Evening star., 1926-06-01
LIMIT ON DIVORCE
CAUSES PROPOSED
Presbyterian Assembly Given
Overture to Consider Only
Statutory OffenseS.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
BALTIMORE. Md June 1.--Limi
tation of divorce to single cause
came before the general assembly
of the Presbyterian Church for con
sideration today III an overture from
the preSbytery of Butler.
\ motion to refer the question 10
the general council as a special com
mission met with favorable recep-
tion, but Il vote was deferred until
tomorrow, when it will be determined
whether the membership of the
council comedies with the require
ments for membership of such Il
commission.
The council considering this ques-
ton would be a committee separate
from itself, the duplication Of mem
hership being made in the interests
of economy. The report from the
committee will be made TO the as
>embly next year, after which II
must he ratified by tWo-thrds of the
presbyteries to make any ruling final.
Two Causes Supported.
The laws of the church heretofore
r0unteuanced willful desertion or a
statutory offense as just cause for
divorce.
tain the present form of government
which has been in effect three Years,
when on the recommendation of the
committee on bills and overtures. it
voted in the negative on motion
to overture questioning the value Of
the council filed by the preSbytery
of Chester. No comment was made
on the motion and the vote was
purely a commentators gesture.
Among a number of other over
lures was one from the preSbytery
of Detroit suggesting the establish
ment Of a weekly church newspaper.
This was voted down on the recon-
mendatiOn of the general council as
ineXpedient at this time.
Presbytery Before Bar.
The New York Presbytery today
stood before the bar of the general as
scmbly where it WAS to be determined
whether the preSbEtery uSurped its
authority in licensing a minister who
would not affirm his belief in the Vir-
gin Birth.
Decisions on three charters arising
from this action, together with one
against the synod of New York in the
same case, We're to be rendered by the
permanent judicial commission late in
the day.
Prior to the rendering of the deci-
sions in these cases, and the reports
of committees on some 80 overtureS
laid before the assembly nominations
were to he made for new members of
the judicial commission and the gen
eral council.
Observance of the Sesquicentennial
of American independence also occu-
pied substantial portion OF the day.
DR.. Clarence MacArtney delivered
the chief address at this observance
and the assembly was Joined in the
celebration by the three other
branches Of PresbyterianiSm, with the
following representatives
DR.. Henry Alexander White of Col
umbus, Ohio, Presbyterian Church in
he United States (Southern) DR.. w.
!. Wishart Of Pittsburgh. the United
Presbyterian Church. and DIR. r. G.
Wylie of Pittsburgh. the Reformed
Presbyterian Church (CoVe1anterso
The fundamentalism for which DR..
NacCartney has fought during the
convention again came to the fore
front in his address. After reviewing
the growth and divisions of the Pres
byterian Church in the past $50
years, he concluded:
"One hundred and fifty years of
in the nation are
worth commemorating today because
the Presbyterian Church of the past
was a church which believed that the
Bible was the word of God and was
not afraid to say so to all men, a
church which knew the difference be-
tween the gospel of redeeming grace
and another gospel which is not an
other Let the Presbyterian
church depart from these grand
truths and sacred customs and $50
years hence its tercentennary will not
he worth commemorating.
The New York Presbytery yester-
day won a technica victory over fun
damental opposition when the as
sembly adopted with, only one dissent
ing vote a report of the committee
of Is, appointed to review the de-
rision last year again permitting a
minister who refused to profess belief
in the Virgin Birth to be licensed. |
The report recommended the com
lnittees continuance for another year, |
and offered loophole for the as
sembly TO reconsider its decision.
Mission Reports Heard.
Two hours of the morning session |
was given over to reports by depart
ment heads of the Board of National |
Missions on the work of the board |
principally in isolated districts. where !
he board maintains 5000 religious |
meeting places, and hospitals and |
schools.
These schools and hospitals are To- |!
Gated in districts or towns which |
otherwise would be without either |
and are maintained with the under |
standing that they will be turned |
over to the communities whenever |
the latter are able to support them
Nominees also We're named for new |
members of the general council and |
judicial committees, the elections be- |
ing set for tomorrow.