The Washington times., 1902-05-18
LITTLE OPPOSITION TO
REVISED CONFESSION
Believed General Assembly
Will Report New Greed.
Copies of the Report Carefully Guarded
Pending Final Action-Status of
Ministerial Relief.

NEW YORK, May 1.-THE third day Of
the l1ith general assembly of the Pres
byterian Church in the United States
opened in the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian
Church at O'Clock this morning with q
short devotional service. led by the Rev.
DR.. Richard S. Holmes. of Pittsburg.
David n. Noyes. the vice moderator. pre-
sided over the business session, which
was necessarily brief on account of the
special events arranged for the entertain
ment Of the commissioners this after
noon. The discussion of the morning ses-
sion was devoted principally to the re-
I, port of the American Billie Society and
to the consideration of the report on min
isterial relief. -n.
The discussion closed at IL o'clock. and
recess was taken until s o'clock to-
night, when a popular meeting in the in
;erest of the Board of Aid for Colleges
and Woman's Board Of Home Missions
was held.
Demand for Pamphlets.
The large supply of pamphlets contain
ing the report of the committee on the
revision of the conference Of faith, which
was submitted to the assembly yester-
day, was entirely exhausted today. and
there was an active demand for more
copies. The authorities Of the assembly
took great care to see that copies of the
report were given only to commissioners.
and the many pastors of other churches
who were present when the report was
read were unable to secure copies.
Those commissioners who were willing
to discuss the report today were positive
that it would be adopted when it comes
up for final discussion en- Thursday. The
majority of the commissioners approve
the report and feel that the time for final
action has arrived, and those most in
terested in the matter are of the opin-.
ion that there will be little discussion Of
the report when II comes up.
Not Much Opposition.
Il do not think there will be much op-
position to the question: said one of the
leading commissioners today. "The gen.
eral opinion OF the assembly, as inter-
pref it. is to approve OF the report and
then let the various presbyteries thresh
the matter out by themselves. The ques-
tion must go to the presbyteries finally,
and it appears that the majority of the
commissioners are willing to submit the
question to them"
The Rev. DR.. E. p. Ingersoll OF the
American Bible Society was the first
speaker of the morBing. He reviewed the
work of the society during the past few
years and spoke OF It's plans and hopes
for the future.
Ministerial Relief.
The report of the committeeUon minis
terial relief was, offered by the Rev.
ID. Thomas Parry. The Rev Dr. |
Agnew, of Philadelphia, the correspond
ing secretary of the standing committee
Of the board of ministerial relief. spoke at
length on the report.
He deprecated the fact that bright young
men were induced to go into the church. |
and after devoting all their lives to it 1
we're turned out upon the world practi- !
ally without means of support. He said /
lie was in favor of raising a fund to pro-
vide for these superannuated ministers.
Bishop Andrews of the Methodist Epis-
opal Church was presented to the as
;embly. He made an address of welcome
IN behalf of the other denominations of
he city. !