The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-05-18
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN
PASTORAL LETTER
OF ROANOKE pRRsBYTERY.

published, and to be read from the pulpits OF all
the churches of the Presbytery 1t is from the
pen of DR.. Peck, the Chairman of the committee
appointed for the purpose.
The Ministers and Elders of the Roanoke Pres6y-
tery, IN PreStytery assembled, to the Christian
people under their care, greeting--
Dear Brethren,-W have reason to believe that
practices exist amongst you by which the name OF
our Lord Jesus Christ is dishonored, and your own
spiritual interests crippled: and we feel 1t to be
our duty, as your pastors and bishops, set over you
IN the Lord, to warn you in regard to these things
and to exhort you to give them up. We hear that
some or you give your countenance to proneaScuouS
dancing, card; ptaytng and the inordinate use OF
Intoxicating DRINKS; that you not only do these
things, but defend them and take pleasure IN those
that do them. Need we say that such things are
inconsistent with the profession you have made of
unreserved conservation to Christ? lslt necessary
to undertake to prove to a body OF Christians IN
the Presbyterian Church that such things are I'M
seemly in people who profess that they have been
crucified to the world and the world unto them by
the Cross OF Christ? IF 50 please ponder the toll
lowing considerations
LIST. What is the ,0orld cording to the teach
ings OF God word? 1t began in the sin and apos-
tacy of our first father ADAM in preferring the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride
of life to the will of God, which presented self de-
NAL as tho means by which His creature should
attest, at once his allegiance to God his Creator,
and secure the development of his own holiness.
short it was preferring the creature to the Crea
tor, who is blessed for ever. If no remedy had
been provided tor man in his sin and ruin. then
the human race would have been all world and
consequently all lost. Heathenism is simply world
illness unmitigated and unrelieved by any knowl.
edge or any fear of the one only living and true
God. Just IN proportion as worldly spirit In
vades church and takes possession of it, justin the
same proportion does heathensm stamp its hide
Gus features upon it. The bride of the Lamb be-
comes the strange woman decked in scarlet and
precious stones, with the cup of denominations and
flthiness in her hand. The Sanctuary OF the Lord
is no logger pure, but is trodden down Of the Cen
tiles. The very purpose of salvation is to save
men from "this present evil world" (Gal. i: A.
1t is the very end for which Christ died and if
we are still under the dominion of the world, He
died in vain, as far as we are concerned. " have
given them thy word )" says the Saviour to the
Father John xvii: II, land the world hath
hated them, because they are not Of the world,
even as | am not of the world. [ pray not that
thou shoulds take them out of the world, but that
thou shouldst keep them from the evil. They are
not of the world, even as [ am not Of the world.
Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is
/ L
they also might be sanctifed through the truth. !"
Again the Apostle says: Titus ii: lila. The
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath ap-
peared to all men, teaching US that denying ungod-
illness and worldly luSts, we should live soberly,
righteously and godly in this present world look
ing for that blessed hope and the glorious appear
ing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us, that He might redeem
us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself Pc
culiar people jealous of good works.
Hence in other places, the love Of the world is
patt6le with the love Of God. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
| Il John ii 49, "Ye adulterers and aduteresses,
know ye not that the friendship Of the world is
enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a
friend Of the world is the enemy of God" JAS.
Iiv: A. No man can serve two masters, for
either be will hate the one and love the other; OF
else he will mold to the one and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammou. Matt. vi:
prisoner of the Lord, u Tim iv: l0,) having
loved this present world" Demas was true
wording, preferring the pleasures of those who
hated Christ to the self denial and suffering which
was endured for His sake.
But why multiply quotations? If the solemn
words which have been quoted do not sound like
the knell of doom in the ears of dancing, card
playing, carousing Christians, it is because fatal
| sleep has fallen upon them. "Be not deceived
God is not Knocked; for whatsoever man soweth
that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his
flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that
soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting" Gal. vi: 7-9.) "Wo unto them
that rise up early in the morning that they may
follow strong drink that continue until night till
wine nhame theml And the harp and the viol,
the tabret and pipe and wine are in their feasts
but they regard not the work Of the Lord, neither
consider the operations of His hands. Therefore
my people are gone into captivity, because they
have no knowledge: and their honorable men are
famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
Therefore hell hath enlaSged herself and opened
her mouth without measure and their glory and
their multitude and their pomp, and he that re-
ioiceth shall descend into it. y Isaiah V: A.
''Wo unto him that giveth his neighbor drink,
| that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him
drunken also, that thou mayest look on their
nakedness Thou art filkd with shame for glory
drink thou also: the cup of the Lord s
right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shame.
full spewng shall be on thy glory Hab. IL 1917;
Now, beloved brethren, will any of you ask,
chow are we to know that these things are sin.
ful?" the answer is in the language of Paul, "Be
not conformed to this world, but be We transformed
by the renewing of your mind. that ye may proue
,chqt as that good and acceptable and perfect wil
of Cod from. xii {: 81 Is it not notorious that
when church is revived by the Holy Ghost these
things disappear? and that when religion declines,
thew reippear? Let the world itself answer you.
1t is better judge Of what does not become a
Christian, than some ChTsoians themselves The
world knows, if you do not, that these things con-
sttute ats characteristics that they are its sacra-
ments, by which it is separated from the church,
and that it is no more fit for you to communicate
with them in these, than for them to communicate
with YOU in the memorials of the Saviour's death
for sin The world knows that it is not to be dis.
tinguished from you by abstaining from theft,
murder, or any thing else which both you and it
condemn; but by doing things which it feels that
you have no right to do. as people protesting
conservation to God and His Christ. Do not you
yourselves feelsthat these things do not become
you, that they hinder you rom urging sinners to
flee from the wrath to CO are? Do you not some
times doubt whether thes' are lawful? If so then
you are utterly without excuse for doing them, or
for giving your countenanee to the doing Of Them
Take heed that God do MI call you to account for
the destruction of other souls as we'll as for your
own. For it is by no violent inference that poor
worldlings conclude from your example that they
may walk in asclviousness, lusts, excess of wine
revellings banqpetngs, and abominable idolatries"
Il. Peter iv: 81 Finally, brethren. if your own
consciences are perfectly clear and you do not
doubt that you VIII De aDie TO hold up your neaus
in the Judgment, still we humby entreat you to
have some consideration for your "weak brethren"
land OF this class we profess ourselves to be) who
cannot do such things without "being offended
and being made weak" If you can deny your.
selves sufficiently to avoid giving us offence, and
grieying u.s. and will deny yourselves for Christ
sake, we do not doubt that you will be great gamers
thereby in happiness as vel! as in usefulness We
are very sure that the last thing you will think of
repenting of in the day of judgment will be your
having denied yourselves the pleasure of dance,
or game of cards, or season of banqueting and
revelry-and especially if Che act of sef.denial was
prompted by the consideration that Christ died to
indulgence. "See then thlt We walk circumspectly,
not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time be.
nnnse the DAYS are evil Wherefnre be ue nnt nm