The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-05-31
CONTINUED from LIST mace \

II
or fowl2 The Assembly of 1869, simply re.
commended the action referred to by Mr.. Rose.
An agreement to waive rights does not destroy
them. They kept Park till they could get three
more and one of them was killed, so he never
cot church to "be enthusiastically separated"
Brother Dubose was ordained to the Chinese.
Mr.. Dubose-I was regularly ordained,
though with a view to entering the Chinese mis-
DR.. Craig-Al the same. What Park is to
the darkey, Dubose is to the Chinaman. But
in a few years you will have educated colored
men applying for ordination. They will know
all the Greek and Hebrew you may call for.
Brother Sam has beaten the Presbytery. 1t
was tie case in the Memphis Presbyter
vote stood to 7 on the admission of a minister
accused of Arminian views. Sam didn't know
anything about Arminians and didn't care The
General Assembly cannot question the action of
the Presbytery when acting within Its sphere
1t has the right to ordain ministers. Park is or
dained. The Assembly cannot touch the consti-
tutionality of one act by passing upon col
lateral act. Action on the right to vote cannot
affect the validity of the ordination Voting is
but collateral question. This IS serious CUES
ton. Here is a body of Is 900 intelligent Pres
byterians set down among 81 millions of semi
heather people These people are here to stay.
They increase at the rate of $4,000 a year.
They like US. They call us foreign dogs over
where Mr.. Dubose comes from.
Or. Le1eVre-f orelSn devils.
DR.. Craig-Worse still. Excuse me, Mr..
Dubose, for using your name so freely
Mr.. Dubose-You are excusable.
DR.. Craig-I like good material to work on
We have colored elders in our Presbytery. In
the very Synod which sat on this Parks case a
colored elder voted a member, regularly en-
rolled. When man is ordained he is ordained
and when he is married he is married, as he us
ually finds out. Laughter. 1 repudiate the
doctrine that our church only made for
white men. l conclude then: l. The Presby-
try has the constitutional power to ordain. 2.
Ordained ministers are members of the Presby-
bytery. 3. The Assembly cannot interfere with
the constitutional rights of the Presbytery. T.
Neither in the act of 1869 nor elsewhere has the
Assembly done so. 5. Waving a right does
not destroy it. 6. The constltutionality of the
act cannot be called into question on a colate-
raj issue.
Mr. Rose responded. He re-asserted that
it was not question of prejudice. but ecclesias-
teal law. Park was fully ordained, but with a
view to the special mission designed by the Gen
eral Assembly. He exercises all the power OF
his position in his own field
DR.. Craig insisted that Park had the same
relationship to the Memphis Presbytery as the
missionary of Mexico did. Parks court was
right here, but the Mexicans-
Dr. Pitzer-They are in the regions beyond
The Moderator-Yes The lower regions
that is on the map.
Mr.. Rose again proceeded to give history
oof. the case, when Mr.. White asked him if they
did not count Park as a member for purposes of
representation.
DIR. Lefevre-Park had two white men in the
Synod to represent him.
Mr.. Rose-correcting- Presbytery had
DR.. Pitzer-Wthout Parks name the Presby-
terry would have had but two members in the
Synod. With him they were entitled to four.
The Assembly then took recess until P. NJ.
Evening Session.
In the evening session after another state
ment by DR.. Craig, the debate was entered upon
by the court. DR.. Farris said it is not a ques-
ton of social equality. This matter must fix it.
self. 1t Is not question of whether we are es-
tablshing precedent by which we would be
overrun by horde of ignorant negroes. Every
Presbytery has the power to protect itself
advocate adherence to law. All arrangement
made with Presbytery cannot override the
law. Law is king. man who has been or,
dalned is a Presbyter Mr.. Veitch and Mr..
Ewing spoke for the Synod decision. Mr. Tur
ley opposed Parks claim to vote Dr. Girar
deau thought it hard to hold this matter against
the Presbytery of Memphis. 1t but followed
the Assembly The constitution in regard to the
white race knows no revolution If we censure
Memphis by this act we censure our own past
history We would not let them vote before the
war. There is more reason for this exclusion
now than then. Then we could have taken
Vhem nome ana thrashed them, but now we can
not. L am against giving the negro the rights
of whites. We can't afford to admit this mass
OF colored people, with the bars down. They
may swamp US. 1t would result in religious as
well as political anarchy. Dr. Dubose did not
agree with the last speaker His fears are
groundless. The law of ordination cannot be
dispensed with Mr. Bradley held to the law
as controlling everything Mr.. Kerr believed
that Park was a full Presbyterian minister.
The best way to train colored men for the min
istry was to take them in and train them. Mr..
Dodge held that Park held the same relations to
the Presbytery of Memphis that brother Rose
did
Mr.. A. P. Smith said the question of races is
dangerous question. My tongue would be
paralyzed before l would ask colored man to
preach for me. Mr.. Tenney looked at it as a
question of law. Advocating the doctrine of a
higher law comes from Southern people with
poor grace. Times have changed, and the South
ern people have changed. Mr.. Virgins be-
lleved Park to be as much a minister as any
body. MIR. j. r. Jacobs was not afraid of crush.
ing out the Caucasian element Mr. Sullivan
sustained the validity of the ordination. Dr.
Pitzer thought we had been trying to get people
into the church, but now it looks as if we were
trying to get them out. / dissent from DR.. eli
rardeaus belief ia higher law. At last we see
South Carolina and Massachusetts, striking hands
on the higher law DR.. w T. Richardson ia
vored colored ordination as a formative measure
Col. Collier talked Latin in favor Of the Synod.
DR.. Brown said the Presbytery had no right to
confer son rights and retain others. But he
would vote against the SYNOD Mr. G. l., Brown