New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-01-25
THE SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY,


THE SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.
The Southern Presbyterian Assembly met r.
Gently at Macon, Ga. The meeting Of this lanuen-
tiai body was regarded with great interest
out the country, and especially at the North Wnere
Ii was hoped, rather than expected, that some
movement would DO made for either On immediate
q prospective union 81 he Presbyterian ohufch.'
The Assembly. however, adjourned TO meet 81
Memphis. r,ext year, without making any provision
fnr : reunfon With the Northern branch. At first
s;cht Il 4rbt appear that this omission is indica-
t;ve IL disposition to perpetuate the divisions
hetwsen ths two sections of the country. The
oaestion III slavery, in the form in which slavery
onerate ID the incentive Of the original rupture,
being settled BY the events Of the war; il might
appear as II there were no obstacle to settlement
VI Tie difficulty aud reconciliation between the
divided churches.
But ii mast be remembered that while the reli-
gious rupture preceded the political rupture, and
wAs not necessarily dependant on the course Of
secular events SO the termination of the civil con-
fict does not logically imply a settlement of the
theological controversy. The arbitrament of arms
might selvo the questions at issue between the
sections as political organizations; might decide
the power if not the right secession might COM
BEL the Southern States to return to the Federal
Union, and the Southern people to yield obedience
to the Federal authof4ty but no such instrument
tality could be invoked in the case Of the dis
united religious bodies Freedom of action
remains to them, within their appropriate sphere,
after the war, just as they possessed it before the
war The question under discussion having never
been removed from the forum Of debate, could not
Be brought under tile jurisdiction Of force. opin
ions on abstract theological or metaphysical
points, cannot be controlled BY armies
and navies Whether or not African slavery
was sin whether or not it was
prohibited by the Bible, are questions quite as
open to discussion COW as before the first gun was
6red u sumter. it may not be worth while to
discus them, People may think it an idle waste
~ HIM IL reason al Tie abstract merits or de-
merits sifulness OF righteousness Of institutions
xhich have been evocably swept away. Buff
the discussion be forced on them, they will be very
MI 10 revert 10 Their original opinions In mat
ters a. politics and craftsmanship men may,
I'D very often do sacrifice principle. which often
III nothing more than opinion, to the imperious
demands Of an memorable necessity. A republi-
can may live quietly. peacefully and 4 loyalty
0i1QGI q MgE&lGuy, HiuUiiatClist uiNucN CpHu-
ic But religious affairs 1t is very different. The
abjnration Of ones creed Or convictions
at The bidding Of power, has always been thought
The sacrifice of creed Oh conviction
ut the mere command Of a numerical majority,
would, even in this prosaic age, be thought indie
cent and disreputable
And this ii inst The sort of sacrifice that was re-
CURED Of the Southern Presbyterians. II they had
been asked merely to recognize the essential fact
Of the abolition Of slavery, Of course they would
not have hesitated to comply. But far more than
this Is demanded. The enactments of the highest
authority recognized in the Common Book of Dis
cipline Of the Northern Church, and the declara-
tons Of the authority presiding over the Board Of
Domestic Missions, are the supreme law, or would
be the supreme Law Of the united church. While
those enactments and those declarations remain in
force, no reunion is possible. The statutes and
ordinances are 30 constituted that Southern APP
piicant for admittanee must confess that all his
previous ministerial life had been farce and a
sham and he must swear, moreover, that the
Bible pronounces slavery to be sin. OF course,
while such conditions are imposed upon them, the
Southern Church cannot, without dishonor and by
pocrisy, become reunited with the Northern Church.
But there was no obstinate clinging to old sys-
TENS, and no blind refusal to accept the necessi-
ties of new conditions on the part Of the Southern
assembly. On the contrary, that body distinctly
recognized the changed relations between the
white and black race and made it the chief object
of the meeting to provide regular and systematic
religious instruction for the unfortunate edmen.
or late then negro has been carefully taught that
his former master is his worst enemy. The Pres
byterian Assembly takes means to convince him
that his late master is in;realiy his best friend.
4 III addition to this the Assembly made provision
for the publication Of their own religious litera-
lure, and for thorough education of their own
ministry. We sincerely hope that their efforts in
his direction will be responded to BY the large
ind influential religious organization which they