The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-10-06
For the Central Presbyterian.
To the Southern Presbyterian
Public.


your attention it seems proper to make
brief statement OF its origin and design.
1t originated in the earnest convictions
OF number claiming to be loyal sons of
our Church, who feel deeply grieved at
some of the proceedings of our last Gen
eral neutrality-suspicious. formed indie
pendently, but matured and formulated
by careful reflection and correspondence,
and which we cannot in good conscience
suppress.
Our purpose is not agitation or strife;
neither Is it to weaken the respect due to
the supreme court of our Church. We
claim no superiority to our brethren In
intelligence, piety, or loyalty to our prin-
ciples but we do claim and must exercise
the right of private judgment. We are
responsible in our measure for what is
done by the Church as whole, and as
we cannot approve we are bound to con-
denim and protest.
We have made but little effort to Sc
cure signatures to this paper, seeking
only the names of those whom we sup
posed to be inclined to this action VOL
UNFAIRLY and by no means of all such,
but only of a few to whom we have had
convenient access Our dependence is
not on any array of names, but on the
manifest truth and Importance of the
statements herein set forth, and to these
we who have subscribed them invite the
candid and calm JUDGMENT of the whole
Church. JOHN B. ADGER,
@. A. STILLMAN.
Declaration and Testimony
To the Ministers, Ruling Elders, and Members
Of the Presbyterian Church IN the United
States, Greeting:
Beloved Brethren, You. have been
painfully aware of the controversy exist
ing for some years in our Church on &C.
casion of a question concerning the mode
of the creation of the body of the first man,
and however differing in opinion as to It's
origin, and the parties responsible there
for, many of you, doubtless, have felt
with US, that it was needless, useless, and
ought not to have been raised. But out
of this question has now risen another
necessary and important to the last de.
gree, as involving the very foundations
of our doctrine and order; and upon this,
and this alone, do we now address you.
Had the matter been confined to our
lower courts, we might all have quietly
left it to their action under our Consti-
tuition and laws, trusting the General
Assembly as our court of last resort to
take order in the end, that any error be
corrected, any wrong set right. But
now that the Assembly, whose high Office
it is to be our final judge on earth, has
overstepped the principles and methods
of the law it is set to enforce, and has
done this In the name of the Church. it
becomes the bounden duty of the Church
to take the whole case into most serious
consideration. This is necessary not only
for its own honor, but for that of the Lord,
in whose name alone the Church can act.
1t is our solemn conviction, as sorrow
ful az it is deep, that our General Assem-
bly, lately in session at Augusta, lGa,
has misconceived its duty in the course
pursued touching the first mentioned
controversy, and has raised the new and
far grsver issue stated, in departing from
our standards of doctrine, and violating
those of our order. What it intended is
one question, and many be left to its
members and the Searcher of hearts but
what it did is quite another, for it was
done in our name by our agent, and we
must consider it as that for which we
must answer at the last day. If we ac-
quiesce in it, or fail to disavow it, we &C.
cept its full responsibility before God and
man and because we must answer for it
to Him, we whose names are hereto ap.
pended feel ourselves constrained to disa-
vow it before the Lord. In token and
pledge whereof we issue this our solemn
Declaration and Testimony in order both
to clear ourselves publicly from this res
possibility, and to move you to consider
whether you are willing to be involved
therein.
As our solemn duty, therefore, to our
King and Head, and to his Church and
kingdom, we do set forth this Joint and
public
Declaration
OF our firm loyalty to the Presbyterian
Church in the United States;
OF our abiding faith in the Bible, as the
inspired and infallible word of God, the
only rule of faith and practice;
Of our hearty and unswerving devo,
ton to our Presbyterian standards, as a
Just summary Of the doctrines and polity
in the Scriptures;
OF our genuine loyalty to the General
Assembly, and to all our church courts,
when their decisions are in harmony with
God 8 word and our Constitution and to
our pledged duty, implied in the ordina-