Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-06-23
Schlsm in the Presbyterian Church.

-Ae'oete|o ttH0 CtUFcIeS 6il cOH1leCflJn
 t'e@eral As8ena5ly g' Ae Presbyterian O5urcA:
 DEAR BRETHREN: The undersigned. mem- oers ot the General Assembly, now in session Tn Cleveland, Ohio, are constrained to address you with reference to the state of our beloved church, and to indicate the course which shall be pursued by all who adhere tc the priuciples or winch our constitution as interpreted by It's iramers, and as pratically acknowledged oHFh? the almost entire period of our history as church.
 he action of the present assembly on the subJect of slavery, especially when considered m connection with the spirit and manifest pur- pose Of several of the Western Synods, has impressed us with the belief that peace and harmony can no longer prevail amongst us-- Ih"C 'ne assembly, as at present constituted, instead of being a bond of union between diff iereht sectlons of the church, OW continue to de Me heatre 4f stylJe aaa discoyd; and that the glory of God, the welfare of our churches. and the Sood of the country, demand a separation or the dlscorlant elements, and the existeuce of another assembly, in which the agitation of the slavery question will be unknowII.
 We had hoped that our brethren who have been disposed to introduce this subject into the General Assembly would ere this have been
 
 a3tatlon-that 1t Was alternating brethren of 4 common Christian faith, and was calculated to render the condition of the slave more unde- sirablo and to sunder the ties that bind onr Gnion together. In this regard we have been sadly disappointed. h consequence of the political agitation of the suhiect and of the pressure brought to bear upon them by con Sregatona churches holding the most ultra ADuIltIDU SpDtlUlnutS ,,f PreShyteries have become more urgent in d. mahdIng progressive action of the assembly, They have not been satisfied with the ptst de- cIAratious of the assembly. They have de- sired the assembly to express their views of the sin of alayeholding so clearly that they can b4 made the basis of discipline by the courts of the church
 This action has now been virtually taken bv the assembly, It has avowed that the relation ol master and servant-whch necessarily in- wolves the idea of property in the service of the Iatter-iS sin in the sight of God, and an offence Tn the sense in which the term is used m the constitution of the church. This de- claraflon has been made, although confessedlv there Is not the most remote alusion to slave hoId'hg ln our standards, and also with the Knowledge of the fact that when our constitu. ton was adopted, twelve out of the thirtee,, States were siavcholding States aul mary of those Who composed the assembly of l78y if not SlavehoidcrS themselves were the eprpspn- tatlNes ot PrcsbytcrieS in which were churches whose members were shareholders We regard thlS action ~ the General Assembly as a pal ' Patde vloaIlon ot the spirit ani letter of the e"ntruton Of the church. The principle in- Noi4ed m t, II carried into practice, would con- vert the highest judiciary of the church into aa eccleausttcM despottsm os tY3utu5caI os b,gt tch'ch has distinguished Me c4uch Of Rome It makes the assembly, not only he interpreter of Iaw " an irregular way, but also the supreme legislature of the church-a position which has been always rcpndiatel by the Presbyterian church
 Apart therefore from the disastrous conse- qneuceS resulting from the agitation of slave " lu the General Aseembl mbly-destrovin as it doeS our peace, keepnI Us in state of excite meht unlaVonbly to spiritual growth. and par- alNzlhg our efforts to advance the cause of the tedeemer through the channel of our admira- Die system of government-we consider that the assembly has so far departed from the con sutuiloh oi the church as to render our adher ence to it undesirable and impossible. Hav- Ing protested repeatedly against this agitation, and hndlng that our brethren are determined to continue it, we have deliberately and prav erully come to the conclusion that, however painful It may be to us, the good of tie church and of the country required separation from them. We shall hold our brethren who have disturbed our peace, by tue introduction Of Mis Uered question into our judiciaries as a20ite re- sponsldle for tte consequences of Mis dimsion.
 With these convictions to the necessity ot separation from our once united and be- loved Zion, the only question that remains for us now to settle, pertains to the mode of separ- ation. The undersigned are satisfied that but one course is left to us--and that is. to ipyte cN Constitutional Prespyterlans tn he huaa acho are Qpposet t0 tae agtltioR of slaUery in tue Gen. e'ut ASsemby Co unite in the o,qa,ajzot50n ,o eohich Mis subject wW Je utterly eschewed.- lVe to not rest11ct Ne invitation 10 tie S,uth churches. lYe 1o,sh Go haUe q notionn1 chWch-that is church, the constituent parts of which will come from every section of the Union. Holding to the same confession of faith, we shall have a common basis as to doc trlne and government--and an understandio that, however we may differ in our views re- specting slavery, the subject is never to be in- troduced into the Assembly either by northern or southern men, unless indeed, judicial cases are brought up regularly from the lower courts. In the judgment of the undersigned, this course is our only alternative. There as so much Of the same abo{tton spirit perUaI1ng otter cuches that adhere to the same standards of faith, that we could not expect peace on this subject by mi ting with them. We are persuaded that. al- though this question may be suppressed in their ulicatorics for awhile, tte adoltiiol sDiri, erists to such on ettent as 10 M,eaten Meir o,s- mem5erment. The result may be that the dis turhing elements of the different braucnes of the Presbyterian church may be united in one body, and that the conservative portion of the same may ultimately be brought together, ani thus prove more efficient in promoting the cause of the Redeemer and in di ifIus sng through the land truly national spirit. At present however, the union of these churches wouC not afford relief to those who are wered o this slavery agitation. We are desrous of forming an organization where we shall not bt liable to another division from this exctins subject.
 The undersigned, therfore, aoouM invite al Presbyterians, from al sections of tue country to meet n conUenion ID tue City of Washing ton, on the 27th day of August, 1857, for tn, purpose of consultation, and of organizing General Assembly, m which, it will be distinct ly understood, the subject of slavery will not b
 introduced. We propose this course of organ | izing an Assembly at once, as being due to tn Presbyteres we represent We would sug gest that the Presbyteries be called togethe as soon as possible; and that whilst the Pres byteries appoint their delegates to the Assem- ply in the usual proportion, it is desirable tha as many ministers and elders should atten
 the convention as can do so. We suggest, als that in case any of the Presbyteres desrin to be connected with this new Assembl should find it impossible to be represented ! the convention, it would be important that tn convention should be informed of their actiol
 Praying that God may overrule the distra'
 tions of Zion for His own glory, and that W may be guided in this crisis of our history |