The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-09-10
OUR SOUTHERN PULPIT


great Baptist church is Calvinistic, not
to mention the Calvinistic branch of the
Methodist church. So that very good
showing may be made for the claim that
the majority of evangelical believers are
subscribers to the doctrine OF election.
We differ from the prelatic churches
on the doctrine of orders, but in such
difference We are again In the ma
jority.
While we are at one with our Baptist
brethren on the great doctrines of grace,
we part from them on the sacraments,
but here once more we seem to have
the majority on our side; perhaps -FOUR
fifths of Christendom agree with US IN
the matters of difference between ths
Baptists and ourselves.
When II comes to church government
the case IS not so clear at hrst Dlush'
one reason for this Is that some churcnes
are Presbyterian in fact without being
in form. Were all the bodies govern
ed by presbytery united under the Pres
byterian name they would form a vast
host, possibly equal numerically to those
gathered under the banner of any other
form of church government.
In the third place, the Presbyterian
church is eminently catholic In its preach
ing.
1t is often and earnestly urged that
our church suffers Sorely from failure
TO preach more frequently It's distinctive
doctrines. L believe that the Fresbyte-
rian pulpit does less denomlnauonai
preaching than any other on earth. How
seldom does one hear sermon from
IT ON it's distinctive doctrines! This alb
Stinence has been carried so far indeed
that many of our own people have grown
sensitive to the point of finding fault
with a Presbyterian preacher for eX-
pounding and defending strictly Prest2-
terrain doctrine from a Presbyterian pull
pitt 1t is not at all unlikely that some
of you now listening to me are actually
criticising me at this time for defending
our church from common and grouudleS5
charges. The fact and the frequency OF
such unreasonable criticism is OF itself
a very practical and very forcIDIe
evidence OF the Astounding and uniform
catholicity of its preaching.
L need not refer in this connection to
the very frequent tender of our pulpftS
to the ministers of other churches this
custom Is too common to need emphasis.
OF course IL constitutes practical rec
ognition of tho ministry and orders OF
these churches.
The catholicity of the church appears,
again, in Its conditions Of membership.
L have often read discussions in the
press which assumed thai creed sub
scription was requisite for membership
in the Presbyterian church. The church
has been frequently condemned for maxi
ing doctrine rather than character the
test of communion. Such = statement
must be the result either of culpabIo
ignorance or of malicious misreprcsenta-
ton; IL has not the shadow OF excuse
Tor utterance. After pastoral expert
ence or some years, / can say that / have
,,ayar lruovg., sygtor No.. as .--tf.t, $50.
far dortrinaI soi,nli1,. t y, " 'ilcn 'ees
Of a seseio,,'s evar1inatif,, - ~ I -
for membership. on the contrary the
examination is invariably a practical one
concerned only with testing the candi-
dates experience Of the grace of Cod
In his bearf Tbe oyI,, co,,iti, % -, -
Dershlp in the Presbyterian church is a
personal faith in the Lord Jesus and q
covenant to folIov- Him SuroI,, ~, -,
trance To no church co,,I1 - I,.l.,,,4 -.
than this.
ant Wa 600 +bfs C,+boli, z,,t,i+ NO.. -
all decided ana ,,r1ooi,r,.,.,l i, :. 49,,
cal reco1rnitio1, az ali 90. - ~ q
Here vii Ia fo,nd 49, 49,,
fost ana iudoo5 - int - ~ Ni-j
90 ~ cl,,,r'n a. -. - 80 nc &c, '''t11
In - t,Ifjr n V f, "-.iL
diso,-,v,i - -, 80, 49, a. ~ l'-'-t.
Hlt, Wei OF any eN.IQs.Ee claiin. ~
Of bfgoGrv This - vgnrfb,- 20 20 - y.
as nv knovIedea exten,is he Prrs,y-,.' -
IAN church stands alone I'M mis- VIZ. ;rbt+
ii has its catholicifv buiIt INTO Tia 49,
bedrocx of irs cousfituti0n 'e-'
Tne ror7fessIo,, - fSitb .b.,,to, ~, 81
sat,e. ..rba ,Jiefh11 ,I,,,,,,(,,, -l,-,.1t'' :
aIi tboee throra-fe,fif -, t,,,r74 th,.- -,
60 ~, t,.,,, rii.,il,,, -, 49,. 80, +i,-5r
rbiIarrn
~ f,,, 90 ,.,,,o,,.,. g., obo,,.o. T
49, dti,,i,o t5,I-,-t~ia,,it,,, ,l,s ax
r,Ifcft,-. '.rbis .-f,.rrlrol 81 ie ~ PIES
b.ti ms scGptuTa &c. 9ocIine Of 81
tne oruer oI the visible cn@Ich' pu1 -
ono r,,Ta. Gr9t1-. ~, tFis ,o,n+ and
,lI,,i.I -, 90 t 80, m, o.,
80, - w - N - - 80 ~.
~. -, l. r,+
g& 20 l-9'-rlt ~; iffs,.-',5t
G 80 u us - uI $500 s,1--..j'.,,,.
@ M, s'l@'.9 % =. a., -,
~ 81, ~ $3.50 eis,-,1 m
80 80 ,-.'i - '+-,-L ,s.-3 M f-,f..
7.'tS ca ~, - : - C',,-i-r -
10 - - - -. ~ -.-,.,,,,i,-,raI
ann $50, - ,.,.e.l+ Know of mo-
-ieeu yL any rl.oi C-,t- ~ -. - S,.,,I .,,i
ItCuIu IN its very C,,liS go. 5--,t rf
.Nti' r.-g -. 80
HiErr 'HuLiieS ~ u' ,,,--fN+ o.,
"..'"ILeS Oh .ie So g -, 49,. A,, 7a-.r
r. -i- -t.e Ly.tllt1l 90 e., +b- li.--,izs3i
~ ~ ~ 1..r' C, .,,,,eet themselves
- ~ - i'- 2 ~
WIN ''itt CliuL eiie', 1,-...-.7,.. ~ 17,-.+iz+
q lell-L from a ~a,.e,,-,.,,
or 1'5 et"'Ls ~, s~,,r, "a
upon tha SINE LoS.i''E a. 49,, ~. Is,-i,,g
'y 't't.'' t.i'.i 90 an 81 -, rt.,-.f
Such a Iti.5F stail1S u5,li C'.c '' 80 f,1T,
eAactiy M-lh o-io /" NJ 80 ", = 7is,l7is -
o't+el 'itlil - 49, a. p ~, 80. 80 ,,7.-..-
We use - - ~ ~ D. - -, ~ -aa,,Is-
~ = 80, ,,ss77-f1.t H. T,,.,,,,3
stailo'I-, Du1 "o a. q ',l'~is-il,-, 80
'H1 DD',t 81 Ia N-'t 49, l,,~.- - rrii..E
anu lciio"siiD % 'i'0
'i ~ I.s r3cen.ion OF minister's from
. Al lta le~1p'-o" u
olngf emu - -, ,,,- - a. ,,,irfs.a~ heinz
bia S9u eEcf - 20 t-l,.lb i,ttr e,t-
ItceIFeG I'm en- 80 .,..,,,,ftIf,r - ~,
own N41'lou5 q tut4 -, ,'tf~, ~.
oIaeIS ~. OrC -. lo,r. ~ =. rr1sly.-
s.l l - - ,.or,if,,,ri,,,y G,i,n,s,
teiy - 80 ,,Sc..t,.tN7ioe Vera to regt1irs
a uislils ui9,t ~ ,6IIrrb So
peiloihlilA non ~ - 30 -..-,,,,-,,,, So,