The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1888-01-29

creeds and the Friends, that it has no
relation to any outward form. but is only
in the still small voice. Yet in the
commipgling of these various elements,
which in other days and on other fields
had been signals for the trump of war,
there was not disco1dant note heard.
The reason of this was the great solici-
tude that each worker had to remove
certain evils In missionary operations
which had brought grest scandal on the
cause of their common Lord, and which
was undoing for each denomination
what their supporters are so earnestly
trying to do for their Master and i'm
mortal souls.
Too Many Missions in shs Same Town.
One OF these evils was the rush OF too
many missions to the ga. town or city,
while there are many otcsrplsces entire
ly destitute of the word For example,
one case was mentions where there
were in the same city three denomina-
tions preaching to the same little com
paDy Of believers. about twenty. They
went to hear the Presbyterian missionary
in the morning, the Methodist in the
evening, and the Baptiet at night. The
same congregation all the time. There
was another case of a small town noted
for robbers, where the irst missionary
had been preaching to sttentive copgre-
cations, another missionary Of different
denomination came along and raised
controversial point against the first mis-.
slonary. The consequence was that
those who had been concerned about
their souls, about their idolatry, robbery,
and murder, and the wy of salvation,
now forgot their convictions, to watch
quarrel about point that they could
not even understand, and between those
who professed to bring them the true
light. Now there is no congregation for
either, but smile, half OF ridicule and
half of dispair, when The gospel is men,
toned. Such cases I sm sorry to say
are not few, and would Ike to say right
here that our Boards and Committees of
the different denominations have a great
responsibility in not asking their mis-
sionaries, when they propose to occupy a
new field, whether there Is anv other
missionary there that is giving all an
opportunity to hear the way of Lite; and
whether he might not { al a field where
the gospel is not heard st all. Deeply
moved by this great eu'i the Assembly
unsnimously resolved bat In towney5f
lesa than fifteen thousap OILY one deRo-
mutation ought to entBf and where there
are already mo e, all q C the first who
entered ought to retire.
Another Great Bvil.
Another great evil is that when
member, student for tle ministry or
preacher, has been put nnder discipline
or excluded for some Elm or crime, anoth
er denomination has received HIM, thus
making discipline impossible, and pre-
senting a temptation to SHINING to weak
men. There Is a well known case in
point A certain student for the minis.
try, after two or three years study. was
suspended from study for time, on &C.
count of sin; while on probation he did
not improve, but was guilty OF attempt
ing duelingand other crimes with members
OF the church. But the young student
wlehed to go north to study English, and
seeing that 1t was impossible in his own
church, he Gpplied to the missionary of
another for membership in his church.
This missionary received him, although
he knew that he was under discipline in
another church. not only received him
but put him to preaching at once, and
finally sent him north to college, sup
ported mainly by the good people at
home. This missionary has since told me
that he has good reason to suspect, now
that that student is hypocrite. Well he
might have known it more opportunely
il he had had little mere respect for the
opinion of his brethren in the Lord. The
Assembly deeply impressed with this
class OF evils, unanimously resolved and
recommended that no denomination re-
ceive a member OF prescher OF another
unless he bring a letter certifying to his
good Christian charactar
A Union Formed.
! Thus IT Is aeen that e the Protestant
denominations working ir Mexico have
unanimously formeI practical union, a
union OF cooperate, Is need no closer.
for their common Master in the presence
Of their great common enemy, Romaniem
and Infdelity / had the honor and
privilege Of being d msnb Der of this As.
sembly. / know iis fp.rit. 1t is the
spirit of Him who rragel in the agony
of His soul, Fathe "that they all
may be one" h9 the world may
believe that thou didsf aod me" Thus
our Saviour, through lha Father, appeals
to the Church that iDfdelity cannot be
broken without the unity Of spirit and
the unity of cooperation 8l all HIS iriends.
Now / wish mod .slly but earnestly to
| suggest to the Poqrda qg.1 Cororniffees a 3