The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-06-08
PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY. PAS
TORAL LETTER.


Nay 2sth 1895. chairman.
PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY. PAS
TORAL LETTER.
At Mondays Session of the Old School
Assembly, in st. Louis. Pastoral letter to
the churches aud people OF the Presbyterian
Church in the United States was adopted.
The address notices the fact that during the
progress Of the late war, in December, 1861,
the church became divided; ten Synods and
forty -four Presbyteries with the churches un-
der their care, organized O separate church
under another General Assembly. The ad-
dress proceeds:
Four General Assemblies-nameiy those
Of 1861, 1862, 1868 and 1s64-had deliber-
ately and solemnly pronounced this rebellion
heinons offense in the light of both human
aud divine law, and had enjoined upon the
people under their care the duty of uphold
ing the Government against which the rehell-
ION was waged. When. therefore, the As
semhly of 1865 convened, recognizing these
doctrines upon the rebellion and loyalty as
true. ansa recognizing the we'll known fact
that many persons lateiy Oh our e"""lesiasncai
household, some of them ministers and ell
ders, had been prominently concerned IN IN
sugating and aiding the rebellion, that body
simply designed to apply, Is logical and
righteous necessity, the principles laid down
by the four preceding Assemblies. As they
had successfully declared the rebellion to be
q sin and gross offense, the last Assembly
made provisions that those in the Southern
Church who had been guilty of willingly aid
ing the rebellion, should acknowledge tneir
sin and profess repentance as a condition pre-
oedent, provided they should wish to return
to their former relations with US. 1t is I'm
possible to see what could have been done
less than this, without, on the one hand, to.
tally ignoring the solemn Deliverances OF the
four previous Assemblies, aud in effect treat
ing their doctrines upon rebellion aud loyalty
as erroneous or, on the other hand, while
admitting these doctrines to be true, allowing
the men who had been guilty of setting them
at naught to come back into our fellowship
Without inquiry into their conduct. and thus
making Us partakers OF their sins.
1t is then shown that it was within the pro
vince of the General Assembly to make these
provisions. They were uttered in the spirit
Of kindness and Cancellation as well as ol
Justice. The church could not have done
other without, in its estimation, becoming
participants in the sin Of its rebellious mem
bers. The Assembly has ever felt the deep
est concern for those of its members through
out the South, who did not aid the rebellion
or aided it compulsorily. In each of thu
yearly Assemblies it has sent them words o
kindly greeting and of encouragement. Th'
church is ready for union when it can b
done upon those principles, which six Gen
eral Assemblies have announced. Thos.
principles it cannot safely change or compro-
mise The Address considers the deliver
ances of the church upon Slavery. Says tina
since its origin it has regarded slavery will
disapprobation. There we're some Of it
ministers and membership who professed ant
taught the Divinity or Slavery. When sla
very had eliminated in rebellion and treason
it was meet that the church should condemn
it in the emphatic manner in which it wal
condemned by the Assembly Of 1864. No,
was the deliverances of that Assembly antag-
onistic to the action of the Assembly Of lS4i
which held slaveholding to be no bar to com
munion. None Of the testimony OF the As
sembles against slavery, during the war
should be reversed now; first because tina
testimony is just and true. A second reason
is stated in the Address, thus
"All this is worthy of the more grave con
sideration, In the light of the Pastoral Lette
nut forth BY the General Assembly of th
South Presbyterian Church, sitting in Macon
Ca, in December last. That letter says o
the Southern system of slavery, that 'th
lawfulness of the relation, as a question o
social morality, and of Scriptural truth, ha
lost nothing of its Importance and tha
Assembly fervently thanks God, as set fort
in this Pastoral, that it had nothing to do witt
the emancipation of the slaves, saying, tina
it may hold up its hands before heaven an,
earth, washed of the tremendous responsi
biity involved in this change in the condition
of four millions of bond servants, and 70
which it has hitherto been generally conceded
they were unprepared.
The conclusion of the church is that hotl
branches of the Deliverances of the last AS
sembly-concerning loyalty and freedom
should be maintained in their integrity.
The great issue which engages the attention
of this Assembly is thus discussed in tn
close of the Letter:
.One other topic demands our corsidera
ton, In consequence oI the reDeiiiOn AM
slavery, and Of the deliverances of the fv
preceding Assemblies, thereupon, one Pres
bytery in the Church. and some one hundre,
or more ministers and elders, have set them
selves against these deliveranoes, BY eccle
siastical action, or formal organization, an,
have published their sohisnatical doctrines I,
the world. The disapprobation by minister
and members Of the acts of the General A.
sembly, when expressed in proper terms an,
spirit, and with due acknowledgement Q
subordination to its authority, is . right whicl
belongs TO every one under its jurisdiction
The General Assembly claims no infallibility
but il possesses . acleAf authority, derived fron
The Lord Jesus Christ, and its acts resulting
ftpA such sathonty ase to b respected. Nj
oemhion2icn q ministers oy meubeea -