Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-12-03
DIR. Leftwich and the Church ut At
lanta, ia.
From the Southwestern Presbyterian.


DR.. Lcitwich, we are glad to say, decides to
remain with his church at Atlanta In dis
course announcing his purpose, after referring
to the interest ELECTED by the discussion Of his
call to Lexington, he says:
And now am profoundly solicitous that the
feelings born OF this occasion shall act be sui.
tered 10 evaporata 10 mere fac sautimeut.
Good believe, has already resulted. 1t has
strengthened the bonds between two ch urches
"a venerable mother aud her eldest-horn
daughter, who, in consequence of causes which
| need not pause to rchearSe, bavc long re
garded each others fortunes, il not with feel
lngs of estrangemeDt. at least With seeming n-
difference. The recent overture of the mother.
whether regarded as TO the spirit 10 which it
was conceived, or to the words In which it was
conveyed, was az action so graceful and 81
magnanlmous that J. can lind no WORDS III which
to celebrate 1t. Aud | now declare that if from
this llmc the last trace ct all that u!ay Aavc
peep unhanpy In their past relations Shall not
be obheratcd forever, the blame will not rest
ut the door or the pastor, or at the door Of the
people OF the First church. But crave sill
larger results. | am sollctous that an event
which has marked an epoch III my ministry,
should open new aud better era in til. spirit
ual history of this people cannet disrui,e
1t from myself, and feel that | ought not to
disguise 1t from you, that, in rendering my de
clslon, | have trampIcd upon Interests O. iu.
p0rtance.
have surrendered advantages for attaiui.,r
that higher personal culture OF which never
more than at this hour have felt the necl.
have surrendered the opportunity i,rizet
by every parent, of educating his chIldrcn at
home.
l have surrendered a pulpit, tn occupy
which with credit and SUCCESS, should I'll IN
the measure of the most exalted sacred arnb-
ton. And have surrendered probably the
last, certainly the best, opportunity that will
ever be afforded to me t. return to the State
10 which was born, and under the shadow of
whose blue mountains. rest till the morning of
the resurrection the ashes of my veucrated
dead.
For these sacrifices, made, rot only without
reluctance, but with exceeding joy, III the per
suaslon that shall thereby realize my highest
usefulness IN the ministry, | ask fttiog re-
qulta. l ask not for your silver or your gold,
your houses or your lands, but there is a boon
which crave, the greatest which it is in your
power to bestow. | ask for the redemption,
IN full, OF the promise made to me yearly SIX
years ago, when the happy pastor of devoted
flock, received your call TO this pastorate;
promise 10 virtue Of which | sundered relations
from beloved friends for whom, till this hour,
my heart has not ceased to bleed. That prom,
lse was, that you would yield to me, as YOUR
pastor, all due obedience in the Lord,
A word of explanation will deprive this
phrase OF the ofensiveness which may attend
1t 10 your conception. God is the original seat
and spring of all authority. La administering
HIS government gracious and rrovideutial, it
pleases him to delegate measure of this au.
thorlty to those who sustain certain constituted
relations 10 the parent. he gives authority
over the child; to the magislrat., authority
over the subject; and to the pastor, authority
over the flock. Within the limits of their sew
eral spheres, aud 10 the exercise OF their pre-.
scrlbed functions these persons staud in the
very room OF God. Obedience to thcm is due
as part OF our obedience to God. Resistance
to them is nothing less than rebellion against
God.
A pastor is distinguished from his associates
ID the eldersblp by the specific circumstance
that he has been called and anonted God to
teach, as they are revealed 10 the Bible, the
doctrloes and precepts of true religion, and to
these teachings on the part OF the people is
due the obedience in the Lord | do not ask |
you to renounce the exercise of the sacred right
of private judgment; [ do not ask you to yield
q blind submission to the dictates of any man !;
but | do ask, With all earuesluess, that you
will conform to these teachings SO far; and only |
so far as they echo the voice OF God.
l. l ask that this whole people, from the
Oldest to the youngest, and from the richest to
the poorest will unite 10 presenting weekly Of. |
ferngs of their substance to the Lord.
2 ask 90 the part of the whole Church to-
tai abstinence from the licentious amusements
of the day.
The third request was that the church would
attend more diligently on public ordinances,
and especially upon the services of the Wed |
nesday night prayermeetlng.
The letter of our RicEmond correspondent
will be read with interest. 1t has full aud |
very interesting account of the progress of the
Imboden-J ohnson difficulty. |