The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-09-06

the new usurper is the power of God to
us for good" For instance, at the late
coup d 'etat alluded to, Northwestern mot
Southern) Democrats were within hairs
breadth of asserting their right to uphold
the peoples election against force. Sup
pose they had done so? Then the Gen
eral Assembly Of the day would, we pre-
sumo, have declared, in their infallibifity
that for free citizens of sovereign States
to resist the coup detat, though in de-
fence of the peoples rights in legal
election, was the wicked rebellion" pro
hibited by the apostles. And, then, the
Northwestern Presbyterians would have
been compelled, like us, to preserve their
rights, and we should have had third
Presbyterian Assembly, and third di-
vision; and the fiery contributions of bit
terness, hate and bloodshed made again,
by Christ's usurping Church, to another
unfortunate civil war. And all this the
country actually "grazed" six years ago;
missing it by hairs breadth A dead
issue? It is the most living issue that
exists. and the most pregnant with mis-
chief and woe, and the loss of the spirit
ual liberty of Americans.
l sum up my position, then, as being
exactly what the position of the Old
School fathers, Alexander, Miller, Plum
err, etc., was from 1888 and onward-er-
cept, that where they had one valid and
imperative reason for declining this spe-
cial correspondence by delegates, have
three. have first, the same ground of
doctrinal discrepancy they had, viz the
eonnivance at New Schoolism. l have,
second, the departure of the Northern
Assembly from spiritual liberty by the
Popish usurpation of the Spring resolu-
lions and their sequels, which 1 have
shown to be of the gravest and most fun
damental character. l have, third, a
fearful Indictment of rebellion and trea-
son, unjustly hurled at our Assembly.
And now, let it be noted, that this rea-
soning disconnects itself wholly from the
rise and fall of the late Confederacy and
all It's interests and passions. 1t was the
rise of the Confederacy with which our
Church, as Church, had nothing to do)
which was made the occasion and pretext
of the usurpation of spiritual power by
the Northern Assembly. That was all.
Whether the Confederacy was good or
bad thing, it does not here concern us
to argue. 1t was an earthly institution,
with only secular interests and concern
ments. 1t is with the spiritual rights of
Christ's people in His spiritual kingdom
that we here have to do. 1t is the inva-
sion of them we have to resist conscien-
tiously. This duty has no connection
with the institution, whose rise happened
to be the mere pretext and circumstance
OF the usurpation.
Usurpation Maintained.
1t has been argued by our recent inno-
vators: We find the sentiment of our
Church has correctly settled down on this
position: that, when once the obloquies
thrown at US have been withdrawn, diff
terences of doctrinal and ecclesiastical
principles, conscientiously held by the
Northern Church, ought to be no bar to
the resumption of these closer and more
special relations by interchange of dele
gates. This is supposed to be very clear,
Christian and conclusive. l assert that
1t is utterly erroneous and illogical. The
fact that the erroneous principles against
which we conscientiously feel compelled |
to testify, are sincerely held by the other
party, is the ve1y reason for 2efaIsino, in
stead of granting, this special intercourse.
Ii his assertion Of them were mere Whit |
of petulance, this would render the asser
ton OF them comparatively trivial we
could the better tolerate it. But it is be-
cause this powerful Church does serious
ly, earnestly, conscientiously with mis-
guided conscience), calmly, assert these
grave departures from Presbyterianism |
as we devoutly hold it; it is for this very |
reason the case assumes the gravity, sol |
EMMY necessitating our UNCONVENTIONAL |
protest and testimony. That is the COM
mon sense of it. And this is confirmed
By the 1OhoIe historical attitude of the old |
School Church. Thus with tie German
the Lutheran, the Moravian,
the Protestant Episcopal, the Methodist,
the Immersionist branches of the visible |
Church Catholic, our Assemblies always
fraternal relations; but they |
never did, and never would have main |
tanned with them that special intercourse
by annual delegates, which they kept up
with (for instance) the Dutch Reformed
Church. Now did we decline this in
terchange with the great Methodist
(for instance) because we held
that they a0ere not sincere in holdiAg that
Arminianism which separated
them partially from us? What an infn-
lite absurdity is this? Did we thus stated |
ly insult our Methodist brethren with the |