Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-10-19
What Constitutes a snyodica
Nicotine.

t What Constitutes a snyodical
Meeting.
Not many decades have passed
since it was the popular idea that
the young Presbyterian was
brought up on adaily diet of cate
chism, eternal DEGREES and predes-
tlnation, and that they we're sooth-
ed toslumberb by Psalm CXIX, &C.
: co1ding to Rouse's version, being
sung to the tunes "Ortonville," or
"Mear."
However near the truth this
may be, the average Presbyterian
in Missouri Valley, after being
confronted by thequestion "What
constitutes at synodical meeting ?"
at least score or more times, has
decided however familiar he may
be with Calvin's institute, or
points of doctrine, he is woefuIlv
Ignorant of the form of govern
ment of the Presbyterian church.
Books of Discipline have been
called from the hiding places
where they have reposed undis-
turbed for many years.
Upon consulting Book I, we
find that the General Assembly,
which met for the first time in
the United States in the year 1889,
was unanimously of the opinion
"That God alone is Lord of the
conscience and has left it free
from the doctrines and command
ments of men, but deeming it alb
solutely necessary that the govern
ment of the church be exercised
under some definite form. II is
expedient and agreeable to
Scripture and the practice of the
primative Christians that the
church be governed by four kinds
of judicatories.
These judicatories consist of
the church session, Presbytery,
lSynod, and General Assembly;
the power of these assemblies is
wholly moral or spiritual.
The General Assembly, is the
highest judicatory of the church,
it meets once year; to it belongs
the power of deciding in all con-
troversies respecting doctrine and
discipline, and of experimenting
the affairs of the whole church.
Synodis the assembly second
in jurisdiction, aud as the Pres
bytery consists of all ministers
and an over ruling elder from
each congregation within GER
tain district the Synod is con-
vention of ministers and elders,
who are representatives from the
Presbyteries within its district.
The Synod has power to receive
and issue all appeals brought
from the -Presbyteries, to review
the records from the Presbyteries,
and approve or censure them; to
erect new Presbyteries or divide
those before erected. Synod shall
convene at leastonce in each year.
The United States is divided
into twenty-nine Synods or dis
tricts.
Iowa forms one Synod and is
divided into ten Presbyteries.
The ratio of representation
from the Presbyteries varies in
the several synods. Each Pres
bytery in Iowa is entitled to be
represented in Synod by one
fourth of all its ministers and an
equal number of elders. The
number of delegates under this
appointment this year is about
one hundred and sixty. Beside
these there will be leading repre-
{ sentatives from all the boards OF
} the great Presbyterian church.
In connection with this, each
Synod has its Woman's Synodical
Missionary society, which is com
posed of the officers of the society
and all the officers of the Presby-
terial Missionary societies of the
state. The, Executive committee
of this society marks out the work
for the Presby terial societies. All
auxiliary societies in Iowa are en-
titled to one representative in this
meeting. The member in attend
ance this year will probably be
! seventy;,tsys. {.
: Therefore, the body which hon