The Presbyterian of the South : [combining the] Southwestern Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1909-1931, June 02, 1909, Page 20, Image 20

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

20 THE ton and Lee University, on "Calvin's Contribution to Educational Progress." The thanks of the assembly were extended to Dr. Denny by a rising vote. Rev. Dr. Lumpkin made a report ou Theological Seminaries, which was received and adopted. Dr. M. W. Moore, chairman, made a partial report from the Committee on Bills and Overtures, as follows: The Committee on Bills and Overtures respectfully sulmiits the following report: 1. Overtures from the Synod of Ixuilsinun nnd the Presbytery of Mississippi asking the General Assembly to transfer the churches of Idberty. Kose 11 ill. Centervlllc, Woodvllle, Hoyt Memorial. Unity and Bethany, all in the State of Mississippi, together with the territory embraced in the counties of Amite nnd Wilkinson, in the State of Mississippi, from the Synod of Louisiana to the Synod of Mississippi, so that the boundaries of the Synods may coincide with the boundaries of Irtie States. Answer: The Assembly hereby transfers the churches named and the territory de.. . . .. ?I.I. I scrioen, lUKi'iurr nuu iuc m and the candidates from these churches from the Synod of Ixniisiaun to the Synod of Mississippi. 2. Overtures from the Presbytery of ltoanoke. asking the Assembly to send down t'? the Presbyteries for their approval nnd amendment to Chap. XV, See. II of onr Itules of Discipline as follows: Strike out the words "he required" In the eighth and ninth lines of said Sec. II.. so that the clause shall read, * "the Court whose bounds he has left shnll . transfer them." Reply: The Assembly answers In the negatlve. 3. Overture from tlm Presbytery of Atlanta. asking the Assembly to Internret Book of Church Order, paragraph 1:1, with speclflc reference as to whether the installation of a pastor may with propriety and with fidelity to the constitution be executed by n committee. Reply: This Assembly nnswers. as did the Assembly of 1KSK5. that the Form of Government (Chap. V, Sec. 7. pars. 92 and 93) requires that a pastor should be installed only by the Presbytery or by a Commission of the Presbytery. 4. The Piesbytery of Ashevllle overtures the Assembly "to amend the Book of Church Order, Chap. V, See. 6, par. 2, by adding the follow'ii jr wordS: 'The Moderator of each Assembly shall be a member ex officio of the next succeeding Oeneral Assembly, representing the Church *nt l**-irc. and bis iic-escnry expenses shall be paid by the Assembly." Answer: The Assembly lias no [lower to do what It Is here .requested to do. . 5. Overture from Washburn Presbytery, touchlnir the employment of non-uilnisterial members of the church In the work of collecting and disbursing the money that is required for the conduct of nil the work of our Assembly. Answer: Since the Assembly has at present financial and executive agents who are not preachers, and Is committed to the policy of selecting from its general membership, eldership* or diaconate. available and efficient men t* conduct Its financial affairs (see printed Minutes of 1908, p. 33), no further action Is necessary. fl. Overtures from the Presbytery of Charleston. from the Presbytery of Chesapeake, hnd from certain individual ministers asking the anointment of nn nd Interim committee of not Ipku tliAii Hv<? monilkoru fmomlioruhlno on the same to be preferably Riven to professors of theology In our seminaries'*? Charleston) to consider the whole matter of the reception of pol.vgamlsts Into the Church, and to report to the Assembly of 1010: and overtures from the Presbytery, of Missouri, asking the Assembly to take steps to so alter the Confession of Faith In Chap. XXIV, pars. 5 and 6, as to harmonise their teachings as to what are lawful grounds of divorce, and from the Presbytery of Knoxvllle, asking the appointment of an ad Interim committee to investigate the teaching of the Scriptures touching divorce and remarriage for the purpose of. ascertaining whether or not the Confession of Fnlth (chapter XXIV) Is In accord with the Word of flod. and to report the result of their Investigation to the General Assembly of 1910. Answer: The Assembly, through Its Moderator, appoints an ad Interim committee of Ave to consider the matters referred to, and to report to toe Assembly of 1910. 7. Overture from the Presbytery of Winchester. asking the Assembly to make a deliverance In regard to the doctrine of Christian Science, warning the Church against the evil, L y l PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU1 subversive character or snlil doctrine to the Christian religion. Reply: The Assembly relying upon the positive teaching of the great principles of our faith as the best protection of our people against vagaries of the kind referred to, does not think such a deliverance necessary. X. Overtures from the Synod of North Carolina, asking the Assembly to send down to the Presbyteries for their adoption certain changes in our form of government having in view the making of a Synod a Court In regular graduation. Answer: Your committee, at the suggestion and request of representatives of the Synod of North Carolina present in the Assembly, recommends that the Assembly, through its Moderator, appoint an ad interim committee to consider ail the matters referred to in this o>ertnre and report to the Assembly of 1010.? l>r. Johnson, Chmn. 0. Overture from tae Presbytery of Mobile, asking the Assembly "to make such change In chapter III, See. Ill of our Confession of Faith as will eliminate the appearance of fatalism, and thus enable us the more successfully to commend our doctrine to the favorable consideration of our fellow men." Answer: The Assembly declines to propose the change suggested, for the reason that the section referred to. when rend in connection with the other parts of the Confession, furnishes no ground for the charge that it has even the "aunearance of fatalism-" 10. Overture from tlio Presbytery of Eiioree touching the validity of Itoiuan Catholic baptism. The Assembly answers, that In view of the repeated deliverances of the Assembly in 1K4.-.. 1S71 and lKS-1, further action is deemed unnecessary. 11. Overture from the Presbytery of Memphis, asking the Assembly to define the sphere and limits of women's work in the Sabbath school and in Synodical and General Assembly Sabbath school institutes. Answer: In the judgment of the Assembly, such a deliverance is not necessary. 12. Overtures from the Presbyteries of Eust Vt??isslnni. 1'pper Missouri anil Mangum, asking the Assembly to take such action as will allow each* and every congregation throughout its hounds, by their own vote, to adopt the rotary system of Church officers: a communication from the Presbytery of Parl?. reporting Its refusal to Join In said overtures: and an overture from the Presbytery of Central Mississippi, nsklng the Assem my imii to invor sued overtures, should they lie sent. Answer: The Assembly (let-lines to take any netion looking to the adoption of the rotary system of Church officers. Adjourned with prayer until tomorrow, at 9:30 a. m. Sixth Day?Wednesday Morning. . The devotional exercises were conducted by Rev. Donald McQueen. 'the minutes of yesterday's meeting were read and adopted. The report on the narrative was read by Rev. J. N. Holliday. The Foreign Mission report was read . by the chairman. Dr. R. C. Reed. It was placed on the docket for consideration at 10:30 tomorrow. . . . . It Is brought to our notice In the Executive Committee's report that the missionaries In the field, while deeply Impressed with the neeu of more workers, are at the same time deeply Impressed with the Importance of a high standard of qualification for the workers. They believe, and It would seem reasonably that the last place for weakening Is on the foreign field. There are complex problems of all kinds, and pressing for solution. Where foundations are being laid, whpfp fiolirioB nro liwlncr nlnnnwil tn k ch In the present will tell disastrously upon the Indefinite future, the prime need Ih for men of sagnclous judgment, of fine administrative ability, of statesmanlike qualities of leadership. It la hIko gratifying to note that the Exeeutlve Committee are purposing, with" the approval of the Assembly, to ralae the standard of qualification, and thus secure for our foreign work choice and winnowed workers. Thev lay down the following rules to be rigidly adhered to, except In extraordinary cases: "First. In the appointment of ordained missionaries, physicians and male teachers, the coinmluee will endeavor to be even more careful than heretofore In maintaining the high standard of qualification reqalred In our Manual. "Secondly. No single lady, other than a rH. June 2, 1909. trained nurse, will be appointed who has not had the equivalent of an A. B. or B. S. degree from a reputable college and also. In addition to that, at least one year of special training for the special line of work for which she is appointed." Your committee are persuaded that the Assembly will not only approve of these rules and their rigid euforceiueiit. but would furiher approve of the Executive Committee ddoptlng an age Unlit, especially for femnle ' pplUauls, refusing, except In very extraordinary circumstances, to give an appointment to au applicant who Is over thirty-live years of age. The Executive Committee have had the valuable service of Itev. D. Clay Lilly for the past two years without any expense to the committee's treasury. Ills salary has been provided for a year to come, and It Is recommended that the Assemble hereby express Its approval oi the committee's continued employment of I>r. Clay Lilly during the next twelve mouths. The complaint of II. C. Ilultose against the Executive Committee for approving the action of the Mid-China Mission in uniting In certain school work with the Central China . Mission has been carefully read by your committee. While conceding to I)r. DnRose the lu.t .....1 ?OH ?- - ... >-i ... uii'inrn mill nilllllK 111 IIIIUW IUII weight to his ninny objections to the notion of his fellow-workers In the inntter couiplnlned of. It seems to your committee thnt without n fuller knowledge of nil the Interests Involved. and the way In which these Interests are to he nfTected by the notion of the MidChlnn Mission, it would not lie wise for us to not ns judges. We would recommend, therefore. that the Assembly decline to sustain *.he oomplnint of Dr. Duliose The letter from Rev. Messrs. Geo. Hudson. W. II. Hudson nnd others of the Mid China Mission reveals the fact thnt our -missionaries And great difficulty nnd suffer much anxiety about semiring for their children the opportunities of educntiou. Good schools on mission territory are few nnd very expensive. The same may he snid of good governesses? they arc few nnd very expensive. It seems a necessity thnt the missionaries. If they are to educate their children at all. must send them nt a tender age to tills country. Here ngnln the expense is very great, and the concern of parental hearts for their children so far rnniAvotl frnni tholn nnronfnl stow lo - I """ - " 'CIJ keen. Your coin ml t too fool that the condition of our missionaries In respect to this matter merits the sympathy of the Assembly, and that the Assembly should show a readiness to do all that It can to relieve the situation. Your committee, therefore, recommend that the Assembly appoint an ad Interim committee of three to canvass thoroughly the whole sulijeet of the education of the children of our missionaries with a view to ascertain precisely what our Church Is doing, whether It -can and ought to do more, what other churches are doing In this line; In a word, to Inform themselves fully on every aspect of the subject, and report to the next Assembly. Arrangements are being made for a world missionary conference to be held In Edinburgh. Scotland. June 14-24, 1010. The pur|w>se of tills conference will be to promote in every way the enterprise of world evangelization. Our Church Is entitled, according to the bnsls of representation laid down by those who have the arrangements In charge, to seventeen delegates. Your committee nominates the following persons to attend this conference, the delegates to pay their own Ministers?Principals: Kcv, W. R. Dobyns. D D., Rev. W. W. Moore, I). D., Rev. J. M. Wells, D. D.. Rev. A. B. Curry. D. D., Rev. Thornton Whaling, D. D. Alternates: Rev. 8 M. Neel, D. i3.. Rev. W. H. Marquess. D. D? Rev. R. O. Kllun, Rev. J. H. Taylor^ Rev. Robert Vinson. Laymen?Principals: James Sprunt, C. K. Graham, C. A. Rowland, A. J. A. Alexander, M. McH. Hull. Alternates: W. D. McKowen. Jackson. La.: J. L. Howe, Lexington, Vs.; H. W. Malloy, Wilmington, N. H. C. Ostrum, C. H. Pratt. Missionaries?Principals: Rev. P. F. Price. Rev. W. D. Reynolds, Rev. R. E. McAlplne. Alternates: Rev. H. C. DtiBose, Dr. T. H. Daniels, H. P. Fulton. Women?Principals: Mrs. Elisabeth p. Allen. Charlotte, N. C.; Mrs. Jno. D. Knox. Annlston, Ala.; Mrs. Champ Clark. Washington. D. C. Alternates: Mrs. J. C. Htewart. Richmond, Va.: Mrs. R. L Hlckmnn, Texar Anna. mm. j. i;. I IIT1H, IJUliPft, Kill. Executive Committee?8. H. CheateY. Your committee recommend that the Assembly Instruct Ita Executive Committee to have prepared from plctnrea on hand, and to be aeon red from the various fields In which our Church is at work, stereoptlcon slides, to be loaned to pastors and Preshyterlal chairmen for their missions, for use In Illustrating missionary addresses; that the committee endeavor to induce Presbytertal chairmen to secure good lonterns and to system