Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-05-27

In his speech in the General Assembly on
Church extension, Friday evening. the Rev.
james Smith, d. D., stated, that when he was
converted, che enquired for the church of his
fathers" but "that there were no PRESBYTERIAN
Churches in that part of Indisna," and ethat he
was left to the alternative of joining either the
Baptist, Methodist, or Cumberland Presbyterian
| Church-that he loved the name Presbyterian,
and, therefore, selected the Cumberland Presby-
terrain church." Two gentlemen of intelligence
and veracty in this city state that they heard
him declare while he was Cumberland Presby-
terrain, that when he was converted, he examined
the theological systems of all the churches, and
that he finally chose the Cumberland Presbyte-
rian system, because the nearest of any, in his
Judgement to the truths of the Bible This state
ment is also in accordance with numerous similar
declarations to be found in his writings. How
does his present, agree with his former declara-
| tionsl
| In describing the manner in which the Cum
| berland Presbyterans obtained the ascendency in
new countries, he said, that the minister, "would
preach a plain, earnest, but as he now believed
tno SOHttttHttS PcCtcuJ SOopSl
Did he suspect the perfection of Cumberland
Presbyterian views of the Gospel, when he so full
| ly endorsed, in his Church History, the statement
of their doctrines in Woodward's edition of Bucks
| Theol. Dictionaryi Was he inquiring after "the
| Church of his fathers" when he published his
"DEFENcE OF C. PREsBYrERIANs, AGAINST THE
| ATTACK OF DR.. MILLER,"i in which he says:
al ~ I -. A. o.
berland Presbyterians will adhere as closely to
what they believe the great land marks of truth
and order as the Presbyterians possibly can do;
and for one, much as l respect the Presbyterian
Church-high as is the estimate put upon the
piety, the learning, the benevolence and laudable
zeal of some of her Ministers-warmly as am at
tached to her members as brethren in Christ Jesus
and much as l desire the unity of the body of
Christ must candidly say, 1 would not raise my
voice for a union, while could read in the Con-
fession of Faith of that Church such an article as
as the following
"The rest of mankind, God was pleased, accor-
| ding to the unscearchable council of his own will,
whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he
peaseth, for the glory of his sovereign power over
his creatures, to pass by, and to ordain them TO
anu wrath LOT IuelT 10 the prdlSc OF
his glorious justice. Confession Of Faith, chap.
iii. art. ..
Again he stated in bis speech, "that at the time
his conversion, C. P Churches dotted the
whole of Indiana, Illinois, and soon after Missouri,
and other states, but that they did not possess
the power to hold what they had gained, that
they had failed to sustain themselves in thsse
| States" The statistics Of thu G.. p Church,
show that there are now in Indiana, Illinois, and
Missouri, twenty-five Presbyteries, Too Hundred
ministers, and over Tecsty thousand commune
| eants.
How do the above statements accord with the
following from his History of the C. P. Church,
p. 6l3:
From the time Of the meeting of the Commits
sion of the Kentucky Synod for twenty yeats the
Presbyterian Church in Kentucky, and Cumber-
land Country in Tennessee had no revival"
| =
From the time that the Commission of Ken
lucky Synod cut of the revival members of Cum
berland Presbytery from the Presbyterian Church
they and their descendants have passed through
one revival, only to be blessed with another: and
no body of people of the same numerical strength,
in the same length OF time in these latter days,
have enjoyed more clear manifestations of the ap-
probatious of Heaven" = 4
Again On page 642, he says:
"When this separation took place it was foretold
that Cumberland Presbytery would be Ike Jonah's
gourd, that its members would wander farther, and
farther from the confession Of Faith of the Presby-
terrain Church until they would embrace, and pro-
mulgate the most dangerous heresies and that
their influence would never be felt beyond the
! bounds of Green River and Cumberland countries ::
such no doubt would have been the ISSUE had they
| struggled in their own strength, and this would
have ahordeda clear evidence; that the Head Of
the church disapprovcd of their course. But if
such results did not follow and their labors were
instrumental in bringing thousands into the fold
| of Christ it must be conceded that they had the
| appreciation of Heaven"
On page Col, he speaks very little like one
| seeking "the church Of his farthers:'
| "The policy Of sectsries is sometimes at war
! with the designs of Heaven, as has been related,
these men had to encounter great difficulties, and
| opposition from that Church in which they had
ther spiritual birth, and to all human appearance
every prospect of their future usefulness was about
to be blasted, being pronounced by the higher ju-
dicatures Of the Presbyterian church disorgani-
zers, heretical forbidden to speak in the name Of
Jesus and finally forsaken by most of those men
of God, who were the honored instruments in be-
ginning the revival and at whose entreaties they
were induced to take the field but mans extrem-
ity is Gods opportunity, aud when he pleads
cause it must prosper"
= Il
From that day to the present He has not forsa-
ken them, but has opened one field of labor before
them after another and instead of the Cumberland
Presbytery embracing the most dangerous heresies,
and proving like Jonahs Gourd; its members and
ministers have firmly adhered to the docrins they so
warmly commended for during the time of their diff
culties with Kentucky Synod, and the members OF
tia Church in the space of twenty-five years have
been increased Fifty fold. Indeed the glorious results
of their labors and their ourishng condition at the
present day; together with the unanimity Of senti
ment that in all things essential exist among them
demonstrate that God has been with them, and that
II L. IF onJ thair III 70