Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-14
FOR RELIGIOUS UNION
Plea of Rev. Mr.. Vance, Late of
Norfolk.
The Problem of Church Union stands
Now where 1t Never DidBcforo ana
we should Close Up the breach
Several Valuable Suggestions,

following letter accompanies by por-
traiD from Rev. James /. Vance, a for
mer pastor OF the First Presbyterian
Church of this city. who NOW sustains
! the same relation 10 the First Church.
of Nashville. Tenn:
! Manse. First Presbyterian Church.
Nashville, Tenn, Dec. 5. 1885.
To the Editor of the Times Herald:
After all that has transpired during
the recent few months Americans
should be the last people on earth to
harhor unbrotherly feeling toward one
another II Christianity is at all what
we profess and proclaim it 10 be. this
statement should be pre-eminently
! char1c teristic of American churchmen.
| IL is the mission of the church to
create the era of good VIII. She should
! De in the very forefront wherever fra
ternity' is the slogan.
The fact that sectional lines still di-
vide certain great denominations OF
| Christians IN America is not 10 tho
glory of religion. The eIor; 10 efface
such boundaries and effect union and
accomplish reconciliation is one which
should nave the hearty cooperation of
all earnest Christians. as il certainly
does have the approval OF heaven
Just now the problem Of church
union stands where it never did before
The discussion is an old one but for the
last few years little has been done be-
You'd the formal sending OF fraternal
greetings by the churches North and
south. Hut God has been at work IN
the meantime y tidal wave of patriot
ISM has swept over She nation, and
among other things accomplished has
been the deliberations OF sectional pref
udicc. President Mckinley was the
apostle of good Will as he stood In At
L "a nj. Il
tederatc dead. His words sent "A thrill
OF joy through the Southern heart. The
! enthusiastic response of the South to
| the Presidents reference 10 the graves
or the Confederate dead must not be
construed as delight over the prospect
OF material benefits. hut as gratitude
! Tor the noble expression Of great good
VIII. The South Will never consent to
| inc penSioninS of surviving Confeder-
ate soldiers. The soldiers themselves
would never consent TO receive such
aid from the national government. not
because of any lack of loyalty to the
government, hut of the Difference 10
the sentiment they cherished for the
cause their army espoused.
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH.
! The Presidents speech meant TO us
| THAI American Nalor. whether dressed
| in coat of blue OF jacket of gray.
! is true American Valor and must
! SNdliu uhCIilleuSSu ana immortal III
| the annals or our common country. All
| OF this must affect the attitude of the
! North and South toward each other
/ NOT only in their civil but in their &C.
| clesiastical relations. So that the ques-
ton of organic union between the
Northern and southern Presbyterian
Churches is on wholly different ground
from Il year ago. We can see more
clearly. 1t IS easier 70 lay aside preju-
dices ana exercise tolerance
That there are difficulties In the way
of union no thoughtful churchman will
deny. That the difficulties are insu-
perable no earnest Christian can afford
to admit The union should come. and
that, too in the near future The next
general assemblies should appoint com
mittees of conference on this subject
The committees should he made up OF
men who are once representative and
Catholic-spirltcd. The extremist never
inaugurates an era Of good Will in any
thing.
QUESTION MUST RE SETTLED.
The question must be settled. not over
the camp fires Of the past hut in the
lisht of the present ana under the
splendid inspiration of the future. For
the past it is enough to say: I'VE re-
we're all that was valorous in our faith
ers ana for ought Of unbro,herliness
uttered in the excitement Of war we
have only regret" That Is enough for
the past. surely any noble spirit can
go that far without the surrender of
any principle or the d!shunoring of any
sentiment
Then fer tine problems of the present
let there Ire a settlement proposed in
which prejudice shall yield to fraternity
and private opinion 10 the combined
wisdom OF the church as whole.
The church in America has reached
4 point when it must do its best. Its
opportunity is sublime The war has
demonstrated that Christianity is the
real basis OF Americas greatness, For
the future OF the nation ana all that de-
Ponds on her there is impcrativcly de-
Wanded the mperial influence of Chris
tian ideals. For this the church must
be al her best. She is at her best only
when most thoroughly united. There
fore to every other motive there ic
added now the additional motive OF
a high and Christian patriotism plead
ing FOR the effacement of sectional lines
into organic life of the church.
Let rs have an American Presbyte-
rian Church. with ouadrcnnial general
ASSEMBLY and annual territorial assem-
hlies-a church whose life beat is one
throughout the union and whose do
main is rs large as the boundaries OF
the nation.
JAMES l. VANCE.
DE. rIvr on NonFoIK