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


WE publish this week, at the request
of DIR. Dabney, his article on fraternal
relations. We also publish the circular
addressed to the "ofice-bearers," etc.,
of the Church, with the names of those
who have signed it. They occupy a
large part of our space, but we cannot
hesitate to publish them as presenta-
ton of the views of those who are dis
satisfied with what was done at Atlanta.
After careful perusal of the circular
and of DR.. Dabney's article, we can see
no sufficient reason for dissatisfaction.
The Assembly at Atlanta did not act
hastily or inconsiderately, but calmly,
deliberately, and, as we believe, wisely.
Its action was not a Sudden reversal
of the position maintained by the
Church" in years past; but it was a
maintaining of that position in good
faith. The circular which we publish
this week, says: 1.-The large majority
of our people, we believe, were quite
satisfied with the position taken at the
Baltimore Conference, which was con-
frmed by so many subsequent Assem-
blies."
We accept this most heartily. Now
let us see what aoaS the position taken
at the Baltimore Conference. We call
special attention to the following minute
adopted unanimously by our Assembly
at its session in St. Louis, May, 1875,
after the Baltimore Conference:
This Assembly, in the name of the whole
Church. tender special thanks to the Committee
of Conference, for the diligence fidelity, and
Christian prudence with which they have dis
charged the delicate and important trust com
mitted to them; and whilst regretting the fail
ure of the Conference as to its chief end, hereby
approves in general of the course of the Com
mlttee, and in particular approves and endorses,
as satisfactory to the Southern Church, the con
dition precedent to fraternal relations suggested
by our Committee-viz. If your Assembly
could see its way clear to say, in few plain
words, to this effect that these obnoxious
things were said and done in times of great ex-
element and are to be regretted, and that now,
in calm review, the imputations cast upon the
Southern Church (of schism, heresy, and bias
Phemy) are disaPproved. that would end the
difficulty at once"
There can, we think, be no doubt about
the full intent of this minute. A re-
traxit Of "the imputations cast upon the
Southern Church (of schism, heresy, and
blasphemy)" was to end the difficulty.
DR.. Palmer, in his letter to DIR. Nelson,
so interpreted it. CAS- I understood it,
The says) "both our committee at Balti-
more and our last Assembly at st. Louis
in its endorsement of their action, have
waived bodily all your Deliverances on
and Freedom as bar to fra
teTnaI relations. Of course we know that
enthusiastically you never had the right
to make them-that by the declaration
of Jesus Christ My kingdom is not of
this world they were, alb origine, null
and void, not of the things bound on
earth which are also bound in heaven
We leave them, therefore, in your hands
unbrokea and untouched, to repeat them,
to modify them, or to affirm and glory IN
them, just as you please"
Now we think that this minute and
the just Interpretation of it is complete
answer to all those who say they were
" satisfied with the position taken at the
Baltimore Conference" and yet ask our
Presbyteries to declare their dissatisfac-
ton with the basis of fraternal relations
adopted at Atlanta; it is sufficient an
swer to almost every thing that has been
written against the action of the Atlanta
Assembly, because even with the ,oorst
construction (Which, we think, is a very
wrong one) put upon the explanatory re-
solution, it still remains true that the
Northern Assembly did all that we re-
quired as necessary to end the diff
Guilty"
DR.. Dabney, however, is thoroughly
consistent, T. G., with himself. not with
the Church. His objection is not to the
explanatory resolution" only. He OBJ
jects equally to the concurrent resolution,
and to the position taken in the Balti-
more Conference.-The objects to having
any closer correspondence with the North
ern Church than we have had any closer
than we have with the Methodists, Lu-
boro,s o4o 7 % 4bo No~tbou, Ctt---1