The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-03-02
Fon rng CENraAL PREsBYrERIAN.
THE MEMORIAL ON THE UNIVERSITY.

The question of Southern Presbyte-
rian University, will be brought before the
next General Assembly by Memorial
unanimously adopted and sent up to that
body by the Synod of Mississippi. The
Synod of Alabama has also taken favorable
action on the subject, having appointed del
egates to represent them next May at Louis
vile, should there be convention in rela-
ton to this matter. The policy of the lead
ing friends of this great scheme seems to be
to keep it in agitation until the whole
Church, in its remotest borders, becomes suf
fciently interested to give "earnest heed to
the matter with the view to forming and ex-
pressing deliberate and an intelligent opin-
ion on the subject. To effect this viii re-
quire patience and systematic perseverance.
A great and widely dispersed community,
like the Southern Church, extending from
the Onio to the Gulf, and from the Chesa
peake to the Rio Grand, cannot, no more
than the great Ocean, be suddenly aroused
into agitation and action. WhAstthese more
favored portions of the Church, in this vast
region, have become interested in this great
scheme, yet in the less favored-where many
of our people do not feel able to take reli-
gous newspapers, there are some who have
scarcely heard that such an enterprise as
founding great Church University was ever
thought Of Hence the necessity of keep
ing up the agitation until information flows
out, like concentric waves, into every nook
and Granny of the Church.
To awake the Church from her lethargy-
to arrest her serious attention-and to OBJ
tain from her an intelligent expression of
opinion on the subject, is the first thing to
be accomplished Should her judgment,
thus obtained, be in fayOr Of the enterprise
land there is no good reason to believe 1t
viii not)-the rest will be Of easy accom-
plisbment That which would be hercu-
lean labor for a pigmy, would be but play
for giant, Let the Church in her corpor
ate capacity put firth her mighty strength,
and the work is done Why were the ser
wants Of God organized into corporate
body? 1t was not necessary to their growth
in grace, their spirituality, or their conmu-
pion with God. Abraham did not belong
to an organization, neither did Job, nor the
Patriarcbs. Each individual Christian is
church within himself-that is, he is "a tenn
pie Of the Holy Ghost" Il is not essential
per 50. to his salvation, that he should belong
to an organization. Why then did God or
ganize his people into corporate body =
and why is it the duty of every follower Of
Christ to belong to this body, called Christs
visible kingdom? The answer is, plainly
for the purpose Of work, for aggression, for
the concentration and exercise of mighty
power. Consequently, just so soon as the
Church has "a mind for the work every
one working cover against his own house,
this mighty wall of defence, and strong for
tress of aggression will speedily and easily
become an accomplished fact, notwithstand-
inc the opposition and sneers Of the descend
ants of SanballaJ Hence the prime object
Of the Memorial is to in luce the next As
sembly to inaugurate systematic and an
efectual method of bringing this question
before the mind OF the whole Church, in
order to a full aud free expression of OPin,
ion as to the Importance and feasibility ot
the undertaking.
The great danger that now threatens the
future of the Southern Church, is to be
found. mo-. so much in the fact that Other
evangelical denominations are bestirrins
themselves on the subject of the education
of Southern youth, and bid fair to win frou
us our prestige, which would be notifying
nor in the fact tba, the Roman Catholics
with secret and mighty power, are drawin;
their fatal Gordon around us,-but also II
the pregnant fact, not yet generally known
that so many Of our Southern youth are be
inc sent to the Atheistic aud semi-infdel in