The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-15

ing principles of the Presbyterian Church,
ard even fundamental doctrines of evan
getical Christendom are denied. Against
such teachings of said volume the presby-
terry deems 1t duty to bear testimony to
disavow ali completely with them and to
condemn them as false and subversiye of
the Christian faith.
The presbytery judges it fitting at this
time TO exhort earnestly and affectionately
the people of its charge to guard against
being led away by divers and strange doc
trines, to stand for the faith of the gospel
and to comfort themselves In the trust
worthy and blessed assurance that the
word Of the Lord endureth forever.
AS the said volume by DR.. McGiffert is
Migrant and omlnous scandal; as 1t treats
with open contempt the obligations by
winch the author and all other Presby-
teran ministers have bound themselves; as
1t Is the most daring and thoroughgoing
attack on the New Testament that has ever
been made by an accredited teacher of the
Presbyterian Church in America as it has
already attained signal notoriety through
out the entire English-speaking world. and
as II threatens the highest interests of the
church at large, the Presbytery of Pitts
burg, mindful that the church of the living
God is the pillar and ground of the truth,
humbly petitions the General Assembly of
this year to take into solemn consideration
the grave crisis which the publication of
the said volume has created, and in it's
wisdom, to adopt such measures as shall be
conducive to the church's purity. peace and
honor, and to the maintenance of the au-
thorfty of the words of God, which have
been committed to the church's trust
The memorial was adopted with bare
half dozen votes against it.
HOME MISSIONS.
For number of years the Board of Home
Missions has been under a heavy fire of
criticism. Three years ago the feeling was
so strong against 1t because of the debt,
which then amounted to more than 100000.
that a commissioner from the New York
Preshytery actually suggested that change
should be made in the board of trustees.
His argument in brief was that, owing to
the well-known liberal views of several
members of the board, the Presbyterians
who held the views officially expressed by
the General Assembly would not support
the board hence the debt. His suggestion
was not favorably received, although the
Assembly at the two previous sessions had
suspended clergymen from the ministry for
holding and teaching liberal views regarding
toga the debt was reported as being $685.
and committee was appointed to examine
the methods employed by the board. The
following were the recommendations of the
committee adopted last year:
''Ffrst-That the Board of Home Missions
be directed so to reorganize It's methods
of administration that the executive work
with whatever assistants may be necessary,
and that he be accountable to the board
for it's faithful and efficient management.
''Second-That the board be directed to
make at the beginning of each fiscal year
an estimate of the probable income for the
ensuing year by taking the average amount
received from legacieS, church offerings and
all other sources for period of preceding
years, and that the sum thus obtained shall
be considered the available amount for the
work of the board during the ensuing year.
"Third-That the policy of the board shall
be TO avoid debt. Where debt has been I'M
avoidably incurred then allowance shall be
mad 10 fnsr hn ma
as possible during the ensuing year out of
the estimated receipts.
''Fourth--That the proposed consolidation
Of the treasureships in the cities of New
York and Philadelphia is inexpedient.
'.Fifth-That this committee shall be en-
1arged by the addition of four new MEM
bers and continued with instructions to con-
slider the best methods of promoting har-
mony and cooperation between the Board
of Home Missions and presbyteries and
synods desiring to support and control their
own work and to report upon the subject
to the next General Assembly,.
The first recommendation has been car
ried into effect by the election of Dr.
Charles L. Thompson, of New York, to sue
coed DR.. William c. Roberts and DR.. Dun
can J. Mcmillan the former corresponding
secretaries. DR.. Thompson was born in
Cooperstown, Pa, on Aug. Is, 1889. His
family went West when he was child.
He was graduated at Carroll College in 1858,
logical Seminary, and one at the North
western (now Mccormick, being graduated
therein 1861. It was a young home missionary
who found him in Portage City. Wis. and
led him into the ministry. His first charge
was a Home Mission Church at Juneau,
Wis. He has had pastorates in cities in
four Western States, at GAINESVILLE, Wis;
Cincinnati, o.; Chicago, ILL.,, and Kansas
City Mo-. and with all of them he has been
in close touch with home mission work in
the various States.
In 1883 Dr. Thompson was the moderator
of the centennial General Assembly, held
in Philadelphia, and was called to the Mad
ison-avenue Presbyterian Church in the
summer of that year. He is popular as
speaker, fairly conversant with home mis-
sion work, both on the frontiers and in
the great cities. For nearly ten years he
has been a member of the board. AS chair
man Of the committee on application all of
the home mission appropriations have
passed through his hands. He prepared the
overture on the relations of synodical sus-
tentation to the home board, which was the
cause of the present General Assembly's
committee on that subject. He was the
chairman Of the Assembly's committee on
cooperation in mission work and the chair
missions, and also the president of Open
Institutional Church League, his own
church having done much to solve the ques-
ton Of institutional church in this land.
The following committee of fifteen on
Synodical home missions was announced by
the moderator: Ministers-John L. With
row, Illinois: John Dixon, New Jersey; w.
p Kane, Illinois; John S. Mcintosh Penn
sylvania; Samuel J. Niccolls, Missouri; j.
McClucky Blayney. Kentucky; r. M Hayes.
Oregon; John Medicines, New York; D. S.
Taopan, Ohio: William H. Logan, Balti-
more; George L. Spinning, board of home
missions. Ruling elders-James A. Mount
Indiana; Charles e. Vanderburgh, Mime
sofa; Victor H. Lane, Michigan; John B.
Minis, Tennessee. with the stated clerk,
under the rule of the Assembly as secre-
tary of the committee. Later DIR. John r.
Davies, of New York, was substituted for
one of the members who was unable O
serve. The report of this committee, it is
expected, will do much to restore perfect
confidence between the board and it's con-
stituents.
CANDIDATES FOR MODERATOR.
DIR. Jackson, the retiring moderator, has
mad busy year, having been to Alaska to
inspect the needs of the people for the
government, and then to Lapland to buy
reindeer to supply those needs Most mod
ersttors are guests at all the public dinners
and large meetings held by the denomina-
lion during the year that they hold office