The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-04-21
CHURCH FELLOWSHIP.
JESSE II. LINDSAY,
Secretary and Treasurer.

The tokens Of large emigration from States
North of Virginia are already becoming numerous.
Among those seeking homes in the South are some
who are Presbyterians. Many Of these are seek
ing fellowship with our churches. We have re-
eeived letters again and again, asking fraternal
counsel as to the course which ought to be pur,
sued towards SUCH 'These persons, it is said,
leone with certificates of good standing in the
churches where they lived. Are we bound to re-
ceive them upon the strength of these letters of
dismission?' Others express fears lest some of
these applicants may entertain opinions which will
be very uncomfortable to members of our church
es, and give US trouble
As emigration from the North to the South is
likely to increase very much in short time, and
such applications to become more numerous, it
may perhaps answer, in some degree, a useful pur
pose to set down the substance of such views as
we have given in private, in reply to the inquiries
received. The points we have presented, and
which it is believed have been satisfactory, are
such as these:
l. 1t has long been a settled law in our Church
that every Presbytery has an inherent right to
Judge as to the whole question Of the expediency
of receiving ministers coming from other Presby
teries and all this notwithstanding the good GER
ti6eate they may present Every church session,
has by parity of reasoning, the same right as to
private members If this holds good, as between
different parts of our own Church, the case is even
stronger when applied to churches which have
never sought or established any correspondence
with us.
A certificate may be taken as priHgtdcje evidence
Of the good standing Of the party in the Church
from which he comes, and no farther How then
should we be guided in coming to a satisfactory
eonelusion2 This leads to another point
2. The presumption should be that such appi-
eants seek our church fellowship in good faith. If
they did not intend to fall in with our Presbyterian
organizations and cooperate with US why should
they seek our communion at ALL In eOnnexion
with this it should be remarked, that they have,
in general strong motives to unite with us, instead
of forming separate organizations if they can do
so comfortably. Besides the heavy expense of
building churches and sustaining their own insti-
tUtions, they are aware that their social comfort
greatly promoted by becoming identified with ours.
3. If brethren of the ministry and ruling elders
will visit such persons, kindly aud freely confer
with them in regard to the whole matter of uniting
with us, they will commonly find that such app6-
eants mean to act in good faith-mean to cooper
ate with us honestly and faithfully and peaceably
Such visits and conference will not only be re.
ceived in friendly spirit, but will often be great
qualification to excellent Christians who of neces.
sity feel themselves to be strangers. Insuch cases
z l. Il. L
welcome.
f. On what ground would a refusal to admit to
church fellowship be justi6ed2
Not on the ground of political opinions, unless
those opinions are contrary to good morals. This
would be setting up in our Church that destesta-
bic, unscriptural doctrine and test which we so
justly condemn in Northern churches. For the
evidence Of this see the acts Of their General AS
sembieS
But suppose the man is an aboidonist: what
then? To answer this question clearly requires
some careful discrimination. Opposition to slavery
may rest upon considerations of political economy;
or upon various views of expediency. Many might
think that surrounding circumstances were such, in
given case, that the best interest Of all parties re-
QuUGu Tue Observation-Disclosures VI luC tCAdlAOus duu
therefore it would be wrong to hold men in bond
age. Under such considerations we have had in
our Southern churches, from first to last, not few
of our best people, who were thus far abotionists
No trouble arose on account of these sentiments.
But suppose the person insists that the relation
Of master and slave is always and inherently SINFUL
what then?
If the person were a minister of the gospel APP
plying for admission to one Of our Presbyteries, we
should unquestionably reject bin, under the in
struetions contained in Tim. Vi: Is. The error
is serious one; If is contrary to the word of God,
and the faith of the whole Christian Church, until
the rise of modern fanatieism Reduced to its
fundamental principle, it denies that one person
can righduly control the services of another per-
son. without his consent for this is the essence of
slavery. The denial of this right strikes through
every relation of life-it is one of the most mis-
chievous heresies Of the day. 1t ought not to be
tolerated in the ministry of any Church sound in
the faith.
If the applicants are private members of the
church, the case would be different We do not
require the same tests of orthodoxy in them as in
ministers They may hold serious errors, but they
came into the Church to learn, not to teach They
are not supposed to perceive or avow all the natu-