The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-05-09


terrain polity may be received into the Council by
majority of the representatives of the Churches vot
ing by the unit rule, and upon its adoption of the
Articles of Agreement.
l6 Any Church in the Council may withdraw
therefrom on notice officially given and on its
Observance of the constitutional steps as were
followed III its adoption of these Articles.
H. Any amendment to these Articles proposed to
the Council, SHALL before its adoption be approved
by TIE Council and receive the consent of two-thirds
of the Constituted Churches acting in accordance
with their respective constitutions. When the
Council shall have been notified of such consent it
shall declare the amendment to be a part of the
Articles of Agreement.
49, These Articles of Agreement shall 90 into
effect when any two Churches shall adopt
the by proper action, and also when their rep
resentatives have been elected in the herein
provided
ANALYSIS OF THE CHARLOTTE ARTICLES AGREE
MENT
Article 2 provides for the composition of the pro-
posed Council. 1t provides for at least four Rep
resentatives Ministers Elders for each one hun
dred thousand communicates, fractions thereof up
to three hundred thousands and where church has
than three hundred thousand it provides four
representatives for each additional two hundred
thousand. This is extremely important provls-
ion since it will place the control of the Advces and
Actions of the Council entirely too much in the
hands of two of the Constituent Churches
This ought to be considered in all the bearings
before IL.
that the Churches meeting in the Conference, met
as regularly organized and Independent Churches
on footing of absolute equality and that they are
to remain such in the Council.
But when the basis of representation in the Coun-
ell to be settled instead of following the logical
model of the United States Senate in which the
States are represented the turn was taken to fol-
low the model of the United States House of Repre-
sentatives, in which the basis is the numerical
sderation of the people of each State. Thus the
equality of the Churches, which recognized in
each constituent Church. sacrificed in the com
position of the Council. The dignity of each Church
which was involved in the Divine Grant of a sepa-
rate organized existence sacriiced-and the safe
guards of such equality thrown away. In
our profound convictions, the General Assembly
ought to change this provision for an absolute
Equality of the Representation of such constituent
Church in the Council.
Article g. This article provides for the independ-
of each Constituent Church with one important
exception, every power jurisdiction and right is
reserved to the Churches which is not by these Ar
tces expressly and exclusively delegated to the body
hereby consttuted7 BY the very nature of a mere
"AdvisOry body, the Articles defined it, no power
is be exclusively delegated to any body what
The right to merely offer advice implies the
right not to accept it, for good of which the
party ''advised" is to Judge.
Il the advice given bv the Council rnrs+ no +ol-
mo counsel given is authoritative not advisory
This language of Article ought to be changed into
consistency with the nature of the Council de-
hned by the Articles of Agreement as exclusively
advisory"
rms Is one instance. of which there are several
winch indicates that the draughtsman of the Arti
Giles before the meeting of the Conference had far
inherent views than a mere "Adyisory" body 1t
ought to he remembered that each indenendept
Church of the Lord Jesus has been Divineiv com,
missioned to do the work assigned to it. and has
no right to demit any of its functions and ex-
cusvey delegate it to any outside BODY whatever
The only lawful function of such a body as the
council created by these Articles is advisory" and
nothing else.