The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-05-26
THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTE-
RIANS. e'


i The religious body now assembled
i'll this city represents an offshoo
| of one of the oldest denomination.
of the Protestant Church. The
Presbyterian Church, though al
organization of modern times, bases
its right of existence upon prece
Idents, set under the dispensation o.
the apostles and elders of Jerusa
lem. 1t is asserted that the epiless
of Ignatius and Clemens Romanus
1 gives evidence, in their day, of &
church government thoroughly
presbyterian, and that such system
prevailed for more than one hun.
dred years after the apostolic era
Though prevalence of the pres.
byterian system of church manage.
ment was destroyed, it is contcnded
that its principles were kept alive
and that in the seventh century the
Paulicians, and Immediately there
after the Waldenses and the Abb
gences earnestly protested against
all encroachments npOn presbyteri-
anism; that when the reformation
came the vast prepOnderence was in
favor of it, and that the reformed
churches of Europe were virtually
presbyterian on the plan laid down
by Calvin in his "1nstitutes." A
discussion of the doctrines OF church
government, as embodied in the
Presbyterian codes, would consume
more space than could possibly be
devoted in a daily news journal 10
such a subject, and, yet, when one
reflects upon the moral power of
presbyterianism, upon its vast influ-
onces upon society, in the old and
new world, it becomes a duty
of even the secular press to
give brief insight into its rise and
progress and its doctrines and laws
The system of church government
is by presbyters, in two classes,
teaching and ruling elders, the one
the preacher, the other the represent
tatiyes, ,ofthe.congregation,both COM
bining in the exercise of discipline
Out of these are created the local
sessions for home church govern
ment; and then the ascent is made
to the presbytery, to which appeal
may be made from the session, which
in an advancing scale is subordinate
to the synod. This last is not only
the legislative body of the church.
but I. it is its highest judicial
tribunal. The plan of legislation
and of adjudication is therefore
strictly republican, notrepresenting
alone the ecclesiastical population,
but In an enlarged ratio the
church masses. Though the visible
Presbyterian Church dates its or
ganization in Scotland, in 1857, it is
held, as above stated. that the prin-
ciples upon which it is founded, as
is the case, however, with all Chris
tan churches, finds precedent among
the Jews, during the first century of
the Christian era. Here is where
all doctrinal struggles begin, at the
very fountain head of Christianity,
but whether il be Roman catholic-
ism or presbyterianism or method
ism, the object is one, and the
same-redemption from. sin-and
therefore the earnest thought
and purposes and labors' of such
men as these now assembled in Aus
tin, commend them particularly to
the consideration of the STATESMAN!
AS was stated, yesterday, in Mr.
Bowman's address of welcome to
these representatives, the Cumber-
land Presbyterian Church had its
distinct and separate organization
in Tennessee in 1870. The, leaYen,
which put in agitation the questions
leading to this formal organization,
was set, between 1901 aud 1905, in Sc
ries ofreligiOus reyiyals, held in Ken
lucky and Tennessee. These meet
ings produced the greatest excite
ment, and thousands of per-
sons attended them from all |
portions of the country. They |
gave. rise, in 1903, to the for
nation of a new presbytery, known
as TIE Cumberland Presbytery. The
of this presbytery were
placed in question by the synod of
Kentucky, and upon a Question of
attainments and doc
trines set forth its course was con-
demned, and the General Assembly |
of the Presbyterian Church of the
United States sustained the decis-
ION. 1t was then that this inde-
pendent church was formally organ
zed, and it has grown and prospered
Turing these years.nntil its represen-
tatives are in every state ofthe Union.
Their church government is siniiIarl
20 that 1.-the Old Presbyterians,i
while in at least one doetrInaf point
hey differ seriously from the parent
;hurch. Eternal, unconditional cleo
ion and reprebation is rejected, and
he universally of the atonement1 !
md the final conservation of saints
5 accepted. IL was the declaration of
he synod of North America in 1882
hat Jesus Christ died for the elect,p
nd this set the hardy pioneers oftheI
Alleghanies to thinking upon their,
uture chances of bliss. and twen-
y years later gave it life to one of
he many revolutions that have sig-
allied and liberalized the nine
eenth century, -s' - y -
In Georgia three Mormon eIdersl {
re reported to be holding meetings
nd making many converts. Ii