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

LII Other WORDS tnOSe gentlemen who believed
that the telegram sent to the Mobile Assembly
was for the purpose of driving division into the
Mobile Assembly have been inspired by a devilish
spirit, and are moved by the great adversary of
God III giving expression to this opinion.
Dr. Neel further says:
For us to neglect or refuse to return an answer
to that telegram in cordial and sincere Chris
tan spirit as, believe, it was sent to u.s. would
not SO much injure them-though it may pain
and grleve them-as it will place stigma upon the
TAR escutcheon of our Southern Church."
Among all the churches of the world the South
ern Church is deemed an earnest active orthodox
DIVISION under the banner of Christ. 1t seems to
be the Doctors idea that if we do not return an
answer to our Northern brethrens telegram or
meet them as he us to do that we will
place stigma upon the fair escutcheon of our
Southern Church.
1T stigma is placed upon the fair escutcheon
of our Southern Church." it will be- not by the
men who stand for the truth given by
forefathers for which they endured and suffered
SO mucn, but the stigma will be placed upon the
TAR escutcheon of our Southern Church" by men
who seem to think that the Northern Church is
much greater, more orthodox, more generous
more charitable land more thoroughly under the
influence OF the Holy Spirit than our Southern
Church
Dr. Nee may feel that he has to accept
TINS view OF the matter, but there good many
thousands of ministers, of elders and of people,
who are part and parcel of the Southern Church.
who believe that this Church has been raised up
by God to assert and defend a great principle and
one closely allied to the highest and best interests
OF God on earth, and that the mere words of the
Northern Church. which have time and time again
been shown not to be sincere, by their subse-
quent actions, do not make the Northern Church
any purer better truer or more orthodox
or more faithful than the Southern Presbyterian
Church.
DIR. Neel further says:
All over the country, we have in small villages
OF q thousand to three four thousand
ton from four to ten evangelical minister's of the
gospel, all holding up Christ, on most meager
salaries, when two or three could do the work,
and do it better, because better fed. At the same
time in the mountains of Virginia North Caro-
lima, Kentucky Missouri, Arkansas and the Terri
tories, there thousands badly needing the
gospel"
his is an extraordinary position for Presby-
terrain Doctor of Divinity to take 1t seems to
indicate that the Doctor believes that wherever
there is Presbyterian Church in a small VILLAGE
OF one to three or four thousand population, and
where there than three ministers en-
gagged that the Presbyterian Church should pull
out of such places, and turn over its members
to some other church. If Dr. Neers advice on
this matter were taken, the Presbyterian Church
would practically cease to exist in the South
within fifty years. More than half the men who
compose the Southern Church in Cities and more
than tour-hfthS of the real activity and zeal in
city churches, come from small country churches
In the City of Louisville, where | am reasonably
well acquainted, | do not hesitate to say that if
the members who come from the small churches
throughout Kentucky and the South were elimi-
mated the Presbyterian Church could not main
tain itself in the city of Louisville at all The
money and the zeal which maintain the Presbv-
terrain Church i'll the City of Louisville and have
been informed that it is so in other cities, comes
from men who reared in the country
churches To abandon these small churches, and
turn them over to other organizations would
mean in half a century, the complete ABSORPTION
and discontinuance of the Southern PRESBYTERIAN
Church. 1t is well known fact that in most
communities the Presbyterians are numerically
at disadvantage. The greater would reasonably