PRESBYTERIANS. 



081 



over College, Indiana, Moderator. This Assem- 

 bly, fur the first time since the beginning of the 

 irar, had a thorough discussion of the slavery 

 question. On Tuesday, May 24th, Judge Mat- 

 thews, (under President Buchanan District At- 

 torney of Ohio) presented a report from the 

 Committee on Bills and Overtures, which gave 

 a historical review of the action of former Gen- 

 eral Assemblies on the subject, and recommend- 

 ed the expression of a cordial approbation of the 

 measures taken by the national and State au- 

 thorities for its extirpation. After elaborate 

 speeches by Judge Matthews, the Eev. Dr. Xev- 

 in, Hon. Martin Ryerson, Rev. Dr. Rose, and 

 others, the report was, on May 28th, adopted 

 by a unanimous vote. 



The Assembly showed itself very favorable to 

 a union with the New School Presbyterians. 

 A paper unanimously passed by the General 

 Assembly of the latter body (see below) respect- 

 ing this subject, was received and heartily con- 

 curred in. A report from the Committee on 

 Memorials, expressing similar sentiments, was 

 adopted, together with three resolutions to this 

 effect: 1. That this Assembly has witnessed 

 with satisfaction the happy influence of corre- 

 spondence between the two bodies ; 2. That it 

 is not expedient at present to propose any 

 additional measure ; and 3. That fraternal in- 

 tercourse be maintained between the two 

 bodies. 



A large number of ministerial and lay members 

 of the Assembly formed an association to pro- 

 mote the union of the two bodies, and recom- 

 mended to the synods, presbyteries, and con- 

 gregations of the Church, a number of measures, 

 by which they might promote the desire for a 

 reunion and smooth the way for its consumma- 

 tion. With regard to foreign missions, it was 

 resolved that 300,000 be raised the coming 

 year. The Executive Committee reported the 

 receipts for 1864 to have been $222,397.13; 

 expenditures, $221.609.93 leaving a balance 

 in the treasury of $788.20. 



The Board of Domestic Missions have 452 

 missionaries serving in twenty-four States and 

 territories. The receipts were $82,684.29, being 

 $11,473.51 more than during the previous year. 

 The report of the committee, which was adopt- 

 ed by the Assembly, recommended, among 

 other resolutions, to carry the light and bless- 

 ings of religion to the multitudes emancipated 

 from slavery. 



The interesting case of the complaint of Dr. 

 S. B. McPheeters, against the Presbytery of St. 

 Louis, for causing his preaching there to cea.-o, 

 was decided adversely to Dr. McPheeters. Al- 

 though this case was said to stand upon its 

 merits, imputations on the loyalty of the com- 

 plainant were generally believed to have influ- 

 enced the decision. 



On March 10th, 1864, the following order 

 was issued by the Secretary of War at the joint 

 application of the Board of Domestic Missions 

 and of the Presbyterian Commi' tee of Home 

 Mirsions : 



YV'AU DEPARTMENT. ASSISTANT AI/JT-TANT fir.xrp.Ai.'s I 

 OFFICE, WASHINGTON, March 10th. l->'<4. | 



To the generals commanding the Military Division 

 of the Mississippi and the Departments of the Gulf, 

 of the South, and of Virginia and North Carolina, 

 and all generals and officers commanding armies, 

 detachments, and posts, and all officers in the ser- 

 vice of the United btates in the above-mentioned de- 

 partments : The Board of Domestic Missions of the 

 Presbyterian Church, and the Presbyterian Commit- 

 tee of'Home Missions, enjoy the entire confidence of 

 this Department, and no doubt is entertained that 

 all ministers who may be appointed by them will be 

 entirely loyal. 



You'are expected to permit such ministers of the 

 gospel, bearing a commission of the " Board of Do- 

 mestic Missions, or of the Presbyterian Committee 

 of Home Missions" of the Presbyterian Church, who 

 may convince you that their commissions are gen- 

 uine, to exercise the functions of their office within 

 your command, and to give them all the aid, coun- 

 tenance, and support which may be practicable, and 

 in your judgment proper, in the execution of their 

 important mission. 



Bv order of the Secretary of War, 



E. D. TOYTXSEXD, 

 Assistant Adjutant-General. 



In August, a meeting of the Presbytery of 

 Xashville, Tenn.. was held, at which it was re- 

 solved to rescind a resolution passed in August, 

 1861, by which this Presbytery was formally 

 transferred to the General Assembly of the 

 Confederate States. This resolution leaves the 

 Presbytery where it formerly was in connec- 

 tion with the General Assembly of the Presby- 

 terian Church in the United States. 



In 'Kentucky the majority of the ministers 

 and laymen of the presbyteries of the Old 

 School Presbyterian Church assumed a deci- 

 dedly hostile attitude toward the General -A s- 

 sembly, on account of the views of the latter 

 body on the slavery and loyalty questions. The 

 Louisville Presbytery, at its meeting at Owens- 

 burg, in April, severely censured the application 

 from two boards of the Church to the Secreta- 

 ry of War, for a reoccupation of the Southern 

 churches, by passing the following resolution : 



Resolved, That in thus asking and accenting frora 

 the State, and more especially from the \\ ar Depart- 

 ment, an indorsement of the commissions given to 

 the ministers of Jesus Christ, sent to preach the gos- 

 pel as missionaries of the church in connection with 

 the Board of Domestic Missions, this board have 

 transcended in an alarming degree the powers with 

 which they are vested, as the agents of the Church, 

 and have acknowledged such a subordination of the 

 Church of Jesus Christ to the State, as is contrary to 

 the constitution of the Presbyterian Church, contrary 

 to the ancient testimonies of the faithful witnesses of 

 the Church in all the past time, contrary to the whole 

 teaching of the word of God. It is a "practical sur- 

 render of the freedom of the commonwealth of Chri.-t, 

 and denial of the supreme kingly authority of Messiah 

 'n his own kingdom. 



The efforts made by some members of the 

 Church to cause the secession of the Kentucky 

 churches from the General Assembly, were, 

 however, fruitless. The Synod of Kentucky, at 

 its meeting, in August, adopted the following 

 action concerning the views of the General As- 

 sembly touching slavery : 



The General Assembly, at different times, but es- 

 pecially in the years 1613 and 1843, set forth ths 



