The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1872-06-12
C E N T r A L


Annie and Mayor Sally and Becky, as 1t may
have beehive hundred dollars each, but not aus
posing of the rest of his estate The executor 1elt
that his course was clear He paid the i've hun
dred dollars to Annie and Sally; and the question
was what was to become of the rest OF his estate.
He had said in the will that they should have no
more-'so much and no more" He brought the
matter into court aud the court said that the heirs
at law were his legitimate children. And who
were they7 Why, Annie and Sally were two OF
them, and so they got the FIVE hundred dollars and
an equal share with the other children Laugh
ter. | am glad they did | am always glad
when malignant wills, intended to perpetuate bad
blood in families, are defeated. We'll, there was
fundamental law on testamentary requests, but
that man never dreamed that it would have this
bearing. And we cannot tell. L hope we are not
going to tear up things from the foundation.
will not 60 into the consideration OF this new
Book infinitely; but wish to say that of all the
papers have ever read except the Dictionary l
have never seen one that claims so enormously to
abound in deinitiousl Laughter. Mr.. Mod
orator. some definitions are harder to understand
than the original word. | wish | had Johnsons
big dictionary here; would explain that mean
He gives this definition: "Network-anytbing
decussated or retieuated at equal distances be-
tween the interstices!" Laughter Well, sir;
that is as exact definition as ever was given; and
yet | would like to know what good 1t has done.
And it is a good deal So think, with some OF
these definitions Why Moderator, did you know
that in the word of God, from Genesis to Reveal
tion there is not single de6nition-not one!
Some one may say-Is not this definition, " Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for and the
evidence of things not SEEM l say, nc. wa
any man in this Assembly claim ~ det9''' =
of saving faith which -
Lord Jesus Christ or his merits, 49, pc1s eenni
tiOn2 1t is not definition; it is a statement OF
single point; it is description. Some one may
say-Is not this definition, "Sin is transgres
sion of the law?" l answer, no; for the very
same Bible says, Gall adikia-al unrighteousness
is sin; and it tells us of great deal more that Is
sin. Some one may mention this" Pure religion
and undefled before God and the Father is this,
To visit the fatherless and widows in their atilc-
ton, aud to keep himself unspotted from the
world Is that definition of true religionP Not
a word in it about love to God, or love to mani
There is not a definition in the BIBLE mean
technical definition; there are descriptions, state
ments of points. Now, sir, [ am not prepared to
turn in and make ecclesiastical dictionary and
put that in the forefront of the battle. Definitions
are the most entangling things in the world. Will
liam Writ said of John Marshall, Admit his first
principles and definitions In an argument, and you
are gone" That is true. If you let me define
everything wish to define, and as L wish, have
got yOu-I don't care what your arguments are.
AuOlucI OpJcCllOu hdNO W lulo pdpSl3 10 budN
this business of discipline comes before US in
very undesirable form. 1t is the "cart before the
horse" 1t is the Discipline before you have the
| Form of Government. Why, all your discipline
must depend on your Form of Government
Adopt this and append 1t to the old Form OF
Government, and it would be like the image that
was part of iron and part of clay, and soon tum-
bled to pieces. That would be the least possible
evil that could result. But if we are to have a
change in our Form of Government L say, let US
commence with it. 1t stands first In our Book it
is first in the order OF nature. Ii we should adopt
this, they will say to US, You have adopted the
Discipline and now these changes are necessary to
conform the Form of Government to the Disc
| pine. And thus we shall be obliged to be in a
state of revolution, or to live in absurdiUy and per-
| plexity all our days.
This is not all, sir The best forms of law in the
world are those to which the people are most &C
customed and in the habit of seeing carried out
| Our Book-not our "Old Book, but our Book
the Book that you and declared before heaven
and earth we approved-our Book the people
know. They are familiar with it. 1t is plain,
clear, settled But you go to sea, on an exploring
expedition to find some wonderful ecclesiastical
island where you may rest more safely, and you
will have a tempestuous voyage. When Mr.. JET
ferson sent as minister to France man who could
not speak French the minister spoke to the Min
lister Of State and told him, Il cannot speak
French and | am to be introduced to the First
Consul T" "Oh, well, he said he Will perhaps
ask yoa what sort Of passage YOU "a. = So ne
got ready an answer in French supposing that the
First Consul was to ask this question. So Napo-
leon came along and asked how Mr.. Jefferson was.
Says he, "Very stormyp Laughter. | think
we will have stormy time il we go into this bu-
sinesS
This is not all, sir. If you adopt this Dsci-
pine, and the necessary changes required by II,
there will not be an ecclesiastical lawyer left. The
wind will be taken out Of the sails OF every man
that has studied our Form of Government and our
Digest There will not be one that can tell what
is the law-except the committee that devised the
Book, and am told there are wonderful divisions
among them-though | will not vouch for It, /
am told that they do not think alike on a great
many points; but suppose they do-there is not
man in our Church that can tell you what is the
law without great deal of study. He must first
study the New Book clear through; he must then
study the Digest clear through and see how far
the New Book conflicts with it; because if you
adopt this the Digest is gone-gone forever l-un-
less you reenaet, or unless It's principles are insac
eordance with the New Book. This will be great
matter.
Now, sir concerning constitutions aud fundamen-
tai laws-they are of three classes. First, constu-
tions which consist entirely of precedents and de-
cisions. Such is the British constitution. Great
DElCdlu HAS uUb Tue oCIdlCu VI pSu lOI uGI COu-
stitution. 1t consists from first to last exclusively
of precedents and decisions under her statutes
The second is where government is entirely un-
der the control of a written constitution. The
United States, when the government was founded,
started on written constitution. There were no
precedents, do decisions No Jay, or Marshall,
or fancy had ever said what this or that meant
But now our constitution, as far as we have any,
consists of that written paper technically called,
nd oil tho authoritative mnreDeaipd. decisions
under that constitution; and there We stand to
day. Though am an Ignorant man, know what
the constitution of the Presbyterian church is to-
day. | have studied it enough to know. | could
tell what to do to redress wrongs-if they were to
carry it out faithfully. But if you adopt that,
shall never attempt to understand the constitution.
cannot do it. | am too old | have not the time
to 90 back and revise aud digest and amend the
decisions of the Assembly. l think this is very
serious business.
That is not all, sir. This business of revising
our constitution was begun before the North and
South separated. On the Committee was Dr.
James Hoge, Of Columbus. think / may safely
say that he was as wise as / ever saw |
never heard his wisdom called in question. An
other member of that Committee was DR.. Hodge,
of Princeton. They were in favor of change,
but as soon as the South was separated, aud
they had their work to do, though not half
as hard as ours, the whole thing was dropped
There has not been a whisper on the subject
SINCE so far as | know. Some persons may
think that is reason why we should take
it up; but because one prudent man fore
seeth the evil and hideth himself, is not
reason why another should rush into needless
peril
This is not all If you adopt, or recommend
or send down this paper, and continue this agta-
ton from year to year, and finally adopt one or
two of these amendments, you give up a certainty
for an uncertainty. You give up constitution
which you love and honor, and under which you
have prospered for constitution that will take
you lifeteme to understand. A man will rise
L.. Il. H. L. IL