The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1901-06-13
A MELANGE OF
LIVE TOPICS
Penned for Journal Readers
by a Local Scribe.
The Real Reason.

gard to a change OF creed, OBJ
serves:
while the Presbyterian gener.
al assembly has been in session at
Philadelphia another general as
sembly of the same church has
been Iii session at Little Rock, in
Arkansas. Both are branches of
the Presbyterian church in this
country, but one is representative
of the denomination in the So
called Northern states and the
other in the so-called Southern
states 1t is a mischievous sepa-
ration. for it assumes The contin-
u8nce Of the political division
made by the war of secession.
Justification for it is asserted
on the part of the Southern Pres
byterians in their more resolute
"preservationof the Westminster
symbosl," though at the bottom
the sentiment in them it expresses
is other than religious. 1t is the
"intenselv Southern" feeling, for
which a great religious organiza-
ton should rather seek to substi-
tute a feeling of common Chris
tianity and national brotherhood
Undoubtedly, however, this South
ern general assembly is the more
conservative in it's unshaken ad-
herence to the Westminster con-
fession."
x x
"a main reason for the demand
for revision to which the Phila-
delphia Assembly listened is OBJ
lection to that section, though at
the bottom distaste for the whole
doctrine of retribution, growing
out of weakening faith in the in
fallibllity of the Bible, is the AMI
mating and impelling cause. Mod
ern sensibility draws back in
horror from the doctrine of eter-
nal torment in hell for anybody,
even if it is taught in the Bible.
Really; this difference of senti-
ment and conviction between the
two assemblies constitutes an ar
gument against their separation
rather than furnishes iustifca-
ton for it. The Southern Pres
byterians, believing that the con-
fession as it stands presents doc
trlne necessary to salvation, should
as Christians, come into unity
with their strength to prevent
them from making a perilous
change. Undoubtedly, if they
were successful their opposing con-
vlctions would Justify their seces-
sion and in it they would be join
ed by many Northern Presbyteri-
ans Of the same convictions, so
that even if the church was split
it would not be by a merely sec
tional division wholly reprehensi-
bic and altogether mischievous
and un-Christian."
The reason assigned oy the Sun
for the continued separation of
the Northern and Southern Pres
byterian churches is the one uni
versally given at the North,
but which, however, is without
foundation. 1t is true the sepa-
ration took place at the outbreak
of the war between the states when
partisan spirit ran high, and to
which the northern element in the
church contributed not a little by
their carrying through the united
general assembly, which met in
Philadelphia, a resolution, over
the protests of the Southern COM
missioners, declaring that the al
legiance of Presbyterians in the
approaching struggle. was due to
the general government and not to
the state Of which they were cit
liens.
The Southern church assigns as
its raison d'etre that it is unal-
terably opposed to obtruding,
either in the pulpit or in a church
assembly from the lowest to the
highest, matters of secular ma
ture. The Northern church as a
body is greatly addicted to this
practice, beginning it at the time
and place just mentioned. If any
one Will read the announced sub
iects for Sunday discourses pub
lished in Northern newspapers he
will be led to believe, from the
character of many of them, that
teaching religion is of secondary
Importance to the discussion of
some worldly matter. The same
is true of the action of the church
deliberative assemblies which do
not confne themselves strictly to
the legitimate work of the church
but make also excursions into
domains which should be left ex-