Newspaper Page Text
May 29, 1912] THE
THE ASSEMBLY AT BRISTOL.
(Continued from page 5)
who under their direction shall give her whole time
to work of organizing our women into Synodical and
1'rcsbyterial unions and local societies under the control
of Synods, Presbyteries and Sessions, respectively;
co-ordinating Woman's and Young People's
Societies as now organized; stimulating interest by
gathering and disseminating needed information in
order that this mighty auxiliary in our church's life
and growth may become even more fruitful of good
than in the past." The Committee recommended that
the Assembly decline to appoint an Ad Interim Com
miltee to consider the whole subject of Woman's
Work. The Presbyterial reports on Church Societies
showed their number to be 2,528. Woman's Societies
contributing all told $383,726; 1,157 Young People's
Societies, contributing $36,828; 259 Men's and Boys'
Societies, contributing $14,436.
Auditing Committee.
Everything was reported as satisfactory by Messrs.
John Stites, Geo. B. Matthews and J. A. Somerville,
the Committee on Audits, and auditors for the several
Executive Committees were named by them. The
report was approved.
On Many Overtures.
The Assembly agreed to Bethel Presbytery's overture
asking certain changes in the rule for examining
candidates, and sends down to the Presbyteries the
proposed changes, the chief purpose of which will
be to accept certain college and seminary certificates
in lieu of examination, and to make it optional with
a Presbytery to require a discussion of some common
head of divinity in Latin or in English. It returned
to Louisiana Presbytery the latter*s overture
touching moving picture misrepresentations of Protestants,
with the suggestion that it be sent to the
Synod of Louisiana. It returned to Pageland church
the overture asking to be transferred to another
Synod, as the matter must eo throuerh the Prpshv
teries concerned to the Synods concerned. It declined
Mecklenburg Presbytery's overture for a resubmitting
of the proposed change in Paragraph 235.
It declined, as unnecessary, Florida Presbytery's request
as to the expenses of commissioners to Presbyteries.
It agreed to West Hanover Presbytery's overture
that the matter referred to ad interim committees
be printed regularly in the Assembly. 'It acquiesced
in Upper Missouri Presbytery's request as to commissioners
remaining to the end of the meetings of
church courts, and urged thiB obligation upon the
consciences of all concerned. It saw no occasion to
make an order as to devotional exercises, as asked
by Transylvania PreBbytery. It answered Abingdon
Presbytery's overture as to the re-investment of a
minister who had demltted his office by saying that
the Presbytery which divested him thus may reinstate
him upon his application when he satisfies the
I'resbytery of the wisdom and desirability of his restoration,
according to the snlr^ r?f Pftrmrrnnh 9.03 nt
the Book of Church Order. It answered Concord
Presbytery's request for certain blanks in the financial
reports as calling foT a distinction not deemed
necessary. It ordered a correction of an inaccuracy
of the Minutes, as asked for by Kanawha Presbytery,
as to the latter's rule In electing commissioners. It
declined Central Texas Presbytery's request for a
provision for "associate mtmbershlp" for students
absent from their homes at school. It declared that
the present rules are adequate as to assumption or
transfer of jurisdictions in answer to overtures from
Lexington Presbytery. In answer to. a call for a
simplified statement of the Confession of Faith for
intermediate Classes in Sunday School, from the
Presbytery of St. Johns, it declared its belief that
the Shorter Catechism subserves' the purpose. As
answer to an overture from Panhandle Presbytery,
asking for a committee of fifteen to write a new
Confession of Faith, it declined the request. But?
A New Departure?
"ere the Assembly seemed to be swept: off its feet.
H laughed at the proposition of Panhandle, until the
'atter's ministerial commissioner, Rev. 'H. R. McFadyen,
made a plea for more serious thought, in a
most earnest speech, in which he claimed that our
Present Confession of Faith was misunderstood and
*as used against us in the great home mission field.
Then Dr. Vance followed with a motion that a committee
be appointed to prepare a "Brief Popular
Statement of Belief in our Church." "Men waked up
all over the house, and the liveliest time of the Assembly,
so far, began, ended, after too short a discussion,
by a call for the question and the adoption
the motion by a counted vote of 96 to 83. The
Question is not settled as to what this means, hence
?ur interrogation mark. So far as appears Just now
is no more than a motion to prepare a little tract
some kind. It was treated by some, however, as
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SC
being about the same thing as the Northern Church
undertook to do in its famous Brief Declaratory
Statement of a few years ago. It Ib hard to tell
whether it is hard to. tell whether it is a revision
wedge tbat has got its point In, or an unmeaning
kind of literary or publication project. The moderator
appointed a committee of five: Drs. R. A. Webb,
James 1. Vance, E. C. Caldwell, and Hons. W. B.
Sommervlle, of Lousiana, and M. F. Ansel, of South
Carolina.
The Rotary Eldership and Diuconate.
The matter of Basis of Representation in the Generan
Assembly and the Limited Term of Office for
Elders and Deacons was taken from the docket. The
proposed plan or basis was agreed to and an overture
sent down to the Presbyteries looking to the
necessary change. The other measure was voted
down, almost unanimously, after a lively discussion
in which the elders, as Judge Howze, Professor Peyton
Irving, Mr. Ballingrath, Mr. Cook, and others took
part. Professor Irving "brought down the house" by
exclaiming, "I have found out two things to-day. One
is that we do not believe in our Confession of Faith. ,
The other is that we have no faithful elders. Is this
in the East? I thank God that at an early day I
got to Texas. Brethren, come to Texas!"
Fraternal Greeting.
A cordial geeting, with Bible reference, was received
from the General Assembly of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, in session in Warrensburg, Mo.,
and >was referred to the Committee on Foreign Correspondence.
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The >' arrath e.
It was rather blue, but had some streaks of
brightness in it. It showed the sad failure of our
Church as to family worship, Sabbath observance,
and the absence of special manifestation of the
Spirit's presence and power. It recommended a
FresbyteriaJ campaign on these special points, and a
day of fasting and prayer, October 2, to inaugurate
the campaign. It was adopted.
Christian Education and Relief.
The report recommended approval of the Executive
Committee's report, thanks to Mr. John Stites for his
generous services as Treasurer; negative reply to
Enoree's overture for removal of the Executive Committee
to .South Carolina or Georgia where a higher
rate of interest could be obtained; negative reply, for
want of funds, to the appointment of a man or men
to visit schools and colleges; the appointment of the
last Sabbath in February and the preceding Thursday
as a day of special prayer for institutions and
youth. The report was adopted.
Tuesday, the Fifth Day.
Another ideal day in sunshine, sky and air, showing
(Bristol at its best. The morning exercises were
conducted bv Rev. J. R. iTjirn^rit^r nt IahIoIo..
- ?, ?V* ^A/uisiuua. V/U
the recommendation of the Devotional Exercises Committee
the Assembly adopted a rule that hereafter
the communion be observed in connection with the
opening of the Assembly.
"Votes on Assembly Overtures.
The Committee on Tabulation of the Presbyteries'
votes on the overtures sent down, reported as follows:
"For the "elect infant" overture, 76 affirmation
in whole or in part; 38 negative; 4 no answer. For
the Paragraph 236 overture, 36 affirmative; 33 negative;
7 no answer. For the Paragraph 94 overture,
13 affirmative; 99 negative; 4 no answer. For the
Synodlcad or the Graded Courts overture, 3 afirmative;
67 negative; 6 no answer. The report was received
and approved. Thus It appears that all the
recommendations for changes in the Confession of
Faith and Book of Church Order failed.
Another Batch of Overtures.
The Presbyteries of St. Johns and Western District
were referred, for answer to their overtures on
rotary elders and deacons, to yesterday's action on
the Ad Interim Committee's report on that subject.
In answer to Enoree, Norfolk, and Dallas, the Assembly
agreed to send down an overture recommending
tha/t the Presbyteries alter Paragraph 94 so that
the Syncd and General Assembly may, at their own
discretion, commit any case of trial to a commission,
except In cases affecting the dootrlne. To the Presbytery
of Central Texas the Assembly answered that
the Sessions must discriminate and act as to the
application of divorced persona for admission to the
church in each case using the Scriptures, the Confession
and the deliverances of the church as their
standard of judgment. Roanotaie's request as to the
Assembly's devoting at least two evenings to the
educational interest" was answered by the statement
that the Assembly's Committee on Education is competent
to prepare such meetings as may be desirable.
The overture of Atlanta as to errors in the printed
minutes and as to limitin* the t?rm r>r nmn*
clerks to three years was answered by urging the
IUTH (591) 11
clerks, the Committee of Publication and all parties
concerned to be careful and diligent, and by declining
to limit the clerkB' terms. The Synods of Alabama
and Florida were authorized to make boundary
line changes Involved in the transfer of Floral a
church to East Alabama Presbytery.
Shorn of Some of Its Powers.
After considerable debate, in which Drs. Webb,
Dobyns, Wallace, Tims, and Messrs Booth, Rowland
and Hudson took part, and after an amendment or
two had been lost by a vote of about two to one, the
following answer was given to an overture from
Tuscaloosa Presbytery, as definition of the powers
and duties of the Committee of Systematic Beneficence:
"It is the general duty of this Committee to
plan and stimulate the benevolences of the churoh,
but in such a manner and by such methods as not to
embarass the Executive Committees in the work entrusted
to them. Chnaging the rule of 1910, it shall
not be the duty of this Committee to nominate Secretaries
or members of the Executive Committees, or to
lay upon those Committees any orders or requirements.
It is further the duty of thlB Committee to
have its annual report printed prior to the meeting
of the Assembly, and submit the same, as Is the custom
of the Executive Committees, that it may be referred
to a Standing Committee of the Assembly. The
Standing Committee shall nominate the successors to
those members of the Systematic Beneficence Committee
whose terms have expired, (making their choice
from those persons who have been proposed by the
Synods, when those Synods have made nominations."
The Next Stage of the Elect Infant.
Thft Rill a any! ?,ia - * * '
?... v v/iniuiviee naa in nana
eleven overtures on the subject. It submitted an answer
to be sent down to the Presbyteries for action.
It was ably discussd by Drs. Webb, Heed, Munroe,
Chisolm, E. E. Smith, Grier, Vance, Tenny and
others. Half a dozen different forms, In the way
of substitutes and amendments were offered and
voted down, the chief one being lost by a vote of 74
to 110, until it was manifest that the temper of the
Assembly would stand no new proposition. A proposition
to-strike out that part, of the Confession altogether
was overwhelmingly defeated. At last the
conclusion was reached, as follows: "The Assembly
sends down and recommends that the Presbyteries
amend Chapter X., Section 3, of the Confession of
Faith by changing the adjeotive 'elect* into the partlclble
'being elect,' and then set off the partioipial
clause with a comma, so that the section as amended
will read as follows: 'Being elect, all infants dying
in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ
urrvugn uie sspirlt, who worketh when, and where,
and how he pleaseth. So also are all other elect persons
who are incapable of being outwardly called by
the ministry of the Word.'" Thus, after all, the Assembly
got back to the starting point, its originally
proposed answer having taken on only the word
"all" in all the progress through the debate and
through the intricacies of amendments, substitutes,
amendments to amendment and the like.
Some Minor Matters.
Rev. R. C. Anderson was given the privilege of the
floor to speak a few minutes about Montreat. The
Foreign Correspondence Committee was directed to
flon/1 saivIUo *?? "
uu iub greeungs oi tne Cumberland Presbyterian
and Colored Cumberland Presbyterian General
Assemblies. The Committee on the preparation
of a Brief Popular Statement of the Doctrine of our
Church was increased from fife to fifteen, seven to be
ruling elders. An invitation from the Inter-State
Institute was received and acknowledged.
Sunday Schools and Publication.
The report of the Sunday Schools and Publication
Standing Committee was received and adopted, Including
a suggested Pastoral Letter. Its recommendations
were, the commendation, of our own literature
for use; the sending out of a pastoral letter
concerning the International Graded Lessons, encouraging
the thorough organisation of the Intermediate,
Senior and Adult departments of the Sunday
schools, the establishment of mission schools and the
raising of apportionments, contributing to all the
benevolent causes, training the young people for
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o'uvicui oeryice, uie giving of special attention by
Synods and Presbyteries to the selection and work
of their committees, arranging for Institutes, each
Presbytery seeking to employ a Sunday school missionary.
To overtures placed In the Committee's
hands, answers were given as follows: From Lexington,
Knoxvllle and Orange, asking for certain changes
in the statistical blanks, a negative answer, as
the changes do not seem to be necessary. From
three Texas Presbyteries, touching donation of books
and tracts to the Theological Seminaries, a negative
answer. From Wilmington, touching a certain
change in Statistical blank, the overture Is too indef(Continued
on page 14.)