The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1865-08-03
For the Central Presbyterian
Our Branch of the Church of Chris
Rer. YIN. Broom, D. D.

at once, however, and choose a subject out Of
class relating to the policies of our church,
that hope will engage much Of your atten-
ton during the coming winter.
There are now two General Assemblies,
and two Presbyterian churches, of course,
that occupy the ground covered by but one so
late as the year 1860 One is {" the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the
United States Of America" the other, "the
General Assembly Of the Presbyterian Church
in the Confederate States Of America"
Both are, to some extent, equipped. Both
are permanently established. Neither can
perform the work allotted to the other. And
while some slight changes remain, as, for ex-
ample, altering the name of the new church,
and purging the rolls Of the old one, it is
highly incumbent upon both to start upon
their track Of usefulness with as little often
siveness, and with as small clashing of our
concerns as it is practically possible should
be the ease
Following our oaths, We Of the South ought
not to give our church any sectional title;
and following our interests, we ought not to
let it have any geographical boundaries. We
ought to desire it to embrace Canada and the
Mexican Empire, and, as matter Of course,
New York or New England, or any land
where God may choose to develope 1t.
90 The General Assembly Of the Presbyterian
Church." has always struck me as name
enough 1t is simple and unapprOpriated.
But if it is too presumptuously broad, then,
"in America" or {" in North America" is
all that is left; and the Presbyteries in their
Fall Sessions have but to pass an act request
ing the Moderator of the last Assembly to
issue his circular some time before the meet
ings in the spring, summOuing new Assem-
bly, at the time and place that may strike
him as most expedient, and that new Assem-
bly, may send down to the Presbyteries such
amended title, or anything else that requires
the assent Of the coustitutiye Assemblies of
our body
1t gives me pain to speak in so cool
fashion of accepting our separate lot. But
what help is there for it The embargo be-
gotten Of the war, and de .}aeto conditions in
both Church and State, jRaWgurated our sep
aration; but fortunately for tender con-
sciences, more recent events have left no
election in the matter The Church has dis
integrated ITSELF The deliyerauce at Pitts
burgh that slavery is crime, aud that politi-
cal mistakes, Judged such within certain geo
graphical boundaries, are punishable by actual
accommodation, are so infdel on the one
side, and so Erastian on the other, as to carve
out new churches ipso .faeto, and as thing
of course. 1t will do it at the North. That
action will, it is true, be renOunced But
long before the possibility of that inevitable
recoil, the ocean will be strewed with wrecks,
and no living man viii sail out of the reach
of these mouruful tokens of our fate upon
the waters.
Still it was a gallant ship, aud stood out
long against these very tempests. We ought
to pray for it, and wait without rancOr till
the reeoil is felt; and instead of laughing at
this strange Jog-Jook, sailing in one way in
AS and just the opposite in '65, we ought to
think nationally Of the whole as one of the
preposterous results that might accrue to any
of US if given up by the Almighty.
May I be permitted, therefore, my dear
sir, so far to intrude into your province as to
say, that in all our public deliyerances We
ought to avoid allusion to the North. The
General Assembly, when it meets, ought not,
in my opinion, to notice the Northern Church
any more than Islam. No newspaper ought
to turn so much as an eye to it, except for
mere necessary purpose. To single out some
Individual mailman and denounce him, is be
meath the dignity to which God has lifted us.
Let us have a custom in this regard, and as
the newspapers are the voice of the Church,
let us have reticence aud dignity, that shall
be Characteristic of our body. To reproach
these men is absurd. To reform them is not
our part. To rejoin them is impossible. To
get down into the ring with them aud fight,
might do better with parties that are nearer
on a level. But when God, in His Provi-
dence, has given us a superb position, and
given them, though no worse few years ago
than we, the access of a stupeudous insanity
we ought to keep clear of them. We have
nothing to do with them. To enter into mis-
cellaneous debates is to admit two sides to
the question, and to denounce them is to ex-
pose our old Presbyterian cause, aud when
Episcopalians aud Roman Catholics may be
doing better, to lay bare the old Noah Of our
house, where, under the displeasuro of
Heaven, he is lying drunk in the vineyard
that be has planted.
On the contrary, let US look to ourselves.
We have vast deal of work to do. Our
newspapers ought to groan with the projects