Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-15

A Paper
Prepared and Published qtts request of members Of h
Nashville Presbytery, by P. g. S,iUs Perkins, ana
read before that body on Sh August, 1861.
The occasion may srise when In The course Of
Divine Providence, the Church should withdraw it.
self IT "a lhJse who walk dsorderly are disposed
to create dIscOrd among its members. And in the
present STA OF the times, il IS necessary that she
take her true position Il il desired therefore 10
set forth the grounds of her action, in as brief
manner as their importance admits, and is due 10
the christian public, in view of he solemn scenes
surrounding US, 10 the disruption Of chHrc b
and tie division of our couotry
We are now in trOublOus times, and the ark of the
Lord IS passed out upon boIserous sea, while the
waves diseOrd peat hsrdlyupOn it FrOmthe center
TO the concur Of our country the note OF amor has
been heard, and the heeFts9f men are falling IA
for the very distractions with Whdh they ssre sur-
rounded. This sentiment and feeling in
tion Of the country have been peculiarly msrked
by unity Of purpose and design. The vsrious is
sues heretofore presented to public mind, have
been absorbed in one great idea. rhe churches Of
the land nave been rent. And now we do not ind
brother meeting brother, from different sections, in
that friendly intercourse of christian love and fell
lowship, as was heretofore their wont Tae ana
themas OF those with whom We have de-
sired peace, aud for the Of whose christian
lsbors we nave prayed ana cO-oPerated, have been
hurled against u5 The evil faiiings which have
fer so many years been exhibited b. many Of our
Northern eihTen, have at last, broken out into
actual hOsilities, bitter invec i've snd hate sundel
ing the~bODd OF civil union, chuTel connections and
brothery love. The knelI of our national disuBiOn
has been sounded IN louder and more discordsut
notes tnan ever salated the ear Of oountrymsn.
The face of cout try is to be draped IN mourn
ing, With widows aud orphans lhrODging streets.
The pail of death is TO be spread over US, with q
baptism of blood upon the graves of our brothers
and friends. The requiem OF our departed nation
al glory has been sung upon every hill top echoed
through every vale, until melting aSsy, in the
uprising of the mighty throng Of exciled popu-
lace it is caught up and echOTed back in one terri
nc shout upon the funeral dirgs OF dying repub-
lie.
thas ever been the policy Of our church to main
tain the connection between its Northern and South
ern branches, while other churches have severed
theirs 1t is now the only protestant church which
has, at the division eff our country, national ex-
istence-the only link binding tOge the different
sections of the old Goyernment-and dividing ouIy
in the division of that Government. Never in the
confusion Of sectional strife have We forgotten that
in Christ We were Mutual forbearance aud
cOncilistory measure were 81 al times adopted to
maintain our unity and harmony, with that conser-
vatsm fer which she Wss characterised Upon
every approach Of discOTd 10 Whstever garb might
appear, she was prompt in applying the balm to
heal. Aud when the battle cry was heard, and a
nation summoned to arms, the voice of the church
was for peace, until there was no peace And when
the last link was broken, she, lingering in wander
awe struck, hung with regret upon The scene with
which she was surrounded. 10 accordance with the
spirit OF her mission, she would herald that peace
which proclaimed good will to men. But though
the Southern branch of our church desired peace
with her brethren at the North, she STILL admits
feeling responsive TO the calls of humanity and the
demands of civil and religious liberty. While we
were ever ready to award the jus, claims of others
we simply asked recognition of our OWE in peace.
But when We were for peace, they were for war.
And when at last, the tocsin of war has bsen sound
ed among as, it was but the echo of independence
from the cry of the oppressed.
We had relied upon the conservative prinuipl,
engrsfted upon our Church and State policy 10 cor
nectoR with the virtue of the people, as means CT
averting many threatened evils And it Wss not
until that principle was lost in the general wreck,
that we were forced to relinquish all hope for the
unity of either We s5W il surrender as a strong
citadel, under the fires Of sectional interest ard
party strife. We it disappear ike the fading of
q prospect, when the twilight Of evening close in
upon it and the Vesper shades gather thick about
sltars; and we it sink like the last ray of
hope behind dark cloud fraught with evil, desola-
ton and ruin.
The minds of every christian patriot has been
turned TO an inquiry of thu causes WIioh led to
such g result, and brought upon Us, church
and people, the difficulties ia which We are doW
placed. Their calm and dspsssonste eonsidars-
ten becomes every one. We should look 10 the
causss, consider the circumstances, and weigh we'll
the results IN all their bearing. And in full view
# all their eighty responsibilities we should act
wit frmnes5, and decision, relying the Great
Head of the Church, that be will send bis spirit to
guide in the path of justice, high and duty, for
his Olorv and that tho hnuor of his ha ad-
vanced earth. In our difficulties aud troubles,
we have been brought to the swelling of tais J Or
dan-and should Ego forward" trusting in the
Lord. aud to see the salvation Of our God. And
Southern Presbyteries, in the exercise Of their
proper authority, and upon the spontaneous action
of the Churches, sanctioned by their own sense of
right and duty, will declare the bonds of their
Church connection with their Northerz brethren to
be dissolved.
The following resolve, contrary to or eonstitu-
ton ana the uniform Conservatism Of our church,
was the 2nd of series Of resolutions adopted By
the General Assembly staits Sttings ia Philadel-
phia in May last.
ssResolvsd, That this General Assembly, in the
spirit of that Christian patriotism which Scrip
ture er Join, and which has always Characterized
this Church, do hereby seknowlsdge ami declare
our obligations TO promote aod perpetuated, so far
as IN US lies, the integrity of these United States,
and to Strengthen, uphold and encourage the Fed
under our noble Constitution: and to this COnstitu
tion in all its provisions, requirements, and prin-
Ciples, we profess our undated loyalty"
This action of the last General Assembly Of our
Church, taken in connection with an article pub
lished in the Danville (Ky.) Quarterly ReU'sD the
course pursued by some of our Northern brethren,
and the manner in which our non-AotIon would be
regarded by them, made it incumbent upon us TO
assume our true position, and express re views We
entertain on this subject Every division and want
of action on cur part, being regarded by them as
evidence a sentiment friendly to the Federal Ad-
ministrstion, and at war with efforts Of inde-
pendence, they have attempted thsreby to create
dlsoord among u. They are also attempting to
introduce an armed force in cur midst, they have
in those States where the nonactiOu or Uaion sen-
tment prevailed, fraught with all the Ills Of the
most hOrTid and bloody civil war.
Neither this action of the General Assembly, nor
the course referred TO, is be regarded strictly
presbyterian. The Church is, aRd viii be true 70
her former history, true her love OF free, repub
loan institutions, and true in her sdhereBce
to right, ju tiee aud humanity. Because
of the tone Of pubic sentiment prevailing a. the
North, just previous 10 and during the session of
the General Assembly, in he city Of PhilsdelphiA,
Com nj Ion from praEbVteFies IL the South