The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-07
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
The Church at Kanawha Court House.

A correspondent of the Philadelphia
Presbyterian, of Aug. 22d, over the sig
nature, sd. W. F."-evidently a mem.
ber of the Northern Assembly's Presby-
terry of West Virginia, writes as follows,
in reference to this church:
1.-THE church at Charleston occupies some
what anomalous position. 1t has declared
that it will not enter the Southern Assembly
At the same time it has not identified itself
with the Presbytery of West Virginia As
consequence it for the time remains in a sort
of independent condition. Owing
to the action of the last Assembly in regard to
the Southern Presbyteries, may we not hope
that this church will soon see it's way clear to
come practically into the Presbytery of West
Virginia."
The above passage occurs in an ac-
count of tour of I'd. W. F." up the
Kanawha Valley, during which he has
received orronaoas nipression III re-
ference to this church, and has drawn
equally erroneous differences.
In the first place, the Kanawha Pres
-byterian church has never declared that
.''it will not enter the Southern Assem-
bly," The only action it ever took on
this subject was to remain as it then was.
And since its connexion has always been
with Greenbrier Presbytery, and never
with any other body, that action left it
still where it had been from its founda-
ton 1t could not resolve to enter a
body with which it was already in con-
nexion, and from which it had never
withdrawn.
cd. W. F." is certainly correct in say
ing cit has not identified itself with the
Presbytery of West Virginia" 1t would
not have done it even had it so desired !;
for the simple reason that it was forbid
den by the Assembly of which West Vir
ginia Presf ytery forms part, and whose
radical deliverances it helped to perpe-
trate. To enter that body the members
of Charleston church are required to
give evidence of repentance for their
former connexion with slavery. They
must accept the political deliverances of
that body as part of their profession of
faith. 1 think cd. w. F." will not find
many there prepared for such STEP
The deliverances which they are thus
required to accept, declare that they.
while in the church, have been certainly
living in sin, and that their Rufners
and Browns, and the long list of their
saintcd dead lived and died in known sin.
Who in Charleston does cd. w. F."
think would not repel the very thought
of such thing with horror? Who of
them does he think are willing to unite
with body that would place such stig.
ma upon themselves, and attempt to fast
en- such stain upon the names of their
venerated dead? They will rather follow
the advice OF the Apostle in l lin. vi:
1~5.
I'D. W. F." hopes they will do it, ow-
ing to the action of his Assembly in re-
ference to the Southern Presbyteries.
But what was this gracious action? Why,
they simply erased our names from their
rolls and actually acknowledged us to be
denomination of Christians And yet
they have never repealed one sentence
of their odious requirement. They are
sorry we are so bad, and have actually
invited us, as they do any other sinners,
TO repent and return to them. DIR. Mon
fort, the leader in shaping the action OF
the last Assembly, scouts the idea of any
repeal Of their former action against US
Had resolution been introduced into
that body for such repeal, how many
votes does I'D. W. +" suppose it would
have received?
One is somewhat at loss to under
stand this newborn zeal to get possession
of our churches A few years ago whel