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

in shepherdng, caring for and sdstaihinp o.
small churches throughout the country distr;a
When these shall be destroyed, in thealife tin %
single generation, Presbyterianism will los -; ~
effectiveness and its power. -
The most extraordinary of DR.. Neel's statemo.
is contained in the last paragraph of his arts
where he says: Nv
THE church is not commissioned to defend e..
gospel. We are commanded to preach the gosneIs
The verb commission" means, ACCORDING =,
Webster, to give a commission to; to furnish
with commission; to empower or authorize =,
perform certain acts"
If DR.. Neel will hunt as carefully for otb
truths as he has done for something to mant,;
this new conception of Christian UNITY in tL
Scripture he will find that witness bearing is on
OF the most important functions of the Church
that we are commanded by Jude ito contend earn
esty for the faith which was once delivered ,,rt
the saints
His contention would at once inaugural %
creedless church. 1t would have no creed exceot
to cry out Unity; Unity Unity"
The Church is not only commissioned to preach
the gospel but also to teach the gospel, and to
administer and keep pure the sacraments
Paul does not agree with Dr. Neel. He said
Take heed unto myself and unto thy doctrine
continue III them, for in doing this thou shall
save both myself and them that hear thee"
Ill come, give attendance to reading to
exhortation, to doctrine"
Hold fast the form of sound words which
thou hast heard of me, in faith and love- which is
in Christ Jesus"
81 charge thee, therefore, before God and the
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall Judge the quick and
the dead at his appearance and his KINGDOM.
preach the word, be instant, in season, out of
season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long
suffering and doctrne for the time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine"
IT the church us not commissioned to defend
the gospel" then it was a very foolish and I'M.
necessary thing for the Book of Church Order
(see section S; lV) to require of Dr. Neel when
ordained, to solemny promise
10 be Jealous and faithful in maintaining the
truths of the gospel X"
If DR.. Neel will turn to Hodges Lectures
2I4th paragraph, he will find how that great theo-
logan looked upon these matters: believe all
our denominations historically justified; that
they all represent great truths, either theoret-
cally or practically, which God committee to
them IN order to have them act upon them; that
our duty is to maintain our true inheritance and
to prove true to the stock from which we came
we do not desire comprehensbly to work to-
gether towards unity, but mongrelism is not the
way to get it."
DR.. Neel, in his article, appears to be DESTROYS
OF playing the role of wound healer" There is
great demand in the Northern Church at this
particular time for a real, sure enough, genuine,
patient, successful wound healer The dreadful
division which has been forced by the Northern
Presbyterian Church upon the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, has created one hundred
and thirty thousand wounds deep, sharp and
sore, in the bosoms of one hundred and
thirty-hve thousand Cumberland Presbyterians
who have, by the attempts at unity by the
Northern Presbyterian Church been driven
at great personal loss and grief to testify for the
truth as they see it. No fair minded man can say
that the Northern Presbyterian Church, and the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church are one in lath T
and doctrine and practice. Yet this union mas
been forced upon the Cumberland Presbyerlan'
upon these one hundred and thirty-fve Thousand
men and women, over their protest and again''
their earnest and bitterest objections.
In the State of Tennessee where there arc
torty-one thousand Cumberland Presbycrlan'
more than thirty thousand of them have reluseu
to go into this union The Cumberland PrcsDy