Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-11-28

hearts 70 be with you in organic union. II il
true, dc not come at the present time seeking
for nay Synod such a connection with your b0dy.
tor, in the hrst place, we have not been able tO
secure full meeting OF the synod Of Missouri
since the last Assembly. It was not convenient
Tor us to hold 6 convention al any time during
the summer 40 as to confer together upon the
course best 10 be pursued by US. And at our
recent annual meeting. owing to incidental cir
cumstances. the number present was scarcely
snthelent to make II proper for us to act for the
whole church OF the State. and take the decided
step OF proposing at this time an organic union
| with your body.
Aside from all this. however. it is probably
best tor US not TO seek such union at present.
owing to the fact that il might jeopardize very
important interests. We have been long laboring
to establish an institution of learning for the
education of the sons Of the church. Its corner
| stone was laid in the prayers OF Gods people,
and greatly hes .he Lord blessed it, Every year,
/ believe. since It's establishment has Witnessed
revival OF religion. and many young men have
gone forth from the halls of w Westminster College
| 10 become preachers of the everlasting gospel.
| Suit has already been instituted by those who
| adhere TO the Assembly for this College, which
| is 50 dear to our hearts. There are also Presby-
terial academies. and a great deal of other
sought BY those who have gone out from u.s. 1t
| becomes us, therefore. TO move cautiously iuthe
! matter of our ecclesiastical relations
There is another reason, not withont Its inAu-
| ence upon the minds Of many. The SynOds of
| Kentucky and Missouri have been called. in the
| providence OF God 10 occupy c conspicuous pe-
sition in the grest battle for the non-secuiarity
of the church. know we have been charged
this contest and ats been mas assSilsi al With t6e
cOnyeuient imPutatisn that we are netuated by
I struggle for independeaee of the Federal gey-
! ernment. Now, cannot believe that such a
charge woHld by any means Of itself keep our
synod in state OF independeney, or deter us
| one moment from uniting with you. No. sir; we
have been doing battle for the great doe
trine of the Headship of Jesus Christ. We have
been contending for strict Interpretation of
the constitution Of the church. and firm adj
herenee TO its excellent provisions. And many
OF us believe that in our present position we
can probably best carry, on this contest to its
final issue. Sir, we would save the old church.
| We loved her in the days before the war as the
ahsctionate little child loves its fond mother. We
reverenced her General Assemblies as the gath
erings of some of the nOblest men that God had
given to his people in America. Even we, the
young men, remember with halloWed aSsocia-
tions those glorious days when the eloquent
voices of Alexander and Thornwell and Hodge
and Plumer and Rice were heard in the supreme
councils of our old church. Shall those DAYS re-
turn to our Zion? We know not brethren But
let us pray for it let US labor for it. II is worth
the effort. And we are not without some
hone, faint .as il may seem. Even the most
extreme men in the Old School Church of
the North are beginning to admit the falli-
/ biity of the Assembly and its mistakes in
some of its part deliverances. And we have
been assured, on evidence that we cannot
very we'll question, that there is conserva-
North which
Is one with us In mind and heart, and which
earnestly desires reunion with the brethren of
the South. These conservative brethren have
asked us TO wait patiently little season longer,
hoping that our principles may come to prevail
and that then the Synods Of he Border Statesma
form sort of golden link for the reunion Of the
different sections Of our broken Zion. On fail
ing in this, we do at least hope that we may be
instrumental in gathering about us whatever of
conservatism may exist in the North. Therefore
we thought it well to heed the desire of the
brethren at the North; and, to give them an
additional ground for taking hold with more
earnestness in the effort TO bring back the
church to the standard of Gods truth our Synod
appointed COMPUTES to go TO the next Assem- 1
bly,, and lay before that body our views and the
reasons that actuate us in our present course.
That committee is not authorized in any way to
make any concessions as to the great principles
Tor which we have been contending. 1t goes
there once more in most respectful and loving
manner. and yet with firmness, aud in the name
OF our King to unfari the banner of the Consti-
tuition Of the Church. and display in golden let
ters the Scriptural doctrine of the Headship of
Jesus and that he alone is Lord of the con-
science. And may Jesus 60 with them in all the
fullness of his grace and his power.
Permit me just here to read an extract from a
letter which have this morning received from
brother Farris one of the delegates TO your body
He says:
Had gone, 1 should have assured the As
sembly of our sympathy and of our preference
to be oftbem, but that for their sake, and for
the sake Of whatever OF conservatism there is
the sake Of the future oftrue Presbyterianism in
the whole country, it seems to be wise for us to
remain as We are, holding our vantage ground,
from which We can hold fraternal hands to the
Southern Presbyterian Church. and, at the same
time, by our protests andappeals to law arouse
and encourage our conservative brethren in the
Northern church, to look we'll 10 their ecclesias-
teal rights and liberties, while we also prove
serious obstacle in the way of subversive rad
ical schemes We lose nothing By tarrying
and, when there is evidently no longer room
tDr u seek
with the Southern Assembly. In the mean
time. our vacant fields are numerous and in
yiting, and ministers from the Southern church
are earnestly urged to come 10 our help. They
will be very welcome"
We do not desire or intend to remain in a
state Oflndependency. of We know that you are
one with as now, as you were in those blessed
days of the past, to which memory will be ever
carrying us back. and, therefore, our hearts turn
TO you, brethren. lt will not be long before
shall meet you as cO-c0mmissloners in the
supreme councils Of the church. God grant
that our next meeting might be in the General
Assembly OF a re- united church. But whatever
may be the issue of the present contest, feel
assured that the Presbyterians of Missouri will
never consent 10 a final ecclesiastical separa-
ton from their brethren of the South. In mind
and heart We are one in the great system OF
grace We are one on the doctrine of the
headship of Jesus. We are one in our firm ad-
herenee to the great principles and safeguards
of our noble constitution. We are one in all the
sacred associations of the past. And believeme
brethren, We are not kept back from seeking an
organic union with you at the present time by
any want of sympathy for you, or Of confidence
in you. Already are we beginning to introduce
your publications among our people, and doubt
less they will receive a resdy sale in all our con-
gregatiOns. Ii would be extremely gratifying TO
Us, if. in your embarrassments, We could send
you means to aid you in your domestic mis-
siOnary operations. But this We cannot do now;
for our own field exhausts our resources in this
respect. There is another work for which we
are not making contributions. and which should
never be lost sight of by the people of 9Od-l
mean the work of foreign missions. Every
Christian should make q yearly investment in
this blessed cause And / do believe if your
Secretary of Missions would address n kindly
appeal 20 the sessions of our churches it would
not be altogether IN VAIN.
do not propose now to review the troublous
scenes through which the Synod of Missouri and
its Presbyteries were called to pass during our late
disastrous civil war. when ministers and elders
were required TO take military and civil oaths to
qualify them for seats in ecclesiastical courts,
and Gods ambassadors were forbidden to pro-
claim the glad tidings of salvation unless they
would swear on the book Of partisan loyalty to
Caesar. and when even men calling themselves
ministers were found ready TO urge on provost
marshals and civil magistrates in their deeds of
iniquity in relation to God church. Those days
are past and with their end has come a separa-
ton from us of those who demanded that sup
port be given TO civil power by that kingdom
which is not Of this world. little more
than year ago. those who adhere To the Assem-
bly, went out from us, and left US in peace to
pursue our blessed work. They took off perhaps
over a third of our ministers. but scarcely
fourth of our members. But this secession has
not materially crippled us In our work The
great body of the PFesbyterians with us and
we carry the sympathy Of the masses of the peO.
pie And our troubles have served 10 raise us
TO greater exertions in our own behalf More
than two years ago our missionaries were cast of
by the Board at Philadelphia During the past
year we not emily supported these brethren within
ourselves. but even employed three syangelists, |
one of whom is that dear and venerable father |
in Israel, Dr. Stiles, of the Synod of Virginia. |
We raised during the Synodical year about 5000 |
for cur missionary work, and IN partial report |
made to Synod. 1t was f0und that over S50,O0O |
had been contributed by the churches for the |
erection Of houses of worship. And our Zion |
has not been without the blessing 0i the lord.
In many places there have been interesting and |
powerful reyivals of religion God has smiled |
on US The Lord has shown us his face OF favor. |
His people have been revived Their hearts |
have been encouraged. And precious souls have |
been brought into the kingdom. Tbe Lord |
pour out his spirit everywheTe, and in his |
own good time save earth's perishing millions, |
and bring into blessed union the golden links OF |
his discovered church.
to you again. and through you 10 all the Presby-
teriaHs Of the South, the warmest eongrafaia-
tons Of the Synod Of Missouri
On motion Of Rev. DR.. Smith, special |
committee was raised TO consider and report |
on the matters brought out by Rev. A. P. |
Forman concerning the Synod Of Mis- |
L. S.ovefcte Of Ra- n |