The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-11-01
ECCLESIASTICAL CORREsPONDENCE.

Resozred That the Synod of Virginia does here
BY overture the General Assembly TO take into con
sderatiOn the propriety OF revising the general SUD
iect of correspondence with other ecclesiastical
bodies, with a view to provide more consistent
and satisfactory mode of conducting the same, both
as regards the Assembly Itself and the Synods ana
Presbyteries under It's care.
This paper, at the suggestion Of the per
son introducing it, was referred to the Com
mittee on Bills and Oversures. On the next
day the chairman Of this Committee made
report which, after raoiting the purport Of
the resolution, presented the following:
"That the subject is regarded as one Of much
importance, but IN view OF the vans OF tlme Tor
full elaboration at the present meeting It Will De
most advisable to defer It's consideration until next
year; and that in the meantime 1t be committed TO
special committee to present the matter IN detail
in the form of memorial to be sent rom the syn
cd to the General Assembly.
This report was adopted, and the CON-
mittee appointed consists Of Drs. Brown and
Kirkpatrick; ruling elders David Comfort
and VIM. Writ Henry.
1t may be stated that all the members OF
the Committee on Bills and 0vertures agreed
that the subject was one eminently deserving
the consideration of our General Assembly;
majority favored the adoption Of the reso-
luton BY the Synod; but for the sake OF
unanimity agreed to the report above men
toned. AS far as known to us the proposal
meets with general favor in the Synod.
That those who feel any interest in the
subject may have it more distinctly before
their minds, it may be well to state briefly
the substance of what was offered in support
of the resolution in the Synod by the member
who moved it.
The main idea is that our ecclesiastical cor
respondence shall hereafter be conducted, for
the most part by letter instead of delegates.
For the most part; for with our hOnored
brethren of the Reformed Church we have a
cooperative Alliance, aud on this account let
that be an exception also such other spe-
cial occasions with other bodies as may oc-
cur from time to time. The reasons in favor
of proposal for correspondence mainly by
letter instead of delegates are
/. 1t is highly desirable to extend eeelesi-
astical correspondence among evangelical de-
nominations as far as it can be safely, hOnOra-
bly, and comfortably arranged. 1t is an ap-
propriate way to promote the unity OF the
Christian Church, as well as to manifest to
the world such degree Of it as already ex-
lists. This duty, so fully and beautifully re-
cognized in our standards, and binding at all
times, rests with an immense weight upon
the churches now, " upon a0h0n' the ends Of
the aoorld hare come"
When an official correspondence was first
Openedby the Presbyterian Church with other
ecclesiastical bodies-and this was almost
cOeVsl with its existenee--it was only With
other Presbyterian bodies in this country,
and with the CongregatiOnalists of New Eng
land, then considered substantially one with
US in doctrine. But it gradually extended
and cOmprehended the Lutheran Church,
many of whose ministers are imbued with
Arminianism, and the Cumberland Presby
terrain Church, which has embodied parts Of
the Arminian system in its standards.
1t included at one time about twelve dis
tinct ecclesiastical bodies in this country
Besides this it was extended across the At
lantic, and has included at some time or other,
three or four Presbyterian bodies in Scotland,
the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Pres
byterian Church in England, various Pres
byterian bodies in British America, the Con-
gregatiOnal Union of England and Wales, and
the Galvinistic MethOdists Of Wales. On the
Continent it included the Free Church Of
France, the Free Church of the Canton Of
Wand, the Synod of Geneva, and the Synod
of the Waldensian Church. With many of
these, especially in New England, this cor
respondence was broken off by the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in con-
sequence of the agitation connected with sla-
very. II is hardly to be expected that cur
Southern Assembly viii soon, if ever, find it
safe and edifying to establish such relations
with all the churches here named. But We
have already entered into correspondence
with four churches in this country, and have
from the first declared the most liberal SEN
timents on this subject. (See Minutes of As
sembly for 1861 and 1861 There can be-
no doubt, if we call TO mind the catholic
principles of our standards on this matter,
and the constant spirit manifested by Pres
byterians, that the tendency viii be to en-
large our intercourse with our fellow Chris
tisns, as far as it may be deemed judicOus
and consistent with our irfexible purpose
not to compromise the truth Of God, or put
in peril our consistent testimony thereto
Under this view there seems to be no good
reason why we should not have cfioial cor
respondencs with the Presbyterian Church of
Canada; and as there have beer some en-
phatic indications on the part Of several Pres
bytesian Churches in Great Britain, there
can be no doubt that the way will soon be
opened in that direction. The Northern
Presbyterian Church has established this re-
lation with the Northern Methodist Church
why should not We extend it to the Southern
Methodist Church, and to all the Evangelical
Churches in the South where it is mutuslly
agreeable? Il does not compromise distino-
tive principles on either side. 1t simply de-
clares that while we differ SO as to make il
l. I