The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
GENERAL CHURCH NEWS.
Rev. DIR. Mcmillan, of the Presbyteri-
an Home Mission Board. Resigns.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK, Jan. 1.-The resignation of
the Rev DIR. Duncan ]. Mcmillan, CORE
spending secretary of the Presbyterian
Board of Home Missions rendered and ac-
cepted four weeks ago. has just been made
public. The cause of the resignation was
the action of the last General Assembly in
directing the work to be done in future by
one secretary instead of two, and the cause
of that direction was, as is generally be-
lieved an effort to cripple the home board
and to exalt a certain plan of mission work
known as the Indiana PLAN" and favored
by the Chicago leaders in the General AS
sembly. notably ex-Moderator Withrow, of
Chicago, and DIR. Kane, of Bloomington, Ill.
There is some personal feeling entering into
the action, but it is not directed against DR..
Mcmillan. DR.. Mcmillan is the man who
founded the first gentle mission in Utah,
and he was one of the pioneer fighters in
that Territory in favor of the anti-polygamy
law. Educational work started by him has
developed into series of academies and
surrounding missions In the different val
leys. All these are now to be rounded out
by the Sheldon jackson College at Salt Lake
City, 10 which the present moderator of the
General Assembly gave $50,01O and a citizen
or salt Lake has just given a site worth
$4,000 more. DR.. Mcmillan was for ten years
president of the College of Montana located
at Deer Lodge He founded this college
and, before leaving it to come to New York
eight years ago, secured buildings costing
$lz5, 00O. He has been in the service of the
home board for twenty-seven years
The board. at its December meeting, last
Friday, passed complimentary resolutions
and requested DR.. Mcmillan to serve until
March l. There are those who declare that
the reduction in the number of secretaries
Will not result in any material saving, and
others who say that that is not its purpose.
A man Well informed in Presbyterian af-
fairs said, to-day: This is another step in
the controversy that has been going on for
some time between the friends of a certain
plan OF mission work known as the Indiana
plan, and the national plan, as conducted
by the general board There is, unfortunate
ly. some personal feeling In the case; more,
indeed, than there ought to be. Receipts by
the Home Board nave Kept up remarkably
well, and have only showed a falling off
since October last, while the whole church
was wondering what the board intended TO
do with the instructions of the General AS
sembly. The board, while / have inside
knowledge, intends, / am sure to carry out
the directions of the assembly in good faith.
Leaders of this whole matter are in the
West They are the same who named a
committee TO investigate the Home Board,
and who, much to the surprise of the East
ern delegates. captured the General Assem-
bly, for Wnona again next year The West
is having its inning"
Nothing is yet known about DR.. McMil-
lan's plans after March l, but it is supposed
that he will so back to Utah, where his
most successful work has been done. The
board has not yet taken action on the re-
manning secretary, the Rev. DR.. W. c. Rob
erts, who has not resigned, but those who
know think there will be chosen new man
for the one secretary who is hereafter to
do the entire work.
An appeal has just been sent to all Ro-
man Catholics of America in behalf of the
Confraternity of our Lady of Compassion.
This is the new organization, with its head
quarters in St. Supice, Paris. pledged to
pray fer the conversion of England to the
Roman Catholic faith. The promoter of
the movement is Cardinal Vaughan, Arch
bishop Of Westminster. If he has his wish
affiliating confraternities will be formed in
this country. Cardinal Vaughan believes
that duty rests upon American Roman
Catholics that does not rest even upon
ETance-to pray for the conversion OF those
who speak the same language, have much
common history, and more or less closely
related by blood. Archbishop Vaughan has
just issued long address to the English
speaking race, not alone in England, but in
Australia. America and throughout the
world. In il he speaks with marked liber-
atty OF the progress of England under
Professionalism, but says Ii would have been
far greater had England remained true to
the papal see. This whole movement is
what ProteSsants call proselyting-getting
if possible, one such TO change 10 another.
Asked the question whether he approved
OF PROSECUTING. but without particular refer
ence 10 this praying for the conversion of
England Archbishop Corrigan, of New
York. said that he most emphatically did
approve or trying 10 convert Pr0reStantS to
Roman Catholicism. and mentioned the fact
that he is president of the American
Catholic Missionary Society. orzanized
along the lines of the Presbyterian Bap-
fist and other Protestant boards of similar
names. and having for its specific purpose
the holding OF missions to non-CathocS.
A great difference between the home and
foreign mission boards OF the Presbyterian
Church and the Publication Society of the
same church is that while the two former
are always IN debt. the latter - among the
most forshanded of all church boards in
the country Profits from the latter go TO
certain church purposes, but over and above
them il has built Sit Walnut and Juniper
streets. Philadelphia, magnificent building
10 serve az its home. The cost of this
splendid edtfce is about $4,000 IL is to De
known the Witherspoon building md its
formal occupation began to-day. 1t is said
to be the most complete building ever
erected for the administrative purposes of
religious corporation Ii towers majesti-
cally over hundreds of other buildings de-
voted 10 secular affairs. and to ii Presbyte-
rams point as place where the business of
God is being transacted. From It's beautiful
gray walls look down the statues of ten
great prophets of the Bible. and for decora-
lions are employed the faces and figures OF