Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-09-04
CITY AND STATE NEWS.

ceeaiprs (which we copy from the Dispatc',! were
opened with religious services conducted oy Kew a
McIntre.
]. ID. Gardner, of Hanover Presbytery, which was
added 10 the list Of Delegates
Rev. Mr.. Handy said that the newspaper report;
were matters of history, but in noting the proceed
nys OF that bod hey differed greatly. He sug
rssed that for the future the Secretary Of the body
keep fuller record Of tho proceedings. motion
enbodying his view was adopted.
Tn. order of The day-tne fourth resolution came
up m
culiar and irving position. We had been called e
separate from brethren whom We loved, and witt
whom we were willing 10 labor in the vineyard of the
Divine Master. When he called to mind what bat
taken place since the division OF 1887, he confessed
TO feeling deep BORROW of heart-not that ht
thought that We had done anything wrong-anythini
TO be repented Of or that he WAS unwilling to assume
all proper responsibilities. Everything in respect tt
this life-eccesastically would have caused nlu y
adhere to the Old School, having been educated II
i;s tsnets. On principle, however, he WAS forced t.
leave it, and in the fall Of 1887, with eighteen OF Oh
brethren they met in Washington to form o'ueIen
body. Ii was matter of Christian honor else mao
he been willing sooner, like his friend Mr. iucksr
To sever his right arm than become -
thought Mr. Tucker however. placed too |" an esti
mate on Christian honor, and he thought mat II MI
friend had given attention 10 the cauaeS OF tht
exsciuding resolutions Of 1887 he would never con
ssnt to q union with the Oid schooi nnlil tney mac
abandoned and disavowed the principles contained IL
tbose resolutions. He was not surprised at the posi-
tiou taken by Mr.. T.; he was aware OF many tlti
which connected him with the other branch. ID,
made these remarks because many OF the members
present had come into the church since the division
of 1887, and who, without being familiar with the
causes of difference, willing to forget all aDc
throw themselves into the arms of the Old school,
He could see no earthly consideration which couiC
induce those who abandoned their brethren IRON
principle 70 return. He would as soon eIpect TO SEE
the sun fall He had no doub. that il this abolition
agitation continued eyery Church in the Union ~oult
DO dismeuibered, II wsa the kansas or Fremont tx
citenent of last year, fhst efeeteo the sPit al liz
Cleveland Assembly, and thers wa Lot Northeru
,nSr on the floor of that Assembly in '5r, VINO wa
then orapsred to take the action which vs
taken in 81. lie knew that this outside pressure die
the damage-it has overwhelmed men who were
really conservative iI their views, but could no
Withstand public opinion.
There were three alternatives beiorsu "a. The hrs
was re. union With our Old School brettirea; second
existence in separate Presbytsries and Synoda, and
third forming permanent organization.
1t was necessary for us, in regarding the lrst IL
look at the dithcui,e. and differences which forbid
union. IL is necessary to look at the cause OF sePa
ratiou-.he exscnding resolutions. What Is In.
principle of those resolutions! 1t that the Genera
Assembly Of the Presbyterian Church has tle !igh
TO cut off minister member, without charge OF
trial. are We right in union with Church whict
alone, of all the Evangelical Churches In the sna
asserts this pruc:ple' We took the position in 1888
that we could not co1Sceptiously remain in connec
ton with that Church.
The speaker then went on TO qbots tcom the pro-
ceediags of the Farlnville secesson Convention, tt
show that i1s division was caused by purely consc
entious motives, ard asked ii anything hes since
occurred which would warrant US in dsregardDg las
position. They coEtended fc. the principle that 4
mau cannot be condemned without d TAI. trial. II
you go 20 your New School brethren you elVe z!
this principle. Are You prepared 10 do M Mr
Tucker in trying 10 get rid OF this difficulty says the
O!d School in 1887 were guilty of q revolutionary
act and that We are nov guilty q. the same reVo
LUTON, ', q might as we'll go tack aud join them
Now this revolutionary Gct must be inquired iuto
and the principles of the revolution exposed
How wa II when we !at me Assembly 10 1881 l.
Were We the exscindero' Were Or. Chalmers AND
Dr. Welsh, when they left 81. Goorgse Church, il
Edinburgh, eIacndersl Are exsciuders n2vf-
Have not the Cleveland Assembly passed resolu
tivns virtually cXscndins Ga and have we not cont
rs We did with The Old School, T,thcrawn from them
Ii the Old School ia right in its condemnation it'll
ont trial, could the nod OF Virginia be cut c De
cause il was sIaveholdns body, and cut OH wllhoI
deiencel Could our Cd School brethren believet tina
through sympathy for the Western Synods tina
we were led away from them! lie utterly rspud .tei
the idea il was principle, and nothing esecon!d hays
led the New School from ;hOse who were tueir neigh
bors aud who had first admitted them Ia the churcn
Our Old School brethren have never receded from
those acts-ihey n."e repeated them ~ their ciIcu
lar letters-ard there cGrnot be found now al Olc
School man, who will deavo@ Them You leave
body, 1.-THE Cleveland Assembly, wu.. though virtu
ally exscindng, you have disavowed the Intention
aud yet you would 20 into body Tod Schoolj winch
has never even disavowed the intention to exscinc
YOU Yet, il il said BY some. that the Old Schoo
does require to recognize the justice OF those
Gcts, and tia, We can JUN them with our protest
against them. Very likely. And very likely thai
the church of Scotland would have been willing 10
unla no rpai
OF lLose distinguished men, by merely entering Their
protest. lie spoke OF Mr. fuckers remarks regard
ing the Unity Ct the church. lie did not regard d.
vision oil the cnusGEcs az being DIVISION of Inc
unity Of the Church. lie thought tho ualty oil Inc
Church was the unity OF spirit, unity ct purpose.
and not unity Of temporal organization. lie would
yield To no in his love for CalvinlsIn. lie Wenl
on to reply 10 editorial in the Central
The speaker referred TO the declaration by the Old
School in 1876 that slavery ia totally irreconcllabe
with the word of God, the same declaration being
reatirmed in 1916, and still being cardinal prEci'
p, Ut that branch of the Presbyterians. Dr. Rice
prominent man of that church, no longer ago tpan
last summer, affirmed the Dan;e principle )r: Breck,
iuridge, another prominent member OF ITO Uld
School, in his discussion with Geo. Thompson, in
1896, declared slavery to be contrary to the law OF
dod and that it sid violation of the most precious
rights Of men," II this assertion OF DR.. Brecken-
ridge ia right, the Old School is abolition as Gene.
raj Assembly. With regard TO the present condition
OF The Old School, the speaker said it became u.s.
having Just left one body OH account OF its abolition
tant to think before we joined body where We Will
have 10 fight the same battles over again. Ihey
have aboitonism enough 10 their estern Synoos 70
warran.;h belief, that they would as surely under.
20 trouble on the slavery question, as The New
School had already undergone u. Ihey bad referred
to their prees and yet Upon looking at it he found
that the press North Of Mason g. Dxon's iine con-
sisted of only three papers, one OF when was rabK
abolition. Ha quoted from one Of those Journals, to
sI,n NJ lad "A make slAyBTv subject
of discussion iu arthe courts of the Old School he
said that the Central Presbyterian, one OF the Old
School organs, South, took the ground, thst inc ds'
oussion of slavery ought not to be deoarrea. how'
the New School take the higher position, that The
church judicaory have no more TO do with slavery
than they have with the tariff. internal improvements,
or anything else OF similar character.
The question then comes up-Brethren OF the New
School, you have abandoned one Assembly for it's
anti slavery sentiments. Can you 60 back to body
which declares slavery tG be 8 sin The Old School
have 40 ministers, S)G OF which ere from The South.
The North hes 2lO Presbyteries, to LIZ 10 the South
Give the North IS majority in the Old School Gener-
al Assembly.
Where is your security. You speak of conserva.
tive meu in New York, Philadelphia, Pntsburg, &c.
He had had e. perence in this Conservatism. The
conservatives at the North didn't have The nerve
when they got into the General Assembly, to stand
up aud place their feet this agitstion The speak
er could mention Old School man ate. Old School
man. who came out in support Of Fremont. Look
ing ut the probability of the of the slave
discussion in the Old School Assembly at an early
day, the question presented itself, whether We are
willing to 20 into H. and then 70 over the same scene
through which we have passed.
With regard TO the new organic stiOa, Ar. Tucker,
called it sectional We utterly deny that il is sec.
tionsl. lie calls il sectional. because lis power is
Southern. Why, thea, the Old School Assembly is
sectional for tho power which controls il lies in the
Nor,hl
Speaking of the money vieS. the speaker said if it
true, that with small organic atop, Wa should
want money, yet the want would be corresponding
y small oue and in time, both organization and mo-
ney would iucrosae. lie thought churches would be
fe1, and missionaries dispatched we'll a. Ne had
done under The rule of the Cleveland Assembly. He
argued that tue Old School was in 81 much want Of
money as the New School. Let our new organization
bs perfected at Knoxville, and you will see money
pouring into the treasury-ihe Offering of cheerful
hearts. The Old School has two summaries at the
South, with very lew students at either, most Of her
theological students being gircated at Princeton New