Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-05-26
Ax. .r3..
0bio Stattsnrarr,
NHennOrinI.

the Presbyterian Church now in session at
Pittsburgh: ''. ' '1HH'.-
TO the Moderator Of the General AsSembM Of
I the Presbyterian Church In tie United States,
i concerned IN PHtSburgh, Pa. May, 1865:
| The undersigned, Ministers and Ruling
Elders of the Presbyterian Church, respect-
fully present the following memorial to the
General Assembly, which body. by our form
| of government, is constituted 1.-THE board OF
union, peace, correspondence and mutual
confidence, among all our churches:n Hai.
| WHEREAS, A large number OF Synods
J, and Presbyteries in the southern portion Of
the United States, together with the minis
tiers, churches and people, embraced within
them, didcin the year 1861, formally with
draw, from the General Assembly, and
form what they denominated the General
4 Assembly Of the Confederate States of
| America" and 4. .'.. .r ....
WHEREAS, Many, if not all of the said
ministers, Churches, Presbyteries and Syn
ods, as is well known, have in the most
formal manner, given their support to the,
so-called "COntederate States" and have
| powerfully aided them in their war against
the Government and loyal people of the
| United States, thus openly adding to the sin
of schsm the sins of treason, rebellion and
war, against lawful, civil authority; and
| WHEREAS, At the last meeting of the said
General Assembly of the Confederate
States,p held at Charlotte; North Carolina,
in May, 1861 that body, for itself, and for
the ministers, churches and people under
| its care, made the following formal and of
4 tcial declaration, viz: ave hesitate not to
affirm that ii is The peculiar mission Of the
| Southern Church 10 conserve the institution Of
| Slauery, and to make it blessing both to
master and slave" and LII = r.-s2..
| A hn
fear at pl esent, of realizing the desire ofsome
persons in our Church, to havea formal
and organic reception of the said Synods,
Presbyteries, Ministers and Churches, into
connection with the General Assembly; yet,
| it is well known, that ministers from some
of the said PreSbyteries, and members from
some of the said churches, have already.
been received into Presbyteries and Church.
es in connection with the General AS
sembly, and others may hereafter apply for
eception--espeeially to Presbyteries and
Churches in the Border States-and poSsi-
bly, certain Presbyteries may also make
similar application to certain Synods;
and 7lu.. .a,s - .......
WHEREAS, The General Assembly, with
in four years past, has several times pro-
nounced upon the sin of the rebellion and
the war against the Government of the
United States, deeming it an ecclesiastical
offense in church members to be concerned
therein; and has also pronounced upon the
character of negro slavery in the South, as
in itself a wicked system, and as stimula-
ting cause of the rebellion and the war;
Therefore, In order to conserve the purity,
peace and unity of the Church, the UNDER
signed respectfully ask the General Assem-
bly, to adopt measures of the following or
similar tenor, viz: .,..- ... -..... ....-.-
l. AN order to all the Presbyteries and
Church Sessions under its care, requiring
them to examine every minister and menu
ber (and take testimony, if need be-, who
may apply for reception into any Presby-
terry or Church from any Presbytery or
Church in any of the said Confederate
States" or which may have been claimed as
such by the so-called Confederate authori-
ties" on the following points: llur,uo
/. Whether he has, in any way, directly
or indirectly, of his own free will and con-
sent, and without external constraint, been
concerned atanyt time in aiding or coun-
tenancing the authority claimed by the said
"Confederate States" or in aiding or coun-
tenancing the war which they have waged
against the Government OF the United
States; and if it be found from his own
confession, or from sufficient testimony,
that he has been SO concerned In one or
both these respects, that he be required to
acknowledge and forsake his sin in this re-
gard before he shall be received. ..- ..
2. Whether he holds that the system of
negro slavery in the South is a "Divlne in
stitutioh' and an "Ordinarice Of God" as
taught and practiced in the said "COnfed-
crate States;' OF holds to the doctrine of the
Southern General Assembly, " that it is the
peculiar mission of the Southern Church to
conserve the institution of slavery" as there
maintained; and if it be foundthat he holds
either of these doctrines that he be not re-
ceived without renouncing and forsaking
these errors, or either Of them, as the case
may be. ' lo. l-.1 ~ ,H
lii. Anorder to all .Synods under the care
of the General Assembly, that, upon the
application of any Presbytery to be re-
ceived into any Synod, where such Pres
bytery is or has been connected with the
Southern General Assembly, or where it or
any of its members may have willingly
countenanced the usurped authority, or
aided the said ''Confederate States, in their
war against the United States, such Synod
shall examine all the members of such
Presbytery, and take testimony, if need be,
upon the points before mentioned relating
to the application of individual ministers
and members; I; and the reception of such
Presbytery, or anyof the ministers thereof,
by such Synod, shall depend upon compli-
b ance WlUn UIc COUulJlOHS DclOIO LlCllIlOuCu
relating to Individual ministers and MEM
bers who may apply to be received into any
Presbytery or Chucrh. .Y9.t ls.r.
AND FURTHERMORE WHEREAS, There are
certain ministers who are still members of
some of our Presbyteriesy and who, from
sympathy with the rebellion or from dis
loyal acts, have voluntarily left some of the
loyal States, or have been sent out of them
or from their places of residence therein by
the civil or military authorities of the Uni
ted States; some of whom have Joined the
armies of the rebellion or have otherwise
] aided that cause, and others OF whom are
exerting banetul influence through the
press and in other,ways against the peace
and harmony of the,copntry, and against
the purity, peace, and unity OF the Church,
while some of whom, in consequence OF the
acts of the General Assembly during the
last four years upon slavery and rebellion,
, have pronounced the Assembly corrupt
''apostate," and dissolved" as a bond Of
union among the churches, and have there
upon pronounced the ministers, members
and lower Judicatories of the Church ''ab-
solved from their allegiance to the Gen
eral Assembly"-and denounced the said
. Assembly as having covered itself with
"a eternal infam .z;'h andlR y la' rilg9 e&I
,fWHEREAs, There are ministers now hold
ing pastoral relations and other positions Of
Influence in some OF our. Presbyteries, who
countenanee, defend, support and propa-
gate the aforementioned teachings con-
\ cerning the General Assembly, thus openly
. violating their ordination vows in promot,
ing insubordination to the most solemn de-
cisions Of the Highest court Of the Church
| IL a - IL Al....s