The age-herald., 1901-05-21
PRESDYTER|ANS
 EXPRESS ALARM Tendency to Desecrate the Sab-
 bath is Growing GOVERNMENT IS TO BLAME Philadelphia Assembly Discussed the Army canteen and Maps Out a Plan to Lessen the Evil of
 Whisky Selling.
GOVERNMENT IS TO BLAME

Little Rock, Ark, May a.-Considera- tion of the separate reports of the ad in- terim committee on revision of the church law as to ecclesiastical commissions in the Southern Presbyterian General Assembly today caused an extra session, four hours being devoted to 1t. The report signed fy Hon. Joseph W. Martin, LL D., of Little Rock, Chief Justice H. G. Bum of the Arkansas Supreme Court and Assistant Justice J. P. Hobson of the Kentucky Supreme Court, makes a clear distinction between a commission and committee. A commission, according to this report. always must have as many members for quorum as is needed for quorum of the body which appoints it. In the sep- arate report submitted by Dr. R. c. Reed of Columbus. s. C., J. F. Cannon and J. w. Winter, the number to make a quo rum is not specified except in the ordina- tion of ministers, which always requires quorum of the Presbytery. It allows greater powers to a commission than Judge Martins report. Judge Martin IS report required additional amendments to the Book of Church Order. Dr. Reeds re- quires no other amendment After being amended so as to make a commission a body of Presbyteries in lieu of a body of church officers, the Martin report was finally adopted by the assembly.
 At this mornings session the report of the board of directors of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary was read, together with a copy of the agree ment for the consolidation of theological seminaries at Danville and Louisville, Ky. Both were referred to the committee on theological seminaries. A report in reference to encouraging the Austin, Tex, Theological Seminary was similarly re- ferred.
 The assembly voted to send Dr. H. s. Chester, secretary of foreign missions, to Brazil at once to examine the Presbyteri- an work there pr. Chester will leave for Brazil tomorrow night.
 The Sabbath.
 The report of the permanent committee on the Sabbath was one of the most inter esting papers of the day. It says, among other things:
 ''As long as the nation continues to set aside the Divine law in the carrying and delivery of it's mail thus requiring its army of employees to work on the Lords day, as long as it continues by it's ,ewn example to disregard the authority of the Lord in continuing it's business on His day, as it's last Congress has done; as long as the different State allow the run ming of both freight and passenger cars as long as secular newspapers are all lowed to pursue their avocation as on other days, publishing and selling their papers for gain, 1t must be difficult if not impossible to influence the masses to maintain decent respect for the Lord g day.
 "Yet notwithstanding In the fact of all these untoward circumstances the church of God must not and cannot let go it's firm grasp upon this Divine institution, the very citadel of its life as well as greater tower of strength
 The report mentions that the Presby- tery of Norfolk reports It's discontinuance of Sunday newspapers by some members as the result of faithful preaching on that subject, the Presbytery of West Lexington reports the closing of saloons in the city of Lexington upon the Lord s day and the Presbytery of Atlanta reports the successful resisting of opening of Sunday concerts in the city of Atlanta by the ministers league of that city. Final action of the report was deferred. The ad interim committees preparation of a new hymn book reported that the new book would be out this fall and that il would contain 715 pageA
 The report was received as information and the assembly thanked the committed for faithful discharge of its duty.