in the matter in the least.
Rev. ]. 3. Galloway made a stirring
| speech in favor of the substitute. The de-
liverances of the General Assembly in
1871 and 1877 were quoted in support of
his position.
that the question was one of law. He
held that a superior court had a right un-
der certain conditions to instruct a lower
court as 10 what to do, as, for example.
when they have been negligent in the
| performance of their duty. But this was