The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-04-05

moral truth can pe piainer tnan tuis oua',
if it is right for US to be represented in these
councils, then the imperative step for US to
take beforehand, is to procure an amendment
Tor rather revolution) in our own Consti'
tuition, by an orderly reference to the Pres.
byteriea. But gentlemen will take the other
horn of the dilemma; they say the councils
of this Alliance are not to be church courts.
Very we'll; then they are private and vol
untary meetings of Christians. From this
point of view, the Assembly has neither
power nor business touching an appointment
to them. And precedents show that the AS
sembly has always understood its powers, as
we'll as the proprieties of the matter, thus.
The Assembly approves the Temperance
cause. Has she ever condescended to appoint
q commissioner to represent her in Tenn
perance convention If such thing were
moved, any Assembly would rise up as one
man and resist. But we have case still
more in point; The Assembly never con-
sented by her authority to appoint a COM
missioner to the Evangelical Alliance. If
any of her ministerswent, they went on their
own responsibility >asprivate Individuals
When the Alliance was about to meet In
New York, and the Yankee heavens and
earth were moved about it, our Assembly at
Little Rock was not jostled from its course
one minute-not vote was cast in favor of
its proatitutng its authority to such an ap
pointment Now, this case is exactly paral-
lel-this Presbyterian Alliance, according 10
this aecond branch of the dilemma, is pre-
cisely an Evangelical Alliance Of smaller
extent.
We may be reminded of the clause in the
Form of Government which clothes the AS
sembly with the power of corresponding
with foreign churches on such terms as may
be agreed upon by the Assembly and the
corresponding body" and of our Assembly
delegates annually sent to the Dutch Re.
formed and the Associate Reformed Churchea
in America. We reply with the question
Is this Pan Presbyterian Alliance a Church
Has it ecclesiastical powers? If so, let it
be spoken out. Again, the correspondence
to be lawful, must be between the Assembly
and the Churches represented IN the Alliance.
Is this 80, or not When DR.. Girardeau
charged that our appearance in this Alliance
brought US into correspondence with our de-
tractors and irjurers, the Radical American
Church, with whom we had so solemnly said
we would not correspond, gentlemen said,
On, no. Now, which is it? If we do not,
in this Alliance, correspond with the Church
es represented in it, and that directly, in
cludipg this one with which We refuse to cor
respond, this article gives our Assembly no
right. Once more, the terms are to be ar
ranged between the Churches corresponding
NOT with nondescript tertium quid.-
When Alexander of Macedon was asked to
run race at the Olympian games, he an
swered: Yes, provided kings are my COM
petitors." So, our Assembly deigns to treat,
provided spiritual queens treat with her: she
does not stoop to place herself on level with
any voluntary association of private persons
which offers itself. Her acts are and must
be authoritative and responsible. She de-
mands responsible party to treat with, and
that not a superior, but an equal. Finally,
who dreams that, under the modest word,
correspondence" the trainers of our Con-
stitution ever designed to confer all these
vague legislative powers? Their meaning. in
the Constitution is the Constitution. They
doubtless chose the word correspondence, be-
cause correspondence is not alliance. My
correspondent is not my business partner
The relation which our Assembly assigned to
itself as to " foreign Churches, was careful
ly chosen so as to repudiate that common
visible centre of unity at which this Alliance
aims, and to leave the manifestation of Chris
tan unity, where the Bible leaves it, CON-
munity of principles, spirit, and affections.
1t was with good reason, then, that DR..
Palmer warned DR.. Robinson, in the last
Assembly, that in going into this Alliance,
he was launching into disastrous revolu-
ton. The step which the Assembly has been
betrayed into is but as the letting out of
waters" IF the chasm be not speedily
closed, we shall find ourselves upon food,
which will strand US far from our proper
mooringa, and amidst the wreck of the pre-.
cious interests which the Head of the Church
has committed to our care.