The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-04-11

Along another line, cite the action of the North
ern Assembly in 1898, endorsing the of tie
Federal Government in the Spanish With
perfectly clear view of the difference between the
ton of an irresponsible meeting of the members of
the Assembly and the action of the Assembly itself;
with the full admission that the members of the AS
semby had perfect right citizens to adopt reso-
lutons approving of the course of the government
assert that the action of the Assembly itself taken
in connection with the action of the irresponsible
meeting which reported to the Assembly shows clear
ly that the members of the Assembly claimed that the
Assembly itself had perfect right an Assembly
to pronounce the righteousness of the war with
Spain. The Assembly said: "In view of the action
taken at the patriotic meetings Saturday last tor
which the Assembly adjourned) in which members OF
this Assembly generally participated, this Assembly
does not deem it necessary to take action at this
time further than to declare the loyalty of its
bers,' and so FORTH Here the right to speak is
sumed, only the present necessity is not apparent.
Hence, in principle this action just as obnoxious to
the Southern view any action taken by the As
sembly in the years lS6l-lS66.
Along another line l cite the action of the Assem-
bly, in 1899 on the subject of polygamy, in which,
among other things, petition to Congress adopt
ed against the seating of Brigham H. Roberts in that
body and proposing amendment to the Federal
Constitution, defining legal marriage and making
poygamous cohabitation under whatsoever guise
pretense, crime against the United States punish
able by severe penalties | understand that in 1905
acIon similar IhaL just referred TO IN the OF
Roberts was taken in the of Smoot | have not
the record at hand to verify the statement In 1899
the Assembly also deemed it desirable to express its
views concerning the Peace Conference.
Why multiply instances? More than enough has
been presented to show that for some reason their
Interpretation of the statements of the Standards as
to the functions of the church. and of the independ
ence of the Church and the State with respect to
each other is very different from that of the South
ern Church.
Nv. The Northern Church has a very different
view of the relations which the Church Courts sustain
to the civil courts when property rights involved.
cite in proof the approval of the decision of the
Supreme Court of the United States in the Walnut
Street Church case. SO far as | know the Southern
Church has not formally repudiated this decision.
But it was strenuousy resisted by its representa-
tves during the progress of the trial. After the
trial it was condemned by some of our leading men,
The Northern Church in approving it manifested an
inconsistency which is of piece with their treatment
OF their declarations respecting the functions of the
Church The New School men abandoned the posi-
ton which they held in 1888 in order to seize all the
property of the Presbyterian Church to which they
had belonged, and the Old School men abandoned the
position which for thirty odd years had enabled them
to deprive the New School of their share i'm the
property of the Church. Our concern is with the
view which obtains in the Northern Church
This view places a majority of the Church. however
large and orthodox, at the mercy of minority how
ever small and heterOdOX. far as property rights
are concerned The majority may abandon every
fundamental and distinctive principle of the consti
tuon as the chief counsel of the Scotch Free Church
said to the English court it may take themselves and
the property into the Roman Church and thus utterly
perver it from the proposed by the donors and
the minority can have no redress at the hands of
the civil courts If this decision be enforced the
minority in the Cumberland Church cannot hold
dollar worth OF their property: nor, in case of
union with the Northern Church could minority in
the Southern Church do So
Organic Union with the Northern Church involves
two alternatives: constant contention with or con-
slant submission to-. this liberal Interpretation of the
constitution not to say constant disregard Of the
constitution In full view of all that tbe Lord b,.