The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-07-07
offering, and US from accepting these frater.

offering, and us from accepting these frater-
nal salutatiOns
1. To say nothing now of personal and
unofficial calumnies-there stands on record,
as officially uttered, and that repeatedly,
the outrageous calumny against the South
ern Understanding their claim to have
organized separate Assembly, as testi-
mony against the secularizing the Church
that this Southern Assembly came into exis-
tence from purely political causes, to sup
port secession and slavery. Obviously if
this be true, the Northern brethren do great
wickedness in sending their fraternal salu-
tations to an organization of hypocrites; if
it be false, the Southern Church do great
wickedness in accepting these fraternal Salu-
tations from those who Indignantly defame
them and their testimony for Christ. We
need not recite from the acts and monu-
ments of the calumnies In Pittsburgh, the
st. Louis and other Assemblies, to show
that this charge hrs been officially made and
reiterated against the Southern Assembly.
And yet in their Manifesto to the Churches
of Christ in 1861, the Southern Assembly
solemnly declared that the Spring resolu-
ton was the cause compelling their separa-
ton; and that enthusiastically they were
''neither the friends nor the foes of slavery
And in the daily reports of that Assembly,
as published at the time, the same fact is
found declared over and over. The opening
sermon declares:
"But a little while since it was attempted
referring to the Philadelphia Assembly Of
1861 in the most august court of our Church
to place the crown of our Lord on the head
of Casar-to bind that body whichis Christ's
fulness to the chariot in which Caesar rides
The convocation of this Assembly is in part
that testimony for this Headship of Christ
And now this Parliament of the Lords Free
men sOlemnly declares that by the terms Of
her charter none but Jesus may be King in
Zion"
In the debates of the very first day mem.
Der declared on the floor:
eve represent fifty Presbyteries that have
been un, churched by the General Assembly
by requiring us to give adhesion to a gov
eminent which we disown."
Said DR.. Thornwell, in the same debate
dec. 9Th, 1863
"HRe action Of the late Assembly has left
us disjointed. The Synods were all original
ly dis-united, &c"
And Dec. 9th, reports:
"Presbyteries of Western Texas announce
aresolution of that Presbytery by eOhich "a
consequence Of the Spring resolutions they
had seeded from the General Assembly
&C."
1. Now having thus originated in the
murderous act of 1861, as testimony to
Christ's Headship, and then being officially
maligned as having originated in political
sympathyfor slavery, how shall the Southern
Church accept fraternal salutations from
their malignerS; or if not malgned, why
should the Northern Assembly send frater-
nal salutatiOns to wicked hypOcritical body
sprung from political passion merely.
2. Then there stand the murderous anC
cruel acts of 1865, requiring every South
ern minister and member to perjure himself
as condition of membership in the North
ern Church. 1t will not do to cover up such
acts by "dead-letter" construction. Lei
them be honestly taken back.
3. What need we say of the Kentucky
portion of the Southern Church-of the
ipso factO orders &C., &C., as bar to all
fraternal salutations?
4. What need we say of the less direct
but not less murderous acts of the Assembly,
justifying and melting to blood, and car
mage, &c.?
We find space failing us. We drop these
suggestions to all sensible men not to be
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