Evening star., 1901-05-18
GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETS
INTERESTING MEETING OF PREsBY-
TERRAIN GOVERNING BODY.
Proceedings of the Session Yesterday
at Philadelphia-Revi
Report Today.

| A dispatch from Philadelphia yesterday
| says: Although it has been for years the
| custom of the Presbyterian general assem-
| bly, to begin the real business sessions OF
| the meeting on the Friday following the
! opening day, an innovation was introduced
| this year In the form of twentieth GEN.
tury celebration in the Academy Of Music.
| Today was devoted exclusively to a proper
| observance of the occasion, and prominent
ministers and laymen from all sections of
| the country participated in the exercises
| incident to the celebration.
| prayer and praise service occupied the
great portion of the morning session. A
| feature of this ceremony a choir of 300
voices. selected from the various Presby
terian churches In Philadelphia. Addresses
| were made by Rev. Willis G. Craig, DID,
LID, of Chicago who presented a. review
of the nineteenth century, and Rev. Henry
| c. McCook, DID, Sc D., of this city,
| Progress of the Presbyterian Church in
| the Nineteenth Century"
| Rev. DR.. McCooks address was principal
| ly a history of the Presbyterian Church In
| speaking of the doctrine of predeStination
| he referred touchingly to Mrs. Mckinley.
| He stated that President Mckinley
meeting a member of the revision commit
tee remarked to the latter: so you are
going to revise your confession of faith?"
To which the committeeman replied:
I'VE are going to consider the question"
Well responded the President, ~ hope
you won't revise out of it the doctrine of
| predestination."
Let us hope said DIR. McCook, that as
| our beloved President sits by the bedside
| OF the noble woman he welded in a buckeye
| Presbyterian church this goodly doctrine
| may be a comfort to him, whatever the is
! sue, and that he may say with resignation,
| Not my will, but Thine be done"
Snpp2kpr0 hn q
| were the newly-elected moderator, Rev Dr.
| II. c. Minton; Rev. DR.. George T. Purves
| OF New York and Robert Z. Speer of New
| York city.
The address Of DR.. Purves on "The
Problems of the Twentieth Century, was
| all Intelligent presentation of the condi-
| tions now confronting the Christian church
| with practicable suggestions as to their
| solution Among other things, DIR. Purves
| said:
ANY assault the fundamental con-
ception OF mans relation to God is the
most dangerous of all the problems with
which the Christian church must deal.
| The problem lies in the relation of re-
ligion to the intellectually of man. We
! want religion that will command the ra-
| tional assent of the human mind The
| solution of this problem is the definition
and defense of the supernatural in his
tory: 1t is our function to face the doubt
| OF the twentieth century with an affrma-
| tton of the tranScendent supernatural self
! revealing God.
| The relation of the organized church to
| social progress is another problem How
| shall the organized Christian church meet
| the social requirements of the day? We
must appeal to mems hearts and con-
| science and we must save the individual
morally
| DR.. Purves said he believed this end
! could be more quickly reached by the CO.
| operation of the different branches of the
| Christian church, which, for various rea-
| sons, are now separated
| John Wanamaker occupied the chair at
| tonights session. The principal speaker
was Rev. Samuel J. Nicols. DID. LID,
| THE Opportunity and Duty of the Presby-
terian Church in the Twentieth Century,"
Rev. DR.. NJ A Brownson of this city
chairman of the twentieth century fund
| committee. read the report of the commit
| tee which told in detail the methods
| adopted to raise money for the church.
Rev. DR.. w. H. Roberts, treasurer of the
| fund. presented a supplementary report
showing receipts up to noon today
| follows: For boards of the church $780,
oSO; for colleges and academies, 1896, $40;
| for theological seminaries, S11O,7 ,767; for
| hospitals, $61 $50; for Young Mems Chris
| tian Association, Sill. .464; miscellaneous
| $4,000; for local debts on churches, 81 ,0S1-
| 654; for improvements in local churches
| and building new churches, 81 .537 913 To-
| tai. So ,:S9I ,031. This amount has been con-
| tributed by 1000 of the 1880 Presbyterian
| churches in the country.
| DR.. Roberts stated that today he had re-
| ceved Information that in ST. Louis sub
scriptions amounting to $1SO,0O0 had been
received, and had not been included in the
report. He was also informed, he said,
that one-half of the amount required to
remove the mortgage on the Presbyterian
building in New York had been raised This
was not included in his report.
Under the operation of the new rule,
known the Peoria plan" because first
suggested by the presbytery of Peoria, the
| members of the nineteen standing commit
| tees were elected today for the first time
/ hpinR qnn0infa0
| ator, as has been the custom heretofore.
| The presbyteries making up the various
| synods have been grouped into twenty-five
| election districts. In odd-numbered years
each odd-numbered district elects min
| lister to each odd-numbered committee, and
| an elder to each even-numbered committee,
| while the even-numbered districts elect
ministers to even-numbered committees
and elders to the odd-numbered commit
| tees. In the even-numbered years the or
| der is reversed, so that the representation
| by ministers and elders is evenly distrib-
uted among the districts
The report Of the committee on revision
will be laid before the commissioners to-
| morrow. though it is not expected the sub
| tect will be discussed by the assembly be-
| fore the middle of next week. Surprise
| was manifested tonight when it
| learned that a minority report will be pre-
sented. The minority report agrees in all
| it's conclusions except clause B, which
| ommends that the revision committee be
| instructed to prepare a brief summary of
| the TeIOTIntu tditIl, DedIlilS the Same Teid-
| tion to the confession which the shorter
| catechism bears to the larger catechism.
| The minority believe that this recommen-
| dation is not Identical with what many of
the presbyteries requested in their answers
| to the committees inquiries, and that it
erects an additional standard of orthodoxy
with the shorter catechism. The report is
signed by E. W. c. Humphrey and William
| McKibbin.
| Jones-"Waywood, our superintendent of
| streets, has been converted at last
| Brown-"You don't say so! l thought he
| was beyond hope of salvation
| Jones-"You see, our new preacher gave