Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-05-26
churches, especially in some of the Border

the rebel armies, maty OF their officers and 4
soldiers have returned to their homes in the
Border States, some of whom are officers
and members in some Of our churches, and
who still, so far as any action of their
Church Sessions Is known, remain In good
and regular standing therein, to the greatr
scandal of religion in consequence of their
tinrebuked public sins of treason, rebellion,
and war, against lawful civil authority, and
to the great detriment Of the purity, peace
and unity of the Church; and,
WHEREAS, Some of our Church Sessions
and Presby yteries, perhaps, by reason, Of
doubt of their authority in the premises, or
from fear Of giving offense, or from ,Qthpr,
cailses are apparently delinquent in duty
and in danger of failing to meet their man.
itest obligations to the truth and to the
adorable Head Of the Church:
Therefore, In order to strengthen the
hands of all Judicatories that may have oc-'
casion to act in such cases, and to secure
the ends of justice, truth, and purity, the
General Assembly is further respectfully
requested to issue ..rgf 30 ts .rH,,f
III. An order to all Church Sessions,
Presbyteries, and Synods, where such ir-
regularities and Offenses may now or here
after exist, requiring them .' Lj.fi
l. To bring all such offenders to justice,
whether individual or Judicatories, before
the proper Church Courts, in order that
they may acknowledge, repent Of and for
sake their sins, and discharge their manifest
duties; or, falling to do so, may be admon-s
ished, suspended, excommunicated, or de-.
posed, as their otfenses or delinquencies
may demand. '''
2. That where such notorious offenders
are beyond the reach of any Church Judi.
catory to which they are amenable, either
by having fled, or having been sent, beyond
the Jurisdiction Of the United States, by
any of its civil or military authorities; or
who may be within any of the said "Confed--
crate States" and in sympathy with or aid
ing and abetGing them in their rebellion
and war against tile United States; or who
may heretofore have been so concerned,
such Judicatory shall take action and de-
clare upon its records that the functions and
privileges Of such persons are suspended, as
church members and ministers, until their
cases can be regularly issued; and il, after
two years, they shall still remain beyond
the reach of such Judcatory, the names of
all such persons shall be erased from its roll,
and they shall thereupon beno longer deem
ed ministers or members of the Presbyter-
ian Church under the care of or in connec-
tiOn with the General Assembly.
~. An order requiring that, where any
Judicatory shall neglect or refuse to take
action as herein directed, upon any of the
oifenses hereintofore mentioned, when such
oitenses are brought to or may be within its
knowledge and Jurisdiction, or within the
knowledge of any of its members; or where
it shall neglect or refuse to make the exam
ination herein required, when application
is made for membership, as before stated,
the Judicatory next above shall require the
delinquent Judicatory to show cause for
such neglect of or disobedience to the in
functions of the General Assembly, and to
take such action as the case may require;
and, II deemed advisable, may report the
casedirectly to the General Assembly.
v. An order requiring that full record
| of all proceedings by any Judicatory under
any of these several orders of the General
Assembly shall be kept, and a full report
thereof shall be made each year to the Ju-
dicatories having the power of review and
control, or directly to the General Assem-
bly,. @ l
The undersigned do not regard these in
functions as investing the Judicatories to
which they are addressed with any new or
unusual authority. They now have, by
their inherent functions, full power to act
in the premises. They only seek by this
memorial to secure the exercise of that
power, where, it is feared, it maybe held in
allegiance. They therefore ask only such
action and such protection to the
churches and Judicatories under the
care of the General Assembly-and
especially those in the Border States
as shall more explicitly set the seal of the
Supreme Judicatory of the Presbyterian
Church upon the present treason and rebel
lion against the Government Of the United
States, as most henious sins against God,
and as offenses cognizable by church courts,
as well as high crimes against the State;
and, as q legitimate and Just consequence,
the adoption of such measures as shall bring
such notorious offenders to an acknowl-
edgment of their sins, or to proper censure
for them; and thus to protect the Church.
from the grossest errors in doctrine and
practice, and to guard its purity, peace and
unity. 1.f 4 t. .r 5000" HauH.t7-'>
Ali of which is respectfully submitted.
r. L. Stanton, James Wood, f. Senour,
VIM. A. Piper, j. l.. Williams, III. III. Lea
witt, Samuel A. Bonner, j. g. Montfort j.
III. Pratt, r. G. Colmery, JAS King, Frank
lin ID. Harris, Robt. Carson, M. "A. HOge,
w. d. Howard, John G. Lord, Joseph War
rem, M. M. Greene, James Allison, j. b.
Grove, John Milligan, James M. Platt,
VIM. M. Paxton, Il. II. Craven, Nathaniel
West, Aaron Williams, G. A. Preston,
Joseph A. Murray, j. ii. Nixon, Alfred
Hamilton, Geo; Mckinley, L; s. Vail, e. A"
Evans Alfred Yeomans, w. w. Eells, Shell
don jackson, Samuel f. Colt, b. Young, ID.
w. Patterson, G. Collins, J.W. McGreger,
J.S. Shanklin, w. l.. McPherran, G. As
Reiley, Jno. B. Kugler, ID. n. Campbell, A.
S.Thorne, j. X. Andrews, A. 4. Chamber
lain, Thomas l.. Janeway, s. J.tWilson, IA.
g.. McCandless, John Mack, ON. Stod-
dard, g. III. Taylor. Sam.J Niccoolis. John
Stark, S. @. Logan, L. S. Leason, S. LaGam-
BILE. L. d. Bryan, S. N. Orr, A. j.. ARM
strong, N. McConaughy, John d., McCord,
j. M. Olmstead, Henry B. Chapin,i Alex
auder Swaney, ID. B. .Judson, Joseph Smith,
Silas johnson, III. Howard, George F. Wig
gan, James A. Reed, O. M. Priestly, Fred.
Buel, Lorenzo Westcott, K. B. Hills, A. b.
Morey, Horace G. Hinsdale, j. d. Caldwell,l
w. j. Alexander, A.. @. Junking, j. G.
Thorn, James Robertson, o. j. King, Geo.
Bergen, 4. w. Newell. John Greenlee, Hs
A. Mayhew, j. B. Patterson, Elliott K.
Swift, S. &c. Jennings, S. McLane, James
McMath p w Thomson, /,