The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-10-29
EHE ADVOCATE.
sPbe Relation Of the Presbyterian
Church to Other Denominations.
InY REY. j. q. NoLLoY }

reseutative Assemblies, composed OF
y. e,1 and elders only, and so ar
hged as TO realize the visible unity
the church" 1t occupies not only
middle ground between prelacy
n indenpendency but also the
kiptural ground. We are justified in
lining 10 be sjure divino' Presbyte-
;ans. Aud not luere folowersof expe-
dleycy. This system OF church gov
ernment has until comparatively
recent times been associated with that
system OF grsce-exacting theology
which is styled by some Calvinistic,
by Others Augustiuian and by others
again Pauline.
The great body of seceders from
Rome in the sixteenth century were
the Reformed or Presbyterian--the
two exceptions being the Anglican
aud Lutheran communions. II is in
deed The Judgement OF some eminent
Presbyferians that the simple title
AThe Reformed church," should in
view OF its history be borne by the
Presbyterian body. Time however
has developed many denominations
besides those of the early periods OF
2 thb Reformation, aud it Is of the rela-
\ 4, As of the Presbyterian church to the
bRiies around it bearing the Christian
name we are now called 10 speak.
~. IuSOnr discussion the first point
be marked is: the attitude of
Presbyterianism towards other de-
nominations. We must recall the
tact here that some denominations
do hot accord full fraternal recogni-
ton to many other Christian churches.
3 Ma to speak of Romanism from whose
.bSASm even the acute and Sanity Pas
cali is heard 10 cry that '',here is no
I sslkation outside OF her pale" Thus
absolutely n.Christianizing and
.damning all others. There are some
Protestant churches which occupy
more or less proscriptive attitude to-
.ward their neighbors.
A Presbyterian minister of my &C
quaintance recently made the remark
20 an Episcopal co-labourer that he
was sorry to see the Salvation Army
assuming the functions OF church
and baptizing an infant in the name of
the Trinity. The Episcopal brother
.afterward spoke with smiles of this
&5sincident, saying ihat'h Presbyterians
+ kere in no sense church themselves
T. had no more right to administer
fsacraments than the Salvation
" kny. Not very long after the adj
dress of the Episcopal bishops with
alta plea tor Christian union in Amer
dcs mad gone forth, an Episcopal bisn-
op forbad the participation by Episco-
pal students In meeting of purely
devotional and missionary charsc-
Ter of the students OF the The
oogical Institutions OF great
city, on the ground, as 1t was un-
a derstood, that this might imply
sc recognition of the ''churchliness"
lSSf Ae students from other denomina-
tiuks. This one of tie three elder
brothers of the Reformation does not
by exchange of pulpits, recognition OF
church letters or other ordinary meth
.wpds, recognize many of those who
him 10 be branches of Gods church |
Ne earth.
nly'a partial recognition is extend
( 'edo baptists by Ana-baptists. In
10 cases they are denied the privil-
lsges Of the communion table. In all,
their baptism is rejected and Pres
byterian entering an Ana-Bapist or
ganization must repudiate his baptism
aud the authority of his church. IL is
not mere case of changing citizen
ship, il is declaration that the body
he has left is no true government at all,
Other illustrations might be given.
Ave mention these merely to enlpha-
size the attitude Of the P:esbj leriau
Church towards its Christian neigh
bors, an attitude which its so call se-
we're and iron-bouHd creed entirely
its assuming. Presbyte-
] NllhlM. does not recognize all organi-
n claiming to be Christian
2 as entities to that position.
" to truth requires that the line
6pbe drawn somewhere, and the
Jus OF Presbyterianism has always
opposed to radical broad