Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1906-06-06
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND WHAT THEY
DID IN SESSION At GREsNvlLLE.
1.-THE Baptist Courier. I

great time in Greenville last week in
their General Assembly. The two
matters of absorbing interest were
the "court" proceedings in connection
with the case of the Rev. William
Caldwell, and the matter of "Federa-
tion," or "Closer Relations" affect
ing the several Presbyterian bodies
of the United States. The former
had been popularly styled the "Her-
esy Trial." but in truth it was not a
trial for heresy at all. 1t was re-
view of the decision of the Synod of
Texas upon the relations of Mr.. Cald-
we'll as member of his Presbytery
and as pastor of the First church at
Fort Worth. After having been ex-
amined with view of being installed
as pastor of that church and having
been duly installed pastor, members
of the examining Presbytery filed
complaints against this action on ao-
count of certain views said to have
been expressed by Mr.. Caldwell.
The complaint was heard by the Sy-
nod and the decision of that body
was against the pastoral relations of
Mr.. Caldwell and the Fort Worth
church and the Presbytery, where
upon the latter filed complaint
against the Synod of Texas, and this
complaint the General Assembly con-
sidered and sustained, and by that
action restored the pastoral relations
of Mr.. Caldwell and the First church
of Fort Worth, declaring that he is
and has be a member of the Fort
Worth Presbytery and pastor of the
First church.
While the action of the General
Assembly is in favor of Mr.. Caldwell,
it did not pass on the question of his
orthodoxy, but upon the constitu-
tionality and legality Of the action of
the Texas Synod. The decision
means that if he is ever tried for
heresy the action against him must
proceed in form different from the
former proceedings. 1t was clearly
evident that many members of the
General Assembly were not anxious
to try Mr.. Caldwell for heresy, and it
was also evident that they were
greatly relieved when the Assembly
decided to pass only upon constitu-
tional questions. The Fort Worth
church, and incidentally Mr.. Cald-
we'll, was ably and eloquently repre-
sented by Rev. DIR. William Hayne
Leavell, of Houston, Texas. DIR.
Leavell was born and reared in New
berry, and he is not stranger in
Greenville, and he was heard with a
great deal of pleasure. Many con-
sidered his address the most interest
ing and eloquent delivered during the
meeting of the Assent :.
Many members of tn, leneral AS
semblY were in favor or the report
which recommended closer relations
with other Presbyterian bodiesin the
United States, but the conservative
element won, and the matter is re-
ferred to the Presbyteries for consid-
Grafton and action. DR.. Charles r.
Hemphill, president of the Pres
byterian Theological Seminary in
Louisville, and native of Chester,
ably led the movement favoring
closer relations. 1t was very evident
that there was large number op-
posed to anything which looked in
the direction of their brethren in the
Northern States. 1t was not ques-
tion of union, but simply of entering
into a conference or council, with the
representatives OF al other Presbyte-
rian bodies, and of formulating cer-
tain articles of agreement as to meth
DDS of work and territorial limita-
tions, connected with their educa-
tional and missionary operations.
The majority were not ready for any
advance in this direction.
With all their conservatism, their
legislation, their courts, their fixed
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