Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-06-04

Plan Of Reunion Of she Old and New
sckool PFesbyferkans.

terrain ChurcheS, reported Dy the com
mittee Of conference to the two Genera
Assemblies sitting in New York, and
adopted on the 9th nlt unanimously BY
the. New School body, and with only
| eight dissenting voices by the Old School
body. This is the most decisive step y ei
taken toward consolidation. 1t will be
seen that the plan is to be submitted to
the different Presbyteries, and their apr
lproval or disapproyal expressed By the
18th Of October next. Dr.. Musgrave
said that the com mittee had been unani-
nous in their recommendations, as fol !
lows: taa ss.a
PLAN OF REUNION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA. -an4 e. 30 s-.Ea
/. The Presbyterian Churches in the
United States of America, namely, that
whose General Assembly convened in
the Brick Church, In the city of New
York, On the Both day OF 1869, and that
whose General Assembly met in the
Church Of the Covenant, in the said city,
on the same day. shall be reunited as
one church, under the name and style Of
the Presbyterian Church in the United
States of America, possessing all the
legal and corporate rights and powers
pertaining to the church previous to the
division in 1888, and all the legal and
corporate rights and powers which the
separate churches now possess.
2. The reunion shall be effected on the
doctrinal and ecclesiastical basis of our
common standards; the Scriptures of the
Old and New Testaments shall be ac-
knowiedged to be the inspired word Of
God, and the only infallibls rule Of faith
and practice; the confession of faith shall
continue to be sincerely received and
adopted, as containing the system Of doc
trine taught in Holy Scriptures; and the
government and discipline Of the Presby-
terrain Church in the United States shall
be approved as containing the principles
and rules Of our policy. ..I
3. Each of said assemblies shall subs
NIT the foregoing basis to its presbyte-
ries, which shall be required TO meet on
or before the 18th day of October, 1869,
to express their approval or disapprOvsl
of the same, by categorical answer to
the following question:
DO you approve the reunion of the
two bodies now claiming the name and
rights Of the Presbyterian Church 10
the United States of America, on the
following basis, namely 1.-THE reunion
shall be effected on the doctrinal and
ecclesiastical basis of our common stand
ards; the Scriptures of the Old and New
TeStaments shall be acknowledged to be
the inspired word of God, and the only
infallible rule of faith and practice; the
Confession of Faith shall continue to be
sincerely revered and adopted as con-
tanning the system of doctrine taught in
the Holy Scriptures; and the government
and decipline of the Presbyterian Church
in the United States shall be approved
as containing the principles aud rule of
our polity ?''
Each PresbyteEy, shall before the
first day of November, 1869, forward to
the stated clerk of the General Assembly
with which it is connected a statement
of its vote on the said basis of reunion.
L. The said General Assemblies now
sitting shall, after finishing their BUSH
ness, adjourn to meet in the city OF
Pittsburg, Pa, on the second Wednes-
day of November, 1869, at ii O'Clock
A N.
If the two General Assemblies shall
then find and declare that the above
named basis of reunion has been ap-
proved by two-thirds Of the PresbyteIies
connected with each branch of the
Church, then the same shall be of binds
ing force, and the two assemblies shall
take action accO dinghy.
5. The said General Assemblies shall
then and there make provisions for the
meeting of the General Assembly of the
united church on the third Thursday of
May, 1870. The Moderators of the two
present Assemblies shall jointly preside
at the said Assembly Of 1870, until an
other Moderator is chosen. The Modera
tor of the Assembly now sitting at the
Brick Church aforesaid shall, if present,
put all votes and decide questions Of
order and the Moderator of the other
Assembly shall, if present, preach the
opening sermon and the stated clerks
of the present Assemblies shall act as
stated clerks Of the Assembly Of the
united church until a stated clerk or
clerks shall have been chosen thereby /;
and no commissioner shall have a right
to vote or deliberate in said Assembly
until his name shall have been enrolled
| by the said clerks, and his commission
examined and filed among the papers Of
the Assembly.
g. Each Presbytery of the separate
churches shall be entitled to the same
| representation in the assembly OF the
united church in 1870 as it is entitled
to in the assembly with which it is now
| connected.
| CONCURRENT DECLARATIONS OF THE GEN
ERAL ASSEMBLIES OF 1869.
l. All the ministers and churches EN-
braced in the two bodies should be ads
| mitted TO the same standing in the united
body which they may have held in their
respective connections up to the consum.
nation ofthe union.
2. Imperfectly organized churches are
counseled and expected to become
thoroughly Presbyterian as early within
the period Of five years as may be per-
mitted by the highest interests to be con :.
suited; and no other such churches shall
be hereafter received.
3. The boundaries Of the several Press
byteries and Synods should be adjusted
by the General Assembly Of the united
church
4. The official records Of the two
branches of the church for the period OF
separation should be preserved and held
as making up the one history OF the
church and no rule or precedent which
does not stand approved by both the
bodies should be of auy authority
until re-estabIished in the united body
except in so far as such rule or precedent
may affect the rights of property founded
thereon.
| 5. The corporate rights now held by
the two General Assemblies, and by Their
boards and committees, should, as far as
practicable, be consolidated, and applied
for their several objects as defined by
law.
6. There should be one set OF com
mittees or boards for homo and foreign
missions and the other religious enters
prises of the church, which the churches
should be encouraged to sustain, though
free to cast their contributions into other
channels if they desire to do so.
Z. As soon as practicable after the
union shall have been effected, the Gen.
eral Assembly should reconstruct and
consolidate the several permanent com
, mittees and boards which now belong tC
! the two Assemblies, so as TO represent