The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-06-02

ago man would have been thought a
fool, who rose in the Assembly and
asked what was thought of the Con-
stitutiOn of the United States and of
States Rights Then the Old School
Church was the embodiment of the
conservatism of the land. He gloried
in its past record, and every man who
helped to make that record now turn
ed their back on it. He honored that
history.
He read from the minutes of 1916,
declaring that the Assembly had
jurisdiction only to the religion and
morality of man. This was the
platform until the war broke out.
Now how do we stand? Eight hun
dred and fifty of our ministers are
stricken from the rolls We are carry
ing on three courtships-one with
Ireland, and one with Scotland. and
one with the New School vet
not word has been said of kindness
and Cancellation for our brethren of
the South. sa tiiass
He then attacked the deliverance
of 1865, and the preceding deliver
ances, and denounced them as repug-
nant to the Word Of God. He claim
ed these deliverances as legal, and
claimed that the Louisville Prebytery
was not forced to obey them. They
had not violated any law of the
Church, and were. therefore, not
guilty of rebellion In 1861 many of
the brethren from the South were OPP
posed to any political deliverances
whatever. He believed the General
Assembly of 1861 were coerced into
the passage of the deliverances of
that year, which he called the famous
or infamous Spring revolutions. He
read from the protest read on that oc-
casion signed by men high in the of
fee of the Church. These men had
never been rebuked, and why call in
question the declaration and testi-
mony men. The General Assembly
of 1861 undertook to decide who and
what were the powers that be. There
they erred The Bible was silent on
all points of disputed allegiance. He
denied that the deliverance of 1861
could be justified out of the Bible.
1t was a strict political question,
with which the General Assembly
had ought to do. He entered into a
statement of the doctrine of State
Rights, but would not give an opinion
on that subject. He was not a mem
Der of any political party, and if this
question was out of the way, as a min
lister of Christ he was glad of it. He
charged that the managers of the As
sembly In years past were actuated by
political motives entirely. In proof
of it he said that in 1864 the deliver
ances were used as political capital
for the Republican party, and the de-
Everances were circulated as Repub-
lican campaign document in 1865.
When the war was over the General
Assembly did nothing to pour oil on
the troubled waters, but exhibited
spirit OF persecution unparalleled in
its history. He believed that if this
Assembly dissolved Presbytery it
would violate the fundamental law of
the Church, and he thought the
Church was not bound to obey its de
cisions. He held the same opinion of
the declaration and testimony as the
men whom it was proposed to exclude.
He charged also, that enforcement of
these orders is impracticable In all
the Presbyteries in Kentucky and
Missouri, and a majority in New
7 ork and Brooklyn will not. enforce
these orders. He held it was mon
,trous to enforce these orders in one
portion of the country and not enforce
t in another.
An elder asked whether DIR. Van
Dyke thought the Louisville Presby-
cry had a right to withdraw its con
5ributions from the boards.
DIR. Van D. replied, certainly"
ind said several Presbyteries now in
good standing had often Withdrawn
heir collections, and even Presby- |
cries had ceased their representation
n the General Assembly. He thought
he paper offered by DIR. Humphrey
quite as severe as the other. and much |
more inconsistent. All he wanted |
he Assembly to do was to hold out
he olive branch, and ask the South
,rn Churches to come back to us on
he basis of faith in Jesus Christ.
DIR. Gurley offered a resolution,
rom the report of the committee,
to refer the whole case to
he next Assembly, and requiring the
louisville. Presbytery to appear there
or trial, and meanwhile suspending
hem from privileges of the Church.
lie explained that his object was to
emove all doubts of regularity. He
wanted them punished, and if they
we're not would leave the Church him
elf, yet he wanted fairness.
Adjourned.