The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-03-15

teaching OF anything contrary
thereto. He is not at liberty publicly
to exclaim against her dis stinciive tenets
and laws as sinful sectarianism, aud
deny her right OF distinctive ex-
| istence. He is not at liberty 10
advocate the dropping off OF her Pres
By te;ian peculiarities for the sake OF
organic union. They are not slnere pc
culiarilies;' they are vital TO her sys-
tt m and TO the truth OF God. No. Vows
do not bind any man mot TO
change his views, but change OF Views
does bind every honorable man to ask a
release from the vows he took TO advO.
cate the old views he has no"
abandoned, and not to advocate
the new ones he embraced
Apply Mr.. McCune's views OF liberty to
the oaths Of Federal and state officers
TO support the National Constitution
and to our theological professors TO
maintain the standards of the Church,
and then imagine the resuitt Ths
doctrine is treason in both cases. IL
was for the purpose Of binding adhe.-
ence, and hoG-leparture from sound
aoctrine, our standards were adopted
ny the fathers OF the Presbyterian
Church in this land. 1t was in the over
ture of John Thompson, a sire tor auglS
| know OF the respected el0er you have
put on this Committee Of Prosecution.
and at a time when The iufant Cnuroh
mad no constitution, in F720, pfeiinii ia-
ry to the adopting act, that ne besougit
be General synod 'to publicly ana
authoritatiyely adopt the Westminster
Confession and catechisms,' aud then
'to oblige every Presbytery within thtir
bounds to Obliga every candidate for
he ministry to acknowledge the said
Concession of FLlth;' and mex, 30
promise not to teach or preach any,
thing contrary 10 IT,, (ba'ro,a
Digest, page 29) DID this
mean non-adherenct? Is contempora-
leous exposition au authority IL the
Inform practice OF the Church AN au-
thority? n ~ ldherencel What means
the act Of 1853 strictly enjoiniug it ON
all our members anh probatiOners for
he ministry, that they preach and teacA
QcCOFdt1lg to the J0rm OF SOUND UOTdS IN
sud confession and cdtechiS1R. and GUOsA
md oppose GlL errors contrary thereio5'
and II their conociences VIII hOt
permit them 20 allow any matter de-
ermined by the major vote OF this
Presbyterian Church, TO 'peacsably
withdraw Digest, p. 4S), What means
the solemn pledge winch in 1879 the
Church imposed upon her theological
professors 10 whom she was about TO in.
trust the training OF her ministry Was
consistent with non-adherence2 Does
1t allow professors to drop of tae dis
tinctiVe features of Presby terian doc
trine and polity in Their instruction, or
encourage her ministry In disorganix-
ing course she would not tolerate her
self for moment? Why bind her in.
structions so strictly unless that shs
might also have Il ministry trained with
out "a Invocation to the faithful main
tgnanue OF her StandardsP
"One other remark, gentlemen, to this
point. 1t is the habit Of the advocates OF
so-called liberty to plead that ia their
VOWS OF ordination they only subseribe
20 a SuStem of doctrine as contained in
the Confession. Mr.. McCune has USED
it abundantly. 1t is Il grievious misfOr-
tune for Mr. McCune, III tue tifst place,
that even this shelter Tor his new doe
trines will not avail him, for he
holds that denominations, as such,
are essentially siniul,' and have no
scriptural right either TO distinctive
system of doctrine, or to a distinctive
existence. Upon his own showing,.ha
nas no right even to take a VOW to main
tain a distinctive SYSTEM OF doctrine,
let alone objecLing to the doctrines OF
the system! He is utterly opposed ia
human deduotIons,' system or no sys-
tenn. To plead that he will maintaia
the distinctive system he declares
has no right TO exist, be-
cause the denomination it represents
has none, is simply to convict hlms SELF Vi
seif-contradiction. Ii he maintains the
system has right TO exist, then the
denomination built on that system has q
right to exist also. Ii he maintains the
denomination as such has no right to
iSf "a unin nj Ta-af IN
it. Either way the inter-pleader is Vain.s
Dir. Skinner was still speaking for the
prosecution when our report olosed.