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

the charity of the gospel. But before entering
upon this it may be as we'll to correct mistake
into which our brother has fallen. He seems to
enjoy himself considerably about certain docu-
ments we spoke of having sent for, and which he
thinks are long time coming. While one would
rather increase than spoil the merriment OF good
man. yet we are in this case under the necessity Of
saying that the remark about documents had
not the slightest reference to this discussion, but
to another subject entirely different.
The Southern Chprchman ascribes to us in the
outset two bluuderS, which it is disposed to
make a good deal of with how much reason the
reader may soon Judge. The first is that we repre-
sented minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church and his two sons as ''oficiatiRg' in the
Roman Catholic Church in Huntsville, whereas it
seems they were only "reciting the Profession of
Faith of Plus the 4th, which is done thus pub
icly by all persons upon joining that communion.
Our knowledge as to the forms OF worship among
Roman Catholics, is no doubt less accurate than
that of our neighbOr; in fact we never witnessed
their worship but once, and then, of course, not
on the Lords day. We stand corrected; but what
is the correction worth to the ChTchmaa
Whether this Cumberland Presbyterian and his
sons were officiating in the Church Of Rome, or
only giving in their adhesion to it, is perfectly i'm
material for the purpose before u.s. In either case
the parties were By the act equally identified with
Popery.
The second blunder is thus stated by the Church.
mum" Next, the wri;er in the FeemanS Journal
did not express surprise that Presbyterian clergy
man and his sons were making their profession Of
faith, but he says, going into the church [ was
surprised at seeing an elderly man with two youths
reciting the Profession of Faith of Plus ".
learned that they were, &C. He was first sur
prised then he learned who they WERE" Does the
Chuchmaa suppose that Roman Catholic going
into church of his own faith, would be surprised
at the mere fact of seeing IAN elderly man with
two youths, going through the ceremonies Of ad-
mission? Is it not plain that the point of his sur
prise was in finding ,oho they 'oere? So we under
stood and stated. Yet upon two such minute
criticisms neither Of which has the value of q
straw as to the point before U.S. our neighbor opens
bis article with this weighty condemnation II
the Central Presbyterian would only give facts, OF
even from facts draw correct differences, there
would be little dispute between US. Surely we
may now afford to leave our brother in the quiet
possession of all the gain to be gathered from our
"two bluuders "
What, now, is the main point between us? The
Southern Cbmchmaa states it thus" He" 9TH.
Editor of the Central Presbyterian "afirms oul
80 Articles are orthodox and Protestant" But his
belief is that our Liturgy while "it contains mat
tiers Of doctrine and ceremony which, while admit
ting for the most part a construction consistent
with Protestant orthodoxy, do also admit of con
struction inconsistent with it, but consistent Will
Romanism,"
This is correct so far as it goes, but it does no
include the whole of our position, as would hav,
been apparent had the quotation not stopped a
tie middle Of a sentence! 1t is here appended, to
gether with others with which it stands connected
and which serve to complete its meaning. 1t il
this
"That these antiquities and errors are there
because, in settling that Liturgy it was the ixec
purpose of Queen Elizabeth and others of like
mind, to propitate the Roman Catholics of he
kingdom, and at the same time crafty her OWL
decided procivites for that faith that the failure
t. make thorough reformation was contrary tt
the wishes of the Reformers, and was fact ad
mitted and sorely lamented by them. Consequently
germs of Romauism were left in that Church
which have been from that day to this "roots Of
bitterness springing up to trouble it." Let the
history of the Episcopal Church in England and
this country, and especially the apostacies now sc
current in both, attest the truth of this remark
This is our conscientious conviction
Here now is our position as completed in oul
own words 1t is affirmed of the Liturgy of the
Episcopal Church-(l.) that certain matters there
in contained are stated ambiguousy -admitting o.
both Protestant and Romish construction: e.,
that, as a fact of history, these antiquities were
put there desgpedB; (3) that the failure to make
thorough reformation was admitted and lamenteG
by the Reformers; and a. that from these germs
of Romanism, the Episcopal churches in England
and this country have been troubled with aposta
cies to Rome, such as have characterised no Other
churches.
How does the Southern Ch'rchman undertake
to overthrow this position? 1t begins with the
following strange answer:
First cur neighbor tells US there wasa decided
eaven of POpery left in the Episcopal Church. y
We asks for proof; he tells us certain things in the
Liturgy admit Of construction consistent a0ith Ro
naajSm There is no doubt of this and so We
confess it. But there are many things in another
Book which admit of the same; as for example
THE Civil Magistrate =. hath authority and il
: L.. h ovlo tlot 4 H.
preserved in the Church l.. that all basphemies
and beresjes be suppressed" &c, &c. This sounds
to Us very much like illumination from the Vati
can to one of the Popes deputies, king. Far
from it; it is only the utterance of the Westmin
ster Confession of Faith
The reply to this is obvious and decisive The
Westminster Confession was made two hundred
years ago. and did contain the pernicious doctrine
about the civil magistrate just recited-a doctrine
then held in every part OF the Christian world
and even now held in most oft But, in the first
place. this was not Romanism it was EraStianiSm.
The doctrine of Rome is that the Church, or more
specially the Pope as representing it, has power
over the civil Magistrate, and not the civil Magis
trate over the Church. But in the next place.
that clause was expuuged by the Presbyterian
Church in this country from the date of its organi
zatiou one hundred and thirty years ago. No such
doctrine is now to be found in our Confession of
Faith. If the Episcopal Church in this country
had only been as faithful in purgng its Liturgy
of the dregs of the Popery unhappily LETT in it, her
children would not have been lett at the present
day to mourn over her sorrows, and strifes, and
the grieyous Popish heresies and practices which,
as the Southern Churchmaa has so often told us,
are fast eating her very vitals This she has never
done. 1t is indeed a remarkable fact that in the
Grst Prayer Book adopted by the American Epis-
cOpal Church, the Convention presided over by
the venerable Bishop White omitted, in the Office
of hantism the wnrds-"hath nleased thee To re.