Year: 1869

THE NEW SCHOOL REUNION AND THE


SOUTHERN CHURCH.


A misapprehensiOn sprevalentand almost
universal, in the popular mind, as to the real
issues between the Old and New School,
hitherto. 1t is commonly assumed in argu-
ment, that if it can be made to appear that
there are number of unsOund men in the
Old School body, and no very great number
of such in the New School, the case is con,
cluded and the propriety of reunion demon
strated. But the question is not as to the
private characters of the members or minis
try of the respective Churches, whether as
to doctrine, order, or morals; but, as to the
public official attitude of those bodies as to.
ward the truth. Further, the question. never
was as to what is truth On this, both have
been agreed; both have held forth one form
of sound words as containing it; and the
New School Church never saw the time
when it would not have met with indignant
and instant reprobation any proposition to
conform the standards to the teachings of
New Haven, of Dufield, Beman, or Barnes.
The real issue has been as to the treatment
to which the truth is entitled, at the hands
of the Church. Shall it be maintained by
her testimony, and vin&cated by her author
ity and discipline? This has been the issue
respecting the doctrines of original sin, of
federal headship and imputatiOn, of the atone
ment, and justification, aud of the office and
work of the Holy Spirit. Of these doc
trines, the Old School Church has always
said, They are the very gospel itself, faith in
them the life blood of the Church, and their
maintenance its highest duty and honor
They have been proclaimed by it, in the
most solemn public testimonies, guarded by
it, with the most sedulous care, in the trials
of candidates for the ministry, in the exam
inatiOn of intrants from other Presbyteries
and other Churches, and in the exercise of
its discipline against the erroneous, even to
the dividing of the Church.


On the contrary, the New School have
held that these doctrines are true, but that
their denial is no serious ofense,-that men
may reject them, vilify them, and treat them
with scorn, not only without rebuke, but with
continued right to the highest confidence
and honOrs from the Church,-to hold her
first pulpits, preside in her Assemblies, rule
in her Boards, and teach in her Theological
schools


The great wrong now being committed by
the Old School consists in the surrender of
that position on this subject, which has
heretofore been her characteristic and glory.
In the negotiations for reunion, the New
School have openly, firmly, and unanimously
refused to modify their principles on this
point, or surrender their honored fathers
and cherished sons, to the inquisitorial
strietness of the Old School policy. At
length the demand has been withdrawn, and
agreement made to receive, all and several,
the ministry of the New School, to the same
confidence which they enjoy from their own
brethren. In a word, it is agreed that the
united Church shall not maintain that dis
tinctiye testimony against the errors of New
England theology, which the Old School
have heretofore borne. The banner which
has hOated so long over that Church, that
glorious old banner, which was borne by
fathers now low in the dust, through so
many fierce conflicts with internal foes, and
at last planted in triumph on the ramparts
Of a regeuerated Church, is cast down and
discarded by degenerate sons.


And now, what will be the result ? AS
to the doctrinal soundness of the body, the
individual orthodoxy of its ministry, the
cause of truth will probably lose little or
nothing by the union. Of positive doctri-
nal heresy, there is probably but little in
the Old School body. But instead of the
living and vigorous theology Of Calvin and
Boston, of the old confessions and the Re
formed Church, that body has been gradually
pervaded by system of technical and un-
real doctrines, of legal fctions and intend
ents, the logical results Of which is seen in
the discovery by its disciples that the differ