The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-18
BY MAMIE BAYS.

Atlanta, Ga, May lit Is proba BILE
that no General Assembly of the South
ern Presbyterian Church. prior to the
hfey-third. which is now In session
here. has dispatched business more
rapidly for tho nrst three dawn than
is true OF this. Tho assembly nd
1ourned at noon to-day. not to meet
again until Monday morning. this ad :
Journment having been taken largely
Tor the reason that there was no FUR
ther business for the body 10 handle
until the standing committees could
hold further meetings. consider over
lures mat have been referred to them
and submit reports to tho assembly for
action.
II tho present rapid rate of disposi-
non o! business could be continued the
docket would be entirely cleared bv
tuesday evening or Wednesday. and
tho assembly would be ready to dis
solve. This Is not to be expected. how
ever. for 1t happens that all OF the
business that has come before the body
these three days has been that which
has not provoked discussion. whereas.
remaining on the docket are several
reports at least. which. when presented
Tor consideration. will prove TO be
tofm-centres to some extent
Two Important Reports
Among the important items OF bust
ness TO come before the assembly to-
day were two of special note. one being
report No. !. OF the committee on bills
and overtures. and which touched tho
elect infant clause of the Confession
OF Faith. while the other was The re-
port or the committee regarding the
proposed union OF the Southern Pres
byterian Church and the United Pres
byter!an Church,
Report No OF the committee on
bills and overtures was presented by
Rev. It. S. Clyce. D. D., chairman. and
reads as follows:
There have come into our hands
overtures from Albemarle Mecklen-
burg. Kings Mountain. Potosi. VIII
mington. Concord, West Hanover and
ST Louis Presbyteries. asking that
Chapter 10. section ,. of the Confession
OF Faith be amended
I'VE give answer as follows: In
view OF the fact that the question OF
amending this section has been be-
fore the church for thirteen years, and
the church has not agreed on tho form
OF change TO be made. and in view OF
the further fact that the assembly
OF 1912 (Alexander's Digest, revised
page s. declares that the Holy Scrip
lures amply warrant us in believing
that all infants who die in infancy
are included in the election of grace,
and are regcnerated and saved by
Christ, through the Spirit. which de-
claration we would here reaffirIn. we
would recommend that no anne ndment
for the present be sent down TO the
presbyteries."
The report was not adopted, but It
was referred TO the docket, without
discussion. pending consideration dur
Ing later session OF the assembly,
probably on Monday or Tuesday This
action was taken with reference to
the report in accord with the ruling
OF the moderator that. as all of the
vnrf,, 81.
yet been tabulated consideration or
the report at this time would not be
in order.
The report OF the committee on the
union of the churches was submitted
by Rev. R C. Reed. chairman of the
commission from the Southern Presby-
terrain Church, appointed by the gem
eral assembly OF 1912.
Hasis of Agreement.
Tho report is as follows: :.
ITO the Venerable. the General AS
sembly OF the Presbyterian Church
In the United States:
your committee, appointed by the
last assembly. to confer with similar
committee OF the United Presbyterian
Church. In reference to the organic
union OF tho two bodies, would re
specially report as follows. VIZ:
I'm accordance with this agreement,
your committee respectfully presents
to your venerable body the following
as the basis agreed upon, viz
"a suggested basis OF union believ-
ing in the essential oneness of the
church OF Christ: remembering the
historic lines that bind us to revered
ancestors, who witnessed valiantly for
the truth as II is in Jesus, and through
whom has come to us common heri-
tage of Christian faith and doctrine
desiring to prove faithful In the GUS
todianship OF this inheritance and
aiming only for the glory OF God In
the higher advancement and wider ex-
tension Of His kingdom upon earth
we, the members of the Presbyterian
Church I'm the United States, and the
members OF the United Presbyterian
Church of North America, do find a
common standing ground in the fol-
lowing statements; and upon the basis
Of these fundamental truths we COW
cnant to Join our ecclesiastical bodies
In organic unity.
1.-The doctrinal standards now
held in common by these two churches,
VIZ. the Westminster Confession or
Faith. the Longer and Shorter Cate
cllisms. shall be the doctrinal stand
ards of the united church.
1.-THE standards are to be Inter
preted in their natural and obvious
meaning, and no one shall be autho-
rized to teach or preach in the united
church who cannot give an unquali-
fled assent to the doctrinal system
contained in these standards.
Essential Part of system.
S-The united church would bear
emphatic testimony to the following
Continued on Firth Pago.)