Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-05-17

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from il. But viewed, not as cons .julion.
ii regulation whic, implies pcrn!ancncy Of
duration, but as temporary cXpcdicn;, it
acquired thc force OF law without the raj
fication Of those bodies. |, WAS evidently
no, Intended 10 be permanent, and if consc.
qupnily was consii'utonally en- tctcd and
cons Nationally repealed By Al ordinary aci
of!egis!a; on; and those Synods which had
their root III it, could Let be expected 10
survive it. There never was design 10
attemp, al amalGamation of ecclesiastical
prncip Pics which arc as inmiscibic as wac:
and oil much less 10 effect comm'x;@rc
ofihcm only at particular geographical
points. Such an attempt would have co"'.
promised a principle at tie very roo q!
Presbyteral government, Which requires
that the officers of the church be SC; apart
by special ordination for Tic WORK. No"
the character Of tie plan is pa'pao'r. 70;
only in its tr!c and provisions, but in ihc
minute Of It's Introduction mo tic Assem-
bly,. We find in the proceedings Of 1891,
page 256, that committee was rasl " to
consider aud dig"s, Il plan Of ofgovcrn for tie
churches in the new settlements agreab' y
10 the proposal Of ihn General Association
of Conn c icut - AMI that the PIN al ped
IN con. .orm,iv to its report, is called "a Pan
of Union for tic new settlements" Ih"
avow,d o''ct oi II WAS o prev 1t ailena-
ion-in otter words, the Gila(ion Of Pres
bvlcrians in ether churches, by suffering
hose who were get 100 few and 100 poor for
tho maintenance Of Il Minister. temporarily
to call 10 :hcc aSsis ancc the members Ola
sect who di;f, from ;icm 10 principles, not
of faith, bu, OF ecclesiastical government.
TO That end, Presbyterian ministers were
suffered to preach 10 Congregational
churches, while Presbyterian CHURCHES were
suffered 10 So, e ConsTega;icna! ministers; !;
and mixed conorega:!ons were allowed tc
settle Presbyterian or q Congregational
minister a, their l'ction, but under a plan
ofeovernment AMI d scipline adapted 70 the
circumstances Surely this WAS no. n;en-
ded to ou,!as the inabi'i;y of tie respective
sccts 10 provide separately for themselves,
or 10 perprtuate the innovations on Presby.
,crial government whichit was calculated
to produce. I. vas obviously missionary
arrangement from he frs; and they who
buii; up rrsby;cr;es and Synods on the basis
Of il. had no reason 10 cxpcctllat their siruc.
turcs would survive i,cr Congregaionalists
might, by force OF i, gain foo!ho;d IN lie
Presbyterian Church, despite Of Pres5yter-
ial discipline. They emtracel it with all
is dcltasible properties plainly put before
them AMI lic power which constituted it,
might fairly repeal it, and dissolve the bod
les that had grown out Of if, whenever the
good Of the Charch should seem TO require
i.
Coui ,he Synols however be dissolved
by a legislative act! know no' how they
could have been lesi,malcIy dissolved by
any 9th r. The Assembly is homogenc.
Gus body uni'ins in itseli, without separation
Of parts. the Legislative, executive, aud j.
d cial functions ofthc government ; and its
acts are refcrablc % the one or the other ct
them, according to The capacity in which 1t
sat when they were performed. Now had
The excinded Synods been cut of by a
judicial sentence without hearing or notice,
The act would have been contrary 10 lhe
cardinal principles Of natural justice, and
consequently void.
Bu, ,bous h it was at frstr'so we'd to pro-
cccd iudicially. the measure was abandon
Cd : probably because it came % be eperce'v.
ed that the Synods had committed no
offence.
A glance at the plan Of union IS enough
TO convince US that the disorder had come IN
with the sanction TO the Assembly ils:lf
The first article directed missionaries (thc
word is Significantly TO the new settlements
~ ,ron,oDc , ID understanding bctwixi the
klLdrcd sccis.
Tnc second and third permitted !'res.
b,;erian concreg cation TO Sc; lie Congrc-
,a,;onal minist r, or Presbyterian minlstel
O b b"setlcd by Congrega1onal church !;
but these provided for no recognition OF the
people in charge as part OF the Preshy-
tcrlan DO oIv-a. icas; they gave them no
representation in It's government. But the
fourth allowed u mixed congregation 20 set.
he minister of either denomination ana
4 committed the government Oft 10 stan |.
ing cona,iitcc, but vi right to appeal
TO the body of.nalec mmunlcan:s the az.
pc liant were d ConnregatonaIis', or TO the
prrsbytery ifhe were Presbyterian. Now
It is evident the Assembly designed that
every such congregation should belong 70
Prcsby,rry as in ln;cerant palt oft; for if
lis minister were / ConSregationa!ls'. IN no
way connected with the Presbyterian Church
wou!I be impossible to refer the appellate
urisd e,ion to any presby,ery in particular.
This alone wouA! show tina, il was design.
ed to place such congregation in eccles-
,as,ical connexion with he Prcsby'ery Of
the district hut II - MT all II Wascyprt.s,.