The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-10-20

| tempt snould be made In concert, at the ap-
preaching meetings of the Synods to orig-
nate measures, which should serve to unite
sound men and roll back the tide of violence
and schism. The result was the unanimous
adoption by the Synod of New Jersey of
paper, drawn up by DR.. Hodge, which de-
nounced the Assemblys minute of 1865 as
unconstitutional and void, and called on that
body to reconsider its action, and take mea-\
sures to restore the unity and pea,e of the
Church. The paper was Immediately for
warded to the Philadelphia correspondent by
the New Jersey party, and was adopted by
the Synod of Philadelphia, by very large
majority. Cotemporaneously, the Synod of
Baltimore and other bodies took similar ac-
ton. 1t was now proposed to embody the
substance of these Synodical overtures in
respectful but firm memorial to the Assem-
bly,, to be distributed for general signature
throughout the Church. Dr. Gurley's was
| selected as the party to prepare the paper
and head the movement He was consulted,
and had partly agreed to take that position,
when an incident occurred which discon-
certed the plans and arrested the movement
at time when cheered with the brightest
prospects of success. The Declaration and
Testimony was published. The unguarded
style OF that document and the extreme
measures proposed in it, disconnected the
friends of the New Jersey movement, de-
tached from it multitude who declared that
they were willing for the Assembly to adopt
conciliatory policy, in response to respect
full and courteous application, but would
yield nothing to violence and denunciation;
and aroused and invigorated the failing en-
erges of ecclesiastical radicalism. Its
friends saw and seized the opportunity, with
out scruple and with eminent success. In
the St. Louis Assembly the case of the De-
claration and Testimony party came up, and
DR.. Gurley, the selected leader of the poll
cy of Cancellation and Southern reunion,
stood father to the EXTREMIST proposition
which came before the Assembly. Its adop-
ton weakened the conservative forces of the
Church by the whole strength of the two
compact and powerful Synods, and gave pro-
portionate encouragement and strength to the
opposite party. Still, however, they clearly
saw, that as matters stood, the ultimate re-
turn of the Church to its proper temper and
true principles and policy was inevitable,
unless some radical remedy were found.
That remedy was recognized in the reunion
of the New School, from whence the schem
ers anticipated reinforcement of the
strength, which promised permanent securi-
ty in power This object was indicated by
its prime author in unambigyous terms, to
unimpeachable witnesses on different occa-
sions. "The design of the movement" said
he to one of the most eminent ministers in
the Northern Church, will tell you, for
you are loyal man. 1t is, to render the
restoration Of the Southern Church forever
impossible" The faction with whom the
scheme originated, and who acted from such
motives may already have lost their hold
upon the Church, and the reunion may now
be accomplished by votes which are actuated
by no such considerations as these. We
trust it is so. But the reunion itself must
be judged by its whole history; and move
ment originating as did this, which has been
carefully weighed and formally condemned,
again and again, by the deliberate judg-
ment of the Church, and is now about to be
consummated, through the persistent manage
ment of small party of schemers, the su-
pjneness of some, the weariness of others,
and generally confessed helplessness to
oppose the drift, is certainly not entitled to
arrogate that holy and heaven born charac-
ter which some would claim. Especially, is
the Southern Church called upon to view the
matter in the light of its whole history, in
order to appreciate it Alright, and learn her
own duty, as toward the united body
Even those who devised the reunion as
means of the exclusion of the Southern
Church, may now speak another language,
and with unchanged principles be not un-
willing to see that Church absorbed, over
? whelmed, and lost in the mass of body so
much to their liking, as the reunited Church
is expected to be.
1t is not to the present purpose to trace
, the history of the reunion movement through
its various phases. The cardinal fact is,
that the union is about to be consummated
5 ''upon the basis of the standards, pure and
, simple" after the fact has been formally as
, certained and made of record in the most
: solemn and responsible acts, that the sense
: in which those standards are received, in the
D two bodies, is fundamentally different, as
well as the authority belonging to them, and
| the responsibility attaching to their adop-
/ tion,-that the difference on these points is
: precisely the same which existed at the divi.
: sion in 1887, and that under the most strenu-
Gus and persistent efforts, it has proved to
, be irreconcilable.
The fact is patent to all men, that, as the
case stands, the adoption of the standards
"pure and simple" as the basis of union, is
f an evasion of the differences thus ascer-
tanned and pronounced, and, on the part of
g the Old School, is very poor covert