The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1907-05-24
Fraternal Letter

Dresden Tenn, May is.-rhe General Assem-
bly, Of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. in
session at Dickson, Tenn. has sent the followinl
fraternal letter to the General Assembly Of The
Presbyterian Church in the United States o.
| America in session at Columbus. o.:
! The year Just now expiring has been an event
full year for your church and for ours eventfu
alike for each Of them but with different results
During that period, to our regret, perhaps a.
many as 'one-fourth Of our lay members and more
than one-half Of our ministers have gone away
from our church and into yours on account of the
so-called union and reunion between the two,
Notwithstanding all this. the Cumberland Pres
byterian Church, by the grace of God. still sur
wives, and II still feels that il has an important
mission TO perform III the world for our divine
Lord and Master. The vigor and zeal. the conse-
Grafton and determination Of our people In the
performance Of that mission hre undated. In
this Assembly are now duly represented seventy
six Of the ia Presbyteries of our church the
Others having been disoraanized for the present
only, through the influx Of disabling number
Of our ministers into Your church
MANY ARE MIsLED
A large per cent Of those leaving our conrnurl-
ion for yours have been misled into that course
BY the oft-repeatcd statement In public addresses
and otherwise 70 the effect that your church has
abandoned the Westminster Confession of Faith.
as originally written and come to the doctrines
Of onr church In the pastoral letter sent out
by former Cumberland Presbyterians as early.as
June 1906 is found this statement:
But what Is Of still more importance to us is
that the Presbyterian General Assembly has de-
carcd that its amended creed is substantially the
same as cur own And again the Presby-
terrain General Assembly by adopting the Joint
report has also in substance declared that its re-
vised creed agrees with our own III other words
il has declared that our Confession Of Faith cor
rectiy expresses the meaning Of its own Comics
sion Of Faith which we have adopted II is not
believed that majority Of your church have sane
toned these misleading and unjustifable state
ments. OF that your church desires to occupy the
attitude indicated before the world
The change Of ecclesiastical allegiance BY so
large part of our ministry and laity has brought
profound regret and sorrow to our church; vet
that is not so distressing to moral and reIig-
ious sense and to that of other Christian denomi-
nations. the cruel and relentless effort that has
been made and is still being made throughout
our church on behalf Of our church and ia its
name to coerce unwilling Cumberland Presby-
e..l = -:.::s-=. chem over their conscien-
ces 50 90 into your church or. failing in that,
then TO ooerce and compel them to give up their
name. organization and Confession Of Faith and
surrender to your church ali Of their houses OF
worship and other church property
The demand thas nade and pressed vigoreasly
and necessarily. in court and ont Of court on be-
half Of our church and in It's name, IS IN sub.
stance and effect that Cttfnl rias,d Pres
shall worship as Presbyterians in the United
States Of America or not at ali. and in the latter
event that they shall be forced 70 give 10 70 that
church an Of their houses Of worship and other
property
In the month Of january. 1906. an injunction
bill was filed At Fayetteville Team by and in the
name Of certain former Cumberland Psesbytefi
ans. and all other ministers, officers and mem
hers Of the Presbyterian Church in the United
states 81 America. The object Of that bill as
recited therein. was 10 restrain and prohibit Cum
berland psssbyiefians pm using their oun
houses Of Worship. frotA asserting nny right