GENERAL ASSEMBLY. R.EiSSION Cro s X , , isoa. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States met agreeably to appointment in Lafayette avenue church., Brooklyn, on Thursday May 18th at 11 o' clock A, M. At a quarter past eleven the exercises- of the morning were opened by a short and sim ple prayer from the Rev. John Spaulding, the former ag.ent of the Seamen's Friend Society. A'`gymn was then sung, begin ning. . • - How beauteous are their feet - Who stand on Zion's Hill Who bring salvation on their tongues, And words of peace reveal. The opening sermon was preached by. Rev. Thomas Brainerd, D.D., from .Prov. 30 He aat winneth souls is wise. The' appear-. ance of Dr. Brainerd is thus described by: ai Brooklyn cotemporarY. " Dr. Brainerd is a man of moderate height, well-balancenead, slightly tremulous from weakness, ronnd fore head, broad brow, clear, kind blue eyes, mild yet finely-toned voice, and a well.modulate& and effective emphak." . After., sermon the Assembly was constituted with prayer. Ad-' journed .to meet at half past three P. M.. Concluded with prayer. THURSDAY 3i P. M. • The Assembly met and was opened with prayer. The Report of the Committee on Commis sions was presented by the Permanent Clerk, and the following persons thereupon enrolled as duly appointed commissioners of this Gen eral Assembly. OFFICERS. Rev. James B. Shaw, D.D., Moderator. " Edwin F. Hatfield, D.D., Stated Clerk. " J. Glentworth Butler, D.D., Permanent Clerk.. " John Spaulding, TeMporary Clerks " 6 James Shaw, COMMISSIONERS. I. SYNOD OF ALBANY. Champlain—Rey. Jonathan Copeland; El der, Zephaniah C. Platt. Troy—Revs. Jotham Sewall, Lewis Kellogg ; Elders, John Lambert, M.D., Hon; Nicholas M. Masters. Albany— Rev. Frederick S. Jewell; Elder, Edward A. Durant. Columbia—Rev. William H. Clark.; Elder, Frederick. Phelps. Catskill—Rev. John 0. Wells; Elder, Lafayette Moore. 11. SYNOD 0]? .UTICA. St. Lawrence—Rev. John W. Whitfield; El-, der, Hon. Calvin T. Hulburd. Watertown— Rev. George W. Mackie; Elder, George W. Knowlton. Oswego—Rev. Edward Lord ; El der, Hon. Ransom H. Tyler. Utica—Revs. Samuel W. Fisher, D.D., Moses E. Dunham ; Elders, Jared E. Warner, John C. Gallup, M.D. 111. SYNOD OF ONONDAGA. Onondaga—Rev. Edwin Benedict; Elder, Justus Townsend. Cayuga—Revs. Horace H. Allen,John Tompkins; Elders, Samuel String ham, Philo Clark, M.D. Cortland—Rev. Ir- VW L. l3eman ; Elder, John M. Roe. Tioga —Rev. David A. Abbey. IV. SYNOD OF GENEVA. Geneva—Revs. A. Augustus Wood, D.D., Charles E. Stebbins ; Elders 1 • Ezra D Cook , Ebenezer B. Jones. Steuben—Re*. Lewis F. Laine ; Elder, Luther Sturtevant. Chemung— Rev. Charles Chapman Elder Martin S. Phinney. Ithaea--Rev. warren Mayo; Elder, George McChain. WellsbOio—Rev. John L. Swain; Elder, Samuel Hazlett. Lyons—Rev. Wm. H. Illegie ; Elder, Absalom P. Chatham. V. SYNOD OF SUSQUEHANNA. . Otsego—Rev. Charles Gillette. Chenango—. Rev. Elroy Curtis ; Elder, Edgar A. Phillips. Delaware—Rev. Charles H. De Long; Wm. McGibbon. VI. SYNOD OF GENESEE. Buffalo—Revs. William Waith, Sylvester Cowles; Elders, Andrew Parker, Moses Bris tol. Ontario—Rev. Samuel Jessup ;• Elder, Lorin Coy. .Rochester—Revs. James B. Shaw, D.D, John C. Tailor; Elders, Albe C. Allen Louis Chapin. Genesee—Rev. Ebenezer H: agg 7 : - RuVgdieEP. 'l. l hos. T. Flagler. Genesee Talley—Rev. James B. Beaumont; Elder, Abram Merritt. • VII. SYNOD OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. Hudson—Rev. Joseph M. McNulty; Elder, D. Webster Cooper, M. D. Korth River—Rev. Harvey Smith Elder, Edward Wells. Long Island—Rev. Edward Stratton ; Elder, John N. Sayre. New York, 3d—Revs. William W. Newell, D.D., William H. Babbitt, James B. Bonar; Elders, John Endicott, Joseph W. Les ter, John G. Parker. .Arew York, 4th—Revs. John Spaulding, William Adame, D.D.,Geo. L. Prentiss, D.D.; Elders, John P. rosby, Oliver E. Wood, Albert N. Brown. Brooklyn —Rev. Samuel T. Spear, D.D.; Elder, Gurdon Burchard. Newark—Revs. J. Allen Maxwell, Charles H. Thompson, James M. Dickson; El ders, James J. Dickinson Lyndon A. Smith, M.D., Job Haines. Rockaway—Rev. Daniel E. Megie ; Elder, Albert R. Riggs. Montrose —Revs. Samuel Whaley, Thomas It. Townsend; Elder, 'James Deans. VIII. SYNOD OF PENNSYLVANIA. Wilmington—Rev. John W. Mears; Elders, Anthony M. Higgins. Philadelphia, 3d—Revs. Ezra E. Adams, D.D., Daniel March, D.D.; Elders, Adam C. Eckfeldt, Isaac Ashmead. Philadelphia, Oh—Revs. Robert Adair, John B. Reeve; Elders, Samuel T. Bodine, Joseph Francis. Harrisburg—Rev. William R. De witt, D.D.; Elder, Charles Ogilby. Dist. of Columbia—Thaddeus D. McFalls ; Elder, John Knight. X. SYNOD OF WEST PENNSYLVANIA. Erie;---Rev. Thomas B. Hudson; Elder, Jos. D. Clark. Meadville—Rev. William T. Dick son ; Elder, Daniel Über. Pittsburgh—Rev. Herrick Johnson; Elder,,Hon. Henry W. Wil liams. X. SYNOD OF MICHIGAN. Detroit—Rev. Azariah Eldridge, D. D. Elder, Geo. Frost. Monroe—Rev. Samuel E. Wis hard ; Elder, Samuel E. Hart. Marshall—Rev. Loomis Chandler; Elder, William H. Skinner. Waslatenaw—Rev. J. Ford Sutton; Elder, Chas. Holmes, Jr. Kalamazoo—Rev. Albert H. Gaston ;• Elder, Daniel D. McMartin. Cold water—Rev. Frederick R. Gallaher ; Elder, John H. Phelps. Saginaw—Rev. Henry H. Northrop; Elder, Robert Ure. Grand Rio. Tral.—Rev. Edwin D. Newberry; Elder,Wil liam H. Woodworth. Lake Superior—No rep resentation. XI. SYNOD OF WESTERN RESERVE. Grand River—Rev. Horace W. Palmer ,• El der, Daniel C. Caughey. Huron—Rev. John D. McCord; Elder, William Watson. Trum buflßev. Augustus Cone; Elder, William Cleveland and Portage—Revs. George E. Pierce, D.D., James Shaw; Elder,lsaac M. Page. Elyria—Rev. Eldad Barber ; Elder, Esek E. Bradford. Haumee—Rev. Wm. W. Williams ; Elder, Solon L. Boughton. XII. SYNOD OF OHIO. Athens— , --Rev. Russell D. Van Deursen. Pat askala—Rev. Elias Thompson. Franklin— Rev. Homer McVey ; -Elder, John McElroy. Scioto—E. Perkins Pratt, D.D;; Elder, Wm. F. Wilson, M.D. XIII. SYNOD OF CINCINNATI. Vincinnati—Revs. Llewelyn J. Evans, Wil bur MeKaig ; Elders, Ed. D. Mansfield, LL. D., William.H. Afoore. Dayton—Rev. William M. Cheever ; Elder, Winslow S. Phelps. Hamilton —Rev. Ellis S. Weaver; Elder_, George W. Haire. Ripley—Rev. James W. West; Elder, James N. Salisbury, M. D. XIV. SYNOD OF INDIANA. • Salem—Rev. John M. Bishop; Elder, Moses C. Browning. Madison—Rev. Ninian S. Dick- Elder, James A. De Lavergne. Indian apolis---Rev. Hanford A. Edson ;• Elder, Lucius C. Waltou. Green Castle—Rev. 'Ransom Hawley; Elder, Henry G. Todd, M. D. XV. SYNOD OF : WABASH. Crawfordsville—Rey. Edmund O. Hovey; Elder, William T. Scott. St. Joseph—Rev. Jacob Patch. Logansport—Rev. Edwin Black ; Elder, Stewart 'l': McConnell. Fort Wayne— Rev. William J. Essick ; Elder, Benjamin W. Oakley. XVI. SYNOD OF ILLINOIS. Illinois—Rev. David H. Hamilton, D.D.; El der, Abner C,Hilton. Schuyler—Rev, Reuben K. McCoy. Wabash—,,Rev. Joseph E. McMur ray; Elder, EbenezerMheeney. Alton—Revs. Caleb J. Pitkin, Charles F. Beach . ; Elders, John N. McCord, Isaac Scarritt. XVII. SYNOD OF PEORIA. Ottawa—Rev. Ira M. Weed ; Elder, Thomas Ware. Znox—Rev. Samuel Wyckoff; Elder, Marcus B. Osborne. Galena and Belvid,ere Revs. David R. Eddy Josiah Leonard; Elders, Eliphalet S. Rose, John J. Buckley. Chicago —Revs. Alfred Eddy, William C. Dic,kinson ; Elders, Hon. William H. Brown, D. R. Holt. Bloomington—Rev., A.dam Johnston ; Elder, Amass. WaShburn. XVIII. SYNOD 'OF WISCONSIN. - Affazule . s w — a ß t r., y- ,o 7l, e e iv "Vi er T.,_E i l i tttaldep Preston. Columbus—Vey. Daniel A. Bassett Elder, AugustusP. - Smith. • , - irk' SYNOD . OF WW,9- Des ilfoiites—Rev: Asa Rohnson'; Eider. Wil-: • ham D. , Keokuk—,Rev. Aa.ren Thornik.! son ;. HI Scott Howell. /mod Rev. Samuel J. Mills.; Elderi Simnel W. Sedg-:: wick. Dubuque—Rev. Henry B. HolmeerrEl der, John Meek!. Cedar Valley—Budahßeed. Chariton—No representation. XX. ' SYNOD OF MINNESOTA. Dakotah—Rev. JohirPeck ; Elder, Amos D. Seward. Minnesota—Rev. Frederick A. Noble; Elder, Hon. Samuel J. R. McMillan. Winona —Rev. Sanford H. Smith. XXI. SYNOD OF MISSOURI. St. Louis—Rev. John Maclean •, Elder, Ed ward Barnard. Lexingtonßev. Benj. B: Par sons, D.D.; Elder, Joseph Lambrite. North ern M issouri—Rev. Latten W. Dunlap. Kan sas—Rev. James Brownlee. XXII. SYNOD OF ALTA CALIFORNIA. • San Francisco, Sierra Nevada, San-Jose, Washoe—No representation. XXIII. SYNOD OF EAST TENNESSEE. Union—Rev. Thomas J. Lamar: Kingston —Elder John J. Dixon. Holston—Np repre sentation. CORRESPONDING BODIES. - General Assembly that met in Newark in 1864 —Rev. Milo J. Hickok, D.D., Mr. T. Ch Iton Henry. General Synod of the Refo es byterian Church in North .America—Rev. John A. Crawford. Union of Evangelical Churches in France—Rev. Theodore Monod. This is believed to be the fullest roll ever reported at the opening of the body. Applications were reported from Elder J., J. Dixon, of Kingston Presbytery, and Rev. J. Lamar of Union Presbyteries in the , Synod of East Tennessee, which was formerly affiliated with the General Assembly, asking to be admitted as of Ad. They were referred to a special committee, consisting of Rev. Dr. Fisher, ,A. Adair and Elder Brown ,of Chicago., - The Asserribly then proceeded to the eleO tion of Moderator. The Rev. James Shaw, D:D.; of =Rochester; S. T. Spear D.D., of Brooklyn and . Geo. L. Prentiss :D.D.,_ of- New Yorke w ere put • in nominiaion. ' Drs. Spear and ' Prentiss, with the,consent of the Assembly declined, the nomination, where upon Dr. Shaw was unanimously chosen by a viva. - voce vote. On being 'installed in the chair, Dr. Shaw gracefully acknowledged the compliment conferred upon him by the As sembly, saying, that he too would have de 'clicked the position but that having once be fore refused such a nomination he would be ashamed to do it again. He modestly spoke of his distrust of his competency for the position, saying that he would rely upon the co-operation:4 the Assembly and the Divine assistance for his ability to fill it. The ad dress was a model in its way, occupying but a minute in the delivery, and made a most favorable impression. Rev. John Spaulding,pti ,. .4l t li i nA, c of w N in e d w h Y am or , k oh a i n o d , were unanimously chosen temporary clerks. The docket was read, the rules of former Askmblies were adopted for the government of the present one, and the usual distribution of the minutes of the last General Assembly was made. The presentation of the synodical records and papers from the Presbyteries relative to them was made the order for 10 o'clock Fri day morning. The report of the Ministerial Relief Fund was made the order for Tuesday, at 10 o'clock, and it was determined that a standing committee be appointed to receive and act upon it ; said committee to be ap pointed at every meeting of the Assembly, in the same manner as the standing commit the on other denomtnational objects. The Treasurer's report shows an indebted ness of the Assembly for moneys expeaed by him during the year. of $5,824 84, and a credit by receipts of $5,739 00, leaving a ba lance against the Assembly of $84.94. An auditing committee was appointed, to whom the report was referred. The Assembly next proceeded to fix the place of the next meeting. Rochester,.N. Y., Erie, Pa., and St. Louis, Mo., were nom inated. The roll was called, and St. Louis was selected by a large majority. Adjourned to to-morrow morning at half past eight. SECOND DAY-FRIDAY Si A. M. An hour was spent in devotional services. The roll was then called, and the Moderator announced the committees as follow, Judicial.—Ministers : Geo. L. Prentiss, D. D., Geo. E. Pierce, D D., Lewis Kellogg, Elroy Curtis, R. S. Eggleston, Daniel EMa- Bee. Elders : Gordon Burchard, Moses ristol, Chas. Ogilby, Robt. Ewer, Ezek.. E. Bradford, Bills and Overtures.—Ministers : S. T. Spear, D.D., Wm. W. Newell, D D , John N. Bishop, Samuel M. Mills, R. K. McCoy, Samuel Jessup. Elders: Hon. S. R. McMi len, Thomas Were, James W. Salisbury, M. D., Joseph D. Clark, John G. Parker. Polity of the Church.—Ministers; Samuel W. Fisher, D D., Thomas R. Townsend, Hanford A. Edson, Chas. T. Beach, Henry B. Holmes. Elders: Edward D. Mansfield, LLD., John Mac Clay, Benjamin. W. Oakley, Wm. H. Skinner, Job Harris. Church Erection—Ministers: E. P. Pratt, D.D., Geo. W. Elliott, N. S. Dickie, Alfred Eddy, L. F. Lane, Ed. Stratton. Elders : Jno. Lambert, M.D., Justus Townsend, J. J. Dickerson, Wm. Laird, Ebenezer Cherry. Home Missioills.—Ministers: E. E. Adams, D.D., Win. Waith, B. B. Parsons, T. R. Gal lagher F. A. Noble, Jno. Tomkins. - Elders: Hon. H.W. Williams, Hon. Win. H. Brown, L. A. Smith, M.D., Jno. Knight. A.- P. Smith. Forei.gnMissions.—Ministers: Wm. Adams, D.D., Daniel March, D.D., William M. Chee ver, E. Barber, Wilbur McKaig, Ransom Hawley.. Elders: Hon. Calvin T. Hulburd, Louis Chapin, John Endicot, Charles Holmes, Jr., Moses C. Browning. Edu , cation.--Ministers: Edw. 0. Hovey, A. A. Wood, D:D.• ' L. J. Evans, S. Wishard, J. Copeland, T. B. McFalls. Elders : Hon. T. T. Flagler, 0. E. Wood, H. Todd, M.D., Isaac Searitt, William D. Moore. Publication.—Ministers: A.Eldridge, D.D. S. Cowles, J. B. Bonar, D. R. Eddy, E. Thompson, John McLean. Elders: A. C. Allen, John C. Gallup, M.D. Joseph W. Leslie, S. T. Bodine, John W. McElroy. Minigterial Relief —Ministers: William R. De. Witt, D.D,; H. Smith, Loomis Chandler, A. Cone. Elders : E. B. Jones, A. R. Riggs , S. 'F. McConnell.. THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1865. Narrative.—Ministers: . John W. Mears, Thomas B. Hudson, William H. Clark, S. H. Smith. Elders : Philo Clark, M.D., John H. Phelps, S. L. Boughton. Leave of Absence.—Ministers: J. B. Pres ton, Geo. W. Mackie,John S. Swaine, John C. Taylor. Elders: _ Parker, A. C. • 'Eck _ Devotional Exercises.—Ministers :- W. W. Newell, D.D.. J. F. Sutton, Rev. J. B. Reeve, H. W. Palmer. Elders: L. C. Wal ton, A. C. Washburne, Amos D. Seward. ilea e.—John P. Crosby; Samuel String-. ham, Winslow A. Phelps. The Committees on Synodical Reco omitted. Thn Synodical records, narrative othor.papers were then called for. Mr. Walter S. Griffith, on behalf II r.'r Permanent Cummittee on °rei a gn submitted= he seventh annual reaitt-i-.i , we' annex an abstract. ~ 1 t , ronF.UIN MISSIONS. The committee SO; " Doping four; a terrible_ civil war;, in.whieh 'the lig ,( ergies the nationhave been -put fo t its best bkiod has beeri shed in resin y subduihg (he:Most wicked, rebellion k the history of the fallen world, God yh grace to „hii-lieoPle amid all the:' strain . up:aythe* resources tO,reme liathen, and to.sustain the missionai have gon'e forth from us; SO that the, net Very seriously interfered with or their labors. And now when'-the ended and the Rebellion. subdued, w deep black blot of slavery no longer s nationa escutcheon or reflects a dark sh our-religion, when the missionary c of our land, have, by the grace of Uod So sublimely their lovefor patriotism ! and mankind, in the history of thei and sacrifices to maintain the unity an of the nation, to deliver the enslaved save the world, we would with heartf tude ascribe all to boundless grace , upon His . people finder their trying - a ing experiences, and 'express the ho the goodness of God will lead us as :a in all-the futilre to trust him more iII and to realize that the work which his people to do, he wilfgive them the strength to accomplish if with ail the: and powers, they will seek his help to dnAy. . From the minutes of the last Asse committee report that 720 churches membership of 36,883 contributed no the cause of Foreign Missions. Du year reported in the minutes of the sembly 722 churches contributed to .t $97 , ,629,14, with 101 3 '189 members ; 1 age, contribution by each of ninety c With reference to the resolution c 'General Assembly, urging the .apy of Presbyteilal agents, the commit that the suggestion -has been ado veral of the Presbyteries, with e encouraging results. The repor various - Rresby,te r ialt agetitsk Nver in the report. - The committee regard the rein as deeidedly proving the 'elf:id( plan. TheresB' Men:Thera of the loruployed ,in the-work, of For wleoselecritiontis-given. l t The mi less than last year. A circular letter from the' missionaries in the field was r fervent exhortation to them 1 close conuection with the home their own sake, and for that of the churches, and assuring. the found sympathy of their breth contained a noble reference to th nation, and the fact that thro missionaries had been true. Interesting letters were read fr. S. Williamson, AD., of the mis Dakotahs, Rev: Albert Bushnell, sion to the Barak<Gaboon, West At Tilman C. Trowbridge, of the is West • Turkey, from the Rev. Lennep at awyrna, and Theo. L. Eskizagra, E. Turkf In accordane last Assembly Relations hay. The commit urgent appeal sionary cause; may be recruit the army. The terms bers of the col Rev. George D Rev. Walter Poor, D D., R. The report The Rev. D REPORT OF T The commik gress in the im though the wt religious younj any others, thr the committer last year. 01 nishes obe onl, every year's its contributiol manently avail requested pol which, being , vested in IL $2,000 each h. in all 1•eld by have contribui three niore thr $23,365 35, $6, the last yeari _The committee urge contribution, be made earlier in the This reurt, together with that Treasurer, ,which was subsequently re refer4ed. The Rev. Henry Kendall, from th: mittee on Home Missions, read , a der& port. It reviews the progress of the work . the South, then the Rocky Mountain Div :ion, and. that among the GCriiiin poul. ion, urging the education of ministers-in the er man language and the general edithai% ' - of more ministers. The report; alio relate,: to church edifices, district secretaries, dea is, Sic. The number of missionaries ..empl 'ed is 321; aggregate labor, 255 yeari. . There is a most urgent - appeal for * laborers from every part of the field. 1' t ministers could be planted in promising fie di without delay. . Our church has nevem li plied itself with ministers. -'There labor 1 have died. $85,000 has been contributed the churches. Tfie income would have bet quite inadequate but for the short supply laborers. COMMITFEE OF BILLS AND OVERTURES. Dr. Spear, from the Committee on. Bill and Overtures, submitted thrlee reporti; on , on an overture, No. 2, from the Fourth Pres bytery of New York, relating to an alteration in the column of statistics of contributions to Foreign Missions, based on the fact that the contributions of our churches were made-to the American Board of Foreign Missions, and not to any committee of the General Assem bly. The overture proposes that the column bear a heading to indicate that fact. Adopted. On overture No. 4, setting forth the case of a confessed heretic, who asked' that he be curt off from thechurch; Cau he be excom municated withont trial? Referred to the , Book o 1 Discipline, chap. 4, And urge 4 to folloiv the rule strictly. This is understood to be adverse-to the request, Adopted: r lie last • ntment 4 report '.1:1 by se , eutly en flla the .0 thitted 494rted eva-the esbyteries AfissiCtns , ier is two "mittee to It was a keep up a • urolies for e*nause in if the pro; . It ial of, hoot Thomas n to lhe the Ems ea, Rev. L . ion to FIJ. Van milUngton, with an the mis sionaries. ldiers of HOME MISSIONS On overture No. 5. Can a Presbytery au thorize its Stated Clerk to grant, at their own request, letters certifying regular standing and dismission of members to join other eccle siastical bodies in connection with the Gene ral Assembly? No. Adopted. MEETING OF ELDERS At a conference of Elders, delegates to the last General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, held at Dayton, 0., a committee was appointed to take into consideration the ex pediency of calling a similar meeting of Elders some time during the session of the General Assembly in Brooklyn the present year. The Committee thinking another similar meeting very desirable, especially at this time, in view of. the extraordinary condition of our country, calling the chuich to prayer and an enlarged spirituality in order to the prepara tion needed for the great work demanded of ;it, named 'this evening as the time for holding it, and cordially and earnestly, invited all. the .Elders, delegates to the 'General Assembly, and the Elders of, the churches in Brooklyn, New< York, and vicinity, connected with .the G§neral.Assembly, to attend the meeting: . • AFTERNOON, SESSION-REPORTS. CONTINUED. ef the ssions, which PUBLICATION COMMITTEE 8_ REPORT. _ The report of the Treasurer for the year ending :March 31, 18611$ , Balance on hand Aprill, 1864, $5;126 14 :_ Donations,received to March 31, _ 1865, For:General PurpOses, 6,500 73 For Endowment Fund, 31,376 56 Cash ree , eived . onaccount of sales, 30,005 91 Do. do. interest on investments, 2,366 44 • Do.: do. , rents from Presbyterian House, 1,72'7 50 Total, Orders paid by Treasurer, viz., On account of Committee, . $38,480 02 • ' Do. Store, 6,997 04 Do. Trustees Presbyterian • House, 7,000 00 Do, Presbyterian House, 2,158 14 Do. Investment U. S. Se =rides, 21,000 00 _ Total, $75,635 20 • calls I. eeded hearts o their Balance - on hand April 1, 1865, $1,558 38 The cash received does not show the full amount of sales, as, in some cases, the bal alas in favor of the Committee only appear on the Treasurer's books. The gross sales for' the year amount to $36,000 81 as com pared with $22,353 66 the preceding year, end $15,622 33 the year,betore last. If to the sales we would add donations made by the committee to the value of $2,260 16, we hiiire. - a total of $38,269 97. The total amount subscribed to the En dowttlent-Pundlis $5.0,180 57. OF this there had,been paid up to April 1, 1865, $46,378 02, leaving a-balance subscribed but'not paid of $3;852 53. In accordance with • the instruc tions of the Assembly, that one-fifth of the money raised be paid , to ,the Trustees by the Presbyterian House, towards the liquidation of pheimcumbrance, upon the house,s9,o9o litislieCn thus paid; which is s3ssl9'hi ex cess.of one-filth of the net receipts for the fund ly the with a i big to . g the • t As • cause 'waver- .Thecommittee rep - ort that they-have had ,the -satisfaction of effecting amuck larger distribution of- their publications by sale and ilonation, during the past, than in any pm ceeding year. the case of some of the works upon their list this has been marked and gratifying, and they trust that the good used thus sown has not been without fruits in the past, and will not be in the future. Yet, whilst gratified by this fact, they do -not think that they have by any means reached the point at which they should be satisfied: The committee do not seek to accumulate funds or property for the sake of having the appearance- of a strong establishmentl nor do they print books and tracts that they may with them load the shelves of the Presbyterian House. The one object of all their efforts is the circulation of these pages among the peo ple of thecountry, that the voices of our ministers and members may be multiplied and supplemented—that the truths which they hold in their' hearts and utter with their lips, may be sent forth by a thousand-tongied press, reaching those whom they cannot per sonally reach, or touching those they may not feel competent: themselves to instruct. Since their last annual report they have issued oder thirty new works, among which is a ' History of the Presbyterian Church," by E. H. Gillett, D.D. . Memberships. —ln accordance with the ac tion •*df the last General Assembly, it was stated that the committee have resolved to issue certificates of corresponding and honor ary membership. The payment of - $3O-con stitutes a corresponding„and $lOO an honor ary membership. In connection with the foregoing document there vas presented the Retort of the Trus tees, of., the: Presbyterian House, in which their financial condition was stated as follows: Receipts, $13,813 39 Expenditures, 12,262 57 of the Foreign Ated. , mem inAime : Brown, niel W. CATION ng pro it. Al rgely on than'on ided by -e than nh fur :e that paid by idel per 3sembly bace, been lan in lips of :ingfour hurches thirty ount of 00 over hat the Balance in hand, $1,550 82 The sinking fund was stated as having the proportions of $11,900. Both reports were, on motion, referred to the Standing Committee on Publication. CHURCH ERECTION COMvITTEE. The report of the Church Erection Com mittee was next read by the Secretary and Treasurer of the Commirtee, J W. Benedict, Esq. The total amount of the fund of the Committee is now $123,846 94. The fund is designepp afford aid for the completion of church edifices not`for their commencement; and the money advanced is looked upon as a ldan, and to be repaid within a given time. It appeared that there are churches`in arrears to flits fund in the sum of $23,243 92. The report of the Treasurer showed that the total receipts were $127,524 72,!and.the total cred its $123,846 94. The report was referred to the Standing Committee on Church Erection. . . DELEGATES TO CORRESPONDING BODIF.S. Reports of delegates to the various corres ponding bodies, was the next business in or4er. The first read was a very interesting report of Rev. Dr. Wilson, of Newark, N. J., delegate of this, the New School Presbyterian . .e Church to the Old School Assembly, which ;Y met at Newark last year. The time for a `' 3 closer organic union between each of these 3- bodies, the report says, has not yet come. rs Other reports of delegates were also read. 'Y One from Rev. Edmund Hall, D,D., of Au nt burn, to the Convention of 'Vermont. Another 1 from Rev.y. Waldo, delegate to Wisconsin. One from Rev. Byron Sunderland, delegate to France ; and one from Rev. Chester Mills, delegate - to New York. The Report of Rev. Byron Sunderland, dele gate to the Evangelical SoCiety of France, trans mitted to the Assembly the greeting of Pro testant France to the Christians - of .America. ' This was a most interesting and instructive 'report, giving somewhat in detail the onward march of Protestantism in:"a land where four-fifths of the people are stout Papists, and nothing is done but with Government author ity." This French Synod, it was stated, meets every two years and comprises 32 churches and 63 places of worship. The .reading of the •reports was here inter- , 1 rnpted by the statement that a delegate from the French Synod, who hakl • , gone on to the Pittsburg Assembly, had stated his inten ,tion of visiting the Assembly, as had also two delegates from the "Old School" Presbyte rians—Rev. Myron P. Hickok and Carlton Henry, of Philadelphia. On motion, it was decided that the 'fast order on Thursday morning next shall be to hear delegates from corresponding bodies. The report of Rev. R. R. Booth, D.D., dele gate to the Assembly of the Protestant Re formed Dutch Church, concluded the list of general reports, which were together accepted and ordered to be printej. in the appendix to the minute:. REPORT OF THE OVERTURE COMMITTEE. The following is a copy of an overture pre sented to the Assembly, with the partial re port of the committee to which it was refeired. This document 'was the main point of the afternoon session, and excited no little inter est on all sides. OVERTURE TO TUE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. The undersigned, being members of the Preabyterian.Church of the 'United States of America ,beg leave to submit the following overture, ' to the Genei;alAssembly about to hold its in thd city of Brooklyn, express ing their:belief thattreason is'a most grievous sin agairist AS well as the highest crime against . the State, and referring to the un doubted fact that the ministry resident in the Statda - recently in rebelliOn have largely shared in the guilt of treason- against the Govern ment and of their country, aiding and abetting the nu* and thus - bringing great scandal upon our holy religion—the undersigned re- N)ectfully ask the General Assembly to give its testimony on this subject, and take some order suggesting to the Presbyteries upon what terms and in what way ministers who have thus been guilty of treason should, if at all, be received by them in the event of their making an application for this purpose. The undersigned feel that this is a subject of the highest practical importance to :he honor of Zion, and also the welfare of our common country; and hence they submit it for con sideration to the AsseMbly. S. T. Spear, W. W. Newell, Walter S.-Griffith, R. R. Booth, Geo. C. Ripley, Wm. A. Booth, W. Hastin,gs, Chas. S. Robinson, Danl. W. Poor, Theo. L. Cuyler, T. Ralston Smith, Thomas Bond, Jesse W. Benedict, Joseph N. Tuttle, C. Dunning, Hugh Aikman, Peter P. Sherwood, Wm. P. Cook, J. C. Halsey, M. D., I James Robinson, G. Burchard, Thornton A. Mills, Edwin F. Hatfield. • MINUTE ON TREASON. $77,191 48 In reference to the above overture, the committee recommend the adoption of the following minute and that its consideration by the' Assembly' be made the order of the day for next Monday at 3 P. M.:-- The Assembly:regards the matter referred to in the overture as of the gravest and most solemn character. Civil society is in the Scriptures expressly declared to be an ordi nance of •God. Its agency is some form of human government, and to this government the subject thereof is bound to yield obedi ence, except in thoSe cases in which thelligher law, of God directly , intervenes to cancel the obligation. To disobey the civil law, unless required to do so. by the lavuof God, is alike a crime against the State and a sin against God, rendering the offender justly amenable to punishment. ' " • Theie principles so abundantly asserted in the Scriptures, and so obviously true at the bar of right and reason, apply with special emphasis to that form of disobedience which is treasonable, which seeks to subvert govern ment, which attacks the very life of a nation, -and gives rise to disorder, anarchy and civil war among the people. Resistance to the civil authority in this form and for this pur pose is, in the judgment bf. this Assembly, the highest crime against the State, as well as the most grievous sin against God. The specific case referred to in . the overture pre sents the crime • and sin of treason under its most aggravated conditions. It, is treason against a popular Government, containing within itself the most ample means for the peaceful redress of all possible grievances. It is treason without any provocation, justifica tion or excuse. It is treason designed and planned to perpetuate and extend the iniqui tous system of human bondage. It is trea son too, historically attended with barbarities and outrages, on the pet of its authors and abettors, alike shocking'to the civilization of the age, and repugnant to the principles of Christianity. To suppress and destroy this treason as an organized military power has involved the sacrifice of thousands and tens of thousands of human lives, and filled the land with the deep wail of affliction and sor— row. Such a treason this Assembly regards as involving criminality ha l ls most appalling form. The justice of God he honor of law, and . the safety. of civil society imperatively demand that it should be suitably punished by the judicial power of the nation, in the in fliction of penalty upon its guilty authors. That the ministers of the Gospel resident in what have been designated as the rebel States—men professing to believe in the Bible and to hopor its principles--should have shared in thetguilt of this treason, making them selves parties thereto, giving to it their Oublic influence, aiding and abetting the same, seems to the Assembly one-of the most astonishing moral perversions to be found in the history of this fallen world; and yet that such has been the fact in the States hitherto in rebel lion is too obvious to admit of reasonable doubt or denial. These ministers the Assem bly can view only ,'as in this thing most griev ous sinners against the God of heaven., If they were justly chargeable with polygamy, debauchery, drunkenness, or any other gross sin, to the same extent, their sinfulness in the sight of God, and their criminality in that of man, would not, in the judgment of this As sembly, 'be greater than they now are. In view of the principles and epinions thus ex pressed, the Assembly most earnestly exhorts all the Presbyteries under its care to consider this subject, and take such action thereupon as shall accord with the Word of God. In the event that any of the ministers referred to in the above overture' shall apply for ad mission into these Presbyteries, the Assembly advises the Presbyteries, not to admit them, or in any way recognize them as ambassadors of the Cross of Christ, until they have given satisfactory evidence that they have sincerely repented of their sin. The details of this ad vice, the, manner and ways of giving it practi cal effect, the Assembly must for the present leave with the discretion and wisdom of the Presbyteries; yet the Assembly cannot for bear to express the hope that the Presbyteries, in the spirit of true loyalty to their country and their. God, will so act in the Remises as to convey the clearest and most undoubted condemnation of the treason which has clothed this landlwit hthe habiliments of sorrow. Let the religious sense of the Church in her pul pit-ministrations, through her judicatories, mark this sin as of the deepest dye. The Assembly, in thus answering the over tare, has no specific case before it for a defi nite and special judgment, and has therefore submitted the answer in the general-form. On a motion to that effect, this partial re port was accepted, and Monday, at 3 o'clock, was designated as the time for the considera tion of the subject. A - report in regard to the relation of un employed ministers to the Church, and es pecially setting 'forth their inelligibility to the place of elders, under -the rale that no one ,not in full communion and it member of. the Church could hold such a position, was presented. This subject gave rise to an extended de bate, which. Was generally engaged in until the time for adjournment came. On motion, the session Was extended for ten minutes, m order that the subject might 19 settled. - Dr.-SPear argued at length that ordained ministers, , - - whether employed or not, were members of the Presbytery, and not of the Church, and could not represent the Church as elders. The report was.finally adopted. The Committee on Devotional. Exercises gave out the appointments for next. Sun day. The reading , of the appointments con cluded the business of the afternoon session, and the Assembly adjourned. THIRD DAY.-SATURDAY After the hour of devotional services the meeting was called to order. The names of a number of additional Commissioners,; were reported to the Assembly. Dr. Fisher, fi - ontthe Committee bnChurch Polity, submitted-his REPORT _ON EAST TENNESSEE. The committee state that , they have re ceived full statements from the Rev. Thomas J. Lamar, Commissioner from the ,Presby tery of, Union ; Elder. John J. Dino, from the Presbytery of Kingston, in the State of Tennessee ; and also from the Rev. Ba*iel Sawyer, a home missionary in that geed= The papers submitted showed a resolutionion the part of the Union Presbytery nett itself with the United Synod of the rres byterian Church; and, second, to return to its connection with this body. At the Meet ing of the Presbytery in September last, there were present three ministers and eleven or twelve elders. Two of the.ministers oflthis Presbytery had been sent beyond our :lines for disloyalty ; three others absented them selves from the meeting—none of these were pastors. The meeting was called according to rule. The papers in regard to the Presbytery of Kingston had been lost on the way to the Assembly, but verbal explanations were, made in lieu of them. In this Presbyterj there were six ministers, four of whyni were present, and two, disloyal, absent The el ders were kept away by a raid made partly for that purpose. In view of these facts, the committee recommend the recognition of the Presbyteries of Union and Kingston, and the enrollment of the names of Messrs. Lamar and Dixon on the roll of the Assembly. As to the Synodical relations of the Presbyteries, it appears that some of the ministers of Hol ston, and some of the elders, are anxious to return to their connection with this Assem bly; that the Church of Greenville and the Church at Timber Ridge request to - be re- . united with this body; that a large part of the New River Presbytery is disloyal. The committee recommend the following resolu- ' tions First. That the Rev. R. P. Neils, Rev. R., Bachman," with the Rev. S. SawYer ; at present a member of the Presbytery of Fort Wayne, are hereby constituted the:Pres byteri* of Holston; that the churches of Greenville and Timber Ridge be placed under the care of this Presbytery ; that the saki Presbytery shall have the same territorial limits as those of the former Presbytery of Holston, and providing for the meeting of the same. Second. That the Presbyteries of Union, Kingston, and Holston are hereby erected into the Synod of Tennessee, and that the bounds of said Synod be the same as that of the former Synod of Tennessee. Third. That in case the Presbytery of New River, now in connection with the United Synod, shall elect to belong to the Synod thus constituted, said Presbytery shall be recog nized as a constituent part of said Synod; in case it does not, then the bounds of the Pres bytery of Holston be so enlarged as to em brace any churches and ministers within the bounds of said New River Presybytery that may elect to unite with us. Fourth. That these Presbyteries be direct ed not to recognize or admit as members of their respective bodies any minister known to be disloyal to the Government of the United States. In support of the position taken in his re port, Dr. Fisher referred to the minutes of the Assembly for 1839, and the case of the Presbytery, of Hanover. In this case, the Presbytery of East Hanover had divided, and the adherents of the New School, though they had a clear right to the old title, had, out of courtesy, and without synodical action, adopted the title of "Hanover," which was allow &d. He urged that these Presbyteries will bee organized mostly by those in connee don with our body, and if not, then by those desirous of being so. It was important that this field should be connected with us in such a way as to open it to missionary labor. He specially urged that by the fourth resolution we would rid the church of the disloyal slave holding elements. Mr. Sawyer then addressed the Assembly. I suppose, he said, that most members of this Assembly are looking with great interest upon East Tennessee. I am convinced of this from the way in which myself and my asso ciates have been met by all of you. lam here now, glad to answer any inquiries which may be addressed to me in relation to, the difficulties in ray section. One thingl will 'say.. Brethren have asked me whether we, in Tennessee, are ready to accept the rro clamation of Emancipation which 'Abraham Lincoln made. I answer, We are not only up to that, but we are beyond it. Tk.. masses have already decided this questiOn. I went up to the State Constitutional 'Con vention at Knoxville, and my vote went with the large one which forbade all Legislatures, for the future, to recognize in any way, di rectly or indirectly, property in any man. This decree had been indorsed in a free elec tion of the people by a majority of 30,000 votes, legally taken. We in. Tennessee are not conservative in the way which Mr. Beecher once defined it—" very wise-looking, like a toad, and, like a toad, very slow-hop ping"—we are, in respect to slavery, on the whole rather radical. We are ready for the abolition of slavery. In the name of all that is patriotic, of all that is just and true, we do not want our children to listen to the preaching of ministers who have been traitors to our country. And even it' this Assembly should recommend their re installation, I doubt if in Tennessee you could get a corporal's guard to listen to them. We know what treason is, and we know that these men have incited, aided, and abetted it. Near Knoxville, a few days since, I met a man by the name of Vineyard, who told me that his father, an old man, had been drowned . by the guerrillas, with six others— thrown into the river, and those who tried to swim-riddled with bullets. This is the thing these disloyal ministers have encour aged. It is estimated, and justly, that every disloyal minister in Tennessee to-day has his hands reeking with the Mood of at least 12 murdered men. The speaker described the spirit in which -the slaveholders had always treated them. He alluded to the " Ross" As sembly at Richmond in 1857, from which he had been excluded, and one of the dele gates to which had said that he had been sent to it to give the Northern Abolitionists h-1. He then traced the previous history -of the churches of East Tennessee. Some - of them in order .to avoid uniting with the United Synod Seuth, had joined the a S. 'branch: ' When this was also divided, and `the Southern branch had seceded from the :Northern and joined with the Sontheru
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