Notes on Current Literature [pp. 533-540]

THE GENIERAL ASSEMBLY.
under the Board of Home Missions, and that of the F-eedmnen is to be,
at the end of five years. Some minor details, such as having but one
Treasurer for the Board of Education and for Ministerial Relief styling
what has been called the Colporteur, the Missionary work of the Board
of Publication, were also adopted. After the amount of discussion
which this subject has had for years, in and out of the Assembly,
and the degree of unanimity and cordiality with which the result was
reached, it strikes us that it may fairly and wisely be regarded
as settled for at least a considerable time to come. A sufficiency of criticism is needfcel and healthy-nothing is so sacred as to be above it.
But beyond a reasonable limit it becomes paralyzing. We know men of
great ability whose self-criticism is so severe a to disable them. They
dare not attempt to reach their own ideal. Christian giving withers
under incessant criticism and censure of its methods as wasteful, and
its objects as useless. Yet this should not shield abuses or faults from
exposure. But after thorough search and adjudication by the Church,
it should be the effort of all to set in strong relief before the people
the merits of these causes, rather than to constantly blazon their supposed demerits. At the worst the former vastly preponderate.
Many other important subjects came before the Assembly, most of
which were disposed of wisely, while some suffered for want of that adequate discussion, which the great number of them, the size of the
body, and the amount of time consumed with the subject of consolidation, rendered impracticable. The result of all the agitation of the
limited term of service in the eldership is, that an overture goes to the
Presbyteries for ratification, permitting churches that desire it, to elect
elders for a term of service not less than three years, not more than
one-third to go out of office at any one time, and these then to remain eligible to membership in higher courts. Th.s so recognizes the perpetuity of the office, along with the limitation of the term of service, that it
will be more satisfactory than any other measure yet proposed, to all parties
in the church.
We were sorry that the formula for the admission of church members was disposed of by indefinite postpcnement; because, although it
is perfectly true, as Dr. Nelson said, that if adopted; or not adopted,
all churches would have equal liberty to use or not use thlis, or any other
formula not anti-scriptural; yet we think the adoption of it, with some
few amendments, would have promoted uniformity and fitness in this
service among us; at all events, would have facilitated the disuse
and disappearance of many heterogeneous and un-Presbyterian formulm that have crept in among us from other comnmunions.
A scen- ever memorable and "a joy forever," was the formal and
1874.]
537