. -,...,.......------.----......-----....-------,*-- , • „ 1- ' ; Z . ; ; , ,''-- -- 7 -... . - i , T. A . f` , '--- •- - . . . . - . . . . . . E ..." ...now.— ....= • ... ! I 1: I 7 IOD lit . • i ;S' il ;., , f ,p t ':- :, ::- '.*-1 - .t.. :. 4 ..„.. .: .: , Et It i k . 1 '''' 4 k : .i - ~ :, •• .... BA. - 4 ,. :,! :-' •W i i, : ' - -1-1 , 1, I t .. i 4 t'-*' - ' 'V.. . - - -.. ~- - mil . ^ , tt.• 1.24 ' r .fC 1 . .. „ . ' . - . - ' '$ r.,„ ^c r•-' , ' ' . 4 . .. 1 . ' ' ' . ' '` ? '—: '., ' 7 t.: . !li 1 ., 117 1 r i F.i , 1 , 1 .. , . .t• . 4 , , . %:-. praortarlaa ViL VII Tta.4o. priebytellisilk Advirsatei Vii Woe 41 I DAVID MoKINNEY and JAMES . ALLISON; editors: TEDNII,-IN ADVANCE, Me "habit 'of 'the' Church It will be recollected that, at the late General , Assembly of our Church, R R. Read, M. D., of Washington, 'Pa., offered a paper, commending the Colonization enter prise. This paper was opposed by Dr. Thornwell and others.' A. motion to lay it on the table was lost, 'a vote of ayes 88,, noes' 160. It was then referred to a corn. mittee. , On being reported, near the .olose, of the, session, the subject was laid on the tablet lark vote of 64 to 45. This is not to be taken as indicative of a feeling hostile to Colonization, nor as favorable to Dr: Thorn well'S views. The Assernbljr had then pro. traded its 'sessions beyond what is usual - , about twellilids of the niernbers had goue, and this course 'viaiadoited to, bring biol., neeS: to a oloSe. Thornwell's argument was, not against Colonization nor. in favor of the odious Slave trade. These matters he regarded an being not subjetits , fdr disottesion in , the Aaaetnbly. Ile itontehded that the bhurith of godis exottisively a spikitind ''.9igtinilatfon, .144' posseasee none but a spiritual powir that she has no, mittsiott,tn , care for thq things of this, voriti; and : that tenet) „she may, not, even. commend the Colonization of attoeft i . ozi the arrest of the Slave , kVA', not' in-an wise"attendftnthe mere physiiif nionfOitecif man. • Thiii is no netS dostriae. It is ay lead4ig i idea .with , the iturirau Independeuts;:aud,it is peculiarly a favorite with politiciane i es pecially with the irreligious. Dr. Thornwetro,:idi t a — We expect to, see brought out mar, tally,m thl 9op?her num ber of the i.SGu,the;n Preabsteiicsm! . .Revipp, when we shall likelrreouito,ikagiin. yor the ,:prevent, we give ,anT exyttot from. the Prineetow Review, supposed* to ,, express .. the sentiment :of Dr. liotige. "The' reviewer, after giving it, pretty full statement of the easersays In : strong, contraeti , with this whole 'Puri tan !doctrine - ic that ides of the Chrtrah which ie the life of our• system, which has, revealed heed irn act in every period of our history. It is, -thatawhile the true? Chttroh, or body of Christ, the Israel kata pneatna, consists of the-true ipeoPle of God, .yet, by, Divine ordinauce the ;children of - believers are to ba regardedl emit, treated! as included within, its pale r an&ooneecrated to baptiron,and therefore, in the.sight'ofinten; all baptized performs, inithe language of our Book, are amend. ;.of the i:Church, and 1 under its wikt4h.aaaate.l Thiry of coureeiraS ,, inuitalted, abovek-ddes not imply ..thet'they are all tn.beradmittrid to: the Lord's tableoutiy.emore ,than, that- they are all tir.he, admitted toi.the ministry.or eldership. ;; 00.4ilifbas Ilpresoribed Edit qualifi4 oatiousfvflliolvilie Ahura _is., to regime of those, whom elle reogives.to, full-communion. or to offiren; Still, baptized' 'persons are: members of the xleittle,,Ghurcilli until , Alreys. renonnailkikiiArtrthteght;er ateifiexcefdirrrat , niestaranti' 0013.elegnently subjeet tof4 , lfis government , or This 'body , 00n.4. etitateennemhole r no that...on&part is isub kit to a larger, and;the larger to than/ale:, To the Church, in..thislieneei. eorrimitted not merely the work of public -:worship , and , exoroisingAieCipline,..mot simply or °actin sively to .exhort • men. to :repentance .. .arid faith, but •to asser4 maintain, andpropagate the truth. And :. i by tha truth,f is ~ to be; underetood•the Werd of , God, and all tains, as rule, of faith and practice. Thisie the great prerogative' and duty,of the Churoh. - Het ,Divine commission " Go r teaoh all ;nations," From thielit fob lows: I. That,she has the` right 'to preach the Gospel. This is the first, most im portant, end pressing of ;her duties; andin the discharge of this-duty, she ordains min isters and sends .forth missiobaries. , Hence' your. Boards of Foreign and Doniestio mons, and of Church Extension. 2. She has the right :to administer..disOjpline, whichis one of the Divinely appointed means of pre serving the truth. 3. The right.to educate.: If she is to teach all nations, she must train up teachers; she must prepare the minds of men to receive truth, and she must.oommu.. plate. that truth by all the •means at her; command. Bence your schools, colleges, and theological Seminaries; hencealso your educationtil institutions among the leatheni. and your. establishments for printing and distributing Bibles,: , tracts,,andj. religious books. On this foundation•rest your Boards; of Education and Publication. 4. It 'fdl follows from the' , great, commission of then Church, that it is her. prerogative and duty to testify:: for: the truth, ands law 'of God, wherever she loan make her ,voice heard; not only to her own people, but to - kiegs and rulers, to. Jews and Gentiles. It is her duty not only to announce the truth, but to apply . it to particular eases and persons; that is, she is bound to instrunt, rebuke, and exhort; With all long•suffering. She ;;; , naked of God .to, set forth and en join upon the coneoiences of 'men the rein. tive dutfert , .of parents and ohildren,s of magistrates and people, .of masters , and slaves. If parents negldet their duties, she is called upon :by hed Divine commission to instruct and exhorts them. If magistrates transcend the BMW, of their authority, and trespesa on the Divine law, she is bound to: raise her voice in renionitranort and warn. leg. She has nothing to-do with the State, in the exercise - of its discretion within its own sphere ; and therefore has no.right to meddle with questions of policy, foreign or domestic. - She has nothing to , ado with tariffs, or bank& or internal improVeniente. We say l lwitit , Dr; Thornwell, " Let the dead bury the dead.," Let Comer attend to 'his own affairs. But , if ()mbar undertakes 401 meddle with the affairs of God; if the State' pass any laws contrary , to the law of God, then it is the duty of .the Church, to whom God has committed: the, great work of as sorting and maintaining his trioh and will, to protect and remonstrate. It the State not only violates the. Sabbath, but; makes it a condition to holding office, that others should violate it; or &it 4legalizes piracy, or concubinage,: or polygamy ;- if it prohibits the worship of God, or theffree use of the means of saltation; if, in, short, it does anything directly contrary to the law- of God, the Church is bound to make that law known, and set Whole upon theroonseience of all concerned. In many of our-States, there are in lone laws relating to marriage and divorce, in, open confiletailth the Word of God. We• hold that it is the duty of the Ohurch of every denomination in those State*, to tell their Legielatorsi tiat while tney have the right tolLegielate about matters..ot property 41 1 d civil rights at their discretion, under the Constitution, therhave no right, to-sap ante those whom tGod, has :joined together; L 'or aloha that lawful which God haa , declared; [ l .° he unlawful. ' " I A few, years since, .Dr. nornwell, preached an elaborated ,sermon, setting forth what he believed to, be the true, teaching, of the 'Weld 'of God'en the subject slavery. What he had' a right . to do,'and was bohnd to do as a minister of the Gospel, the'Ohtirch' has the right add obligation 'to If, on the one hind, Northern hrethren would ab stain from' teaching:- du thavand other sub. jeets,,what God does not teach•; and.if, on the other hand, Southern brethren-Would dearly astiert, in lheirmapacity •of ministers and a Church, whatpthey fully believe God does teachkgreat good and God's , blessing, we doubt not, would' be the result. They are as mueh bound,,to, teach the-truth on this subject, as a Church, as they are.bound to do,it as ministers). and they are,•ittrely as much bound .4) tepoh the law of God re ! ppeeting the duties, of masters and eleven, ak they are to teach what God says. of the duty of . parents and children, of Uinta and sinners. Therels a great temp. Aation to adopt theories whiehfree' us from painful responsibilities; we are; satisfied that the brethren must, 'on refleetion, l be convinced, ' that the - duty to tetitifY to the truth, to make it known, and &Cie it ,npen-,the hearts and # confidences of men,' is .• • .a.. 1 much obligatory',on the Chirdh, In her aggregate capita% 'Las Ton her indiiidnal pester's. Her 'Cook:Wen ' Citechisnis, ate an 'admirable summary Of that than:lolly ift but she is no more to be satisfied withitem; rthah the:ministry is to be satisfied with-teed 1h the Confession of' Faith, Sabbath after Sibbith,le the people. .".•• The, pilnoiple which.:difines and- liniits" tile, prerogative sand. duty of. the Church; in all such cases,. ieeme toms perfectly She has nothing to'•dO na a"Chirbh, with seentir,affairs, with questions *Of pdlition'or State,policy., Her duty to .announce and .ettfOrce by moral means, the law- of God. If at any time,' as may Well happen, a'2given question 'essrunes 'both st''moraliand . political bearing, aa,kor exatnile,;the ela"v'e trail's, then 'the" duty of the - Church is limited to setting forth,,the law of .God on, the -suhject. It is, not her ,office to ! argue the, question in its .liaring on the eivilr,or secular interests of the community, but simply to declare in her • official capacity what God has said on the subject. To, adopt any theOry,whic won stop the mouth, of the,Church, ,and prevent het bearing het testimony to kings and rid. magistrates 'and people, id behalf ditto truth- arior law of:Gad; ielike athuidistering chloroform te.a prevent 'his 'dolig mischief. We 'pray Goa that this 'pideon may be dashed away, before it has reduced the Muria tO 'a'state of inanition,. and (1.3. livered "her 'hound 'haiir and foot into' the power of the;'world. rt isobvious e Viet the mote, prineiple is applicable t o o ministers. ,Theyprofane•the ;pulpit when they preach Writ the sacred &ski into , a Ids.' trum for. huittires - on. sepitlar,iffairs. 'But they to their ,they proclaim the truth , : of: - Cloil l and...apply lary.to *4,l , l:natters, whether of private .manners, or.lews-of the State. The whole history, of. the Presbyterian _,Chnrch in ; 4 . a• rope ; and America islnstinetyfith this spirit The Presbyterians of Scotland told the Government_ that it had, no right to establish ,PopCiy'or'PrOlaoy, and' that they wonfd'not fitbmivte . it, Our fathere of the'Reioliition took tidelt 'the' Istriiigle • for liiaPericlence, - and Vroteitiid Wgeinst' the seta t the BritiSh tioterithientlandide to the iintriiduction of Epiedopacy. Before the; Resolution; the old , Synn& rehibildtattid' mith*thewuthoritietr in'Arirginierfortheir perieenting 1830 -theL"-Geterall -Aseemblriaieedits voice againatthelperse , ; Auden. of Christians.. Switzerlaudy•.- It has; over ,and.• over, remonstrated, with the , Ooternmeut of this country on thelaws en.- joining the marrying ion d, distribution , of the mails on' Sunday. While admitting that the 1 Bible!. does, not forbid!, slave-holding,- it ' has I &one fits ,testimony in the most explicit *Mat- againSt' the '; iniquity of many alive laws. - It Vai many times ' enjoined - on', the coriPOteß o 9` ,of ..the geolae;tl l 9; 'll4tr; structing the„ colored population. of out!: .and:,paironized the establishment .of; schools for that - purpose. It has never been' afraid to Atinounei 'What 'dad Torbias,;,hi to t proOlihn in , ears' 'what God, ootho?anda. This is, her prerogative and this is her duty. With the - Colonization Society; as..acorn me> oral ente,rmilie; 'or 18 a mere 'benevolent idsMitithidA r e his nothing means deeigned'anditailiticto promote: the' l progress of the Gospel / in; Attlee,' she has over and , over commended it,to4he favor ,of the people., It., is,Antly ott the ,assumption that Presbyterians, neither in this .country nor in Europe, have ever. understood their own system„that the principle advocated by Dr. 'ThorElwell, can. he admitted.; Preihyte j rims have aliays held that the Church is, {,hound to hold forth in the face , of all men, :the truth, and law of, God, to testify ,agains all infractions of that law. i by, or peo ple, to lend beleohntenance irnd support to all means, Within and Without her Jnriedie ,tion, 'which believes to be`desighed and . wisely adapted" to promote the glorY and kingdom oi the 'Lord Jesus' Christ= This our °Mitch has always done; atitt GI. he may 'oriatititte •to de 'even to the end:: ; ; For the_Predbyterim Bannlr and /11voeits. Christian Submission. Dlnssna: