Year: 1866

THE CONTEXT IN THE CHURCH.


The Kentucky controversy in the Ok
School church now absorbs the interest per
tanning to the proceedings of the Genera
Assembly. Stuart Robson Is \ Kentnek,
secesh Copperhead, with all the intense sym
pathies and proclivities of his class in favol
of treason and slavery both in church and
State. Of course he resisted the action ol
the General Assembly during the war in favor
of the Government and against slavery, and
under his counsels the Presbytery Of Louis.
vile and the Synod of Kentucky openly and
de6antly repudiated the action Of the Gener-
al Assembly in the premises, and still persist
in their contumacy. By that action the
General Assembly requires that Synods and
Presbyteries shall not only abide by the dec
laration of the General Assembly, but de-
Snands repentance and remuneration on the
rebellion But these secesh delegates came
to the General Assembly and claimed their
seats in open defiance of the deliverances OF
the General Assembly. Thereupou motion
was made to refer the matter to committee





to report upon the facts, which, after some
discussion. was carried. Then ReUEsSruARr
RoBIsoS, Rev. S. r. WILSON and Old WICK
iIrFE, all semi-traitors, withdrew, indignant
ly withdrew, and sent in paper notifying the
General Assembly that the said delegates
would have nothing more to do with that
body, but would take their appeal to the
church at large.


In the meantime DR.. BREcKIsRIDGE, who
10 sallantly represented the patriots in church
and State in Kentucky, presented to the Gen.
eral Assembly document embracing the
views of some three hundred delegates who
met in Council in St. Louis day or two be-
fore the session of the General Assembly.
This address states among other things that:
1t is believed that this Assembly will not
be free from attempts hostile to some, IT not
all, Of the precious Testimonies the Church
has borne for the trust of God and the duty
of His children, during the frightful years Of
sinful insurrection through which we have
been led, and to the provisions enacted BY
the General Assembly for the unity and in
tegrity and peace of the Church, consequent
unon the schisms and defections in the very
bosom Of the Church.


We need only 10 cast our eyes over the
controversies raging even now IN the Church
to understand how wide spread and how dl-
versifed are the evils which threaten her,
and how fatal are the principles upon which
a counter revolution in her state and action
is demanded, and how eager and fierce is the
spirit of reaction against her solemn, dellb-
crate and reiterated Testimonies, especially
uttered by the preceding hve Assemblies, and
how vahemently they have been reviled and
de6ed and set at naught.


We believe that the present troubles threat
ening anarchy and confusion IN the Church,
and further detection AID schism, and are
little else than the sinful continuation and
working in religious form Of the criminal
spirit and designs OF the insurrecton IN tenn
poral affairs and we are persuaded that
neither the country nor Church can have
peace or security, until the religious poison is
healed or purged out =,


In both respects. both Of the State and the
Church, it is better immeasurahly to heal, if
it be possible. If that may not be, It is i'm
measurably better to keep the Church pure
and restore it to peace, let it cost what it
may.


The Presbyterian Church welcomes to her
bosom ioyfully all who desire to be as she
and her children are. If others will insist on
having her blessings, which are neither few
nor small, they ought not be allowed to revlle
her acts, condemn her authority, waste her
inheritance, traduce her character, tear her
vitals, and corrup. and destroy her integrity
and unity, All such attempts to impair her
Testimonies, mar her peace, and hinder her
usefulness, ought to be put an end to, # God
permit, by the General Assembly firmly ad-
herring to the Testimonies and enactments
hitherto uttered from the highest tribunal OF
the Church and by the appropriate eyercise
oTro
those who may have set themselves persist
entity to revile her acts, to defy her just au-
thority, to destroy her peace, and to distract
and rend her communion.


To meet this state of things the memorial
lists insist that the General Assembly snail
stand firmly by its Testimonies in favor of
Union and loyalty and against slavery, and
that those who continue to revile the General
Assembly and promote schism strife and re-
bellion against its authority shall be dealt
with as offenders.


In speaking of the Southern sect of Pres
byterians organized out Of old and new
school churches South, the memorial sets
forth that


It needs to be kept in perpetual remem-
branee that the frightful civil war was en-
couraged and eagerly supported from the be-
ginning by those who organized this sinful
schism as soon as possible after bioodshed
began, mainly-as openly avowed by them
seyes-upon the two atrocious ideas OF the
perpetuity Of negro slavery, and, TO that enc,
the creation of a new nation out OF part OF
this nation, through its destruction by treason
and carnage. It must be further kept in mind
that after the lapse of four (4) years Of cease
less activity in this sinful course, during
which all the horrors and miseries of civil
war fell upon the land, with violence sell
dom exceeded in extent or bitterness, and
after the new Nation had expired and the
perpetual slavery had perished under an act
of sublime National retribution, those same
schismatcs deliberately resolved to perpetnate
the sectarian organization they had created,
in such circumstances for such objects, &C
companying this last act with formal state.
ments identifying their past conduct and
principles with the future career marked out
for themselves, and striving, in particular, to
make mutual confidence and fraternity, much
less mutual fellowship, and least OF oil, or
ganic unity with the Church, which the great
mass of them had betrayed, forsaken and
traduced, forever impossible.


The Presbyterian Church has no alterna-
tive consistent with safety, with self Prospect,
with the righteousness Of its own past con-
duct, with fidelity to divine truth ON Chris
tan duty, or with obedience to God, but to
accept the renunciation Of these deluded men,
to testify against their sinful acts, and to
keep her skirts clear Of their miserable do