The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-04-03
FoE TIE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
MORE ABOUT WHO SHALL VOTE FOR A
PAST0R2


DR.. B. NJ. Palmer of New Orleans, writes
me under date of March End, as follows: 81
concur with you as to the electors for pas
tor. Our brethren, who are striving to make
the visible Church as pure as the invisible,
attempt the impossible, and 60 beyond the
warrant of the word. The result is to cut
that very connection with the outside world
which is indispensable to the part which she
is to play in it" Thus our eminent brother
gives the sanction of his assent to some
points already urged by me. He had pre-
viOusly declared to me that he never would
accept call where the outsiders had not
had an opportunity to express their desire
for his services.
We must not "go beyond the warrant of
the word in making the visible Church any
narrower or any purer than her Lord intend
ed she should be in this dispensation. This
was the error-the dangerous error of the
NOvatisns and Donstists in the early Church,
and of the Anabaptists of the Reformation
period, and of the Incorporate Brownists Of
q later day. Our Saviour has not ordained
that the visible Church shall consist exclu-
siVely of regenersse souls. On the contrary
it is his ordinance that tares shall be allowed
to grow with the wheat, and moreover that
there shall always be class of members of
his church who are unregenerste-the chill
drsn of his people to be trained for him, and
from amongst whom his recruits shall from
ego to age be constantly drawn
DR.. Hodge we'll says (VOl. III. PIP. ST.,
'2-'7-S,) "the attempt 60 make the visible
Church consist exclusively of true believers,
must not only inevitably fail of success, but
il must also be productive of evil He
quotes sn old writer who says wisely, " 1t is
an observable truth that those that are for
too much strictness do more hurt than profit
the Church" and another who says" Is
there no danger of putting those out of the
visible Church whom our Lord would have
in it? If we do not keep persons
under those Church dispensatiOns wherein
grace is given, the Church will die of lin
gering though not 3 violent DEATH" And
DR.. Hodge then adds, " experience proves
that sll attempts to preserve the purity of
the Church by being more strict than the
Bible, sre utterly futile, not only fu-
tile, they are seriously injurious. They con-
trsvene the plan of God. They exclude from
the watch and care of the Church mulutudes
whom he commands his people to look after
and cherish. In cOn6ning the visible Church
to communicates it unchurches the great
majority even of the seed of the faithful"
Now do not say that every word quoted
here applies directly to the position an
urging, but certainly every word points in
the same direction in which DR.. Palmer and
/ desire the Church to look. Novstisns,
Donstists, Ansbsptists aud BrOwnists would
all have cut the connexion which the Church
is ordained to maintain with the world. But
the truth is that while she is not to join her.
self to the world she must yet attract from il
to herself such as are "not far from the
kingdom"
am, after much reflection, opposed tC
what may be called the ''cOmprOmise" rule
IL will operate, am afraid, as bid for fac
tions. As between the other two rules pro
posed for the vote of Presbyteries l lool
upon the liberal as the old rule, and tn
stringent one as novelty. It certainly i
such, so far as | am acquainted with tn,
prevalent practice. In the Scotch KIRK the,
followed CslVin's idea, and "elders, heritors
magistrates and town council and heads o
families" were all invited to assemble an,
select "prescher of the gospel" which i
the title given him in the cal, as Steusrt o
PardiVsn records it. In our country an
our day Church and State are happily sepa
rated completely, and therefore magistrate
and town councillors are allowed no part
heritors also are not known TO America
Presbyterisnism, which abjures patrons Q
churches. But we have not gone yet to th
length of preventing such heads of familie
as are regular attendants and willing SUI
porters from voting for the pastor, and
trust our Presbyteries will bind no such rigi
rule upon our necks.
But, says one, the liberal rule allows Il
Church to be governed by the world, fl
it " entrusts unregenerate men with the pri
ilege of selecting the spiritual instructors
Gods people" Now if this objection mea
anything, that is if it has any fOundstiO
the claim made by the advocates of the lib