The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-06-28

with the prestige of this Assembly, and OF
the whole Presbyterian Church in the United
States; because we have to defend our posi-
ton. We are constantly assaulted by the
proclaimers of this Church, many of whom
are exceedingly popular men, and have the
ear of'mUltitudes Of intelligent, wealthy and
respectable people. They are in fact capa-
bic Of doing ten-fOld more damage than all
the other heresies and errors in our land
They assail our Church upon this very
ground. Many of our people are not pre-
pared to meet their arguments, their sour
rihty (even worse than that and their de-
nunciations of our Church for holding pO-
sitiOn Of this sort. This report presents
strong arguments, and makes it perfectly
clear that our Church took the right posi-
ton in 1915 in regard to Romish baptism,
and last year in regard to Campbellite bap-
tsm. 1t is the true ground. The reasons
given are cogent and unansWerable; they
ought to be given to the entire Presbyterian
community with the prestige Of this Assem-
bly,, and not simply printed in the Appen-
dix as the reasons of the Committee not en-
dOrsed by the Assembly. This Campbellism
his strange sort of doctrine, mixture of
t,.Agis liza. UnitarianiSm, Universahsm, a
perfees " s9loagsadI preached by all sorts
a mta I've hsy9 a. kentucky to meet
;-.rA. -.y q. every pom =
Their people are unlike our Presbyterian
communities. Whenever a man like Hop
son or MeGarVey comes among them to
preach, every member of their church will
20 round to catch the ear of every indiVid-
ual-"Come, hear Mr.. -; he is most
remarkable preacher; he exeels every man
that has ever been here" Then they preach
their doctrines in the most adroit, sly and
deceptive manner. To meet these men, We
need the prestige Of this Assembly and Its
assistance, when we say that our position is
the right one--defensible, and according to
the truth of Scripture. suppose there is
not man in this house who is not ready to
stand by the dehyerances of the Assembly
on THIS question Of Campbellite baptism
1t has been declared invalid, and we simply
want the reasons given. That was what the
Committee was appointed for. Let US en-
dorse these reasons, and let them 90 out to
the world To occupy Judge Mitchelrs pO-
sitiOn would be to ignore our own judgment,
and our sense of prOpriety. Allow can
didate coming from the world, or from a
church which we cannot regard as Christian
at all, to dictate TO me how | am to admin
lister to him the ordinance of Gods housel
We cannot admit that. We shall not be
doing any injustice, not be dealing harshly,
not manifesting a spirit Of intolerance at all.
We have but to state the question to them,
and the improperly will be manifest at once.
If We take the other attitude, we must en-
dorse their baptism and then how can you
do otherwise than endorse their Church?
" The question" was called, and the call
was sustained.
DR.. Wills substitute was rejected, and the
report was adopted.
AT later hour, on motion of DR.. Wills,
;he Executive Committee of Publication was
directed to publish the report for circulation.
INFANT BAPTISM.
Rev. J. n CarOthers offered the follow
ing;
Whereas, There appears to be, In some portions
OF our Church, degree of neglect on the part of
ChristRa parents in presenting their children, at
the proper time, Tor baptism, which this Assembly
regards as giving occasion to those who do not ap-
preciate this holy sacrament, to speak against the
truth, and which is detrimental to household re-
hgiOn, and to the spiritual interests Of the children
Of the covenant therefore,
ReS0lUed I. That the Presbyteries composing
this General Assembly be. and they are hereby in
struced to bring this subject distinctly before the
minds Of all our people, and take measures to
certain to what extent parents, IN their respective
bounds, are forgetting their covenant VOWS, and
send up TO the next General Assembly specific re.
ports on this subject,
>. Thar the publications Of our committee on
the subject of Baptism, and especially infant Bap-
tiSm, be disseminated and carefully read through
out our whole bounds, In order to correct the evil
referred TO- and that the stated clerks Of the several
PreSbyteries be, and they are hereby advised to
procure and circulate such publications among
their churches
Adopted.
RECEPTION.
The Rev. A. S. Sloan, Commissioner bear
ing the salutatiOns of the Associated Re-
formed Synod of the South, was received by
the Assembly. His address and the Mod
orator response viii be found on the 4th
page.
SYSTEMATIC BENEvOLENCE.
Rev. Mr.. Otis from the Committee on
Systematic Benevolence presented the fol-
lowing as the pastoral letter, which the Com
mittee had been ordered to prepare upon
that subject:
The General assembly to all the Churches
DEAR BRETHREN-Grace be unto you and peace
from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus
Christ. We thank God always on your behalf for
the grace OF God which Is given you by Christ
Jesus. And now We beseeeh you by the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same
thing, and that ye be perfectly Joined together in
the same mind and IN the same judgment. In no
other matter can har'-ony Of views and concert of
action be OF greater Crtance to the progress and
prosperity Of our beloved Zion than in regard to
the varied objects Of Christian benevolence Of
these objects four Sustentation, Missions, Educa
ton and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the aggressive
arm Of the Church'S power.
The Church must advance or retrograde. If she
attempts merely to conserve what she now has, she
must lose ground and continue to decrease in in-
1Ucace, until finally she VIII have nothing 10 con-
serve but a name and skeleton. Therefore the
support Of the Assemby's scheme of Systematic
BenevOlenee IS Of prime importance to the adj
vancemCnt and permanent life of the Church In
view Of this fact the inquiry, has each congrega-
ton done for each object all that can be reasonably
expected Of 1t, Is Of vital Importance. Compar.
ing statistics 1t appears we have given as much as
any other branch of the Church in the Southern
States; perhaps, IN proportion to our numbers,
more; and still not more than half of our congre-
cations have contributed to any of these objects,
and even in those where collections are raised the
contributions come from only part of the people.
The revenues for the last ecclesiastical year, re-
ported by these Committees, for all objects of
Systematic Benevolence, amount to about eighty
three thousand dollars which is an average of about
two cents week from each member of our CON-
muniOn. Is an average Of five cents week too