Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-04-30
FIRST EDITION.
Presbyterian Differences.

anu clear understanding or the points or uiHer-
ence between the Northern and Southern Pres
byteran General Assemblies, about which there
are negotiations for reconciliation in progress,
we give tho following condensed history of the
whole matter from the beginning mp TO the pres
ent date
/. About tho year 1897 the Presbyterian
Church in this country was divided on
doctrinal issueB into the Old and New School
General Assemblies
2. Previous to the beginning of the late civil
war the New School General Assembly, having
become involved in discussions relative to
slavery was again divided into the Northern
and Southern branches The seeded Presby-
teries Of the New School Assembly in the
Southern States organized themselves into
the United Presbyterian Synod Thus at
the beginning of the late war the Presbyterian
Church in this country existed in three sepa-
rate and Independent organizations, viz the Old
School General Assembly with Presbyteries and
churches in every State and Territory in the
Union, the New School Assembly with Presby
teries and Churches only in the Free States and
Territories, and the United Synod, which had
seeded from the New School Assembly, and had
Presbyteries and Churches III only the Slave
States.
3. Soon after the beginning of the war those
Presbyteres and Churches of the Old School
General Assembly which were in the Southern
States seeded and formed themselves into the
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of
the Confederate States OF America.
4. During the time OF the war the United
Synod was consolidated with the General As
sembly Of the Presbyterian Church of the Con-
federate States. At the close OF the war the
Presbyterian Church in the South which then
embraced in itself both the New and Old School
clements in the Southern States assumed the
name OF the General Assembly of the Presbyter-
ian Church in the United States. Thus ut the
close OF the war the Presbyterian Church in this
country was divided into three separate and in
dependent General Assemblies, populary known
M the Southern the Old School, and the New
School.
g. In May Of 1870 the Old and New School
General Assemblies formed an organic union
under the name OF the General Assembly OF the
Presbyterian Church in the United States of
America. Since the formation OF this union the
Presbyterian Church has existed III this country
in two great divisions, popularly known AZ the
Southern and Northern Presbyterian Churches
These terms do not 30 much designate geo.
graphical division as one OF sentiment and sym
pathy relative to Northern and Southern issues.
6. For sometime past there have been nego-
tiations Oh foot trying TO bring the Southern
and Northern General Assemblies into friendly
relations and fraternal correspondence with one
another. Up to the present time these efforts
the way of the accomplishment of this very de-
sirable end originates in certain actions and de-
liverances made and adopted by both the Old
and New School Assemblies, during the time of
issues which involve charges of
'echism, heresy and blasphemy" against
the Southern Presbyterian Church. Now,
the Southern Church demands, ~ the condition
on which alone friendly recognition and frater-
nal intercourse can be established, that all these
imputations against them should DO distinctly
and unequivocally withdrawn and dsavowed, and
All expression of regret on tho part OF the
Northern Assembly for ever having made such
charges against them.
Here is the difficulty in the case tho Old and
New School Assemblies, which made and adopted
the dellverancos against which the Southern
Church complains, have had no corpor-
ate existence since the period OF their
unlon in 1870. The Northern General Assem-
bly, as at present constituted is a new body, and
now has no power of review or repeal over the
actions and DEGREES OF tho two Assemblies which
ceased to exist as corporate bodies when they
were merged into one body in tho act OF union.
But both those Assemblies, when meeting for
the last time before their union, adopted what
il known the "coDcurrent decaiatlon,
which provides, ns, IN part, the Dahls on which
the union was formed, " that no rule or prece-
dent which does not stand approved by both
bodies shall be OF any authority III the reunited
body except 30 far az such rule or precedent
may aifoct the rights OF property founded there
on"
It ia held by tho Northern Church that this
comprehensive declaration has stripped all those
past deliverances, involving imputations against
the Southern Church, of all possible authority,
and rendered them null and void; and has thus
done away with all charges expressed or I'M
piled in them.
In addition to this the Northern Church
has, in several subsequent actions
taken by their General Assembly, re.
affirmed this concurrent declaration,
and also by unanimous vote expressed its full
confidence in the doctrinal soundness and christ
ian character OF the ministers and members of
the Southern Church.
In their meetings of last May both of the Gen
eral Assemblies appointed committees to meet
and confer about the establishment OF fraternal
relations between their respective Assemblies.
Those committees held their conference in the
city OF Baltimore in June last. They failed to
agree upon basis which they could recon-
mend to their respective Assemblies the estab-
lishment of friendly intercourse and f.aternal
correspondence
The committe of the Southern Church de-
manded that the General Assembly OF the North
ern Church should take farther action to the
effect OF saying by another resolution. " that
the obnoxious things were said and done i'll
times of great excitement, that they are to be
regretted, and that now, in a calm review, the
imputatons cast upon the Southern Church are
disapproved." They said that, il the General
Assembly should Zee its way clear to such IL reso-
lnton it would end the whole matter at once.
The Committee of the Northern Assembly
| replied that, 30 far as the Northern Church has
ANY powers of review or control over the deliver
ances complained of, they have already been
declared ''null and void" and all their impnta-
| tations and charges done away with and thus
| to all ntents and purposes the very condition
| demanded had already, to the full extent
of the powers and authority of their Assembly,
been granted.
| This answer WAS not satisfactory to tho Com
mttee of the Southern Church, and thereupon
| the conference was ended without accomplish
| ing the most desirable end for which the COM
mitteen had been appointed.
| We have thus made a plain and concise state
| ment of the case as it now stands. 1t i'd not the
| organic union of the two Assemblies that is
sought to be accomplished, but only their mu-
tual friendly recognition and fraternal cores
pondence with one another. IL IL at this point
that the overture from the Presbytery OF New
Castle comes in. 1t approves of the position
| taken and held by the Committee OF the North.
ern church. They were appointed
to show that, az the Northern church
understands the case, a sufficient
| basis for fraternal recognition and correspon-
dence las already been laid in the several ao.
| tions of tile Northern Assembly bearing upon
| the case. This the Presbytery thinks they did
| show, but the Committee OF tho Southern
| Church could not see their way clear to accept
| tina explanation. The presbytery wants to
| have the explanation OF the committee support
| ed by the authoritative declaration of the Gen
| eral Assembly, and alAo to have the General AS
sembly again to declare, in the plainest and
most unequivacal words, that all imputatons
against the Southern Church are withdrawn and
disayowed.
The result of the Baltimore Conference has
| proyad Tn be of great value, because it brings