The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-09-15

of them here.
1t was very manifest in the conference
that far more of the spirit and the church
doctrines of the early Scottish fathers yet
prevail in the British-especially the Scot
fish and Irish Presbyterian Churches-than
one might be led to suppose from the long
continued connection of the Church with the
State, and, indeed, from several discussions
and essays in the direction of no churchism,
which have in latter days issued from that
quarter. Whatever may have been the iD
dividual opinions of members, the prevailing
spirit of the Conference was thoroughly
Presbyterian, and that in the direction of
the jure DivinO. When a prominent men,
Der of the body-an original American New
school man-propoSed that what he called
the " lag element should be introduced into
the council in addition to ministers and ell
ders, the proposition was received with so
little favor as to meet with second only
apparently on the score of courtesy. Aud
when the stricter views of the Southern
Presbyterian Church were presented before
the body, they seemed to be accepted with
evident pleasure by the greater part of the
members, and repeatedly in private much
qualification was expressed at finding there
was such body of Presbyterians in America.
And no doubt one of the good results to fol
low from gathering in council every three
years from all parts of the world will be to
keep up among Presbyterians that higher
tone of feeling in regard to the great church
principles of our system, which it is 80 diff
cult to preserve among Presbyterians scat
tered abroad and brought in continual con-
tact with loose broad. churchism of no
churchiSm.
THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN CHURCH.
And here it may be remarked, that the
effect of uniting with the other Presbyterian
churches the world in this Council must
be to settle in great measure the relation
permanently to exist between our branch and
the Northern Church. The fear has been
expressed by some that such an alliance
might be stepping stone to organic union
! with the Northern Church, movement
which ninety,nine hundredths of our Office
bearers and people contemplate with so much
dread, as calamitou8 to the purity and the
liberties of our churches and to our testimony
for the truth But careful consideration
of the matter will make it evident that this
alliance affords US rather the opportunity of
taking our proper position before the Pres
byterlan world at large just as we are, indie
pendent of any relations to the Northern
church, and in that far takes away the argu-
ment against our present independent posi-
ton as isolatipg our church.
On the other hand, in the way of sneer, it
has been asked by our opponents, where is
the consistency of refusing union, or even
fraternal relations with the Northern Church,
and yet going into alliance and into gene
raj council with them? They who utter such
sheer are evidently hard run to fad some
thing to sheer at. There are in every bust
ness community scores of men who, though
not on good terms personally with one Of
their neighbors, yet never think for a mo-
ment of setting that up as barrier to CO.
operation with him in bank, insurance and
corporations in which the diSsgreeing parties
may have common interest. Must the
Southern Church stand off from cooperation
with the other forty-odd Presbyterian bodies
of the world, because it has a difficulty with
one of the forty !-
Some good Northern men have, indeed,
spoken in all kindness and seriousness of this
entering into the alliance as stepping stone
to reunion with the Northern Church. But
such good men are utterly ignorant of the
true reasons of the separation. 1t is likely
that the Northern Church, in spite of the
strategy aud conspiracies of the Radical fac.
ton in it, will place itself at an early day in
position toward us that will render it con-
sistent with the self-respect of both the
Northern and Southern Churches to establish
fraternal relations. Nor will any be reader
than to 60 into kind official relations or
more pleased to see this done. But this is
all that can be done. When it comes to
talking of an actual reunion of the two bodies
into one, you may set down those who say
"we shall all be together again" as either
designing to play the Jesuit with you or ut
terly without knowledge or without convic-
tions on the real causes of the continued sep
aration. For a large portion of the North
ern ministry and churches we have the kind
est regard, and would have no objection to
union with them. But they are led by
Radical party with which we can not fellow.
ship.
EARNEST ZEAL FOR ITS OWN SYSTEM.
The conference itself demonstrated that
earnest zeal for ones own system, if it is an
intelligent zeal, tends to promote rather than
to hinder the broad catholic spirit towards
other churches. Though, as has been said,
a thoroughly Presbyterian body,it took care
to declare, with special particularly, that in
organizing into one council the Presbyterians
of the world there was no sort of purpose to
separate them from catholic communion with
other evangelical churches, and cooperation
with them in extending the Redeemer' king
dom. 1t is one of the singular decisions of
the current religious thought of the world
that while it is no breach of charity or vio-
lation of catholic unity to claim for any other
of our theological doctrines that they only
are in full accord with the Scriptures, and
that all others must, of course, be imperfect;
yet it is contrary to charity and the true
catholic unity to claim that one great doc
trine of the Church and its order is in fullest
accord with Scripture, and that of course all
others are imperfect. Why, or wherein, does
Presbyteriauism unchurch anybody, or erect
a barrier to the catholic unity of all who
hold Christ the Head, in claiming that the
Church has been essentially one in all ages
and its government in all ages alike by tri-
bunalS of the elders, and that other systems
of church government are imperfect, any
more than in claiming that the electing love
of God and the perseverance of the saints
are truths of Scripture, without which any
system of theology is imperfect? Does true