The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-18
is MADE
ONPROPOSEDPLAN
OF CHURCH UNION
CONTINUED From First Page.)

CONTINUED From First Page)
doctrines as essential parts OF the
aforesaid SYSTEM
"(a) The integrity OF the Holy
Scriptures The scriptures of the Old
and New Testamcnts are 10 be re-
ceived as the very word of God. and
their authority is to be recognized as
the only infalliblc rule of faith aud
life.
"(b) Our Lord Jesus Christ is not only
the Son of God in respect to His natural.
necessary and eternal relation To the
Father, but also the true and supreme
God. being one in essence with the
Father and the Holy Spirit.
"(c) Our Lord Jesus Christ. besides
the dominion which belongs to Him
rs God. has as our God man mediator
two-fold dominion. with which He
has been invested by the Father as
the reward of His sufferings Those
are: A dominion over the church, OF
which He is the living head and law
giver. and source of all that Divine
influence and authority by which she
Is sustained and governed: and also
n dominion over all created persons
and things. which Is exercised by Him
In subscrviency 10 the manifestation
OF Gods glory In the system Of re-
dempt'on and the interest OF His
church.
va AS 10 inc constitution or the
person OF oc- Redeemer. the Scrip
lures plainly teach that He was con
ceiyed by the Holy Ghost in the womb
OF the Virgin Mary. and was born
without human father. He lived
life OF perfect obedience, and By the
shedding OF His blood made full atone
ment for SIN and purchased redemption
for His people
"(e) The Holy Spirit. the third per-
n ~
Ing from the Father and the Son, does
by direct operation accompanying
the word so act on the soul as to
quicken. regenerate and sanotity It; 81
Is His TO take Of the things of Chris.
and show them unto mon; and without
His direct operation ehe soul would
persist in rejecting the truths OF Gods
word and would refuse to Yield to
the motives which It presents.
I'm His gracious work. the Holy
Spirit is the rcvealer of Christ the in
terpretcr Of His word and the com
forter OF the believer.
LIT Into Prominence.
In addition to these essential doc
trines the united church would lift
Into prominence:
% Tho mission of the church We
heliev that the Gospel OF the Son of
God is the only hope of n sinful. dying
world. We recognize in the commands
OF Chrirt the urgent call to the evan
gelization OF the world. and we bow
before the Imperative duty OF sending
the message OF the Word for a witness
among all nations
"t2) The exclusively spiritual char
acter Of the church's mission This
union is based on tho statement Of our
common Confession OF Faith. viz: Syn
DDS and councils are TO handle or con
clude nothing but that which Is eccle-
siastiCal. and are not TO intcrmeddle
"a ,cb
commonwealth. unless by WAY OF hum
bic petition Ia cases extraordinary: or
by way OF advice for satisfaction on
conscience. II they be thercunto re-
quired by the civil ma gistratc'
"t3) The exclusively spiritual char
acter of the mission OF the church does
not imply that the church owes no
duty TO civil society. on tho contrary.
Il is the Imperative duty OF the church
through It's members as citizens Of the
civil Commonwealth. TO apply the prin-
ciples OF Christianity 10 all the poiiti-
call social and Industrial conditions OF
society.
20 The supreme Judicatory OF the
united church shall be a general as
sembly, the official title of which shall
be. The General Assembly OF the
United Presbyterian Church Of North
America II being understood and
agreed that this shall not AFFECT local
and historic names of churches. pres
byterics and synods
5--As To the basis OF representation
and in the conduct and the proceed
inss Of the first general assembly, the
Book of Church. Order of the presby-
terrain Church In the United states
shall be authoritative.
"6-The subordinate courts OF the
church shall continue 10 use nrovi-
sionally the book OF rules under which
they have hitherto been governed
THE synods and presbyteries
shall remain as al present constituted,
until such time as il shall manifest
ly appear that some change is need ed
for the best interests Of the cause