Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-11-14
gV,he synod Of. Virginia.

mock Presbytery to be allowed to strengthen
ITSELF by additions from adjacent parts IN Win
chester, West Hanover, and East Hanover
Presbyteries, which would give them Front
Royal and is pastor, Rev. Mr., Berry; Orange
Court House and Gordonsvie, and Dr. Handy
! Fredericksburg and Mr.. Gilmer; and Yellow
Chapel and Mr. Woods The claims of Rap
pahannock, were earnestly advocated by Revs.
John W. Pugh, of Warrenton, and Letwicl',
Of Alexandria. sis ~ q YI
Mr. Pugh made a strong appeal in behalf OF
Rappahannock, in which he boldly and earn
psly, but very kindly, and with due regard to
the interests Of the whole, demanded all the
churches and ministers above named: There
was no fear that Rappahannock Presbytery
would DC dissolved 1t Trad lite, but asked Tor
that which naturally and providenially seemed
to belong to it. ,4!t. r
Mr.. Icitwich showed the Importance of
|iRappahannock Presbytery in respect to loca=
zion. 1t had 4, 000nore square miles and o.,
GOO more souls than Winchester, while 1t had
llonly six ministers, aud their churches had
|jeichtcenn.. It had not come here to ask git
|lof Nest Hanover, but justice OF the Synod, OF
! which. all the Presbyterics were the
wards q He had observed that each OF tho
| Prcsbytcries was willing to pnta hand IN Its
| neighbours pocket fortho benefit O, ltappahan-
mock, but not one OF them saw any propriety
in granting part Of IFS own possessions. ms
was Mr.. Leitwich's view OF the case; but IN
! view of the Get of an increase by union
with Patapsco Prcsbytery, he was In favor OF
permitting the matter to lie over Tor 4 year
The question was thorcupon, by vote OF
Synod, postponed. 80
A paper on the relations of the colored peo-
| ple to the Church was presented by Rev. A.
w. Pitzer, of Liberty, which was Immediately,
| by very decided vote, referred to the Com
| mittcc on Overtures This committee soon
| reportcd through their chairman, Dr. Peck,
| that they unanimously recommended its adop-
ton by the Synod and it was at onca put to
4 the vote, and passed with very few dissenting
voices. 1t is as follows:
Whereas the paper upon the subject; OF the
colored people adopted by the last General
| Assembly has been enormously construed by
some as teaching the doctrine that coorcd
men. possessing the qualifications required by
the standards Of our Church and the Word of
God, should not be ordained to the full work
of the gospel ministry simply because they be-
long to the negro race !; therefore. ....
r';Resohea, That the General Assembly be
overturned to declare that the Church is Christ s
universal kingdom that It's doors are open
alike to all who love the Lord Jesus; and that
ordination to the work Of the gospel ministry
IS to be given to all those called Of God to aud
qualified for that work, without respect OF
persons"
Subsequently, Rev. Edward Martin rose and
said he wished some affirmative voter to move
q reconsideration of the paper adopted this
| ! TO-, hn-
cause lie was sure it was misunderstood. Mem
bers who had voted in the affirmative courtc+
ousv agreed TO the reconsideration, and MIR.
| MARTA briefly addressed the Synod with three
objections: Ist 1t was unnecessary to ask
tie General Assembly to adopt this paper, be-
cause an Identical one had been rejected at the
last session. ID. The action does not repre-
sent our constituency. Sd. We are not COM
potent to ask nor the Assembly to grant such a
declaration as the paper Indicates.
Mr. Letwich replied in favor of the paper
He believed witha faith which recent events
had not impaired, that the relation OF master
and slave was az legitimate and as approved III
| the sacred Scri pturcS us that Ot prince and
subject. parent and child, or husband aud wife
1t was recognized in the Jewish law, in the
moral law more than once, and sanctioned by
| Hin who spakc az never man spake. Mr.
Lcfwich said his JOY at emancipation arose
from ecou0mica Industrial, and commercial
reasons He did not propose to advocate a
theory OF national unity Of the races, against
which Providence had placed barrier. The
civil slate OF tho negro Is matter tor the Leg
islatule,. and his social relations il lnntter for
taste TO decide; but he was entitled to ccclesl-
asticll equality. The General Assembly had
acknowledged this but asserted that there were
at this time providential barriers in the way OF
allowing it. Was it that our people smartlng
under recent wrong, would refuse that which
it was scrptural to grant, and obey an adverse
code OF public sentiment rather than the Word
OF Cod? Must the voice Of the world control
| the Church, and the passions Of men prevail
over religion pure and undcfed? Then the
last step of Christianity has been taken, her
| last triumph recorded, and we become cringlng
| and submit ssive victims under the advancing
forces of Darkness The aurels of religion
have not been won by inglorious concessions.
| Had Noah listened to popular clamor he could
| not have made an ark TO the saving of his
house, and the preservation Of the Church.
| After other pertinent historical illustrations
from the Reformation, &C. MIR. i. proceeded
TO show that the doctrine of any ecclesiastical
inequality is opposed to the distinctive charac
teristics of Christianity. Religious privileges
| were at first grated upon the stock of Abra-
ham, but the exclusive institutions of the
Jewish dispensations like shadows passed
away before the light of the Gospel. The
middle wall of partition was broken down First
at Samaria, then at Ccsarea, where Peter
preached to Cornelius and his household, it
was taught that lin every nation he that
feareth God and worketh righteousness is
accepted with him And when tidings Of
these things reached the ears of the Church at
Jerusalem the apostles assembled to recognize
that the gifts of grace were no longer to be con-
fined to the Jews, and the doctrine of equality
in the Kingdom of God welt forth stamped
with the authority of the first council. The
mission Of Paul was an illustration of the same
doctrine He preached the Gospel to the
philosophers Of Athens, the voluptuaries of
| Cnrinth the courtiers of Rome. "By one