The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-08-08

of that same constitution. He lost and man.
fully accepted the result A consciousness of duty
done left no room for bitterness in his soul, al
though he knew and still knows that his construc-
ton of the constitution right, in which opin-
ion postbellum decisions of the Supreme Court
of the United States abundantly sustain him. The
Confederate soldier is still man of principle,
and is not controlled in forming his judgments by
prejudice bitterness or resentment, and this
writer has never known one who, being also a
Presbyterian, was influenced in his opposition to
closer relations organic union with the North
ern Church by other motives than devotion to
principle. And there high principles in this
ISSUE involving the purity of our doctrina teach
ing and loyalty to King as the alone Head of
his church.
Take the provision of the Confession of Faith
which forbids the church courts to intermeddle
with civil affairs The construction of that
ton by the Southern Church and that of the
Northern are no less antpodal than the two
views of the Constitution which deuged this
country in blood in 1861 to 1865. Our Northern
brethren have assured more than once by the
solemn deliverance of their highest court, that
they and we had the identical language
the expression of their and our beliefs on this
principle, and yet in every instance have, as it
is now remembered by the writer, at the same
sittings of their assemblies, made deliverances on
matters concerning the State, wholly at variance
with and in defiance of their and our written law.
as we understand and construe it They did it at
the Des Moines Assembly in May last That
we in ours, goes without saying; and therein lies
the danger We Confederate soldiers ought to
know, better than most persons now living, the
far-reaching possibilities of differing and antag-
onistc constructions of written law, between hon
est and determined men. 1t is certainly not the
prompting of bitterness or resentment that recog
nizes that fact. The Southern Church has always
been strict in it's construction OF the Bible and the
standards while the Northern Church has been
broad in its construction of the latter, and parti-
,r1,, tho of
School Churches in 1860.
The Southern Church regards theological
soundness in. its pulpit teachings as so vital that
by express law each Presbytery is required to
examine all ministers seeking admission, even
from other Presbyteries in our own connection
ION experimental religion and y = their views on
theology and church government, and the eX-
animation being approved, the applicant is re
quired to sign written pledge to conform NJ
teaching to the views disclosed and approved
Book of Church Order, Chap. V, Sec Nv, Far
IV). There is such provision in the Forn
of Government of the Northern Church. Betor'
the union of 1860 this examination rule was man
tanned in the Old School Church, but not in the
New School and by the terms of the union, by
distinct concession to the New School clement
its enforcement was left to the discretion OF eacl
Presbvtery with the result that it has lapsed int
a condition of "nnocuous desuetude. But III
recent assembly at Des Moines has taken loi
step towards opening the way for if not encoul
aging looseness and error in its pulpit teachng'
On the last day of the sessions OF that asseinoi'
a preamble and series of resolutions were adop'
ed. intended to quiet the dissatisfied element
the Cumberland Church, and in the second RESI-
luton occurs this remarkable declaration, VIZ.
"And nasmuch the two assemblies meetiie
1904 did declare that there then suhciei
agreement between the systems of doctrine CO,
tanned in the Confessions of the two churches
warrant the union of the two churches tnelelO
the change of doctrnal standards resulting 10
the union involves change of belief on Il
part of any who were minister's ruling elders