Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-11-25
CHOOSING SIDES.
THE SESSION OF WALNUT STREET
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
AFTER BEING PETITIONED TO AssO-
CIATE WITH THE PREsBYTERI-
AN CHURCH SOUTH, ,au
Denies that Request, and Decides to
Affiliate With the Northern Gem
eral Assembly. r.J
Interesting History of the Matter
as Read by Rev. DIR. BroOkes
Yesterday Morning. rE

as READ by Kew. Df. HrOOkeS
Yesterday Morning. rG |
Walnut Street Presbyterian Church. in St.
Louis, was filled by u good audience recently, ii
being understood that the pastor would read
sion of that Church in regard to their decision
affiliate with the Northern General Assembly of
before the sermon. and as there was nothing |
unusual about the rest OF the service. the docu- |
ment Is given in full.
THE coAMUNIcATIoN FROM THE SESSION
is as follows: a.I. ~ .spasg iiG-z |
To the Walnut Street Presbyterian Church:
DEAR BRETHREN IN THE LoRD-It is doubtless |
known to most of you that on the veninG Of Sep
tember &, 1871, u petlton WAS presenled to your
missioner to represent our church at the next |
meeting of the Presbytery OF st: Louis. connected
Sress,ng .s sSe aesre shas You should become
component psrt OF that Presbytery and that As
sembly. Owing to the grave Importance or the
step we were asked to take 1T was deemed unwise
to act during the absence Of four members Of the
session and the consideration Of the subject was
postponed until their return. .'..a
On the evening of September 25 three Of the
members previously absent being present, there
was an earnest and protracted discussion of the
request of the petitioners, conducted throughout
in the kindest and most fraternal spirit There
was u manifestation OF solemnity, and of tender
love for all the members OF the church, and Ot
fervent desire to know and to do the will OF the
Lord, that gave unnistakable evidence OF the
Holy Spirits guidance in our deliberatI9ns. But
the oldest member of the session was still absent.
and We were unwilling 10 proceed to final action
without his presence and counsel and prayers
s-sslou that many OF the leO petitioners had
signed the paper under Misrepresentation OF its
real purport Some of them, OF their own &C.
say that they had supposed 1t Was the design Of
the paper to connect our church permanently
WIN 4 tme Ss sbod he
the petition, when they learned that 1t would
place them under the jurisdiction of the Southern
Assembly. SO FAR rs the facts could be ascer-
tanned it appears thnt decided majority Of
| those who asked us to unite with the south
greatly preferred that we should mite with the
north. ...- .... ...,.4 .......-
WE DO NOT HARRoR THE THOUGHT
for an instant that the brethren who were active
in originating and circulating the petition. ut
| the welfare of the church, misrepresented to any
one its meaning and aim; for we are sure that
they are utterly incapable Of seeking TO accom- M,
bear the scrutiny Of our Lord. but 1t IS well
known that many persons will sign petition
and hastily when ahen m q,
| ed that some who signed the petition laid before
the session, have openly avowed their bellef
| this church to unite with the southern Assembly
| and when it is remembered that it contained the
names of quite q number of children, who have
| probably never given the subject of our ecclesi-
| nstical relations very serious consideration, 1t
will be obvious that the paper failed to express
siderable portion of our church.
Hence it Will be equally obvious, upon mo.
ment's reflection, that II the session had granted
have acted m direct cont ravention OF the views
OF large majority OF the petitioners themselves,
and in opposition to the views oil large major
ity Of the church, rs these views have been ex-
pressed in u refusal to sign the petition. and In
various methods by those who were willing te
remain temporarily aloof from both Assemblies
but We're not willing to identify themselves will
the Southern Assembly.
| Apart, however, from our sincere desire
consult the views, SO far as they can be ascer
tanned, OF the great body of our people, glanct
at the history of the church Will show that 1t Ws
impossible 70 grant the request found on the fac
OF the petition without the grossest inconsisency
and an open dereliction OF our prefessed princi
pies twill be borne In mind that at the tim
| OF our organization, more than twelve years ago
by Presbytsry in connection with the Nortnerl
GsgsIe MsS AsssSemSlHb SGHrboss s 70 ysEs
IN SYMPATHY WITH THE SOUTH,
in its opposition to the course pursued Dy IN
civil government ut Washington City. This W
strennousiy denied, declaring that in the hous
Of God we We're determined to know neither nort
SOUTH but only Jesus christ ana MN hv ,c
| ing elders and deucOns without the slightest rel
ercnce to their political sympathies ana opin
In the spring following onr organization, til
| generally assembly. which met ut Pitts0urg too
action that lesi,imately and properly leo To- u
the sessions existing ut that time s:Sneu the wy
orois protest that was issued against the Poiitc,
and unwiSe legislation OF the assembly, Dt
which also expressed the joy it would give us
our brethren could ''See the infatlatlOn O1 the
with The werds. .i1 is our steadfast aim to n
form the church, or to testify against It's errol
or defections until testimony will be no long
hearu.''
The next year or in 1866, the general assen
bly,. which met in st: Louis, adopted q resol'
tion exciu,iing for q time those VINO hao slen'
the declaration and testimony from all eccles
as,ical courts above the session. But when IN
led, in the succeeding fall, TO q division OF u
synod OF Missouri the ruling elder, VINO repT +,
dependent Synod of Missouri. solemnly vot'
that in refusing TO obey the anIiEhteous ,, @ aStle
ente ring into any other ecclesiastical organic
ton" The next year, the church was Iepr
na na i tr tor the two following the
elders, who were the commissioners 10 .
synod of Missouri, cordially voted Tor pap
which says, ..We are content to bear for u I'll
the harsh and unjust decision which declares
not to be true and riShIiul court OF Chrl'
and calmly aid hopefully await the time whe
the maduess of the hour having passed, .
breth, en- will do us Justice anu repair tht
wrong by reinstating us IN all the privileges u
are now denied we believe & una. "ou Qua GOV :,
turn, TO the old paths. when We shaii De able
show to the world the pleasant sight OF brethr
dwelling together in unity. -
Thus It continued until 1873. the session firm
refusing on the one hand to recognize the ris
of the general assembly to handle or conclu
InteruIeudle with civil AFFAIRS which cuncern
cOmmunw ealth icon. Of Faith, chap. XXI. Sc
ivl, and on the other hand refusing to lose
advantage OF its protest by entering into ~
other Organization. But IN October, OF u
year, after the Northern Assembly had tax
decided steps toward fraernal relations; atI
they had adopted substantially as u bssis Uf su
relations u paper with which the leading mel
bers oil the Synod OF Missouri hud professed
be perfectly satisfiei; after the synoI Of Mlsso
ri, in connection with the Northern As,embl
had manIfrhted an entire Willingness to co-opt
ate with Us in the work oil one common LOr
giving trustworthy promise ei ample enaO
Inent of our Synouical College; after the fru
OF long and arduous contest were already
full view, the Synod, under whose care We We
then placed. suddenly voted 10 unite win
southern Assembly. and since that time tn
have been merged In the latter body. OF couI
the Session unanimously condemned An
which the wisest and best men among themselv
now confess was remarkable only Tor ITS sing
lar lack OF judgment, or for the proof II furnis
or | ed OF Il strong political bias.
of In Nav 1874 the Northern General Assembl
which met in st Louis. unanimously adopted
paper accepting As their OWE; the very prime
ID piles Tor which we had contended amid much !
proach in the Declaration and Testimony; Al
this led the Session OF Walnut Street Cnurch
the llth day of the following July. TO ado
unanimously the following paper: The Sessio
u. having ferventir sought the guidance oi Divl
OF Wisdom, cannot the way opened at prese
On to represent this Church IN Presbytery come
IL ted with either the Northern or Southern Gener
Assembly.
eef OUR CONVICTION Is VERY CLEAR
sn tIit uuty 10 tnc tntlTe Oi UTelurtH, OV
lie whom the Holy Gnost has made us overseer
ce requires lis to remain practically independe
en- until the Lord shall more distinctly Indicate
er lis His will concerning our future ecceslaStiC
On relations. We stand, therefore, precisely whe
re stood previous 10 the action of the Old SchO
d. synod OF Missouri in 1873. de'ermmed TO knO
nd neither North or South in the Church Of God; +
w tusinS to consult natural inclinatiOns
de seeking to promote the interests OF His kingdOr
ii, and anxious to avoid even the appearance
Ut being controlled by political prejudiccs or Sc
ce tiOnal syIhpathies in our association with 9th
Christians. We furthermore declare that the r
he cent unanimous action of the Northern Gener
ly Assembly, in frankly and lully accepting III
he adopting the principles for which We have test
IS. fled and suffered during the past eight year
in ought to be aud shall be an end OF our contr
or versy with that body
at How then, we earnestly ask any true friend
:Ir the Church, or of ourselves or of Christ, was
IL possible for Is to go back of all this record
lg granting the request of small minority OF o.
t members? There upon our church re
lister SIS namcs, though all are not present wi
us; anu Dt these 33l have been received since Il