The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-07-13

started between the two sections of the
Old Church, and the Rochester Assembly
unwittingly set up the stone which
marks the departure of the Southern
Presbyterians from the realms of Eros
taonasn' and Nea1 England Congreqo-
t1onohsn. The Southern Presbyterians,
almost to man, were in accord with DR..
Thornwell. They had been surfeited
and made sick since 1885 with the spawn
from that wonderful marriage of Presby-
terians and Congregationalists in 1901.
in the "Plan Of Union" But that
hatchet | won't dig upl 1t was suitably
buried by us in 1864. The reform of
the Presbyterian Church could not take
place whilst the North outvoted us in the
Presbyteries and in the General Assem-
blies. 1t became possible, yes, certain,
after 1861. The Presbyteries of all the
South, by their own choice, and by the
strange compulsion of our Northern
brethren IN their political deliverances,
went out with the stigma of Hereto
Rebel Blasphemer," ETC., ringing in the
ear OF the whole world, and formed the
Presbyterian Church of the South. Yes
thank God for the way He led US; and
for the exodus from the bondage to an
everything majority whose views of Pres
byterian doctrine and of Church polity
are SO very different from those we
cherish
Well does the writer remember the
spring of 1861, and the sadness he felt
to see the conservatism and the Scriptu-
raj claims of our Church to be ga king
dom not of this world" all overthrow
in one day by the bloody, the fiery and
the unchristian deliverances of our
Church-the Church of our fathers.
had not then recovered from the sor-
row OF losing my own dear father, who
had left the affairs, where he had min
lstered AZ years, and had gone up to
higher and sweeter ministering above
Well, my heart said, this Abolition
a0Gr may take the negroes, but it can't
take our Church and our religionl'
When lol the first May that brought
Its roses to deck my fathers grave,
brought also the abolition of the Church
OF my fathers, and introduced to my at
tention that loyal, semi-political thing
which sat IN council with the Flag of the
Union floating over it.
WE'LL the Southern Presbyterians, now
outlawed, were forced into the course
they adopted. In the fall of 1861 the
first Southern Assembly met DR.. Thorn
well was there and the best and the
wisest men of our Church were selected
and sent to this Assembly, to start our
young Church upon her course of con-
servatism and of love. All the All-See-
ing One alone knew the prayers and the
tears of our people and of their commits
sioners, when this little craft was
launched on the sea Of frenzied world
of opposing abolitionists. The dark and
bloody years of the war were not favora-
bic to the changing of Church constitu-
ton and laws. This was generally felt
and owned. So there was pause in the
revision work. But after the war it
went forward slowly and cautiously.
The result was reached in 1879, and now
we have a Book of Church Order and
Discipline, which will do to read, and no
Presbyterian who reads it will ever blush
at incongruities, or wonder if there is
any Popery at one pole or Erastianism
at the other, of our system.
advocated one change which was
not made; it was Dr. R. J. Breckinridge's
crotchet that the "W. C's" should have
no voice in our courts. L opposed one
thing which was put in these books, 4. e..
the Back Door to the Presbyterian
Church and Ministry.
don't believe in the "indelible faint"
OF ordinances. But 1 do believe in the
Scriptural doctrine, that the vows of
God are irrevocable and without repeal.
What is bound on earth is bound in
Heaven. But let this pass. 1t may
prove that 1 was wrong, as often am
and then, if otherwise, the Great Head
of the Church will show the error to
those who come after us. He is wise
AS | sat in the Assembly of 1881, and
was musing on the ways of the Lord in
leading our little Church, there was
brought in by DR.. Hoyt, the Chairman
OF Committee on Bills and Overtures.
report on an overture from the Synod of
South Carolina, asking the Assembly to
define more sharply than in last years
deliverance the extent of Church power.
The Chairman reported an answer, which
was discussed by men eminent for wisdom
and power. (By the way, there is
scarcely any question in the range of hui
man wisdom more intricate and subtle.)
1t was felt by the Assembly to be a
question Of grave moment. A question
OF Church power, or no power-of Church
authority, or no authority-no not as
much as a Debating Society.
Ill Il