I 
 
 
 PRINCETON, N. J. 
 
 % 
 
 Shelf. 
 
 BX 8937 .B76 1855 copy 1 
 Brown, Isaac V. 1784-1861. 
 A historical vindication of 
 the abrogation of the plan 
 
i 
 
EECOMMENDATIONS. 
 
 From, the Evangelical Repository. 
 
 In this volume we have at first a brief historical sketch of the Pres- 
 byterian Church in this country, the object of which is to show that the 
 founders of the Church in this western world held principles that were 
 utterly at war with those incorporated into the Plan of Union between 
 that Church and the Congregational Churches of New England. The 
 inference from this is, that the New-school Presbyterian Church, which 
 incorporates that basis, cannot be, as it assumes to be, the " Constitu- 
 tional Church." The author then takes up the Plan of Union, which 
 was entitled, " A Plan of Union for the New Settlements," and shows, 
 we think, very satisfactorily, that it was designed to be only a tem- 
 porary arrangement. He then considers the Plan itself, and discusses, 
 with much force and ability, its unconstitutional character, and then in 
 the rest of the work vindicates, at great length, the action of the As- 
 sembly in abrogating it. In this discussion, the various acts of the 
 Church courts in relation to the difficulties which resulted in the divi- 
 sion of the Assembly, are given, and made the subject of extended re- 
 marks. Mr. Brown appears to have had an active part in these trying 
 scenes, and is particularly familiar with their history in all its details. 
 We think he has done the cause of sound Presbyterianism good service 
 in the publication of this work. The reading of this book has im- 
 pressed us deeply with the sense of the danger of departing, for pur- 
 poses of expediency, from the scriptural and well established principles 
 of a Church. We highly commend it to the attention of our readers. 
 
 From the Presbyterian Advocate, Louisville. 
 
 The author of this volume was an ardent defender of old-fashioned 
 Presbyterianism, in the trying times of 1837 and '38, and was a pro- 
 minent actor in many of the events described by him. His volume is 
 chiefly valuable from the fact, that it embodies a much larger number of 
 documents belonging to the period of which it treats, and which can 
 only be found scattered through the old files of newspapers, than any 
 other volume that has been prepared on the subject. Those who wish 
 to be posted up in the Old and New-school controversy, will find it 
 
invaluable as a book of reference. The author gives not merely his 
 own opinions and impressions, but also the documents on which those 
 opinions are based. 
 
 From the Presbyterian of the West. 
 
 This volume appears opportunely. The self-styled old basis — or, 
 as we would say, the old Plan of Union Presbyterians, are attempting 
 to renew the agitation of the questions of 1837 and 1838. Mr. Brown 
 has made a triumphant defence of our action. He shows, that there 
 were questions of order and doctrine of vital importance, the proper 
 disposition of which required the reform measures which were adopted 
 by the Assembly. Those who would acquaint themselves with the 
 true state of the facts, in regard to the division of the Church, will do 
 well to procure this volume. We have read it with much interest. 
 
 From the Preshyterian Advocate, Pittshurgh. 
 
 This volume is from the pen of the Rev. I. V. Brown of New Jer- 
 sey, It aims to vindicate the several reforms of 1837, more particu- 
 larly the abrogation of the Plan of Union, and the acts which followed 
 that salutary measure. In twenty -four chapters, the narrative details 
 the grievances and dangers of the Presbyterian Church, and the vari- 
 ous providential interferences in favour of the Old-school, and which 
 ultimately issued in their peaceful possession of the property, by Judge 
 Gibson's decision. It is an instixictive work, and should be widely 
 circulated. 
 
 From the Presbyterian. 
 
 Mr. Brown took an active part in the great controversy which re- 
 sulted in the division of the Presbyterian Church, and is, therefore, 
 well acquainted with the topics of which he treats. He speaks with 
 great boldness, and with some little of the spirit of those days of agi- 
 tation, but presents a full and candid exhibition of the issues in the 
 strife, and a thorough vindication of the course adopted by the General 
 Assembly. Whilst we have no desire to renew the controversy, we 
 think it indispensable that the truth should be known, and in this 
 aspect we regard this as a valuable publication. It will be useful as a 
 book of reference, and will serve to disabuse minds which have been 
 prejudiced by the untiring efforts of unscrupulous and embittered par- 
 tizans. 
 
 From the Presbyterian Banner. 
 
 The readers of this work will agree with us that it amply justifies 
 the author in the ordinary heading of his pages, viz. "Old-school 
 
Vindicated." The fathers of the Church "who moved amid the scenes 
 •which are here depicted, and who in days of defection from the truth 
 and order of Christ's house were enabled to contend earnestly and 
 successfully for the faith as it is in Jesus, may entertain a lively recol- 
 lection of the events. The lapse of eighteen or twenty years, however, 
 has raised up a new generation in the Church, who require and will be 
 edified by the perusal of a work like this, which we commend very, 
 heartily, with the expectation that it may be widely circulated. We 
 hope that the Church may speedily be favoured by the re-publication 
 in a collected form, of the valuable papers on the same subject which 
 have lately appeared in the Presbyterian Magazine. Both works 
 would be acceptably received by the community. 
 
 TESTIMONY OF DR. PHILIP LINDSLEY. 
 
 Dr. Lindsley departed this Irjk soon after the letter from which this 
 extract is made loas written. 
 
 New Albany, May 3, 1855. 
 Rev. and Dear Sir — I duly received and carefully read, your very 
 able " Historical Vindication," etc., for which I beg you to accept my 
 most grateful acknowledgments. Such a work was greatly needed by 
 the present generation, and probably, by not a few like myself, of the 
 past. I anticipate, and wish for it, the widest possible circulation, 
 among our churches and people. 
 
 P. Lindsley. 
 
 From the PrBshyterial Critic^ 
 
 " Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth P' 
 — is the very pertinent question which Mr. Brown puts on the title- 
 page of his book — and by which he gives fair warning, at the start, to 
 all men, whether in the Old or New-school body, whether Ministers, 
 or Elders, or Laymen, that he intends to tell the truth; and if, now 
 and then, the truth should bear hard or seem like a libel upon any of 
 them, he is not to be blamed for it; they are not to make him an 
 enemy, because they had not faith and firmness enough to contend for 
 the right in the hour of darkness and trial. 
 
 The case is thus stated — " A great controversv in the bosom of one 
 of the largest and most powerful denominations m the country; a con- 
 troversy, whose momentous issues, involving nothing less than the 
 essential elements of the great scheme of grace and the fundamental 
 principles of Church-order, have naturally awakened the intensest in- 
 terest of all concerned, and incidentally roused the lurking evil in the 
 hearts of some of the wisest and the best — a controversy, the nature of 
 
which, though it ought to be clear enough to all in its principles, and 
 many of its beneficent results, a desperate attempt is now making to 
 obscure, mystify and pervert — in a case like this, we say, ' plainness 
 of speech' is greatly to be commended." 
 
 Charleston, S. C. August 20, 1855. 
 Rev. Isaac V. Brown, 
 
 Dear Sir — I yesterday received, by mail, your very acceptable 
 present, of the ''Vindication of the Old-school Presbyterians," for 
 which I feel much obliged to you. I had previously been tolerably 
 posted on the grounds of difference between the two ecclesiastical 
 bodies, but was never before afforded the means of entering behind 
 the scenes, and of seeing all the details. I cannot but regard the 
 work as an admirable vindication. Whatever may be the difference of 
 sentiment, in a theological point of view, the Christian public cannot 
 fail to give your body the praise of honesty of purpose, and a consci- 
 entious adherence to the standards of your Church. 
 
 John Bachman. 
 
 From the Author of Our First Mother, Noah and his Times, &c. 
 
 Rev. Isaac V. Brown, 
 
 Dear Sir — That your book, entitled " Vindication," &c. exhibits 
 ability of authorship, any one who reads it with but a modicum of can- 
 dour and attention, must acknowledge. That such a work is much 
 needed, appears from the so general want of knowledge of the ecclesi- 
 astical event — its necessities, causes, and consequences, of which you 
 treat. What large numbers, even within the Presbyterian pale, have 
 never had access to correct and reliable information upon the topic 
 which has employed your pen. 
 
HISTORICAL VINDICATION 
 
 OP THE 
 
 ABKOGATION OF THE PLAN OF UNION 
 
 BY THE 
 
 QJr 
 
 ktsh^kxm €\ViXc\ 
 
 IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 Rev. ISAAC V. BROWN, A. M. 
 
 Am I THERKFORE BECOME YOUR ENEMY, BECAUSE I TELL YOU THE TRUTH? — Gal. iv. 16. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 WM. S. k ALFRED MARTIEN, 
 
 144 Chestnut Street, 
 1855. 
 
Eutcreil, according to the Act of Conjjress, in the year ISO-l, by 
 
 ISAAC V. BROWN, 
 
 In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States for the District of New Jersey. 
 
PREFACE, 
 
 This volume aims to vindicate the reform system adopted in 
 the Presbyterian church, May, 1837, from the disingenuous state- 
 ments and inferences by which its opposers have endeavored, and 
 still strive, to screen themselves from just censure, and to injure 
 the good name of those who stood foremost in the decisive hour, 
 to save the church by dispossessing her adversaries. 
 
 No true church can exist which has not the uncorrupted word 
 of God for her basis, and the cardinal doctrines of grace for her 
 chief corner stones, her pedestals, her porches, her columns, and 
 her imperishable wall of defence. 
 
 It cannot be denied, that the palpable perversions of religious 
 truth and moral obligation, the distorted views of man's native 
 powers and responsibilities, which pervade the whole mass of 
 New School speculation and romance, if not speedily checked 
 and effectually remedied must prove the programme to an age of 
 infidelity, and introduce upon the American stage the shocking 
 theological panorama of universal derangement and confusion in 
 the elements of the moral world ; as a parallel to which we may 
 point only to the reign of terror and triumph of ungodliness in 
 the French Revolution, at the close of the last century. Consid- 
 ering the excitability and elasticitj'' of the American mind, its 
 love of novelty and the readiness with which it catches at theo- 
 ries most untried and extravagant, this is a fearful idea. Cases 
 of wild fanaticism, sufficient to warrant these unwelcome antici- 
 pations, may be gleaned, not only from the history of New School 
 innovations within the last thirty years, but from the recollections 
 and records of kindred associations of visionary and dangerous 
 errorists. 
 
JV PREFACE. 
 
 If ihe infatuated men who led the New School defection, in 
 their attempt to subjugate the vast and growing numbers of the 
 Presbyterian community to their power and influence, had suc- 
 ceeded in their efforts, none can tell what would have been the 
 direful result. It is justly said, that "truth is powerful and will 
 prevail." But it is equally true, that error is powerful, and if fur- 
 nished with loose rein among the masses, like a wild war-horse, 
 will exhibit tremendous power and havoc. The contest with this 
 unbroken and gigantic foe is difficult and eventful. Let us can- 
 didly record the steps by which he achieved his somewhat suc- 
 cessful campaign, and trace the movements observed by the 
 friends of truth in checking his disastrous march. 
 
 Considering cotemporary documents published by individuals, 
 by ecclesiastical bodies, religious conventions, associations, and 
 jieriodicals, better adapted than any thing that could be written, 
 lie novo, to furnish reliable data, to explain and confirm every 
 thing which it is important to know and to preserve upon this agi- 
 tating subject, the writer does not purpose to introduce more new 
 matter than appears requisite to keep up the chain of evidence 
 :ind illustration, and to sustain a due degree of connexion and 
 unity throughout the work. From the great mass of documen- 
 tary publications which the friends of truth and order, at that 
 period, had time and zeal enough to oppose to the rushing tide of 
 error and distraction which was flooding the church, we shall se- 
 lect a few specimens of such as appeared best calculated to save 
 )icr from the triumphant usurpation of her invaders, by exposing 
 the iniquity of their strides and the desolation of their successes. 
 These documents, it may be fairly presumed, will, if any thing 
 <:an, exhibit the tempers, motives, and aims of the actors in this 
 great ecclesiastical drama, much better than the capricious as- 
 sumptions, special pleadings, or unwarrantable surmises of any 
 writers of the present day. It is a consideration of importance, 
 too, in this connexion, that although most of these documents 
 were widely dispersed at the time of their first publication, pro- 
 bably at least four-fifths of those now living and who are to judge 
 • if these papers, never had an opportunity to give them a delibe- 
 rate reading, if they ever saw or heard of them at all. 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 The grand motive which governed the Presbyterian body, in 
 Uie abrogation act, was their love of the church. This love nnay 
 be resolved into their love lor her doctrines and a love for her 
 order. Much as Presbyterian Christians love gospel truth ami 
 <;herish its inspiring hopes, it is probable that their decisive ac- 
 tion in the final hour was in no small degree prompted by their 
 heart-felt devotion to the order and discipline of God's house. 
 Here their early prepossessions, their fixed habits, their pious 
 sympathies, enlivened and invigorated by constant exercise, 
 seemed to cluster around these forms of devotion, always visible 
 and precious, now become venerable by time, by usage, by asso- 
 ciations, and by imminent perils from rude assailants, seemed ti- 
 combine their influence, to invest the order of the church with a 
 inagnitude of interest and a sacredness of attraction subordinati- 
 '>nly to that which encircled the charter of their immortal hopes. 
 
 But when this two-fold force of attachment to Presbyterian- 
 ism, as it is, became concentrated in one confluent, sweeping 
 stream of devotion to our beloved Zion, the mind of the grear 
 congregation was harmonized, spirits flowed together like kin- 
 dred drops, and moved with irresistible efficiency in redeeming 
 the jeopardised Ark of the Lord. 
 
 Since a considerable portion of every community cherish the 
 impression that it is wrong to expose the errors and censure the 
 characters of clergymen, as it tends to diminish their influence 
 by lowering their standing in society, a question has been raised 
 by some whether it is right to execute such a sketch or volume, 
 as necessarily involves these results. Is not the cause of religion, 
 they ask, injured by such criticisms and exposures? It must be 
 admitted that it has a chilling influence upon the faith and man- 
 ners of the people at large, and upon the church herself, to sec 
 those very men who are set as patterns and defenders of truth, 
 purity, and fidelity to trust ; foremost in daring and prominence 
 to propagate errors, violate pledges, rend peaceful communities. 
 :ind shamelessly deny or pervert those great truths of the Chris- 
 tian religion, which they are bound by most solemn sanctions to 
 cherish and protect. Truths and obligations which their leader:- 
 .^port with, the people will lightly esteem. This dissatisfaction 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 with strict scrutiny into the principles and conduct of clergynnen, 
 is founded, in part, upon indifference to pure, consistent religion ; 
 and still more, upon the false assumption that it is no matter what 
 a man, or even a minister believes, provided he is tolerably cor- 
 rect in his opinions and actions. But sound theologians and mor- 
 alists believe that trulh is in order to godliness, and that the life 
 cannot be right where the head, if not the heart is wrong. 
 
 It is true, that great tenderness is to be manifested for the repu- 
 tation of aggressors of this class against public truth and order, and 
 we should exercise due caution against taking up an evil impres- 
 sion or belief against them on insufficient grounds ; but where the 
 offence is public, notorious, repeated, and long continued, nay, 
 publicly confirmed and sealed by their signature and irrevocable 
 attestation, the offences, complained of, become not only undoubt- 
 ed as to their reality, but aggravatedly criminal and pernicious. 
 In such cases we cannot but think that it is rather an honour, than 
 an injury, to religion, that some can be found diligent and labori- 
 ous enough to detect, bold enough to reprove, and faithful enough 
 to withstand, if possible, the error and iniquity with which the 
 church is flooded and the world threatened. What other resort 
 against error and evil has the church, the cause of truth, the tes- 
 limony of God, in this evil world ? Is it a course more salutary 
 in itself and conformed to the actions of prudent men, in other 
 matters of importance, to permit the insidious errors complained 
 of to lie in concealment, gradually but incessantly, like the deadly 
 cancer, striking its roots deeper and deeper, shooting its fatal 
 ramifications more difllisively and mortally in every direction, 
 and working out the work of death in a steallhful and malignant 
 progress, which timely attention and appropriate remedies might 
 have arrested? On the whole, if offences, in certain ministers 
 of the gospel, are detected and exposed, to the scandal of reli- 
 gion, it is the crime which creates the scandal; its exposure is 
 only the remedy. 
 
 ISAAC \. BROWN. 
 Trento.v, June, 1854. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 New School charge of intolerance refuted — ^Kev. F. Mackemie, the founder 
 of Presbyterian Church, about 1680, Calvinistic— Immigrants numer- 
 ous — Creeds and subscriptions to them — Reasons for it — Adopting act, 
 1729 — Object to exclude heresy — Its character explained — Confession of 
 Faith and Westminster Catechisms adopted as standards — New England 
 orthodox early — The first Presbytery formed 1704, in Philadelphia — 
 The Synod of .Philadelphia 1716 — Both sound in the faith — Whole Pres- 
 byterian body orthodox — Never intolerant — English, Dutch, Scotch, Irish 
 and French settlers multiplied — The schism which existed in the old 
 Svnod healed, 1758 — General Assembly formed, 1789 — The work of mis- 
 sions immediately commenced. 
 
 The work of bringing together into one condensed view, the 
 scattered fragnaents which must form and exhibit the true origin 
 and character of the great Presbyterian family of Christians in 
 the United States of America, was long since pronounced by the 
 General Assembly, on many accounts, very difficult, while very 
 desirable. From the youthfulness of the country ; the wide and 
 thin dispersion of the people over an extensive area; the imper- 
 fect organization and frequent changes occurring in our infant 
 ecclesiastical communities; the negligence and inaccuracy which 
 marked most of the early records to be found ; the confusion and 
 destruction of documents occasioned by the Revolutionary war . 
 ihe whole subject was invested with the character of peculiar 
 ''omplexness and difficulty, so as to present to any writer an un- 
 inviting field of labor. About the commencement of the present 
 century, the General Assembly being overlured to take measure> 
 lo supply this desideratiwi, e-Kpressed an importunate request that 
 a suitable writer to perform this task would undertake it. The 
 lequest proved unsuccessful, and the work, after a short interim, 
 was respectfully committed to E. Hazard, Esq., of Philadelphia, 
 and all available documents and facilities were placed at his dis- 
 jiosal. Mr. Hazard spent much time and labor in collecting from 
 Presbyterial records, from congregations and tlieir pastors, in the 
 
8 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 ionn of extracts and letters, materials for the work to a consid- 
 erable amount. But failing to accomplish the task, and com- 
 plaining of its burdensome nature, it was transferred to Dr. Ash- 
 bel Green, who had been some time his voluntary associate iu 
 this labor, and was for a long period his bosom friend. Dr. 
 Green, after some trial, not finding it practicable to prosecute tl»e 
 Task with as .much success as he desired, in consequence of the 
 multiplicity of his pastoral duties and the feebleness of his health, 
 the trust was, by his request, tendered to Dr. Samuel Miller, Pro- 
 fessor of the Theological Seminary, at Princeton, in the ' hope 
 that he might find time to fulfill what his predecessors in this 
 charge had failed to accomplish, especially as it fell within the 
 sphere of his official labors as historian of that institution ; which 
 relation brought him into close alliance with the Presbyterian 
 Church. But providential circumstances finally placed the mate- 
 rials, so far as collected for this work, in hands adapted to secure 
 its prompt and faithful performance.* 
 
 While attempting, in this preliminary sketch, to bring to light, 
 to some extent, the primary features of early and progressive 
 Presbyterianism, in her forming period, it is not our object or in- 
 tention to attempt a general history of the church ; but rather to 
 repel the slanderous imputations cast by New School men and 
 hooks upon the founders of our church, and false constructions 
 applied to their theological principles and ecclesiastical measures. 
 
 The charges and perversions here referred to have had a wide 
 circulation, through the channels frequented by New School wri- 
 ters in general ; but recently they have been comprised within 
 narrower limits, and in more specific form, by a small and 
 very feeble volume, executed by "A Committee of the Synod of 
 ISqw York and New Jersey, (as they call themselves,) published 
 by IM. W. Dodd, New York, 1852." Of this volume, denomina- 
 ted "A history of the division of the Presbyterian Church in the 
 United States of America," G. N. Judd appears to ov/n the copy- 
 right, and is understood to have been the writer, under the control 
 and supervision of the Synodical Committee. 
 
 In regard to the title, " Division of the Church," it ought to be 
 observed, that it conveys a mistaken idea of the great ecclesias- 
 tical measure of 1837. An amicable division of the church was 
 proposed by the majority at that meeting of the General Assem- 
 
 * Dr. Charles Hodge, of the same Seminary, has from the scant mate- 
 rials furnished him, and others gleaned by great industry from many sour- 
 ces, as his referenc es show, elaborated a valuable historical compend of 
 the origin, progress and establishment of the Presbyterian Church, in two 
 %'oluines, 8vo, entitled " Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church 
 in the United States of America." Pubiished., 1839, by Wm. S. Martien, 
 Philadelphia. 
 
OLD SCHOOL vindicated; 9 
 
 bly, but it was never accepted or ratified. After the abrogation 
 and excision she was precisely the sanne as before, only dimin- 
 ished in numbers. Indeed, she lived unimpaired and unchanged 
 through that afflicting crisis ; came out of thai fiery trial and now 
 exists and rejoices in a condition of perfect identity with her for- 
 mer state, in every feature and lineament ; more pure, more con- 
 solidated, more harmonious, more prosperous than ever before. 
 The only change in the sacred edifice consisted in knocking away 
 a rotten and baseless lean-to, which our fathers had unwisely 
 erected to sustain the building before completed, but which was 
 discovered to be working out its downfall every day. 
 
 With regard to the kindred term, " Constitutional Church," ab- 
 surdly assumed by the New School, after the fall of their decayed 
 cabin, it is in the highest degree inappropriate and deceptive. 
 Their whole course of action in the Presbyterian body, while 
 nominally connected with it, exhibited strong outlines of disorder, 
 and most of their closing movements presented traits of outra- 
 geous disregard to all law and decency. The sequel will confirm 
 these statements. 
 
 The New School brethren have not only assumed to themselves 
 most undeserved names and distinctions, but they have profusely 
 heaped upon the Old School most unwarrantable and offensive 
 appellations, going far back ; upon the church of Scotland vul- 
 gar names — "sour orthodoxy, stiff Scotch Presbyterianism, nar- 
 row prejudices, antiquated notions, foreign elements," &c. And 
 upon the orthodox of more modern times, " relaxation from tol- 
 erant principles, departure from a liberal spirit," &c. And Dr. 
 Judd, in the same kind temper, attempts to brand those of the 
 present day with opprobrious epithets — "ambition, bigotry, de- 
 sire of power, ultraism, unconstitutionality, high churchism, 
 wholesale slander," and other similar distinctions, which indicate 
 quite a genius, taste and relish for calling hard names. The 
 charge of intolerance,* which is as comprehensive, significant 
 and odious as any that could be selected, he makes quite thread- 
 bare. 
 
 Indeed the charge of intolerance is repeated so often, with a 
 degree of bitterness and positiveness, that may induce some un- 
 wary readers to believe there is some truth in it. Hence we 
 shall feel obligated to take some pains to show the utter falseness 
 of this injurious insinuation. 
 
 When facts are examined and the character of our theological 
 fathers is placed in its true light, according to evidence, their de- 
 famers will be disappointed in their hopes of finding a sanction 
 for their laxness in church discipline and unsoundness in Chris- 
 
 * Division of the Church, pp. 88, 90, 91 92, &c. 
 
10 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 tian doctrine, in the false allegation or pretence that the founders 
 of our church were coaipromising men, satisfied with agreennent 
 in a few doctrinal " heads," or thoughts. 
 
 The allegation is two-fold, uiz : That the original stock or 
 founders of the church were latitudinarians, or indifferentists, 
 with regard to creeds and principles; and, that the present gen- 
 eration of orthodox Presbyterians are bigoted and intolerant, 
 having departed from " the liberal and accommodating princi- 
 ples" adopted and observed by their early ecclesiastical prede- 
 cessors and fathers. The first class they set up as a model for 
 themselves, in accommodating laxness of theological principle; 
 and the latter they charge with rancorous and intolerant hostility 
 to all who differ from themselves. Both charges are unfounded. 
 
 The assertion, so arrogantly employed, that the founders of the 
 church were lax, compromising, or accommodating, in regard to 
 theological creeds and tenets, is so serious as to demand scru- 
 tiny. A fair exhibition of the sound orthodoxy of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church from the beginning, will refute both branches of this 
 New School slander — disgusting laxness, sanctioning error, on 
 the one side, and excessive rigor, constituting intolerance, on the 
 other. Now, the fact is, that neither indifferentism nor intole- 
 rance was ever a prevalent feature of the Presbyterian Churcli. 
 
 As our principnl object, at this point, is to refute the spurious 
 charge of Dr. Judd against the founders of the Presbyterian 
 Church, we shall go no farther back than to his place of begin- 
 ning.* " It will be found upon reference to the history of by- 
 gone days, that on the 6th of April, 1691, the Presbyterian and 
 Congregational denominatif)ns oi^ Christians, in Great Britain, met 
 at Stepney, and tho'e, by the blessing of Almighty God, after 
 talking over their differences and their agreements, consummated 
 a union of the two denominations, b\' adopting what was then 
 called ' Heads of Agreement,' embiacing a few cardinal princi- 
 ples, which were to govern them in their fraternal intercourse." 
 No book on this subject, accessible to us, defines these '' heads " 
 of agreement. Certain it is, from living records, that multitudes 
 of F'resbyterians, eminent for talents and piety, of both the puri- 
 ian and independent denominations, existed previous to 1691, in 
 various parts of England. Dr. Judd, without assigning any 
 satisfactory authority, or furnishing any explanation, sets up that 
 an'reement of 1691 as the standard of all religious opinions every 
 where, and endeavors to make the impression that the Stepney 
 Assembly, by their influence, impressed the stamp of their theo- 
 logical views upon the infant settlements of Presbyterians in these 
 United States, so as to establish their religious character, even at 
 
 ■r-^ Division of the Church, p. 84. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 11 
 
 the present time. Indeed, he claims some of the first Presbyteries 
 formed in America as the offspring of the London Association of 
 1691, and then institutes the charge, that the orthodox of this 
 country have " rashly departed from the liberal and fraternal prin- 
 ciples" of 1091, in which they were organized. He adds after- 
 wards, in the same connexion, (p. 84,) that the first Presbytery 
 in America was formed in 1704, by the name of the Presbytery 
 of Philadelphia, upon the " liberal principles which governed the 
 London Association." On the following page he speaks of the 
 same company as " establishing a modified Presbyterianism in 
 America." The inference which he evidently aims to have drawn 
 from these statements, is, that these remote transatlantic move- 
 ments exerted a controlling and directing influence in the intro- 
 duction of Presbyterianism into these United States. 
 
 Now, the truth is, that London Association had nothing to do 
 W'ith the founding or forming of our American Presbyterianism ; 
 it may, and not improbably had some influence, at a later day, in 
 corrupting it. The Rev. Francis Mackemie, the true founder of our 
 church, was here on the ground, engaged in this noble Christian 
 enterprise, about eight years before the London Association met. 
 
 Dr. Judd, and all who sympathize with him on this point, un- 
 consciously admit their own degeneracy and departure from 
 sound standards, by setting up the more lax compromise scheme 
 of London as the grand predominating model for our religious 
 principles at that early period. He advocates and eulogises that 
 plan because he thinks it was much more flexible and accommo- 
 dating than Calvinistic standards ; lower than our American plat- 
 form in doctrinal soundness. 
 
 The evidence in favor of Mr. Mackemie as the " founder of 
 Presbyterianism in these United States," is so decisive that honest 
 New School men admit it. But then, to nullify the force of that 
 admission against themselves, they attempt to impair his high 
 character by branding him " as a loose Presbyterian." If this 
 suggestion were true, they could claim him as a shield for their 
 own defaults and obliquities. But this is out of the question. 
 First in the field among us, he was first in rank, first in zeal, first 
 in action, unquestioned in theological soundness ; by his influence 
 he formed the first Presbytery in Philadelphia. He was the prin- 
 cipal instrument in bringing Presbyterianism into New York, and 
 history tells us he was imprisoned thei'c on account of it. 
 
 The fact has recently been ascertained that " a gentleman in 
 Maryland, beside Virginia," wrote to the Presbytery of Lagan, in 
 Ireland, IG80, requesting them to send a minister or missionary 
 to the district where he resided. That gentleman was Col. Ste- 
 vens, whose grave and sepulchral inscription have been discov- 
 ered. In consequence of that invitation, IMr. Mackemie visited 
 
12 OLD SCHOOL vindicated; 
 
 Accomac, Virginia, and was prominently engaged in settling that 
 county, about the year 1690. And yet the London Association 
 had never met. Still the New School writers of the present day 
 are ignorant, or preposterous enough, to insist that this very Mac- 
 kemie was an agent or missionary of that Union to plant the 
 gospel in America.* 
 
 The arguments which New School men have used to prove 
 iiis mission to this country by the club which met in London, 1691, 
 have all proved to be fallacious; and the charge brought against 
 his strict orthodoxy, or adherence to Calvinistic doctrines, equally 
 unfounded. His views of religious experience are untinctured 
 with any unsound adinixtures or suspicious elements. His pub- 
 lications on the cardinal doctrines of the gospel prove his agree- 
 ment with the Westminster Confession. This he openly avowed 
 when interrogated on the subject in high places, with menace and 
 peril. This decided and fearless Presbyterianism is such as was 
 to be expected from a minister of the gospel, who had been borr;, 
 educated and ordained amidst scrutinies and trials. The Presby- 
 tery of Lagan, in L^eland, which inducted him into the ministry, 
 encountered sutfering among their members from the government 
 fur iheir rigid adherence to unadulterated orthodoxy, and corres- 
 ponding forms of devotion. The whole religious texture and 
 constitution of JMr. Mackemie were such as to fortify him against 
 prelatic persecutions and popish terrors ; to make him a shining 
 light in propagating religious principle, and pre-eminent in every 
 field of evangelic effort ; a bold and fearless vindicator of his sa- 
 cred creed before hostile judges and governors ; a dying witness, 
 if not martyr, to the excellence and glory of the Old School sys- 
 tem, in which he had been nurtured from the cradle, and in pro- 
 pagating which he had spent his life. 
 
 That Mr. Mackemie was instrumental in organizing the first 
 Presbytery of Philadelphia, is too plain to be questioned ; and 
 that he brought out twoj members of that body from the North 
 of Ireland aboul 1705, is positively asserted on good evidence. 
 
 "' For several of the facts here recited, see Presbyterian Magazine, Phil- 
 adelphia, vol. III., No. G, pp., 90—94. By C. Van llensselaer, D. D. 
 
 From an article in the Presbyterian, May 20th ultimo, we perceive that 
 Dr. Spotswood, in a statement made at the dedication of a new church at 
 Ivewcastle, Delaware, claims the old church recently taken down as the 
 oldest Presljyterian church erected on this continent. But it appears after- 
 wards that the old church was built at lirst, 1G34, by Swedes ; the Dutch 
 some time afterwards succeeded in occupying that church. Neither the 
 time nor manner of transferring the chuit-h to the Presbyterians is at all 
 stated. Dr. Spotswood at the same time a.lleges that the first church in 
 Philadeluhia was built about 1701. Its erection has been generally dated 
 at 17 J4. ■ 
 
 tJno. Hampton and George McNish. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 13 
 
 The famous Jedediah Andrews, pastor of the First Church in 
 Philadelphia, was a member of the first Presbytery. Mr. Judd 
 claims him and says, "the first Presbytery in America was formed 
 in 1704, by the name of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, upon the 
 liberal principles which governed the London Association, and 
 was composed partly of Presbyterian and partly of Congrega- 
 tional ministers and churches. The Rev. Jedediah Andrews, the 
 first pastor of the first Presbyterian church in Philadelphia, was 
 one of the original members of this Presbytery, and decidedly 
 favorable to Congregational church governn>ent,"* This Presby- 
 tery, at its first erection, was composed of seven members, and 
 Mr. Hazard in his MS. history says, "It is probable that all, 
 except Mr. Andrews, were foreigners by birth, and that they were 
 ordained to the Gospel ministry in Scotland and Ireland." D\\ 
 Van Rensselaer and Dr. Hodge agree in stating that Mr. Andrews 
 was from Massachusetts — a man of great labor and influence in 
 the Presbytery — orthodox in doctrine — and in every season of 
 difficulty he was found on the Old side. Hence, Mr. Judd's state- 
 ment that the first Presbytery was, in part, constituted of Con- 
 gregational materials, proves contrary to facts. 
 
 We are warranted, then, in recording it as an established trutii, 
 in this compilation of our church's early history, that its first 
 Presbytery, and the founders of it, were Calvinislic in principle; 
 and we now state what is equally clear, that the Synod of Phila- 
 delphia, organized about the year 1716, was undoubtedly of the 
 same character — because, if for no other reason, she was sub- 
 stantially of the same materials. It contained, at first, seventeen 
 members, among whom " Old School Presbyterianism and ortho- 
 doxy" maintained their strength and influence in full proportion. 
 
 While these transactions and many others akin to them, were 
 occurring in the city and vicinity of Philadelphia, immigration to 
 the New England States, and to parts of New York and Nevv^ 
 Jersey, was rapidly progressing. This newly-discovered country 
 was considered in Europe as the asylum of the persecuted and 
 refuge of the oppressed, both for religious and political freedom. 
 Hence, large companies of English puritans — of Dutch settlers — 
 of Scotch and Irish emigrants — and, after the revocation of the 
 edict of Nantes, large companies of French Protestants, gladly- 
 flocked hither, to secure to themselves and their children that 
 religious liberty and those rights of conscience which were denied 
 them in their native lands. 
 
 These emigrants of every nation, were, for the greater part, 
 a population of decidedly religious character — of much intelli- 
 gence — of property and honour — of moderation and order. They 
 
 * See Presbyterian, p. 94. Judd, p. 84. 
 
14 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 fixed their homes, many in New England, some at New Paltz 
 and New Rochelle, some on Long Island, others on Staten Island,"^ 
 and in eastern and central New Jersey. The descendants from 
 these colonists are numerous and distinguishable still. These 
 having felt the sting of persecution and yoke of oppression in their 
 father-lands, cannot rationally be supposed, either speedily to have 
 forgotten their wrongs and their sufferings, or to have been very 
 ready to attempt, by violence, to impose upon the consciences of 
 others, the fetters and the tortures they had so recently escaped. 
 And Dr. Hodge says of those who early joined the Synod, in 
 addition to those constituting the Presbytery of Philadelphia — 
 " Some were among the strictest of the whole body, and not one 
 of them was a Congregationalist, or inclined to Congregational- 
 ism." p. 97, Vol. 1. 
 
 Men of such character, faith and morals, arriving, in succession, 
 in increasing numbers, became the component parts of the Pres- 
 byterian body, wherever they went. And they sustain this char- 
 acter to the present day. The faith of the Church of Scotland 
 was thoroughly understood and highly appreciated in all Protest- 
 ant lands, and not less so in these United States. Calvinism was 
 the polar star of these colonists — the cardinal feature of the faith 
 they insisted on. 
 
 * To the colony of that name, which settled, soon after the revocation, 
 around where the city of Richmond now stands, on Staten Island, the 
 writer traces his genealogical extraction — the ancestors of both his paternal 
 great grand parents, having been fully embraced, under appropriate 
 names, in tliat company of Huguenots. 
 
 An interesting account of this colony is furnished by Mr. Charles Weiss, 
 Historian of the " French Protestant Refugees" : Vol. I., pp. 314-20. 
 While many successive groups located themselves in New Paltz, New 
 Rochelle, and New York, "Staten Island, thai enchanting spot, in the 
 beautiful bay of New York, became a fiivorite asylum for the French 
 Protestants. It should be called the Huguenot Island. As far as we can 
 ascertain, they reached this region in considerable numbers about the year 
 1675, with a pastor, and erected a church near Richmond village. Few 
 regions are l^lessed with more churches. Most of the official and zealous 
 mem])ers of these churches were lineal branches of the French Protestants. 
 Clianning More, former Bishop of Virginia, was connected with this 
 colony. 'Dr. Bedell, father of the gentleman of that name now in New 
 York, was of the same origin on the maternal side.'" 
 
 The following Huguenot names occur in the records of Staten Island — 
 Fontaine, Eezemi, La Tourette, Bedell, Poulon, Mercereau, La Conte, 
 Perrin. Those who sympathize with the late Rev. A. Eezeau Brown, of 
 Lawrenceville, son of the writer, who fell an early victim of pulmonary 
 disease, a Biographical Notice of whom was written and published by 
 Rev. James W. Alexander, A. D. 1833, in the Biblical Repertory, will 
 detect among the Huguenots altove recited, the patronymic of his baptismal 
 name, which was given to him in reference to the ancestral family of 
 Eezeau, which is still prominent among the descendants, in that consecrated 
 island. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 15 
 
 It is true, there was some difficulty in ascertaining the religious 
 opinions of the immigrants. It was, at first, not considered of 
 great importance whether this was attempted — when the work 
 became necessary — by personal examination, by individual sub- 
 scription, or by authentic papers. The mode of scrutiny proba- 
 bly varied some time to suit circumstances. But some definite 
 form of ascertainment was in a few years pronounced indispen- 
 sable — especially as it had become clear, that some emigrants 
 from the North of Ireland, seeking admission into our church, 
 had imported with them theological sentiments manifestly differing 
 from our standards, and showing the necessity of an efficient 
 guard against insidious error. 
 
 Several instances of written declaration or actual subscription 
 to formularies of doctrine are on record, which shed light on this 
 subject. The Rev. Wm. Tennent, who had been Episcopally in- 
 ducted in Ireland, on arriving in this country applied for admis- 
 sion to the Synod of Philadelphia.* That body requested him to 
 give a written statement of his reasons for leaving the Episcopal 
 Church. The most prominent reason he assigned was, that the 
 Church of Ireland connived at Arminian doctrines. It is a natu- 
 ral inference that he would not desire admission to a church less 
 sound than the one he was leaving. In 1724, William McMillan. 
 subscribed this brief avowal ; Archibald Cook and Hugh Steven- 
 son in 1726: "I do own the Westminster Confession of Faith as 
 the confession of my faith." John Tennent, September 18, 1729, 
 subscribed the following formulary: " I do own the Westminster 
 Confession of Faith, before God and these witnesses, together 
 with \\\e Larger and Shorter Catechisms, with the Directory there- 
 to annexed, to be the confession of my faith and rule of faith and 
 manners, according to the word of God." p. 103. These sub- 
 subscriptions took place in the Presbytery of Newcastle, who 
 were among the first to ^disavow confidence in written testimoni- 
 als, particularly those brought froin the North of Ireland, which 
 furnished a large proportion of the applicants for admission to 
 their body. Hence, they were among the first to change the form 
 of entrance into the church, and to demand the adoption of the 
 Westminster Confession of Faith. For this timely and decided 
 act, the lax religionists of that day, and the more decidedly he- 
 retical of succeeding days, have not ceased to pursue them with 
 " railing accusations," endeavoring to make appear as their 
 SHAME what is really their glory. That act of the Newcastle 
 Presbytery was the dawn of a brighter day; unmixed light be- 
 gan to shine with more splendour from other quarters, and dark- 
 ness and doubt to flee away. The fact that the Newcastle Presby- 
 
 * Dr. Hodge, vol. I., p. 101. 
 
1-6 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 lery and the Synod of Philadelphia, about this time, had found it ne- 
 cessary to reject several applicants for admission on account oi 
 their unsoundness in the faith, hastened on these decisive measures 
 which soon followed and increased their strictness. It is evident 
 that the process o{ forming the church had proceeded so far as 
 to require some prominent measure to test and confirm all addi- 
 tions to her body; to certify and establish ministerial soundness 
 and communion on a stable and satisfactory foundation. 
 
 The Adopting Act, as it is called, arose out of this crisis in our 
 ecclesiastical affairs. Dr. Judd represents this act as if intended to 
 get clear of th-e difficulty by dispensing with a strict compliance 
 with the Caivinistic standards o{ the church, which he denomi- 
 nates " arbitrary principles," and then declares the object of the 
 Act to have been " to re-affirm some liberal principles;" to which 
 he refers as "establishing a modified Presbyterianism in Amer- 
 ica." Then to open a hidden yet capacious channel for the free 
 admission of errors and errorists. Dr. Judd seems to combine his 
 little strength with that of Dr. L. Halsey, of Pittsburgh, in his 
 letter, published in the Cincinnati Journal, 1836, representing the 
 Act of 1729 as an indefinitely lax and compromising measure, 
 " requiring in the visible union of Christians what was essential, 
 and treating accordingly what was not essential ;" that is, afibrd- 
 ing to men of unsound and discordant opinions, on entering the 
 Presbyterian Church, most complete sh-elter and safety. This Dr. 
 Judd calls union — beautiful harmony! 
 
 Now the truth is, that construction is positively and directly 
 opposed to the avowed design, the letter, and the whole spirit of 
 the Act. Its sole and manifest object was to enforce strict union 
 ill the truth, as exhibited in the standards the Assembly professed 
 to regard — not to make the church Caivinistic, as a new thing, but 
 to show that such had always been her character, and to exhibit 
 lier fixed determination so to continue ; thus to elevate and refine 
 public sentiment, and to exclude all spurious forms of opinion in 
 religious matters. To this act they were prompted by the detec- 
 tion of dangerous errors, such as Arminianism, Pelagianism, Ari- 
 anism, and others among the emigrants, who had thronged and 
 annoyed them considerably, from the North of Ireland. 
 
 The preceding pages have illustrated the theological character 
 of the infant Presbyterian Church, from the beginning. The 
 Synodical Acts which will be specially presented, will afford irre- 
 sistible proof that their authors intended rigorously to protect the 
 opinions they had hitherto maintained, by adopting most vigilant 
 precautionary rules and guards to exclude forever every phase of 
 false doctrine. 
 
 The memorial presented to the Synod, praying for this Act, 
 and headed "An overture, (Dr. Hodge, 102,) humbly offered to 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 17 
 
 the consideration of the Rev. Synod, wherein is proposed an 
 expedient for preventing the ingress and spreading of dangerous 
 errors among either ourselves or the flocks committed to our 
 care," viz : 
 
 •' Ahhough the Synod do not claim or pretend to any author- 
 ity"* of imposing our faith upon other men's consciences, but do 
 profess our just dissatisfaction with, and abhorrence of, such im- 
 positions, and do utterly disclaim all legislative power and au- 
 thority in the church, being willing to receive one another as 
 Christ has received us, to the Glory of God, and admit to fellow- 
 ship in sacred ordinances all such as we have grounds to believe 
 Christ will at last admit to the kingdom of heaven, yet we are 
 cndoubtedly obliged to take care that the faith once delivered to 
 the saints be kepi pure and uncorrupt among us and so handed 
 down to jiosterity ; and do therefore agree that all the ministers 
 of this Synod, or that shall hereafter be admitted into this Synod, 
 shall declare their agreement in, and approbation of, the Confes- 
 sion of Faith, with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the 
 assembly of Divines ai Westminster, as being in all respects the 
 fssential and necessary articles, good forms of sound words and 
 systems of Christian doctrine; and do also adopt the said Con- 
 fession and Catechism as the confession of our faiih. And we 
 (io also agree, that all the Presbyteries within our bounds shall 
 always take care not to admit any candidate of the ministry into 
 'he exercise of tiie sacred function, but what declares his agree- 
 ment in opinion v.ith all the essential and necessary articles of 
 said Confession, either by subscribing the said Confession of Faith 
 Jind Catechisms, or by a verbal declaration of their consent 
 iliereto, as such minister or candidate shall think best. And in 
 ease any minister of this Synod, or any candidate for the minis- 
 try, shall have scruple with regard to any article or articles of 
 said Confession or Catechisms, he shall, at the time of makintr 
 said' declaration, declare his sentiments to the Presbytery or Sy- 
 nod, who shall, notwithstanding, admit him to the exercise of the 
 ministry within our bounds, and to ministerial communion, if the 
 Synod or Presbytery shall judge his scruple or mistake to be 
 only about articles rtot essential and necessary in doctrine, wor- 
 ship or government. But if the Synod or Presbytery shall judge 
 such ministers or candidates erroneous in essential and necessar\- 
 articles of faith, the Synod or Presbytery shall declare them in- 
 capable of communion with them." 
 
 As great importance has been attached to this act of the Sy- 
 nod of Philadelphia of 1729, and some doubts were expressed at 
 the time of its passage, and have been expressed in modern times, 
 
 * The very essence of intolerance is distinctly disavowed. 
 E 
 
18 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 by the opposers of orthodox opinions, some vindication, as well 
 as explanation of it, may be permitted. 
 
 1. First, we think any sensible and liberal man will infallibly 
 perceive that its professed object was to suppress error and to 
 maintain sound doctrines in the church. 
 
 The preamble to an act often declares its nature and charac- 
 ter as fully as its bodily substance. The introduction to this me-' 
 morial declares it to be "an expedient for preventing the ingress 
 and spreading of dangerous errors among either ourselves or the 
 flocks committed to our care." 
 
 2. The act or declaration of the Synod is as specifically adap- 
 ted to the object contemplated in the caption, as could be con- 
 ceived or expressed. The following terms of the memorial will 
 sufficiently particularize the character of the act.-- " Now the 
 expedient which I would humbly propose you may take, is as fol- 
 lows: first, that our Sjmod, as an ecclesiastical judicatory of 
 Christ, clothed with ministerial authority to act in concert in be- 
 half of truth, and in opposition to error, would do something of 
 this kind at such a juncture, when error seems to grow so fast 
 that unless we be well fortified it is likely to swallow us vp. Se- • 
 condly, that in pursuance hereof, the Synod would, by an act of 
 its own, publicly and authoritatively adopt the Westminster Con- 
 fession of Faith, Catechisms, &c., for the public confession of our 
 faith, as we are a particular organized church." In continua- 
 tion, the whole object contemplated, and the form of process de- 
 signated in the memorial, and the character of the measure can- 
 not be doubted. It is not denied that there \vas some opposition 
 to the measure, even in anticipation of it; but this opposition was 
 founded much more upon the predilection of Independents, who 
 had been trained and habituated to that form of church govern- 
 ment, than to any doctrines or opinions embraced in the Confes- 
 sion of Faith, and could be much more easily removed. On ac- 
 count of this obstacle to perfect agreement, and an indifi^erence. 
 for a lime prevalent in the minds of sotne principal men engaged 
 in this important matter, some objections were made, even in the 
 committee to whom the memorial was referred, and who reported 
 the act to the Synod.f 
 
 On examining the act in detail, it cannot fail to be perceived, 
 that in every lineament it corresponds with the object designated 
 
 "^ These are the words of Mr. Thompson, who wrote the memorial. Dr. 
 Hodge, p. 1C6, Vol. I. 
 
 f Among these was to be found even President Dickinson, who bein;^ 
 opposed to all creeds, did not at first concur in the measure ; but all these 
 difficulties with him and others were speedily overcome, and the act passed 
 by a unanimous vote. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED, 19 
 
 in the caption, and the specifications particularized in the body of 
 the memorial. 
 
 A few passages in the act of 1729 will give a perfectly clear 
 exposition of its object and meaning. The first clause disavows 
 that the Synod had any thought of exercising arbitrary power or 
 hiiolerance in the least degree. " Although the Synod do not 
 chiim or pretend to any authority of imposing our faith upon 
 other m'en's consciences, yet are we undoubtedly obliged to lake 
 care that the faith once delivered to the saints be kept pure and 
 uncorrupt among us." It was certainly right and necessary that 
 the truth, the foundation of the church, should be well ascertained 
 and secured. Then follows, prospectively, the bearing which 
 iheir action should have upon following generations, " and so 
 handed down to posterity ^ This is continuing the same precau- 
 tionary spirit for the safety of following ages, for us and ours in this 
 (lay of REBUKE. Then succeeds, in most explicit terms, the man- 
 ner of accomplishing these great ends. " We do therefore agree 
 that all the ministers of this Synod, or that shall hereafter be ad- 
 mitted into this Synod,' shall declare their agreement in and ap- 
 probation of the Confession of Faith, with the Longer and Shorter 
 Catechisms of the assembly of Divines at Westminster, as being, 
 in all the essential and necessary articles, good forms of sound 
 words and systems of Christian doctrine." All ministers, for the 
 present or future, are first to declare their agreement in and ap- 
 probation of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms; but 
 this declaration they did not think sacred and strong enough ; they 
 are " also to adopt the said Confession and Catechisms as the 
 confession of their faith." All Presbyteries are required to ex- 
 actlhe same declaration of agreement and approbation from all 
 ministers and candidates for the sacred function, "either by sub- 
 scribing the said Confession of Faith and Catechisms, or by a 
 verbal declaration of his assent thereto." Can any thing be more 
 clear and less equivocaH More perfectly intelligible and bind- 
 ing? And yet all are at liberty to agree or decline. 
 
 But the Synod proceed to provide for every conceivable diffi- 
 culty in the case. " In case anj'- minister of this Synod, or can- 
 didate for the ministry, 'shall have any scruple with respect to any 
 article or articles of said Confession or Catechisms, he shall, at 
 (he time of his making the said declaration, declare his sentiments 
 to the Presbytery or Synod." Take notice ! These cavils are 
 to be stated openly at the time of making or signing the declara- 
 tion; not uttered and proclaimed afterwards through the church; 
 no license of this kind is allowed forever afterwards. But the 
 scruple beinnr stated, what then ? " The Synod or Presbytery 
 shall admit him to the exercise of the ministry within our bounds, 
 and to ministerial communion." Under what conditions 1 " If 
 
20 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 the Synod or Presbytery shall judge his scruple, or mistake, to be 
 only about articles not essential and necessary in doctrine, worship 
 or government." After the scruple, or mistake, has been stated, the 
 Synod or Presbytery before vviiich it occurs, proceed immedi- 
 ately and settle the question of admission or rejection. "And if 
 the Synod or Presbytery shall judge such minister or candidate 
 erroneous in essential or necessary articles of faith, the Synod or 
 Presbytery shall declare them incapable of communion with 
 them." Here the process rests; it is conclusive; the import of 
 the act is as clear as light; it is effectual for the purpose ; it con- 
 tains nothing ai-bitrary or intoJei-ant ; it leaves every minister 
 and candidate to. his own sovereign discretion to comply with the 
 rule and enter the church, under the favorable decision of the 
 judicatory, or cherish his mistakes and withdraw. 
 
 The Adopting Act having reference only to the Confession of 
 Faith and Catechisms, the same year " the Synod, on motion, 
 gave their judgment that the Directory for worship, discipline and 
 government, commonly annexed to tlie Westminster Confession, 
 is agreeable to the word of God and founded thereupon, and 
 therefore unanimously recommend the same to all their members, 
 to be by them observed, as near as circumstances will allow and 
 Christian prudence direct." 
 
 Although this act is as perfectly clear and specific as any hu- 
 man composition can be made, yet there were a few individuals 
 who disapproved of it, on the ground of alleged obscurity, prin- 
 cipally in regard to the import of the terms, " essential and ne- 
 cessary articles; good forms of sound words and systems of 
 Christian doctrine." But from a candid and just inspection of 
 these words, we do not see how it can be rationally doubted that 
 they refer to the matter and substance contained in the preceding 
 terms, '• the Confession of Faith, with the Longer and Shorter 
 Catechisms of the assembly of Divines at Westminster." To re- 
 move all ambiguity and doubt, the Synod of 1730, the year fol- 
 lowing the act, make the following record, viz : " Whereas some 
 I>ersons have been dissatisfied with the manner of wording our 
 last year's agreement about the Confession, &c., supposing some 
 expressions not sufficiently obligatory upon intrants; overtured 
 that the Synod do now declare that they understand those clauses 
 that respect the admission of intrants in such a sense as to oblige 
 them to receive and adopt the Confession and Catechisms, at 
 their admission, in the same manner and as fully as the members 
 of the Synod that were then present. Which overture was 
 unanimously agreed to by the Synod." Their meaning is, that 
 they allow objections to be made only to parts of the twentieth 
 and twenty-third chapters, giving privilege and power to civil 
 magistrates to interfere with religious matters. The Synod cer- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. gl 
 
 tainly had power, and none can question their right, to explain 
 and confirm their own transactions. It was substantially the same 
 body or company of individuals, and they declare what their 
 mind was, and that it remains unchanged. 
 
 Some discontent still remaining, from want of full and prompt 
 explanations accompanying the act, a fresh avowal of its mean- 
 ing was made by the Synod in the year 1736. The records for 
 that year show, that " an overture of the committee, upon the 
 supplication of the people of Paxton and Derry, was brought in, 
 and is as follows: That the Synod do declare, that inasmuch as 
 we understand that many persons of our persuasion, both more 
 lately and formerly, have been offended with some expressions, or 
 distinctions, in the first or preliminary act of our Synod for adopt- 
 ing the Westminster Confession and Catechisms, &.c. ; that in 
 order to remove said offence, and all jealousies that have arisen, 
 or may arise, in any of our people's minds, on occasion of said 
 distinctions and expressions, the Synod doth declare, that the Synod 
 have adopted and still do adhere to the Westminster Confession, 
 Catechisms and Directory, without the least variation or altera- 
 tion, and without any regard to said distinctions. And we do fur- 
 ther declare this was our meaning and true intent in our first adopt- 
 ing the said cont'ession, as may particularly appear by our Adopt- 
 ing Act, which is as followelh : ' All the ministers of Synod which 
 are now present, (eighteen in number.) except one who declared 
 himself not prepared, after proposing all the scruples that any of 
 them had to make against any articles and expressions in the Con- 
 fession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the as- 
 sembly of Divines at Westminster, have unanimously agreed in 
 the solution of those scruples, and in declaring the said Confes- 
 sion and Catechisms to be the confession of their faith, except 
 only some clauses in the twentieth and twenty-third chapters, 
 concerning which clauses the Synod do unanimously declare, that 
 they do not receive those articles in any such sense as to suppose 
 the civil magistrate has a controlling power over Synod, with re- 
 spect to the exercise of their ministerial authority, or power to 
 persecute any for their religion, or in any sense contrary to the 
 protestant succession to the throne of Great Britain. And we do 
 hope and desire, that this our Synodical declaration and explana- 
 tion, may satisfy all our people as to our firm attachment to our 
 'good old received doctrines' contained in the said Confession, 
 without the least variation or alteration, and that they will lay 
 aside their jealousies that have been entertained through occasion 
 of the above hinted expressions and declarations, as groundless.' " 
 This overture was approved without dissent. This great and 
 important public measure, so solemnly introduced in the caption 
 and memorial ; so deliberately scanned and adopted by the Sy- 
 
22 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 nod in 1729; so anxiously and honestly reviewed and re-affirmed 
 with amplifications in 1730 ; so solemnly re-examined and still 
 farther elucidated and absolutely confirmed in 173G, stands as a 
 monument of the original faith and purity and fidelity of our 
 early predecessors in the Presbyterian Church. Here, in the 
 Adopting Act, is a splendid light-house, or luminary, seen from 
 afar; it beams upon Presbyterians from another world, and irra- 
 diates their foot-way every step they take in the path of true and 
 sound orthodox Christianity. 
 
 The orthodox and fair men of that day, and of this day, so 
 understand the document of 1729. We are the followers of the 
 adopters of that act — we honor their names and their deeds here 
 recorded — we construed, apply, and commend their act, just as 
 they did. But this feeling in the orthodox body, of favor towards 
 " a rigid adherence to the Confession of Faith, Catechisms, and 
 Directory," strikes the New School brethren with horror. They 
 pronounce it,* '* a rash departure from the tolerant and fraternal 
 principles of 1691 in England, and 1729 in America." This act 
 of 1729, they pronounce, " a return to, or re-affirmalion of, the 
 liberal principles of 1691, upon which the Presbyterian Church in 
 America was based," and construing it thus, they claim it as the 
 model and the screen for all their false iheology, w^hicli will be 
 exhibited in the sequel of this work. On the contrary, the Pres- 
 byterian Church required this orthodox protection and security 
 against error, in her infant and exposed state, and the surround- 
 ing church and country strongly sympathized with this act, tally- 
 ing, as it does, so strikingly with our Confession of Faith and 
 Catechisms. Even the Puritans, and Independents or Congrega- 
 tionalists of New England, notwithstanding their peculiar forms 
 of church government, were, by far the greater part, devoted to 
 orthodox evangelic religion, and the act of 1729 gave them no 
 uneasiness or ofience. The Westminster Confession had been 
 adopted in New England long before, and the Westminster Cate- 
 chisms were taught there, as carefully as in Scotland. So that 
 New School men would gain very little, if they could establish 
 the untenable assumption that the Presbyterian system is based 
 upon Congregationalism. The truth is, the New Englandism of 
 that day differed toto celo from its present phases, and the error- 
 ists who now attempt to shelter themselves, and lower the char- 
 acter of the Presbyterian Church by casting this unjust imputa- 
 tion upon the Puritan and Pilgrim fathers, would have fared little 
 better there in that day, than they do here at present. The dete- 
 riorating and deceptive terms, " heads of agreement," " for sub- 
 
 * Division, p. 88. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIPTDICATED. 23 
 
 stance of doctrine," " essentials and non-essentials," &c., were 
 not in use, because uncalled for at that time.* 
 
 The reader can now judge how far the system adopted in 
 1729, ratified and confirmed in 1730 and 173G, to purify and 
 guard the church, then and ever afterwards, furnishes a grant or 
 concession to New School speculators, to violate their vows, to 
 maintain the Confession of our Church, and maintain its purity 
 and peace, by introducing and circulating at pleasure, their novel, 
 ever-varying, conflicting, and injurious errors, upon every cardi- 
 nal doctrine of our sacred standards. This is what the New 
 School claim as their right and their privilege; and the orthodox 
 body are denounced as intolerant because they adhere to their 
 standards and vows. 
 
 It is reasonable to suppose that the first settlers in New Eng- 
 land, from their proximity to the Presbyterian districts and con- 
 stant intercourse with them, should exert considerable influence 
 upon the Presbyterian population, and their religious character, 
 in its early days. This admitted. New School men, in endeavour- 
 ing to give the early Presbyterians an unsound character — to 
 awaken jealousies and suspicions against them- — do great injustice, 
 in some instances, to the early character of New England herself. 
 From her mixed population, they infer the impurity of the Pres- 
 byterian people, wiih whom they associated so freely. Because 
 some of this multitude were Puritans, some Quakers, some Con- 
 gregationalists, some Independents, they would infer that all were 
 unsound, or at best, lax in principle — indefinite, fluctuating, and 
 unreliable — and of course, (this is their argument,) so were the 
 so-called Presbyterian mass. This is doing great injustice to 
 
 ^■' (Saml. Blair.) "There never was any scruple, that; I heard of, made 
 by any member of the Synod, about any part of the Concession of Faith, 
 but only about some particular clauses in the twentieth and twenty-third 
 chapters, (about the civil magistrate) and those clauses were excepted 
 against in the Synod's act receiving the Confession of Faith, only in sicch 
 sense, which, for my part. I believe the reverend composers never intended 
 in them, but which might notwithstanding be readily impressed upon 
 them." The cordial approbation of that act, and the method of subscrip- 
 tion to it which it proposes, as generally prevalent, is here placed beyond 
 controversy. Any person desiring still further evidence of the universal 
 popularity and acceptance of the synodical acts and ratifications, are re- 
 ferred to the Presbyterian Magazine, Vol. III., No. 3, p. 141. They will 
 find there, that the Synod of Philadelphia, the Presbytery of New Bruns- 
 wick, the Synod of New York, and the two Synods united, in 1758, all 
 agree with the act, to profess the same principles of faith, the same form 
 of worship, government, and discipline. At the time of organizing the 
 General Assembly in 1789, the same sentiments, the same confidence and 
 harmony, pervaded the whole Presbyterian mass. No schism or disagree- 
 ment that ever occurred in the church, impaired materially this unanimity 
 in the church, in regard to Catechisms, forms of devotion, government and 
 discipline, till New Schoolism, like Pandora's box, made its appearance. 
 
24 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 New England, as well as to our own church. Without being 
 partial to her, we must be just to all. Now the truth is, there is 
 no lack of evidence to vindicate the first adventurers from the 
 Plymouth rock into the rude and uncultivated hills of Massachu- 
 setts and Connecticut, from this implied aspersion. The early 
 Presbyterians derived no contamination from their intermixture 
 with such a noble company, or partial extraction from such a 
 source. Most of her learned and excellent men were strenuous 
 defenders of those very articles of scriptural faith, for which we 
 ourselves earnestly contend. "Cotton Mather," in his Magnalla,. 
 Vol. I., p. 2GG, informs us that a gentleman of New England hav- 
 ing published a book, in which he attempted to prove " that Christ 
 bore not our sins, by God's imputation, and therefore did not bear 
 the curse of the law for them, the General Court of Massachu- 
 setts," (the highest authority in the state,) concerned that the 
 glorious truths of the gospel might be rescued from the confusion 
 whereinto the essay of this gentleman had thrown them, and 
 afraid lest the Church of God abroad should suspect that New 
 England allowed such exorbitant aberrations, appointed Mr. 
 Norton to draw up an answer to that erroneous treatise. This 
 Avork he performed with a most elaborate and judicious pen, in a 
 book afterwards published under the title: "A discussion of that 
 great point in divinity, the sufferings of Christ, and the question 
 about his active and passive obedience, and the imputation 
 thereof." The great assertion explained and maintained, is, ac- 
 cording to the words of the reverend author, " that the liOrd Jesus 
 Christ, as God-man and mediator according to the will of the 
 Father, and his own voluntary consent, fully obeyed the law, 
 doing the command in the way of works, and suffering the es- 
 sential punishment of the curse, in the way of satisfaction unto 
 divine justice, thereby exactly fulfilling the first covenant ; which 
 active and passive obedience of his, together with his original 
 righteousness as a surety, God, of his rich grace, actually im- 
 puteth unto believers; whom, by the receipt thereof, by the graco 
 of faith, he declareth and accepteth as perfectly righteous, and 
 acknowledgeth them to have a right unto eternal life." At the 
 close of this volume, to prove that it spoke the sense and meaning 
 of the churches generally through the country, there is an attesta- 
 tion signed by five distinguished names. Cotton, Wilson, Mather, 
 vSymmes, and Thompson, who declare, " as they believe, they 
 also profess, that the obedience of Christ to the whole law, which 
 is the law of righteousness, is the matter of our justification; and 
 the imputation of our sins to Christ, and thereupon his suffering 
 the sense of the wrath of God upon him for our sins, and the im- 
 putation of his obedience to us, are the formal cause of our justi- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 25 
 
 fication, which is the life of our souls, and of our religion, and 
 therefore called ihe justification unto life." 
 
 Even Dr. Beecher follows up this eulogy, juslly deserved, by 
 an important attestation, in regard to a kindred doctrine. " Our 
 Puritan fathers," says he, *' adhered to the doctrine of originai 
 sin, as consisting in the imputation of Adam's sin, and in a heredi- 
 tary depravity; and this continued to be the received doctrine ot 
 the churches of New England, until after the time of Edwards. 
 He adopted the views of the Reformers on the subject of original 
 sin, as consisting in the imputation of Adam's sin, and depraved 
 nature, transmitted by descent.* 'Tis not to New England, ia 
 her pristine days, that we are authorized to look for theological 
 discrepancies, but to her more modern period of novelties ami 
 changes. She has been becoming, for many years past, in 
 morals, in politics, in divinity, biblical criticism, in almost every 
 feature, progressively degenerate. This we record, with pain 
 and without prejudice, fi'om a close and constant observation oi 
 facts and tendencies, during the last forty years. The attempt, 
 therefore, of Dr. Judd, or any other writer, inferentially to prove 
 the laxness, the compromising and vascillating spirit and character 
 of early Presbyterianism, from its supposed sympathy for, and 
 association with the earl}' settlers of New England, and thus indi- 
 rectly to establish the charge of sternness and despotism, or in- 
 tolerance against the Presbyterian Church of the present day, on 
 account of her energetic and decisive efforts to purify herseh 
 from a mass of corruption and contagion, is unsupported by fact, 
 is opposed by authentic and incontestible history. 
 
 Previous to the Adopting Act of 1729, and for many years 
 after it, the attention of the church, of her judicatories, her minis- 
 ters and her people, was engrossed chiefly with the question of 
 orthodoxy and order in the church, the influx of religionists of 
 various grades from abroad being so great, and of such mixed 
 character, as to awaken their fears and inspire their constant 
 \'igilance and zeal. That portion of the excellent and venerable 
 ministers and elders, who had manifested pre-eminent devotion 
 and firmness, in raising and sustaining to the utmost an effectual 
 standard against unsound and disorderly principles and forms, 
 brought upon themselves, from brethren in the same church, not 
 so tenacious on these points as they were, the charge of compari- 
 tive indifference and even laxness, in regard to the religious 
 knowledge, experience, and piety of professing members — candi- 
 dates for the ministry — and preachers from abroad applying for 
 admission to the church.f This want of confidence, at first feebly 
 
 * Spirit of the Pilgrims, Vol. I., p. 158. 
 
 f They were charged with exhibiting more rigor and zeal for maintaining 
 inviolate their Creeds and Confessions, than for preserving a rigid tone and 
 
26 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 whi?])cred, waxed stronger and stronger, till it broke out in a 
 positive and violent charge, so exciting and inflammatory, as to 
 become mainly instrumental in producing the great ecclesiastical 
 schism of 1741.* 
 
 As our object, in this introductory chapter, is merely to refute 
 the groundless charges of the New School against the purity of 
 our early church, and true import of her acts, and various de- 
 velopments of theological opinion ; believing that this object is 
 sufficiently established, we shall here suspend the historic detail, 
 with a few additional statements connected with the subject in 
 prospect. 
 
 The Synods of New York and Philadelphia, which had been 
 some time divided, were re-united in 1758, and immediately re- 
 cognized, their obligations to perform missionary service, and 
 commenced the work by sending laborers to the South. In 176G, 
 they began to create a missionary fund, by asking contributions 
 iVom the Presbyteries. In 1770, they took measures to send the 
 gospel to Georgia, to the Alleghanies; and to the Northern fron- 
 tiers in New York, to the west of Albany, about 1776. 
 
 The General Assembly was organized in 178ff, and entered at 
 nnce upon the missionary work, as far as circumstances would 
 admit. Their first missionaries to northern Pennsylvania and 
 western New York, were commissioned in the years 1791-92. 
 In 1800, .the Rev. Jedediah Chapman was appointed "a stated 
 missionary on the frontiers," The Connecticut Missionary So- 
 ciety was organized a little earlier, and commenced its work 
 about 1798. In 1803, Rev. Gideon Blackbourne was appointed 
 a missionary to the Cherokee Indians, living in the southern part 
 of Tennessee, and northern part of i\Iississippi. 
 
 strictform of practical piety through the charch generallj', and more par- 
 ticularly among those appointed as leaders, or selected as candidates. 
 
 '■'' For numerous interesting details connected ulth our church at this im- 
 portant period, from 1741 to 1780, her feuds, her revivals, her re-uniou of 
 discordant branches, the erection of the Synod of New York, and the Gene- 
 ral Assembly of the Prpsbyterian Church, see Presbyterian, Vol. III., No. 
 4. Also, Dr. Hodge's History, Vol. I., in extenso. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 The state of the Church and country at 1800 — Effects of the Rovolntionar_y 
 "War — Indifference of the people to religious enterprise — Efforts to im- 
 prove — To promote missions in New Jersey, and elsewhere. 
 
 The nineteenth century found the Presbyterian Church in a 
 condition of at least lamentable repose. To this many influences 
 unliappily conduced. Even the powerful revivals experienced, 
 many years preceding, in New England, in the central and more 
 Southern colonies, lent efficient aid in producing a strong and de- 
 plorable reaction in the churches generally. The preaching of 
 Edwards, at Northampton and in the surrounding country; and 
 of Whitfield and Tennent every where, especially in the North- 
 ern and Eastern States, though astonishingly impressive and 
 awakening in multitudes of instances, seemed, in the midst of 
 their signally gracious triumphs, and immediately thereafter, to 
 open a way and give an impulse favorable to Arminian errors, 
 and kindred heresies of a grosser kind. The extravagant ex- 
 citements and fanatical zeal and action attending these revivals 
 speedily exhausted themselves, and were succeeded by a spirit of 
 slumber, in the American churches, which lasted for a long pe- 
 riod. Other causes aggravated these results, and raised up for- 
 midable obstacles in the way of reform or of progress. 
 
 The freedom of the people, and the Constitution of the United 
 States, had been recently established, by a protracted and ex- 
 hausting war. The lively sympathies of the people had been 
 turned off from their altars of devotion to the standard of liberty 
 and the firesides of home. The country, disorganized and 
 confused by the tumult of war and the disaster of battles, re- 
 (|uired all the wisdom of its councils to restore order; and being 
 not less dilapidated and impoverished by the galling burdens they 
 hjid sustained, as the price of their liberty, all their remaining 
 energies and resources were taxed to the utmost to repair the 
 wasted strength and productiveness of their farms, their count- 
 ing-houses, and their workshops. 
 
 Most of the country, west of Pittsburgh, was the red man's 
 home and hunting ground ; a vast wilderness. The territory of 
 New York, west and north of Albany, was but little removed 
 from a state of nature, excepting a few favoured spots on the 
 banks and the flats which skirted the Mohawk river, where towns 
 and churches began early to rise in quick succession. The thir- 
 teen states, the most cultivated and improved portion of the 
 country, after enduring the heat and burden of the Revolutionary 
 conflict, were poor and powerless. The most populous states 
 
28 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 themselves were very imperfectly supplied with institutions of 
 learning, and still more destitute of the means of grace. Around 
 and before them lay a wild and vast desolation, which presented 
 itself to them as an almost boundless missionary field, little, if at 
 all explored. A comparatively small number of gospel ministers, 
 eminent for talents and venerable for piety and services, were 
 scattered through the land, occupying the more conspicuous and 
 responsible posts in the large cities and growing villages of the 
 country. The noble and animating Christian zeal with which 
 many of the churches in the Souihern, Central and Northeastern 
 districts of the land had been inspired some years before by the 
 preaching of Whitfield, the Tennents, the Blairs, the Brainards, 
 the Rogerses, the Finleys, the Davises, the VVitherspoons, the 
 Masons, McKnights, Nesbits, Sproats, Dickinsons, Smiths, Burrs, 
 Edwards, the VVoodhulls, and other apostolic men, in connexion 
 with the influence of the extensive I'evivals of 1741, had not only 
 in great treasure lost their power and effect, but were succeeded 
 by a spirit of indifference to all religion, tinctured with a prone- 
 ness, imported from the mother country, in very many instances, 
 to skepticism and downright hostility to revealed truth. 
 
 Several formidable obstacles combined their influence to ob- 
 struct the plans formed, by the wise and excellent men of that 
 day, to restore the impaired energies of the people; to direct and 
 concentrate their efforts in striving to increase the number of 
 evangelical ministers; to build up literary institutions ; to erect 
 churches in destitute places, and to inspire the congregations with 
 just views ajid corresponding zeal in the cause of missions. With 
 great numbers, not only their poverty disabled and discouraged 
 them from participating in any movement of this kind, but an 
 anti-evangelic impression prevailed extensively, that the whole 
 heathen world were situated beyond the reach of divine mercy, 
 and that the Indian tribes were so deeply sunk in ignorance and 
 hardened in barbarity and vice, as to be utterly incorrigible in their 
 habits, and irredeemable even by gospel grace. 
 
 At this incipient stage of gospel enterprise, the Church of Scot- 
 land, the alma mater, as well as origin of American Presbyteri- 
 anism, and the great pioneer in diffusing knowledge and spread- 
 ing the gospeU'ar and wide, had lifted her standard and uttered 
 he"r watchword. The rays of light, from the society in Scotland 
 for propagating religious knowledge, had already reached these 
 recently emancipated States with their cheering radiance. Sim- 
 ultaneously, however, an eloquent and popular sermon, preached 
 by Doctor Hardy, of Edinburgh, before that society in Scotland, 
 presented the objection, above stated, to missions among the In- 
 dians and other savage tribes, in a manner so plausible and so 
 forcible, especially so well adapted to their parsimony, their igno- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VISTDICATED. 29 
 
 ranee and unbelief, and to their coM indifference or fixed opposi- 
 tion to every work of benevolence, that yielding to its specious 
 pretext, " that civilization must precede the gospel and prepare 
 men for the reception of Christianity," no small portion of the 
 people, wherever it circulated, beguiled by its sophistry, were 
 paralyzed by its power and plunged into an unfortunate and crim- 
 inal slumber, from which it was found no easy matter to rouse 
 them.* Reason and scripture and fact, with rational men, might 
 correct the grand mistake, "that you must make Indians and 
 savages civilized and cultivated men before you can make theni 
 Christians," but reason and scripture, and even fact, proved too 
 feeble to awaken multitudes out of a profound delusion which 
 they seemed to court and cherish. 
 
 Notwithstanding the apathy which depressed the public mind 
 in general, and paralyzed all action in connexion with ecclesiasti- 
 cal enterprise, the excellent men who then controlled the interests 
 of the church, impelled by a determined zeal for her enlargement 
 and prosperity, and to extend relief to the destitute and suffering 
 ai'ound on every side, united their counsels, their prayers, and 
 importunate appeals, to the slumbering pastors and people, to in- 
 spire them with an enlightened and liberal energy in this great 
 work. This was especially true as appHed to the Presbytery of 
 New Brunswick, which embraced witliin its limits nearly the 
 whole state of New Jersey. The opposition to collections and 
 taxations, for religious use, and especially for missionary pur- 
 j)oses, was so decisive in the congregations generally, thai; to 
 procure the assent of the people to a very moderate and equitable 
 assessment for the missionary cause, the Presbyier<P appointed 
 onef of their most aged, venerable, and influential members, to 
 visit the churches, to enlighten them on the subject of missions, to 
 explain their duty, and by direct and impressive appeals, to induce 
 them to admit the principle of taxation, and to observe the assess- 
 
 * It may be a fact of some Interest with the reader to know, that the sub- 
 ject of these cavils against missionary hxbor, was gravely recited and dis- 
 cussed by the illustrious Ur. John M. Mason, pastor of the Scots Presby- 
 terian Church in the city of New York, in a sermon preached before the 
 New York Missionary Society, Nov. 7, 1797, published the same year by 
 T. & J. Swords, of that city. Could those cold, callous objectors now re- 
 turn to earth and cast their eyes over the missionary field, survey the moun- 
 tains of India, the islands of the Southern Sea, and the vast Christianized 
 regions of the North and West, with what indescribable emotions of as- 
 tonishment and remorse would their bosoms heave ! 
 
 t That member wa^ the Rev. Joseph Chirk, pastor of the Church in N'ew 
 Brunswick, a man and a minister of decided talents, pifty, and Christian 
 zeal, known and beloved in all the churches. For an extended sketch, see 
 Appendix of the Memoir of Rev. Robert Finley, published by Terhune & 
 Letson, New Brunswick, 1819, by I. V. Brown. 
 
30 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 tnent of the Presbytery. This agency was promptly performed 
 with great fidelity and success. The amount realized annually 
 from that measure was small indeed, but sufficient to meet their 
 limited plans and outlays. Its most important benefit lay in the 
 eftect it produced upon the minds and habits of the people. The 
 salutary influence of this apportionment was distinctly visible 
 in the congregations for many years. The principle was clearly 
 stated and powerfully commended, that providing for the support 
 of the gospel at home, and not less for the sending of it to the desii- 
 lute abroad, involves the highest and most sacred responsibility ol 
 the Christian name, or in other words that the church of Christ is 
 a missionary society. This being once settled, the way is open 
 immediately for the introduction of that large and liberal policy 
 in sustaining and enlarging the interests of Zion, which charac- 
 terizes the Presbyterian Church in these United States, and in ex- 
 emplifying which the congregations in New Jersey have main- 
 tained an honorable ^''^de. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Plan of Union founded in the uncongeniaTity of Presbytevianism and Con- 
 gregationalism on the Mohawk and vicinity — Westward — The Plan of 
 Union was proposed first by the General Association of Connecticut — 
 Particulars stated — Plan of Union introduced. 
 
 The beautiful and fertile regions on both sides of the Mohawk 
 and extending far westward, began early to attract to that inte- 
 resting district, a crowd of settlers from the more populous parts 
 of New York, from East Jersey, and from the New England 
 slates, principally of the Presbyterian and Congregational denomi- 
 nations. The people thus emigrating and the religious teachers 
 accompanying, diflered very much among themselves in educa- 
 tion, in sectional feelings, in ecclesiastical forms, and in theologi- 
 cal opinions. The principles, in particular, of Presbyterian and 
 Congregational Church government, were soon found to be so 
 uncongenial, as to present great difliculties to those of this mixed 
 character, who attempted as one body to build churches and con- 
 duct ecclesiastical alTairs. Their infant 'eftbrts at missionary en- 
 terprise were met by the same obstacles and speedily produced 
 imhappy results. 
 
 On this^ arena in western New York, whose settlements were 
 new and heterogeneous, the difficulty originated which agitated 
 the Presbyterian Church most painfully for some years, till it pro- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VI^"DICATED. 31 
 
 duced the convulsive disruption of 1837. This afflicting process, 
 in all its stages, was introduced and coerced by the abuse of a 
 compromise measure, agreed upon between the Congregational 
 and Presbyterian denominations, A. D. 1801, and usually called 
 ihe Plan of Union, in the neio settlements.'^ Dr. Judd has mis- 
 taken one fact in regard to the origin of this plan. His words 
 are, " Here let it be borne in mind, that this plan originated wiu! 
 Presbyterians, and was by their General Assembly proposed h' 
 the General Association of Connecticut, and by both bodies unan- 
 imously adopted." Probably, this error has proceeded from the 
 fact, that the authority relied upon for the history of this transac- 
 tion, is the Assembly's Digest, which does not contain the vi'hole 
 record. By referring to the minutes of the Assembly for 18G0- 
 1801, it will be perceived that the Plan was first proposed by the 
 Genera] Association of Connecticut. "In the minutes for 1800 
 is the following: the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Edwards, the Rev. i\.sa 
 HylHer, and Jonathan Freeman, were appointed delegates from 
 this Assembly to the General Association of Connecticut," &c. 
 Jn the minutes of 1801, we find their report, as follows: " Tlie 
 delegates from the Genera] Assembly to the General Association 
 of Connecticut, report, that they have attended according to ap- 
 pointment, through the whole course of the sessions of the Gene- 
 ral Association. That besides the business peculiar to the churches 
 of Connecticut, the General Association appointed a committee \o 
 confer with a committee that may be appointed by the General 
 Assembly, on measures which may promote union among the in- 
 habitants of the new settlements, and the missionaries to those 
 settlements, as appears by the enclosed paper." Immediately 
 after the committee had reported, the paper referred to above 
 was read, the minute concerning which is as follows : •' A commu- 
 nication was read from the General Association of the state of 
 Connecticut, appointing a committee to confer with a committee 
 of the Presbyterian Church, to consider the measures proper to 
 be adopted by the General Association and the General Assembly, 
 for establishing a uniform system of church government betv/een 
 the inhabitants of the new settlements, who are attached to the 
 Presbyterian form of government, and those who prefer the Con- 
 gregational form." 
 
 "Ordered that the said communication lie on the table." Suc- 
 ceeding this, on the same page, is the following : The Rev. Drs. 
 Edwaixls, McKnight, and Woodhull, the Rev. Mr. Blatchford and 
 Mr. Hutton, were appointed a committee to consider and digest 
 a plan of government for the churches in the new settlements, 
 agreeably to the proposal of the General Association of Con- 
 
 * Division of the Church, p. 11. 
 
32 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 necticuf, and report the same as soon as convenient. Then fol- 
 lows the report of the committee, as contained in the Digest, page 
 297, as follows : 
 
 " The report of the committee appointed to consider and digest 
 a plan of government for the churches in the new settlements, 
 was taken up and considered, and after mature deliberation on 
 the same, approved, as follows: 
 
 "' Regulations adopted hy the General Assembly of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church in America, and by the General Association of 
 the state of Connecticut, [provided said Association agrees to 
 them.) with a view to prevent alienation and promote union 
 and harmony in those new settlements which are composed of 
 inhabitants from these bodies: 
 
 " I. It is strictly enjoined on all their missionaries to the new set- 
 tlements, to endeavor by all means to promote mutuiil forbear- 
 ance and ac(!omodation between those inhabitants of the new 
 .settlements v.'ho hold the Presbyterian and those who hold th<; 
 Congregational form of church government. 
 
 " JI. Jf in the new settlements any church of the Congregational 
 order shall settle a minister of the Presbyterian order, that church 
 may, if they choose, still conduct their discipline according to 
 (Jongregational principles, settling their difficulties among them- 
 t^elves, or by a council mutually agreed upon for that purpose. 
 But if any difiiculty shall exist between the minister and the 
 church, or any member of it, it shall be referred to the Presby- 
 tery to which the minister shall belong, provided both parties 
 afjrceto i*; if not, to a council, consisting of an equal number of 
 Presbyterians and Congregationalists, agreed upon by both 
 parlies. 
 
 "III. If a Presbyterian church shall settle a minister of Con- 
 gregational principles, that church may still continue their disci- 
 pline according to Presbyterian principles; except that if a diffi- 
 culty arise between him and his church, or any member of it, 
 the cause shall be tried by the association to which the said min- 
 ister shall belong, provided both parties agree to it; otherwise b\' 
 a council, one half Congregationalists and the other half Presby- 
 terians, mutually agreed on by tlie parties, 
 
 "lY. If any congregation consist partly of those who hold the 
 Congregational form of discipline, and partly of those who hold 
 the Presbyterian form, we recommend to both parties that this be 
 no obstruction to their uniting in one church and settling a min- 
 ister; and that in this case the church choose o. standing commit- 
 tee from the communicants of said church, whose business it 
 shall be to call to account every member of the church who shall 
 conduct himself inconsistently with the laws of Christianity, and 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 33 
 
 to give judgment on such conduct ; and if the person condemned 
 by their judgment be a Presbyterian, he shall have Uberty to 
 appeal to the Presbytery; if a Congregationalist, he shall have 
 liberty to appeal to the body of the male communicants of the 
 church; in the former case, the determination of the Presbytery 
 shall be final, unless the church consent to a further appeal to the 
 Synod or to the General Assembly ; and in the latter case, if the 
 party condemned shall wish for a trial by a mutual council, the 
 -cause shall be referred to said council; and provided the said 
 standing committee of any church shall depute one of themselves 
 to attend the Presbytery, he may have the same right to sit and 
 act in the Presbytery, as a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church. 
 •' Unanimously adopted by the Association." 
 
 CHAPTER lY 
 
 ixoneral character of the Plan of Union — Objects of the parties to it — Their 
 character, probable feelings, and aims — Temporary and transient impor^ 
 of the title, " Plan of Union for the New Settlements." ' 
 
 iiv tiie following detail, the matters which relate to chu^rch. 
 government and theological opinion, will be considered separate 
 and apart, as far as found practicable. At this point in the illus- 
 tration, we shall confine ourselves to the subject of ecclesiastical 
 government, as most intimately connected with the Plan of Union. 
 As a preliminary remark, we observe that in surveying the com- 
 i)romise scheme, it cannot be doubted, that it was intended pri- 
 marily and principally to accommodate the good people of the 
 mixed character referred to, who were living on the frontiers, 
 !)rincipally of Western 1>\q\w York, or in the new settlements. 
 I^or wiil any who candidly estimate the terms, the circumstances, 
 and the time of the Plan, deny that this friendly arrangement was 
 intended to be temporary, and tc pass away with the period and the 
 exigencies which gave it birth. tSurely, nobody expected that those 
 settlefhents and locations were always to continue new, or that the 
 people of each distinct and opposite religious class were forever 
 to remain untaught, inexperienced, and unmitigatedly hostile to- 
 wards ever}' form of ecclesiastical administration but their own. 
 Now the Presbyterian fathers, w'ho were active then, in yielding 
 To this innovation, many of them from the beginning considering 
 it of doubtful expediency, unquestionably contemplated, as a se- 
 cond and weighty motive in favor of the Plan, the enlargement 
 of their own church; they had a right to do so; this was to them 
 
 
 
S4 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 a legitimate result ; the ground was universally considered as 
 Presbyterian ; it was no part of New England : their preponderance 
 in numbers on the ground was very great. Hence their confident 
 belief was, that the Congregational brethren living already within 
 the bosom of the Presbyterian family, after becoming practically 
 familiar with their name, their principles, and forms, would gradu- 
 ally amalgamate with the great Presbyterian body, and render 
 the existence of this incongruous plan of intercourse in a short 
 time no longer requisite. 
 
 As the genius of New England had scarcely begun to develop 
 itself, it was quite easy and natural for the unsuspecting fathers 
 of the Presbyterian family, who unfortunately became, in some 
 sort, a party to the platform of 1801, to make an erroneous esti- 
 mate of the people with whom they were treating, and of the re- 
 sult they fondly anticipated. Indeed, the talent and enterprise or 
 the New England people, as since displayed in every field, m 
 every clime, in every art, in all forms of business, at home and 
 abroad, upon the land and the sea, have not failed to excite the 
 surprise and the admiration of mankind. In the arts of invention, 
 performance, and endurance, in the school room, the laboratory, 
 the forum, the council chamber or cathedral, in the legislative 
 hall or judicial tribunal, they arc always at home and at ease. 
 Whether tasked to manufacture a pin or a comb, to make a sii.i 
 reel, a cotton gin, a steam engine, or a telescope, they have a 
 tact, a versatility, a plenitude of skill and resort, always adequate 
 and ever at command. 
 
 What folly then to attempt to limit or bind such minds — such 
 a generation of men — by a loosely and absurdly constituted bond 
 of union or of intei'course, like that of 1801 ! It was certainly a 
 measure of daring and doubtful adventure, to admit at all, into so 
 near and intimate ecclesiastic alliance, a company of men so in- 
 spired with restless activity and enterprise, so eminently fond ot 
 change, as well as of progress. As monumental evidence of their 
 theological deflections at home from the right standard, we may 
 recite from observation made about thirty years ago, that a 
 traveller passing through their towns and villages, would see. in 
 most of them, in shocking juxtaposition and contrast, the Unita- 
 rian and so called Orthodox church, visible from the same posi- 
 tion. It is not wonderful that the same people, emigrating to 
 other lands and neighborhoods, should carry with them, and scat- 
 ter profusely, similar aberrations. 
 
 The New England party who had proposed this negotiation, 
 no doubt looked on with great interest. With the penetration and 
 intelligence belonging naturally to their craggy hills, they could 
 not fail to perceive the picturesque and beautiful features whici 
 marked even the wilderness and solitary place, and they coi' 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. . 35 
 
 easily anticipate the order, fertility, and comeliness, which talent 
 and industry, taste and refinement, would soon intermingle with 
 the wild siinplicity and rude magnificence of nature, in that new 
 and romantic region. How strong, then, must have been the at- 
 tractions of that field of promise, much more than of fiction, when, 
 in the glowing ardor of their warm imaginations, enlightened and 
 enlivened by iheir Christian zeal, the first New England adven- 
 turers surveyed those extended hills and vales, as radiated, 
 adorned, and sanctified by gospel grace! The secret stimulating and 
 thrilling hope, that this land would soon be theirs, that their Chris- 
 tian enterprise and earnestness would leave the slow and plodding 
 footsteps of tardy Presbyterians, though first in the field, far be- 
 hind, and secure to Congregational schools and churches, religious 
 doctrines and forms of devotion, a decided pre-eminence and ac- 
 knowledged triumph. With these feelings in the breasts of many 
 of New England's Levitical sons, the competition commenced, 
 iia the platform of 1801, in the new settlements. The results are 
 to be presented in these pages. 
 
 Thus our honest, kind, and excellent ecclesiastical fathers com- 
 mitted a great mistake. They never dreamed that a large por- 
 tion of the mixed population from the Eastern States were making 
 calculations on the subject of church extension, of the same kind 
 with themselves, Little did the majority at all apprehend the 
 sad inroads upon their system, by the new settlers, which their 
 successors have found it imperiously necessary to remedy by a 
 decisive act of amputation, which it is the object of these pages 
 to explain and to vindicate. 
 
 Certainly, no reasonable man, who knew the organization of 
 these distinct branches of the church and regarded the interests 
 of true religion, could expect that two religious bodies, under a 
 fictitious, not a real union, each retaining its own peculiar and 
 irreconcilable features, should continue long to act harmoniously 
 together, or that the profoundly sagacious and politic actors, on 
 the Presbyterian part, should, notwithstanding their zeal for har- 
 mony, deliberately devise and adopt a plan for perpetual obser- 
 vance, in which elements so uncongenial hold so prominent and 
 governing a place ; bringing incessantly into juxtaposition, or un- 
 avoidable conflict, the essential features of the scheme ; the end 
 of which collision must necessarily be discord and strife. 
 
 By this apparently conciliatory devise of 1801, the Presbyte- 
 rian church threw down their walls of defence; they opened 
 their bosom to the ingress of strangers ; they invited the active 
 leaven of discord and confusion to enter; they entailed, unde- 
 signedly, upon their sons and their successors, a task, the neces- 
 sity of which they will never cease to deplore, but the firm and 
 righteous performance of which they will as soon cease to justify. 
 
36. OLD SCHOOL VIIVDICATED. 
 
 Were those new settlements still new after a lapse of thirty- 
 five years 1 Had not those frontiers long before been lost and 
 overwhelmed by the vast tide of emigration and improvement 
 going west ; put off their infant character in the midst of a dense 
 population, of full maturity and large resources'? Were they to 
 be kept forever under the same system of tutelage and temporary 
 yoke of bondage as those who have always need to be taught 
 which be the first principles of the oracles of faith and order in 
 the Christian church? If then the plan adapted to the new set- 
 tlements, in their new and infant state, was temporary, how long 
 should it last ? Certainly no longer than to prove itself extensively 
 successful or entirely abortive. Certainly not after it had plainly 
 become mischievous ; not after the mischief springing from it had 
 multiplied to such an enormous extent as to threaten speedy ex- 
 termination and complete revolution to the whole church. 
 
 CHAPTER V. ' 
 
 Chief grounds of the Vindication stated — Unconstitutionality of the Plan 
 of Union considered and exposed. 
 
 The writer bases his vindication of the measures pursued by 
 the Old School in the Presbyterian Church, to correct the grand 
 mistake of 1801, and to terminate its evil results, mainly upon the 
 four following grounds, viz : 
 
 I. The unconstitutionality of the Flan of Union. 
 
 II. The disorders which proceeded from it in the Presbyterian 
 Church. 
 
 III. The false and dangerous theological opinions to which that 
 plan gave rise, within the limits of the Presbyterian body. 
 
 IV. The fact that a combination was detected among the New 
 School party in the church, whose object was to demolish the 
 ■whole fabric of the Presbyterian organization, in every essential 
 feature, and to substitute another, differently constructed; indeed, 
 founded and to be conducted upon principles totally irreconcilable 
 with the organization and administration of the Presbyterian 
 Church. 
 
 We shall not very particularly labor to observe this division of 
 the subject, especially in the order stated, and yet we hope not to 
 fail of producing an abundance of material to illustrate and sup- 
 port each and every one of the particulars above presented. 
 
 I. The unconstitutionality of the Plan of Union is here pre- 
 sented as a ground upon which to justiiy its abrogation. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 37 ' 
 
 As there has been much exhibited on this subject, which is now 
 in print, in the form of speeches, discussions, and criticisms, all 
 couched in well arranged thought and language, we shall select 
 freely, in the sequel, from the materials before us, what appears 
 best adapted to our purpose, without particularity of reference. 
 
 Unconstitutionality may relate to the powers of the parties en- 
 gaged in framing the plan, or to the matter involved in it. A few 
 references from articles in the constitution of the Presbyterian 
 Church, will enable any one to see at once the utter incompati- 
 bility of the Plan of Union with that instrument. "Before any 
 overtures or regulations, proposed by the Assembly to be estab- 
 lished as constitutional rules shall be obligatory on the churches, 
 it shall be necessary to transmit them to all the Presbyteries, and 
 to receive the returns of at least a majority of them, in writing., 
 approving thereof." See Constitution, chapter XIL, section 6. 
 Here the General Assembly are positively prohibited from adopt- 
 ing any principle, regulation, or agreement, on any subject, with 
 any party, under any circumstances, tending to enlarge or abridge, 
 infringe, or change, any part of the constitution of the Church. 
 Having no power in themselves to make any change in our eccle- 
 siastical system, without authority derived from the Presbyteries, 
 nil their attempts at it are necessarily null and void. This being 
 most manifestly true, the people, the great body of the church, 
 cannot be bound by their unauthorized act. It is not material 
 which party proposed the Plan of Union — whether the General 
 Association of Connecticut, which is the fact, or the General 
 Assembly of the Presbyterian Church — neither had power to 
 make it bindins;. The former of these bodies does not exist and 
 act in such character and manner as to give validity to such a 
 transaction, and the latter is restricted by a positive prohibition. 
 Now the interests, the' rights, the forms invested, as is said, or 
 secured in this plan of action of 1801, will show at once that it 
 repudiates and defies all constitutional provisions and arrange- 
 ments. Let us analyze the plan, and examine it in a iew partic- 
 ulars. This new mode of action authorizes ** a Presbyterian 
 preacher to become the pastor of a Congregational Church, (see 
 Plan of Union, sections 1 and 2, this vol. p. 32,) and the church 
 may still, if they choose, conduct their discipline according to 
 Congregational principles, settling their difficulties among them- 
 selves, or by a council mutually agreed upon for that purpose ;'' 
 *' but if any difficulty should arise between the minister and the 
 church, or any member of it, it shall be referred to the Presby- 
 tery to which the minister shall belong, provided both parties 
 agree to it ; if not, to a council composed of an equal number 
 of Presbyterians and Congregationalists, agreed upon by both 
 parties." 
 
38 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Again, the Plan provides that when a Presbyterian Church 
 has a Congregational pastor, the discipline must be exercised on 
 the Presbyterian plan. If difficulty arises between such a pastor 
 and his church, the matter in dispute must be referred to his asso- 
 ciation, or to a mutual council. 
 
 Again, the Plan provides, that when a congregation is com- 
 posed partly of Presbyterians and partly of Congregationalists, 
 the Plan recommends that they should unite and form one con- 
 gregation, settle a minister, choose a standing committee to ad- 
 minister discipline; that a CongregationaHst may appeal from the 
 judgments of this committee to ihe male members of the churcii •, 
 a Presbyterian may appeal to his own Presbytery, whose decision 
 shall settle the difficulty, unless the church consent to a further 
 appeal to the Synod or General Assembly. 
 
 Again, observe a concluding provision of much importance, 
 which has been greatly abused. " If a standing committee, while 
 this case of discipline is in process, shall depute one of themselves 
 to attend Presbytery, he may have the same right to sit and act 
 in Presbytery as a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church." 
 
 Now, after this brief recital of the outlines of this anomalous 
 plan, may we not ask, what part of the plain, consistent, and 
 well ordered constitution of the Presbyterian Church is not violated 
 and set aside by this incongruous cngrafture? No wit of man 
 could more effiectually supersede Presbyterianism, or devise a 
 scheme better adapted to create difficulty and confusion. The 
 leading features of our ecclesiastical system, are placed in a 
 character of entire subversion or perpetual vacillations, and a 
 compound fabric of immisceable elements is substituted for it. 
 Surely it must be admitted, that under the Presbyterian organiza- 
 tion, every rule enjoined is intended for pure Presbyterian con- 
 gregations and Presbyterian pastors, to be received as such, re- 
 tained as such, and observed as such. The Plan of Union, pur- 
 suing an object entirely diflerent, provides for bringing into this 
 connexion. Congregational churches and ministers, and making 
 them an integral component part of our body, members of the 
 Presbyterian Church. Besides, the Plan allows these Congrega- 
 tionalists, unchanged in their principles and sympathies, to con- 
 tinue in the Presbyterian body ad libitum: to enjoy the rights and 
 privileges of pure Presbyterians ; to exercise the powers of Pres- 
 byterians in the church, in administering its discipline, governing 
 its members, and wielding its power; thus assisting to make and 
 enforce rules and decisions over others to which they themselves 
 are not in the slightest degree amenable ; for be it remembered, 
 they are permitted, in any emergency, to lake refuge under the 
 provisions of the Congregational Church. 
 
 For example, in those mixed congregations, the constitutional 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 39 ^, 
 
 rule requiring the church to be organized with a pastor and 
 bench of elders, is set aside ; and for the elders is substituted a 
 standing committee, who are to exercise the same powers as 
 ciders, without any responsibility to the Presbyterian Church. 
 On this plan, the whole theory and process of church discipline is 
 converted into a fluctuating caprice or scene of confusion. Trials 
 lor offences, among church members, on Presbyterian principles, 
 are plain and easy. By the Plan of Union, offenders are some- 
 times tried by the male members of the church, sometimes by a 
 standing committee, and the remedy of appeal, it may be, from 
 their ignorant and erring decisions, to higher courts, can be ob- 
 tained only by getting the consent of masses who are not Pres- 
 byterians themselves, thus completely closing the avenues to jus- 
 tice, and frustrating one of the cardinal and most precious features 
 lo be found in this or any other judicial code, the right of appeal, 
 to courts of higher order, or of the last resort. 
 
 The ministers of the gospel, by the Presbyterian system, have 
 a right to be tried by their own Presbytery, but the Plan of Union 
 [uovides that pastors shall be tried by men who have adopted a 
 different system of faith, different rules of evidence, and different 
 iorms of discipline. The constitution of the Presbyterian Church 
 requires that every candidate for the sacred office, before his in- 
 stallation to a church, must adopt our Confession of Faith and 
 form of government. But this Plan comes in upon our church 
 with a tremendous avalanche; it permits a Congregationalist to' 
 assume the pastoral office, with all its sacred responsibilities, in a 
 manner most perfectly free from all restriction or ceremony. The 
 candidate enters, to preside in church sessions, to sit in Presbytery, 
 lo occupy a place in Synod and. General Assembly,* and to preach 
 the gospel, entirely disregarding the constitutional claims of the 
 church upon every intrant, for suitable qualifications and pledges, 
 l?^ this total exemption from rule, or elevation above it, ever per- 
 mitted in the induction of a regular Presbyterian candidate? In 
 no case whatever. Who, then, can be so blind, or so prejudiced, 
 as not to see that the Plan of Union is a thing entirely different, 
 in every important point, from the constitution of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church ? It is precisely such a device as enemies of the 
 church ought to desire for the purpose of breaking down its old 
 landmarks, introducing novelties, enabling Christians of another 
 character, spirit, and form, to bring in, mix up, diffuse piecemeal, 
 and establish uncongenial peculiarities of another organization, 
 gradually, but incessantly asserting its corrupting influence, and 
 confirming its power, till, like leaven, it leavens the whole lump. 
 
 * This is the construction New School men have put upon the last clause 
 of Section 4. See Plan of Union, p. 32. 
 
i 40 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. 
 
 The facilities are fully afforded in this New England plan of 
 amalgamation, for accomplishing a complete change in the Pres- 
 byterian Church. Only set such a company of men to work, 
 under privileges and auxiliaries so well adapted, with such talent, 
 industry, unscrupulousness, and perseverance, and revolution in 
 the church will as certainly follow, as water continue to run down 
 hill, or attraction and gravitation to prevail in matter. The facts 
 to be presented in this history will confirm the truth of these 
 statements. 
 
 It is true, this scheme was gravely headed, a Plan of Union ! 
 It is, in reality, a plan of division; apian of undermining the 
 Presbyterian Church ; a plan of substituting a heterogeneous mon- 
 ster in its place; a plan for making a huge mass of guano, out of 
 which almost spontaneously shall vegetate enormous excresences ; 
 a Upas tree, which, let alone, would speedily generate poison 
 enough to infect the whole body of Christ's Church in this west- 
 ern world. We may well ask, who has a right to supplant the 
 constitution of the Presbyterian Church, and place in its stead a 
 device so opposite and hostile to it at every point? The fact is 
 conceded on all sides that the General Assembly had not this 
 power. It is equally clear and certain that the General Associa- 
 tion of Connecticut had no power. The document, therefore, 
 which was executed by these two ecclesiastical bodies, for the 
 purpose of becoming an instrument of binding force, was just as 
 susceptible of it as would have been a sheet of blank paper. The 
 whole transaction bears the aspect of a legislative or advisory 
 act, for the benefit of the churches in the new settlements. To this 
 declaration, the Association merely grant their assent, without 
 giving or receiving any pledge. The Assembly then assume the 
 exclusive agency, and are the only party in the case. It becomes 
 a domestic, a home concern, with them, to promote the best in- 
 terests of their feeble and scattered flocks, and to be continued or 
 cease at their discretion. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Lathrop's Case stated — Encroachments of New School men — First Princi- 
 ples, extract from a sermon delivered, Princeton, 1820 — Opinions of 
 Vattel. 
 
 II. An irresistible argument in favor of repealing this Plan is 
 drawn from the irregularities and disorders deforming and dis- 
 turbing the church, which have been for many years flowing in 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 41 % 
 
 at this unlawful inlet. It is true that n:iany years before ihe ab- 
 rogation, the remark was frequently made, that there was no ob- 
 jection to the Plan of Union. This, however, was a great mis- 
 take. For a number of years, probably eight or ten, it made but 
 little impression on the public mind: And w^ien dissatisfaction 
 began to speak out, to its feeble whispers of apprehension, which 
 began to be uttered about 1810 or 1812, it was responded by the 
 careless and the cunning, why trouble ourselves about the i'Jan 
 of Union ; it is an inoperative, harmless thing, and if let alone, it 
 will die of itself. In this manner the spirit of vigilance and re- 
 sistance was partially put to rest at the time. Soon afterwards, 
 when farther developments of its mischeivous tendency had pro- 
 duced deeper impressions of disgust, and louder remonstrance, 
 criticism and censure were objected to on an opposite ground. 
 Oh ! say the friends of this incipient^ew School wedge, the Plan 
 has existed so long that it has received the sanction of the church : 
 the silence and acquiescence of the Presbyterian body have given 
 to it their sanction, and confirmed it as a valid, integral pari of 
 their great system. The attempt, however, to gain some advan- 
 tages for- Congregationalism, from usage and from apparently 
 tacit indulgence, while it seemed to encourage the bold advance^ 
 of the intruders, inspired the greater alarm among the possessor?-. 
 A striking instance of this kind occurred in the General Assem- 
 bly of 1820, of which the writer happened to be a member. At 
 the organization, a young man, in appearance about twenty-five 
 years of age, by name Daniel W. Lathrop, delegated by Hartford 
 Presbytery, New Connecticut, presented himself under the char- 
 acter of a committee man, and demanded a seat in the House. 
 The minutes for that year record nothing peculiar in the. case, 
 but the facts are perfectly well recollected, and are here presented 
 as a specimen of what occurred frequently soon after in the As- 
 sembly, and yet the minutes make very little record of the serious 
 struggles which occurred on these occasions. Mr. Lathrop boldly 
 avowed himself as a committee man in a congregation of the 
 Presbytery of Hartford. His admission was opposed by m'any 
 members, from different districts of the church, on constitutional 
 grounds. It was urged very temperately, that Congregationahsm 
 was always out of place, and then becoming increasing]}' dan- 
 gerous within the Presbyterian Church ; that encroachments were 
 multiplying in various ways, and our church and her institutions. 
 already sufiering injury, and liable every year to aggravated 
 harm from those influences; that unless a prompt and efficient 
 check were put upon these infractions of our elementary princi-, 
 pies and safeguards, no man could tell when and where they 
 would end. Some of the opposers, after examining the charter 
 of the church and the Plan of Union, declared without fear or 
 
42 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 reservation, that tlie claimant liad not the shghtest shade of a ri::fht 
 to a seat in the Assembly. On more particular inquiry, it was 
 ascertained that the ciiurch which sent i)im did not possess a fea- 
 ture of Presbyterianism at all. A warm debate ensued. The 
 principal advocates for his admission were from the vicinity of 
 Albany, and the neighborhood of the Western Reserve, Ohio. 
 Ivev. Arthur I. Stansbury, from the city of Albany, was promi- 
 nent in advocating the admission of Mr. Lathrop. Old fashioned 
 Presbyteiians, wiio lifted their voice, had but little influence. 
 The mild and paternal counsel of the Rev. Dr. John Woodhull, 
 of New Brunswick Presbyter}', one of the committee who re- 
 jjorted the Plan of Union, in the Assembly of 1801, but was never 
 satisfied with the Plan, amidst the noisy vociferation of several 
 young speakers, which pervaded the house, in favor of the motion 
 to admit, scarcely obtained a«dclibcrate hearing. The advocates 
 appealed exquisitely to the sympathies of the members, and pro- 
 tested against the rudeness and discourtesy of sending Mr. Lathrop 
 back under a frown, after so long a travel over the mountains to 
 secure what they called Jtis riglits. 
 
 After a short interim in the business of the Assetnbly, and a 
 conference had been held in a corner of the house, on the left 
 hand of the Moderator's chair, a committee from Mr. Lathrop's 
 advocates was gravely sent to the writer of these sheets, with an 
 importunate request that he would withdraw his opposition, and 
 acquiesce in the application, as a matter of personal favor. Of 
 this committee, two individuals are distinctly recollected. Rev. 
 Arthur i. Stansbury, of Albany, and Rev. Matthew G. Wallace, 
 of Miami Presbytery, Synod of Ohio. At this critical moment, 
 the illustrious Jos. Caldwell, D. D., of Chapel Hill, North Caro- 
 lina, reputed a philosopher, a mathematician, and a theologian, 
 niade a labored speech in favor of Mr. Lathrop. It was called 
 the one idea speech, yet it was so magically important in the ab- 
 sence of every thing like argument, that it really seemed to decide 
 the question. The argument, if it may be so called, of Dr. Cald- 
 well, with its one idea, was so profound and convincing, while 
 exltemely simple, that the power of resistance seemed,; in great 
 measure, annihilated in the house. This was the orator's magical 
 jilea : " Mr. Moderator — It is true that our system recognizes in this 
 Assembly, from the churches, only ruling elders, as members. 
 But Mr. Lathrop was appointed to do the work of an elder in this 
 house, and he comes in the place of an elder, and, therefore, ke is 
 an elder, and ought to be received." Such absurd language, 
 coming from a man of supposed sense and reason, impressed the 
 house with the idea that resistance at that time was useless. The 
 New School were so elated 'with this victory, that it was cur- 
 rently reported, that they had placed the successful adventurer on 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 43 
 
 trials for the ministry, witiiout even allowing him time to visit 
 home. In a few months, he came out of their mill, accomplished, 
 according to their incipient system, as a laborer in the field. The 
 success of this enterprise, in forcing Lathrop upon the General 
 Assembly, exerted a powerful influence upon the party, in aug- 
 menting their confidence, their zeal, and the sphere of their action. 
 The predictions of several prominent men, at this period, soon be- 
 came matter of general remark. 
 
 These minutire are introduced to show how unfounded the as- 
 sertion was, so often made about that period, that the Presbyterian 
 Church, as a body, by tacit consent, approved and confirmed the 
 Plan of Union. The event above recorded took place in the 
 General Assembly, seventeen years before the Abrogation, and 
 cases analogous to it occurred soon after. It is particularly to be 
 regretted, that the judge and counsellors concerned in adjudicating 
 thrs case, in JMisi Prius, should have given opinions and made 
 statements so conflicting with one another, and contrary to fact. 
 For example, Judge Rogers, in his charge, in J\''isi Prius, (see 
 Judd, p. 2.32,) says, "all parties acquiesced in it for thirty-six 
 yeco'S.'" Into this grand mistake. Chancellor Kent had fallen some 
 time before. In his opinion, (Judd 264,) he says, ♦' the Plan of 
 tJnion was carried into operation with great success, and with 
 the continued approbation of the Presbyteries and General As- 
 semblies of the Presbyterian Church, down to its final abrogation 
 in 1837." Again, page 232, Rogers says, " the court is also of 
 opinion,, that after an acquiescence of nearly forty years," &c., 
 &c. This is entirely irreconcilable with true history, as the As- 
 sembly's minutes will show. 
 
 From what the writer observed in the General Assembly of 
 1820, he returned home deeply convinced that decided Congre- 
 gationalists, and ministers undul}^ influenced by Congregational 
 sympathies, were more thickly scattered through the church, and 
 much more actively and pertinaciously engaged in propagating 
 their own views, than was generally supposed. It was still as- 
 serted by some, — " the church is quiet and safe — there is no 
 danger." 
 
 To call public attention to the subject, the writer, being ap- 
 pointed bv Presbytery to deliver a discourse at the installation of 
 the Rev. George S. Woodhull, Princeton, N. J., July 5lh, 1820, 
 preached a sermon, which was printed, with the title, " First 
 Principles : or. Hints to suit the times, and calculated to promote 
 ecclesiastical union," from the text, Romans x. 2: "For I 
 bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not accord- 
 ing to knowledge." The following extracts from that discourse 
 are inserted here to exhibit the feelings and views prevalent, at 
 that period, in regard to the Plan of Union and the New School 
 
44 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 faction, in the Presbyterian Church, among the members of this 
 respectable Presbytery. It is true, there were a few individuals, 
 in that body who lifted the syren voice — Peace! Peace! ! This 
 voice it was that destroyed confidence and aggravated alarm. 
 
 A poition of this discourse is addressed " To those within the 
 body of our own church, who entertain sentiments not conformed 
 to our established standards." We extract, p. 
 
 " That a considerable number of individuals of this description 
 exist in the Presbyterian Church, is now well known. I shall not 
 attempt to specify the points respecting which they difler, nor to 
 estimate their importance. That this difference exists, is the fact 
 assumed, as the basis of my remarks, under this head. 
 
 " The question has been forced upon the church, what course 
 ought she to pursue in regard to her dissenting members? It 
 would be presumption in me to attempt defiinitcly to prescribe her 
 duty. But in the exercise of that privilege, and under the con- 
 straints of that responsibility, which are common to all, it is con- 
 (ieived not to be foreign from the business of this day to suggest 
 some considerations which will assist in forming an opinion on 
 tiifs subject, and which ought to have influence in all future pro- 
 ceedings relative to this unhappy disscntion. 
 
 " Tlie following principles I shall lay down on this subject,- 
 ronceivihg them to be incontrovertibly sanctioned by reason, 
 common sense, and the usages of mankind. 
 
 "'I. The first principle is, that all people have a rigiit to as-, 
 socjate together for religious purposes, in any manner suited to 
 their views, under the direction of the word of God, to determine 
 the articles of their faith, their plan of worship, their form of go- 
 vernment, and their terms of membership.' 
 
 » < < T T ^ * -S * * * * 
 
 *• ' III. The third principle aflirmed is, that all persons becom- 
 ing members of a community distinctly organized, are bound to 
 comply with the spirit and letter of the terms of admission.' 
 
 *' The principles of cominon candour and honour require con- 
 formity in civil society, and above all, conscience and consistency 
 should enforce it in a religious community. The idea that any 
 member, however voluntarily and sincerely he may have avowed 
 at first, is not bound afterwards to regard his obligations; that 
 he is at liberty, with any alteration of views that may occur,' to 
 change his faith and his practice, still continuing in the bosom of 
 the society he has chosen, is subversive of all uniformity, good 
 faith, and established order, in the world ; it tends to loosen the 
 ties of every compact ; it represents the most sacred engage- 
 ments as a mere empty form of momentary convenience, but 
 possessing no practical influence or binding force. What can be 
 more shocking than the avowal of such a sentiment in the Chris- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. 45 
 
 tian church ! The articles adopted may not be agreeable to the 
 views of every individual ; the Plan of Union may be defective; 
 the comphance required may be attended with some difficulties ; 
 but until the constitution is regularly altered, it must be observed 
 in all its distinguishing features, according to the pledge origin- 
 ally given." 
 
 % ^ VS % T^ ^' '*■" 
 
 " The obligations imposed upon ministers of the gospel, upon 
 ruling elders, and implicitly upon all professors of religion, in the 
 Presbyterian Church, are of the most strong, unequivocal and 
 saci'ed nature. They ' declare that they sincerely receive and 
 adopt the confession of faith of this church, as containing the 
 svstems of doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures ;' and • that 
 they approve of the government and discipline of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church, as prescribed in the form.'* The obligations re- 
 quired, though comprised in seven distinct questions, are to be 
 c;onsidered as united in one in their object and spirit. Every 
 question proposed, and every idea suggested, must be viewed as 
 inseparably connected with all that precedes and follows. 
 
 "'IV. The fourth principle is this, when an individual belong- 
 ing to a community, whose standards he has engaged to observe, 
 avows sentiments opposed to those standards, and pursues a 
 course calculated to contravene the established principles and or- 
 
 * The form of oLlio;ation oliserved in the Presbyterian Church is in sub- 
 stance the same as that which has been used in the Church of Scotland, 
 As the custom there was to subscribe the formula, it was reduced to one 
 concise declaration. For the gratification of the reader, we insert the fol- 
 b)wing formula, enacted by the Assembly of t'le Church of Scotland, A. !>. 
 1711, to be subscribed by all such as shall pass trials in order to be licens- 
 ed, and that shall be ordained ministers, ®r admitted to parishes. 
 
 "I, , do hereby declare, that I do sincerely own and believe the 
 
 whole doctrine contained in the Confession of Faith, approved by the Gen- 
 eral Assembly of this National Church, and ratified by law, in the year 
 1G90, and frequently confirmed by divers acts of Parliament since that 
 time, to be the truths of God, and I do own the same as the confession of 
 my faith. As likewise I do own the purity of the Avorship presently au- 
 thorised and practiced in this church, and also the Presbyterian govern- 
 ment and discipline now so happily established therein : which ductrine. 
 worship and chui'ch government I am persuaded are founded upon the 
 word of God and are agreeable thereto : and I promise, that through the grace 
 of God, I shall firmly and constantly adhere to the same, and to the utmost 
 of my power shall, in my place and station, assert, maintain and defend 
 the said doctrine, worship, discipline and government of this church, by 
 Kirk Sessions, Presbyteries, Provincial Synods, and General Assemblies , 
 and that I shall in my practice conibrm myself to the said worship and 
 submit to the said discipline and government, and never endeavour, di- 
 rectly nor indirectly, the prejudice or subversion of the same." 
 
 See preface to a collection of the Confessions of Faith in the Churcl; of 
 Scotland. See also Form of Government, ch. siv. sec. 10. 
 
40 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 •der of the system, he violates his engagements, he is a disorgani- 
 zer in that society, and a disturber of its peace.' 
 
 " A foreign emigrant, who obtains citizenship in an adopted 
 country by subscribing the oath of allegiance to its sovereign and 
 obedience to its laws, and is found afterwards to entertain senti- 
 n:!ents hostile to the grand charter of state ; to difi'use a spirit 
 of insubordination- to law, and of rebellion against legitimate au- 
 thority, is accounted a seditious, treacherous subject.* He is 
 justly charged with all the guilt and evil attached to such conduct. 
 He is an aggressor against a peaceful and well ordered society. 
 These principles will apply with increased force to dissenting 
 members of a religious community, in which there is reasonably 
 expected a more scrupulous regard to moral obligation, and 
 where there can be extended comparatively but little indulgence 
 to aggressors. Whatever painful jealousies, interruptions of har- 
 mony, and alienations of afi'ection exist, in connexion with the mat- 
 ters in controversy, must necessarily be ascribed to the influence 
 of their dissention ! 
 
 "' V. Fifth principle. That every community is privileged and 
 obligated to preserve and perfect itself, as far as practicable, 
 agreeably to the plan of its organization, by guarding its institu- 
 tions, enacting and enforcing laws, and pursuing such a system 
 of measures as it may esteem calculated to improve its charac- 
 ter and promote the great end of its being.' 
 
 "These are rights and duties which unquestionably pertain to 
 societies in general. Man, as an individual endowed with vari- 
 ous faculties and susceptible of indefinite improvement, is obliga- 
 ted to preserve himself from harm, to cultivate his powers, and 
 so to pursue the end of his existence in that manner which ap- 
 pears to him most conducive to it. And groups of men, associ- 
 ated for purposes of improvement and benevolence, possess cor- 
 responding rights and are under similar obligations. ' In the act 
 '>f association, in virtue of which a number of men form a state 
 or nation, each individual has entered into an engagement with 
 all, and all have entered into engagements with each individual, 
 to prosecute the common welfare.' Again, ' If a nation is obliged 
 to preserve itself, it is not less obliged to preserve all its mem- 
 bers. The nation owes this to itself, since the loss of even one 
 of its members weakens it, and is injurious to its own preserva- 
 
 "■■■' The works of Vattel, as applied to political communities, are exceed- 
 ingly strong. " If every man is oI)ligated to entertain a sincere love for 
 his country, and to procure it all the happiness in his power, it is a shame- 
 ful and detestable crime to injure that very country. He who becomes 
 jfuilty of it, violates his most sacred engagements and sinks into base in- 
 gratitude ; he dishonors himself by the blackest perfidy, since he abuses 
 the confidence of his fellow-citizens, and treats as enem as those who had 
 a right to expect hia assistance and services." — Latvs of Nations. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 47 
 
 tion.' Again, ' Since a nation has a right to preserve itself, it 
 has a right to every thing necessary to its preservation, for the 
 law of nature gives us a right to every thing without which we 
 could not fulfil our obligation. A nation has a right to every 
 thing that can secure it from threatening danger, and keep at a 
 distance whatever is capable of causing its ruin.'* 
 
 "These general principles will apply to religious as well as to 
 civil societies. The fundamental rule of duty for every moral 
 being towards itself, is to live in a manner conformable to its own 
 nature; ^ naiurce convenieiiler vivere.'' The Presbyterian Church 
 is a confederation of a great number of presbyteries, churches, 
 and individuals, for the purpose of glorifying God, and promoting 
 the best interests of all her parts, by giving the greatest j.iractical 
 etTect to her doctrines, laws, and ordinances, as exhibited in the 
 Confession of Faith. It is her faith that constitutes the character, 
 the life, and the glory of the church. This is indeed her all ; for 
 it, then, she ought earnestly to contend. Her morals, her devo- 
 tion, her happiness, her reputation and prosperity, are all essen- 
 tially dependent upon her faith. This is the test by which she is 
 tried and estimated, on earth and in heaven. The political laws 
 and institutions of a state may be defective and badly adminis- 
 tered, and the state notwithstanding be opulent, orderly, and pow- 
 erful. But if the sacred creed of the church be mutilated, her 
 glory is departed. 
 
 " VI. The sixth and last principle here stated is, that when the 
 highest authority in a regularly organized community, connives 
 at the introduction of opinions opposed to the essential articles of 
 its constitution, and attended by insubordinate conduct, it opens a 
 way for greater and greater deviations from good order, en- 
 croachments on its stability and peace, and so becomes accessory 
 to its own ruin. 
 
 " Let the church admit the idea that deviations from her confes- 
 sion may be tolerated, and a door is opened immediately for the 
 introduction of all kinds of spurious sentiments. If there is any 
 thing amiss in our standards, let it be corrected. If any points 
 now embraced in our summary are of so little importance that 
 individuals may modify them at pleasure, let those points be dis- 
 tinctly designated by competent authority. But nothing can be 
 more dangerous than to countenance indefinite deviations from 
 public standards. This is placing the whole faith of the church 
 in the liands, it may be, of the least discreet individuals, to be 
 altered or superseded at pleasure, according to all the varieties of 
 perception and feeling that may exist through the whole Presby- 
 terian body. If one person may be permitted to expunge or alter 
 an indefinite part of the Confession, which has become offensive 
 
 * Vattel: Book I. 
 
48 OLD SCHOOL VliVDICATED. 
 
 to him, the same indulgence must be extended to a second, a 
 third, a fourth, and so on till you exhaust the whole number of the 
 Presbyterian Church. If the principle of indefinite deviation be 
 yielded, it is a large and unbounded grant. Numberless schemes 
 and amendments may be at once set up, and the utmost confusion 
 be created through the whole church. Indeed, the church may 
 be brought in this way to exhibit the anomalous spectacle of a 
 religious community without a creed, or as possessing a creed 
 which nobody believes; or what is still more absurd, as maintain- 
 ing a creed and no creed, at the same time. 
 
 " That pernicious errors often grow out of small departures 
 from sound system of faith and order, the protestant world can 
 abundantly attest. This often happens contrary to the designs 
 and expectations of those who attempt to improve upon established 
 tbrms. Good men, frequently, through their fondness for novelty 
 and distinction, proceed much farther* in the business of reform- 
 ing and overturning than they at first contemplated. The mind 
 becomes pleased with its own imaginary success, and pursues its 
 course, vainly supposing it is adding triumph to triumph, till it 
 accomplishes a mighty desolation !" 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Second general reason for the Abrogation — Disorders in tlieCiiurcli — In the 
 cs?cindeJ Synods — Testimony of Dr. James Wood — His character — En- 
 croachments of Congregationalists — Cases recited, and facts to illustrate 
 - — Congregational and Presbyterial statistics — Synod of Ucica— Of Ge- 
 neva — Of Genesee— Of "Western Eeserve — Comparative numbers of botli 
 parties. 
 
 I\ continuing the history of Congregational encroachments 
 upon the Presbyterian Church, we shall closely observe the nar- 
 rative published by the Rev. James Wood, in a pamphlet headed, 
 
 ''"To attack the Constitution of the state, and to violate its laws, is a 
 (Capital crime against society; and if those guilty of it are vested with au- 
 thority, they add to their crime a perfidious abuse of the power with which 
 tliey are entrusted. The nation ought constantly to suppress these abuses 
 with its utmost vigor and vigilance, as the importance of the case requires. 
 It is very uncommon to see the constitution and laws of a state openly and 
 boldly opposed ; it it against silent and slow attacks that a nation ought to 
 be particularly on its guard. Sudden revolutions strike the imaginations 
 of men; we write histories of them and unfold their causes. But we neglect 
 the changes that insensibly happen, by a long train of steps, that are but 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. fSf 
 
 " Facts and observations concerning the organization and state 
 of the Ciiurches in the three Synods of Western New York, and 
 the Synod of Western Reserve, printed Saratoga Springs, 1837."' 
 In the correctness of Mr. Wood's statements, tiie fullest confidence 
 may be placed. He was a native of the settlements in question ; 
 \:q witnessed himself a great portion of what he records; he is a 
 man of great moderation, and of incorruptible truth and integrity. 
 With toil and sacrifice, he explored the region lying west to the 
 lakes and far beyond, to collect the appropriate and convincing 
 facts embodied in his pamphlet of about forty-eight pages. On 
 the thirty-sixth page of this pamphlet, we find the following re- 
 mark: "The Plan was originally intended, not as the medium 
 through which Congregationalism would be perpetuated in the 
 Presbyterian Church, but to give opportunity for Congregation- 
 aiists (if, after learning the character of our system, they approved 
 of it.) to become Presbyterians. This remark applies to both 
 parlies in the arrangement. The ministers of Connecticut were 
 fii.vorable to the Presbyterian form of government: one feature 
 of it was already in existence in their churches, and they felt will- 
 ing, not to say desirous, to have their people who should emigrate 
 to other states, become Presbyterian. Dr. McAuley, in a s[)eech 
 on this subject, 1826, had said, 'As to the union, they had said, 
 that it had not been gone into for their accommodation, but for 
 ours; that they had agreed to it for two reasons; first, because it 
 was a help to many New England people, in the infant settlements.' 
 towards obtaining gospel ordinances; and secondly, because it 
 assisted the Assembly in spreading Piesbyterianism through that 
 region.' " But, instead of spreading Presbyterianism, Dr. Wooa 
 goes on to say, " it has, in a large number of cases, spread Con- 
 gregationalism under the Presbyterian name. Pi'esbyteries have 
 not only been formed of Congregational materials, but with an 
 express stipulation that they might always remain so, and yet 
 continue in the Presbyterian Church. And then, by such a con- 
 ^truction of the Playi of Union as was never intended by the 
 original framers, they claimed the right of sending commissioners, 
 who were not ruling elders, to the General Assembly. x\ccord- 
 ingly," Dr. Wood continues, "-in i82(), a commissioner who was 
 not a ruling elder, from Rochester Presbytery, was received by 
 the Assembly, but a protest v/as immediately entered against it. 
 
 littla observed. It would be do-inp; an important service to nations, to sho^r 
 from history, liovf states have entirely chanjred their naturei and iof-t their 
 i)rigin!i-l constitution. This would awaken the attention of the people, and 
 from thence-forward, filled with the excellent maxim, no less essential \p 
 politics than in morals, ' principiii obs/a.' they would no lorgsr shut their 
 eyes against innovations, which, though inconsiderable in themselves, mav 
 serve as steps to mount to higher and niorc pernicious euternrises." Vat- 
 tel, Book 1., chapter III 
 
50 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED, 
 
 signed by forty-two members. In 1831, a commit lee-man was 
 received by tlie Assembly, as a commissioner from Grand River 
 Presbytery, against wiiich a protest was entered, signed by sixty- 
 seven members." A part of this protest we shall transcribe. 
 •' The articles of agreement alluded to in the beginning of this 
 paper," referring to the Plan of Union of 1801, " are supposed to 
 give this individual, and all others similarly situated, a seat in this 
 Assembly. That agreement is altogether anomalous to our form 
 of government, and so far as it does extend, is in derogation of it. 
 Those articles can never cover this case." 
 
 Although the Assembly received the commissioner above re- 
 ferred to, they adopted a resolution that the appointment, by some 
 Presbyteries, as has occurred in a few cases, of members of stand- 
 ing committees, to be members of General Assembly, is inexpe- 
 dient and of questionable constitutionality, and therefore, ought 
 not, in future, to be made ; yet the very next year, the same Pres- 
 bytery delegated tcco committee-men as commissioners to the As- 
 sembly; but their commissions, after being placed in the hands 
 of a committee, were withdrawn. 
 
 At the same meeting, there was a conmiissioner from a Pres- 
 bytery in Western New York, who was neither an elder nor a 
 committee-man; nobody present being acquainted with the cir- 
 cumstance, he was received. The next year a cotnmittee-mau 
 appeared from the Presbytery of Oswego, and would have been 
 received, as his commission did not specify his true character; 
 but one of the members, who had incidentally become acquainterl 
 with the fact, made it known to the house, when leave was given 
 him to withdraw his commission. " These facts," observes Dr. 
 Wood, most justly, "are inlroiiuced to show with what tenacity 
 those Presbyteries which were formed in pursuance o( the Plan 
 of Union, adhered to the practice of sending up commissioners, 
 even after the Assembly had adopted a resolution against it. In 
 connexion with these facts, let it be remembered, that the churches 
 formed on the Plan of Union, had become very numerous; that 
 their feelings and policy were at variance with strict Presbyteria! 
 order; that, in many instances, doctrines were held which are 
 inconsistent with our standards; and that, claiming a right from 
 the provisions of the plan, to be represented in the General As- 
 sembly, they had well nigh obtained an ascendancy in that body, 
 and were rapidly bringing about a revolution in the church." 
 
 DISORDER. 
 
 The following record will exhibit the manner in which the three 
 ejected Synods, Utica, Geneva, and Genesee, were originally con- 
 stituted, and the materials out of which they were made. A 
 minute detail of this process, however interesting, would be tedious 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 51 
 
 and exceed our limits, as it would require a transcript of nearly 
 the whole of D\\ Wood's pamphlet, the Western Memorial and 
 other documents. We shall restrict ourselves to a few particular 
 instances of disorder, and a statistical summary of the whole. 
 
 Synod of Utica. 
 
 The Synod of Utica was constituted in 1829, by a division of 
 the Synod of Albany, and contains five Presbyteries, Oneida, 
 Watertown, Otsego, St. Lawrence, and Oswego. Some of these 
 have changed names since the Synodical organization. That we 
 may form some idea of the rapid and incessant changes occurring 
 in these new settlements, take a brief sketch of the Presbytery of 
 Oneida, formed by the General Assembly of 1802, out ot" the 
 Presbytery of Albany, and consisting then of six ministers. In 
 1803, they reported seventeen churches, eight of which were 
 probably Presbyterian, In 1805, they reported twenty churches, 
 two of which were Congregational, received on the Plan of 1801. 
 The next year, they reported only eight churches, the others hav- 
 ing been detached to form the Presbytery of Geneva. One ot 
 the eight is Congregational. From this time, there was a gradual 
 increase till 1810, when the Presbytery was again divided, and ?. 
 new one formed by the name of St. Lawrence (now Watertown.) 
 But their loss here was much more than made up in 1819, by the 
 reception of twelve ministers and nine congregations, all Congre- 
 gational, and from Congregational associations. 
 
 The same year (1819,) this Presbytery was again divided, and 
 a new one constituted, by the name of Otsego. During the three 
 years following, they received nine Congregational Churches, 
 which restored their number at the expense of their purity. In 
 the year 1822, another division took place, and a new Presbyterv 
 arose out of the confusion, by the name of Oswego. In this pro- 
 portion, and subject to similar fluctuations, they have gone on to 
 the present time. This is a faint sample of the Presbyterianism, 
 in organization and in operation, which prevails in the Synod ot 
 Uiica. We suppose the reader will be sufficiently instructed, 
 after inspecting the statistical table, to dismiss this district from 
 farther review. 
 
 Presbyteries. 
 
 Churches. 
 
 Pre; 
 
 ibyterian. 
 
 Coi 
 
 Qgregational 
 
 Oneida, 
 
 40 
 
 
 27 
 
 
 13 
 
 Watertown, 
 
 23 
 
 
 
 
 
 Otsego, 
 
 16 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 8 
 
 St. Lawrence, 
 
 11 
 
 
 
 
 
 Oswego, 
 
 25 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 17 
 
 Total as far as known, 115 43 
 
 (See Dr. Wood's pamphlet.) 
 
52 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Synod of Geneva. 
 
 The Synod of Geneva was constituted by a division of the 
 Synod of Albany, in 1812. It then consisted of three Presbyteries, 
 Geneva, Cayuga, and Onondagia, to which the following have 
 since been added : Batli, Cortland, Chenango, Tioga, Delaware 
 and Chemung. 7^he Presbytery of Geneva was formed from a 
 part of the Presbytery of Oneida, in 1805, and consisted of four 
 ministers. After many changes and much increase, in 1814 they 
 reported thirty-one churches, five of which, at least, were Con- 
 gregational. A report of 1811 shows that the Presbytery of 
 Cayuga had fifteen congregations, and the Presbytery of Onon- 
 daga thirteen. Within the eight following years, these Presby- 
 teries, taken together, had more than doubled. Cayuga reported, 
 in 1819, twenty-eight congregations; Onondaga twenty-nine. 
 Their increase in number v/as owing to the dissolution of the On- 
 ondaga Association, the ministers and churches belonging to 
 which joined these two Presbyteries. But while it augmented 
 their numbers, it increased their unsoundness in full proportion, 
 for they were all Congregational. The Presbytery of Cortland 
 was organized from the Presbytery of Onondaga, in 1825. In 
 their first report, 1827, they had fourteen churches, seven Con- 
 gregational, and a large portion of the others most probably of 
 the same character. "See minutes of the Assembly for 1814-1818 
 -1825, from which it will appear that nearly all these churches had 
 their origin in the Middle Association, or bear other marks of Con- 
 gregationalism. The Presbytery of Tioga was formed from the 
 Presbytery of Cayuga, in 1829. In the following year they reported 
 fourteen churches, five of which were Congregational ; and it may 
 be inferred from the character of the Presbytery out of which it 
 was formed, that the remaining number were of this description. 
 
 The Presbytery of Delaware was formed from Chenango in 
 1831, and consisted, according to their first report,. of fourteen 
 churches, nearly all of which were undoubtedly Congregational. 
 
 The character of the Synod of Geneva may be fairly presented 
 in the following tabular view : 
 
 Presbyteries. Churches. 
 
 Presbyterian. 
 
 Congrea;ational. 
 
 Geneva, ■ 39' 
 
 38 
 
 1 
 
 Cayuga, 31 
 
 
 
 Onondaga,. 24 
 
 
 
 Bath. 19 
 
 IT 
 
 2 
 
 Cortland, 15 
 
 8 
 
 7 
 
 Chenango, 19 
 
 a 
 
 14 
 
 Tioga, 18 
 
 9 
 
 9 
 
 Delaware, 19 
 
 10 
 
 9 
 
 Chemung, 22 
 
 22 
 
 
 Total as far as known>. 20G 
 
 109 
 
 ii 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 53 
 
 Synod of Genesee. 
 
 This Synod was constituted in 1821, by a division of the Synod 
 -of Geneva, and consisted of four Presbyteries, Niagara, Genesee, 
 Hochesler, and Ontario, to which Buffalo and Angelica have since 
 been added. In this Synod, as in all the others, great changes 
 have taken place ; new Presbyteries have been formed, divisions 
 and detachments ordered. 
 
 The Presbytery of Buffalo was constituted from the Presbytery 
 of Niagara, in 1822-3, and was composed principally of Congre- 
 gational Churches. In 1831, they reported thirty-four churches, 
 at which time there were not more than six or eight Presbyterian 
 Churches in the Presbytery. At present (1837,) there are about 
 twelve Presbyterian and eight Congregational. If the ratio of 
 these should prove the same as that of tlie others, there are seven- 
 teen Presbyterian and twenty-six Congregational. The following 
 is a summary of the whole: 
 
 Presbyteries. 
 
 Churches. 
 
 Presbyterian. 
 
 Congregational 
 
 Niagara, 
 
 16 
 
 12 
 
 4 
 
 Genesee, 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 6 
 
 Rochester, 
 
 29 
 
 24 
 
 5 
 
 Ontario, 
 
 34 
 
 18 
 
 6 
 
 Buffalo, 
 
 43 
 
 17 
 
 26 
 
 Angelica, 
 
 18 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 156 103 53 
 
 This preponderance of Presbyterial numbers over Congrega- 
 tional, Dr. Wood writes, is rather nominal than real. In Niagara, 
 Rochester, and Genesee Presbyteries, there exist many dissatis- 
 factions among the people, with regard to their ecclesiastical con- 
 nexion, which threaten, with speed and certainty, to increase 
 Congregational extension and influence. 
 
 Synod of the Western Reserve. 
 The origin of that Synod, as published in the Ohio Observer, 
 is as follows; The Presbytery of Grand River, agreeably to the 
 order of the Synod of Pittsburgh, was oi'ganized in the autumn of 
 1814. This Presbytery, and the Presbyteries of Portage and 
 Huron, which were organized soon after, drew up articles adapted 
 to their circumstances, and to carry out the Plan of Union of 
 1801. These Congregatiortalists, for so they were without ex- 
 ception, having been early taught the Westminster Assembly's 
 Shorter Catechism, which was prevalent in New England among 
 iheir fathers, were inclined to the Calvinistic system, and found 
 but little difficulty in agreeing to approve the Confession of Faith 
 •and discipline of the Presbyterian Church, in the United States of 
 America; but in their constitution, they incorporate particulars 
 
54 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 designed to carry out the Plan of Union, to which allusion is here 
 so often made. The leading and fatal feature of their plan was, 
 that their ministers and churches may adopt either the Congrega- 
 lional or Presbyterian mode of government and discipline, and 
 that this article or provision shall be of perpetual obligation. The 
 ministers and people really seemed to believe that they were not 
 only permitted, but bound to establish this point, and pledge them- 
 selves mutually to each other to maintain and observe it. The 
 8ynod of Pittsburgh, at the period of receiving records, as a mat- 
 ter of courtesy and expediency, in dealing with those new settle- 
 ments, not only connived at this unconstitutional excrescence, but 
 actually approved it. Thus did the Synod of Pittsburgh, in 1815, 
 ratify the mischievous Plan adopted by the General Assembly in 
 1801. In 1819, the records of the Presbytery of Portage, and 
 1824, the records of the Presbytery of Huron, each containing 
 the same features, passed through the same process, and received 
 the same sanction. By the Assembly of 1825, a new Synod was 
 formed out of the Synod of Pittsburgh, to consist of the three 
 ]*resbyteries situated chiefly in New Connecticut, Grand River, 
 J'ortage, and Huron, which was to be called the Synod of West- 
 ern Reserve. It was accordingly organized at Hudson, Septem- 
 ber 27, 1825. 
 
 There are at present in this Synod, according to statements 
 made at the Auburn Convention, thirty-one Presbyterian Churches. 
 At the same time, a member of the Presbytery of Grand River 
 expressed a doubt whether there is a single Presbyterian Church 
 in that Presbytery. It was stated, on the floor of the last General 
 Assembly, by members of that Synod, that Trumbull Presbytery 
 and Medina, each contained but one Presbyterian Church. The 
 feelings of the people are decidedly in favor of Congregationalisni. 
 They avow it, and manifest it without reserve. After the meet- 
 ing of the General Assembly of 1835, a plan was drawn up by 
 several ministers, to change the order of the church, and a con- 
 vention was called to execute the plan, but, through the ivjluence 
 of Dr. Beecher and others, this was deferred. In the fall of 1836, 
 another convention was called for the same purpose, and an as- 
 sociation was formed. This measure was opposed by several 
 ministers present. One of them, to justify his opposition, alleged, 
 that if they would put it off another year, the New School would 
 have the majority in the General Assembly, in which case the 
 Old School would probably secede, and then they would have the 
 ground. This minister was a member of the Auburn Convention, 
 and advocated sending up commissioners to the General Assem- 
 bly, " to fight every inch of ground." This is not the first indica- 
 tion of their revolutionary designs. 
 
 It is too prolix to attempt a full development of Congregation- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. §5 
 
 aiism in this manner. Before we present the tabular statenaent 
 of this Synod, the reader will pernnit us to insert one of the de- 
 ceptive artifices employed by the advocates of the Congregation- 
 alisls, to forward their secret and hostile plans against the Pres- 
 byterian Church. After the Assembly had passed a resolution 
 refusing to receive committee-men as commissioners, the Presby- 
 tery of Grand" River, in order to obtain jjlace in the Assembly for 
 a layman whose seat would not be disputed, appointed a man 
 who had been a ruling elder in the state of New York, though he 
 was then at the time of his appointment, a member of a Congre- 
 gational Church in Ohio. Thus the New School party, operating 
 by all manner of means, encouraged themselves in their un- 
 righteous work, and were frequently heard to say, " that they 
 are reforming the Presbyterian Church, working out the old 
 leaven, &c., and that in a few years more they will succeed." 
 
 Presbyteries. 
 
 Churches. 
 
 Presbyterian. 
 
 Congregational. 
 
 Grand River, 
 
 35 
 
 2 
 
 33 
 
 Portage, 
 
 24 
 
 3 
 
 21 
 
 Huron, 
 
 25 
 
 15 
 
 10 
 
 JMaumee, 
 
 8 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 Trumbull, 
 
 18 
 
 2 
 
 16 
 
 Lorain, 
 
 12 
 
 2 
 
 10 
 
 Cleveland, 
 
 10 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 Medina, 
 
 13 
 
 2 
 
 11 
 
 Total, 145 32 113 
 
 It has been said that the modification of the Plan of 1801, by 
 the Synod of Albany, in her act of 1808, warranted the Northern 
 Association to claim a connexion with the Presbyterian Church. 
 But in reply to this assertion, nothing more is necessary, than to 
 say that the act of the Synod of Albany, 1808, was as unconsti- 
 tutional and irregular as the Assembly's act of 1801. 
 
 To give a bird's-eye glance at the irregular additions and en- 
 croachments here recited, as prevalent in the four exscinded Sy- 
 nods, let us exhibit a summary of their statistics: 
 
 Presbyterian Congregations, 287 ; Congregational, 246. 
 
 Here it appears that the two contending parties are very nearlv 
 equally balanced. The intruders into the church under the alien- 
 ating influence of Congregational sympathy, exerting all their 
 skill and power to acquire complete ascendancy in the four Sy- 
 nods, and even in the General Assembly. The uncontaminated 
 ' portion of these Synods make a reasonable but vain resistance to 
 these anti-Presbyterian schemes and measures. 
 
 The facts here presented prove that a large proportion of those 
 reported as Presbyterian, are chiefly Congregational. They have 
 just left the Church of their fathers; some are anxious to i^turn 
 
56 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 10 it; others are actively engaged in laying schemes to get back; 
 some are held in their Presbyterian connexion by the hope of 
 making larger conquests among ihem, if they remain ; others hang 
 on, determined, as they say, "to fight every inch of ground," in 
 the anticipation of a complete triumph. This is the fruit of the 
 Plan of Union of 1801. This picture drawn from real life, re- 
 flects somewhat the real ciiaracter of this great and extensive 
 district of Christ's earthly kingdom. At this stage, who can tel! 
 what is to be the result of this mixed, morbid, semi-revoluiionary 
 ecclesiastical exhibition? Behold the changes daily occurring. 
 With what facility and despatch do they emigrate, they march, 
 they countermarch, they change name, church relations and ties 
 Hy asunder, pastors and people are ever on the wing. Violations 
 (see p. 42,) of church order, infractions, or perfect disregard of 
 principles and rules most plain, most positive, most essential, most 
 .solemnly assumed, are unscrupulously set at nought. What a 
 beautiful picture this scene presents! What delightful Christian 
 harmony, purity, and comfort ! Such is the result of attempting 
 10 make Congregational and Presbyterian men live together in 
 one church, under such a Plan of Union as that of 1801. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Doctrinal errors stated as existing in the exscinded Synods — The facts here 
 presented, from Dr. Wood's pamphlet — Synod of Utica — Synod of Ge- 
 neva — Synod of Genesee — Of Western Reserve. 
 
 These errors are introduced as specimens of the false theology 
 actually in circulation through the congregations of the exscinded 
 Synods. 
 
 For the truth of these statements we shall appeal again to the 
 faithful witness, the pamphlet of Dr. James Wood, freely used 
 upon another topic preceding. 
 
 We begin with the Synod of Utica, observing simply that the 
 facts here presented refer to the third ground of our vindication. 
 , In the words of Dr. Wood, " As we do not wish to incur the 
 charge of circulating vague reports, we shall specify some par- 
 ticulars. There is probably a majority, in all these bodies, who 
 are opposed to those extreme views in doctrine. But their ex- 
 istence among them shows that there is cause for alarm ; and 
 the length of time during which they have prevailed affords proof 
 of culpable lenity, on the part of those who disapprove of them, 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 57 
 
 in not bringing their abettors (except in a few instances,) under 
 ecclesiastical censure.*' 
 
 •'During my excursion I had an interview with a layman of 
 some intelligence and standing in society, who, until a short time 
 past, has been a member for ten or twelve years of one of the 
 churches in Oneida Presbytery, ijut is now connected with a 
 church in the Presbytery of Oswego. He said he believed Adan; 
 sinned because God could not prevent him without altering 
 his plan of government. I replied, if God could not prevent Adam 
 iVom falling, can he prevent Christians from falling? He an- 
 swered, no; if they resolve not to be influenced by the motive!'- 
 which he presents to encourage them to persevere, 1 believe Chris- 
 tians may all fall away. He said, he did not believe in the im- 
 putation of Adam's sin, or that we were born sinners, but that 
 when we are born we are destitute of moral character. In re- 
 gard to conversion, he said, there are some things which God 
 cannot do for the sinner ; they are the sinner's own acts andnot 
 God's. He commands the sinner to repent and make to himself 
 a new heart, and he can do it if he loill. He was told he can 
 do it by the assistance of God's spirit. He replied, I will not 
 -say this, though 1 admit the Holy Spirit has an agency in the 
 conversion of the sinner. He was asked, what kind of agency ? 
 Just such agency, said he, as I should exert over you in persuad- 
 ing you to go to Rome. I observed to him, you might fail in 
 persuading me to go to Rome. So may God fail, said he, of 
 the conversion of the sinner. God is as dependent upon the sin- 
 ner in his conversion, as the sinner is upon God. The moment 
 in which a sinner is converted, he said, the sinner is holy ; he is 
 right; he is just as God requires him to be; he loves God with 
 all the heart, and soul, and strength, and mind, and he might con- 
 tinue in this state if he would, but he yields to temptation and so 
 falls into sin. I asked him if the church, to which he formerly 
 belonged, held as he did. He answered, yes. And does the min- 
 ister of that church believe and preach so ? He replied, yes. I 
 have had long conversations with him, and have met with nobody 
 that so nearly accords with my sentiments as he does, excejit 
 brother . 
 
 "Perfectionism exists to some extent in several churches in the 
 Oswego Presbylery. In one of them it prevails to such a de- 
 gree lliat their pastor, after endeavoring in vain for several months 
 to resist the current, has given up in discouragement, and re- 
 moved to another congregation. It is not countenanced by tlie 
 ministers, but is regarded with some favor by a considerabk? 
 number of the people. Some of the ministers, hov^'cver, though 
 opposed to perfectionism, embrace the New Haven theology. In 
 several of them, we could specify individuals who are known to 
 
58 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 be favorable to that system. And in regard to others, we have 
 authority for saying, that the views of Dr. Taylor are nnore or 
 less prevalent. 
 
 "In the spring of 1833, I became acquainted with a licentiate 
 of a Congregational Association, who was desirous of entering 
 the Presbyterian Church. After conversing with him for an 
 liour, I told him frankly, but kindly, that I hoped he never would 
 seek admission into our church ; that, in my opinion, a man enter- 
 taining his views, could not, with propriety, subscribe our stand- 
 ards. Shortly after, he was ordained by an association, and set- 
 tled over a church connected with us, on the accommodation 
 |>lan. in the Presbytery of Watertown. He is now a member of 
 the Presbytery of Oneida. Some time after, he wrote a letter to 
 a friend, in part as follows: 'For my part, I am awfully preju- 
 diced against the Old School divinity. 1 cannot invite a man to 
 preach for me whose doctrines are so utterly repugnant to the 
 word of God. I do not here speak of Mr. Wood at all, but of a 
 certain class of men, such as for instance, the individuals near 
 me. Dr. Sprague of Albany, I mean, and old Dr. Green, of 
 Philadelphia, and Dr. Griflin, and Miller, and Alexander, &c., 
 &c. Have you seen Dr. Sprague's Book on Revivals? O! I am 
 afraid that man will ruin souls in hell by that pernicious book. I 
 want you candidly to answer the following questions. Do you 
 believe infants have a moral character? Are we to be accounta- 
 ble for the moral acts of our first parents? What do you think of 
 the New Haven theology ? Do you acquiesce in Dr. Taylor's no- 
 tions? Do you consider agreeable with the scriptures? His di- 
 vinity is spreading very widely.' In Oneida Presbytery, a major- 
 ity of ministers aie disposed to do all they can to correct the 
 errors of the past." Dr. Wood's Pamphlet, pp. 12, 13, 14. 
 
 Synod of Geneva. 
 
 . Writing in regard to some of the Presbyteries, Dr. Wood re- 
 marks : " To show the jealousy which they feel towards Presby- 
 terianism," he said, "the pastor of one of the churches proposed, 
 as the first article of a Confession of Faith for that church, that 
 they adopt the Confession of Faith of the Presbyterian Church, 
 (IS containing the system of doctrines taught in the sacred scrip- 
 tures; but it was rejected, not because the church did not ap- 
 prove of our Confession of Faith, but because they regarded it as 
 the first step towards endeavoring to make them Presbyterians. 
 A letter which was first published in the Hartford Christian 
 Watchman, soon after the meeting of the last Assembly, and 
 which is understood to have been written by a member of the 
 Cortland Presbytery, contains the following: 'I declared more 
 than once before the Assembly, that the errors against which the 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 59 
 
 Convention (1887) testified, do exist. In my views of the exist- 
 ence of those errors, and of the duly of condemning them, I pre- 
 sume at least one half of the delegation from the interior of New- 
 York, coincide.' ' In a few churches, in several of the Presbyte- 
 ries, perfectionism has prevailed to a greater or less extent. In 
 1833, a very laudable zeal was manifested in endeavouring to 
 prevent the errors and extravagancies of Mr. Myrick, and ihey 
 also entered a complaint against him to the Oneida Presbytery. 
 The Presbyteries of Cayuga and Onondaga issued a circular 
 warning the churches against him.' Here follow some things 
 concerning this Mr. Myrick, worthy of notice. 1st. His entering 
 other congregations, and holding protracted meetings, without the 
 consent of either pastor or church. 2d. Irreverent praying, such 
 as 'God smite the devil,' 'God smite the whited sepulchres,' 'Je- 
 sus Christ come down here and attend to these hard cases,' ac- 
 companied by loud groaning, leaping, stamping, smiting hands 
 and fists, pounding on the floor, &c. 3d. Profane language, such 
 as 'you are black as hell,' 'wicked as hell,' 'proud as hell,' 'damned 
 devils,' 'the devil is in you,' 'hell hardened.' 4th. Abusive treat- 
 ment of professed christians and ministers, who did not unite wit'i 
 him. He called them 'the children of the devil,' 'drone bees in 
 God's hive,' ' too cursed lazy to work,' ' fattening on the blood of 
 damned souls.' 5th. Erroneous doctrines. He says, 'the Holy 
 Ghost never operates on impenitent sinners ; that the sinner does 
 not need the spirit in order to repent; that all such professors as 
 have any remaining sin are not born of God, but are goin^ to 
 hell; that real Christians do fall into this impenitent state and go 
 to hell,' &c., and many more similar delusions. Gth. He de- 
 nounces in strong terms, all creeds, confessions of faith, commen- 
 taries on the Bible, and systems of divinity. Is it not astonishing 
 and lamentable that such blasphemous stuff as this, should be tol- 
 erated within its bounds by any Presbytery ? This heretical mon- 
 ster, in 1837, was the editor of a paper, and by that means, as 
 well as by his impious babbling, was propagating his corrupt opin- 
 ions. With what degree of success, it is considered verv difficult 
 to form any correct opinion." Wood's Pamphlet, pp. 20, 22, 23. 
 
 Synod of Genesee. 
 •'There have been material departures among many in this 
 ►Synod, from the old orthodox times, and this has been accom- 
 panied, in some instances, by measures of a very doubtful charac- 
 ter, and in others by such as were wild and extravagant." A 
 member of the Buflalo Presbytery writes thus: " Ministers and 
 churches in this Presbytery have become so much disposed to 
 favor Arminian doctrines, and are so fond of new things, that it 
 is difficult to preach the doctrines of our Confession, or even to 
 
60 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 use our endeavours to correct abuses and extravagances in mea- 
 sures, without hearing the cry of, Old School, opposed to re- 
 vivals, &c. That Presbytery, some time ago, adopted a set of 
 articles of faith, for the use of their churches, from which almost 
 everything distinguishing is excluded. Among other points is 
 that of infant baptism; and hence, in practice, it is left optional 
 with parents to have their children baptized or not, just as they 
 please. This last article has been erased from the Confes^■io^ of 
 several of the churches in Genesee Presbytery ; not by the sanc- 
 tion of the Presbytery, so much as through the influence of one 
 of their members." "An intelligent and pious man told me, con- 
 cerning a minister in Niagara Presbytery, under whose preaching 
 he sat for several months, that he heard him say he did not be- 
 lieve in the imputation of Adam's sin; and on one occasion, he 
 almost ridiculed the idea of the special influences of the Holy 
 8f)irit." One of the ministers in Genesee Presbytery, and a part 
 of his church, are perfectionists. He believes it essential to a 
 man's being a Christian, to be perfect. When a Christian sins, 
 he ?m-Christians hiinself, and consequently a Christian remaining 
 such cannot commit sin. A spice of perfectionism is found in 
 several of the churches, which, though small, is enough to embit- 
 ter the comfort of their Christian brethren. 
 
 In relation to irregularities, a member of the Rochester Pres- 
 bytery affirmed publicly at their meeting, some time last summer, 
 that there was but one thing mentioned of this kind on the floor 
 of the last Assembly, but what can be proved to have occurred, 
 v^ithin a short period of time, in the bounds of the Genesee Synod. 
 Another member of the same Presbytery, in private conversation, 
 corroborated his statement, and went still farther, by saying that 
 ■v:orse things had occurred there than any which had been alluded 
 to on the floor of the Assembly. In some Presbyteries, the people 
 are sounder than the ministers, of which I had in two or three 
 leases ample proof. Though ministers are set for the defence of 
 the gospel, the people form the sacramental host and will often 
 stand firn), even though the standard bearer fainteth. They are 
 the pillars of the church, which will remain unshaken, though the 
 priest at the altar sliou'd be spoiled through philosophy and vain 
 deceit" pp. 26, 7, 8. 
 
 Synod of JVeste}-n Reserve. 
 
 " A fev/ years aijo, Congregational ministers were frequently 
 received into their Presbyteries, at least into some of them, with- 
 out answering the constitutional que'slions; but of late, since the 
 practice was censured by the General Assembl}', the constitu- 
 tional questions have generally, and perhaps always, been pro- 
 j^ounded." " A majority of the ministers and of the members, in 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED^ Of 
 
 most of ih-e churches, accord in doctrine and mcasui'cs with Mr. 
 Finney, Tliis is inferred, concerning the ministers, from the fact 
 lliat about two years ago, a paper was signed by fifty ministers, 
 or more, inviting Mr. Finney to become professor of theology in 
 the Western Reserve College; and concerning ministers an(J peo- 
 ple both, it may be inferred from the fact that Mr. Lucius Foole 
 has attended protracted meetings pretty extensively on ti)e Re- 
 serve, and was generally approved l)y the n)inisters anrl cliurches. 
 Mr. Foote, it is said, agrees substantially with Mr. Finney, but 
 goes farllier than the latter, in. some points, from what is called 
 OI(J vSchool Theology." 
 
 The result of this examination is, that at least one half, probably 
 a greater proportion, of the four disowned Synods, are in churcii 
 government, Congregational ; and in thec^logical opinion, far re- 
 moved from the standar(Js of the Presbyterian (Jhurch. 
 
 Additional intelligence f^onnrming the preceding statetvicnts 
 mny be derived \'rou\ the following article. No. 4, of a series pub- 
 lished in the Presbyterian, A. \). 1831, "On the slate and pros- . 
 pccts of the Presbyterian Church," viz : 
 
 "That heresy exists in the Presbyterian Church, is manifest. 
 But since it is questioned by some, we shall adduce additional 
 evidence. We consider it t^-omewhat unaccountaf)le that real 
 doubts on this subject should' remain in the minds of any who 
 have observed, with common penetration and candour, the con- 
 dition of the church for years past, conversed with ministers and 
 r.andidates,. attended the judicatories of the church, looked into 
 the liistories of their transactions-, read the periodicals, printed 
 sermons, and religious journals of tlie present day, studied the 
 characters of various Theological Seminariec4, their Professors, 
 and the opinions expressed, and correspondence conducted by 
 thorn. These have been before the puljlic eye in diversified 
 fortns, furnishing evidence of error so irresistable, that we had 
 supposed not even the most obtuse and sluv/ of heart to believe, 
 could hesitate. 
 
 " In the history and detection of heresy, denial, concealment, 
 and evasion, have always been pnpulur and perplexing resorts. 
 These artifices were practised, not only by the arch-heretics Arius, 
 Pelagius, Arminius, and Socinus, but by all their ephemeral 09- 
 temporaries, and successors in error. We are aware, that the 
 plea 'not guilty,' from the mouth of the adversary of truth, when 
 brought to the bar, has had its eflect with the American public, 
 and the church. It has damped the ardour, and palsied the ac- 
 tion of. some who profess to be truth-men, and produced tempo- 
 rary suspense in the work of honest inquiry. It is painful to 
 think unfavorably of men professing religion, and placed as lights 
 in the world, bat the honest \\ouf has come, the season of reaction 
 
62 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 has arrived, the mask must be stripped off, whatever deformities 
 and horrors may be exposed. Careful investigation and calm 
 reflection, have proved decisively that there is no mistake in this 
 matter. Let the church and the world judge of the fact, from the 
 incidental and direct evidence produced. 
 
 "The first class of errors mentioned in the ' Act and Testi- 
 mony,' respects our relation to Adam, and asserts, ' That we have 
 no more to do with the first sin of Adam, than with the sins of 
 any other parent.' Barnes' sermon, page 5 — 7. Duffield on Re- 
 generation, 287 — 393. With this, compare Confession of Faiih, 
 chapter vi,, section 3. 'They (our first parents,) being the root of 
 all mankind, the guilt of this sin (i. e. eating the forbidden fruit,) 
 was imputed, and the same death in sin, and corrupted nature", 
 i-onveyed to all their posterity.' 
 
 " The second error recited, is the following: ' That there is no 
 such thing as original sin ; that infants come into the world as 
 perfectly free from corruption of nature, as Adam was when he 
 was created ; that, by original sin, nothing more is meant, than 
 the fact that all the posterity of Adam, though born entirely free 
 from moral defilement, will always begin to sin when they begin 
 to exercise moral agency, and that this fact is somehow connected 
 with the fall of Adam.' Barnes' sermon, 5 — 7. Duffield on Re- 
 generation, 283 — 394. Dr. Beecher's sermon. National Preacher. 
 Vol. II., p. 12. See Confession of Faith, chap, vi , sec. 3, above, 
 also chap, vi., sec. 2. * By this sin, (eating the forbidden fruit.) 
 they (our first parents,) fell from their original righteousness and 
 irommunion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly de- 
 filed in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.' 
 
 "3, 'That the doctrine of imputed sin and imputed righteous- 
 ness, is a novelty, and is nonsense.' Barnes' sermon, 5 — 0. Duf- 
 field on Regeneration. Compare Confession of Faith, chap, vi., 
 sec. 2, 3, above; also chap, xi., sec. 1. 'Those whom God ef- 
 fectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not for any thing wrought 
 in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; not by im- 
 puting faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical 
 obedience to them, as their righteousness, but by imputing t!ie 
 obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them.' 
 
 " 4. ' That the impenitent sinner is by nature, and independently 
 of the aid of the Holy Spirit, in full possession of all the powers 
 necessary to a compliance with the commands of God, and that, 
 if he labored under any kind of inability, natural or moral, which 
 he could not remove himself, he would be excusable for not com- 
 plying with God's will.' Barnes' sermon, p. 14. Bcman's fourtii 
 sermon, p. 119 — 120. Duffield on Regeneration. Dr. Coxe's 
 sermon. Beecher's sermon on Dependance and Free Agency, p. 
 9 — 37. See Confession of Faith, odiap. vi., sec. 4. ' From this 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED, 63 
 
 original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, 
 and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do 
 proceed all actual transgressions.' Also chap, ix., sec. 3. • Man 
 by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to 
 any spiritual good accompanying salvation, so as a natural man 
 being altogether averse to that which is good, and dead in sin, is 
 not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare 
 himself thereunto.' 
 
 "5. 'That man's regeneration is his own act; that it consists 
 merely in the change of our governing purpose, which change. 
 we must of ourselves produce.' Duffield on Regeneration, 200 — 
 •231. See Confession of Faith, chap, x., sec. 1. 'Taking away 
 their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh, by his 
 Almiiihty power, determining them unto that which is good.' 
 Also, sec. 2. 'Not from anything at all forseen in man; iclio u" 
 altogether passive therein, until being quickened and renewed by 
 the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call.' 
 
 "G. ' That God cannot exert such an influence on the minds of 
 men, as to make it certain that they will choose and act in a par- 
 ticular manner, without destroying their moral agency; and that 
 in a moral system. Cod could not prevent the existence of sin, 
 however much he might desire it.' 
 
 " This doctrine is extensively circulated through the Christian 
 Spectator, a work emanating from the Theological School at New 
 Haven ; a school in which a number of young men have been 
 educated, who are now ministers in our church, and who, .as 
 there is every reason to believe, maintain the doctrines of their 
 teachers. The speculation in itself is rash, unauthorized and pre- 
 sumptuous, and as related to the system of which it forms a part, 
 is dangerous. It decides upon the extent of the Divine power, with- 
 out any warrant from the word of God, and is thus opposed to 
 the spirit of our standards. 
 
 "7. 'That Christ's sufferings were not truly and properly vica- 
 rious.' — Beman's sermons, &c. Confession of Faith, chap, viii., 
 sec. 5. ' The Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrihct; 
 of himself, which he, through the Eternal Spirit, once ottered up 
 unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father, and pur- 
 chased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in 
 the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given 
 unto him.' Sec. 8.' Making intercession for them.' Chap, xi., 
 sec. 3. ' Christ by his obedience and death, did fully discharge 
 the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a pro- 
 per, real and full satisfaction to his Father's justice, in their be- 
 half.' Sec. 4. ' Christ did in the fullness of time die for their 
 sins.' 
 
 " A careful consideration of this statement will satisfy any un- 
 
01 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED* 
 
 I 
 
 I)rejudiced maa^ that the opinions referred to in the ' Act and' 
 Testimony,' are held by ministers in the Presbyterian church, and 
 that they are contrary to the Confession of Faith. It would be a 
 useless expenditure of time, to show that ihey are as palpably at 
 war with the Bible. The extent to which they are held, is to be 
 learned more from the acknowledgments and pulpit instructions- 
 of those who maintain them, than from their published writings, 
 as few comparatively commit their thoughts to the press. To 
 ascertain the extent to which they have spread,, is the ultimate 
 object proposed by the Act aad Testimony. However novel 
 these errors may appear to many in the present day, to those ac- 
 quainted with the history of the Christian church, they are not 
 new. On examination, they V7\\\ be found to be only ancient 
 forms of error, revived and new moddelled. There is probably 
 no surer method of impressing the public mind with a sense ol 
 the reality and pernicious tendsncy of these opinions, than that 
 of showing their identity, with glaring and destructive heresies, 
 which at various periods have invaded the church. 
 
 "Earlv in the tifih century, ihe Pelagians held the following 
 sentiments: ' That there is no such thing as original sin — Thai 
 Adam's guilt did not descend to his posterity — That all mankind 
 are born in the same state of perfection with their great primogeni- 
 tor — That man may, by the nati^ve exertion of his own faculties, be 
 inclined to what is good, and able to perform it,, without the di- 
 rect assistance of divine grace, and that men may ari?ive to such- 
 ;i pitch of holincs, as to be no more suliject to the dominion of 
 .^in/ — Nesbit's Church History, Edinburg, 8vo.. p. 80. In confir- 
 mation of this, for the satisfaction of those who may not find it 
 convenient to refer to original authorities, we add the testimony 
 lof Mosheim, Church History, 2 vol. 8vo. p.. 84. ' These monks, 
 (Pelagius and his disciple Cosleslius,) looked upon the doctrines- 
 which were commonly received, concerning the original corrup- 
 lion of human nature, and the necessity of divine grace,, to en- 
 lighten the understanding and purify ihe heart, as prejudicial to 
 the progress of holiness and virtue, and tending to lull mankind 
 into a presumptuous and fatal security. They mai^itained, that 
 these doctrines were as false as they v/ere pernicious,. that the 
 >ins of our first parents were imputed to them alone, and not to 
 rheir posterity;, that we derive no corruption from their fall, but 
 arc born as pure and unspotted as Adam came oijt of the form- 
 inp- hand of his Creator; that mankind, therefore, are capable of 
 repentance and amendment, and of arriving to the highest de-^ 
 crrees of piety and virtue, by the use of their natural faculties and 
 powers. That indeed external grace is necessary to excite their 
 'Mideavours, but that they have no need of internal succours (A 
 the Divine Spirit.' These anti-script,ural motives were propnga- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 65 
 
 ted in Rome, in Sicily, in Africa, and Palestine, deeply afflicting 
 the church wherever they went. At last they were arrested in 
 iheir course, by the counsel of Ephesus, repressed by several 
 successive councils, and denounced by the authority of Imperial 
 edicts. 
 
 •• The most prominent of these errors were presented afresh by 
 ■lie Arminians in the sixteentii century, under a very imposing 
 garb. And now our hitherto pure and peaceful church, is writh- 
 ing under a similar calamitous visitation. How striking the co- 
 incidence between New School divinity, and the ancient heresies, 
 which we see Christian orators and philosophers, evangelic coun- 
 cils and emperors, conspiring with holy zeal to detect and sup- 
 press ! And are these errors less appalling now than then? Is 
 :!ie church less precious? Have the souls of men dwindled into 
 I'vphers? Heaven and hell become a chimera, that they may 
 be so lightly sported with ? — that the stupendous scheme of sal- 
 vation which God revealed — which Christ achieved — which an- 
 Lrels sang — which millions of sanctified ones have gone to inherit, 
 i^liould be so sedulously, so tranquilly, almost without observation, 
 metamorphosed into an ignoble, dark, and wretched device ot 
 iiuman caprice, and passion, and power ! 
 
 •• What the learned and pious historian Joseph Milner declares 
 of Pelagianism in the fit'ih century, we affirm of it in the nineteenth : 
 'That it seems little more than a revival of deism, or what is 
 commonly called natural religion!' Eccl. Hist. vol. 2, p. 361. 
 And shall the church still slumber — the watchmen on the walls 
 of Zion fold their arms and say peace, peace ! Let the inlelli- 
 ;ient and serious carefully examine the nature and bearing of 
 ihese tenets, and they cannot fail to pronounce them diametrically 
 opposed both to the letter and spirit of the gospel. If there are 
 any doctrines truly fundamental and absolutely indispensable in 
 •■>ur system of faith, they are the very opposite to those denounced 
 i!i the ' Act and Testimony.' 
 
 •'The sufficiency of Iiuman reason, in matters of religion, is, 
 evidently, tlie stale and untenable basis upon which this anti- 
 ';hrislian scheme is built. This was the foundation selected by 
 ancient heathen philosophers, by primitive heretics, and modern 
 rationalists. In these delusive vagaries they all agree. That 
 man is not inherently depraved — that his powers of mind and 
 body are adequate to all his wants and duties — that the idea of 
 dependence upon the merit of another for justification, or the en- 
 lightening and renovating influence of God himself, for sanctifi- 
 '.-ation, is repugnant to human reason, inconsistent with human 
 liberty and moral obligation. Thus the whole plan of the gospel. 
 is inverted and outraged. The ruined, wretched creature man, 
 15 depicted as harmless and all-sufficient, buoyed up with delusive 
 
 E 
 
66 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 ideas of safety, while reposing on himself, and inflated with pride 
 and self-trust. Thus the eternal God of wisdom, sovereignty 
 and grace, is called to the bar of the presumptuous, vain-glorious 
 speculator, robbed of his honour, and ' Christ is made light of.' 
 
 " These heretical notions, not only afluct the soundness of our 
 doctrinal views, but the moral purity, tlie vital godliness of the 
 great body of the people. They are demoralizing in their influ- 
 ence on the human mind. The gospel will ever be lightly es- 
 teemed by those who are taught to believe, that they are not ■ 
 deeply depraved creatures, * exceeding sinful,' altogether helpless 
 and in need of divine succour. * The whole need not a physi- 
 cian, but they that are sick.' The thought, that human faciiliies 
 and powers are of themselves suflicient to arrest the progress of 
 sinful desire and action — to turn the heart to God — and produce 
 the important change from sin to holiness, must necessarily tend 
 to inspire indifllsrence to the gospel, awaken a feeling of indepen- 
 dence on God, and such an inflating self-confidence, as will deeply 
 impair the force of the sacred, transforming, and endearing lies 
 of moral obligation, and for ever exclude evangelic humiliation, 
 love and truth. Indeed, the whole scheme seems admirably con- 
 trived to counteract the heavenly design and saving influence of 
 the gospel of Christ. 
 
 "We ask, in the spirit of honest anxiety, are we prepared to re- 
 ceive these noxious speculations as a substitute for the beloved 
 gospel and our excellent summary — to teach them to our chil- 
 dren — to introduce them into our Sabbath schools — to incorpo- 
 rate them in our tracts — to send them to the destitute ? Is the 
 Presbyterian Church prepared to give entrance to such princi[)lcs 
 into her Theological Seminaries — to place men who hold them, 
 in her Theological Professorships — to have her hundreds of in- 
 telligent, pious candidates for the ministry, the beneficiaries of the 
 church, and the hope of the world, poisoned with such infidel 
 dogmas, and all her pious funds applied to' their propngation and 
 support? Are these the soul-enlightening and renovating truths on 
 Vv'hich to carry forward our glorious system of revivals and of 
 missions'? Are these the doctrines which our Saviour inculcated, 
 which apostles preached, for which martyrs bled? Shall those 
 ministers of our ecclesiastical communion, who, in the glowing 
 spirit of Refojvnation, have the religious integiity and the moral 
 courage to resist these stale heresies, by bearing testimony against 
 them, be accounted uncharitable and persecuting? If this be per- 
 secution, I plead guilty of the charge, and glory in it. 
 
 " But the plea urged for toleration, that the propagators of these 
 anti-christian notions, are for the most part men of age, of popular 
 talents, and of reputed piety, is deceptive and inadmissible. That 
 they have, to some extent, talent and character, constitutes the 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 67 
 
 2;reatest aggravation of their guilt. The heretical opinions of Pe- 
 lagius did not appear till he was far advanced in life ; and Augus- 
 tin, his chief antagonist, acknowledges that his previous reputation 
 for piety was great in the Christian world.* His followers, in our 
 <;hurch, in some cases, we admit, prostitute distinguished powers, 
 work with a strong arm, employ, sometimes, as did Pelagius, the 
 eloquence of g/'cii/ hairs {elocjuar an sileam) to enforce their en- 
 snaring sophisms, and secure their victims. But shall they, be- 
 cause distinguished and even honoured in the church, well fur- 
 nished and located to corrupt and destroy, be permitted to go on 
 without a check ? Did Augustin so judge and so act, in the period 
 of' the arch deceiver, Pelagius? What ? the criminal arraigned lo 
 })lead in mitigation of his oficnce, his standing and influence? This 
 very power is chiefly to be feared, and most of all should it arouse the 
 church. Left to itself, it spreads its fatal influence with a greater and 
 greater degree of expansiveness, through a thousand channels, 
 over the young, the ignorant, the credulous, and the wavering 
 multitude. To avoid sus[)icion and detection, glosses and eva- 
 sions may be expected, the arts of philosophy and ' the opposi- 
 M.jns of science, falsely so called,' and all 'the deceivableness of 
 unrighteousness,' will be tried, not only to beguile the unwary, but, 
 • if it were possible, to deceive the very elect.' Mat. xxiv., 24. 
 "A Member of New Bruxswick Presbyterv." 
 The recent introduction of Rev. Albert Barnes, with his glaring 
 iicresies, into Philadelphia, and the unhappy means employed by 
 the New School men belonging to the ecclesiastical judicatories 
 .'ibout that city, with which he came into contact, their spurious 
 measures and their occasional successes, in screening him and 
 his false doctrines from merited condemnation, justly struck alarm 
 through the whole church, and caused the meetincr of the General 
 Assembly for 1S34, to be looked for with serious apprehension. 
 To this impression, the rapid and wide diffusion of disorder and 
 misrule through the churches, the extensive dissemination of New 
 School errors in doctrine, the supineness of the church in general 
 I in the subject, the laxness and neglect of several preceding Gene- 
 ral Assemblies, through the wily influence of Congregational arti- 
 i'ice, in regard to correcting abuses, a duty which had been co- 
 gently urged upon her attention to awaken her to timely vigilance 
 and reform, all seemed strongly conducive. The few watchmen 
 en the walls of Zion who were awake, saw the peril thickening 
 and the crisis approaching. 
 
 * Mil. Ch. Hist., Vol. II., p. 35S. 
 
68 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Case of Albert Barnes presented — As introductory to his character and ap- 
 pearance, extracts from The Criais are inserted — Irregular action of the 
 General Assembly of 1834 — Character of that body — Western Memorials 
 — The report of Committee — Resolutions of Assembly — Protest by mi- 
 nority — Its character. 
 
 The case of Albert Barnes was the torch appHed by the New 
 ♦School faction in Philadelphia, to the mass of combustibles which, 
 had been accumulating in that city and its vicinity for years. 
 The troubles he occasioned in the church were protracted and 
 complex. An accurate detail of them would necessarily cover 
 much paper. As a connecting link in this chain of illustration, 
 and as the best outline we can present of that imprudent and 
 troublesome man, we can do nothing better than transfer to these 
 pages, some extracts from a pamphlet called Tlie Crisis, pub- 
 lished by the writer, in March, 183G, two successive editions of 
 which were issued by Robert Carter, Esq., New York, over the 
 author's geneological signature, A son of the Huguenots. The 
 facts for this pamphlet had been on hand some time, and the 
 work in waiting for farther developments, till the publication 
 seemed to be imperatively demanded. 
 
 In introducing the Crisis here, we observe rather the order in 
 which it was prepared, than that of its original publication. 
 
 THE CRISIS. 
 
 " The evils threatened to our beloved church, and the designs 
 of her adversaries, whether partially fulfilled or still prospective, 
 are clearly concentrated in the case of the Rev. Albert Barnes. 
 -Although it is not the object of these pages to enter directly into 
 the controversy between him and Dr. Junkin, we cannot with- 
 hold a few passing remarks upon the Notes on the Romans, and 
 the character of their author. 
 
 "No undertaking requires so many peculiar, rare, and high 
 qualifications, as that of a sacred commentator. To this work, 
 Mr. Barnes' capacity is by no means adapted. He does not pos- 
 sess the precision and accuracy of mind, the nice discrimination, 
 the comprehensiveness of view, the age, patience, distrust of self- 
 exemption from prejudice, extensive, various, and well-digested 
 knowledge necessary to execute this arduous task with success. 
 Besides, suspected as he always has been, especially since he 
 published his sermon on the Way of Salvation, by a large and re- 
 spectable number of his brethren who had the best means of 
 knowing, with holding erroneous opinions, doctrines offensive to 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 69 
 
 the church because at variance with her standards, and satis- 
 fied of the fact, as he appears to have been, it was certainly a 
 very rash measure so hastily to spread before the world his crude 
 strictures on the Romans. What has occurred, under such cir- 
 cumstances, could not fail to occur. The performance is very 
 imperfect; sufficient greatly to depress, if not destroy, his reputa- 
 tion as a theologian and scholar in the estimation of sound and 
 accurate men. The Apostle's profound and comprehensive argu- 
 ments, either from design to misrepresent them, or from want of 
 clear and expanded views, are exhibited, in many places, in de- 
 tached and broken parts, as incoherent fragments of thought, 
 often destitute of meaning, force, or beauty. In some of the most 
 difficult and important passages, there is much perversion, evasion, 
 and concealment; and, in some instances, attempts to annihilate 
 what the learned and pious have ever pronounced to be the very 
 essence of the sacred text. The plainest principles of Greek 
 grammar, which every schoolboy ought to be familiar with, arc 
 set at naught ; and the best established rules of exegetical exposi- 
 tion outraged, to make the Apostle's language tally with his ex- 
 positor's preconceived opinions. 
 
 " That Mr. Barnes holds unsound doctrines is now established 
 by his own statements and concessions; and I do most honestly 
 declare that I never was fully satisfied of his serious criminality 
 till I received the conviction from a careful reading of his own 
 attempt at vindication. The very efibrt he makes to pervert the 
 nature and impair the force of our ordination vows, to resolve 
 these most sacred en2i;afTements into mere matters of form, allow- 
 ing numberless reserves and departures from their letter and 
 spirit, abrogating, at once, their solemn sanctions and binding 
 force, gives origin to most painful suspicions ; and is an enormity 
 never before, in our land, with so much effi^ontery, put forth to 
 the light; an enormity deserving the solemn consideration and re- 
 buke of the church. 
 
 " Our strictures will be confined chiefly to Mr. Barnes' prelimi- 
 nary remarks in his defence, which abound with positions of the 
 most unwarrantable nature, inasmuch as their direct tendency is 
 to destroy the purity and peace of our church. 
 
 " The leading object of these sheets is to show design, in Mr. 
 Barnes and his adherents, to introduce into our church corruption ot 
 doctrine and order ; to evade honest investigation and constitutional 
 trial; to mislead the public mind by uncandid and inflammatory 
 statements; to excite odium against the truth and its advocates; 
 in a word, to defeat judicial proceedings, and paralyze all disci- 
 pline in the church, with a design to open a wide door for the en- 
 trance of every * unclean thing.' 
 
 *' In his defence against the charges of Dr. Junkin, Mr. Barnes 
 
70 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 has so far implicated the Theological Seminary at Princeton, and 
 the Presbytery of New Brunswick, as to render necessary some 
 statement of the opinion entertained respecting him while on Iriai^s 
 before that judicatory. So far as the writer recollects or can 
 ascertain now, he was considered, by those who knew him best, 
 as a young man of pretty good parts, hopeful piety, desirous of 
 knowledge and addicted to study, but imprudently fond of Eastern 
 theories and speculations, tenacious of novel and doubtful opinion?, 
 often occasioning among his fellow students unprofitable and per- 
 plexing disputations ; on the whole, as to his theological course, 
 rather creating painful apprehensions than inspiring confidence. 
 In his trials before the Presbytery, his evasive and equivocal 
 terms, and unusual statements on some cardinal points, excited 
 dissatisfaction in the minds of some members. But supposing, as 
 they did, that they might have been somewhat mistaken, thai the 
 candidate might have spoken unguardedly, that he would obtain 
 more clear and satisfactory views by age and reflection, and 
 inclining to great moderation and indulgence, there was no open 
 objection made to Mr. Barnes' licensure. Soon after he was 
 transferred, for ordination, to a sister Presbytery, upon whom de- 
 volved the chief responsibility of inducting him into the sacred 
 office. 
 
 "Here it is to be observed, that a designing, artful candidate 
 can deceive any Presbytery. Mr. Barnes now informs us, that 
 while at Princeton, Jiis views were the same as now ! If this be 
 true, it is a seiious fact, as we shall discover, a dark and melan- 
 choly chapter in his history. In his assertion, that this was fully 
 Itnown, he commits a monstrous mistake! Had he honestly and 
 fully disclosed his opinions, as they are now fully known, there 
 cannot be a doubt — fidelity to the principles and character of thai 
 pure and respectable company of Christian ministers compels the 
 declaration — that he would assuredly have been rebuked and re- 
 jected. It is evident, from his own words, that he entered the 
 holy oilice as a probationer, by such an act as ought to affect any 
 minister's public character. We regrel Mr. Barnes' reference to 
 this Presbytery, as it imposes, to some extent, the painful duty of 
 explanation. Even if thai body, in its Presbyterial capacity, 
 choose passively to bear the reference, some individual members 
 feel a desire to wipe ofl' the stigma. It is always ofiensive to be 
 duped. But how uncandid and unjust does it seem to make the Pres- 
 bytery responsible for a licensure which, his own words roundly 
 aver, was obtained by double-dealing; that is, by assenting to the 
 standards in one form, and silently and secretly intending to inter- 
 pret them in another ! For, as we shall see from Mr. Barnes' own 
 account of this transaction, such is its just import. 
 
 " The plan of making secret exceptions and mental reservations 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 71 
 
 in forming contracts, has always been considered by honest men 
 as culpable and disgraceful. Our Confession condemns it, chap, 
 xxii., sec. 4: 'An oath is to be taken in the plain and common 
 sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation /' 
 This dishonest course was denounced in the Assembly of 1834, 
 which did more to favour heresy than any preceding General 
 Assembly, viz: « Resolved, that in receiving and adopting the for- 
 mularies of our church, every person ought to be supposed, with- 
 out evidence to the contrary, to receive and adopt them according 
 to the obvious, known, and established meaning of the tet'ms, as 
 the confession of his faith ; and that if objections be made, the 
 Presbytery, unless he withdraw such objections, should not li- 
 cense, or ordain, or admit him.' Ex. p. 26. The Presbytery of 
 New Brunswick, in taking Mr. Barnes' solemn engagement, really 
 believed he was receiving and adopting the Confession of Faitli 
 according to the obvious, known, and established meaning of its 
 terms. But Mr. Barnes now discloses something widely different. 
 * The system of doctrines contained in the standards, I received 
 as a system. I received it, not indeed ever expressing my assent 
 to every expression and form of expression, but as reserving to 
 myself the right, in common with all others, of examining the 
 language, and forming an opinion of its meaning.' This is in 
 direct-violation of the above extracts from the Confession of Faith 
 and the minutes of the Assembly. Mr. Barnes here takes a posi- 
 tion, we think, far in advance of the main body of troublesome 
 intruders into onr church. They have practised this artifice, 
 been suspected of it, been charged with it, but from fear of public 
 opinion and the shame of detection, they have stoutly denied the 
 charge ! Mr. Barnes throws ofTall restraint, takes the- very ground 
 of Unitarians, Pelagians, Taylorites, of his Eastern theological 
 fraternity, and openly asserts the right of signing the Confession 
 as a whole, for doctrine, for substance, intending to interpret, 
 mutilate, or distort the individual parts of the system, to suit any 
 other system which latent scepticism, false philosophy, fanaticism, 
 or folly may suggest. Is not this monstrous for a man laying 
 claims to common sense and common honesty ? He even asserts 
 that he entered the sacred oifice exercising this right, these secret 
 reserves and hidden intentions; thus imposing upon the pure and 
 unsuspecting judicatories through which he passed ; nay, he tells 
 us, that on this right of secret reserves and exceptions he vindi- 
 cates himself in holding the false doctrines of which he now 
 stands convicted before the church. Now, what is this but setting 
 up one crime to vindicate another — practising fraud to secure ad- 
 vantages for propagating heresy 1 Without preferring any charge, 
 we would here recommend to Mr. Barnes, for serious considera- 
 tion, the remarkable, and, as we conceive, not inappropriate Ian- 
 
%« 
 
 72 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 guage of Peter to Ananias, Acts v., 3: 'Why hath Satan fiiied 
 thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the 
 price (pronaise) ? While it remained, was it not thine own ? Why 
 hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart 1 Thou hast not lied 
 unto man, but unto God.' 
 
 "In examining Mr. Barnes' subsequent course, as developed by 
 himself, we find similar exhibitions of unsound and disorderly 
 views, with short interims, down to the present time ; and a party 
 striving by every means in their power to sustain him. In ac- 
 cordance with this, we find, in his sermon on The Way of Salva- 
 tion, he unhesitatingly discards the public standards: 'Nor is he 
 to be cramped by any frame-work of faith that has been reared 
 around the Bible.' How decisive and contemptuous is such lan- 
 guage, from a man who had bound himself, by the most impressive 
 and awful sanctions, to regard that very frame-work honestly, 
 according to its spirit and letter! for such is the interpretation put 
 upon the oath by those who administered it. Seldom, indeed, 
 have we been more astonished and grieved than at finding so 
 many indications of this character. The sermon containing this 
 renunciation of our standards exhibits principles and views op- 
 posed to some most important doctrines of our Confession. Hence 
 the zeal and perseverance of his adherents to screen both himseli 
 and his discourse from deserved censure. The result 'is w-ell 
 known. Mr. Barnes' account of the transaction is quite remark- 
 able: 'Charges similar to these had been alleged against me, not 
 indeed in a formal and regular manner, but in an irregular man- 
 ner, by the Presbytery of Philadelphia. Those accusations had 
 been laid before the General Assembly, and the highest judicature 
 of the Presbyterian Church had fully acquitted me of them ." 
 Did that General Assembly, or any other, ever declare that Mr. 
 Barnes did not hold the opinions charged as errors? JMr. Barnes 
 knows to the contrary. This full acquittal was such as left more- 
 than two-fifths of that Assembly fully persuaded of his guilt in the 
 matter of accusation. The decision, as was openly avowed by a 
 large portion both of the majority and minority, turned much more 
 on points of policy than upon ihe merits of the charges. The 
 same controversy was continued, in different forms, till the As- 
 sembly of 1S34 introduced and sanctioned the affinity system. 
 This decisive step in favor of heresy, instead of acquitting Mr. 
 Barnes, admitted his guilt, and was designed to provide for him a 
 safe retreat in his heretical course. In all these complicate mea- 
 sures, from year to year, the same man in substance is indirectly 
 under process. In the back ground we discover a conspiracy in 
 progress to shelter these dangerous opinions and their author from 
 merited condemnation ; to provide inlets for large numbers of 
 these spurious operators ; and eventually to overturn the whole 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 13 
 
 Presbyterian system. Mr. Barnes never has been acquitted in the 
 Presbyterian Church; and while lie holds his heretical opinions, 
 and she adheres to her standards, based upon the pure gospel of 
 Jesus Christ, he never can be set free from the charges now 
 alleged. 
 
 " Mr. Barnes' sermon before the Theological Seminary at 
 Princeton, September, 1834, still farther discloses his rage for 
 speculation on the truths of the Bible. 'Nor is it,' says he, re- 
 ferring to modern discoveries in science, 'nor is it demonstrated 
 that the limit of advancement is yet reached ; or that the human 
 mind must pause here and hope to proceed no farther. Tli£se 
 men (philosophers named) have just opened illimitable fields of 
 thought before the mind. Jlnd so it may be in Theology. The 
 system was as perfect in the Scriptures as Astronomy was before 
 Newton lived ; yet it is possible that there are truths, and relations 
 of truths, which the mind has not yet contemplated.'' We intro- 
 duce this extract merely to exhibit Mr. Barnes' real character to 
 the public, whom he has so elaborately and voluminously ad- 
 dressed, to show how completely he has thrown otT all the re- 
 straints of our standards, and rejected the landmarks of reason 
 and common sense. Concede to him that Theology, the meaning 
 of the Bible, is to be altered, amended, or new-modelled, as As- 
 tronomy was by Newton, as a system of experimental philosophy ; 
 or like the progressive science of Botany or Chemistry, like a cot- 
 ton gin or steam engine; and all religious truth maybe subli- 
 mated, frittered away, and ejected from the world, by the insa- 
 tiable spirit of innovation. Besides, what confidence can be 
 placed in the public ministry of a man whose opinions rest upon 
 so visionary and fluctuating a basis? How can he himself pro- 
 claim and urge any thing upon dying souls as the truth of God 
 and able to save, when it may be an obsolete error, a total mis- 
 take, which the march of mind and increase of light may super- 
 sede; and then follow with some new vision, to be, in its turn, 
 admired and abandoned? 
 
 "IMr. Barnes' defence is replete with painful indications of de- 
 sign to evade his ordination vows, and to depart from the con- 
 fession of our faith. The follo-wing passage admits the charges 
 and evinces fixed purpose, at least, under the present process, to 
 cleave to his errors, and brave all consequences. 'I am not con- 
 scious of being so obstinately attached to the exposition which I 
 have adopted, as to be unwilling to be convinced of error; and, if 
 convinced, to abandon the sentiments which I have expressed. 
 Whether the mode that will be most likely to secure a change of 
 opinion is that of arraigning me for the high misdemeanor of 
 heresy, is the most desirable to secure such a result, I -shall not 
 now inquire. In this land and in these times, a change of opinion 
 
74 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 is to be effected, not by the language of authority, not by an ap- 
 peal to the fathers, not by calling on us simply to listen to the 
 voice of other limes ; but by the sober and solid exposition of the 
 oracles of God. Men, even in error, listen respeclfully to those 
 who attempt to reason with them, and to convince them that ihey 
 are wrong; t key turn instinctively away when denunciation takes 
 ihe place of argument, and the cry of heresy is the substitute for 
 a sober appeal to the understanding.' iVJr. Barnes' reformation 
 then is hopeless! He admits that he is in error. He quarrels 
 dreadfully with Dr. Junkin's constitutional resort to set him right. 
 He has proved incorrigible under a constant course of warning 
 and admonition ever since he entered Philadelphia. The history, 
 of our church for the last five years, is an indelible record of that 
 fact! U Dr. Junkin had approached him with bended knee and 
 suppliant tone, if the church had come (not with autkoiity!) 
 humbly suing at his feet, he might have deigned to listen. But 
 the name of heresy, accusations, charges, dreadful ! He turns in- 
 stinctively away! Yes, and hugs his false opinions closer than 
 ever. Remember this is the profoundly meek and devout Mr. 
 Barjies. Remember, too, when in error, his embracing or re- 
 fusing reform depends not upon the nature, the evidence, the im- 
 portance of truth; but upon the gentleness, the soft and timid re- 
 serve, the courtesy, with which it is commended to him. Ad- 
 mirable trait in a New School commentator! ! 
 
 " But Mr, Barnes' course is very different. He openly declares 
 that he commenced his Notes with an intention not to he ivjlu- 
 cnced by a regard to the Confession of Faith. And now, after 
 finishing the work, being convicted of heresy, and even acknow- 
 ledging himself in error, he avows it as the deliberate and settled 
 purpose of his mind always to he goverricd hy this principle : 
 and yet pertinaciously continues in the church whose purity he 
 has marred, whose peace he has wounded, and whose authority 
 . lie has contemned ! After this, no man will do Sir. Barnes the in- 
 justice to charge him with being a Presbyterian; with belonging, 
 in heart and s]jirir, to that or any other denomination; with hav- 
 ing, indeed, any settled views of truth at all. If he should be found 
 to agree with our constitutional fo;rms in any instance, it will be by 
 meie chance! Really, his declarations are so wild and extrava- 
 gant, that they seem scarely compatible with sanity of intellect, 
 certainly at the farthest remove from all consistency with that 
 integrity and candour of purpose and practice which constitute 
 the ve\-y essence of fidelity to our holy ecclesiastical compact. 
 
 " It. would appear from Mr. Barnes' statements, that our church 
 has been very indulgent toward unsound members in former times. 
 It is to be regretted that he has exposed himself so sadly to pain- 
 ful remark on this topic. We can scarcely conceive how he could 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 75 
 
 be ignorant of the long line of facts opposed to his representations, 
 or expect to escape detection in misstatements so notorious. The 
 early history of the church records few cases of error, and con- 
 sequently of discipline. Nothing is more certain than this, ihe 
 farther you look back into our ecclesiastical character, the greater 
 strictness and even rigor will you find continually in exercise to 
 guard against the approach of every error. Even in 1810, the 
 llev. VV. C. Davis, whose 'gospel plan' was under process for 
 heresy, found not a man in ihe Assembly to advocate his cause. 
 The vote to condemn his book, containing substantially the same 
 false doctrine now revived by Mr. Barnes, was unanimous. The 
 whole business occupied half a day. Times have greatly changed. 
 Now, the promoters of corruption and discord have augmented 
 their numbers, and clog the wheels of discipline; they even re- 
 prove the advocates of Irutli and order for attempting at all to 
 obstruct their desolating course, and boldly denounce us as per- 
 secutors ; a charge which might as justly be urged by a felon 
 at the bar against the court and jury engaged in ferreting out his 
 crimes. 
 
 " In maintaining his false and dangerous positions, Mr. Barnes 
 Calls to his aid the Biblical Repertory, Princeton, Vol. III., p. 521, 
 ccc, where he finds the following passage: 'The Confession, as 
 iVamed by the Westminster Divines, was an acknov\lcdged compro- 
 mise between two classes of theologians. When adopted by the 
 Presbyterian Church in this country, it was with the understand- 
 ing that the mode of sub scrip lion did not imply strict uniformity of 
 views.' The character of this journal is such as to require a con- 
 sideration of what is here advanced. The passage quoted is the 
 mere opinion of one man, or at most of a very few, superintend- 
 ing a periodical at a time calculated to lull vigilance. Instead of 
 receiving the sanction of public opinion, it was met by genera! 
 disapprobation, as opening a door for mischievous innovators U> 
 intrude themselves unawares. That the understanding, here 
 gratuitously proclaimed as universal, mii^ht have existed in the 
 minds of a few obstinate sticklers for opinion in that large con- 
 clave which formed the Confession, at Westminster, and adopted 
 it in this country, may be supposed; but that sijch was tlie de- 
 i-igned and approved import of the pledge and signatuie, to be 
 required in all after-time, is really too romantic to be for a mo- 
 ment admitted. Who does not see that in this case our bond of union 
 must immediately have proved a rope of sand — our beautiful system, 
 a promiscuous heap of fragments — and the church, not a glorious 
 building, fitly framed and compacted together, but a heteroge- 
 neous image of gold and silver, brass and iron ! The sequel of 
 this extract from the Repertory is still more revolting, as it really 
 appears to concede every thing v^■hich the direst foes of our sys- 
 
7G OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. 
 
 tern are struggling for ; the right of adopting her standards for 
 doctrine, the very evasion practised by Mr. Barnes. 'The very 
 terms, "system of doctrines," conveys a definite idea, the idea of 
 a regular series of connected opinions having a natual relation, 
 and constituting one ic/iole. These doctrines are clearly ex- 
 pressed ; such as the doctrine of the Trinity, ti]e incarnation and 
 supreme deity of Christ, the fall, and original sin, atonement, jus- 
 tification by faith. With respect to each of these several points 
 there are, and may safely be, various modes of statement and ex- 
 planation, consistent icilh their sincere reception.' In connexion 
 with this, the writer asks, ' How is the subscription, or assent to 
 our standards, to be interpreted? or with what degree of strict- 
 ness is the phrase "system of doctrines," as it occurs in the ordi- 
 nation service, to be explained? who is to judge whether an ex- 
 planation does, or does not, interfere with what is essential to a 
 particular doctrine? We answer, in the first place, this is a ques- 
 tion for every man to answer.' The writer's remarks too much 
 favour the supposition that the main force of our ordination pro,- 
 misc falls upon the words ' system of doctrines.' As this is deeply 
 interesting, let us examine it. ' Do you sincerely receive and adopt 
 the Confession of Faith of this church, as C(^ntaining the system of 
 doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures?' Now according to tfie 
 apparent meaning of the Repertory, the candidate primarily and 
 principally receives and adopts ' the system of doctrine^ We ask 
 what is the particular form and character of these doctrines? 
 The writer's answer is, 'This is a question for every man to an- 
 swer' as he may please. If so, the termis 'Confession of Faith of 
 this church,' might as well be expunged altogether. But we ap- 
 prehend this to be an entirely erroneous construction of the whole 
 article. Examine the question proposed :' Do you sincerely re- 
 ceive and adopt' — what? — 'the system of doctrines?' No, 'the 
 Confession of Faith of this Church.' This is the very gist of the 
 (jucstion, and here rests the main force of the obligation. Why 
 receive ' the Confession of Faith V because we believe it ' contains 
 the system of doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures.' Now, 
 suppose any man should insist that this Confession does not con- 
 tain the doctrines of the Sacred Scriptures ; it is plain he cannot 
 be an honest Presbyterian; for this point is settled by our form of 
 induction into the church, and every sincere signer professes his 
 confirmed belief in this principle. There were, doubtless, present 
 to the minds of the framers of our Confession many systems of 
 doctrine, and there exist still many forms of faith, at war with 
 each other, all represented by their respective advocates to be 
 embraced by the Holy Scriptures. Our Confession makes its se- 
 lection and exhibits its choice, to the exclusion of every opposing 
 form of words, in distinct and permanent traits; and every honest 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 77 
 
 receiver yields and records his unqualified and unwavering assent 
 to it. Does any man incjliire what the doctrinal system of the 
 Presbyterian Church is? We refer him — not to the evasive spec- 
 ulations or dubious answers of others — but directly to ' the Con- 
 fession of Faith,' which the book describes as containing this 
 system. We tell the inquirer the very object of the Confession 
 was to prevent private and devious explanation; to distinguisli 
 our system from all opposing systems; to prevent any mistake or 
 confusion among ourselves respecting the real character and im- 
 port of our doctrines. 
 
 ''Our meaning may be appositely illustrated in a few particu- 
 lars from the case now pending. Mr. Barnes has subscribed to 
 the doctrine of the \fall and original sin' How does he explain 
 it? ^ All sin is voluntary!^ of course, tjiere is no corruption of 
 nature nor guilt till moral agency commences. ' Sinners have no 
 federal relation to Adam, and are not answerable lor his guilt.' 
 'The notion of imputation is an invention of modern limes.' As 
 this doctrine is explained by Mr. Barnes, men have no sin till they 
 create it by actual transgression. ' It is a result secured by bad 
 conduct, just as the drunkard becomes such and ruins his family 
 by bad habits.' Now, is this explanation consistent with an honest 
 I'eception of either the Bible or the Confession of Faith ? We think 
 far otherwise. 
 
 " Asain: Mr. Barnes holds the doctrine of Atonement. Now 
 for his explanation of this vital truth: 'The sin of Adam and his 
 seed was not imputed to Christ, and he punished on account of it.' 
 Of course, he asserts 'Christ did not endure the precise penalty of 
 the law,' nor make certain the salvation of any one. What then 
 did he do that resembles the work of atonement? Mr. Barnes 
 does not inform us. As Christ liad no sin himself, and was not 
 charged with the sin of others, he must have suffered as an inno- 
 cent person, to make an exhibition of some kind, and this is Mr. 
 Barnes' view, to satisfy public justice, the ends of the divine go- 
 vernment ; but without real expiation or purchase at all ! And yet 
 he very gravely talks about the atonement. 
 
 " Once more : Mr. Barnes holds to justification by faith. His 
 explanation, so far as it goes, completely removes the true doc- 
 trine on this fundamental point out of the world. Having dis- 
 carded the principle of imputation, which runs through the whole 
 Bible, and is so strikingly prominent in our Confession, of course 
 neither the person, nor the work', or righteousness of Christ, has 
 anything to do with the sinner's justification. The old doctrine, 
 on w'hich we iiave been accustomed to repose our eternal hopes 
 of justification through Christ's righteousness imputed to the sin- 
 ner and received by faith of God, is completely set aside as a 
 stale error, or, more absurdlv. as a modern invention; and its 
 
78 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 place is supplied, in Mr. Barnes' explanation, by an attempt to 
 make this infinitely important matter, jusf'(jication before God, 
 depend upon a blind mystical faith itself, or to resolve it into sim- 
 ple pardon for sin. Thus the peculiar doctrines which form the 
 basis of the gloriou;s gospel may be explained away, and enve- 
 loped in impenetrable and cheerless clouds. 
 
 "Thus, it seems to us, Mr. Barnes' own testimony, candidly 
 'estimated, is sufficient to place him before the church in a pre- 
 dicament as little to be envied as any that can be conceived. And 
 when the conduct of his advocates is viewed in connexion with 
 ])is public declarations and acts, a fixed purpose is clearly de- 
 veloped by them to evade honest investigation and constitutional 
 trial altogether. No matter who is the accused, who the prose- 
 cutor, or what the charg-e; they have combined to trample the 
 • ■onstitution under their feet, and to nullify all its salutary pro- 
 visions. 
 
 " We find much serious cause to be dissatisfied with Mr. 
 Barnes' treatment of Dr. Junkin. His attempt to resolve his con- 
 duct into selfish, suspicious, and unhallowed motives, cannot fnil 
 to shock cver\' impartial and honourable mind. 'To Dr. Junkin 
 ] had done no injury, I had made no allusion; his opinions 1 had 
 not attacked; nor in the book on which the charges are based, 
 have I made the remotest allusion to him or his doctrines.' Strange 
 indeed ! Has then Mr. Barnes the weakness to intimate, or sup- 
 ])ose, that process can be properly instituted or reasonably ex- 
 pected against a minister extensively charged with heres3% only 
 where personal offence has been given, where passion lias been 
 provoked and is in exercise? Can his lun^e liberal if ij aud abound- 
 ing charity conceive and admit of no higher, no holier motive, in 
 I his solemn and eventful measure? Is then the love of Christ, the 
 iove of his pure gospel, the love of his church, the love of souls, 
 10 him a strange passion ? Or does it glo^v exclusively in his own 
 breast? .ludge ye! What shall we say of the effort he makes to 
 hold up Dr. Junkin to ridicule and reproach as a self-constituted 
 guardian of the orthodoxy and peace of the church ? How unkind 
 and unchristian are such insinuations! The public are not so ob- 
 tuse as to mistake the meaning. The heretic must go free at all 
 events, and the prosecutor become a x'ictim of party combination 
 and violence. Even the College of Lafayette, which belongs to 
 the cause of science and truth, is not sacred if it come in the way 
 rif such party rancor. Not only the President, but the important 
 and growing institution under his care, must be swept away by 
 This prescriptive besom. And what has excited this exterminating 
 spirit? Why, Dr. Junkin's simply proposing, in a manner which 
 all pronounce necessary, and regular, and Christian, after the 
 whole church had been invited by act of the General Assembly 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 79 
 
 lo this issue, proposing to show according to the book, that the 
 Notes on the Romans contain doctrines opposed to our standards. 
 ]f innocent and nothing to fear, why this asperity and rage? Mr. 
 Barnes says, ' In my own Presbytery I was in good standing.' 
 True, because the whole body, one minister only excepted, it is 
 believed, embraced the same heresies. But had JMr. Barnes no 
 wish lo stand well in the church at large? Trial is the only 
 method of removing suspicions. This, neither Mr. Barnes nor 
 his associates are prepared for. Hence this outrageous attack 
 upon a Christian minister, who undertakes an arduous public ser- 
 vice, as we believe, from profound devotedness to duty, and exer- 
 cisin'? great self-denial, not courting distinction, not followincr the 
 impulses of an irregular and excited mind, not cherishing a lofty 
 pride or unhallowed ambition, as is cruelly insinuated in the de- 
 fence, but at the often repeated challenge of the aggressing fac- 
 tion, and on the suggestion and with the approbation of many of 
 the advocates of truth and purity in the Presbyterian body. In 
 uur Saviour's words, the plain inference is, 'Every one that doeth 
 evil hateth the liffht, neither cometh to the li^ht, lest his deeds 
 should be reproved.' 
 
 " The exculpatory sentence of the second Presbyter}' of Phila- 
 delpliia in Mr. Barnes' case, was such as the public anticipated, 
 knowing it to be deeply tinctured with the same false doctrines. 
 The only fact, therefore, established by the trial before them, is, 
 that the court are in the same condemnation with their protege, 
 with this additional enormit}', that to previous individual corrup- 
 tion they have added the guilt of public official perfidy as guardians 
 of the church. 
 
 "After openly and repeatedly announcing the fact, that he en- 
 tered the ministry with reserves and exceptions — after a laborious 
 and protracted argument to vindicate his heretical sentiments on 
 the assumed right of construction : and after boldly declaring his 
 sctllt'd purpose always to disregard every confession and formula, 
 we are reall}^ surprised and grieved to find Mr. Barnes adding, 
 to the egregious mass of inconsistencies elsewhere displayed, 
 the gross absurdity of an attempt to reconcile his A'otes with the 
 Confession of Faitk. His whole defence is conducted on the ad- 
 mission, that these discrepancies exist as stated. Hence the at- 
 tempt to distort the nature and impair the force of the ordination 
 Vow. Hence also the various excuses and pretexts offered to 
 vindicate the errors allea:ed and their author. What is the im- 
 port of the fallowing extract from this defence? 'The question 
 which this Presbytery is now called on to decide, is, whether the 
 views which are expressed in these Notes are any longer lo be 
 tolerated in the Presbyterian Church in the United States ; wheth- 
 er a man who held them at the time of his licensure, who has 
 
80 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 held and preached them for ten years, is to be allowed peaceably 
 to hold them still ; or whether he is to be pronounced heretical 
 and unsound V What opinions are these here referred to 1 Cer- 
 tainly not any doctrines of the Confession of Faith. There is no 
 controversy about them. No : they are iindoubtedly the heresies 
 presented by Dr. Junkin. The whole charge is here, as in other 
 places, substantially admitted. But, presently, Mr. Barnes' courage 
 fails, and he turns short about, adding to the guilt of acknowl- 
 edged error the criminality of uncandid subterfuge, and commen- 
 ces a Jesuitical process to prove these very opinions to be the 
 same with those of our standards. To such monstrous absurdi- 
 ties heresy never fails to reduce its deluded propagators. The 
 impossibility of this reconciliation will appear from a compari- 
 son of Dr. Junkin's argument with the standards of the church. 
 
 " Let the public observe — Mr. Barnes has brought upon him- 
 self all the guilt — the charges — the censures — the mortification 
 and disgrace — and the painful apprehensions he may suffer, by 
 his rash and incorrigible course. He has nobody to blam.e but 
 himself and his cruel advisers. His plea for suspension of pro- 
 cess, or discharge from condemnation, amounts to the simple^ 
 mo/Iest, and reasonable request, that all the sworn friends of truth 
 and order in our church, who feel sacredly ' bound, with zeal and 
 fidelity, to maintain the tri:iths of the gospel and the purity and 
 peace of the church,' shall profanely violate their vows, and 
 stand idly b}', when the Ark of the law and testimony is rapa- 
 ciously assailed by aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and 
 strap gers from our covenant and promise. What renders his 
 (;ase iDost desperate is, that his defence, now before the public, 
 constituted as it is, contains from his own hand the elements of 
 self-destruction. Unless the sentiments it contains are promptly 
 and totally retracted, and the whole ground he there assumes for 
 defence abandoned as untenable, that very defence will prove a 
 bill of indictment and must seal his fate. If the principles which 
 that defence avows are sanctioned in the General Assembly, the 
 Presbyterian Church, as established by our wise and venerable 
 forefathers, is that moment, and foiever after, dissolved ; on those 
 p.rinciplcs no pure church ever existed, or can exist, beneath the 
 sun. So that we have here presented a bold, insidious, and de- 
 termined assault upon the vital existence of our sacred union — 
 an attempt, at a stroke, to sever the tie that binds us in this great 
 Christian fraternity — and then to plead the profane dissolution it- 
 self, as a defence for the enormities under process before our 
 sacred tribunals. 
 
 "Our former remarks upon Mr. Barnes' statements respecting 
 his views of the engngement made on first assuming the sacred 
 office, were intended chieflv to correct his erroneous and danger- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED^ 81 
 
 OU3 constraction of that sacred promise as a part of our church 
 policy. We now proceed to consider the morality of Mr. Barnes' 
 conduct in this solemn transaction, as developed by himself. The 
 subject is truly momentous and impressive; and nothing but a 
 lively view of its comprehensive bearing and influence, and a 
 solemn sense of duty, awakened by Mr. Barnes' alarming disclo- 
 sures, prompts us to enter upon this solemn discussion. We pity 
 this deluded and unhappy man, whose friends, by foolish flattery 
 and infatuated counsel, have brought him blindfold to the preci- 
 pice. As the question with us now is between the Church of 
 Chjist and Albert Barnes, we have no alternative but to proceed 
 with the exposition. 
 
 " From our view of this subject in its moral relations, the con- 
 clusion is, that Mr. Barnes' conduct involves an offence of the 
 greatest magnitude and guilt. The office of a Christian minister 
 is the most exalted and responsible office existing in this world. 
 Ministers are representatives, ' sub-delegated messengers,' of the 
 great God, in lais dispensation of grace. ' We are ambassadors of 
 Christ,' says the great Aposile; ' We pray you in Christ's stead,' 
 &c. To this high vocation are they appointed, and the Presby- 
 tery is the divinely constituted instrument to clothe them with its 
 sacred functions. Now, the whole transaction, in which candi- 
 dates are received, and bound, and commissioned to this holy 
 service, has ever been considered as partaking the nature and 
 sclemnity of :v formal oath. The engagement being made pri- 
 marily to God, from whom proceed the office — the call to it — 
 and both the power and form of initiation, every candidate is 
 jusily conceived to make a solemn appeal to the searcher of hearts 
 tor the rectitude and sincerity of his professions. Hence a vio- 
 lation of this oath, in any of its particulars, according to their 
 natural, obvious, customary, and established import, can justly be 
 viev.'ed no otherwise than as an act of perjury ; especially must 
 this construction be put upon the violation, if the candidate, by 
 subsequent declarations and actions, refuse to correct his error, 
 and obstinately persist in a course directly opposed to that clearly 
 required by his solemn vow. 
 
 "•Let us bear the opinion of a man, whose penetration, purity, 
 and fidelity, as a witness for God, have been procraimed through 
 the world as pre-eminently deserviag universal confidence. ' But, 
 for men, at their entrance on the sacred office solemnly to sub- 
 scribe to the truth of what, all their lives after, they strive to un- 
 dermine and destroy, is at once sa criminal and absurd, that no 
 reproof given to it can possibly exceed in point of severity. This 
 is so direct a violation of sincerity, that it is astonishing to think 
 iiow men can set their minds at ease in the prospect, or keep 
 them in peace after the dehberale commission of it. The very 
 
 F 
 
82 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 excuses and evasions that are offered in defence of it are a dis- 
 grace to reason as well as a scandal to religion. What success 
 can be expected from that man's ministry who begins it with an 
 act of so complicated guilt 1 How can he take upon him to re- 
 prove others for sin, or to train them up in virtue and true good- 
 ness, while himself is chargeable with direct, premeditated and 
 perpetual perjury !'* 
 
 "Falsehood has been properly defined to consist in 'That 
 which deceives and disappoints confidence.' Perjury is of the 
 same general nature, but inconceivably aggravated in guilt by a 
 direct appeal to God, which involves an imprecation of his judg- 
 inents upon any thing deceptive in the engagement made, fraudu- 
 lent or unfaithful in the execution of it. These characteristics 
 will be found, on close inspection, applicable to the case before 
 us. From his own testimony and attending circumstances, it 
 (Cannot be doubted that Mr. Barnes deceived the Presbytery of 
 New Brunswick at his licensure ; and it is equally clear that he 
 has disappointed their expectations. The points of greatest im- 
 portance, in the obligations assumed, on entering the sacred office, 
 are embraced in the following questions : * Do you sincerely re- 
 ceive and adopt the Confession of Faith of this churcii, as con- 
 taining the system of doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures ( 
 Do you promise to study the peace, unity, and purity of the 
 church?' In all sound Presbyteries these obligations have been 
 uniformly understood to imply the utmost singleness and sincerity 
 of purpose, required also by act of the General Assembly — * In 
 receiving and adopting the formularies of the church, according 
 to the obvious, known, and established meaning of the terms, as 
 the Confession of their Faith.^ Our Confession itself demands the 
 engagement to be taken ' in the plain and common sense of the 
 words, without equivocation or mental reservation.' The Pres- 
 bytery of New Brunswick have always acted in conformity with 
 these views ; the students of the Seminary, who are generally 
 witnesses of their transactions, and especially those on trial be- 
 t'ore them, could not fail to be impressed with this fact — that 
 Presbytery never conceived the thought that any candidate hari 
 presumed to stand before them with any other view ; in the act 
 of licensing Mr. Barnes, as there was no scruple stated, they 
 supposed him to be honestly receiving and adopting the Bool;., in 
 its known and established import, as the Confession of his Faith, 
 Reposing this confidence in his supposed sincerity, they commit- 
 ted to him the momentous trust of preaching this faith to dying 
 men. With astonishment we now learn from Mr. Barnes him- 
 self, that he assumed the prescribed obligations and trust, cher- 
 ishing, secretly, reserves, evasions, and designs, in direct confiict 
 
 * Witherspoon's works, Vol. III. p. 197. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 83 
 
 with what the Presbytery and the church at large understood 
 that solemn promise to import ; indeed, entirely overlooking and 
 renouncing the Confession of Faith, both in letter and in practi- 
 cal effect. * The system of doctrines contained in the standards 
 I received as a system. I received it, not indeed ever expressing 
 my assent to every expression and form of expression ; but as re- 
 serving to myself the right of examining the language, and form- 
 ing an opinion of its meaning.' Language more explicit, testimony 
 more unequivocal and irresistible, to prove the high immorality of 
 Mr. Barnes' conduct in this sacred transaction, need not, could 
 not, exist. 
 
 " The corrupt and dangerous practice of signing creeds and 
 confessions, for doctrine and for substance, with reserved rights 
 of construction and explanation, which the honest friends of truth 
 regard with abhorrence, is here practically introduced, boldly 
 avowed, audaciously held up as an example in the church, and 
 pleaded as an apology for this unparalleled violation of moral 
 honesty. A most pertinacious adherence to this deceptive course 
 is here fully evinced. 'I have not changed my views materially 
 since 1 was licensed to preach the gospel.' Again, he declares, 
 ihat * He held the views expressed in these Notes at the time of 
 his licensure and ordination, that he has held and preached them 
 ten years.' Again : he avows ' His intention not to be influenced 
 by regard to any creed or Confession of Faith: because it is bis 
 deliberate and settled purpose of mind ; the principle by which he 
 expects always to be governed.' This dogmatical, reiterated, de- 
 liberate, and determined rejection of our Confession, in the very 
 act in which he pledged his sacred truth and honour, before God, 
 to adopt and maintain it, must produce through our church inde- 
 scribable emotions. 
 
 "False speaking and false swearing are justly held up for pub- 
 lic execration by all men. Perjury, even where money, office, 
 or honour, is its object, and where its injurious effects are com- 
 paratively trivial, is exposed to punishment by fine or imprison- 
 ment. But vv^hat man or angel can calculate the guilt of treach- 
 ery in an ambassador of Christ i It may be estimated in some 
 small measure by considering the extent of a minister's obliga- 
 tions to God, to the Presbytery, to the church, and to the souls of 
 men. As these obligations are manifold and weighty, a violation 
 of them must incur complicate and awful guilt. It is a most ag- 
 gravating circumstance in Mr. Barnes' course, that he is persist- 
 iug, against the warnings and entreaties of years past, and pur- 
 suing an object of the greatest enormity, the perversion of the 
 truth of God and the ruin of his church. 
 
 "If this dishonest system should be sustained, and become the 
 law of the church, it is evident that every licensure and ordination 
 
84 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 in our land may become an inlet to some new form or grade of 
 heresy, under the impenetrable and imposing guise of reserves and 
 explanations. It surely needs no v^^ords to show how well adapted 
 Mr. Barnes' model will be, to lead candidates of his non-committal 
 and inventive cast, completely to evade every constitutional guard 
 against error, and to import into the church every abomination. 
 Hitherto it has been considered the duty of candidates, before ad- 
 mission, after or during a thorough course of theological reading, 
 to inspect our Book of Faith, ponder its sacred contents, and 
 decide upon their character;, that they may act intelligently and 
 sincerely, if at all, in assuming its obligations and avowing its 
 principles; but a new meihod of procedure is now exhibited, to 
 swear to the Bookers/ as a Confession of Faith, and examine its 
 language afterwards to form an opinion of its meaning ! 
 
 " It is now a very serious inquiry in what light the advocates 
 of Mr. Barnes are to be viewed. Possessing, we have no doubt,. 
 much more accurate knowledge on this point than we can claim, 
 his assertion is not to be passed lightly over 'that he holds the 
 opinions here in question, in common with no small part of the 
 more than two thousand ministers in our connexion.' This ap- 
 pears to us unquestionable, that, if they entered our church with 
 any other view than that of honest com]:)liance with the spirit of 
 their ordination vow and strict conformity to the letter of our 
 church staadards, they committed a profane and criminal viola- 
 tion of the most solemn oath ever administered to man ; and if 
 they continue in our church, as Mr. Barnes does,, in open conflict 
 with the pledge they gave and the standards they voluntarily as- 
 sumed, theii' public ministry and their whole life is a constant re- 
 petition and aggravation of the most criminal act ever perpetrated 
 in this world. And whatever may have been at first their princi- 
 ple of action and m^ode of introduction, their vindicating a man 
 who not only holds heretical opinions, corrupting to the Church of 
 Christ, but assumes and exercises rights directly subversive of 
 that branch of his church which they have sworn to protect and 
 advance, they are undoubtedly to be considered abettors of heresy,, 
 instigators and promoters of consummate mischief to Zion, and 
 are justly held accountable to God and to his church for all the 
 corruption and confusion produced by their unfiiithful course. 
 
 "To the great body of candid and reflecting men of all denom- 
 inations, the wonder constantly is, why Mr. Barnes and those of 
 his class, most manifestly and radically differing from the stand- 
 ards of the Presbyterian Church, pertinaciously pursuing mea- 
 sures which produce incessant discord, which rend congregations, 
 church judicatories, missionary societies, benevolent institutions, 
 which subject large sections of our church and country to painful 
 conflicts,, keep the public mind unceasingly agiitated with feiid& 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 88 
 
 arid aniinosilies:; the wonder is, why they should wish to remain 
 for an hour in connexion with this church. It is perfectly plain, 
 that if their uncandid, inconsistent, and offensive action and influ- 
 ence were removed from the Presbyterian body, all would be 
 peaceful, prosperous, and happy, within her bosom. No difficulty, 
 no evils of any magnitude, have afflicted the church for many 
 years not justly ascribable to the influence of New England men, 
 New School principles, and sympathies for them. How prepos- 
 terous and how criminal is it for men to insist on wearing the 
 name of Presbyterians, when their hearts are opposed to Presby- 
 terianism, at enmity with its peculiar and essential doctrines and 
 forms ! Why do they not retire from the Presbyterian Church and 
 erect an independent standard, where they can enjoy, unmolested 
 and without giving offence, the anomalies they so much covet, 
 without cherishing wiles and creating conflicts, perpetual in their 
 character, painful to all, wounding to the church, offensive to God, 
 chilling to devotion, and paralyzing to the noblest energies and 
 interests of Zion? If they have no regard for truth and consist- 
 ency, no concern for the comfort of the great body of ministers, 
 and elders, and people, whoin they continually disturb and pain, 
 for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, who loves, inculcates, and 
 enjoins /)eace, let them and their adherents withdraw, that the land 
 may have rest and Zion throw off her sackcloth. The land is 
 wide enough for them and for us. They have congregations, 
 schools, colleges, seminaries, societies of every name, sufficient to 
 make them respectable in numbers and strength. Thus sepa- 
 rated by a voluntary and amicable recession from a church into 
 which they have dishonestly intruded and continued, only to 
 weaken and destroy it ; whose interests they never intended to 
 promote; and whose honest and faithful members never can and 
 never will unresistingly tolerate their wicked abuse of her insti- 
 tutions, and corruption of her faith and purity; thus separated, the 
 fruits of the Spirit may again be hailed among us ; and they may, 
 with some appearance of consistency and honour, escape from the 
 guilt and obloquy which in this connection, must for ever accu- 
 mulate and rest upon them. 
 
 " If the hope of plunder keeps them back from separation — the 
 only honourable escape from their present ignominious and self- 
 condemned position — let me tell them that such a hope is des- 
 perate. No; let not this detain them. The adjudications of the 
 highest tribunals, both of Europe and America, have recently 
 confirmed the dictates of common sense and sound equity, by re- 
 peated declarations that the faith of a church constitutes her being, 
 decides her character, establishes her rights, and secures her 
 property. The apostacy of the New School from the Confession 
 of Faith is now as clearly ascertained as it can be, both by their 
 
 ^ 
 
T^f 
 
 86 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 language and their actions. Their heresy has gone abroad, writ- 
 ten as with sunbeams, to the ends of the earth. The stand taken 
 and the course pursued by the minority in the Assembly of 1834,, 
 were designed to produce tiiis result. Subsequent events have 
 completed the development, a development which cannot fail to 
 prove an impregnable panoply for the uncorrupted church against 
 any and every assault of art or violence which the great King of 
 Zion may permit. The prospect of additional ' loaves and fishes,' 
 from the orthodox body, by any other process than insidious and 
 meddlesome gleaning, is too dubious to recompense the sacrifice 
 of public good, and of individual character, consequent upon a 
 farther continuance in this uncongenial connexion, and prosecu- 
 tion of measures so productive of bitterness, so disgraceful to rea- 
 son, and so scandalous to the Christian name. 
 
 "From such instances of insincerity and immorality in the 
 ministers of religion, a withering eflect must be expected to de- 
 scend upon the pious afiections of the great body of Christian 
 people, who are themselves astonished and mourning spectators 
 of tills solemn mockery, this afiecting insensibility to crime and 
 guilt, in those who serve at the altar, and who should, by lives of 5-/»i- 
 plicittj and Godhj sincerity, lead the way to heaven. Need we 
 inquire why religion languishes and the ways of Zion mourn? 
 Can we be at a loss to understand why the Most High has with- 
 drawn his blessed spirit from his church below i Can we reason- 
 ably expect in general through the church, those seasons of genu- 
 ine awakening and revival, which have happily distinguished 
 former days, while the truth of God is corruptly preached; while 
 Christ and his righteousness are openly made light of; and the 
 essential principles of his gospel contravened; while there is visi- 
 ble, under so many symptoms of favour, a combined movement 
 in the citadel of the church to screen the propagators of heresy, 
 insulting to heaven and damning to souls? Indeed, should not the 
 cold inaction of many true friends of gospel truth, the indecision 
 of others, and the tardiness with which many advance to the help 
 of the Lord, be considered deeply oflensive in his holy sight; suf- 
 ficient to bring down the rebuke of a frigid winter or a dreary 
 night upon regions recently rejoicing in the sunshine of spiritual 
 day? Besides, have not the intestine wars and confusions en- 
 kindled by the invaders of our peaceful church struck alarm 
 through all our borders, and driven many faithful laborers from 
 the direct care of souls and dissemination of truth, to the painful 
 work of defence against troops of ambushed and open foes ? 
 
 " It is an inquiry, also, of absorbing interest, what is to be the 
 influence of this public profanation of oaths by the professed minis- 
 ters of Jesus Christ, on the morals of society in general. We ap- 
 prehend the most deleterious eflects. That the continuance of 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 87 
 
 this system of equivocation and subterfuge, in a matter so sacred, 
 will operate witii a paralyzing influence on tiie moral perceptions 
 and sensibilities of the perpetrators themselves, is too clear to be 
 doubted. Indeed, we are much mistaken, in a matter, too, where 
 we would gladly find ourselves in error, if practical indications 
 of a decisive and alarming character have not already been given, 
 in many instances, of the deplorable truth of these apprehensions. 
 The Argus eyes of the unholy multitude are ever placed with in- 
 vidious scrutiny on the vestments of the holy order. A spot dis- 
 covered in their lawn will produce a shout of unhallowed satis- 
 faction through all the camp of the enemy. And though it is 
 hard to induce any of their company to follow a step in the pro- 
 gress of holy virtue, yet the slightest signal will prompt a host to 
 triumphant emulation in the career of profligacy and guilt. In 
 vain shall we deplore the general relaxation of public morals, re- 
 prove the general violation of truth and profanation of oaths, and 
 the light esteem of every thing sacred, among the common orders, 
 while so large a number of the consecrated teachers and defend- 
 ers of pure morality, by violating their most sacred engagements, 
 and leagueing together to screen transgressors, enable the multi- 
 tude, with just reproach and biting sarcasm, to retort, ' Thou that 
 teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that abhorrest 
 idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy hoa$t 
 of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God V 
 Rom. xvi., 21, 23." 
 
 At the opening of the momentous Assembly, May lolh, 1834, 
 in the city of Philadelphia, it was soon discovered that the church 
 was in the hands of her adversary — the New School faction 
 having a large majority. As the unscrupulous designs of the as- 
 sailants became sufficiently developed, it could no longer be 
 doubted, that every thing in the church, dear to sound Presbyte- 
 rians, was in jeopardy. The numerical majority of the New 
 School, in this Assembly, varied upon .the test questions occur- 
 ring daily, from fifteen to sixty votes. As several of the most 
 important subjects, in connexion with which the unsoundness of 
 this majority disclosed itself, will come under review in other 
 parts of this work, we shall here restrict the reader's attention to 
 this Assembly's action on the Western Memorial, to portions o( 
 which impressive document reference has already been made. 
 
 And here, as the best exposition of their insidious attempts to 
 screen from deserved correction the defaults of church judicato- 
 ries, which they had previously converted into machines to ac- 
 complish their purposes ; to throw the mantle of concealment or 
 protection over the busy infecters of our ecclesiastical body ; to 
 continue in operation the Plan of Union of 1801, as the prolific 
 inlet of those vitiating influences which had long been coming in 
 
88 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 iike a flood ; and in fact to refuse, by evasions, denials and arts, 
 all reasonable and salutary remedies for the mischiefs which were 
 most manifestly shaking the Presbyterian Church to its centre, 
 we shall transfer to these sheets their several resolutions on the 
 Western Memorial, and other important subjects. 
 
 The first irregular and pernicious measure of this Assembly, 
 was that of sustaining the complaint and appeal of the Assembly's 
 Second Presbytery of Philadelphia against the Synod. The his- 
 tory of the case is in few words. In 1832, the General Assem- 
 bly constituted the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, witiiin the 
 bounds of the Synod of Philadelphia, and without her consent. 
 The Synod, considering their constitutional rights invaded by 
 that act, dissolved the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia. The 
 Presbytery complained and appealed to the General Assembly of 
 1834, against the act of the Synod. The General Assembly sus- 
 tained the complaint and appeal of the Second Presbytery. 
 Against this act of the Assembly of 1834, a protest was entered 
 and recorded on their minutes, page 32, We transfer to these* 
 pages only the second objection to the Assembly's action, con- 
 tained in the protest, viz: "While we disapprove the act per- 
 i'ormed by the Assembly as being unconstitutional, we solemnly 
 protest against the practice, whether by the Assembly or Synods, 
 of forming Presbyteries on the principle of elective affinity, dis- 
 tinctly avowed and recognized as the basis of this act, being fully 
 persuaded that the tendency of this principle will be to impair the 
 standards of our church, to open a door to error, and to violate 
 the purity, good order, and peace of the church." 
 
 Such deviations as are clearly discoverable in the acts of the 
 Assembly, from constitutional law and sound discretion and usage 
 in the church, unsettle all principle, disturb order, and destroy 
 confidence. Whatever may be the object, these are the fruits. 
 But in the formation of the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, 
 the New School majority in the Assembly of 1832 manifestly had 
 a particular object in view. Their predominating motive was to 
 provide a safe retreat for Albert Barnes, who was in difficulty on 
 account of his heretical opinions, published in his sermon on the 
 Way of Salvation. By placing together, in one Presbytery, a 
 company of men embracing the same errors, and pursuing the 
 same course of misrule in church government, they could employ 
 their power, their prejudices, and corruptions, to propagate their 
 false notions in theology, and screen their infecting and disorgan- 
 izing policy from church censure. To designate this spurious 
 mass, they gave to them the brief but expressive name of elective 
 affinity, because they were selected and associated in one Pres- 
 bytery, for the very reason that they were all alike unsound, and 
 thus adapted to diffuse New School infection in any region or in 
 
 ^ 
 
■OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 89 
 
 ^ny manner proposed. On this account, the orthodox protested 
 against the elective affinity principle and organization ahogether, 
 as menacing the purity and peace of the church. 
 
 The Assembly of 1834 was not, as former Assemblies, a timid, 
 temporising body ; they were cunning, but not cautious. Con- 
 fiding in their strength, and flushed with apparent success, as was 
 visible on the roll and minutes of the House, and relying upon the 
 sympathy of many who had been, or wished to be, counted lead- 
 ers of the Old School, they played a lofty and decisive game. 
 But their movements were precipitate and reckless; estimating 
 the paucity of Old School representation in the House as evidence 
 of apathy among the people, or incipient abandonment of old- 
 fashioned, honest Presbyterlanism, they passed acts substantially 
 broaching false doctrines, tallying with the false books many of 
 them had already for sale in the market. But they discovered in 
 a few months, that their majority in the Assembly of 1834, was, 
 in many instances, the result of neglect and thoughtless inditVer- 
 ence on the part of sound Presbyterians, in selecting delegates to 
 the Assembly, Their qualifications, in many cases, had not been 
 carefully estimated in the choice. Some were preferred on their 
 own solicitaiion. Many others had sought the delegation lor 
 purposes of business, of I'.ealth, or of pleasure. 
 
 The Memorial from Western Presbyteries and elders, as soon 
 as announced to the Assembly, was realized by all present as a 
 very impressive document, and its influence upon the New School 
 party was agitating and confounding. To break its force, if pos- 
 sible, required all their art. Their first effort, before it was read 
 as is customary on such occasions, was to appoint as imposing a 
 committee as they could raise, to mutilate and pervert the docu- 
 ment, and piecemeal to paralyze its power. The individuals se- 
 lected for this service were well adapted to the purpose, consisting 
 of experienced leaders on the one hand, and, on the other, of raw 
 recruits, sure to follow the dictates of their masters. 
 
 From this Memorial, showing the state of the Western Church, 
 and furnishing a large amount of important intelligence on this 
 subject, we present the following extracts, viz: 
 
 "MEMORIAL. 
 
 '■' To the Moderator and Members of the General Assembly of the 
 Presbyterian Church in the United States, to meet in the city 
 of Philadelphia, May loth, 1834. 
 
 "Reverend Fathers and Brethren: — We, the subscribers, 
 feel alarmed at the evidences which press upon us, of the preva- 
 lence of unsoundness in doctrine and laxity in discipline; and we 
 view it as an aggravating consideration, that the General As- 
 sembly, the constitutional guardian of the church's purity, even 
 
70' 
 
 90 ^ OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 when a knowledge of such evils has been brought before it in an 
 orderly manner, has, within these few years past, either directly 
 or indirectly, refused to apply the constitutional remedy. Ap- 
 peals, references, complaints, and memorials, from individuals, 
 Presbyteries, and Synods, have been dismissed on some slight 
 grounds, perhaps not noticed at all, or merged in some compro- 
 mise which aggravated the evils intended to be removed. 
 
 "That we may not be misunderstood, we premise here, our 
 free, admission that some of the measures about to be complained 
 of, were adopted at the time, with the best intentions, and if the 
 results could have been foreseen by the authors of those measures, 
 they would never have been carried into eflect. 
 
 " 1. We believe this to have been particularly the case with 
 regard to the ' Plan of Union' with Congregational Churches, 
 adopted in 1801. A careful comparison of that plan (see Digest 
 297,) with the constitution of our church, will make it evident 
 that the General Assembly of 1801, in adopting it, assumed power 
 nowhere assigned to them in the constitution. They established 
 an ecclesiastical tribunal for the government of a part of the 
 Presbyterian Church, such as is not acknowledged by the consti- 
 tution, and is plainly repugnant to it. We allude to the 'JMutual 
 Council,' recognized in that Plan. In the same act, the Assembly 
 also granted tlie powers and privileges to ' committee-men,' which 
 was contrary both to the letter and spirit of the constitution, &ic. 
 
 " Closely connected with the influence of Congregational prin- 
 ciples and prepossessions, introduced gradually into our church 
 through the Plan of Union of 1801, we regard the existence of a 
 sentiment now avowed by numbers who bear the Presbyterian 
 name, that every man, in professing to receive and adopt our 
 ecclesiastical formularies, has a right to put thereon his own con- 
 sfruclion, without being responsible for the construction or the 
 character of his explanations. They who hold this principle, 
 practice accordingly, and thus an unnatural mixture of conflicting 
 elements is brought into the bosom of the church, unfavourable 
 alike to its purity and peace. 
 
 " We next notice another course of unconstitutional proceed- 
 ings, which adds to the evils that now alflict us. We refer to 
 the practice of Presbyteries, in ordaining men, sine tilulo, to 
 y)reach and administer the ordinances of the gospel in other parts 
 of the Presbyterian Church, where Presbyteries already exist and 
 are ready to perform their constitutional functions as the necessi- 
 ties of the churches under their care require. There is also just 
 ground to suspect, that in many cases of such ordination, it is 
 done to suit the convenience of men who are not prepared to pass 
 through the constitutional ordeal, when applied by those Presby- 
 teries within whose bounds they expect to labor, either on ac- 
 
^ 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. &1 
 
 count of their lack of ministerial furniture, or because they do not 
 cordially receive either our creed or form of government; hence 
 they prefer to receive licensure and ordination in such Presbyte- 
 ries as are known, or supposed to be, not particular on these 
 points. 
 
 "Especially do we complain of, and testify against, what has 
 more than once occurred during the last few years — the ordain- 
 ing of six, eight, or ten young men at a time, most of them just 
 licensed, who have been reared, up from infancy to manhood, in 
 Congregational views, feelings, and habits, and who are thus sud- 
 denly, nominally and geographicolly, converted into Presbyterian 
 niinisters, before it was possible, in the nature of things, that they 
 could have just and clear views of the nature of Presbyterianism. 
 For where could they acquire them ? Certainly not in the Con- 
 gregational Churches, in which they were trained up; and not in 
 Congregational Theological Schools; for in them, no provision is 
 made for expounding the doctrines of the Presbyterian Confession 
 o{ Faith and form of government. The fact is, that every year, 
 numbers of these Congregationalists come directly into Presbyte- 
 ries and Presbyterian Churches in the West, with certificates of 
 their standing as ministers of the Presbyterian Church, while in 
 many instances it is evident that they are almost entire strangers 
 to that Confession of Faith, which, unless their certificates be an 
 imposition, they must, in the most solemn manner, have ' received 
 and adopted' as their Confession of Faith. Among the many 
 references which might be made in illustration of the justice of 
 our representations under this head, we point only to the instances 
 afibrded by the Newburyport Presbytery and the third Presbyterv 
 of New York ; the former of which, a few years ago, ordained 
 nine young men at one time, as evangelists for the A. Home 
 JMissionary Society, six or seven of whom, were, in a short time, 
 located in Ohio, in which state there were, at that time, fourteen 
 Presbyteries, exercising ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The latter 
 Presbytery, in the fall of 1S31, ordained ten young men at one 
 time, lor the A. Home Missionary Society, most of whom were 
 sent directly into the bounds of Presbyteries in the West. 
 
 "The same Presbytery, (New York,) in 1832, received the 
 Rev. L. Beecher, D. D., from a Congregational Association, and 
 forthwith, at the same meeting, dismissed him to join the Presby- 
 tery of Cincinnati, to which place he was journeying, to take 
 charge of Lane Seminary, upon condition that he should be ac- 
 knowledged as a minister of the Presbyterian Church. The third 
 Presbytery of New York did this, without his personally appear- 
 ing before them, and upon his written request simply, although 
 they knew, at the time they received him in this manner, that he 
 was not to be a day related to them as a co-Presbyter, and 
 
92 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 although they were well aware of the existence of the Cincinnati 
 Presbytery, in connexion with which Dr. Beecher intended to 
 labor, and to which, of right, and according to all propriety, his 
 credentials should have been primarily submitted. 
 
 " We ascribe to the principles of independency, introduced 
 through the medium of the compact already noticed, another de- 
 parture of the General Assembly fiom the due discharge of its own 
 constitutional duties ; j^rs^ in conniving at dku irresponsible, vol- 
 untary association, in assuming, to a great extent, the manage- 
 ment of domestic missions within the Presbyterian Church ; and 
 secondly, in that, when the General Assembly had become con- 
 vinced of the duty of giving increased energy to the exercise of 
 their appropriate functions in this matter, nevertheless, they not 
 merely connived at the continued exercise of the powers which 
 the A. Home Missionary Society had usurped, but actually en- 
 covraged them by a recommendation in 1829, a measure which, 
 at the time, deceived many Piesbyterians as to the nature of that 
 institution, inducing a belief that its operations and influence were 
 compatible both with the constitution and interests of the Presby- 
 terian Church. By these means, distractions and divisions within 
 the churcli were greatly increased, &c. 
 
 " We do not hesitate to declare it as our decided opinion, that 
 every minister or licentiate labouring as a missionary in any part 
 of the Presbyterian Church, ought to be there only as commis- 
 sioned by the General Assembly or some of its constitutional or- 
 gans, directly amenable thereto, and to which alone he should 
 report his labours, let his compensation come from what quarter 
 it may. The church ought to do her own work, and by her own 
 functionaries; otherwise, she puts herself at least under the indi- 
 rect intiuence of tliose who do her work. 
 
 "It is in the very nature of things, that the missionaries com- 
 inissioned and compensated by, and amenable and reporting to, a 
 society independent of the church, should be under an influence 
 from that society greater than that of the church whose ministers 
 they profess to be; and this influence will extend to the particular 
 churches aided, and even to the Presbytery within whose limits 
 this irresponsible society thus operates. The influence is not the 
 less real and powerful because it may not be seen ; it is felt and 
 is effective, and probably the more so because it operates unseen. 
 Any person who has attentively noticed the course of things in 
 the Presbyterian Church for the last five years, can be under no 
 mistake as to the fact that the A. Home Missionary Society 
 exercises a patronage within that church detrimental to her true 
 interests, and subversive of her whole system. Without detailing, 
 &c., we simply state, that for these four or five years, the mis- 
 sionaries and agents of the A. Home Missionary Society, and 
 
4- 
 
 OlD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 93 
 
 those known to be the exclusive adherents of that inslhution^ 
 have, wiih very few exceptions, voted and acted in a way to 
 favor innovation and disorder in the church. Witness the argu- 
 ments and votes in 1828, against re-organizing the Assembly's 
 Board of Missions upon a more efficient plan ; the bitter and ve- 
 hement attack upon the report of the Assembly's Board, in 1829;. 
 the arguments and votes for several consecutive years on the 
 subject of committee-men ; the discussions and votes, in 1831, on 
 the Barnes case; on the report of the Assembly's Board for that 
 year; and on the election of a new Board. 
 
 ''Again : let it be well observed, that the A. Home JMissionary 
 Society commissions, in its own name and by its own authority,, 
 men, nominally Presbyterian, it is true^ to officiate in various 
 parts 'of the Presbyterian Church,, under responsibility to that in- 
 stitution; and, in a number of instances^ these men are found la- 
 bouring for months within the limits of some Presbytery, without 
 having put themselves under its care. Now, such conduct, in a 
 co-ordinate Presbytery, would be unconstitutional and liable to 
 censure. See Gov., ch. 18, Digest, p. 60, &c. 
 
 •' These relaxing principles and measures are undermining the 
 stability of our Zion. To understand the nature and infiuenre 
 of these relaxing principles, let the proceedings of the Assembly 
 in 1831, in the Barnes case, be contrasted with the proceedings 
 of former Assemblies, in the cases of Mr, Baich, 1798, and of Mr. 
 Davis, in 1810. See Digest, pp. 129, 134, 144, 148, and the Mi- 
 nutes of 1831 for Barnes. In Balch's case, he was required to 
 renounce the errors charged upon him, besides acknowledging 
 his fault in publishing them at aM. In the result, Davis was de- 
 posed. 
 
 " But what a marked declension in the conduct of the General 
 Assembly in 1831. When Barnes' case was referred by the 
 Presbytery to the General Assembly, they evaded a decision of 
 the question upon its doctrinal merits,, and smothered the charac- 
 ter and claims of the truth in their well known compromise. 
 
 "la conclusion,, we remonstrate and testify against the follow- 
 ing errors, which are held and taught in the Presbyterian Church, 
 and vtfhich the General Assembly are constitutionally Gompetent 
 and obligated to suppress: 
 
 "1st error. That Adam was not the cov't head or federal' repre- 
 sentative of his posterity. 
 
 " 2. That we have nothing to do with the first sin of Adam. 
 
 "3. That infants have no moral character. 
 
 "4. That all sin consists in voluntary acts or exercises. 
 
 " 5. That man in his fallen state is possessed of entire ability to 
 do whatever God requires him to do. 
 
94 OLD SCHOOL VINDTCATED. 
 
 "6. That regeneration is essentially a voluntary change which 
 the soul is active in producing. 
 
 "7. That Christ did not become the legal substitute of sinners- 
 " 8. That the atonement is merely an exhibition of the wrath of 
 God against sin — an expedient for enabling God to forgive it. 
 
 " 9. That the atonement is general, made for all men alike," 
 &c., &c. 
 
 The committee on the Memorial reported as follows : 
 " Your committee, after the most careful investigation and ma- 
 ture deliberation that they could bestow on the subject, have con- 
 curred in the following resolutions, which they recommend for 
 the adoption of this Assembly, viz.. Resolved, 
 
 1. That this Assembly cannot sanction the censure contained 
 in the Memorial, against the proceedings and measures of former 
 General Assemblies. 
 
 2. That it is deemed inexpedient and undesirable to abrogate 
 or interfere with the Plan of Union between Presbyterians and 
 Congregationalists in the new settlements, adopted in 1801. 
 
 3. That the previous action of the present Assembly on the 
 subject of ordaining men, is deemed sufficient. 
 
 4. That the duty of licensing and ordaining men to the office 
 of the gospel ministry, and of guarding tiiat office against the in- 
 trusion of men who are unqualified to discharge its solemn and 
 responsible duties, or who are unsound in the faith, is committed 
 to the Presbyteries, and should any already in that oifice be 
 known to b.e fundamentally erroneous in doctrine, it is not only 
 the privilege, but the duty, of Presbyteries, constitutionally to ar- 
 raign, condemn, and depose them. 
 
 5. That this Assembly bears solemn testimony against publish- 
 ing to the world ministers of good and regular standing, as heret- 
 ical and dangerous, without having been constitutionally tried 
 and condemned, thereby greatly liindering their usefulness as 
 ministers of Jesus Christ. Our excellent constitution makes am- 
 ple provision for redressing all such grievances; and this Assem- 
 bly enjoins, in all cases, a faithful compliance, in meekness and 
 brotherly love, with its requisitions; having at all times a sound 
 regard to the purity, peace, and prosperity of the church. 
 
 6. That this Assembly hove no authority for establishing any 
 exclusive mode of conducting missions: but while this matter is 
 left to the discretion of individuals and inferior judicatories, we 
 would recommend and solicit their efficient co-operation with the 
 Assembly's Board. 
 
 7. That a due regard to the order of the church and the 
 bonds of brotherhood require, in the opinion of this Assembly, 
 that ministers dismissed in good standing, by sister Presbyteries, 
 should be received by the Presbyteries which they are dismissed 
 
' <;-■ 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 95 
 
 to join, upon the credit of their constitutional testimonials, unless, 
 they shall have forfeited their good standing subsequent to their 
 dismissal. 
 
 8. That, in the opinion of this Assembly, to take up and try 
 and condemn any printed publications as heretical and dangerous, 
 is equivalent to condemning the author as heretical; thai to con- 
 demn heresy in the abstract cannot be understood as the purpose 
 of such trial ; that the results of such trial are to bear upon and 
 seriously to affect the standing of the author; and, that the fair 
 and unquestionable mode of procedure is, if the author be alive 
 and known to be of our communion, to institute process against 
 him, and give him a fair and constitutional trial. 
 
 9. That in receiving and adopting the formularies of our 
 church, every person ought to be supposed, without evidence to 
 the contrary, to receive and adopt them, according to the obvi- 
 ous, known and established meaning of the terms, as the confes- 
 sion of his faith; and that if objections be made, the Presbytery, 
 unless he withdraw such objections, should not license, or ordain, 
 or admit him. 
 
 10. That in the judgment of this Assembly, it is expedient that 
 Presbyteries and Synods, in the spirit of charity and forbearance, 
 adjust and settle among themselves, as far as practicable, all their 
 matters of grievance and disquietude, without bringing them 
 before the General Assembly and the world, as in many cases 
 this tends to aggravate and continue them, and to spread them 
 over the whole church, to the great grief of its members, and 
 injury of the cause of religion." 
 
 Mr. I. V. Brown gave notice, in behalf of himself and those 
 who may choose to unite with him, that they claim the privilege 
 of entering their protest against the above resolutions. 
 
 Accordingly the following protest was presented, read and 
 placed upon the minutes, sanctioned by the whole minority — 
 thirty-eight names. 
 
 " The undersigned protest against the proceedings of the Gen- 
 eral Assembly, relative to the ' Memorial complaining of sundry 
 grievances abroad in the church.' 
 
 "1. On account of the manner in which said memorial was 
 treated in bringing it before the Assembly. It was committed to 
 a committee who brought in a report, in nearly all respects ad- 
 verse to the memorial, before it ivas read in the house ; so that 
 when it was read, it was heard under the influence of all the pre- 
 judice created against it by the adverse report and pre-judgment 
 of the committee. It is believed that this method of procedure 
 is without precedent or parallel in the proceedings of any of the 
 ecclesiastical judicatories of our church, or of any well ordered 
 deliberative body, of whatever kind. 
 
96 , OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 " 2. On account of the adoption, by this Assembly, of the firsS 
 resolution submitted by the committee aforesaid, viz: ' Resolved f 
 That this Assembly cannot sanction the censure contained in the 
 jnemorial against the proceedings and measures of former Gen- 
 eral Assemblies.' If the proceedings and measures of our Gen- 
 eral Assemblies are not to be regarded as infallible and immutable, 
 then their equity and expediency are fairly open to the inves- 
 tigation and remarks of the members of the church ; nor is it 
 perceived how the redress of grievancies, arising from the acts 
 of the General Assembly, can be obtained by an aggrieved 
 party, if such a party may not state freely and fearlessly the 
 ground of complaint, although this should imply, as indeed it 
 must, in most cases, necessarily imply a censure of the proceed- 
 ings which are the subjects of complaint. We fully recognize 
 the obligations of memorialists and petitioners to address the Gen- 
 eral Assembly, in respectful language ; and such language, we do 
 conscientiously think, was used, in an exemplary manner, by the 
 memorialists, and that they could not have kid open their griev- 
 ances fairly and fully, with greater reserve than that which they 
 maintained, and therefore that this decision of the Assembly goes 
 to abridge the liberty which every member of our church, and" 
 every free man and Christian in our country ought to enjoy and 
 maintain. 
 
 " 3. We protest against the second resolution, as going to ren- 
 der permanent ' the Plan of Union between Presbyterians and 
 Congregationalists in the new settlements,' which we consider 
 plainly and palpably unconstitutional. We do not wish for an 
 abrupt violation of this plan, on the part of the Presbyterian 
 Church, but for the commencement of measures which shall re- 
 sult in a return to the ground of the constitution, and this without 
 injury to, perhaps with the consent and approbation of, both the 
 parties concerned. But regarding the second resolution as calcula- 
 ted, and probably intended, to perpetuate an unconstitutional 
 transaction, we decidedly protest against it. 
 
 "4. We protest against the fifth resolution, because we view 
 it as interfering with the liberty of speech, the liberty of the press, 
 and with Christian duty. For any abuse of this liberty we are 
 not advocates. But to prohibit, in all cases, the censure of au- 
 thors, in connexion with their heretical publications, is in our best 
 judgment, to throw a shield over both. For if the public are not 
 pointed to a particular book or pamphfet, it will' often not be 
 known what publication is intended, and its very existence may 
 be denied ; and if the publication be distinctly referred to, and it 
 bears the name of the author in the title page, (which was the 
 case in all the instances referred to in the memorial,) then those 
 who simply make this reference fall under the heavy denancia- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 97'^' 
 
 tion of this resolution. We profess to admire the provisions of 
 the constitution, which this resolution eulogises, as nnuch as they 
 do who franked and sanctioned it, and we protest against the re- 
 solution itself, because its tendency is to render difficult, and in 
 some cases absolutely impracticable, the duty which the consti- 
 tution enjoins; and thus may prove, as we have said, a shield 
 both to the heretic and to his work. 
 
 "5. We do earnestly and solemnly protest against the seventh 
 resolution, in which it is asserted, ' that ministers dismissed in 
 good standing, by sister Presbyteries, should be received by the- 
 I'resbyteries vyhich they are dismissed to join, upon the credit of 
 their constitutiimal testimonials, unless they shall have forfeited 
 tlieir good standing subsequently to their dismissal.' This resolu- 
 tion is in conflict with the right of a Presbytery to judge of the qual- 
 ifications of its own members, which we verily believe has nev-er 
 before beeh authoritatively attacked and impaired from the time 
 of the meeting of the Assembly of divines at Westminster, in 
 which it was recognized, till the meeting of the present General 
 Assembly. It is indeed in conflict with the acknowledged right 
 inherent in the members of every society, civil as well as eccle- 
 siastical, to judge of the qualifications of those with whom they 
 .>^hall be associated. But it not only contravenes a right, it also 
 exposes the entire church to the most serious evils, h puts it in 
 the power of a few corrupt Presbyteries to corrupt the whole 
 church, by throwing their members into sound Presbyteries, one 
 after another, till they become dominant in all. We view it as a 
 virtual relinquishaient and denial of one of the essential princi- 
 ples of all Presbyterian order and government ; and as such we 
 must solemnly protet agiiinst it. \Ve do anfl must maintain that 
 every Presbytery has an inherent and indefeasible right to deter- 
 mine whether it will receive into its bosom any and every mem- 
 ber who applies for such recejjtion. Ciicumstances may render 
 it unnecessary to call this rigfit into exercise, at least for a time, 
 in every instance in which applicatirm is made for admission to a 
 Presbytery. The denini of tfiis right, we repeat and insist, is the 
 denial of a fundamental principle of Presbyterianism. 
 
 " 6. We protest against the eighth resolution, because, in our 
 judgment, it not only establishes a prin^^iple erroneous in itself, 
 iMjt docs, in fact, the very thing which it imputes to the memo- 
 rialists. It casts censure on a former Clencral Assembly for ex- 
 amining and condemning n heretif-al book, before the nuthor was 
 tried :uid condemned by his Presbytery. We [)ere refer to the 
 case of W. C. Davis. Ii is our hrm belief that it is often imperiously 
 a duty incumbent on the judicatories of the church to examine 
 erroneous opinions, in t/tesi ; and having carefully compared 
 them with the standards of the church and the word of God, to 
 
 G 
 
98 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 condemn them in the abstract ; and then, if it be thought expe* 
 dient and be found practicable, (which it may not always be,) to 
 subject those who may have promulgated those opinions to the 
 proper discipline. To invert this order, is, in our opinion, to ren- 
 der discipline, in many cases, difficult, and in some impractica- 
 ble, and thus to prove a protection to those who are unsound in 
 the faith. 
 
 " We might specify some additional points in the resolutions, 
 against v^^hich we protest ; but those to which we have adverted 
 we regard as the most objectionable. Still we feel ourselves con- 
 strained to add, that the doings of the Assembly, in regard to the 
 memorial, adopted by eleven Presbyteries, or parts of Presbyte- 
 ries, as well as by several Sessions and numerous individuals, 
 a support greater than any other memorial has received that has 
 ever been presented to any General Assembly in this country, is 
 calculated deeply to grieve and wound the feelings of a large 
 part, and we must think not an unsound or undeserving part, of 
 the Presbyterian Church. Their pious, and as we think, their 
 just and reasonable expectations of some redress from the Gene- 
 eral Assembly, will be utterly and hopelessly disappointed. We 
 do, therefore, by otTering this protest, most solemnly and earnestly 
 beseech the Assembly to pause, to consider the probable conse- 
 quences of their action on this memorial, and yet to retrace their 
 steps, lest the adherents to the standards of our church, in their 
 plain and obvious meaning, should find themselves constrained, 
 however reluctantly, to resort to first principles, and make their 
 final appeal to the great Head of the church. 
 
 "Philadelphia, June 3, 1834." 
 
 That protest is in gentle terms; in a submissive but decided 
 spirit ; it left no alternative but redress for grievances or a resort, 
 in some shape, to first principles. The idea of abandoning the 
 church to the desperate disposal of a company of lawless men, 
 who had crept in unawares, and seemed resolved, in spite of every 
 moral obligation and all reasonable dissuasions, to eat out her 
 vitals and hold her up, with themselves, to the scorn and pity of 
 the world as an empty shell or withered husk, never for one mo- 
 ment occupied the minds of the noble-hearted few who were 
 thrown together in that memorable Assembly of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church ; the longest, most embroiled and most eventful 
 which, till that day, had ever convened on American soil. 
 
 It is true, that Assembly embraced in its catalogue quite a num- 
 ber of nominally sound, amiable, excellent men, who made fair 
 professions, but were too timid, too irresolute and undecided, even 
 under the cogent circumstances then presented, to come up to the 
 help of the Lord against his foes. But their lukewarmness could 
 not shake the firmness of the standard-bearers in this Assembly. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 99 
 
 Indeed the clear and startling indications of revolutionary design 
 and hostility, in this newly created majority, rushed upon them 
 with such power as to leave no room tor hesitation. The die is 
 cast; the church must be free! was their determined and unani- 
 mous declaration. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Articles from the Presbyterian on the resolutions of the Assembly — Alter- 
 native presented to the minority — Proceedings of Xew School— Evidences 
 of conspiracy — Moderates — The Ad and Testimony. 
 
 The following articles were published in the Presbyterian, bear- 
 :ng dale, as staled, in the autumn of 1834, and were intended as 
 criticisms upon the disorganizing measures of the preceding 
 (.General Assembly. We omit the last five of these articles, 
 which were in reply to the Repertory, in October, 1834, on the 
 subject of the Act and Testimony. The reference to that docu- 
 ment in these articles is more incidental than direct. 
 
 No. I.— October, 1834. 
 
 PRESENT STATE AND PROSPECT 01 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 
 
 " Act and Testimony." 
 
 No man who regards religion at all, and especially no true 
 Presbyterian, can be insensible to the magnitude of this subject. 
 The nature, the importance, and the prevalence of evangelical 
 truth, the wisdom and fidelity of the last General Assembly, and 
 of some that preceded, the character of the minority in that body, 
 and the propriety of their measures, and the purity, peace, and 
 )>rosperity of the church -at large are all involved in the discussion 
 of this most interestino; topic. 
 
 The " Act and Testimony," which it is proposed, in a few suc- 
 cessive papers, to illustrate and commend, is a document which 
 grew out of the condition of the Presbyterian Church, as mani- 
 fested in the transactions of several successive General Assem- 
 lilies, and especially at the last annua! meeting of that body. 
 Though gotten up under circumstances which gave rise to strong 
 feeling, that instrument Was adopted by the first signers in Phila- 
 delphia with as much prayerful deliberation as has usually been 
 employed on similar great occasions, in the troublous limes of the 
 church, it was not a measure courted by the minoiity, but 
 pressed upon them as a last resort, by imperious considerations. 
 
100 OLD SCHOOL VIVDICATED. 
 
 They embraced this part of the only ahernative left them, with 
 painful reluctance; but wiih that firmness and promptitude which 
 public duty and personal responsibility conspire to produce. Un- 
 speakably more agreeable to their hearts would it have been, to 
 find nothing in the acts of the Assembly which they could not 
 cheerfully support. But witnessing, as they did, through the pro- 
 tracted period of three weeks, the adoption of a train of measures 
 utterly inconsistent wiih the standards of our church, both as to 
 doctrine and discipline — utterly illegal and indefensible in their 
 form and tendency — they felt that they could not be faithful to 
 the church, to themselves, nor to the great Head of the church', 
 without making the appeal which is before you in the "Act and 
 Testimony."' They were solemnly convinned, that the time had 
 come in which the friends of truth and order in tiie Presbyterian 
 body must speak out boldly, bear testimony against error, and lift 
 up the standard of the Lord in a vew and nnequivocal form. 
 
 That instrument hns been assailed frotn many quarters and on 
 various grounds, by policy in adversaries, from mistake among 
 friends. Its spirit has been denounced as insubordinate and re- 
 fractory, iis phraseology criticised as severe and ofll;nsive,its ten- 
 dency disapproved as disorganizing and schismatic. Some have 
 pronounced it causeless and unnecessary: others have charged it 
 with uncharitableness and illiberality. 'J'he numerous miscon- 
 structions by some, and criminations by others, with which it has 
 been followed since its adoption, have led to a careful and impar- 
 TJal examination of its foundation and chararter. This review 
 has produced a decided and immf)veable persuasion, that the 
 principles avov^'cd in the "Act and Testimony," are just and ap- 
 propriate, and the course of the minority distinguished by a sound, 
 faithful, and vigilant regard to the purity and order of the church 
 of Christ. 
 
 This document is now before the Chiisfi.-sn public. It cannot 
 be viewed with indifference. The matter it contains, the circum- 
 stances in which it was penned, the efl*el-t it has produced and 
 will produce, and the manner in which the judicatories, officers, 
 and members of the church may dispose o| it, are all stamped 
 with importance, and will form a memorable era in the annals of 
 our great ecclesiastical body. Its advocates do not ask that it 
 should be adopted hastily and witlioul being canvassed; but they 
 earnestly request that no man would reject it without full informa- 
 lion and impartial consideration. We do honestly believe, that 
 very many of those who appear to stand in doubt or in opposition to 
 this measure, need only just information to transform them into 
 friends and supporters. 
 
 Before we proceed to the illustration contemplated, it is proper 
 to correct an erroneous impression which appears to have been 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 101 
 
 artfully made by (he authors and abettors of error and misrule 
 in our church, to forestall the public mind, to facilitate their own 
 course, and to obstruct the way of reform. 
 
 "The opposers of new doctrines and new measures," say they, 
 " are disturbers of the peace of the church, they manifest a heresy- 
 hunting and persecuting spirit: and all the guilt and odium of the 
 divisions and controversies existing among us, are justly charge- 
 able upon them !" Thus do they take it upon themselves to decide 
 ihe very point in question, and to brand all whom they find iti 
 their way of innovation, wiih the stigma of sedition. "Oh!" say 
 they, "if these rigid, l)igotted, tenacious sticklers about doctrines 
 and forms, would onl}' let us alone, all things would go on 
 smoothly and quieil\', the church would be calm as a summer's 
 sea." It is readily admitied that tlie enemies of truth wish noth- 
 ing so ardently as to be let alone in their career, they do not like 
 to be suspected, to have their counsels scrutinized, their errors 
 uncovered and held up to the light. Such feelings are natural 
 and common to all evil doers. 
 
 We admit again, that there is a limited sense in which the ac- 
 cusation is apparently true. As the advocates of sound doctrines, 
 we are compelled by a sense of duly, to bear testimony against 
 the errors of others, and sometimes openly to reprove them. 
 Silence, in many circumstances, would be treachery to the mo- 
 mentous trust committed to us, and imply a participation in the 
 mischiefs which prevail. Rebukes, they regard as the greatest 
 offence and provocation, and in proportion to the justness of the 
 reproof, will often be the keenness of their resentment. In this 
 sense, we are troublers of those who violate their sacred obliga- 
 tions, by denying our common fiiith. But this is the unavoidable 
 result of our fidelity in maintaining the truth of God. And we 
 ■submit to the enlightened and candid church and world, with 
 perfect confidence, the interesting inquiry, to wdiich of the parties 
 in this collision do the guilt and odium of discord belong? 
 
 We farther admit, that we are not alone in being reproached 
 as troublesome for endeavouring to maintain the truth. Upon 
 examination, it will be found that the charge of faction and sedi- 
 tion has been brought against the open advocates of truth and 
 reprovers of error, in every age. These charges have been ad- 
 vanced, not only by the profligate and vulgar, the infidel and 
 scoffer, but by men of wealth, education, and power, high in of- 
 fice in the churches, boasters of zeal for theological science and 
 purity. The profane prince Ahab, who, by his apostacy"did 
 more to provoke the Lord God to anger than all the kings of 
 Israel that were before him," 1 Kings xvi. 33, dared to charge 
 Elijah, the faithful servant of God, with being a " troubler of Is- 
 rael." A similar accusation was alleged by the corrupt and ana- 
 
102 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 bilious Haman, against all the faithful servants of the true God, 
 "scattered abroad among the people, in all the provinces of the 
 kingdom of Ahasuerus." Esther iii., 8. The prophet Jeremiah 
 encountered severe censures and threats on account of his fidelity 
 in reproving the false prophets, and priests, and corrupt people of 
 his day. Our Divine Saviour himself fell under the same denun- 
 ciation ! " He deceiveth the people." John vij., 12. And he was 
 at last brought to the cross by false accusation of enmity to 
 Caesar. How frequently and vehemently was the apostle Paul 
 assailed with similar opprobious and slanderous charges ! Through 
 all the subsequent periods of the church, the same practice has 
 prevailed. Whoever has been found among clergy or laity, suf- 
 iiciently honest, and bold, and faithful, to reprove, and bear Testi- 
 mony against errors in doctrine, has been stigmatised as factious 
 and troublesome. We find ourselves, by these charges, placed 
 in the best society of earth, and we willingly share their fate: 
 but shall in no wise be deterred from pursuing the course we 
 have chosen. We are well aware, that through the corruption of 
 human nature, and the imperfection of Christian virtue, these un- 
 founded allegations often prove successful, at least for a time. 
 Popular sympathies are on the side of the accusers. A relaxed 
 and reduced tone of theological purity, both as to truth and mo- 
 rality, suits the world; and a considerable portion of the church 
 feel this sympathy so strongly, that they readily listen, and easily 
 yield to the appeals of the disorganizing and unsound. The lead- 
 ers in the majority of the last Assembly knew this fact, they seized 
 the handle thus presented to them, and wielded it with a force 
 and dexterity but loo successful in the prosecution of their plans. 
 The city of Philadelphia furnished decisive evidence to support 
 these statements, and the General Assembly, in its thronged aisles, 
 and galleries, and lobbies, confirmed the fact. This, then, is a 
 strong hold of the majority. Jn their mouths, it is a convenient 
 and imposing substitute for truth and reason. This artifice ope- 
 rates in two ways. It strengthens the sympathies of such as are 
 already more than half wrong; and it drives from the ranks ot 
 opposition many who are on the whole sound men, but of a timid,, 
 hesitating temper. Thus a temporizing policy has been induced, 
 important points at issue have been tamely and easily surrendered, 
 for the sake of peace. But the spirit of innovation is insatiable as 
 death — it acquires strength and boldness from concession — to at- 
 tempt to compromise is to yield a victory ! 
 
 Encouraged by past success, the real troublers of the church 
 follow the minority still with the same unjust criminations. Is it 
 true then, that in any community, professing to be governed by 
 laws, fixed and binding in their nature, which all have voluntarily 
 assumed and soletnnly sworn to obey, that the transgressors, of the 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 103 
 
 compact are innocent, and the advocates of honest adherence and 
 conformity, criminal ? Is it more meritorious in these days of 
 new light to destroy the truth than to defend it? or have truth 
 and error changed sides? Has light become darkness and dark- 
 ness light ? Are the heretical, in the bosom of the church, dis- 
 charged from all obligation to observe her standards and forms? 
 Have their ordination vows ceased to possess binding force ? Or 
 have they entered the church, observing, nominally, the form of 
 obligation, but secretly rejecting its spirit and denying its power. 
 If the charge brought against the advocates of truth be well 
 founded, what guard is there against error? Or is there none? 
 Has God committed his blessed truth to the winds and waves of 
 this corrupt world without a pilot, a star, or an anchor? The mi- 
 nority, in this great question, believe that God has placed the 
 most sacred guards around his truth, that he has bound his min- 
 isters by most impressive sanctions, " to be zealous and faitht^ul in 
 maintaining the truths of the gospel and the purity and peace of 
 the church, whatever persecution or opposition may arise unto 
 them on that account." Form of Gov., chap, xiv., sec. 10. And 
 when constrained, by a regard to their own solemn engagement, 
 and the divine command, they " lift up the standard of the Lord 
 against the enemy, coming in like a flood," (Isaiah lix., 19,) shall 
 they be denounced as troiiblers of Zion ? On the same principle, 
 may not all faithful civil officers, preservers, and prpmoters of jus- 
 tice and good order in society, be stigmatized as alarmists and 
 disturbers? May not the very enactments of the Supreme Law- 
 giver be denounced by transgressors as troublesome, with equal 
 propriety ? From every just view that we can take of the subject, 
 it is clear that they who are nobly endeavouring to support the 
 constitution of our church, her faith and her discipline, are sus- 
 tained by reason and justice. Their course is prescribed and 
 sanctioned, not less by divine command, than by their own official 
 pledge. Less they could not do, and maintain the character of 
 candour, consistence, and fidelity. Let the guilt, and the awful 
 responsibility of innovation, tumult, and animosity in the Presby- 
 terian body, fall where they justly should, upon the corrupters of 
 the purity and simplicity of our system. T/iey are the trouhlers 
 of Zion, and it remains for them to rescue themselves from the 
 *' curse" denounced against those who " preach another gospel." 
 (Gals, i., 8, 9.) 
 
 A Member of New Brunswick Presbytery. 
 
 No. II.— October, 1834. 
 " Act and Testimony'^ — Grounds of it. 
 Great pains have been taken by certain leaders in the work of 
 disorganization, and others have co-operated, in making an im- 
 
104 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 pression, that there is really no cause for the " Act and TesJi- 
 mony ;" that there is no serious or alarming division in the church. 
 Hence their incessant efforts to remove constitutional landmarks, 
 to preserve an apparent amalgamalion with the true church, by 
 breaking down all distinctions between themselves and the pure 
 Presbyterian body. Hence, also, their frequent cries in the Gene- 
 ral Assembly and elsewhere, " We are orthodox — we are old- 
 school — we are true Presbyterians — we are Confession of Faith 
 men!" This appears extremely inconsistent; for at thai very mo- 
 ment, they were pursuing a systematic train, and passing acts 
 which could not fail to destroy the purity and unity of the church. 
 Enlarged charity does not prohibit us from supposing that this 
 procedure was designed to throw dust in the eyes of the unwary, 
 and to lead such, imperceptibly, to favour their'plans. Their suc- 
 cess in this measure is no longer matter of speculation. The 
 question now is, shall this delusion last ? It will not be difficult to 
 exhibit to unprejudiced minds satisfactory grounds for the "Act 
 and Testimony." Indeed, the facts and views to be presented in 
 several subsequent essays, will lay open a train which has been 
 for years in progress, to change materially the Presbyterian plan 
 of church government, and to introduce theological opinions es- 
 sentially at variance with the Confession of Faith. 
 
 The Western Memorial "on the present state of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church,Jte presented to the Assembly in May, 1834, furnishes 
 a brief summary of the evidence on this subject, which existed 
 prior to that period. We shall here present only a few of the 
 facts there recited, referring our readers for hiore full information, 
 to that important document, and, in the sequel, adding many items 
 to the painful catalogue. 
 
 The "Plan of Union" with Congregational Churches, adopted 
 by the General Assembly in ISOl, assumes a power no where en- 
 trusted to them by the constituiion. The "mutual council," an 
 ecclesiastical tribunal then established for the government of a 
 portion of the Piesbylerian Church, and the substitution of " eow- 
 mitlee men" for ruling elders, are expedients, however well in- 
 tended, most obviously repugnant to the spirit and the letter of 
 our constitution,* and have been perverted from their original de- 
 sign, and persisted in so far, as to impair practically our form of 
 government, and to threaten its very existence. For the correct- 
 ness of these statements, compare that planf with the Book ol 
 Discipline. A repeal of this plan now, when the causes which 
 gave rise to it do not exist, has been repeatedly asked for, but in 
 vain. This unconstitutional accommodation has been a door oi' 
 entrance to anti-Presbyterian men and measures, greatly dimin- 
 
 * Form of GovernmeDt, chap, xii., sec. G. f See Digest, p. 207. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 105 
 
 ishing the uniformity of our character, and gradually undermining 
 the principles of our system. Whole districts of the church are 
 without ruling elders, know nothing of the pastoral relation be- 
 tween ministers and people, are supplied by teachers who have 
 never adopted our Confession of Faith nor form of government, 
 and are substantially Congregational in their spirit and aim, re- 
 taining for convenience sake the Presbyterian distinction. All 
 their deviations from our constituted forms, and opposition to our 
 standards, are openly vindicated by an appeal to the " Plan of 
 Union." Into this prolific source of error and disunion, we ask 
 the intelligent and candid to look, for grounds of the " Act and 
 Testimony." 
 
 To aid the work of innovation, many devices have been em- 
 ployed, ail accelerating its progress, and deepening its injurious 
 effect. One of the most successful of these is, the opinion now 
 maintained by numbers who assume the Presbyterian name, that 
 every individual who enters our church, in adopting her standards, 
 has a right to put his "own construction" upon any part of them, 
 without responsibility for that construction. Tiiat this subterfuge 
 is em[iloyed as a disguise for error, and has aided to mar both the 
 purity and peace of our church, no intelligent and candid man, 
 we presume, will deny. 
 
 The opinions of men, venerable for learning and piety, on the 
 subject of adopting creeds, ought to exert great influence. The 
 following paragraph, in relation to subscribing the articles of the 
 established church, is extracted from a letter of D\: Thomas Scott, 
 author of the Commentary on the Bible: 
 
 "If by subscription be meant, an avowed assent to the truth of 
 any proposition contained in what we subscribe, [ can never sub- 
 scribe these articles witho'ut telling a most audacious lie in the 
 face of God, in a solemn and important matter of religion, for the 
 sake of sordid lucre." 
 
 No man possessed more profoundly the confidence of the 
 American people, than Dr. John Witherspooii. The following is 
 his language on the subject of these subscriptions: "This is so 
 direct a violation of sincerity, that it is astonishing to think how 
 men can set their minds at ease in the prospect, or keep them in 
 peace after the deliberate commission of it. The very excuses 
 and evasions that are olfered in defence of it, are a disgrace to 
 reason, as well as a scandal to religion. What success can be 
 expected from that man's ministry, who begins it with an act of 
 so complicated guilt? Plow can he take upon him to reprove 
 others for sin, or to train them up in virtue and true goodness, 
 while himself is chargeable with direct, premeditated, and per- 
 petual perjury?"* If this system of deception be permitted to re- 
 
 * Witherspoon'a Works, Vol. III., p. 197. 
 
lOG OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 liiain uncorrected in the very sanctuary of our church, what se- 
 curity can she have against the continual invasion of the sacred 
 office, by unsound and disorganizing men? 
 
 The practice pursued by some Presbyteries, of ordaining young 
 men, in one part of the church, to dispense the ordinances of the 
 gospel in other districts, under regular Presbyterial care, has pro- 
 duced much evil, is at variance not less wiih the discreet usages 
 of the church, than with sound expediency. Two causes have 
 been assigned for this irregularity, to the one or the other of 
 which it owes its origin and its prevalence; either a design to 
 screen from constitutional scrutiny, candidates, who, from hasty 
 preparation or weakness of intellect, are destitute of competent 
 ministerial furniture, or to conceal corrupt opinions and prejudices 
 on the subject of theological science and church government. 
 
 How incompatible with an honest and faithful support of the 
 Presbyterian system, is the conduct of those Presbyteries,* who 
 suddenly and frequently lay hands upon young men, even clusters 
 of them, educated under Congregational influence and in Congre- 
 gational seminaries, who know nothing about the Presbyterian 
 system in doctrine or discipline, except the name, and are forth- 
 with commissioned to preach the gospel and administer its ordi- 
 nances, within the limits of sound Presbyteries, who are now for- 
 bidden to demur or to inquire. Is this course congenial with our 
 ecclesiastical institutions? Must it not necessarily produce error, 
 strife, every evil fruit? Can the friends of pure Presbyterianism, who 
 love the church in her uncorrupied character, and feel solemnly 
 obliged and deeply solicitous, to preserve her order from perver- 
 sion and abuse, honestly stand by. in silence and inaction while 
 the w'ork of deterioration, in numberless instances and palpable 
 forms, is rapidly advancing, and that under sanction of the highest 
 authority? The resolutions in the minutes of the last Assembly, 
 which seem to promise relief from some of these evils will be 
 found completely nullified by other measures of the same body. 
 A Member of New Brunswick Presbytery. 
 
 No. III.— October, 1834. 
 " j'lct and Testimony." — Additional grounds of it. 
 The decision of the General Assembly of 1832, repeated in 
 1833, and confirmed in 1834, dividing the Presbytery of Phila- 
 delphia, against the determination of the Synod, was a transac- 
 tion in its nature hostile to the Presbyterian system, tending to in- 
 troduce, under the sanction of arbitrary power, a well digested 
 plan to corrupt the form of our faith, to split up inferior judicato- 
 ries into discordant fragments, and to divide the great body of the 
 church, into opposing factions. 
 
 * Presbytery of Newburyport, and Third Presbytery of New York, are- 
 amon<' those referred to. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. 107 
 
 The act referred to, contains an assumption of power, infring- 
 ing the rights of inferior judicatories, and the introduction of a 
 principle corrupting to the church. 
 
 To Synods belong the work of forming new Presbyteries, 
 within their own bounds. The Synod has power to erect new 
 Presbyteries, and unite or divide those which were before erected. 
 Form of Government, chap, xi., sec. 4. In districts not claimed 
 hv Synods — in circumstances where two or more Synods have 
 come into contact — and in cases referred to the General Assem- 
 bly by Synodical advice, that body has formed Presbyterie^•. 
 But after careful examination, it is affirmed that no instance can 
 be produced from the records of the Assembly, in which this 
 right of Synods has been questioned. Several cases are recorded 
 in which it has been recognized and confirmed. Precedent is 
 therefore against the assumption, as well as^siatute. 
 
 But, say the advocates of this arbitrary measure, "To the 
 General Assembly belongs the power of superintending the con- 
 cerns of the whole church," Form of Government, chap, xii., 
 sec. 5. And this is a sufficient warrant for the act. Is the doc- 
 trine to be admitted, that definite designations of rights, of duties, 
 and of powers, resting upon specific statutes, must yield to gene- 
 ral provisions, and vague trusts'' The Synod is invested, by statute, 
 with power "to erect new Presbyteries" — the General Assembly 
 has power "to superintend the concerns of the whole church" — 
 therefore the Assembly may erect new Presbyteries. This is the 
 argument. Now an argument which proves too much, proves 
 nothing. If this inference be just, where shall we limit thb power 
 of the General Assembly? What may she not do? If this princi- 
 ple be admitted, is it not obvious that collision and confusion will 
 be an immediate result? And if it be acquiesced in, who can fail 
 to see that a concentration and accumulation of all power in the 
 General Assembly will follow of course? It may control, at plea- 
 sure, all the measures of Synods, of Presbyteries, and church 
 sessions. It may assume the office of admitting and disciplining 
 church members; of educating, licensing, and ordaining candi- 
 dates for the ministry. It may become a complete autocrat or 
 despot, pervading every minute department of the church, para- 
 lyzing and practically annihilating inferior judicatories, and spread- 
 ing innovation and revolution every where. Such an interpreta- 
 tion of our constitution, was to be expected from men ignorant of 
 Presbyterianism, blinded and disaffected to our system by Con- 
 gregational predilections. To such Presbyterians, if Presbyte- 
 rians they may be called, the opinion soberly advocated in support 
 of the above construction, that the General Assembly is a largo 
 Presbytery, the depository and source of all original powers, and 
 that Synods and Presbyteries derive their rights from the Assem- 
 
108 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 bly, may appear feasible, because this scheme is approaching 
 somewhat the New England platform of church government ; but 
 really, an attempt to support this theory, with our Book of Disci- 
 pHne in hand, does appear very chimerical. Against all such 
 usur|?aiion and confusion in the affairs of our church, we bear our 
 testimony, and lift up the warning voice. 
 
 But the majority had a strong motive impelling them to this 
 illegal course of action. It was to introduce what they call the 
 "elective aliinity" principle,* a principle which threatens the 
 whole Presbyterian Church, as such, with corruption and ex- 
 tinction. Our form of government directs that Presbyteries shall 
 be constituted embracing "all the ministers and one ruling elder, 
 from each congregation, within a certain district." Chap, x., sec. 
 2^. The "elective affinity" principle, authorizes the creation of 
 Presbyteries, without definite boundaries, composed of men arbi- 
 trarily selected, and theologically assorted, to secure a prepon- 
 derance to peculiar opinions and measures. Such a new classifi- 
 cation was never heard of, till heresy began to appear and to 
 become excessively impatient of constitutional restraint. The 
 edification of the pure church demanded no such arrangement. 
 Orthodoxy complained of no difficulty under the reign of her 
 ancient, wise, and venerable Formula. She asked no indulgence, 
 feared no evil. Why this new division, this panneling and pack- 
 ing, in a manner so novel, so inconvenient and unnatural ? It has 
 not happened by chance. The object is, to bring men together, 
 theologically opposed to the standards of^tho church, but suf- 
 ficiently coincident in views to live together and carry on the 
 work of innovation, in which they are engaged. To support this 
 statement, we refer to the facts developed in the memorable con- 
 troversy, out of which proceeded the first prominent act of the 
 General Assembly establishing this unconstitutional principle, the 
 creation of the second Presbytery of Philadelphia. In this new 
 Presbytery were embodied the individuals who had been for seve- 
 ral years distracting the old Presbytery and the Synod of Phila- 
 del[)hia, bv advocating and screening the heretical opinions con- 
 tained in J\Ir. Barnes' sermon on the " way of salvation." In 
 that struggle, they were earnest and tenacious in the highest de- 
 gree. At every step, they felt that they were contending for self. 
 
 " Mutato nomine, de te, 
 Fahula narratur." 
 
 Througjh all the vicissitudes of that controversy, the real es- 
 sence of the question never varied. It was a systematic and per- 
 
 * This principle is sanctioned in a resolution of the same Assembly, May 
 
 oOth. " llcsolved, that except in very exJraordinary cases, this Assembly 
 
 are of the opinion that Presbyteries ought to be formed with geographical 
 
 limits." Ergo. In extraordinary cases, which may be imagined at plea- 
 
 * sure, the " affinity" plan may prevail. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 109 
 
 severing effort of those opposed to our expression of doctrine and 
 polity as a church, to provide a sanctuary in our bosom for he- 
 retical men, and principles, and measures. And to afford them 
 ample facilites to maintain and propagate their peculiar tenets, 
 existing circumstances constrain us to believe, was the chief mo- 
 live which governed the leaders* in the majority in the last As- 
 sembly, in their final vote upon that subject, and in many kindred 
 resolutions recorded on their minutes.' These facts are faiily de- 
 ducible, from the transactions of the several judicatories partici- 
 pating in the controversy. 
 
 But to place the construction here presented beyond a doubt, 
 the appellants from the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, openly 
 avowed, that while their cause was sustained, in part, by objec- 
 tions raised against technical informalities,^ the proceedings of 
 the Synod, it rested principally upon the ground of an essential 
 and irreconcilable difference with their brethren of the Philadel- 
 phia Presbytery, respecting articles of faith. They demanded 
 the act, which was passed, as the only means of setting them free 
 from f )rins, professions, and obligations, which, with their new 
 views, they could no longer observe. One of the appellants, (Dr. 
 Ely.) declared, that " tliey had many opinions differing from their 
 brethren of the old Presbytery, and that they differed among 
 themselves, not too much, however, to act harmoniously together." 
 He urjred the suit for an accommodation act, after readinij a list 
 of some of his opinions, to show that they were not so enormous 
 as had been supposed. An:)ther, (Rev. J. Patterson,) informed 
 the General Assembly "that he had differed from the Confession 
 of Faith a long U-ne, and that he had found it very difficult to get 
 along with the Presbytery of Philadelphia." Ho stated very 
 gravely, when scarcely any one else was grave, that "he had 
 been many vears en£ca<Ted in selectinj; and brincrinfi forward 
 /young menf for the ministry, and that he had often found it very 
 difficult, and sometimes im|:)ossible, to get them licensed by the 
 Presbytery of Philadelphia :;i; they were so particular in adhering 
 to the Confession of Faith, that h6 had on some occasions, plead 
 with them earnestly to license his candidates, but had been com- 
 
 * We say " the leaders," believing that many who voted with them were 
 actuated by different motives. 
 
 f A judicious writer in the " Southern Christian Herald," calls these ap- 
 propriately, '■' smuggl<.d, conirabancl ministers^' 
 
 % An eloquent eulogium on the purity and faithfulness of the Presbytery 
 of Philadelphia, from the lips of an adversary ! It has been alleged" that 
 their zeal is of recent origin, simultaneous with Mr. Barnes' removal to 
 Philadelphia. From Mr. Patterson's statement, and our own perfect kno»v- 
 ledge, that zeal has been uniform and consistent, for more than twenty 
 years. Let justice be dune to this injured Presbytery. Magna est Veritas 
 et prceralebit. 
 
ilT) OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 pelled to send them away to be licensed by other Presbyteries, 
 whose views accorded better with his own ; and finally, that they 
 could not live so, they must have a Presbytery to do business just 
 as they pleased." The other appellants concurred with these 
 statements in emphatic language. The majority of the Assembly, 
 having perfect knowledge of these facts, sustained the appeal, 
 sanctioning, by their decision, the principle of "Elective Affinity.'* 
 
 Had the majority any ground on which to protest and appeal .'■ 
 Let us look at this measure, to see whether the Assembly, in 
 passing that act, came up to the high mark of their constitutional 
 obligation. What must be the result of this new principle? Pres- 
 byteries of this spurious cast, may now be constituted, whenever 
 suitable materials can be obtained. The disorderly, the heretical, 
 and the discontented^ave only to complain under some plausible 
 pretext, and their separation into a distinct ecclesiastical body is 
 sure. To these, the unsound and incompetent, refused licensure 
 by the orthodox — and the ignorant, distorted, and fanatical of 
 other churches and denominations, may flock, in the certain pros- 
 pect of an easy passage to the sacred office. To all such Pres- 
 byterians, ambitious of distinction and power, how great will be 
 ihe temptation, to quicken their zeal, and strain their resources, 
 in multiplying candidates " sui genejns'" for the sacred ministry? 
 They being themselves disaffected to the great principles of Pres- 
 byterian order, and turned aside from her precious faith — is it not 
 irrational to exf)ect that their pupils will be rooted and grounded 
 in the doctrines of our magna charta ? 
 
 On the contrary, judging from experience and facts before us, 
 may we not confidently believe that many will be precipitately 
 pressed into the same service, entertaining theological opinions 
 crude and deformed? Are we prepared, unresistingly, to see this 
 revolting system carried out and perpetuated in the church '. 
 What an nfflicting spectacle will she then present, torn and agi- 
 tated by this great intestine division ! a division which will pro- 
 duce alienations in families, conflicts in Pi"esbyteries and Synods, 
 collisions of party feeling in the important work of education, of 
 revivals, and of missions. If union be strength, what must be the 
 effect of all pervading discord ? This evil, unless remedied, will 
 soon find means to exert a more injurious influence on the supreme 
 judicatory of the churtih.* 1 need not say that the plan of cutting' 
 
 * "Each Preslivtery consistin.s; of not more than twenty-four minister*, 
 pliall send one minister and one elder" to the Asseml>ly. Printed Minute?. 
 1^33, p. 48G. " Any three ministers and as many elders as may be present,, 
 lielon^ing to the Presbytery, being met at the time and place appointed. 
 sh.1.11 beanuorum competent to proceed to business." " Of the Presbytery.'" 
 Form of Government, chap, x., sec. 7. By comparing the above constitu- 
 tional articles, the extent of the abuse to which the " elective affinity" prin- 
 «;i[)le may be curried in subdividing Presbyteries, becomes very apparent. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. lit 
 
 up Presbyteries by "elective affinity," will enable its advocates 
 unduly to augment their numbers in that body. Already have 
 they acquired strength by this illegal system. Time will add to 
 their power. While to the adherents of the constitution, a cor- 
 responding privilege has been peremptorily refused. 
 
 Have the General Assembly, in passing this act, come up to 
 the high mark of their prescribed duty, to be " a bond of union, 
 peace, and mutual confidence, among all our churches"? The 
 principle sanctioned organize's the Presbyterian body into two 
 great parties. It grants to the errorists a discharge from their 
 ordination vows; it gives them liberty to differ at pleasure; it re- 
 moves the restrictions they complained of; it affords the facilities 
 they ask for; it holds out large encouragement to every wild and 
 daring speculator on our Book of Faith; it provides ample scope 
 for the influx and diffusion of spurious notions, whether they pro- 
 ceed from constitutional peculiarities of men, their inventive fer- 
 tility, their false philosophy, their pride, their prejudices, their sec- 
 tarian jealousies, their infidel whims and subtleties. We are not 
 deceived : and the intelligent of the church cannot fail correctly 
 to estimate this point. J^et it not be said in extenuation, that the 
 differences are small. Their true nature and magnitude will here- 
 after form a topic of illustration. But supposing the difference to 
 be small at present, who can justly estimate its future character 
 and progress ? This new theory is now, among us, in its first 
 stages; it has existed hitherto under strong restraints, and in the 
 keeping, chiefly, of men possessing some age and maturity of 
 character, which affords a partial security against its ultimate 
 and most deleterious results. But who can calculate the conse- 
 quences of committing speculations, calling in question the funda- 
 mental truths of the gospel, to ardent young men, inexperienced, 
 unfurnished, impetuous, and injudicious, liable to be " carried 
 about by every wind of doctrine, by the slight of man, and cun- 
 ning craftiness"? Eph. iv., 14. Ought we not to fear a sad dete- 
 rioration in our system? in our faith, erasures, perversions, and 
 cngrafiures? in government, collision and confusion, and following 
 in the train, a deep defection from the vitals of Christianity ? 
 
 They say, the difference is "indefinite." That it is indefinite, 
 beyond a narrow limit already ascertained, greatly aggravates 
 the evil. It is indefinite, as to the number of points it may extend 
 to, in doctrine, in morals, in discipline; indefinite, as to the nuni- 
 
 A Presbytery containing twenty-three members, and entitled to one eom- 
 T'lissinner, may be subdivided so as to secure seven votes in the Assembly. 
 Let this Hydra loose upon the church, and you may write her destiny in 
 the lament of the poet— 
 
 " fuit Ilium et ingens 
 Gloria Teucrorum." 
 
112 OLD SCHOOT. VINDICATED. 
 
 ber of individuals, of churches, of Presbyteries, of Synods, it may 
 infect ; indefinite, as to the desolating mischiefs it may accomplish. 
 And are ihe minority to sit, and see, and hear, without emotion ''. 
 to witness all this, or hold it in fearful anticipation, and be silent? 
 Are we to become traitors to the church, and to her exalted Lord, 
 hy unresisting submission to this usurpation of power, prostration 
 of rights, and legalizina; of warfare? VV^e throw ourselves into the 
 breach, we meet the contingence, we call upon all who love the 
 uncorrupled church to follow in this last resort, to restore her 
 purity, and perpetuate her glory. 
 
 A Member of New Brunswick PaEsrivxERV. 
 
 No. IV^— 1834. 
 
 ^' Act and Testimony." — Katn.e and duty of the Assembly — olli- 
 gntions and rights of the Church. 
 In a great religious community, covering extensive territory, 
 and embracing a population variegated by national extraction, by 
 sectional jealousies, by genius, by education, and by climate, a 
 jiower of decided iniluence, of all pervading and increasing ac- 
 tivity, is indispensably necessary to hold this great fraternity to- 
 gether, to produce unity of feeling and inovenjents, uniformity in. 
 all its prominent and essenti;il features. A body possessing this 
 commanding influence, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian 
 Church was intended to -be. To this end, all its constitutional 
 designations, of power, of duty, and of responsibility, are solemnly 
 directed. As a legislative body, as an appellate court, as a stan- 
 dard of theological correctness and moral purity, and as the su- 
 preme authoritative supervisor, under the Great Head of the 
 church, its course of action and its character are imiTiensely im- 
 {iortant. Upon its purity and fidelity hang the destinies of mil- 
 lions. The duty of guarding against the introduction of errors 
 into the church, is incumbent upon private members — upon all 
 olHce-bearers — and upon all inferior judicatories; but it is, with 
 extreme solemnity and pointedness, enjoined upon the Genera! 
 Assembly. Chap, xii., sec. 5, Form of Government. "To the 
 General Assembly belongs the power of deciding in all contro- 
 versies respecting truth and discipline; of reproving, warning, or 
 bearing testiiiiony against error in doctrine or immorality in prac- 
 tice, in any church, Presbytery, or Synod; of superintending the 
 concerns of the whole cliurch ; of suppressing schismatical conten- 
 tions and disputations; and, in general, of recommending and 
 attempting reformation of manners and the promotion of charity, 
 truth, and holiness, through all the churches under their care." 
 Here the Assembly is constituled the chief depository of conserva- 
 tive powers, for the church. It cannot be doubted, that, if the 
 Assembly discharge its responsible duties faithfully, and exhibit 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 113 
 
 in its various transactions, purity, wisdom, and energy, a firm and 
 consistent adherence to constitutional laws and requirements, the 
 effect will be visibly of the most salutary kind, in sustaining the 
 character and improving the condition of the church. If, on the 
 contrary, it prove tardy, vacillating, or inefficient when duty 
 calls, if it show indifference to the church's real interest, depart 
 from its own impressive directory, give occasion even to suspect 
 its honesty, its influence must decline, the church's confidence in 
 it will be 'shaken, the momentous trust committed to it must suf- 
 fer. The moment the Assembly relaxes in the performance of 
 its sacred guardianship, that moment the vital interests of the 
 church are exposed to violence ; the bond of union, through all its 
 tender and delicate ramifications, is weakened. For let it be se- 
 riously called to mind, that character constitutes the sine qua non 
 — the moral force — the effective existence of the Assembly. Its 
 conduct, its acts, its decisions, are the tests, the evidence of thai 
 character, in the estimation of all intelligent and candid men. 
 
 This great ecclesiastical body is representative in its nature ; 
 Presbyteries, including the church, gave it being and constitute 
 its body. It was established for the benefit of the whole. Its duty 
 is clearly defined in the constitution — its rule of action is definite 
 and immutable. Created by the will of Presbyteries, it exists at 
 their pleasure. The obligation to obedience resting upon the 
 church, is binding only while the original compact is preserved 
 inviolate. We recognize in the Assembly no common law, no 
 discretionary power. Before a new measure can be obligatory 
 upon the church, it must be transmitted to the Presbyteries, and 
 be sanctioned by a majority of them. Form of Government, chap, 
 xii., sec. G. The written constitution is the supreme law of the 
 Assembly in all its doings. Pi'esbyteries, and through them and 
 with them, the great body of the church, are the constitutional 
 expounders of law and the arbiters in every constitutional matter. 
 Their judgment, on every subject, may be obtained by reference; 
 when that is neglected or refused by the Assembly, the introduc- 
 tion of a measure before untried, of dangerous or doubtful ten- 
 dency, may justify or even compel that resort, without the inter- 
 vention of the Assembly. It is perfectly plain, that making that 
 body the judge of its own actions without popular appeal, is 
 equivalent to surrendering religious freedom altog-ether, and au- 
 thorizing tyranny by law. 
 
 There is, of necessity, as in all human governments, a limit 
 somewhere, at which ecclesiastical despotism begins, and passive- 
 submission is no longer a duty. When the Assembly, by uncon- 
 stitutional measures, reach that point, anarchy ensues, which is 
 the state immediately preceding revolution. The irregular and 
 unsound proceedings of this body, becoming for years more and 
 
 H 
 
114 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 more suspicious and ofTensive, have at Jast brougiit the Presbyte- 
 rian Church to this deplorable and eventful crisis. A single, or 
 an occasional act — even a succession of measures — unwise and 
 injurious, should not be permitted to produce resuhs so serious, at 
 least, till full opportunity is afforded to redress what has been 
 done amiss. But when a series of transactions, insidiously com- 
 menced in the Assembly, is pertinaciously pursued for years, 
 against murmurs, expostulations, and entreaties — transactions 
 tending, if not by positive design, at least by just construction 
 and certain operation, to introduce principles in doctrine and dis- 
 cipline, incompatible with received standards, infringing the rights 
 of subordinate judicatories, of individual ministers, elders, and 
 members of the church, and subversive of all purity and order in 
 the system — then it becomes the imperative duty of every one 
 solemnly to pause, and consider the nature and extent of the obli- 
 gations which are binding upon the Presbyterian body. 
 
 When the General Assembly assume and exercise the right of 
 setting aside constitutional provisions, and erecting Presbyteries 
 on the novel principle of •' elective affinity,^' as now justly ex- 
 plained and understood, does it not virtually, and by fair implica- 
 tion, discharge a portion of its ministers from allegiance to the 
 approved standards and forms? And if a part be so discharged, 
 for purposes of doubtful policy, or to favour heresy, can the resi- 
 due be justly considered bound to obey? Is there not here then, a 
 total disruption of the ecclesiastical compact? Again: When the 
 Assembly attempts, directly, or indirectly, to " teach for doctrines 
 (he commandments of merj," we ask, in view of the unavoidable 
 consequences, and in the impressive language of an Apostle, 
 "Ought wc not to obey God rather than men?" (Jan any Pres- 
 bytery, minister, elder, or member of the Presl)yterian body, can 
 any man of religious principle, in any conceivable situation upon 
 earth, be bound in conscience, to obey that authority whose dic- 
 tates conflict with the inspiration and commryid of God, to believe 
 and propagate tenets which militate against his law and his truth ? 
 which are disorganizing in his moral empire, and ruinous to the 
 souls of men ? 
 
 Here let it be distinctly observed, that in political confederations, 
 where civil right, and temporal aggrandisement, sustained by hu- 
 man expedients and fluctuating policy, are the governing objects, 
 flagrant errors and evils may exist, and exist long, under vurious 
 forms, and be honestly endured in quietness, widiout involving a 
 violation of moral obligation on the one part, or on the other a 
 dissolution of the compact. But in a religious community, based 
 upon faith and piety, conscience is the great principle, which be- 
 comes the subject of administration. It cannot act by proxy; it 
 cannot transfer to any government that allegiance which it pri- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 115 
 
 marily and unalienably owes to the God of conscience; it cannot 
 bow in submission to any administration, not clearly ascertained 
 to be estatjlisiied and acting in conformity with the known will of 
 God, the supreme lawgiver and universal judge. Enlightened and 
 faithful conscience, at every step of her moral action, must up- 
 rightly and freely appeal to the standard she has adopted, to as- 
 certain her own duty, and not less to test the correctness of those 
 under whose authority, or in concert with whom she may attempt 
 to act. Jn relation to all such, whether viewed in tTieir individual 
 or collective capacity, her language must ever be, unconstitutional 
 law is illegal law, is immoral law, is no law. The principles here 
 stated, we hold to be founded in the n;»ture of man, in his relation 
 to God, in our ecclesiastical system, and in the reason of things. 
 They are applicable to all governments, they have been recog- 
 nized by the wisest statesmen and soundest jurists, in all compacts, 
 social, civil, and sacred. Our si^le object is fairly to represent the 
 General Assembly, in organisation and administration, and to test 
 the legitimacy of its acts, by these incontrovertible principles. 
 
 To afford the Assembly the best possible aid in discharging its 
 virduous trust, to enable it to become familiarly acquainted with 
 the details of evil experienced or apprehended in every part of 
 the interesting community placed in its keeping, provision is made 
 in its constitution and rules, and sanctioned by its practice, for 
 extending to all liberty of access, by memorial, complaint, or pe- 
 tition. Here originates a most critical relation. Large compila- 
 tions of testimony, accompanied with deliberate suggestions to the 
 Assembly, as to its proper policy in relation to existing evils in 
 remote districts, anxious and importunate solicitations from iin- 
 portant sections, and numerous individuals of the church, for the 
 application of its influence to check errors and abuses, involve on 
 their part privileges and rights, and on its part, obligations and 
 duties, the neglect o^ wliick-is incompatihie with the harmony and 
 welfare of the church. It is not in the nature of man, in his so- 
 cial, civil, or ecclesiastical state, to respect that authority which 
 is indifferent alike to his rights and to his wrongs, and which 
 closes the ear, with rebuke and repulse, against his suffering and 
 supplicating accents. Until recently the Assembly has evinced a 
 profound regard to the view above expressed. Its records exhibit 
 the interesting character of a dignified, impartial, vigilant, and 
 faithful parent of a numerous household, solicitously guarding 
 their interests, providing for their wants, hearing complaints, 
 warning against danger, speaking comfortably to the troubled, 
 healing divisions, indulging no sympathies for party, no affinity 
 for novelty, employing the wisest and the best means possible for 
 the benefit and happiness of the whole family. 
 
 In support of these facts, we refer to the minutes of the Assem- 
 
116 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 bly. In 1787, the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, sub- 
 stantially the same body with the General Assembly, adopted the 
 following minute: " Whereas, the doctrine of Universal Salva- 
 tion and of the finite duration of hell torments, has been propa- 
 gated by sundry persons in the United Stales of America, and the 
 people under our care may possibly, froin their occasional con- 
 versation with the propagators of such a dangerous opinion, be 
 infected by the doctrine, the Synod take this opportunity to de- 
 clare their utter abhorrence of such doctrines, as they apprehend 
 to be subversive of the fundamental principles of religion and mo- 
 rality, and therefore earnestly recommend to all their Presbyte- 
 ries and members, to be watchful on this subject, and to guard 
 against the introduction of such tenets amongst our people." This 
 is a noble example presented early by the great leaders in learn- 
 ing and piety in this western world. Let us see how closely and 
 eonsistently it is follovi-ed up. In 1798, the Genei'al Assembly 
 speak thus: " We take the present occasion of declaring our uni- 
 form adherence to th^e doctrines contained in our Confession of 
 Faith, in their present plain and intelligible form, and Sxed deter- 
 mination to maintain them, against all innovations. We earnestly 
 wish that nothing subversive of these doctrines may be suffered to 
 exist, or be circulated amongst the churches. We hope that new 
 explanations of our own principles, by unusual and offensive 
 phrases, will be cautiously guarded against, lest the feelings of 
 Christians should be wounded, the cause of religion injured, and 
 the enemy take occasion to triumph and blaspheme. VVe are ex- 
 tremely anxious that the peace of the church, as well as its purity 
 of doctrine, may be preserved inviolate." In 1805, the Assembly 
 evidences the same spirit, and firmly declares, " That it is by no 
 means to be considered as a vulgar or unfounded prejudice, when 
 alarm is excited by alterations and innovations in the creed of a 
 church. There are many reasons of a most weighty kind, that 
 will dispose every man of sound judgment and accurate observa- 
 tion, to regard a spirit of change, in this particular, as an evil 
 pregnant with a host of mischiefs."* 
 
 The proceedings of the General Assembly in 1798, against the 
 Rev. H. Balch, charged with preaching and publishing false doc- 
 trines, evince a faithful and jealous regard to the purity of the 
 church^a high sense of duty and responsibility in that sacred 
 body. Most diligent inquisition was made by the Assembly into 
 his errors; his publications were laboriously examined; ever}^ 
 thing spurious and infecting was pointedly designated for public 
 reprobation; and the solemn mark of ecclesiastical condemnation 
 impressed upon every a^rticle Qsleemed ujnsound and unsafe.f 
 
 * Digest, pp. 134^ 137-,. 139-^also eld printed Minutes, f Digest, pp. 131, 132. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 117 
 
 The Assembly of 1810, in their proceedings against a heretical 
 book, published by W. C. Davis, called the "Gospel Plan," mani- 
 fested the same firm and consistent zeal to purify and guard the 
 church. They declared the doctrines asserted and advocated by 
 that book, to be contrary to the Confession of Faith and the Word 
 of God, and of a tendency dangerous to the souls of men.* 
 
 It cannot for a moment be doubted, that if the Assembly had 
 continued to pursue this vigilant and faithful course, the present 
 corrupt and deplorable state of the church would have been pre- 
 vented.^ The conviction arises, by just inference, that the errors 
 and distractions now existing must be traced to its unwise, un- 
 faithful, and temporising measures. 
 
 A Member of New Bruxswick Presbytery. 
 
 No. V. — November, 1834. 
 
 -^^ Act and Testimony." — Additional ground — Resolutions of the 
 
 Assembly. 
 
 Evasion has been the policy of the General Assembly for seve- 
 ral successive years, when threatening evils hax^e been urgently 
 pressed upon its attention. Memorials, complaints, and requests, 
 from individuals, from Presbyteries, and from Synods, have passed 
 unheeded, or been dismissed for reasons so slight and equivocal, 
 as to invalidate public confidence, destroy the hope of reform by 
 ordinary means, and aggravate the very evils complained of. 
 
 The history of the Western Memorial, stands as a striking illus- 
 tration of these remarks. This was a document prepared with 
 care, signed by many office-bearers in the church, most of w'hom 
 were orthodox ministers of the gospel ; it embodied a vast amount 
 of weighty matter, and was couched in decorous and appropriate 
 language; it neither expresses nor implies the censure of indi- 
 viduals, or of church judicatories, any farther than was absolutely 
 unavoidable in telling the honest truth. This impressive commu- 
 nication was treated by the Assembly with marked disrespect. 
 In violation 'of parliamentary precedent, of its own usages, of 
 common sense, of common justice and courtesy, unread and un- 
 heard, it was referred to a committee, and never known to a large 
 portion of the house till presented in the report of that committee; 
 a report in its main character Jesuitical and unsound, hostile to 
 the purity and order of tbe church, and calculated to prejudice 
 every mind, and especially to mislead the unwary, in regard to 
 the matter involved. 
 
 This report constitutes one of the most extraordinary ecclesi- 
 astical documents to which modern times have given birth. It 
 foears marks of labour, and deserves attention. But it interests 
 
 * Digest, pp. 144, 148. 
 
118 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 chiefly, as an index of the Presbyterian Church, a criterion of the 
 theological cast of the majority of the last Assembly, and a cor- 
 rect devolopemenl of their designs. Indeed, it may be viewed as 
 a lucid commentary upon the complex and enigmatical proceed- 
 ings of several recent General Assemblies. The orthodox part of 
 that body, and of the church in general, who have some time 
 looked on in doubt and wonder, suspecting that all was not right 
 with tiiose who appeared to be carrying the ark and testimony, 
 have reason to thank the rulers in the last Assembly for giving so 
 full a manifesto as these resolutions afford. They are just what 
 was needed to shed full light upon sundry previous measures, 
 somewhat obscure; and by elucidating what was dark, they aug- 
 ment and confirm every suspicion that existed. In considering 
 them, we must bear in mind the history of several past years. 
 Events are often best interpreted by adverting to previous and at- 
 tending circumstances. 
 
 The following notorious facts are admitted by candid men; 
 that erroneous doctrinal opinions have for years existed in the 
 Presbyterian Church, been extensively circulated from the pulpit, 
 and in printed sermons, books, and journals; that the General As- 
 sembly have studiously avoided inquiring into this subject, resisted 
 all modes of detection and exposure, cordially admitted men, re- 
 puted heretical, into its councils, conferred upon them its high 
 honours and trusts; that the Assembly have, without uttering a 
 syllable of disapprobation, connived at Presbyteries licensing and 
 ordaining candidates known to be unsound in the faith, both reared 
 within its own limits and coming from theological seminaries 
 known to be at variance with our standards; that the party 
 prompting and directing these inroads upon our constitutional 
 faith and order, growing confident and reckless by the wide dif- 
 fusion of their disorganizing influence and the increased number 
 of their adherents, have at last reduced the propagation of heresy 
 to system, by establishing "elective affinity" Presbyteries in va- 
 rious parts of the church, thus putting error out of -the reach of 
 correction, and affording every desired facility to multiply its 
 abettors, and extend its baneful influence through the land. 
 
 The resolutions before us are a continuation of the corrupting 
 and revolutionary process, to which we have referred in the 
 above remarks. That they are calculated, if observed, to give it 
 unrestrained efficacy in the church, we honestly think will abun- 
 dantly appear from candid examination. 
 
 Before entering upon this review, candour requires the writer 
 further to declare, that while he considers the majority in the last 
 Assembly, in the aggregate, responsible for the acts in view, and 
 all their injurious consequences, he has strong reason to believe, 
 and with pleasure admits the idea, that probably a considerable 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATE!?. US' 
 
 part of that majority are favorable to orthodoxy, and were in- 
 fluenced, in their votes adverse to it, by mistaken views of the 
 question presented, and by wrong impressions artfully made upon 
 them. But whatever estimate may be made on this point, the 
 measures of the majority are not altered by it, nor is their inju- 
 rious effect upon the church hindered. As to all practical results 
 in matters of this kind, they are substantially the same, whether 
 all the actors were honestly of one heart and mind, or whether a 
 part of them, from timidity, from misapprehension, from modera- 
 tion, as it is called, or from false impressions, lent their names to 
 assist designing leaders in accomplishing their object. It is not 
 our duty, nor is it in our power, to separate the pure, if such there 
 be, from the corrupt. It is the right and the duty of those who 
 are injured by the classification to which they have consigned 
 themselves by their own acts, to come out and remove the re- 
 proach, by a seasonable and honest correction of their error. 
 
 To discover the true import of the resolutions passed in the 
 Assembly, on Friday, 30th of May, and marked numerically, 1, 
 5, 7, 8, 11, it is necessary to read them in immediate succession, 
 as they are most obviously part of a system which has been con- 
 secutively observed through a long train of measures. 
 
 The series commences in the following terms : " Resolved, That 
 this Assembly cannot sanction the censure contained in the me- 
 morial, against proceedings and measures of former General As- 
 sembl'ies." This is the first response given to the most numerous 
 and respectable company of memorialists ever recognized in any 
 ecclesiastical judicatory in the United States; a body of ministers 
 and men as numerous and respectable as the Assembly itself 
 This startling resolution certainly requires elucidation. 
 
 The first idea which presents itself to the reader's mind is this ; 
 Does the General Assembly seriously pretend to enter a claim, in 
 behalf of its counsels and the measures of its predecessors, to ab- 
 solute perfection and infallibility? This is too ludicrous to be be- 
 lieved ; and yet its language really seems to indicate a disposition 
 to take a seat by the side of Mother Church and the Roman Pon- 
 tiff. Again : does the Assembly intend to deny to individual min- 
 isters, laymen, and subordinate judicatories, the right of consider- 
 ing and criticising its acts? exposing what they consider errors 
 and delinquencies? complaining of injuries done to themselves 
 and to the church? asking at its hands, the redress of grievances 
 arising from its own unfaithful and injurious measures? Let "the 
 great congregation," who are deeply interested, look into this 
 matter. This is a day of light and a land of freedom. If civil 
 rights are dear, religious rights are much more so. Here is room 
 for a just and wholesome jealousy. Tyranny seldom speaks out 
 boldly and openly at first. How are errors to be delected, abuses 
 
llSQ OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 corrected, our ecclesiastical system to be properly guarded, but 
 by free inquiry and discussion 1 And shall the Assembly, which is 
 chiefly bound to prompt and foster means of safety and improve- 
 ment, be countenanced in any attempts to curtail our Christian 
 rights and liberties ? Principiis ohsta ! 
 
 But which are the " former General Assemblies" referred to m 
 this first resolution ? This is a point of consequence, and of easy 
 solution. The letter and spirit of the Memorial coincide most 
 strikingly with the measures of the General Assen^bly of 1787, 
 of 1798, of 1805, and of 1810, whose transactions were particu- 
 larly recited in number jfit;e of this series, and, indeed, this Memo- 
 rial corresponds admirably with the doings of all the Generai 
 Assemblies of our church who have manifested a faithful regard 
 for purity of faith, and correctness of discipline. The resolution 
 before us, therefore, certainly does not refer to them ; for there is 
 not the shadow of a discrepancy between them and the Memorial. 
 To which General Assemblies, then, we ask, does this resolution 
 refer? The answer is obvious, and cannot be mistaken. To cer- 
 tain more modern Assemblies, who have been successively, for 
 years past, tampering w^ilh the disorders and errors complained 
 oU and by evasion or connivance affording them entrance, and 
 providing them a secure asylum in the bosom of the church> 
 According to the true meaning of this resolution, when correctly 
 interpreted, the memorialists are permitted, in any manner they 
 please, to assail the former venerable orthodox Assemblies of the 
 Presbyterian Church, who have been from her foundation, the 
 defenders of her faith and purity, but they may not utter a whis- 
 per against those recent Assemblies, who have favoured importa- 
 tions of heresy and disorder into the bosom of the church. To 
 these the last Assembly felt a peculiarly strong elective affinity — 
 these, therefore, must be guarded as the apple of the eye! 
 
 We cannot help remarking farther in this connexion, that the 
 dictators in the majority of the last Assembly, present themselves 
 in this resolution, on another account, in a light which reflects 
 very little credit on their sagacity, their integrity, or their con- 
 sistency. They appear not to have observed, that while they are 
 denouncing the memorialists for their implied censure against 
 some former General Assemblies, they are themselves, in the 
 whole tenor of their measures, making war against all the Gene- 
 ral Assemblies of our church that have convened for fifty years, 
 excepting a very few of the most recent, in which this tender 
 sympathy for heresy and misrule began to appear. The facts are 
 truly degrading to the abettors of this measure, and grievous to 
 the friends of the church ; but honesty is the best policy. And we 
 shall honestly endeavour to lay the whole of this dark business 
 bare to the public view. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 121 
 
 Resolution No. 5 asserts : " That this Assembly bears solemn 
 testimony against publishing to the world ministers in good and 
 regular-standing, as heretical and dangerous, without being con- 
 stitutionally tried and condemned, thereby greatly hindering their 
 usefulness as ministers of Jesus Christ. Our excellent constitution 
 makes ample provision for redressing all such grievances, and 
 this Assembly enjoins in all cases, a faithful compliance in meek- 
 ness and brotherly love with its requisitions, having at all times a 
 sacred regard to the purity, peace, and prosperity of the church." 
 
 If honest constitutional investigation were really intended ii) 
 this resolution, the itinerant and fluctuating condition of many of 
 her ministers would present serious obstacles in the way of regu- 
 lar process. By inspecting the printed statistical tables of the 
 General Assembly for the year 1833, it will be seen, that of eigh- 
 teen hundred ministers, the whole number in the Presbyterian 
 Church, eleven hundred are without pastoral charge, employed 
 as professors, stated supplies, missionaries, teachers, and agents, 
 having, in a multitude of instances, no Presbyterial connexion, in 
 the immediate sphere of their labours. Hence it is obvious, that 
 discipline, however much needed and desired, could not be en- 
 forced in many cases, without great difficulty and delay. Here 
 is difficulty enough, without any augmentation from the unwise 
 and injurious legislation of the Assembly. But we are constrained 
 to express our belief, that the agency of the Assembly in relation 
 to this subject, when comprehensivel}'" viewed and fully carried 
 out, tends to encourage heresy, and to defeat discipline altogether. 
 
 This is our first objection to the fifth resolution. Havipg, by 
 introducing the "affinity" system, sanctioned the introduction of 
 unsound men into the ministry, the Assembly are perfectly con- 
 sistent with themselves, in attempting to shelter them from cen- 
 sure, as far as possible, in their public ministry. Indeed, they 
 would be unfaithful to their own illegitimate progeny, did they 
 not at least attempt their protection. How is this screen to be 
 drawn around these Jiolders and propagators of error? Let us 
 see. The Assembly hold themselves up as rigid champions for 
 '^constitutional trial," ad captandum, they "enjoin a faithful com- 
 pliance W'ith the requisitions of the constitution." It often hap- 
 pens, when heretical artifice is at work, that men acting from the 
 worst principles, use the same language as those professing the 
 best. We fear it is so here. The Assembly had, a few days 
 preceding, established the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia. 
 The avowed object of that measure was to collect that portion of 
 the Presbytery of Philadelphia, who differed from the Confession 
 of Faith in theological views, in one Presbytery, where they 
 might, unmolested by the orthodox, maintain and propagate their 
 new opinions. The act referred to, was particularly an accom- 
 
122 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 inodalion to Mr. Barnes, who, in his printed sermon, had de- 
 nounced the " framework of faith that has been reared around 
 the Bible," see 9ih page. All this, the act of ihe Assembly on 
 that subject sanctions. Now, we ask how Mr. Barnes, or any 
 man, can be brought to " constitutional trial" in that Presbytery, 
 while they retain their present character and claim the rights the 
 Assembly have granted them ? Will that Presbytery condemn 
 false doctrine — any opinions which they themselves hold? This is 
 not to be expected. Indeed, justly interpreting the measures of 
 the Assembly, a convict at the bar of that Presbytery would have 
 a right to appeal to the Assembly, as has already, in substance, 
 been done, and claim the implied and pledged protection of the 
 highest tribunal in the church, in holding the most palpable and 
 injurious heresy. Ah uno, omnia disce. This is a fair specimen 
 of the "constitutional strictness" the Assembly are about to insist 
 on, with so much apparent honesty and zeal. To such tribunals, 
 which are now established by the highest authority, which are 
 multiplying through our church, and to which unsound men will 
 unquestionably attach themselves for security, they are to be re- 
 ferred as the only proper tribunals to test their character and ar- 
 rest their progress. And what will be the result of trial, if the 
 farce is attempted at- all, before such tribunals? Speedy acquittal 
 will be triumphantly proclaimed, and trumpeted throughout the 
 land, and the heretic let loose again, inspired with increased con- 
 fidence, under all the advantages of alleged trial and vindication, 
 to pursue his desolating course. On the whole, there is a striking 
 want of candour and integrity in the whole of this matter. While 
 the ostensible object appears to be an honest and faithful applica- 
 tion of our judicial system for the detection and punishment of 
 error, the real aim of this resolution, when fairly viewed, espe- 
 cially in connexion with what precedes and I'ullows, may be justly 
 pronounced, the total prevention of '• constitutional trial." 
 
 2. It is a serious objection to the resolution before us, that it so 
 decisively discourages all kinds of criticism and censure of he- 
 retical men. The reflection it intends primarily to cast upon the 
 memorialists, for referring to heretical books and their authors, is 
 in this essay, considered of little consequence. The writer looks 
 to more important bearings of this intended prohibition. As we 
 think it must be conceded, there is in the Presbyterian Church, 
 under existing circumstances, in most cases little or no prospect 
 of an honest trial of unsound teachers, it is the last and only re- 
 fuge of the church to watch them closely; like the commended 
 Bereans, to examine their doctrines and compare them with the 
 true standard, to see whether these things are so, and wherever 
 they detect dangerous error, to sound the alarm and put the peo- 
 ple on their guard. Does this effort of the Assembly to suppress. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED!. 123 
 
 free remark, comport with the sacred duty of the supreme guar- 
 dian of truth, in the Presbyterian body'? Is it competent for it to 
 interfere with the independent and upright movements of the 
 Christian mind in the pursuit of truth? in the exercise of faith and 
 devotion? Is this the religious liberty of the nineteenth century? 
 Our civil rulers, by statute unrestrictedly amenable to law, are 
 also open to the severest animadversion of the humblest citizen. 
 Shall our spiritual guides entrusted with immortal interests, be 
 placed, not only out of the reach of law, but raised above the 
 most just and necessary inquiries and complaints? Can that doc- 
 trine be consistent with the purity and safety of the church, that 
 ministers whose standing may be technically good and regular^ 
 that is, against whom charges of heresy or schism have not been 
 tabled before a competent tribunal, are to be considered pure and 
 innocent until " constitutionally tried and condemned," however 
 corrupt and disorganizing their principles and their conduct may 
 be, in the eyes of the church and the world? What ! has it come 
 to this, that the name of minister may be used as a cloak for 
 error, as a passport through the church in disseminating false doc- 
 trines to any extent, however aggravated and injurious, provided 
 its hearer is so circumstanced, by the remoteness of the Presby- 
 tery to which he belongs, by its inability to act or by its unsound- 
 ness in the faith, that he cannot be brought to a regular trial and 
 condemnation? The advice of the Apostle is worthy of regard, 
 Rom. X., 17. " Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which 
 cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrines which you 
 have learned, and avoid them." But according to the plan enjoined 
 in the resolution, orthodox ministers, alive to the interests of the 
 church, must be silent ; the people are not permitted to complain ; 
 heretics may roam at large, scattering fire brands, arrows, and 
 death, through the church. This injunction is followed up with 
 the monstrous assumption, that criticising such men is "greatly 
 hindering their usefulness as ministers of Jesus Christ !" and what 
 consummates the preposterousness of the whole resolution is the 
 intimation that all this silence, concealment, and submission, are 
 required " at all times, out of sacred regard to the purity, peace, 
 and prosperity of the church ! ! !" 
 
 We would not be understood to maintain that the result here 
 anticipated, will certainly follow in every case. Where unsound 
 ministers are found connected with orthodox Presbyteries, they 
 may of course, be brought to regular trial. But we maintain that 
 this will rarely be the fact. Such men will form Presbyterial 
 connexions suited to their theological affinities. The system now 
 in operation will tend extensively to bring every element in the 
 body of the church, unfriendly to our faith and discipline, into 
 combined and successful action. We have perfectly satisfactory 
 
124 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED, 
 
 reasons for believing that the temptation will be found too strong 
 to be resisted. Indeed, fact has already confirmed our apprehen- 
 sion. Is it not mournful that the General Assembly, whose pre- 
 eminent duty it is to defend the faith, enforce good order, and 
 amalgamate the Christian brotherhood, should introduce princi- 
 ples and pass acts which invite innovation? We fondly hope that 
 pure religion has still so deep an influence on the great body of 
 her ministers, and so firm a hold on the popular mind, that the 
 evils and dangers presented recently, through many channels, 
 will inspire constitutional resistance, and produce quick reform. 
 A Member of New Brunswick Presbytery. 
 
 jVo. VI.— December, 1834, 
 
 '* .let and Testimony." — Additional ground — Resolutions of the 
 
 Assembly 7 und 8, 
 
 The last Assembly having, in their first resolution on the West- 
 ern Memorial, atteiripted to exculpate/ormer General Assemblies, 
 which favoured the introduction of heresy into the church, and, 
 at the same time, prospectively, to defend themselves and any 
 future Assemblies which may pursue the same unconstitutional 
 policy, in their fifth resolution, which has already passed under 
 review, they attempt to screen heretical men from censure by 
 prohibiting the orthodox, both ministers and people, from freedom 
 of remark upon their doctrines and measures. It has been shown, 
 that the remedy which they, with apparent fairness, recommend, 
 must, under the spurious system they are studiously patronizing, in 
 most cases where discipline is required, prove abortive, and that 
 the whole scheme presented in the resolution referred to, when 
 candidly interpreted, bears decisive marks of intended imposition 
 on the church. The great object of the successive measures 
 which the majority are striving to force upon the Presbyterian 
 bod}', unquestionably is, to provide for unsound men an ea-sy en- 
 trance, and an unmolested existence, in the bosom of the church. 
 
 The seventh resolution pursues this object in the following 
 words: "That a due regard to the order of the church, and the 
 bonds of brotherhood, requires, in the opinion of this Assembly, 
 that ministers dismissed in good standing by sister Presbyteries, 
 should be received by the Presbyteries they are dismissed to join, 
 upon the credit of their constitutional testimonials, unless they 
 shall have forfeited their good standing." 
 
 Until the present, it has been almost unanimously agreed, that 
 to Presbyteries belongs inherently the right to superintend the 
 migrations of ministers through the church, and, by personal ex- 
 amination, to test the theological soundness of any belonging to 
 sister Presbyteries, who may apply for admission. The above 
 resolution urges a new theory and corresponding practice, that 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATEBK 125 
 
 ministers of our own denomination should be received in all the 
 Presbyteries of our church on a mere Presbyterial certificate. 
 To the full' introduction and ultimate establishment of the " affin- 
 ity system," it, no doubt, appears extremely itnportant to its abet- 
 tors, that every obstacle, both in the constitution and habits of the 
 church, should be removed with all practicable speed. With this 
 end obviously in view, the measure here recommended is no less 
 artful and daring than some that have preceded. Under the 
 plausible disguise assumed, every man of penetration and candour 
 will detect a deadly assault upon the great fundamental barrier 
 of the Presbyterian Church against heresy. It is true, as implied 
 in this resolution, that orthodox Presbyteries, in the legitimate ex- 
 ercise of their rights, are formidable to heretical men and their 
 devices; and the church will at once perceive, since these Pres- 
 byteries are now marked out as victims of heretical rapacity, how 
 inconceivably important it is to preserve and perpetuate them in 
 their unimpaired purity and power. 
 
 To this insidious attempt of the Assembly to make a Presby- 
 terial certificate an exclusive cokcher for character and standing 
 in the Presbyterian Church, we hold the following objections: 
 
 1. It is a palpable violation of the constitution of the church, 
 which declares, (Form of Government, chap, x., sec. 8,): "The 
 Presbytery has power to ordain, to install, to remove, and to 
 judge ministers." The power, without limitation, of judging 
 ministers, is vested in the Presbyterial body, it is, indeed, a di- 
 vine, original, and essential right, which, except in case of appeal, 
 has never been alienated or transferred to any other body, and 
 can never be either limited or destroyed but by the exercise of 
 unlawful power and criminal violence. Take away from Pres- 
 byteries this primary, fundamental right, and the divine fabric of 
 Presbyterianism sulfers a radical change ; its essential character 
 and peculiar glory at once pass away ; it degenerates into a mere 
 human device, and ours is no longer the Presbyterian Church, 
 founded upon the simple, but grand and beautiful platform of the 
 New Testament, organized by our blessed Lord. 
 
 Gospel ministers, from the moment they commence their trials 
 for the sacred office, till they finish their earthly course, are sub- 
 ject to the jurisdiction and disposal of the Presbytery. Their 
 geographical locations, their public exhibitions, their deportment, 
 their migrations through the church, and " the report of them that 
 are without," 1 Tim. iii., 7, are proper subjects of inquiry and ad- 
 judication in the Presbyterial body, both in regard to its own con- 
 stituent branches and to those of other Presbyteries soliciting mem- 
 bership. On a judicious and faithful^ discharge of this trust, de- 
 pends, in a great measure, the purity of the church. Corrupt 
 Presbyteries, aad "fajse. teachers"- may be prevented fromJnfecl-^ 
 
126 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED* 
 
 ing her purer districts by the instrumentality of this constitutional 
 guard. 
 
 2. Making the Presbyterial certificate sufficient evidence of 
 ministerial character and standing, without farther examination, 
 will let in upon the church a wide spreading and desolating flood 
 of error. Every one must see, that this measure is just what the 
 party in the Presbyterian Church, opposed to her faith and disci- 
 pline, now need to enable them, without restriction or delay, to 
 pervade, to occupy, and to infect every portion of the church, by 
 their unsound and disorganizing men. They have already erected 
 unconstitutional Presbyteries on the affinity principle. They have 
 learned from the cases of Dr. Beecher, Mr. Barnes, and others, 
 that certificates of dismission from such bodies, are not considered 
 valid by orthodox Presbyteries. Hence, they have only to con- 
 stitute these dismissions sufficient vouchers, by laying violent 
 hands on the power of Presbyteries, and their emissaries of every 
 grade will at once have free course. This omnipotent outfit can 
 easily be obtained from the Third Presbytery of New York, the 
 Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, the Presbytery of Cincinnati, 
 or from some other affinity Presbytery; and, according to the 
 plan now proposed, it must prove a passport through the land, and 
 its bearer may demand instantanettus admission, without exami- 
 nation, in any and every Presbytery in the church. Since the flag 
 protects its bearer, Arminians, Pelagians, Emmonites, Unitarians, 
 and all the litters of errorists now invited to flock hither, will be 
 enabled to march at pleasure under this irresistible safeguard. 
 
 This is a plain and honest exposition of the resolution under 
 consideration. It seems really astonishing that a sufficient num- 
 ber of men could be found in the General Assembly, willing to 
 offer such -an egregious insult to the understanding and integrity 
 of the Presbyterian Church ! to her understanding, by presuming- 
 she could be duped into a tame acquiescence ! to her integrity, by 
 supposing she would not have honesty and firmness enough to re- 
 pel the aggression! yet this is the indubitable fact. Here it is — 
 let every man examine and decide for himself. 
 
 3. The measure proposed must exert a deteriorating influence 
 on the character and usefulness of gospel ministers. 
 
 1. Publishing to the world the fact, that gospel ministers are no 
 more accountable to Presbyteries for theological sentiments, must 
 tend to inspire them with indiflTerence to intellectual improvement, 
 theological purity, and official standing. We admit, that minis- 
 ters should supremely regard higher motives and weightier sanc- 
 tions, connected with their holy vocation; but, in every day ex- 
 perience, we are inclined to think, a sense of constant amenable- 
 ness to the brethren, in the frequent changes and migrations to 
 which ministers may justly look forward, operates with very 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 127 
 
 many as a paramount motive to diligence in acquiring knowledge, 
 in cullivatinsr correct views, and in much of the detail of official 
 duty. This motive it is now proposed to supersede. 
 
 2. The resolution before us is calculated to degrade the minis- 
 ters of the gospel, by impairing that noble elevation of mind and 
 self-respect which conscious integrity and purity inspire in the 
 honest unsophisticated ambassadors of Jesus Christ. The course 
 here recommended prompts them systematically to walk in a dis- 
 guise, to sliun the light lest their errors should be reproved ; men 
 who, above all others in the world, should be open and communi- 
 cative, this resolution teaches and urges to cover themselves from 
 the view of the church by a veil of concealment; no longer tore- 
 pose for a standing in the church and a passage through it, upon 
 tested and proved sincerity, truth, and honour, but to rely upon a 
 mere scrap of paper, a pitiable Pass, signed by a moderator and 
 clerk, it may be, of some remote, obscure, and unsound Presby- 
 tery ! If tliat can be obtained, all is well. Talents, and learning, 
 and piety, and orthodoxy, and morality, and discreet zeal, are 
 stale commodities; it may be with such Presbyteries, out of 
 fashion and of no value, but the Pass is omnipotent in their view. 
 
 3. This system will necessarily destroy kind feeling and har- 
 monious action among brethren wherever it is attempted in prac- 
 tice. In a pure and peaceful state of the church, instances may 
 rarely occur in which a resort to catechetical examination may 
 be deemed necessary. But the power to examine, and, of course, 
 the right of deciding as to the expediency of exercising that power, 
 are both vested in the Presbyterial Assembly. Now we ask, 
 what fair motive a candid, undesigning minister, on removing to 
 a diflerent part of the Presbyterian Church, can have for declining 
 this colloquial interview with his brethren? He stands, in the 
 sight of God and man, bound by the most sacred pledge to con- 
 form to the standards of the church. The proposed examination 
 is intended to ascertain the fact, whether or not his doctrinal 
 views tally with the Confession of Faith. The peace of the church, 
 the honour, the usefulness, and comfort of the candidate supposed 
 to be applying for admission, and the fidelity of the Presbytery, 
 whose powers are called in question, all demand that this great 
 question of orthodoxy should be settled before this new connexion 
 is ratified. Ought the candidate to decline this interview? On 
 the contrary, should he not court an opportunity to disclose his 
 opinions, particularly on points in regard to which he knows 
 painful suspicions and controversies exist? Does truth seek eva- 
 sion and concealment? Is purity afraid of the touchstone? 
 
 But the bearers of these Presbyterial vouchers will say, " We 
 are orthodox, and your insisting on examination implies a sus- 
 picion o( our soundness." True, but will declining examination 
 
128 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 remove the suspicion ? Is refusing investigation the best mode of 
 deciding character? To this query common sense and universal 
 experience furnish a decisive negative. Therefore, we say, the 
 course recommended will certainly increase suspicion, and destroy 
 all confidence among brethren. The happiness and usefulness of 
 ministers depend very much upon their union in spirit, in council, 
 in effort; and these can be based only upon union in faith, in af- 
 fection, and in object. These unions must be real, sincere, volun- 
 tary, they cannot be coerced. Now, it is evident, that an attempt 
 to press ministers into Preshytei'ies against tlieir will, must pro- 
 duce jars and animosities, greatly retarding the work of the min- 
 istry, and distracting the body of Christ. The practical influence 
 oi Puss ministers may, therefore, be considered neutralized in or- 
 thodox districts, except in propagating heresy and promoting di- 
 visions. Men wearing the badge, which betrays a want of con- 
 fidence in themselves, cannot expect the confidence of the church, 
 and we have no doubt that the great body of enlightened, free, 
 and independent people, constituting the Presbyterian body, will 
 despise and resist this unkind, unfaithful, and impotent effort, 
 forcibly to impose upon them and their children an order of men. 
 who, meanly and under suspicion, shrink from the very test of 
 faiih and character which they have solemnly sworn to observe. 
 
 Resolution 8. " That, in the opinion of this Assembly, to take 
 up, and try, and condemn any printed publication as heretical and • 
 dangerous, is equivalent to condemning the author as heretical: 
 that to condemn heresy in the abstract, cannot be understood as 
 the purpose of such trial; that the results of such trial are to bear 
 upon and seriously to affect the standing of such author; and that 
 the fair and unquestionable mode of procedure is, if the author be 
 alive and known to be in our communion, to institute process 
 asrainst the author, and give him a fair and constitutional trial." 
 
 The majority having, as appears in their previous enactments, 
 attempted to throw a shield over men of their own caste, and tr> 
 provide for them an open and safe way through the church, iti 
 this resolution are exerting their skill to erect a defence around 
 their spurious publications. That this is the object of the resolu- 
 tion cannot be doubted, and that it is, prima facie, a suspicious 
 transaction, is equally clear. The commonly received opinion 
 among writers, publishers, and readers is,, that all books and 
 pamphlets issued from the press are public property, additions to 
 the existing mass of knowledge; that they are intended for the 
 moral and literary use of the public ; that, of course their matter 
 end manner are proper subjects of criticism and approbation or 
 censure; that no man is precluded from the privilege of examining 
 publications, or forming and expressing an opinion of them,, fa- 
 vourable or unfeiVOUirable'; that publications purporting to discuss. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VLVDICATED. 129 
 
 deeply interesting topics, in theoretical and practical religion, are 
 {)re-enji|ently engrossing and impressive to the public mind; and, 
 that al^^en who regard truth and morality, as individuals and as 
 collective communities, have not only a right, but are peculiarly 
 obligated to influence the issues of the press, by freedom of dis- 
 cussion, conducted on independence of opinion. These truths we 
 hold to be incontrovertibe in a free government, exclusive of all 
 considerations of friend or foe, time or place, sect or denomina- 
 tion. What there is in the nature or circumstances of the hereti- 
 cal books referred to in this resolution, entitling them to exemption 
 from the liabilities incident to all literary publications in this land 
 of freedom, we are wholly unable to conceive. If they bear any 
 relation to the Presbyterian Church, so as to create in her a re- 
 sponsibility for their character, the more obvious and cogent are 
 the motives impelling the church, and all her members and ju- 
 dicatories, to recognize them and deal with them according to 
 iheir merits; if they do not sustain this relation, then, on the 
 principles of common justice, they are to be regarded with other 
 literary productions, as fit subjects of commendation or rebuke. 
 The mere circumstance, that the umpire appealed to is within the 
 church, whatever may be the fact in regard to others, affords to 
 those professing allegiance to that church no just ground of com- 
 I>laint. The opinion, that because the authors of these books be- 
 long to the Presbyterian body, therefore the books themselves are 
 of right exempt from censure within the pale of this church, ap- 
 [•ears to us totally unsound ; a mere fetch to screen heresy in the 
 abstract from merited condemnation. 
 
 On the supposition that this ecclesiastical connexion, which is 
 very remote, if it exist at all, is to protect unsound books in the 
 manner announced by tlie majority, it was certainly incumbent 
 upon them to suggest some other mode of arresting the mis- 
 chievous influence exerted by heretical publications. The remed\' 
 they propose is contained in the concluding proposition of this 
 resolution: "The fair and unquestionable mode of procedure is, 
 if the author be alive and known to be in our communion, to in- 
 siitute process against the author, and give him a fair and consti- 
 tutional trial.-" To the adoption of this course, we must beg leave 
 to oppose the following considerations: 
 
 1. It is opposed to the constitution of our church. 
 
 " The Presbytery has power to condemn erroneous opinions, 
 which injure the purity or peace of the church." Form of Go- 
 vernment, chap, x., sec. 8. " To the General Assembly also be- 
 longs the power of reproving, warning, or bearing testimony 
 against error in doctririe." Chap, xii., sec. b. 
 
 What is it, in the common acceptation of terms, "to take up, 
 and try, and condemn any printed publication as heretical and 
 1 
 
130 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 dangerous," or, " to condemn heresy in the abstract," but to bear 
 testimony against it — the specific and momentous service our 
 form of church government so repeatedly enjoins ? Widff those 
 who sincerely and correctly regard the constitution of our church, 
 the course proposed in this resolution will be considered both in- 
 subordinate and nugatory. 
 
 2. The example of the General Assembly may be urged in op- 
 position to this new process against spurious books. 
 
 Here we refer to General Assemblies which had character and 
 weight, defying all suspicion of sympathy, except for the truth ; 
 Assemblies which, in all their measures, exemplified both the 
 spirit and the letter of the constitution, and spoke the words of 
 truth and consistency. We assert, without fear of contradiction, 
 that it has been the practice of the judicatories of the church, un- 
 til an insidious predilection for heresy crept in, to condemn errors 
 in the abstract, and to bear testimony against unsound publica- 
 tions of Presbyterian ministers. Many instances might be ad- 
 duced from the annals of the church : the proceedings of the As- 
 sembly, A. D. 1810, in the case of W. C. Davis, whose book was 
 " taken up, and tried and condemned," is in the knowledge of 
 many now living. The transactions of pure and impartial Gene- 
 ral Assemblies, here referred to, furnish an authoritative /J7*ecc- 
 dent, which unadulterated Presbyteries will continue to respect 
 and observe. " We cannot sanction," and we are fully persuaded 
 that the church in general will not sanction " the censure con- 
 tained in this resolution against proceedings and measures of for- 
 mer General Assemblies." 
 
 3. The " fair and unquestionable mode" of testing a printed 
 book, " is to give it a fair and constitutional trial," on its own me- 
 rits, having no regard to its author, its sectarian relation, or any 
 explanation, gloss, or comment, except so far as is requisite to 
 bring it to the proper standard. 
 
 Every volume is supposed to contain the opinions of its author 
 on the subject it treats. The reader has a right to infer, that its 
 sentiments have been carefully considered, judiciously arranged, 
 accurately expressed, so as to convey the writer's mind clearly 
 to the reader. Every book is intended to improve the public 
 mind. With a view to this, it aims to inform and impress it, it 
 invites public examination, it labours to guide and elicit public 
 opinion. In no other way could any publication accomplish a 
 useful purpose. Taking up a book, therefore, and trying it on its 
 own merits, by the criterion it professes to regard, is most mani- 
 festly falling in with the very design of all intelligent authors. If 
 the result of such trial be favorable to the character of the work, 
 the author will not, probably, cavil at the process. If otherwise, 
 the result may, indeed, bear upon and seriously affect, not only 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 131 
 
 the standing of the work, but the character of the author; the 
 fauh, however, is his own, and he nnust receive the sentence 
 which justice awards to his incompetence, his indiscretion, or his 
 unsoundness. 
 
 It places both the book and its author in a very undesirable 
 light, to say that the former cannot be understood without having 
 recourse to the latter. This would involve the absurd consequence, 
 that all decision is to be suspended respecting a work intended 
 for general instruction, except so far as the author's powers of 
 ubiquity might enable him to be present with his book, to enlighten 
 its obscurity and adapt it to human comprehension, by oral illus- 
 tration. 
 
 Besides, to minds operating according to the common laws of 
 reason, one would suppose it to be very apparent, that a much 
 more definite and just estimate could be formed of any man's 
 opinions upon a given subject, from a treatise wrilten deliberately 
 in specific phrase, than from oral discussion or extempore ha- 
 rangue, which is always attended with excitement, frequently 
 with ambiguities, and very often, under circumstances here sup- 
 posed, with deceptive popular arts. We believe, therefore, that 
 the claims of truth and justice will be better maintained by testing 
 the book, than by trying its author. 
 
 4. The course of procedure here recommended, i. e. commenc- 
 ing process against the author, as an immediate and general re- 
 -sort, appears to us incompatible with fidelity to the church and 
 the interests of truth. Cases may occur, in which this form of 
 process might prove convenient and efficient, the book and its 
 author existing near together and being equally amenable to judi- 
 cial investiijation. But in general this mode will be liable to se- 
 rious embarrassments, injurious to the cause ot truth. It is an 
 easy work, quickly performed any where, to take up and examine 
 a work, and pronounce an opinion of its merits. But the trouble 
 and difficulty which attend instituting and conducting the trial of 
 a gospel minister are in general so great, the responsibility so im- 
 pressive, and the odium often artfully connected with prominence 
 in this agency, so repulsive, that frequently a prosecutor cannot 
 be found. Should this occur in the case of a heretical author, it 
 is obvious, his spurious and corrupting publication would escape 
 deserved condemnation. 
 
 If however, this difficulty, through the zealous devotedness of 
 some friend of truth and purity, should be remedied, and the in- 
 cipient steps of process be taken, from the probable remonstrances 
 of the tribunal appealed to, and, it may be, the absence of the de- 
 fendant from the place of trial, and many other impediments often 
 occurring in such transactions, it is obvious there must be much 
 deky, which will afford the heretical production an opportunity 
 
132 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 wninterruptedly to pursue its work of infection and moral death. 
 Besides, an artful man, with influential friends, warm affinity ad- 
 vocates, by various subterfuges, cavils and appeals, may induce 
 such procrastination as in a great measure to defeat the end of 
 trial.* Should the investigation result in the conviction of the 
 author, his book must still, by proper process, be involved in the 
 general condemnation, or its malign influence would still be felt 
 with undiminished force. Now from these remarks, can any im- 
 partial man fail to perceive, that the form of process urged in the 
 resolution, lends necessarily to impede the course of justice, to 
 give heretics dangerous advantages in the church, and to screen 
 unsound and injurious publications from merited censure? When 
 a house is discovered to be on fire, our first object is to extinguish 
 the flames, and preserve surrounding property from the destruc- 
 tive element. Afterwards, if judged expedient, the incendiary 
 may be pursued, and brought to justice at leisure. What would 
 be thought of the man who should deliberately advise the multi- 
 tude not to disturb the fire, but go in pursuit of the individual who 
 applied the torch? They would exclaim with one voice, he is in- 
 sane or an accessory to the conflagration. 
 
 5. From preceding illustrations, it is obvious that the /aw- trial 
 here again so specially recommended, should the innovations 
 threatened take efiect, can rarely, if ever, be had, in spite of our 
 excellent forms, and the utmost vigilance of orthodox men. And 
 we are irresistibly brought to the conclusion, that a persuasion of 
 this fact was a chief motive with the dictators in the majority, in 
 so repeatedly urging this procedure. Let not the church beguiled 
 by such imposture! Let intelligent and impartial men candidly 
 survey the course of policy here proposed, and they cannot fail to 
 discover "graves which appear not, and the men that walk over 
 them are not aware of them," " whited sepulchres, which indeed 
 appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, 
 and of all uncleanness." 
 
 A Member of New Brunswick Presbytery. 
 
 No. VII.— December, 1834. 
 
 ^^ Act and Testimony." — Additional Ground — Resolution of the 
 
 Assembly 11. 
 
 ^'Resolved, That this Assembly cherish an unabated attachment 
 to the system of doctrines contained in the standards of their faith, 
 and would guard with vigilance against any departures from it ; 
 and they enjoin the careful study of it upon all the members of 
 the Presbyterian Church, and their firm support, by all scriptural 
 and constitutional methods." 
 
 ^' This was strikingly exemplified in the trial of Mr. Duffield. — Ed. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. 133 
 
 To a plain man, ignorant of the previous transactions of the 
 last General Assembly, and unacquainted with the imposing spe- 
 ciousness which generally marks the incipient stages of revolution, 
 this resolution would appear quite artless and honest. Indeed, it 
 seems adapted to make a favourable impression upon the inexpe- 
 rienced and unwary. But its impression upon the more enlight- 
 ened, thinking, and inquisitive, if we mistake not, will be very dif- 
 ferent. Till we reach this stage, in the adventurous crusade of 
 the majoiity of the last Assembly, their To Pan is distinctly visi- 
 ble. Here the unity of the drama, at least in appearance, suffers 
 interruption. There is an incoherence which needs solution — a 
 chasm which must be filled by bulk. 
 
 The character of any religious assembly must be desperate, 
 when it is compelled to become its own eulogist ! Never before, 
 we believe, did any General Assembly stand in this predicament 
 before the public. " Let another man praise thee, and not thine 
 own mouth — a stranger, and not thine own lips." Prov. viii., 2. 
 If the majority, whose exclusive work this is, felt the need of vin- 
 dication from some seen or apprehended accuser, they ought to 
 have found a more appropriate — a less suspicious advocate! The 
 old adage still has fitness and force, " Self-praise is na praise !" 
 Indeed, to common, unsophisticated minds, it implies one of two 
 things; a work of conscience betraying guilt, or a work of arti- 
 fice, aiming at deception. Often, both these operations combine 
 in producing this result. 
 
 But, to avoid the ditficully and injustice of determining, on ab- 
 stract principles, the merits of a measure possessing connexions 
 and bearings unusually multifarious, we shall present an outline 
 of the case, with its most material circumstances, that every ob- 
 server may judge for himself. 
 
 The resolutions constituting the theme of some preceding stric- 
 tures, were pushed through the Assembly with such an air of im- 
 petuosity and triumph, as indicated clearly that they were intro- 
 duced, not for discussion, but for immediate adoption, as the 
 result of decision in previous conclave. An irresistible conviction, 
 from the evidence of their senses, rushed upon the minority, that 
 the orthodox church was in the hands of her adversaries ; that the 
 spirit of heresy and misrule had become predominant. But, un- 
 willing to continue under an impression so humiliating and painful, 
 and supposing it possible that some of the above decisions were 
 induced by causes not likely to operate in other circumstances, 
 it was judiciously determined to test the Assembly on the same 
 subject in thesi. And, for this purpose, the Rev. Mr. Jennings 
 proposed the following resolution : " That this Assembly, in ac- 
 cordance with a previous resolution, which allows this body to 
 condemn error in the abstract, and in accordance with our form 
 
134 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 of government, which gives the General Assembly the privilege of 
 warning and bearing testimony against error in doctrine — does 
 hereby bear solemn testimony against the following errors, 
 whether such errors be held in or out of the Presbyterian Church, 
 viz.: * That Adam was not the covenant head or federal repre- 
 sentative of his posterity ; that we have nothing to do with the 
 first sin of Adam; that it is not imputed to his posterity; that in- 
 fants have no moral character; that all sin consists in voluntary 
 acts and exercises; that man, in his fallen state, is possessed of 
 entire ability to do whatever God requires him to do, indepen- 
 dently of any power or ability imparted to him by the gracious 
 operations of the Holy Spirit; that regeneration is the act of the 
 sinner; that Christ did not become the legal substitute and surety 
 for sinners; that the atonement of Christ is not strictly vicarious; 
 tliat the atonement is made as much for the non-elect, as for the 
 elect.' " 
 
 In this resolution, the heretical opinions which have become so 
 prevalent and injurious in the churches, are presented in a form 
 detached from all personal and party refeience, divested of every 
 circumstance, exciting and offensive. The timid and moderate, 
 the boasted lovers of peace and extreme toleration, who refused 
 their assent to a public testimony, when these errors were exhib- 
 ited in connexion with names, classes, and localities in the church, 
 are here deprived of this po[)ular plea. The resolution invites 
 them to bear testimony against heresy in the church or out of the 
 church. With a call tlius favourably presented, enforced by views 
 of the dangerous nature and alarming extent of these errors, 
 pressed by motives drawn from precedent in the long list of for- 
 mer venerated Assemblies, and urged by cogent arguments and 
 appeals from many quarters, it was supposed that no man, who 
 in the slightest degree loved the church, regarded her faith, and 
 felt his responsibility, would hesitate to comply. Thus an oppor- 
 tunity was ofl'ered the General x\ssembly to redeem its character, 
 to re-inspire confidence in both ministers and churches, to impress 
 the world with a sense of its purity, fidelity, and zeal, by lifting 
 up this standard of the Lord against the enemy of truth and right- 
 eousness, coming in like a Jlood ! There could be invented no 
 more impartial, seasonable, and conclusive test of theological 
 character. But the introduction of this resolution produced im- 
 mediately, in the leaders of the majority, visible excitement and 
 determined resistance. These opinions must he screened, was the 
 declaration of every eye, of every movement, of every accent, 
 from that part of the house occupied by its opposers. The most 
 inveterate hostility to the solemn and impressive duty urged, was 
 manifested in a manner that would admit of no apology. Indeed 
 recollecting past transactions, and especially the letter and spirit 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 135 
 
 of ihe resolutions immediately preceding, it is impossible to resist 
 the impression, that a strong heretical bias, a close affinity for the 
 errors then before the house, an invincible determination to shelter 
 them from just censure at all hazards, prompted the resistance 
 and arts employed to defeat the motion. 
 
 The following fact already before the public, is entitled to the 
 highest consideration, as constructive evidence. When this reso- 
 lution was under consideration, a distinguished member* of the 
 majority arose in his place, and pointing to this document in the 
 hands of a member, addressed the chair in these emphatic and 
 memorable words: " Moderator, I am ready to put my hand to 
 the doctrines contained in that paper. And, if this be heresy, I 
 am free to confess, so worship I the God of my fathers." Now, 
 we ask, in what manner an orthodox Assembly, zealous of its 
 purity, of its honour and usefulness, and of the soundness and 
 safety of the vast community to be influenced by its example, 
 would have received such a declaration from one of its members'? 
 For example, the Assembly of 1798— 1805— of 1810? They 
 would instantly have exclaimed, in an unanimous burst of indig- 
 nation — heresy, heresy! What need of further evidence? But 
 mark the difference in this instance. This specific and daring 
 avowal of false doctrine, is received by the majority, in general, 
 with exultation. The leaders exchange a look of triumph. Many 
 previous decisions had proved that all power was in their hands. 
 Anv motion from the minority would, therefore, have been worse 
 than useless. The desperate author of this heretical assumption 
 not only passed with impunity, but was hailed as a champion by 
 his fellow theologians, who clustered around to cheer his tri- 
 umph over the orthodox minority, over the Confession of Faith, 
 and over the Bible ! 
 
 To throw this subject out of the house was now the paramount 
 object. On motion for indefinite postponement, the first evasive 
 expedient attempted, there being some demur, then followed the 
 resolution at the head of this article. 
 
 If we believed the heretical dogma, "That regeneration is the 
 act of the sinner," and that the majority intended this resolution 
 as a jjenitential i-enovating exercise, very loudly called for in their 
 case, we might treat it with more indulgence ; but on every other 
 principle, we hold it liable to very serious objections. Every one 
 must remark, in this measure, an undeniable evasion of an im- 
 portant public duty. The Assembly, as the supremely efllicient. 
 and responsible tribunal in such matters, are solemnly called upon 
 to bear testimony against notoriously prevalent and dangerous 
 errors; they flee from the point, and make proclamation of their 
 
 * Dr. D. Lansing, of New York. 
 
136 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 own theological purity, a subject not at all in question before the 
 house! But on the supposition that the Assembly were perfectly 
 pure, how is that fact, existing in a negative inoperative form, un- 
 known except through its own proclamation, to correct the alarm- 
 ing evils presented in Mr. Jennings' resolution i Does not every 
 eye discover evasion, subterfuge, and incongruity here .' 
 
 " Humano capiti, cervicem pictor equinam 
 Jungere si velit." 
 
 And is that Assembly to be accounted pure and faithful, which 
 trifles so egregiously with the religious interests of ihe church, 
 and of the world ; like children in the juvenile sport called " Crosis 
 questions and silly answers !" How are the interests of our holy 
 religion to be defended and fortified against destructive errori^, 
 but through the faithful warnings of the General Assembly and 
 subordinate judicatories ? Supineness and evasion, always delete- 
 rious in the guardians of public faith and piety, are doubly crimi- 
 nal, when corrupting theories are boldly advanced, and the most 
 precious and essential principles of the gospel are assailed under 
 imposing sanctions. We consider these interests too grave to be 
 disposed of in this light and evasive manner. 
 
 But, unhappily, there exists in this transaction, matter involving 
 charges much more serious than a neglect of public duty; even 
 bringing into question the morality of the resolution and the cor- 
 rectness of those who sustained it by their suffrage. 
 
 1. We remark, that the assertion contained in the first clause 
 of the resolution, is opposed to a multitude of irrefragable facts, 
 the principal of which our illustration requires us to recapitulate. 
 
 The majority in the last Assembly have passed acts in theory 
 and practice sanctioning the alhnity principle, and that by the 
 exercise of power not delegated to the Assembly. They have, in 
 substance, censured the Western Church, and through them the 
 whole orthodox body, for daring to complain of the temporizing 
 policy of previous Assemblies, and of their unwise and injurious 
 enactments. They have refused to alter the "Plan of Union'' 
 with Congregational Churches, which has proved a fertile inlet to 
 heresies and disorders, and is no longer necessary as an accom,- 
 modation. They have refused to consider and act upon the nu- 
 merous and flagrant heresies in the church, referred to, in ex- 
 tenso, in the Western Memorial. They have passed an act pro- 
 hibiting the orthodox, both ministers and people, from criticising 
 and complaining o{ false teachers in the church, thus seriously 
 threatening our religious liberties. They have organized such a 
 system, and produced such a state of things in the church, as se- 
 cures to unsound ministers, if they choose to avail themselves of 
 it, total exemption from discipline. They have issued an injunc- 
 tion requiring all Presbyteries to afford such men free course 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 137 
 
 through the church, whatever their reputed standing may be, on 
 the exclusive ground of a Presbyterial certificate, alias an offinidj 
 pass. They have pronounced a veto upon the constitutional prac- 
 tice hitherto prevalent, of condemning heresy in the abstract, thus 
 affording positive protection to all disorganizing, heretical infidels, 
 and demoralizing publications, in the Presbyterian body. 
 
 In the face of all these facts, to which we invite candid atten- 
 tion, the majority resolve, "That this General Assembly cherish 
 unabated attachment to the system of doctrines contained in the 
 standards of their faith !" Now before the first proposition in this 
 resolution can be received as true, we must believe that the ma- 
 jority devised and adopted the several successive measures above 
 recited, skilfully arranged all their several parts in an unbroken 
 train, admirably adapted the whole, as we have seen, to the pur- 
 pose of letting in, propagating, and protecting heretical principles, 
 teachers, and books, all without design, by mere chance, without 
 the remotest intention, directly or indirectly, to countenance error. 
 Every one, with prodigious sageness of look, will here exclaim, 
 *' What a most adroit, seasonable, long-winded, comprehensive, 
 and prolific chance that was!" Why, we might add, it would re- 
 quire no greater effort of this long dormant and much decried 
 principle, now becoming so astonishingly sagacious and active, to 
 produce a little world like ours, at least a church, with galleries 
 and columns, seats and hearers, and some Bcman or Lansing, 
 Owen or Wright, profoundly lecturing on human perfect ilility, 
 the march of mind , Jlood of light, new divinity, modern improve- 
 ments in the Bible! And why not, (for it has vast resources,) in 
 this fortuitous way, pounce on a theological seminary, with hall 
 and chapel, books and funds, teachers and pupils, all easily fitted 
 by a little metamorphose, for splendid affinity operation 1 1 say, 
 before we can believe the first declaration in this resolution, we 
 must believe all this — " Hic labor. Hue opus /" 
 
 But as this is a point of great magnitude, let us look carefully 
 into the terms and import of this resolution. It appeals to a stan- 
 dard of purity, and implies a statute of limitation. The terms 
 abated and unabated are relative; they refer to that standard of 
 faith. The resolution claims for the majority, undeviating con- 
 formity to that standard, both as abstractly portrayed in the for- 
 mulary, and as practically exhibited in the action of previous 
 General Assemblies. It cannot refer to the Assemblies very re- 
 cently preceding, for that would be deceptive, because these are 
 considered as having exhibited an abated standard of purity. 
 They must then, in point of time, refer to periods of unquestioned 
 soundness. So that they assume for themselves, universally, the 
 highest degree of theological perfection. To maintain the asser- 
 tion as stated, what they assume for the Assembly in the aggre- 
 
138 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 gate, they assume for every individual of that body, for it would 
 be dishonest to claim it for all in universal terms, with an under- 
 standing that there existed exceptions in individual cases; this 
 would be acknowledging the falsity of the general assertion. 
 They must therefore intend to declare that the Assembly, collect- 
 ively and individually, without exception, were perfectly sound, 
 that there had been, and there was, no leaning to heresy, that no 
 member on the floor was chargeable with this delinquency. Now 
 let the evidence before us be reviewed, let the notorious fact be 
 contemplated, that Dr. Lansing, a few moments previous to the 
 passing of this act, had -openly avowed and assumed the heretical 
 opinions contained in Mr. Jenning's resolution, and yet this ma- 
 jority proclaim that their " attachment to the standards of our 
 faith is unabated!" and add, "that they would guard with vigi- 
 lance against any departures from it!" Who can possibly believe 
 this? Did they endeavour, in any manner, to guard that heretica,l 
 member against departing from the faith? Did they reprove his 
 conduct? Is there any evidence that they considered it a depar- 
 ture at all, or in itself an error? Would any spectator, and there 
 were many scores present, conclude that the majority considered 
 Dr. Lansing's creed, in the slightest degree unacceptable? On the 
 contrary, would not the inference unquestionably be, that they 
 who controlled and gave chn racier to the decisions of the house, 
 intended to coiintenatice such expressions of religious belief as he 
 employed, and to give them a decisive sanction ? Are we not thus 
 fairly authorized to consider the majority as carrying out, in this 
 act, their previous indications of theological opinion? They had 
 been already, weeks, devising plans, passing acts, cultivating and 
 exerting party discipline, all evidently to favour this very theo- 
 logical farrago, and, now, when a member rises and avows it as 
 his own, in their presence, and under implied approbation, they 
 are pursuing a steady and consistent course, to countenance and 
 austain error, to make heresy the character, and revolution the 
 law, of the church. 
 
 This schedule of false doctrine goes out, so far as the last As- 
 sembly can give it currency, as a part of our theological system, 
 an appendage of the C(-)nfession of Faith. It was announced on 
 the floor of the Assembly, and then and there, without opposition 
 from the ruling party, acquiesced, in. If it may be proclaimed 
 triumphantly, without rebuke, in the face of the highest authority, 
 it may, of course, be the theme of popular declamation through all 
 the churches in our land. And shall this majority, notwithstand- 
 ing all these undeniable and irresistible facts, which establish their 
 unsoundness, their unfaithfulness, and their guilt, be permitted, in 
 the crowning act of apostacy from the faith, and defection from 
 duty, by proclamation through the land, to assert their purity and 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 130 
 
 innocence? What man, acquainted with the nature of truth and 
 the laws of evidence, can possibly believe the assertion which it 
 presumes to utter? 
 
 2. Our second charge against the proclamation is, that it at- 
 tempts to make others believe what facts disprove. 
 
 We consider it a serious matter to lead men to believe what is 
 not true. The object of this measure undoubtedly is, to make the 
 church and others believe that the majority were, as a body and 
 as individuals, theologically pure; that (hey were, without excep- 
 tion, good Presbyterians, particularly in love wiih the standards, 
 making good use of their power in the Assembly, and anxious to 
 promote the good of the Presbyterian Church. Their ulterior 
 object evidently was to ingratiate themselves with the public, to 
 conciliate the regard of the church, and to settle the mooted point 
 whether they were sound in the faith and worthy to be trusted. 
 Now, as the testimony against them was very formidable, and 
 augmenting every day, we cannot but think that modesty, deli- 
 cacy, and kindred virtues, should have disposed them to speak of 
 their ovin character and standing, if at all, in very ditferent lan- 
 guage. It is neither honourable nor grateful, to assert, and de- 
 clare, and proclaim, in the face of obstinate farts and insurmount- 
 able evidence. Whether the majority had full confidence or not, 
 in the truth of their assertion, it is clear that very few, if any, be- 
 side themselves, believe it; and we cannot suppress the suspicion, 
 that they never would have issued this declaration, had they not 
 thought it needed confirmation. If there had existed no evidence 
 implicating them, except the case of Dr. Lansing, that is sufficient 
 to convict them of false statement and of culpable remissness in 
 screening a transgressor, token in the very act ; his words, spoken 
 and assumed, constituting the charges, and they, in common with 
 scores of others, being the witnesses. To us, it appears decidedly 
 wrong, to utter and circulate, as true, what known facts can- 
 not fail to render exceedingly questionable. And all will con- 
 cur in pronouncing it a crime of no ordinary magnitude, to assert 
 and publish to the world, as fact, what we ourselves know not to 
 be true. Ii will not, therefore, be considered strange, that the 
 minority should repel with abhorrence, a measure which called 
 upon them to bear part in a declaration which they consider as 
 false as any thing ever published to the world. 
 
 3. The mutilated state of the Assembly's minute in connexion 
 with this resolution, is sufficient to impeach the integrity of the 
 whole transaction. 
 
 Whenever the records of a legislative body cease to give a true 
 history of its proceedings, it becomes an object of suspicion, and 
 the higher the pretensions of that body to moral purity, generally, 
 the greater is the implied evidence of its guilt. We are aware, 
 
■^ 
 
 140 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 that ordinarily, the adoption of a substitute excludes the original 
 motion; and we are no advocates for burlhening minutes with all 
 the primary and secondary motions to which business often gives 
 origin in our ecclesiastical judicatories. It is too obviously just to 
 admit of doubt, that every substitute, to come within the litnits of 
 propriety and order, ought to be a modification of the original 
 motion, and retain, at least, some of its essential features. Admit 
 the contrary, and you afford the designing the right at any mo- 
 ment, to arrest the most seasonable and important discussion, ex- 
 erting the most salutary influence upon public religion and morals, 
 to which he and his accomplices may feel an occult repugnance; 
 to divert the attention of the house, under specious pretexts, to 
 matters totally irrelevant, even of an opposite or hostile nature; 
 and then to make a record which shall not exhibit a trace of the 
 grand and interesting question thus artfully and injuriously evaded. 
 In this supposed case, we have a fair outline of the transaction of 
 the rnnjoriiy in the instatice before us. Mr. Jennings moves the 
 Assembly to bear evidence against certain palpable errors ; another 
 member moves a substitute of a spirit and object totally different. 
 The latter is carried and inserted in the minutes; the former, the 
 rejection of which so deeply implicates the character of the house, 
 is forcibly ex[ninged from the records, and the majority pertina- 
 ciously insist on excluding every vestige of it. Is this true history ? 
 Is tliere not here a serious mutilation of our ecclesiastical record I 
 suppression of a most important fact, which the church should 
 know, and which the world should see? The minority urged 
 them to fill up their record, to tell the whole truth. But all their 
 appeals on the ground of right, of expediency, and of courtesy, 
 were peremptorily refused. We can discover for their conceal- 
 ment and distortion, no justifiable motive. If they desired thus to 
 save themselves from apprehended reproach, and to procure for 
 their exculpatory resolution more kind reception, they have failed. 
 For this dark, lore-boding chapter in their history has come to 
 light and pronounced its sentence — Tekel. 
 
 Finally, all will agree that the time and circumstance in which 
 this declaration appeared were all well selected. The majority 
 had now in their legislative capacity, accomplished all that ap- 
 peared necessai-y and practicable, to introduce and confirm the 
 affinity system. They saw the Assembly much agitated, the 
 public mind much perturbed, repealed protests and numerous acts 
 of testimony indicating resistance by appeals to the people, the 
 fountain of power. Hence they hasten precipitately to reach the 
 public ear and forestal the public mind with this surprising and 
 disgusting tale: "Resolved, That this Assembly cherish unabated 
 regard to the doctrines contained in the standards!" U the eyes 
 of the church can be blinded, the fears of the watchmen on the 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 141 
 
 wall of Zion quieted, the great body of Christians lulled to repose 
 a little longer, all will be well. Usurped power, encroaching 
 heresy, the well digested and combined system of perversion and 
 corruption which has been partially developed in these successive 
 illustrations, will make rapid advances, and speedily defy all at- 
 tempts at correction and reform. 
 
 It cannot be concealed from those disposed to look and listen 
 with candour, that the Presbyterian Church have almost, if not 
 entirely, reached this deplorable crisis. It remains with the sound 
 and faithful in this great community to decide whether the evil 
 already felt shall be redressed, and those jusily feared find a re- 
 medy. To us it appears infallibly certain, that nothing but pious 
 and united, prompt and energetic action, among the sin.cere friends^ 
 of truth and order, according to the spirit of the gospel, and our 
 ecclesiastical regime, can renovate our contaminated system, and 
 restore our abused and degraded church to that purity of charac- 
 ter, to that healthful vigour in operation, to that elevated, benefi- 
 cent, and holy destiny, which the faith and prayers of God's peo- 
 ple, reposing on his promises, have till this trying hour with 
 confidence anticipated. 
 
 A Mkmber of New Brunswick Presbytery. 
 
 Although the New School had as yet achieved no settled vic- 
 tory, it could not be said that they had effected nothing, for they 
 had acquired prodigious power; they had seized the citadel, and 
 were preparing for the pillage ; and if not efl:ectually checked, 
 they would soon have subjugated the whole Presbyterian eccle- 
 siastical domain to their ravages. Attacked, as the church was, 
 in every vital point, by inveterate drilled battalions, from hundreds 
 of ambuscades, what prospect could she entertain of escape? 
 Does marble wear away by perpetual attrition? Do the everlast- 
 ing hills grow less from falling showers, sweeping winds, and 
 other causes which incessantly act upon them? Then from the 
 combined force of all the agencies employed with vigor by the 
 unsleeping, untiring energy of New School men, the church must 
 be reduced very soon, if not already, to a desperate state. 
 
 The alternative presented to the minority was obvious and very 
 imperative; they must be justly exposed to the charge of timid 
 and perfidious default in duty, or issue a wide spreading procla- 
 mation to alarm the slumbering churches. 
 
 It was calculated, by the minority in the Assembly, that unless 
 the most prompt and energetic measures were adopted to call 
 forth, at the earliest hour possible, such united efiort from the 
 body of the church, to sustain their action during the protracted 
 and painful struggle against superior numbers, powers, and arts, 
 in the Assembly of 1834, there would rem lin to the orthodox- 
 Presbyterian body, very little prospect of their ever regaining 
 
148 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 iheir rightful ascendancy, or successfully pursuing the end of 
 iheir organization. Discoveries were made during this meeting 
 of the Assembly, of hostility to the ancient and venerable church 
 and standards; fixed designs and determinations, with all practi- 
 cable speed, to overturn the whole ecclesiastical fabric: of usurp- 
 ing absolute dominion over it ; perverting its principles, embezzling 
 its funds, remodelling its institutions and ordinances, and trans- 
 forming its whole organization into a structure of a different kind. 
 These indications produced effects the most startling and rousing 
 to the true-hearted few found in the minority. A weighty re- 
 sponsibility was fell pressing upon them ; and before them, lay a 
 profound difficulty in deciding their course. For, although they 
 believed that the conspiracy was confined to a few master spirits, 
 yet full evidence was afforded, by the unanimity which marked 
 their measures, that the leaders had acquired the confidence of 
 their adherents, who stood ready to follow wherever they pointed 
 the way. 
 
 The New School sympathies displayed by the leaders in this 
 defection from the Presbyterian Church and standard, in the 
 house and in the streets, in the most confidential interviews on 
 matters of highest moment, destroyed all confidence in their fidel- 
 ity to the church. Considering many of the excellent laymen in- 
 volved in this difficulty, sound and discreet men if left to them- 
 selves, but deceived and misled by their infatuated dictators, the 
 condition of the church was very critical and interesting, and un- 
 der the most favourable aspect, called loudly for immediate and 
 energetic remedial action. 
 
 As evidence of the existence, and an illustration of the nature 
 of the conspiracy in progress, let us look at the features of it, as pro- 
 gressively developed, which were prominent and could not be 
 hidden. Dr. Beecher, the Magnus Apollo, was placed at Walnut 
 Hills, near Cincinnati, to instruct, arrange, and dispose of their 
 agents to the best advantage. Every New School operator in 
 the land, and especially in the West, was looking with intense 
 anxiety, to the arch-leader in this formidable combination, for di- 
 rections; watching his movements, receiving his mandates, exe- 
 cuting his will, from St. Louis to Boston. In their action, there 
 was, of course, great order, concert, and efficiency, considering 
 how expanded and comprehensive the plan was they were pur- 
 suing, the number of agents employed, the variety in their capaci- 
 ties and qualifications, from education, sectional interests and 
 feelings, physical and moral powers and sympathies. With some, 
 the enlargement and successful management of the Presbyterian 
 Education Society, was a prime motive and aim ; with others, 
 the American Board of Missions, the Home Missionary Society, 
 &,c. Some were busily engaged in selecting young men for 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 143 
 
 training to their purpose, building up academies, colleges, and 
 seminaries; collecting funds from Presbyterian congregations to 
 aid their Eastern institutions and operations ; superintending the 
 press, conducting correspondence, attending conventions and ec- 
 clesiastical judicatories, to forward their schemes. Ail was life 
 and activity, and untiring zeal among them, and the whole enter- 
 prize was marked by features of hostility to the Presbyterian 
 Church, as the unique object. Any attempt, however constitu- 
 tional, discreet, and absolutely necessary to correct or restrict 
 these flagrant and growing evils, would be immediately de- 
 nounced and branded with the ofiensive charges of " intolerance, 
 tyranny, oppression, persecution, uhraism," or some such odious 
 epithet. But the hour of decision appeared to be unquestionably 
 approaching. 
 
 The cool, temporising, and conciliatory course which some 
 good men advocated as a general resort, the minority believed 
 would have speedily consummated the threatened catastrophe in 
 our church, which her subtle foes had banded togetlier to realize. 
 This Fabian policy was what they courted and expected, and 
 were secretly resolving to make available for their ignoble pur- 
 pose. Moderates, as to their reliableness, are generally very 
 doubtful. They cannot be counted on as certain in the season of 
 storm and peril. The same elements of organic or integral for- 
 mation, which made them moderates at first, are siill embodied 
 in their constitutions, and ready for action, if at all, only accord- 
 ing to their own peculiar genius and temperament, and extremely 
 difficult to be enlisted and relied upon in a critical cause, where 
 decisive and energetical action are imperiously demanded. 
 
 In this emergency, we had all sorts of tempers mixed up in the 
 small and anxious group. The crisis was novel — the interest in- 
 volved momentous — everlasting results seemed to hang upon the 
 developments of every hour. On surveying the little company, 
 we saw in the midst of us some sweet and amiable Melancthons, 
 with all his listlessness and inefficiency; there was also here and 
 there a timid, vacillating, and unreliable Erasmus; but there was 
 need of more than one Calvin, with his French penetration and 
 fire, quick insight, and indomitable candour and ardour, and above 
 all a Luther of immoveable courage and constancy, whom nothing 
 could elude, nothing intimidate, nothing resist, to head the com- 
 paratively small and trembling phalanx of vanquished but deter- 
 mined defenders of the faith, and of the church of Christ. By a 
 wise and merciful Providence, he was furnished for the occasion, 
 in full panoply, and fulfilled the task demanded with triumphant 
 power. We knew that chieftain had enemies, whether from envy 
 of his talents or achievements, we would not decide. But we fully 
 believed, that posterity would do justice in spite of envy or of 
 
144 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 hate, to the minds thai conceived, and to the pen that executed, 
 the immortal Act and Testimony, and that even the present indif- 
 ferent and opposed ecclesiastics of our denomination, if there 
 should be such to any considerable amount, would soon see 
 cause to change their minds and retrace their steps. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Act and Testimony flew rapidly — New School opposed to it — Princeton 
 Ilepertory dissented — Explanations of the views of its suppt-rters — State- 
 ment of its origin — Character drawn by the Repertory, October, 1834. 
 
 This imperishable bill of Presbyterian wrongs and rights, griev- 
 ances and protestations, dangers and reliefs,, was ushered forth 
 about the close of the Assembly. The document flew with tele- 
 gra[)hic despatch, and was received with enthusiastic approbation 
 by those who saw the sufierings of the church, and felt the ardent 
 impulse for deliverance and reform. That the New School, at 
 whose counsels and machinations it aimed a fatal blow, should 
 sympathize with such a manifesto, and at such a cfi^s, it would 
 have been more than f<»Ily to anticipate. It poured denunciations 
 like repeated peals of thunder, upon their plans and efforts to di- 
 vide, impair, and overthrow that very church which they had 
 bound themselves, by the most sacred vows, to cherish and pro- 
 tect. Alarmed at this st>dden and decided, though brief and 
 earnest, exposure of their perfidious and distracting plans and 
 measures, they summoned all their instrumentalities through the 
 land, to pervert the Act and Testimony, to weaken its force by 
 creating opposition, to cover its framers and advocates with op- 
 probrium, to magnify every symptom of popular dissatisfaction 
 they could discover; with boldness and effrontery to add to the 
 crime of their heresies, the guilt of denying them ; throughout 
 the whole church, in their assemblies, tribunals, and journals, 
 with indefatigable cries, complaints, and importunities, to rouse 
 their co-workers to come forth and sustain the work, which they 
 had, as they thought, and there was too much reason to appre- 
 liend, already hopefully begun. 
 
 As the course pursued by the minority, under these trying cir- 
 cumstances, was criticised by some timid, wavering souls in and 
 out of the Assembly, then and afterwards, and their solemn an- 
 nunciation to the churches unsparingly condemned by the Reper- 
 tory, a journal of high standing at Princeton, which unitedvvitli 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 145 
 
 the New School in inflicting heavy censures upon the minority, it is 
 deemed necessary and expedient,, to present, in addition to what 
 were published at the time, some remarks explanatory of the views 
 and motives by which this minority were governed in their acts. 
 In the first place, it cannot be denied that the minority in the 
 Assembly of 1834, were pressed by peculiar responsibilities. The 
 General Assembly, by the constitution of the church, being a re- 
 presentative body, charged with the interests of the whole church,, 
 must in her aggregate capacity, be profoundly obligated to super- 
 intend and guard those interests. Whenever the Assembly, or- 
 ganized under constitutional rules, transcends her legitimate pow- 
 ers, or declines to perform most obvious duties for the protection; 
 of the church, or takes measures to create a policy,, the necessary 
 operations of which would be, if persisted in, to undermine and 
 overturn the whole ecclesiastical system — a vast responsibility 
 must, of course, devolve upon the minority, if there be such, in. 
 the house. This has been decided to be the fact, in all similar 
 and co-ordinate institutions among civilised, men. They, the mi- 
 nority in such cases, became then the only true representatives 
 and guardians of the Presbyterian Church;, duties of vast impor- 
 tance devolved upon them; they owed a service of surpassing 
 magnitude, proportioned to the clearness of their perceptions and 
 the strength of their convictions, to their constituents ; a crisis 
 occurred which they did not, could not, anticipate — neither could 
 they receive any instructions how to meet it. It would not suf- 
 fice as an excuse for inaction, to themselves, to the church, or to 
 the world, to say, let all alone ; this majority, through the consti- 
 tuted channels, and at the ordinary time, will give an account of 
 themselves to the church, which can taJce effective measures to 
 correct abuses or neglects; because the majority, in such cases, 
 according to all experience, never will fully report their transac- 
 tions, their secret and deceptive conclaves, and their artful muti- 
 Igtion of the subjects and the rule of action in the house, and the 
 nncandid spirit which in many instances pervades their records, 
 with intention to mislead ; they never gather up and spread out 
 before the public eye, the mischievous and pernicious operations 
 of their agents, in all their numbers and gradations, the circular- 
 tion of false doctrines and promotion of disorderly measures in 
 the church. Men who stay at home and do nothing, depending 
 upon Congregationalists, either through the church, or in her 
 advisory councils, to give them information of the evils they are 
 propagating in various ways, with great zeal and pei*severance, 
 through the land, may take for granted, that they are never to 
 know the truth, till it is too late to redeem, the church. Cases in, 
 which insidious workers in society expose their own misdeeds to. 
 public view,, are extremely rare, and not in accordance with the 
 K 
 
146 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 ruling passions of human nature. Hence it was that the minority 
 felt bound to issue an alarm to the churches. But, in addition, 
 the minority, consisting of about forty individuals, realized that 
 they had rights, as well as obligations, personal and peculiar to 
 themselves. Laying aside their representative character and re- 
 sponsibility, it was competent for them to speak out, in solemn 
 accents, to their brethren in the Lord, both ministers and laymen, 
 and implore immediate aid in this period of calamity and peril. 
 They had individually great interests at stake. In their persons,. 
 and in their official capacities, they wielded power, if faithful, but 
 invited rebuke and dishonour, if idle or neglectful. It could not 
 be banished from their minds, that hundreds of thousands of sound 
 and anxious Presbyterians, either then did, or soon would, look 
 imploringly to them, under God, for relief in this tremendous 
 emergency, and that a far greater number, including the youth 
 and rising generations, would be exposed to fatal infection from 
 the corrupt miasma, with which the church and the whole land 
 were threatened, from the success of New School principles and 
 measures. 
 
 The minority felt persuaded that their public announcement was 
 sanctioned by parliamentary precedent in all countries; by fre- 
 quent appeals to the public in the House of Congress; by similar 
 resorts in our legislative assemblies and judicial tribunals; and 
 that no harm could possibly result from their testimony, unless by 
 abuse of its spirit or perversion of its terms. That the crisis for 
 such a process had truly arrived, no living and candid man could 
 doubt, after fairly estiniating the facts of the case now on record. 
 The church had actually passed over to the possession of her 
 enemy, in whose hands skillful efforts had been employed to erect 
 munitions of art and power, almost defying approach on every 
 side. In this condition of jeopardy and alarm, paramount mo- 
 tives sprang up from the sympathies, especially for the theological 
 seminary at Princeton. It must be saved, and this is the most 
 direct and effectual method, was the language of every heart and 
 tongue. Her libraries, her professors, her edifices, her stones, and 
 her dust, were dear to the minority, many of whom had lent their 
 feeble aid in laying the corner stones and in carrying up the walls 
 of that noble religious light house for God ; in placing the pro- 
 fessors in those consecrated chairs for the edification of Zion. 
 These were all, in the estimation of the minority, if not perma- 
 nently already, in a fair way to be fully at the disposal of the in- 
 vaders. They had already cast lots, if not for their garments, at 
 least for their chairs and their honours. 
 
 These professors were viewed as the protegees of the church. 
 The minority felt, that to them, in all their delicate relations and 
 vicissitudes, the Presbyterian branch of the Church of Christ, now 
 
*DLD SCHOOL VlNDICATEDv Hi 
 
 suddenly cast upoa their care, had given a solemn pledge of pro- 
 tection. That sacred pledge they resolved to nnaintain inviolate, 
 if possible, to the last, through darkness and storm. Their at- 
 tachment and devotion, founded in public vows and testimonials, 
 already becoming hoary with age, had been cemented and con- 
 firmed by the atfectionate intercourse of many years. On this 
 subject it is pleasant to say, the minority claimed, deserved no 
 monopoly ;, the whole church sympathized in the happy sensibility. 
 The minority felt their insuiliciency in such an emergency, but 
 resolved, in solemn consultation, that if they could not wholly re- 
 move the danger, they would at least try to mitigate the shock, 
 by faithfully exhibiting the alarming posture of the church, to the 
 whole body and to the whole world, in a brief and sententious 
 call for every friendly heart and hand to join in the general rescue. 
 (The preceding remarks exhibit the circumstances and feelings of 
 the minority, in the document called the Act and Testimony.) 
 In that hour of solemn emotion, the idea of being deterred from 
 discharging this most imperative duty, by the fear that possibly 
 some individuals, scattered through the church, in less favourable 
 circumstances for knowing the tixith, might not choose to act in 
 concert, or even might prefer to hazard all and join the enemy, 
 never occurred to the mind of the minority. If it had, it would 
 either have prompted to stronger action, or have been at once 
 pronounced an extreme position, not likelv to be assumed by 
 honest and intelligent Old School Presbyterians. 
 
 If it was right, as the minority honestly believed then, and 
 more confidently maintain now, after testing the appropriateness 
 and power of their appeal, to cry aloud and spare not, to show the 
 people at large the transgressions of their temporary rulers, and to 
 proclaim the danger which threatened the church, let it be re- 
 membered, that in times of great public consternation and appre- 
 hension, the men who first feel the impulse and sound the trumpet, 
 are not apt to study the graces of diction, or to strive to make 
 their language, snatched in the moment of tumult and agitation, 
 quadrate with the minute and wire-drawn rules of grammar, 
 taste, or fancy, nor can they spend time, when a moment lost 
 may lose a crown, to court an adaptation of their empassioned 
 style to the popular opinions, passions, and caprices, which, in 
 the ardent simplicity of their hearts, they either realized not at all, 
 or kindly supposed could not but coincide with their own. Such 
 and similar considerations must apologize satisfactorily to the very 
 critical and censorious, for some peculiarities of style, thought, and 
 phrase, found in the Act and Testinionrj For the general charac- 
 ter and merit of this document, we may appeal to the Biblical 
 Repertory itself, and quote its language with pleasure and with 
 
148 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. !' 
 
 triumph. See No. for October, 1834.* " The history of this docu- 
 ment we understand to be as follows: The proceedings of the 
 last General Assembly of our church being in many cases much, 
 disapproved- t)f, by a large minority of that body, a meeting was- 
 called in Philadelphia, to which all those ministers and elders 
 were invited who sympathized withlhis. minority in their opinions 
 and feelings. Among other acts of this meeting,, a committee 
 was appointed to draft a public declaration to the churches, of 
 the views and wishes of those then present. The result of this 
 appototment was the publication of a paper entitled an Act and 
 Testimony. It is impossible for any man to read this document 
 without being deeply impressed with respect for its authors. It 
 is pervaded by a tone of solemn earnestness, which carries to 
 every heart the conviction of their sincerity, and of their sense of 
 the importance, as well as the truth, of the sentiments which they 
 advance. The fear of God, reverence for his truth, and love for 
 his church, seem clearly to have presided over the composition of 
 this important document. In addition to these intrinsic claims to 
 the respect of those to whom it is addressed, the fact that it has 
 received the sanction of so large a number of the best ministers 
 of our church,, demands for it the most serious consideration." 
 
 If this testimony from the pen of an opposer, be true as stated, 
 the Act and Testimony has nothing to fear from men. What is 
 there pronounced on this humble instrument, seems to be uttered 
 with great apparent solemnity and candour. How what follows 
 in a long and painful train is to be reconciled with this brief and 
 solemn eulogy, the present historian candidly acknowledges his 
 utter incapacity to tell. 
 
 * As the paper here referred to is destined to la-^t while the church 
 exists upon earth, it is of sorue importance that the history of it, begun in 
 the Repertory, should be enlarged aad completad. The truth is believed 
 to be: 
 
 1. A committee of five were appointed by the minority to draw the doc- 
 ument. I>r. Wm. Engles, Chairman. 
 
 2. By request, Rob't I. Breckenridge drew the paper, and reported it to 
 the comnjittee, without a name prefixe-1, and without the specifications of 
 errors annexed. 
 
 Dr. Engles, the Chairman, prefixed the name. Act and Testimony. 
 By request, we understand. Dr. Ilodge added the specifications of error 
 or false doctrine. 
 
 3. Dr. Engles suggested the signing of the Act and Testimony through 
 the churches, and sending the signatures weekly to his office in Philadel- 
 phia, merely to give interest and diffusiveness to the circulation of the Act 
 %0,d. Testimony. With this the committee had ijothing to do. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 14$ 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Act and Testimony at large — Article in opposition in full, without com* 
 ment, from Repertory, October, 1834 — Its effect in the vicinity, and on 
 the Churches — In the Presbytery of New Brunswick — Temper and course 
 of the New School — ConventioQ to meet in Pittsburgh, May, 1835 — 
 Church exposed—Despondence abroad — Efforts to encourage^-Extreme 
 Despondence— Dr. Alexander, though -prudently silent at home, dis- 
 covered to lean to the Orthodox company^-Evidenoe of it stated here, 
 and visible in his action in the Assembly. 
 
 " To the Ministers, Elders, and Private Members of the Presby- 
 terian Church in the United States : 
 
 ♦< Brethren, beloved is the Lord: — In the solemn crisis to 
 which our church has arrived, we are constrained to appeal to 
 you in relation to the alarming errors which have hitherto been 
 connived at, and now, at length, have been countenanced and 
 sustained, by the acts of the supreme judicatory of our church. 
 Constituting, as we all do, a portion of yourselves, and deeply 
 concerned as every portion of the system must be in all that 
 affects the body itseU', we earnestly address ourselves to you, in 
 the full belief that the dissolution of our church, or what is worse, 
 its corruption in all that once distinguished its peculiar testimony, 
 can, under God, be prevented only by you. 
 
 "From the highest judicatory of our church we have, for seve- 
 ral years in succession, sought the redress of our grievances, and 
 have not only sought it in vain, but with an aggravation of the 
 evils of which we have complained. Whither, then, can we look 
 for relief, but first to Him who is made head over all things, to 
 the church, which is his body, and then to you, as constituting a 
 part of that body, and as instruments in his hand to deUver the 
 church from the oppression which she sorely feels? 
 
 " We love the Presbyterian Church, and look back vvith sacred 
 joy to her instrumentality in promoting every good, and every 
 noble cause, among men; to her unwavering love of human 
 rights; to her glorious efforts for the advancement of human hap- 
 piness; to her clear testimonies for the truth of God, and her 
 great and blessed efforts to enlarge and establish the kingdom of 
 Christ our Lord. We delight to dwell on the things which our 
 God has wrought by our beloved church, and by his grace ena- 
 bling us, we are resolved that our children shall not have occa- 
 sion to weep over an unfaithfulness which permitted us to stand 
 idly by, and behold the ruin of this glorious structure. 
 
 "'Brethren,' says the Apostle, '1 beseech you by the name of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that 
 
150 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 there be no divisions annong you, but thai ye be perfectly joined 
 together, in the same mind and in the same judgment.' In the 
 presence of that Redeemer by whom Paul adjures us, we avow 
 our fixed adherence to those standards of doctrine and order, in 
 their obvious and intended sense, which we have heretofore sub- 
 scribed under circumstances the most impressive. In the same 
 spirit, we do therefore solemnly acquit ourselves in the sight of 
 God, of all responsibility arising from the existence of those divi- 
 sions and disorders in our church, which spring from a disregard 
 of assumed obligations, a departure from doctrines deliberately 
 professed, and a subversion of forms publicly and repeatedly ap- 
 proved. By the same high authority, and under the same weighty 
 sanctions, we do avow our fixed purpose to strive for the restora- 
 tion of purity, peace, and scriptural order to our church, and to 
 endeavour to exclude from her communion those who disturb her 
 peace, corrupt her testimony, and subvert her established forms* 
 And to the end that the doctrinal errors of which we complain 
 may be fully known, and the practical evils under which the body 
 suffers be clearly set forth, and our purposes in regard to both be- 
 distinctly understood, we adopt this Act and Testimony. 
 
 " As regards Doctrine.* 
 
 " 1. We do bear our solemn testimony against the right claimed 
 by many, of interpreting the doctrines of our standards in a sense 
 different from the general sense of the church for years past, 
 whilst they still continue in our communion. On the contrary, 
 we aver that they who adopt our standards, are bound by can- 
 dour and the simplest integrity, to hold them in their o'bvious ac- 
 cepted sense. 
 
 "2. We testify against the unchristian subterfuge to which 
 some have recourse, when they avow a general adherence to our 
 standards as a system, while ihey deny doctrines essential to the 
 system, or hold doctrines at complete variance with the system. 
 
 "3. We testify against the reprehensible conduct of those in 
 our communion, who hold, and preach, and publish Arminian and 
 Pelagian heresies, professing, at the same time, to embrace our 
 creed, and pretending that these errors do consist therewith. 
 
 "4. We testify against the conduct of those who, while they 
 profess to approve and adopt our doctrine and order, do never- 
 
 * To sustain the accuracy of the following specifications, we are happy 
 in being able to quote the aiithority of Dr. llodge, who kindly consented to 
 become the drawer of this most important feature of the Act and Tesiiviomjy 
 on the request of the committee appointed to prepare the document. But 
 in all the memorials and testimonies on this subject, presented to the Gen- 
 eral Assembly at different times and from various parts of the church,, 
 there is a substantial agreement in regard to tlie nature, as well as extent,, 
 of the alleged heresies, pervading the whole. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 151 
 
 theless, speak and publish, in terms, or by necessary implication, 
 that which is derogatory to both, and which tends to bring both 
 into disrepute. 
 
 *' 5. We testify against the following, as a part of the errors 
 which are held and taught by many persons in our church: 
 
 "1. Our relation, to Adam. That we have no more to do 
 with the first sin of Adam, than with the sins of any other parent. 
 
 " 2. Native depravity. That there is no such thing as original 
 sin; that infants come into the world as perfectly free from cor- 
 ruption as Adam was when he was created; that by original sin, 
 nothing more is meant than the fact, that all the posterity of Adam, 
 though born entirely free from moral defilement, will always be- 
 gin to sin when they begin to exercise moral agency, and that 
 this fact is somehow connected with the fall of Adam. 
 
 "3. Imputation. That the doctrine of imputed sin and imputed 
 righteousness, is a novelty and is nonsense. 
 
 "4. Ability. That the impenitent sinner is by nature, and in- 
 dependently of the aid of the Holy Spirit, in full possession of all 
 the powers necessary to a compliance with the commands of 
 God; and that, if he laboured under any kind of inability, natural 
 or moral, which he could not remove himself, he would be ex- 
 cusable for not complying with God's will. 
 
 "5. Regeneration. That man's regeneration is his own act; 
 that it consists merely in the change of our governing purpose, 
 which change we must ourselves produce. 
 
 '^ 6. Divine Influence. That God cannot exert such an influence 
 on the minds of men as shall make it certain that they will choose 
 and act in a particular manner, without destroying their moral 
 agency; and that, in a moral system, God could not prevent the 
 existence of sin, or the present amount of sin, however much he 
 might desire it. 
 
 " 7. Atonement. That Christ's sufferings were not truly and 
 properly vicarious. 
 
 " Which doctrines and statements are dangerous and heretical, 
 contrary to the gospel of God, and inconsistent with our Confes- 
 sion of Faith. We are painfully alive, also, to the conviction, 
 that unless a speedy remedy be applied to the abuses which have 
 called forth this Act and Testimony, our theological seminaries 
 will soon be converted into nurseries, to foster the noxious errors 
 which are already so widely prevalent, and our church funds will 
 be perverted from the design for which they were originally con- 
 tributed, 
 
 " As regards Discipline. 
 " The necessary consequence of the propagation of these and 
 similar errors amongst us, has been the agitation and division of 
 
35S OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 our churches and ecclesiastical bodies ; the separation of ministers, 
 elders, and people, into distinct parties, and the great increase of 
 causes of alienation. 
 
 " Our people are no longer as one body of Christians ; many of ' 
 our church sessions are agitated by the tumultuous spirit of party ; 
 our Presbyteries are convulsed by collisions growing out of the 
 heresies detailed above, and our Synods and our Assembly are 
 made theatres for the open display of humiliating scenes of human 
 passion and weakness. Mutual confidence is weakened ; respect 
 for the supreme judicatory of the church is impaired ; our hope that 
 the dignified and impartial course of justice would flow steadily 
 onward, has expired ; and a large portion of the religious press is 
 made subservient to error. The ordinary course of discipline, 
 arrested by compromises in which the truth is always loser, and 
 perverted by organized combinations to personal, selfish, and party 
 ends, ceases altogether, and leaves every one to do what seems 
 good in his own eyes. The discipline of the church, rendered 
 more needful than ever before, by the existence of numberless 
 cases, in which Christian love to erring brethren, as well as a 
 just regard to the interests of Zion, imperiously call for its prompt, 
 firm, and temperate exercise, is absolutely prevented by tlie very 
 causes which demand its employment. At the last meeting of 
 the General Assembly, a respectful memorial, presented in behalf 
 of eleven Presbyteries, and many sessions and individual members 
 of our church, was treated without one indication of kindness, or 
 the manifestation of any disposition to concede a single request 
 that was made. It was sternly frowned upon, and the memo- 
 rialists were left to mourn under their grievances, with no hope 
 of alleviation from those who ought to have at least shown ten- 
 derness and sympathy, as the nursing fathers of the church, even 
 when that which was asked was refused to the petitioners. At 
 the same time, they who first corrupted our doctrines, and then 
 deprived us of the means of correcting the evils they have pro- 
 duced, seek to give permanent security to their errors and to 
 themselves, by raising an outcry in the churches against all who 
 love the truth well enousrh to contend for it. 
 
 " Against this unusual, unhappy, and ruinous condition, we do 
 bear our clear and decided testimony, in the presence of the God 
 of all living; we do declare our firm belief that it springs prima- 
 rily from the fatal heresies countenanced in our body ; and we do 
 avow our deliberate purpose, with the help of God, to give our 
 best endeavours to correct it. 
 
 " As regards Church Order. 
 " We believe that the form of government of the Presbyterian 
 Church in the United States, is in all essential features in full ac- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIND*ICATEJ>. 1'55 
 
 cordance with the revealed will of God^ and therefore, whatever 
 impairs its purity, or changes its essential character, is repugnant 
 to the will of our master. In what Hght, then, shall we be con- -^ 
 sidered, if, professing to revere this system, we calmly behold its 
 destruction, or connive at the conduct of those engaged in tearing 
 up its deep foundations? Some of us have long dreaded the spirit 
 of indifference to the peculiarities of our church order, which we 
 supposed was gradually spreading amongst as, and the develop- 
 ments of later years have rendered it most certain that as the 
 perversion of our doctrinal formularies, and the engrafting of new 
 principles and practices upon our church constitution, have gone 
 hand in hand, so the original purity of the one cannot be restored 
 without a strict and faithful adherence to the other. Not only 
 then for its own sake do we love the constitution of our church, 
 as a model of all free institutions, bat as a clear and noble exhi- 
 bition of the soundest principles of civil and religious liberty ; not 
 only do we venerate its peculiarities, because they exhibit the 
 rules by which God intends the affairs of his church on earth to 
 be conducted; but v^-e cling to its venerable ramparts, because 
 they afford a sure defence for those precious, though despised 
 doctrines of grace, the pure transmission of which has been en- 
 trusted as a sacred duty to the church. 
 
 "It is, therefore, with the deepest sorrow, that we behold our 
 church tribunals, in various instances, imbued with a different 
 spirit, and fleeing, on every emergency, to expedients, unknown 
 to the Christian simplicity and uprightness of our forms, and re- 
 pugnant to all our previous habits. It is with pain and distrust, 
 that we see sometimes the helpless inefficiency of mere advisory 
 bodies contended for and practiced, when the occasion called for 
 the free action of our laws ; and sometimes the full and peremptory 
 exercise of power almost despotic practiced in cases where no' 
 authority existed to act at all. It is with increasing alarm, that 
 we behold a fixed design to organize new tribunals, upon princi- 
 ples repugnant to our system, and directly subversive of it, for 
 the obvious purpose of establishing and propagating the heresies 
 already recounted ; of shielding from just process the individuals 
 who hold them, and of arresting the wholesome discipline of the 
 church. We do therefore testify against all these departures 
 from the true principles of our constitution;, against the formation 
 of new Presbyteries and Synods, otherwise than upon the estab- 
 lished rules of our church, or for other purposes than the edifica- 
 tion and enlargement of the Church of Christ; and we most par- 
 ticularly testify against the formation of any tribunal in our church 
 upon what some call principles of elective affinity ; against the 
 exercise by the General Assembly, of any power not clearly dele- 
 
154 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 gated to it ; and the exercise even of its delegated powers for pur- 
 poses inconsistent wiih the design of its creation. 
 
 " Recommendations to the Churches. 
 
 "Dear Christian Brethren — you who love Jesus Christ in sin- 
 cerity and truth, and adhere to the plain doctrines of the cross, 
 as taught in the standards prepared by the Westminster Assembly, 
 and constantly held by the true Presbyterian Church ; to all of 
 you who love your ancient and pure constitution, and desire to 
 restore our abused and corrupted church to her simplicity, purity, 
 and truth, we, a portion of yourselves, ministers and elders of 
 your churches, and servants of one common Lord, would propose 
 most respectfully and kindly, and yet most earnestly : 
 
 " 1. That we refuse to give countenance to ministers, elders, 
 agents, editors, teachers, or to those who are in any other capa- 
 city, engaged in religious instruction or effort, who hold the pre- 
 ceding or similar heresies. 
 
 "2, That we make every lawful effort to subject all such per- 
 sons, especially if they be ministers, to the just exercise of disci- 
 pline, by the proper tribunal. 
 
 "3. That we use all proper means to restore the discipline of 
 the church, in all its courts, to a sound, just, Christian slate. 
 
 "4. That we use our endeav^ours to prev^ent the introduciion of 
 new principles into our system, and to restore our tribunals to 
 their ancient purity. 
 
 "5. That we consider the Presbyterial existence, or acts of 
 any Presbytery or Synod formed upon the principles of elective 
 affinity, as unconstitutional, and all ministers and churches volun- 
 tarily included in such bodies, as having virtually departed from 
 the standards of our church. 
 
 "6, We recommend that all ministers, elders, church sessions. 
 Presbyteries, and Synods, who approve of this Act and Testimony, 
 give their public adherence thereto, in such tnanner as they shall 
 prefer, and communicate their names, and, when a church court, 
 a copy of their adhering act. 
 
 "7. That inasmuch as our only hope of improvement and re- 
 formation in the affairs of our church depends on the interposition 
 of Him who is King in Zion, that we will unceasingly and impor- 
 tunately supplicate a Throne of Grace for the return of that purity 
 and peace, the absence of which we now sorrowfully deplore. 
 
 " 8. We do earnestly recommend that on the second Thursday 
 of May, 183.5, a convention be held in the city of Pittsburgh, to 
 he composed of two delegates, a minister and ruling elder, from 
 each Presbytery, or from the minority of any Presbytery, who 
 may concur in the sentiments of this Act and Testimony, to de- 
 deliberate and consult on the present state of our church, and to 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 155 
 
 adopt such measures as may be best suited to restore her pros- 
 trated standards. 
 
 " And now, brethren, our whole heart is laid open to you and to 
 the world. If the majority of our church are against us, they 
 will, we suppose, in the end either see the infatuation of their 
 •course, and retrace their steps, or ihey will at last attempt to cut 
 us off. If the former, we shall bless the God of Jacob ; if the lat- 
 ter, we are ready, for the sake of Christ, and in support of the 
 testimony now made, not only to be cut ofT, but, if need be, to 
 die also. If, on the other hand, the body be yet in the main, sound, 
 as we would fondly hope, we have here, frankly, openly, and can- 
 didly, laid before our erring brethren, the course we are, by the 
 grace of God, irrevocably determined to pursue. It is our stead- 
 fast aim to reform the church, or to testify against its errors and 
 defections until testimony will be no longer heard. And we- com- 
 mit the issue into the hands of him who is over all, God blessed 
 for ever. Amen. 
 
 Ministers. 
 
 James Magfaw, 
 
 Robert I. Breckeatridge, 
 
 James Latta, 
 
 AsHBEL Green, 
 
 Samuel D. Blythe, 
 
 S. H. Crane, 
 
 J. W. Scott, 
 
 William Latta, 
 
 Robert Steele, 
 
 Alexander A. Campbell, 
 
 John Gray, 
 
 James vScott, 
 
 Joshua L. Wilson, 
 
 Alexander McFarlane, 
 
 Jacob Coon, 
 
 Isaac N. Candee, 
 
 Robert Love, 
 
 James W. McKennon, 
 
 Elders. 
 Samuel Boyd, 
 Edward Vanhorn, 
 W. Dunn, 
 James Algeo, 
 James Agnew, 
 Henry McKeen, 
 Charles Davis, 
 W. Wallace, 
 
 David R. Preston» 
 William Wylie, 
 William M. Engles, 
 Cornelius H. Mustard,^ 
 James C, Watson, 
 William L. BreckenridgEj. 
 John H. Symmes, 
 David McKinney, 
 George Marshall, 
 Ebenezer H. Snowden, 
 Oscar Harris, 
 William I. Gibson, 
 William Sickles, 
 Benjamin F. Spilman, 
 George D. McCuann, 
 George W. Janvier, 
 Samuel G. Winchester, 
 George Junkin. 
 
 Geo. Morris, 
 H. Campbell, 
 Thos. McKeen, 
 James Wilson, 
 D. B. Price, 
 C. Hotchkiss, 
 Chs. Woodward, 
 W. A. G. Posey, 
 
166 OLD «CH()OL VlNinCATED. 
 
 A. D. Hepburn^ James Carnahait, 
 
 Jos. P. Engles, Moses Reed, 
 
 Js. McFarren, James Steele, 
 
 A. Symi\gton, George Durfor, 
 
 A. Bayles, John- Sharp, 
 
 Wm. Ag\ew, Isaac V. Brown, 
 
 "Philadelphia, May 27, 1834." 
 
 The following article extracted from the Biblical Repertory, 
 October, 1834, is inserted at full length, without comment, viz., 
 Art. VI., p. 505. 
 
 " 77/6 Jict and TesHimowrf. 
 " The history of this document we understand to be as follows : 
 The proceedings of the last General Assembly of our church be- 
 ing in many cases much disapproved of by a large minority of 
 that body, a meeting was called in Philadelphia, to which all 
 ministers and elders were invited who sympathized with this mi- 
 nority in their opinions and feelings. Among other acts of this 
 meeting, a committee was appointed to draft a public declaration 
 to the churches, of the views and wishes of those then present. 
 The result of this appointment was the publication of a paper, en- 
 titled an Act and Testimony. It is impossible for any man to 
 read this document without being deeply impressed witii respect 
 fur its authors. It is pervaded by a tone of solemn earnestness, 
 which carries to every heart the conviction of their sincerity, and 
 of their sense of the iinportance, as well as the truth-, of the senti- 
 ments which they advance. The fear of God, reverence for his 
 truth, and love for his church, seem clearly to have presided over 
 the composition of this important document. In addition to these 
 intrinsic claims to the respect of those to whom it is addressed, 
 the fact that it has received the sanction of so large a number of 
 the best ministers of our church, demands for it the most serious 
 consideration. It is, therefore, natural, that those who feel the 
 truth and weight of a great portion of the statements of this doc- 
 ument, and yet withhold from it their signatures, should feel desi- 
 rous of letting their brethren know the grounds on which they act. 
 We believe that most of the sentiments of this Act and Testimony 
 meet a ready and hearty response from the great majority both 
 ■of our ministers and elders; and yet we presume it will not be 
 signed by any thing like a moiety of either. Why is this? Is it 
 because they fear to assume the responsibility of such an act? 
 This is very easily said, but we believe that the number of those 
 who are nervous enough to be influenced by such a consideration, 
 is very small. There is often much more courage in not acting, 
 than in acting ; and still more frequently in moderation, than in 
 viulence. It is generally easy and safe, in cases of controversy, 
 to take sides decidedly and through good and evil, with one part 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. V5TI 
 
 or the other. If you are sure of diecided opponents^ you are 
 equally certain of warm friends.. Tb© unfortunate individuals 
 who belong to neither side, are cared for by neither, and blamed^ 
 if not abused, by both. Though there maybe imbecility, inde- 
 cision, and timidity,, which prevent a man's knowing what to 
 think, or saying what he knows, there may also be firmness in 
 standing alone, or in that unenviable position when neither. sym- 
 pathy nor approbation's to be expected.. It is humbling to think 
 of good men as being so deficient in the fear of God, and so sen- 
 sitive to the opinions of their fellow men, that they withhold their 
 approbation of the avowal of truth from the base fear of man; 
 we are, therefore, slow to attribute such a motive, or to believe in 
 its extensive influence. There must be some other and better 
 reason why such a document as the Act and Testimony has not 
 received, and is not likely to receive, the safiction of more than a 
 small minority of our churches. We pretend not, of course, to 
 know the reasons which have influenced: the conduct of so many, 
 individuals, but we know that the following considerations have 
 had a decisive weight on the minds of many, and presume that; 
 these and similar views have influenced the course of others. 
 
 " In the first place, this document has been perverted from its- 
 true and legitimate purpose as a Testimony, into an invidious test 
 act. This evil has- resulted from two sources, partly from the 
 form and mature of the act itself, in some of its essential features; 
 and partly from the use that has been made of it in some of our 
 leading religious jpurnals. It wouJd seem; to. be a very obvious 
 principle, that any individual member of a body has a right to 
 address his fellow members on subjects affecting their common 
 interests. If he thinks that errors and disorders are gaining 
 ground among them, it is more than a right, it is a duty, for him 
 to say so, provided he has any hope of making his voice efl^ectu- 
 ally heard. If such be the case with an individual, it is equally 
 obvious that he may induce as many as he can to join him in his 
 warnings and counsels, that they may come with the weight due 
 to numbers acting in concert. Had the meeting in Philadelphia, 
 therefore, been contented to send forth their solemn testimony 
 against error and disorder, and their earnest exhortation to in- 
 creased fidelity to God and his truth, we are sure none could 
 reasonably object. Their declaration would have been received 
 with all the respect due to its intrinsic excellence, and to the 
 source whence it proceeded. But when it is proposed to ' num- 
 ber the people,' to request and urge the signing of this Testimony 
 as a test of orthodoxy, then its whole nature and design is at once 
 altered. What was the exercise of an undoubted right becomes 
 an unauthorized assumption* What was before highly useful, or 
 at least kaiimless, become? fraught with injustice, discord,, and di- 
 
158 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 vision. What right have I to publish a declaration on truth and 
 order to the churches, and call upon every one to sign it on pain 
 of being denounced as a heretic or revolutionist? SSurely many 
 sound and good men may well take exception at some of my 
 modes of expression, or demur at some of my recommendations, 
 without forfeiting all claims to confidence. It may be said that 
 no one is required to sign this Act and Testimony against his own 
 will, and that there is no denunciation of those who decline. It 
 ought, however, to be considered that this is a necessary result of 
 the call on the part of the meeting, and in the body of the Act 
 itself, for a general signing of the document, like a new league 
 and covenant, that it should act as a test. Such in fact, no 
 doubt, was its design. The authors of this feature of the plan, at 
 Jeast, "designed to make it the means of ascertaining the number 
 and strength of those who thought with them, and ot uniting them 
 in a body, capable of acting with concert. If such is the very 
 nature and purport of the Act, it necessarily follows, that refusing 
 to the test, or to join the league, must be regarded as an act of 
 hostility. The very design of the effort is to make neutrality im- 
 possible. Our first objection, then, is, that it is not what it pro- 
 fesses to be, a Testimony, but a test. Had it been signed only by . 
 the chairman and secretary of the meeting by which it was issued, 
 or by the individual members, its whole nature would have been 
 diflerent. As it is, it is a test, and must operate unfairly and in- 
 juriously, subjecting some to unjust suspicions, and dividing those 
 who, on every principle of duty, ought to be most intimately 
 united. 
 
 "But, leaving this objection out of view, and admitting that it 
 was right to adopt this extra-constitutional method of ascertain- 
 ing and rallying the friends of truth, we think there are specific 
 objections against this docnment, which show that it is unfit to 
 answer this purpose. We have already said, and said sincerely, 
 that it is impossible to read this Testimony without being deeply 
 impressed by the seriousness of its tone, the weight and truth of 
 the great part of its sentiments, and the decided ability and skill 
 with which it is drawn up. It evinces in every line the hand of 
 a man accustomed to legal precision and accuracy of phrase. 
 Yet it was neccessarily prepared in a hurry, probably at a single 
 sitting, and read at a general meeting, in which the careful 
 weighing of every clause was out of the question. Considering 
 these circumstances, instead of being surprised that there are in- 
 stances of unguarded statement, or unwise recommendations, our 
 wonder is, that the blemishes of both classes are not tenfold more 
 numerous. But is it not obvious that a document that was to be 
 put forth, not only as a Testimony, but a test, which the friends 
 of truth were to be required to sign, or forfeit their character as 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. 159 
 
 such, and which was designed to rally as large a number as pos- 
 sible of those who were of the same heart and mind, should be 
 most carefully and solemnly considered, and every thing avoided 
 which might cause the well affected to hesitate or refuse ? Were 
 we ever so much in favour of such a measure, we are free to 
 confess, that there are statements in this Act and Testimony, in 
 which we could not concur, and recommendations of which we 
 highly disapprove. Of course, however anxious we might be -to 
 join in this enterprise, we should still be obliged to submit to have 
 our names cast out as evil. 
 
 "It is not our purpose to go over this document and criticise 
 its various parts. We shall merely refer to a few of the passages, 
 which we think must be stumbling blocks in the way of all but 
 the most determined. 
 
 " The very first paragraph is sufficiently startling. It stands 
 thus: 'Brethren in the Lord: — In the solemn crisis to which 
 our church has arrived, we are constrained to appeal to you in 
 relation to the alarminsr errors which have hitherto been connived 
 at, and now at length have been countenanced and sustained by 
 the acts of the supreme judicatory of our church.' The first 
 question suggested by this paragraph is, whether in fact such a 
 crisis has arrived in our church, as to justify such avowedly re- 
 volutionary measures, as the present document recommends? 
 If such is the state of the church, desperate remedies may be jus- 
 tified, if in themselves wise and well directed. This point, how- 
 ever, we must at present waive. The statement to which we 
 would now call the attention of our readers, and at which we 
 should hesitate long, and sign at last, if sign we must, with a slow 
 and shaking hand, is the declaration, that the highest judicatory 
 of our church has at length countenanced and sustained alarming 
 errors. These errors, of course, are those specified in the docu- 
 ment itself. Is it then true, that the highest judicatory of our 
 church has * countenanced and sustained' the doctrine, that we 
 have no more to do with the sin of Adam than with the sins of 
 any other parent — that there is no such thing as original sin — 
 that man's regeneration is his own act — that Christ's sufferings 
 are not truly and properly vicarious ? How serious the responsi- 
 bility of announcing to the world that such is the case ! How 
 clear and decisive should be the evidence of the fact, before the 
 annunciation was made and ratified by the signatures of such a 
 number of our best men. Surely something more than mere in- 
 ference from acts of doubtful import should be here required. 
 We do not pretend to be privy to the grounds on which this se- 
 rious charge is made ; but we are sure that no conscientious man 
 would set his name to it, without having evidence to produce the 
 painful conviction that such was the fact. Such evidence ought 
 
160 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 lo have been detailed. We do not know, and we suppose the 
 churches generally do not know, what this evidence is. How 
 then can they sign this document? How can they be expected to 
 take the responsibility of one of the most serious annunciations 
 ever made to the churches? We do not believe it to be true. We 
 have not the least idea, that one-tenth of the ministers of the 
 Presbyterian Church would deliberately countenance and sustain 
 the errors specified above. And iT not done deliberately and of set 
 purpose, it should not be announced as having been done at all. 
 We may put upon acts an interpretation very different from what 
 they were intended to bear, and thus be led to assert as fact what 
 is very far from the truth. 
 
 " VVe see that some, in adopting the Act and Testimony, appa- 
 rently impressed with the solemnity of the step they were about 
 to take in sanctioning, this introductory paragraph, refer, in justi- 
 fication of the charge which it involves, to the rejecting of a se- 
 ries of resolutions, calling upon the Assembly to denounce these 
 and various other errors. But is the inference a necessary, or 
 even a fair one, from declining to consider these resolutions, 
 wiiich required the Assembly to condemn certain errors, whether 
 'held in or out of the Presbyterian Church,' to the sanctioning of 
 these errors themselves?' During the sessions of the last General 
 Assembly in Scotland, a motion was made and rejected, relative 
 to the devising of some measures for securing the better observ- 
 ance of the Sabbath. Must we infer from this rejection, that the 
 body in question countenanced Sabbath-breaking?* A few years 
 ago, when petitions were circulated in reference to Sunday.mails, 
 many, especially after the failure of the first attempt, refused to 
 si;j"n them. Are such persons to be regarded as in favour of the 
 desecration of the Lord's day? The mere rejection, or rather re- 
 fusal, to entertain the resolutions referred to, cannot, of itself, 
 therefore, afford evidence of the disposition of the Assembly to 
 countenance these errors. We do not know the history of the 
 case, but there may have been something in the circumstances 
 under which they were introduced, to account for their being set 
 aside. We have heard, indeed, the warmest friends and advo- 
 cates of the Act and Testimony regret exceedingly the manner 
 in which they were brought forward. As far as our informant, a 
 leading member of the minority in the last Assembly, knew, it 
 was without consultation, to any extent,. either as to their form or 
 mode of being presented.. Yet, what more difficult and delicate 
 task, than the framing of doctrinal' propositions, to be afl^rmed or 
 denied by the supreme judicatory of a church ? If these resolutions 
 were hastily prepared, carelessly arrangedj or loosely expressed, 
 
 * The rejection arose, we believe, from the wish to aiwait the issue of. 
 the Parliawentaxy proceedings on the subjecti.. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. MI 
 
 this aione would' be reason sufficient to account for the Assembly's 
 passing tbem over. As they have been published in the religious 
 papers, the churches may judge on this- point. For ourselves, we 
 are not surprised at iheir rejection. Instead of wondering that a 
 majority of the Assembly did not vote for them, we wonder that 
 any considerable number o{' voices was raised in their favour, so 
 various are the errors they embrace, and so diflerent in degree; 
 some of them serious heresies, and others opinions (at least as we 
 understand the resolutions) which were held and tolerated in the 
 -iSynod of Dort, and in our own church from its very first organ- 
 ization. Is it to be expected that, at this time of the day, the As- 
 sembly would solemnly condemn all who do not hold the doctrine 
 of a limited atonement? We do not believe that the penman of 
 the Act and Testiinony himself, whatever his private opinion on 
 the doctrine may be, would vote for these resolutions. And it is 
 too notorious that many of his most active and zealous coopera-- 
 tors deny this, and still more important points, to allow for a^ 
 moment the supposition that they could intelligently have given 
 such a vote. Surely then, the rejection of propositions, for which 
 at no period of the history of the church, perhaps, a tenth of its 
 ministers could have voted, is no adequate proof that the Assem- 
 I'ly ' countenanced the alarming errors' contained in this Act and 
 Testimony. We are not now attempting to decide whether the 
 Assembly did or did not countenance these errors, but we sav, 
 the evidence on which we could be induced to subscribe the 
 solemn declaration that they did, must be very clear; and that no 
 such evidence is exhibited to those who are called upon to join in 
 the accusation. As before said, we do not believe that the errors 
 quoted above from this document, or any others which it speci- 
 lies, (unless- it be that on the doctrine of imputation). are held or 
 approved by one-tenlh of the ministers of the Presbyterian Church. 
 And we consider it a very serious affair to have the corruption of 
 such a body of Christians asserted and proclaimed through both 
 hemispheres. 
 
 '♦ As a proof of disregard of discipline,, the Testimony refers to 
 the treatment, by the Assembly, of a memorial sent up from seve-- 
 ral Presbyteries, sessions, and individual members. It may be 
 supposed that the manner in which this paper was disposed of,, 
 furnishes evidence that the Assembly countenanced the errors 
 above mentioned. This memorial, however, is not sufficiently 
 known to make this the ground of a general signature of the Act 
 and Testimony. We are very far from feeling called upon to 
 justify all acts of the Assembly, or to apologize for ihem. Our 
 teelings- always, and our judgment generally, were w'ilh the mi-- 
 nority in that body. There were things in the doings of the As- 
 sembly, which we disapprove of as much as any of the signers of 
 
 L 
 
162 OLD SCHOOL VmOlCATED. 
 
 this document. The manner in which this memorial was treated, 
 is one ofihe acts which we think much to be regreited. But the 
 single point now is, whether this tieatment furnishes evidence 
 sufficient to authorize the authentication of the charge contained 
 in the first paragraph of the Act and Testimony. Let any one 
 look over this niemorinl, and ask whether it was reasonable to 
 expect the Assembly, in the present state of the church, to meet 
 its demands. It is a long document, which concludes by re- 
 questing, 
 
 " 1. * That the ' Plan of Union between Presbyterians and Con- 
 gregationalists in the new settlements* be wholly abrogated, &c. 
 
 "2. That Presbyteries be restrained from ordaining, licensing, 
 or dismissing men, not to labour in their own bounds, but in the 
 bounds of (jiher Presbyteries. 
 
 " 3. That the Assembly resume the sole direction of Missionary 
 operations vviihin the bounds of the Presbyterian Church, to the 
 exclusion of non-ecclesiastical associations. 
 
 "4. That the Assembly bear solemn testimony against she 
 many errors preached and published in the church. 
 
 "5. That various points of order and discipline should be de- 
 cided ; as, 1. Whether one Presbytery must admit a metnber 
 coming from any other with clean papers. 2. Whether a judica- 
 tory may not examine and express an opinion of a book, without 
 first commencing process against its author, when a member oi 
 their own body. 3. Whether in adopting the Confession of Faitll 
 as a system, the candidate ' is at liberty to reject as many partic- 
 ular propositions as he pleases,' &cc. 
 
 "6. That the Assembly disannul the act of the Assembly of 
 1832, dividing the Presbytery of Philadelt)hia, and disavow the 
 princiiile that Presbyteries may be founded on 'the principles of 
 elective affinity.'* 
 
 "Here is matter enough to occupy a deliberlitive assembly {"or 
 months. That all these points should be taken up, and properly 
 considered, was therefore not to be expected. And as many of 
 these reques's are in direct opposition to measures carried with 
 the full concurrence and approbation of the prominent signers of 
 the Ai*t and Testimony, vvho now request the Assetnbly to undo 
 what they themselves have done — it was as little to be expected, 
 that, if considered, they could be granted. Though we think 
 that the number and weight of the signatures to this memorial 
 were su' h that the Assembly ought to have paid more attention 
 to thf'ir pli.'a, and granted many of their requests, we are far from 
 being convinced ihat it was a desire to countenance or sustain 
 the errors specified in the Act and Testimony, which led to the 
 
 * For the s il<ft of brevity we have not quoted these demands at length,, 
 but contented ourselves with giving the substance of each. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 163 
 
 course pursued. It is a very prevalent, and in itself a reasonable 
 feeling, ihai church-courts should not legislate in thesi, or pro- 
 nounce on doctrines in the abstract; that it is best to wait until 
 the points come up for decision in the usual course of judicial 
 proceedings. This feeling is so strong in some of the soundest 
 and best men of our church, as of itself to induce them to vote 
 against many of the demands made in this memorial. It is not, 
 however, possible to know the motives which influenced difl^erent 
 individuals in taking the course which the Assembly pursued with 
 this document. It is sufficient, that this course does not afibrd 
 proof of the charge brought in the first paragraph of the Act and 
 Testimony ; and this point we think as clear as it can well be 
 made. Were there no other reason, therefore, for not signing 
 this document, the character of that paragraph we think sufficient. 
 " There is another ground of serious objection to be found in 
 •the fifth of its eight recommendations to the churches. The sign- 
 ers say, • We would propose, that we consider the Presbyteriai 
 -existence and acts of any Presbytery or Synod formed upon the 
 principles of elective affinity, as unconstitutional, and all ministers 
 and churches voluntarily included in such bodies as having vir- 
 tually departed from the standards of our church.' This, it is to 
 he observed, is not an expression of the opinioti, that the existence 
 and acts of such bodies are unconstitutional, but a recommenda- 
 tion that ihey be so considered, and, of consequence, so treated. 
 This is the only interpretation which we are able to put upon this 
 passage. If this be its meaning, it must be seen at once, that it 
 is a very serious step. For the members of any community, civil 
 or ecclesiastical, to meet together, and recommend to their fellow 
 members, to consider and treat the acts of the constituted author- 
 ities as unconstitutional and void, is an extreme proceeding, to be 
 justified only by a necessity which authorizes the resolution of 
 the society into its original elements. It is a deliberate renuncia- 
 tion of an auihtnity which every member of the community has 
 bound himself to respect. It is, therefore, the violation of a promise 
 of obedience which can only be excused by proving that it is an 
 extreme case, to which the promise was never intended to apply, 
 and is not in its nature applicable. In civil governments this pro- 
 cedure is inceptive rebellion; in ecclesiastical governments it is 
 the first step in schism. To take this step, is either a virtue, or a 
 crime, according to the presence or absence of a justifying cause. 
 That ii must, however, be a very serious cause which will justify 
 the disregard of obligations voluntarily assumed, and promises 
 deliberately given, will of course, be admitted. That it is not 
 ccmpefent for any individual, wiihin the limits of the extreme 
 cases just supposed, to judge for himself of the unconstitutionality 
 or the conslilulionality of the acts of the constituted authorities of 
 
164 OLD SCHOOL VIIVDICATED. 
 
 the community to which he belongs, is too obvious to need re- 
 mark. Every one sees that there would be an end of all govern- 
 ment, if every member of a community were allowed to recognize 
 or disregard a law at option,; or. by a simple assumption of its 
 unconstitutionality to escape from the obHgation to obedience. 
 We cannot but regard, therefore the recommendation of this doc- 
 ument, that churches and ministers consider certain acts of the 
 Assembly unconstitutional, as a recommendation to them to re- 
 nounce their allegiance to the church, and to disregard their pro- 
 mises of obedience. Whether this recommendation be justifiable 
 or not, depends of course on the exigency of the case. Those 
 who do not think the act. complained of, sufficiently heinous and 
 destructive to dissolve the bonds of their allegiance, cannot sign 
 this Act and Testimony; while those who regard it as a case of 
 life or death, may feel at liberty to give the advice in question. 
 
 •'Though we are of the number of those who disapprove the 
 plan of constituting Presbyteries on the principle complained of,, 
 and think that it was, at least, never contemplated by the consti^ 
 tution, yet we are unable to discover so much evil in the measure 
 as to justify the dissolution of the church, or the disregarding of 
 the obligation we are all under to obedience. The plan recom- 
 mended in, this document necessitates a schism of the church, and 
 perhaps was designed so to do. The Assembly have passed an 
 act which these signers refuse to recognize. Either the Assembly 
 must retract, or the signers must secede. One or the other of 
 these results must take place, unless we are to have the confusion 
 of two churches, with two sets of ministers and members, not re- 
 cognizing each other's acts or ecclesiastical standing, all included 
 in the same body. How can such a state of things exist? TJie 
 Assembly's Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, we will suppose, 
 ordains a man to the ministry. As their constitutional existence 
 is denied, the validity of this ordination, as a Presbyterial act, 
 must also be denied. This leads to a denial of the candidate's 
 ministerial acts, at least ecclesiastically considered. He is to 
 those who adopt this recommendation, a layman, and can do 
 nothing which a layman may not perform. Will they recognize 
 his baptisms? his introduction and dismiss^ion of church members? 
 This evil may be bearable, while there are but two or three indi- 
 viduals in this situation ; but it must increase every month or 
 year, until the whole church is a chaos. Such seems the neces- 
 sary result of acting on the plan recommended, unless schism be 
 at once resorted to. This result, indeed, seems to have been dis- 
 tinctly in view when the act was prepared. The signers say, 
 'If the majority of our church are against us, they will, we sup- 
 posGj in.the end, either see the infatuation of their course, and re- 
 trace their, steps,. or they will, at last, attempt to cut us off.' That 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIIVDICATED. 165 
 
 is to sa}'-, ' we have assumed such a position that things cannot 
 remain as they are; the Assembly must either retrace their steps, 
 or the church be divided.' Division, then, is the end to which 
 this enterprise leads, and at which, we doubt not, it aims;*' and 
 division for what? As far as this document is concerned, it is 
 division which is to result from not recognizing the existence 
 and acts of certain Presbyteries and Synods. This is the only 
 effective provision in the whole act. All its other recom- 
 mendations may be adopted, and no division occur; but if this 
 be acted upon, division is inevitable. Is the church then pre- 
 pared to divide, because one portion thinks that A. B. C. may 
 lawfully be united into a Presbytery, on the ground that they 
 wish to be so united; and the other that A. B. C. and D. 
 may be thus united, because they live within the same geo- 
 graphical lines? The motive for the wish, in the former case, 
 does not affect the principle. It may be a corrupt motive, or a 
 good one. Some individuals in Philadelphia wished to be set 
 apart into a Presbytery, it was said, because they differed from 
 the standards to which the majority of their Presbytery adhered. 
 Other individuals in Cincinnati wished to be set apart in like 
 manner, it was said, because they adhered to the standards, 
 while the majority of their brethren were unsound. Admit both 
 these suppositions to be correct, and both requests to have been 
 granted, and we have two elective affinity Presbyteries, the one 
 formed from a desire to evade the operation of the constitution, 
 and the other to give it its full force. We think the principle is 
 a bad one ; but it is clear it may operate one way as well as the 
 other, and that it is not to be viewed as a device designed to form 
 a secure retreat for heresy. The fact is, that the members of ouf 
 Presbyteries are so much intermixed, especially in our cities, 
 where not only ministers, but even churches frequently change 
 their location, that the necessity of definite geographical limits 
 has never been strenuously insisted upon. As the geographical 
 is the obvious, and, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, the 
 most convenient principle of division, and the one which the con- 
 stitution directs to be followed, it is clear that it ought to be ad- 
 hered to. But can any one prevail upon himself to say, that the 
 church must be split to pieces, because, in a single case, another 
 principle has been adopted? The fact is, that this matter is, com- 
 paratively speaking, altogether insignificant; and it never would 
 have attracted the least attention, were it not for the supposed 
 motive which led to the adoption of the elective affl^iity principle. 
 Had a Synod constituted twelve mini'sters, resident in one city, 
 
 * Since writina; the above, we p<ee that thia intention is denied, in the 
 Presbyterian. We have heard other signers of the Aet and Testimony, 
 however, very distinctly avow their desire to effect a division of the church. 
 
 /. 
 
166 OLD SCHOOL VIIfDICATED. 
 
 all of them equally distinguished for soundness of doctrine and 
 purity of life, six into one Presbytery, and six into another, simply 
 because it had been so requested, would the whole church be agi- 
 tated, when it was ascertained that the members of the one body 
 were not separated geographically from those of the other? This 
 no one can believe. It is not, therefore, the simple principle in 
 question, however generally admitted to be incorrect, that is the 
 cause of this deep and extended feeling. If this he true, it ought 
 not to be thrust forward as a test principle. The church ought 
 not to be called upon to deny the constitutional existence of bodies 
 constituted on this plan, and by this denial, render schism una- 
 voidable. Brethren agreed in doctrine and views of order and 
 discipline, united in heart and efibrt, ought not to be thrust asun- 
 der, because, on such a point as this, they cannot agree. 
 
 " We can hardly persuade ourselves that reflecting men can 
 consider this matter, viewed as an abstract constitutional pointy 
 of sufficient importance to justify schism. Yet this is really the 
 issue made and presented in the Act and Testimony. Refusal to 
 retract on this point was the great offence of the last Assembly. 
 As soon as this refusal was known, preparation was made for 
 issuing this manifesto. We do not doubt, as already said, that 
 the real ground of offence, the true cause of the present excite- 
 ment, is not this insignificant question, but the impression as to 
 the motive which governed the decision of the Assembly. Still 
 this is the question as here presented. It is not pretended that the 
 Assembly formally sanctioned the errors enumerated in this doc- 
 ument, it countenanced and sustained them, by the erection of 
 the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, and by the refusal to con- 
 sent to its dissolution. These are the acts, therefore, which are 
 the grounds of complaint, and which the churches are called upon 
 to disregard. The issue, therefore, is upon a constitutional point 
 of very minor importance. 
 
 " Our second specific objection, then, to this Act and Testimony 
 is, that it recommends a disregard of the regular authority of the 
 church which we are bound to obey; and that the ground of this 
 recommendation is, in our opinion, altogether insufficient. The 
 consequence of adopting the proposed course, must be either to 
 divide the church on a constitutional question of little comparative 
 moment, or to produce a state of the greatest confusion and diffi- 
 culty. A third objection, and the only other of this kind we shall 
 merition, is founded on the eighth and last recommendation, viz. 
 «Wedo earn»sily recommend, that on the second Thursday of 
 May, 1835, a convention be held in the city of Pittsburgh, to be 
 composed of two delegates, a minister and ruling elder fr-'m each 
 Presbytery, or from "the minority of any Presbytery, who may 
 concur in the sentiments of this Act and Testimony, to deliberate 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 167 
 
 and consult on tlie present state of our church, and to adopt such 
 measures as may be best suited to restore her prostrated stand- 
 ards.' The objections to this recommendation are nearly the same 
 urged against the one already considered. It is essentially a revo- 
 lutionary proceeding. It is an appeal from the constitutional go- 
 vernment, to the people in their primary bodies. When this is done, 
 merely for the expression or formation of a public sentiment, which 
 may exert its legitimate influence upon the regular authorities, there 
 is no ground of complaint. Analogy is to be found to such a course 
 in the public meetings and conventions under our civil govern- 
 ment, which are perfectly consistent both with the theory and 
 regular action of our institutions. But the case before us is very 
 difTerent. A large meeting first declare certain acts unconstitu- 
 tional, and resolve not to submit to them. They invite others to 
 join in this refusal, and to send delegates to meet in general con- 
 vention to adopt ulterior measures. They first lake a step which 
 brings them necessarily into collision with the government, and 
 then call on all of like mind to unite with them. The analogy is 
 so complete between this case and that which recently convulsed 
 our whole country, and threatened the existenre of i)ur political 
 institutions, that none can fail to perceive it. There ran, there- 
 fore, be no invidiousness in making the allusion. An act of the 
 general government was pronounced by the people of one of the 
 states, to be unconstitutional and consequently void. They de- 
 liberately resolved to refuse to submit to it. Whether this was 
 right or wrong, it was regarded by the country as creating a ne- 
 cessity for one of two things; either that the act should be re- 
 pealed, or the Union dissolved by secession or war. It was in- 
 deed, in itself, a conditional dissolution of the Union. The con- 
 dition was the repeal of the offensive act. If this was refused, 
 the union was at an end. When, under these circumstances, the 
 state in question proposed to call a convention of all who agreed 
 with her in opinion as to the grievance complained of, did not 
 every one regard the proposal as a step in advance, as a measure 
 designed and adapted to make the breach more certain and se- 
 rious? Of this there can be no doubt. Public sentiment was 
 overwhelmingly against the wisdom and lawfulness of the course 
 of this aggrieved member of our Union. The remedy, as extra- 
 constitutional and revolutionary, was deemed disproporlioned to 
 the malady. Yet it was on all hands admitted that there might 
 lie evils, whinh, being intolerable, would justify this dissolution of 
 political society, and the disruption of all existing bonds of politi- 
 cal duty and allegiance. So in the case before us, if the evils 
 complained of are such as justify the dissolution of the church, 
 and the disregard of the solemn obligations by which we have 
 bound ourselves together, then the case is made out. The pro- 
 
 i<i 
 
168 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 priety of the Act and Testimony is vindicated. The point now 
 before us, however, is, the true nature of its recommendaiions. 
 We say they are extra-constitutional and revolutionary, and should 
 be opposed by all those who do not believe that the crisis demands 
 the dissolution of the church. If such a crisis be made out, or 
 assumed, then afl the rest is a mere question of the ways and 
 means. 
 
 " We do not believe that any such crisis exists. That there 
 has been much disorder of various kinds within our bounds, that 
 there has been a good deal of erroneous doctrine preached and 
 published, and that many judicatories have been criminally remiss 
 in matters of discipline, we do not doubt. These are evils with 
 regard to which the churches should be instructed and warned, 
 and every constitutional means be employed for their correction. 
 But what we maintain is, that there has been no such corruption 
 of doctrine or remissness in discipline a-s to justify the division ot 
 the church, and consequently all measures having that design and 
 tendency are wrong and ought to be avoided. 
 
 " To exhibit fully the grounds of this opinion, would require us 
 to review the origin and progress of the present difficulties, and 
 consequently render it necessary for us to enter into historical de- 
 tails too extensive for our limits, and inconsistent with our present 
 object. We must, therefore, be contented with the remark, that 
 the burden of proof rests on those who assert that such a crisis 
 does exist. This proof has not yet been exhibited. Until it is, 
 we can only say, that we do not believe there is any call for the 
 extreme measures proposed in the Act and Testimony. 
 
 " We believe, indeed, that there are a number of men in our 
 church, who hold doctrinal opinions which ought to have pre- 
 cluded their admission, and who should now be visited by regular 
 ecclesiastical process. But we believe this number to be com- 
 paratively small. We have never doubted that there was serious 
 ground of apprehension for the purity of our church. Considering 
 the ease with which men are introduced into our communion^ 
 who, not being brought up among us, know nothing and care 
 nothing about Presbyterianism, it is very evident that we must 
 have a constant accession of unsound, and even hostile men, if 
 our judicatories are not faithful to their vows. We have often 
 wondered, indeed, at the facility with which decided Congrega- 
 tionalists, so born and educated, become Presbyterians. We re- 
 joice to see that there is a general Congregational Association 
 formed in the state of New York. Those brethren who really 
 prefer the Congregational system, may now indulge that prefer- 
 ence, instead of being forced to submit to the painful necessity of 
 joining a church, with whose distinctive organization they are 
 unacquainted, or to which they are unfriendly. This is the Kiaia 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 169 
 
 evil, which it requires nothing but honesty on the part of the 
 Presbyteries effectually to prevent. Wc are happy in laiowing 
 that at least one case has occurred, in which a Presbytery, where 
 there is not, to our knowledge, a single adherent of the Old School, 
 has deliberately, and almost unanimously, refused to ordain a can- 
 didate who held the popular errors on depi-avity and regeneration. 
 There are not wanting other decisive and cheering intimations 
 that the portentous union between the New Divinity and the New 
 Measures, which threatened to desolate the church, has, at least 
 for the present, done its worst. The latter, but scarcely the lesser, 
 of this firm of evils, is, to all appearance, dead. Its course doubt- 
 less will be marked by melancholy memorials for generations* 
 But as the great mass of the wisdom and piety of the country 
 (we are speaking of the north and east) were found decidedly ar- 
 rayed against it, we trust the church will be spared such another 
 visitation. And even as to the other member of the firm, we hope 
 the shout of victory from its advocates was rather a mistake. U 
 we may credit what we hear, the novelty being over, the wonder 
 is on the decline. It is said, that out of the immediate sphere of 
 the origin of the theory, its friends are very few, and very far 
 between. 
 
 *' But let it be supposed that in all this we are mistaken, that 
 the corruption in doctrine, and remissness in discipline, are far 
 more extensive than we imagine. Let it even be admitted, that 
 the General Assembly, after having long connived at alarming 
 errors, has at length countenanced and sustained them. Let 
 every thing be admitted which we have endeavoured to disprove. 
 Still, the case of the Act and Testimony is not made out. The 
 necessity or propriety of schism does not appear. Is Christ di- 
 vided '? If the head be one, should the body so easily be separated f 
 Is not the visible union of the people of God, as the expression of 
 their spiritual union to each other and the Lord Jesus, a solemn 
 obligation? To what a lamentable condition would the church be 
 reduced, if, on every occasion of disappointment or excitement, 
 or even of serious mistake, injustice, or error, her members were 
 to separate into distinct communions ! We are not about to advo- 
 cate a spurious liberality, or defend a spirit of compromise with 
 remissness or error. We merely wish to state, that the division 
 of a church of Jesus Christ is a very serious thing, expressly for- 
 bidden in the word of God,* and only to be justified by the most 
 obvious necessity. 
 
 "What then constitutes a necessity for schism, and makes that 
 crime a virtue? We venture to answer, that no man is at liberty 
 to labour for a division of the church to which he belongs, unless 
 
 * 1 Ccr. i., 10. 
 
170 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 he and others are called upon either to profess what they think 
 erroneous, or to do what they think wrong. As the duty of pre- 
 serving the unity of the church is obvious and admitted, the se- 
 ceders must make out that they are free from this solemn obliga- 
 tion. But what can free them from the solemn obligation of duty, 
 but the interference of some stronger obligation? So long as the 
 standards of any church remain unaltered, its members profess 
 the same faith which they avowed when they joined it. 1 do not 
 })rofess to hold or to teach what A. B. or C. may be known lo 
 believe, but I profess to believe the Confession of Faith of the 
 church to which I belong. It matters not, therefore, so far as 
 this point is concerned, how corrupt a portion, or even the ma- 
 jority, of the church may be, provided I am not called upon to 
 profess their errors. Instead of my mere ecclesiastical connexion 
 with them being a countenancing of their errors, it may give me 
 the best opportunity of constantly testifying against them. Who 
 have done so much to render conspicuous and odious the errors 
 and unfaithfulness of the clergy at Geneva, as the orthodox and 
 pious portion of their number? The individuals who previously 
 seceded, left the body in quietness behind them, and lost in a 
 great measure their ability both to promote the truth and lo op- 
 pose error. As another illustration, let us refer to the church of 
 Scotland. Every one knows the long controversy between the 
 orthodox and the moderate parties in that body. Had Dr. VVith- 
 erspoon, and the faithful men who acted with him, lifted the 
 standard of division, what would have been the present state of 
 that church? In all probability it would be little better than that 
 of Geneva. All the resources of the body, all its institutions, its 
 corporate existence and privileges, would have been basely (shall 
 we sav ?) delivered up to the enemy as a contribution to his 
 means of promoting and per()etuating error. By the faithful ad- 
 herence of these men to their pnsts, after one defeat had followed 
 another in rapid and long succession, llie church has been saved. 
 The pious and orthodox portion have gained the ascendancy, and 
 are now shaking ofl' the trammels of patronage and other anti- 
 (juated corruptif)ns, and wielding the whole of her resources for 
 the advancement of truth. Blessings will rest forever on the 
 memory of VVitherspoon, because he was not a preacher of se- 
 cession. If others in that land of our ecclesiastical fathers had 
 been equally wise; if the numerous body of evangelical men split 
 up into the sects of Burghers, Anii- Burghers, &c., were now- 
 united with their f»rmer brethren, what an army would they 
 form !" Would any one be so infatuated as to urge the pious and 
 devoted members of the Protestant Church in France to secede 
 from their brethren, and give up their institutions at Strasburg 
 and Montauban, lo be perpetual nurseries of error ? Or would any 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 171 
 
 one counsel the orthodox Germans to forsake their stations on the 
 plain, where they can naeet their enemies on equal terms, and go 
 down into the deep and narrow valley of dissent? 
 
 " What has become of ihe Alorristown Presbytery? VV'hat has 
 become of the True Reformed Dutc^h Church, which not only se- 
 ceded from their highly respectable and orthodox brethren, but 
 had well nigh excommunicated them? How completely has the 
 wave of oblivion blotied them out ! They have disappeared from 
 the visible ranks, at least, of ih^ hosts (»f the church. Are they 
 doing more good, or preventing more evil now, than in their for- 
 mer connexion? We think their exam[ile should serve at once as 
 a warning to any who are disposed to secede froin among us, and 
 as a rebuke to those who appear anxious to precipitate a similar 
 crisis in our church. 
 
 " We cannot see, then, how anything is to be gained, for the 
 cause of truth, by secession; but we see how much will be lost. 
 We shall gain no advantage in opposing error; but only lose our 
 facilities ior promoting truth. Instead of manifesting fidelity to 
 the cause of the Redeemer, we shall deliver up the post committed 
 to our keeping. Until, therefore, the standards of the church are 
 altered, or its members are in some way called upon to profess 
 error, or to do wrong, their motto should be, 'Stand fast; hav- 
 ing OiV THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GoD.' 
 
 ** We have now performed a painful, though, as we think, an 
 imperative duty. VVe have come out openly against brethren in 
 whose doctrinal views we coincide, whose persons we love, whose 
 character and motives we respect, with whom we have ever been 
 associated, and fondly hope ever to continue united. The grounds 
 on which we have felt constrained to bear this testimony, may be 
 very briefly stated. 
 
 "As we have already said, it is at all times the privilege, and 
 often the duty, of the meiribers of a community, to spread their 
 views on important practical subjects before their fellow members. 
 How constantly is this di)ne in political matters. If such be the 
 privilege of every individual, it is especially incumbent on those 
 who are connected with the periodical press. The very end and 
 object of that press is the diffusion of practical knowledge, and 
 the discussion of important points of truth and duly. We confess, 
 however, that we have had (jther motives for the course which 
 has been taken. We, in common with that large class of our 
 brethren who do not belong to the number against whom the 
 Testimony is direttted, and yet have not joined in the Act, have 
 felt annoyed by the urgency which has been used to obtain signa- 
 tures, and the serious censure lavished on those who refuse their 
 names. It was necessary, as a matter of self vindication, that 
 the grounds of this refusal should be publicly stated. It should be 
 
172 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 known, that it was not fear for the consequences of the Act, nor 
 insensibility to the evils complained of, but disapprobation of the 
 nature and tendency of the measure. It is with a sincere desire 
 to cooperate in the prevention of the evils, which we think must 
 ensue iVom the prosecution of the course proposed, that we have 
 lifted up our voice against it. Let the facts and reasons here 
 presented pass for what they are worth. Let brethren give them 
 a candid consideration. Let them ask themselves, if when, as 
 they suppose, error and disorder are coming in like a flood, they 
 should turn their backs on the enemy, and leave a weakened and 
 discouraged remnant to continue the battle. What if they are 
 defeated, not once or twice, but many times'? Constancy and 
 truth always ultimately prevail. Let us only be careful that it is 
 for truth we struggle, and that our weapons are not carnal, but 
 spiritual, and there is no ground for apprehension. In every 
 church there are fluctuations. Sometimes truth and piety pre- 
 dominate, at others, error and irreligion. When darkest, it is 
 nearest light. In a church like ours, we think, there is no excuse 
 for abandoning the regular constitutional methods of proceeding. 
 Every man can free himself from responsibility for the errors of 
 his brethren, if he cannot have thenra corrected. He has all the 
 means that others have to secure predominance for his own views, 
 and if they are correct, he may confidently hope for their success. 
 Let but the friends of truth be humble, prayerful, faithful, and ac- 
 tive; let them adhere to each other and to the church, and then, 
 whether in the majority or minority for the time being, they will 
 be most efTectually serving their jMaster and his cause." 
 
 Before proceeding further in the narrative, we think it proper 
 to say, that much as the course of the Repertory was regretted, 
 deeply, indeed, as it was disapproved by most of the prominent 
 men in the ciiurch, there existed in the public mind in general, no 
 doubt that the theological principles (A^ the professors were un- 
 changed. As a friendly and favourable solution of their course, 
 manv believed it was based upon mistaken views as to the extent 
 of defection in the church; upon a wrong impression as to the de- 
 sign of the Act and Testimony, and its probable influence as a 
 remedy for the evils prevalent in the church. The professors 
 flattered themselves that the evils complained of were not so ex- 
 tensive as alleged, that the leprosy was more superficial, and sus- 
 ceptible of cure by being let alone, than the minority could pos- 
 sibly realize, forming their opinion from much more thorough 
 intercourse with ministers and people. 
 
 Had these very respectable gentlemen understood "their position 
 as their friends did, and estimated the object and character of the 
 Jet and Testimony correctly, and permitted it to pass on its own 
 .merits, without any expression of opinion, it would have been 
 
Of.D SCHOOL VINDICATED. 173 
 
 well. This was desired and expected. Indeed, taking into con- 
 sideration that the document, as soon as printed, was in wide cir- 
 culation, thousands having stood ready to catch it from the press, 
 it was immediately and positively beyond revocation. Hence the 
 article in the Repertory could not possibly have any salutary in- 
 fluence on tl)e measure in. progress. 
 
 The article from the Repertory, above inserted, w-as generally, 
 even by those who sided with the professors, considered an un- 
 fortunate production; and it produced more surprise, alarm, and 
 heart-felt pain among the Old School men, than any thing pre- 
 viously issued upon the subject. Through the popularity of the 
 journal and. the supposed writers in it, its central location in the 
 bosom of the church, its being sustained by the oldest seminary 
 in the Presbyterian body, patronized by one of the oldest, largest, 
 and most intelligent Presbyteries in the United States, it exerted 
 a strong influence in dividing- the orthodox, and in bringing every 
 thing to a point of jeopardy. Thus it greatly aggravated and 
 protracted the difliculiies then existing in the church. 
 
 The first and immediate effect of that' article was seen with as- 
 tonishment, in dividing and paralyzing the Presbytery of New 
 Brunswick, w.hich ought to- have been foremost in sustaining the . 
 action of the minority in the General Assembly of 1834, as their 
 manifesto was intended, almost exclusively, to save from New 
 School rapacity, the seminary located centrally within its bounds. 
 This unhappy measure of a majority of the Presbytery, proceeded 
 from the influence of one or more of the professors over a large 
 number of the junior members, who had been connected with the 
 seminary under their care, and hence were, with great ease, sub- 
 jected to their control. 
 
 When this fact was made public, the churches, to a consi- 
 derable extent around, experienced a serious shock, and re- 
 sponded to it with unfaltering disapprobation. In the various 
 modes of condemnation they employed on this occasion, the 
 elders of the churches, in some cases, were more prompt and de- 
 cided than the ministers, and in some instances, did not hesitate 
 to reprove the vacillation and tardiness of their pastors, by openly 
 avowing their approbation of the Jict and Testimony, and by giv- 
 ing to it their public signature. The unwise and unhappy course 
 pursued by the seminary, through their or,n-a72, was, hailed with 
 triumph and exultation by the New School, as, in their opinion, 
 admirably adapted to strengthen their cause and extend their in- 
 fluence widely through the churches. It is recited and plead now, 
 by Mr. Judd, as one of his strong vindications of the Nev^' School 
 inveteracy. They gave this document warm support and exten- 
 sive circulation. In their disorganizing and mischievous periodi- 
 cals of every grade, they spread it out on their pages with triunnph, 
 
174 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 fraternizing, with apparent sincerity, with this new and unexpected 
 accession of Piinceion allies. Indeed, they used this apparently 
 congenial instrument wiih great diligence and adroitness, to sub- 
 serve their own evil purposes; of course without the desue or de- 
 sign of its authois. 
 
 After the rising of the Assembly of 1834, great interest was 
 manifested through the church on the subject of the convention 
 invited in the Act and Testimony to meet in Pittsburgh in May, 
 prior to the General Assembly, which had recently resolved to 
 hold its next annual meeting in that city. The New School were 
 excessively hostile to that measure, very justly fearing that its in- 
 fluence might be unfavourable to their plans. The sympathizers 
 with the Prin(;eton dissent, in general, assumed the same position, 
 and by their acti(»n undesignedly greatly strengthened the power 
 of the New Si-hooi party. Even in the Presbytery of New Bruns- 
 wick, a niajoiity denounced the convention as a caucus, and suc- 
 ceeded in preventing that Presbytery from sending a delegate to 
 represent them in that important conservative meeting o( the 
 church for consultation.* Already an impression of discouragc- 
 tnent and despondence, as to the result of the impending conflict, 
 began to affect the minds of many adherents of the Old School 
 body. The trustees of the theological seminary were engaged in 
 the laudable enier|)rise of collecting funds to endow and establish 
 that institution at Princeton. Many who had either subscribed to 
 that fund, or resnlved to participate in its accumulation, seeing the 
 success attendi.ig New School movements, and the lukewarmness 
 prevalent at Princeton, declined contributing until the result could 
 be more certainly predicted. Even the trustees of the seminary, 
 not knowing how soon, and how totally, the whole institution, 
 with its professors, edifices, libraries, funds, and assets en masse, 
 tnight pass into the hands of the New School, gave distinct inti- 
 mations to their agents and collectors to suspend their operations, 
 considering it much better that the funds in hand or in prospect 
 should remain in possession of the donors, than be placed within 
 reach of the rapacious foe. And what cannot but be regarded as 
 remarkable, while the condition and prospects of the church gene- 
 rally, and of the seminary in particular, were hanging in this state 
 of torturing suspense, the opposers of the Jlct and Testimony some 
 time continued their hostility to that document, and the general 
 relief measures contemplated. 
 
 So imminently exposed was the whole interest of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church considered, in consequence of the successes attending 
 New School artifice and encroachment, that a company of gen- 
 tlemen were designated by a large and respectable number of the 
 
 * The member who at^^ended that convention from this Presbytery, weni 
 At the suggestion of the minority in Presbytery. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 175 
 
 Old School, to proceed in a noiseless and unobserved manner, to 
 wait upon the professors at their homes, lo reason and remonstrate 
 with them on the subject of their position, if possible to induce 
 them to concur with their brethren in the public action of the 
 church. These gentlemen, agreeably to the arrangement made, 
 for them, assembled at Princeton in the autumn of 1836, and met 
 the professors in Dr. Hodge's study, whither they had been in- 
 vited to repair. At this conference, the three professors of the 
 seminary attended, and the Rev. J. W. Alexander was also pre- 
 sent. The following members of the Old School deputation were 
 in attendance; Rev. Dr. James Blythe, of South llanover, Indi- 
 ana, Dr. C. C. Cuyler, of Philadelphia, Dr. George Junkin, of 
 Easton, Pennsylvania, Dr. W. W. Phillips, of New York, and last 
 and least, the humble penman of these pages. 
 
 Nothing important or decisive was exhibited in this interview, 
 The parties, respectively, with much moderation, stated their 
 views, but without any decisive result. In the course of these 
 remarks, a gentleman in company took liberty to observe, that to 
 him there did not appear to be any great or serious obstacles be- 
 tween them, and that it really seemed very deplorable that so 
 great an interest should be left in suspense when the only differ- 
 ence appeared to be a mere matter of church policy. After an 
 interim of silence, perhaps five minutes in duration, the Rev. 
 James W. Alexander, then comparatively a young man, in a 
 very unassuming and respectful manner, repeated the suggestion, 
 that there was really very little difi'erence or distance between the 
 parlies, and manifested a strong desire that an entire reconcilia- 
 tion should take place. He urged very gently, that the parties 
 both desired the same thing, and they differed merely as to the 
 best manner of accomplishing it. This, said he, is not a sufficient 
 ground upon which to jeopardize so great an interest; wise men 
 do not act in this manner. In a strain somewhat like this, and of 
 very little greater extent, this remarker did more, probably, to- 
 wards adjusting the dilficulty, than any one who had preceded 
 him. The tone, as well as temper of his remarks, seemed a little 
 above his years, and that gave to them a peculiar emphasis. 
 After considerable deliberation on the subject among the assem- 
 bled delegates, though labouring under a disappointment which 
 they all greatly regretted, it was resolved to entrust the church a 
 while longer amidst appalling contingencies, to her watchful and 
 gracious owner and keeper, without attempting any change in 
 their system of action, and to press it on with all possible zeal 
 and vigor. The minuteness of this detail is intended to show the 
 extreme despondence on the state and prospects of the church, 
 which had seized the minds of many who were supposed to be as 
 well informed as any others on the subject, and thus in some 
 
176 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 measure to vindicate the orthodox body in general, for the mea- 
 sures they ultimately adopted to relieve the church. 
 
 Although the professors, and a majority of the Presbytery of 
 New Brunswick who acted in concert with them, were still con- 
 sidered as belonging to the Old School in reality, yet their conduct 
 was hi^lily disapproved as tending to produce suspicion, and to 
 weaken their iniluence, and to impair the standing and usefulness 
 of the seminary. To illustrate and confirm the preceding state- 
 ment, we introduce the following incident. In a neighbouring 
 city lived a rich, intelligent, and very devoted elder of the Old 
 .School bod}', of Scotch origin, education, and form of religion. 
 His zeal for the church was as strong as any other layman's. In 
 common with many of less distinction, he had received an im- 
 pression that very |)robably the church, through the indefatigable 
 and unscrupulous action of the New School, and this unhappy 
 diversion of the Professors and others in and about Princeton, 
 would in a short time go into New School possession and control. 
 He was not in favour of disgracing the Presbyterian name, and 
 scandalizing Christianity, by a protracted warfare with such des- 
 perate men as he saw in tlie field labouring for the captivity of 
 our Zion.* He occupied a first rate post for intelligence, and 
 well knew the inveteracy of the assailants, and honestly believed 
 that they would never relinquish their object till the church was 
 in their power, and the seminary plundered of its sacred spoils. 
 He was, consequently, very solicitous that the Princeton delega- 
 tion should ascertain whether the theological gentlemen there, 
 who had seconded the revolt from the Act and Testimony, were 
 determined to persist in their course. Unless some favourable 
 indications should be given, he and others like-minded, had re- 
 solved to abandon Princeton immediately to the control of the 
 adversar}', and take measures instantly to establish another semi- 
 nary, on grounds entirely out of their reach. For this purpose, 
 the monev was ready in bank; a beautiful site, with appropriate 
 grounds and edifices, was selected ; the principal officers for the 
 institution were designated from among the most prominent in 
 our church, and every thing ready for action. But the delegates 
 did not, on the whole, consider the condition of the seminary at 
 Princeton, exposed as it was, sufficiently desperate to warrant so 
 great a sacrifice and so decisive a change at that time. In this 
 feeling our highly respected fi'iends in New York cordially ac- 
 quiesced. 
 
 The following remarks and quotations are inserted to explain 
 the public character and position of Dr. A. Alexander, so far as 
 
 '■ The distinjcnished ojentlemfin here referred to was the Hon. liohert 
 Lenox, of Wall Street Church, New York. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINBKJATED.v lilt 
 
 connected with the reform measures- in the Pt-ssbyterian Church, 
 adopted by the successive General, Assemblies of 1830 to 1838. 
 
 From the year 1830 to 1837, the friends of Dr. Alexander, know- 
 ing his peculiar situation and great influence, felt anxious to discover 
 his opinions on the great question pending in the church. Being 
 very silent or uncommunicative on the subjects involved, very 
 little was known with certainty in regard to his private thoughts. 
 Hence he was involved indiscriminately and most reluctantly in 
 the feeling vvbich circulated to some extent, unfavourable to the 
 course pursued by most of the Princeton theologians. Public 
 opinion was unavoidably involved in suspense by this want of 
 light or evidence on the subject, in regard to several of these 
 gentlemen. 
 
 It is exceedingly gratifying to the writer, to find himself able to 
 shed much light on this interesting chapter of our history, by ex- 
 tracts from the " Life of Dr. Alexander" by his son, recently pub- 
 lished, New York, 8 vo., by Charles Scribner, 145 Nassau street, 
 a channel of intelligence on every subject treated, and especially 
 upon this, of the most important and unsuspected character. And 
 what renders this testimony the more agreeable to the writer, is, 
 the fact that all the items of knowledge which he had collected 
 from long and familiar intercourse with the Professor and other 
 authentic sources, in regard to this matter, and even most of the 
 iiypothetical opinions he had entertained from partial indications, 
 find in these brief extracts from Dr. Alexander's biography, illus- 
 tration and support. 
 
 On page 473^ he says: " That there exists a difference in opin- 
 ion in the church, in reference to certain doctrinal points, and as 
 to the precise import of the act adopting the Confession of Faith, 
 by candidates, at their licensure and ordination,. cannot be denied' 
 or concealed." Again: "We wished it to be understood, that 
 we were the determined opponents of all those in our communion 
 who manifested a leaning towards Arminian or Pelagian opinions 
 in theology, or who discovered a disposition to invade the princi- 
 ]les of Presbyterian Church government, or to exchange them for 
 those of the Congregational system. Against these, and against 
 all who manifested a desire to favour them, we have lifted our 
 voice from time to time." Several of these extracts are such as. 
 were copied by Dr. Alexander's biographer, either from private 
 i.o'es or published essays. 
 
 On page 47.5, early as the year 1831, he writes to a former 
 pupil: "My mind is fall of gloomy apprehensions respecting the- 
 affairs of our church, since the meeting of the last General As- 
 sembly. I cannnt foresee whither we shall be driven. I had' 
 never suspected that the new men and new measures would so» 
 soon prevail in the supreme judicatory of our church. . . » 
 
 M 
 
178 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 The burden and heat of the day will soon come upon the young 
 men, who will have great need to be strong, to preserve the ark 
 of the Lord from falling into the hands of ihe Philistines. Quit 
 yourselves like men." In a letter to Rev. VV". S. Plutner, he 
 writes: "Stand up bravely for the religion of your fathers, which 
 is also ours by deliberate choice, as well as inheritance." In 
 1834, he says: "If it is now found that our diilerenees are so 
 wide thctt we cannot live in peace, let us peaceably agree to sepa- 
 rate into two distinct denominations." Some time after, from 
 surveying the conflicts likely to result from division, he uses the 
 following language, page 476: "Upon mature deliberation, there- 
 fore, we declare our sentiments to be opposed to all scheme.-* 
 which tend to the division of the Presbyterian Church." But 
 soon, from counter views, his mind is changed : " Our church can- 
 not proceed much farther under her present organization. The 
 General Assembly ought not to be long continued in its present 
 form. . . . It IS necessary, for our very existence, that we 
 should separate." Page 477. 
 
 These few short extracts indicate with sufficient clearness the 
 course Dr. Alexander pursued through the trying season here re- 
 ferred to. He believed separation of such discordant elements 
 unavoidable — -indeed necessary — and yet took no active part in 
 the measures leading to it, except urging on, as above, junior 
 ministers in the church. He never signed the Act and Ttstanony, 
 which was the grand entering wedge of reform in the church. 
 But it is not known to the writer, that, by any public act or ex- 
 pression, he ever opposed or disapproved it. And nothing is more 
 certain — the minutes of the decisive Assembly of 1837 fully prove 
 and record the fact — that he was among the foremost, if nut the 
 very first, to suggest and carry out several of the triumphant 
 measures in general, which arose out of the Act and Testimony, 
 and were substantially based upon it. It is a sufficient reason 'iov 
 the Doctor's not signing that document, that he was daily sur- 
 rounded with a cluster of gentlemen, most of whom, were un- 
 friendlv to it, from whom a gentleman of his delicate sensibihty 
 and refinement of feeling, standing in the relation he sustained, 
 would naturally desire not to appear to difler. 
 
 As the Presbytery of New Drunswick has been seriously cen- 
 sured, as a body, for its opposition to the Act and Tesfiniony, the 
 incipient reform nieasure cominenced in the Assembly ot ]S34, 
 justice to this Presbytery requires the introduction into this nar- 
 rative, of the two extracts following, from their minutes, in Octo- 
 ber, 1836, and October, 1837. 
 
 Extract from the Minutes of the Presbytery of New Biunswick, 
 Freehold, October Ath, 1836, viz : 
 
 *' Mr. 1. V. Brown introduced summary resolutions on the slate 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 179 
 
 of the church, which were read and committed to Dr. Miller, Mr. 
 Brown, D. V. McLean, Sluddiford, Stryker, and VVynkoop." 
 
 The committee to whom were referred the resolutions intro- 
 duced by Mr. Brown, reported; the report was amended and 
 adopted, and is as follows, viz: 
 
 "I. Rt'soloed, That in the opinion of this Presbytery, the Rev. 
 Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Epistle to the Romans, has 
 published opinions materially at variance with the Confession ot 
 Faith of the Presbyterian Church, and with the word of God, 
 especially with regard to original sin, the relation of man to 
 Adam, and justification by faith in the atoning sacrifice of the 
 Redeemer; that the manner in which ho has controverted the 
 language and doctrines of our standards, is highly reprehensible, 
 and adapted to pervert the minds of the rising generation from 
 the simplicity of the gospel plan; and that the work referred to, 
 in its amended form in a late edition, contains representations 
 vs'hich cannot be reconciled with the letter or spirit of our public 
 standards, and of the Sacred Scriptures; especialJy as Mr. Barnes 
 has declared that he does not wish it to be understood, that in his 
 verbal alterations he has changed a single sentiment. 
 
 " II. Resolved, That this Presbytery, in superintending the theo- 
 logical education of Mr. Barnes, saw no satisfactory evidence 
 that he was unsound in the faith; and in taking his obligation for 
 licensure, they supposed him to be candid and honest, in receiving 
 the standards of our church without reservation, according to the 
 obvious import of the constitution. They cannot, therefore, but 
 view with surprise, deep regret, and disapprobation, the following 
 declarations, contained in his pretended vindication: *I have not 
 changed my views materially since I was licensed to preach the 
 gospel. In the theological seminary at Princeton, my views, 
 which were the same as now, were fully knovi'n; by the Presby- 
 tery of New Brunswick, by which I was licensed, they were, or 
 might have been, fully known.' The Presbytery, in tenderness 
 to Mr. Ijarnes, forbear to make any remark on these assertions, 
 and leave them to a candid and discerning public, to draw the 
 unavoidable inference. 
 
 '* III. Resoloed, That the right to private construction of articles, 
 asserted by ministers of our communion in the ordination engage- 
 ment, the practice openly advocated by many, of adopting the 
 standards of our church *as a system and for substance of doc- 
 trine,' and the plan of making mental reservations in that solemn 
 service, with a view to 'examining the language and forming an 
 opinion' afterwards of the doctrines received, are errors which 
 derive no countenance either from the constitution of our church, 
 or her practice, while uncorrupted — errors which this Presbytery 
 have, not only with undeviating uniformity avoided sanctioning 
 
180 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 or in the slightest degree tolerating within our body, but which they 
 consider as uncandid and dishonest,by whomsoever practiced ;-as in- 
 consistent with a right understanding of the terms of our ordination 
 vow ; as opening a door for corruption and disorder in the church ; 
 and as a violation of the spirit of the constitution, which declares, 
 chap, xxviii, sec. 4, that 'an oath is to be taken in the plain and 
 common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental re- 
 servation.' 
 
 *' IV. Resolced, That whereas the Presbyterian Church in the 
 United States, in their constiluiion and form of government, and 
 in repeated declarations made through their representatives, have 
 solemnly recognized the importance of the missionary cause, and 
 their obligation, as well as right, to promote it by all means in 
 their power; and whereas their acknowledgment and declaratian 
 have never gone forth to the full extent of the obligations imposed 
 upon them by the head of the church ; and whereas this Presby- 
 tery solemnly believe, that one principal object in the constitution 
 of the church, by the Lord Jesus Christ,, was the diffusion of di- 
 vine truth through the earth, and the 'preaching of the gospel to 
 every creature,' through the instrumentality of united effort by 
 the church, in her organized capacity ; therefore, whilst this Pres- 
 bytery would unfeignedly rejoice in the goodness of the Lord, 
 manifested in employing the instrumentality of others to send sal-- 
 vation to the heathen, at the same time earnest!}' desirous to co- 
 operate in this great work, to fulfil, at least in part, their own ob- 
 ligation, and to answer the just expectations of the friends of 
 Christ in other denominations, and in other countries, in obedience 
 to what is believed to be the command of Christ, Presbytery 
 hereby declare their opinion that the Presbyterian Church in these 
 United States, in its nature and constitution, is a missionary so- 
 ciety, whose object is to aid the conversion of the world to God ; 
 and that every member of the church is a life member of saidso- 
 ciety, bound to do all in his power for the accomplishment of this 
 object; that the organization of the Presbyterian Church is such, 
 that the General Asseinbly is her proper organ in the missionary 
 work, possessing every qualification, and affording every facility, 
 for its successful prosecution, without external conflict or internal 
 confusion; that the act of the majority in the late Assembly, re- 
 fusing to ratify the adoption of the VVestern Board of Foreign 
 Missions, agreeably to an arrangement made with the Synod of 
 Pittsburgh by the preceding General Assembly, manifests a want 
 of good faith with that body, and fidelity in observing contracts; 
 exhibits a want of kindness to the large and respectable minority 
 in that General Assembly, and to the multitudes at large who 
 loud'l'y tanaintain the right and claim the privilege of conducting 
 Foreign Missions, by the General Assembly, as the proper organ. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 181 
 
 •' V. Resolved, That this Presbytery do now become, and de- 
 clare themselves to be auxiliary to the Western Board of Foreign 
 Missions, under the care of the Synod of Pittsburgh, and recom- 
 mend said Board to the liberal patronage of the churches in con- 
 nexion with this Presbytery. 
 
 . " VI. Resolved, That this Presbytery, solemnly considering the 
 distracted and increasingly unhappy condition of our beloved 
 church, desire to designate, as the basis of their opinions, here- 
 with communicated, some of the principal causes to which the 
 painful and threatening evils experienced and apprehended in the 
 ■church, may, and must justly, be traced. 
 
 "First: The introduction and propagation of doctrines, by 
 ministers in our connexion, essentially at variance with our sys- 
 tem of faith and with the word of God ; the evidence of which ex- 
 ists in numerous sermons, pamphlets, and papers, issued within 
 our bounds, and by ministers in our connexion ; in a long train of 
 legislative and judicial actsof successive General Assemblies, and 
 inferior judicatories ; the result of which has been the injury of 
 the cause of truth, by sheltering heretical books and teachers, and 
 especially in the extensive diffusion of Mr. Barnes' unsound publi- 
 cations, which have recently obtained the sanction of a majority 
 of the supreme judicatory of our church, whose annals have thus 
 become the history, and whose authority the safeguard of Arminian 
 and Pelagian heresy. 
 
 "Secondly: The unconstitutional efforts of several successive 
 General Assemblies to favour the introduction of false doctrines and 
 to screen their propagators, by authorizing the erection of Presby- 
 teries on the principle of 'elective affinity,' which is repugnant 
 both to the letter and spirit of our organization and government. 
 
 " Third : The Assembly's giving their sanction to tiiu disorgan- 
 izing assumptions advanced recently in an elaborate plea before 
 them, that candidates may and of right ought to be admitted to 
 the holy office, materially ' differing in opinion from our known 
 standards in doctrine, worship, and government,' on the ground 
 of scruples, neither avowed by themselves, nor sanctioned by ex- 
 isting rule, on competent authority; that the Confession of Faith 
 may be received and signed, ' for substance of doctrine, or for 
 system,' with reservations. 
 
 " Fourth : The open avowal, by the majority of the last As- 
 sembly, that that body is not competent, and has no right to con- 
 duct missionary operations, accompanying this declaration with 
 an act refusing to confirm the contract of a previous Assembly's 
 committee, for the transfer of the Western Foreign Missionary 
 Board, thus depriving the orthodox body of the privilege of serv- 
 ing God and their generation, according to the constitution of the 
 church and the dictates of their own hearts, at the same time af- 
 
183 OLD SCHOOL VI\DICATED. 
 
 fording alarming evidence of a design 1o supersede the boards 
 and inslitulions of our church, and substitute for them, and im- 
 pose upon the Presbyterian body, an unconstitutional and ineffi- 
 cient system. This Presbytery, therefore, do in the fear of God, 
 solemnly declare it as their deliberate judgment, that they can 
 see no prospect of our being able to accomplish the great objects 
 for which the church was founded, and for wliich Christian fel- 
 lowship ought to be cherished, by the continuance of the discor- 
 dant parts of the Presbyterian Church in one body. 
 
 "Resolced, That the foregoing resolutions be printed in the 
 Presbyterian, and New York Observer." 
 
 Extract from the Minutes of the Presbytery of JVew Brunsuich, 
 at Trenton, October, 1837. 
 
 " The committee appointed to examine the printed minutes of 
 the last General Assembly, brought in their report, which, after 
 amendment, was adopted, and is as follows, viz: 
 
 "That although in ordinary circumstances, it might be deemed 
 unnecessary, if not unsuitable, for Presbyteries to express judg- 
 ments on the proceedings of the highest judicatories of the church, 
 yet as the doings of the last Assembly have been made the sub- 
 ject of much animadversion, and even of great severity of cen- 
 sure, on the part of some other Presbyteries, it may be due to 
 truth and justice to express the opinion of this Presbytery in re- 
 gard to some of the most prominent acts of that body. This be- 
 comes the more advisable, because the expressed opinions of the 
 inferior judicatories may furnish an important indication of the 
 course most proper to be pursued in future. Therefore, 
 
 "I. Resolved, That agreeably to the judgment expressed by 
 this Presbytery, at its stated meeting in April last, the Plan of 
 Union adopted by the General Assembly of 1801, was formed 
 without anv legitimate authority; that it was entirely unconstitu- 
 tional; that its operation for a number of years past, has been in- 
 jurious to the interests of the Presbyterian Churcli ; and that the 
 last Assembly, in abrogating that Plan, fulfilled an obvious and 
 important duty to the churches under its care. 
 
 " II. Resolved, That although we respect and love the Congre- 
 gational Churches, and desire to maintain Christian intercourse 
 with them, yet in the judgment of this Presbytery, the incorpora- 
 ting of churches formed on Congregational principles with the 
 Presbyterian Church, was an unnatural union, which could not 
 fail of interfering with the orderly and comfortable operation of 
 our system, and ought to be regarded as such, at whatever time, 
 or by whatever means, it was formed, and which ought by no 
 means to bo continued. 
 
 "III. Resolved, That upon the principles of the preceding reso- 
 lutions, the Svnod of the Western Reserve never had any consti- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 183 
 
 tutional connexion with the Presbyterian Church ; and therefore, 
 that the General Assembly, in declaring said Synod no longer 
 connected with our body, formed a decision equally just and con- 
 formable to the spirit of our form of government. 
 
 "IV. Resolved, That in the judgment of this Presbytery, the 
 act of the General Assembly, declaring the Synod of Utica, Ge- 
 neva, and Genesee to be no longer connected with our body, was 
 equally just and proper with the act of the Assembly in the case 
 of the Western Reserve; for whether the said three Synods de- 
 rived their origin from the Plan of Union of 1801, as many of 
 their churches doubtless did, or, as has been alleged, chiefly from 
 the act of the Assembly of 180S, by which two large bodies of 
 Con^refjational ministers and churches were r-eceived, retaining 
 iheir Congregational character as constituent parts of the then 
 Synod of Albany, they cannot be considered as occupying, on 
 account of this alleged origin, any more favourable ground than 
 the Synod of Western Reserve. On the contrary, the act of 
 1808, being a still more palpable and extraordinary violation of 
 our ecclesiastical constilution, than even the plan of 1801, the 
 former furnishes a basis even less tenable than the latter, for the 
 support of a Presbyterian body. To which may be added the 
 notorious fact, that a large number of the churches and ministers 
 composing the said Synod, were not only Congregational when 
 first irregularly introduced into the Presbyterian Church, but still 
 retain that form of government. 
 
 " V. Rfsohed, That in the judgment of this Presbytery, the de- 
 rision of the General Assembly, in declaring that the four Synods 
 disowned, never had been constitutionally united with the Pres- 
 byterian Church, and cannot now be considered as connected 
 with our body, ought by no means, to be rescinded, nor any part 
 of those Synods to be restored to membership with the General 
 Assembly, in any other way than that pointed out by the Assem- 
 bly, on page 445 of its printed minutes, viz. * By any Presbytery, 
 if such there be, strictly Presbyterian in doctrine and order, and 
 by any individual churches and ministers of like character, sepa- 
 rating themselves from their Congregational neighbours and mak- 
 ing application, with proper evidence of their character and 
 wishes, as the case may be, either to the next General Assembly, 
 or to some convenient Presbytery or Synod, authorized to take 
 order thereon.' " 
 
284 OLD SCHOOL VINDICA'PED. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The danger of having Literary Journals connected with Theological Semi- 
 naries — General character and influence of the Assembly of 1834 — Public 
 sentiment — Controversy between the General Assembly and the Home 
 Missionary and Presbyterian Education Societies — Dr. J. L. Wilson's 
 four propositions. 
 
 A serious impression had occupied many minds a long time, 
 that while much good might be anticipated jVom the Repertory,* 
 published at Princeton, under patronage of the Seminary, and as 
 its organ, that, managed as it has been, some corresponding evils 
 might spring from the same source. A few years past, some 
 good men think, have in part realized these apprehensions. It is 
 possible, by slow degrees, and without design, even with a view 
 of extended usefulness, to invert the natural order, and even the 
 studied arrangement of things, so far as to make the power which 
 was intended to be subordinate, become not only co-ordinate, but 
 supreme; or, at least, to exhibit quite serious advances towards 
 accomplishing this inversion. 
 
 And here, to guard against misapprehension of the following 
 incidental remarks, let it be observed, that there is a tendency 
 around all literary institutions to concentrate talent and influence, 
 by many instrumentalities. Theological institutions are by no 
 means exempt from these unavoidable or contingent susceptibili- 
 ties. Place a man of intellectual vigor and moral worth where 
 you please, and employ him as you choose, he becomes a centre 
 of attraction and influence. A pastor of a church, of intelligence 
 and sound discretion, may, in a few years, make himself a little 
 monarch among the people of his charge, and to some extent 
 around. This shows, among other things, the importance of per- 
 manence in the pastoral relation. 
 
 A theological professor of ordinary merit, grows naturally and 
 certainly into great influence and authority, and it is desirable, to 
 ■a considerable extent, that he should. As his acquaintance through 
 the church extends, his character, his appropriate literature and 
 'labours, become better and better known and appreciated; his 
 pupils multiply and scatter through the church, and over the land, 
 proclaiming his worth and his praises, which is right, widely 
 among the masses. The professor derives, of course, great ac- 
 cessions of credit and power, i'rom all these universally pervading 
 channels of influence, as a scholar, a gentleman, a sage, a saint, an 
 orator, a philosopher, a critic, &c., &c. All very well for the good 
 
 ■* It appears from " Alexander's Life," that Dr. Ilodge was, from the be- 
 ginning, the Editor of that publication. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 1S5 
 
 of the institution, and, perhaps, of the man ; for practical purposes, 
 fictitious capital is often as good as real. 
 
 While the above process has been proceeding, and these lite- 
 rary efforts or interests have been successfully advancing, the 
 professor, of course, begins to extend the range of his views with 
 the estimate of his powers, and sometimes comes to the conclu- 
 sion that nothing is so sacred or so elevated, as to be placed be- 
 yond his reach. Thus he gradually forgets, or transcends his 
 proper sphere, and this is the charge that has been brought 
 against the Repertory. For some time, the suggestion that this 
 excellent journal has not confined itself strictly, perhaps, within 
 its proper limits, but systematically, and without any justifiable 
 motive or useful result, criticised and condemned the solemn acts 
 and adjudications of the General Assembly as the supreme guar- 
 dian of the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 Now, when it is considered that this seminary belongs to the 
 General Assembly, is under its constant supervision and control, 
 that the professors of the institution were appointed by her, are de- 
 pendent upon her, in ail things amenable to her, have been instructed 
 by her as to every prominent and important act, is it wonderful that 
 the question should be asked, in good earnest and great kindness, 
 " Shall the church control the seminaries, or the seminaries control 
 the church ?" Suppose, for a moment, that the seminaries, north, 
 south, east, and west, and many others as is probable will be 
 created, to the number of scores, so far as we can see ahead, 
 and each possess its learned and ambitious faculty, its literary 
 and theological journal, taking annually the same liberty to criti- 
 cise, dissect, reverse, condemn, the laboured and solemn opinions, 
 instructions, and decisions, sent out to the church by her sovereign 
 authority, through the land — can harmony be rationally antici- 
 pated among these rival institutions, or the General Assembly be 
 reverently regarded as the bond of union and peace in the I'res- 
 byterian body? Is there not reason to fear that battles of 
 books, of journals, of critics, of professors, of theories and specu- 
 lations, of doctrines and governments, of l)aptisms and rites, of 
 forms and modes, may spring up and greatly annoy the church? 
 Who can foresee what conflicts between rival seminaries, jealousies 
 between sectional districts, ecclesiastical functionaries, and various 
 powers and interests, may start into being? Competition will arise, 
 in criticising the measures of the Assembly, in testing her deci- 
 sions, correcting her errors, reproving her neglects, or commend- 
 ing her zeal and fidelity; all originating in the Repertories within 
 her bosom, and to be referred to the ambition, arrogance, or pre- 
 sumption and folly, of the editors or contributors to these theo- 
 logical journals. Will such exhibitions tend to establish the Gen- 
 eral Assembly in her constitutional power, her calm and temperate 
 
186 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 mode of action ? to confirm and perpetuate our noble ecclesiasti- 
 cal system in all its peculiar and salutary principles and rules? 
 or will it not rather contribute to render our supreme council a 
 timid, feeble, vacillating, and inefficacious machine, either exer- 
 cising tyrannical power, or unduly yielding to the paramount in- 
 fluence of some monthly or quarterly within her own limits, more 
 popular and formidable than others, in this unnatural and unwar- 
 rantable crusade against the mother of us all? 
 
 Besides, it is a very grave and important question, what is to 
 be the probable influence of this state of things, in progress of 
 years, upon the real character of didactic and polemic theology, 
 and kindred topics, through the Presbyterian Church, and our 
 country at large. The general character of the age we live in, 
 and of the land we inhabit, the constitution, the habits, and ruling 
 passions of our increasing population, are evidently favourable to 
 progress, invention, novelty. That old systems of truth and or- 
 der hiive grown stale with time, is the remark frequently made: 
 their foundations must be broken up, and new theories and specu- 
 lations, often at the expense of truth, built upon them. The mind 
 of inuliitudes of men, in church as well as state, possessing ge- 
 nius, talent, and learning, have become restless and impatient un- 
 der the hitherto dominant and salutary restrictions of literary 
 taste and theological authority. There is a general relaxation of 
 obligation and respect fjr the established and venerated standards 
 of truth, now visibl-e through the whole of society, in every de- 
 partment of science, of philosophy, and of morals and religion. 
 
 Now, if the channels of inquiry, discussion, and criticism, of 
 theory and speculation on sacred topics, are thrown widely open, 
 as at present, and if the spirit of competition, thirst for distinction 
 or pre-eminence, and the desire of developing new systems, 
 schemes, and shades of truth, be prompted by Ir.ige facilities and 
 license, to engnge in this ambitious rivalry bciween the organs 
 and professors of co-ordinate institutions, whose characters, num- 
 ber of students, strength and resouices, standing find influence, 
 are all to be graduated by the result of this contest, who can an- 
 ticipate justly the effects likely to spring from these conflicts? 
 Can utiiformity, harmony, happy union and success, be rationally 
 expected long to prevail in the great Presbyterian body, when 
 competitions, jealousies, and animosities, are every where actively 
 at work? The truth is, our seminaries, if possible, should be kept 
 out of this vortex. Some have long maintained, at least in private 
 circles, that even the professors of our seminaries should have ex- 
 tremely little, if any tiling, to do with ecclesiastical legislation, or 
 the action of the General Assembly. It has always appeared as 
 a matter, the propriety of which might be well contested, the fre- 
 quent attendance of professors at the sessions of the General As- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 187 
 
 sembly, entering warnnly into all her measures, her debates, con- 
 troversies, her appeals, and agitations, whether of public or private 
 interest. And we are greatly strengthened in this impression, by 
 the opinion of at least one of the venerable professors, who has, 
 we doubt not, by order of the Master of all assemblies, left his 
 chair at Princeton vacant recently, to go up higher, even to the 
 General Assennbiy of the first born. 
 
 It cannot be doubted, that the system of fheoiogicr.j education 
 and training, upon which the church is relying to sustain her mul- 
 tiplying exigencies and expanding entei-prise, must undergo a con- 
 siderable change; from the vastness of our national territory, and 
 widening of the missionary field at home and abroad, it is evident 
 there must be a proportionate extension of educational means, 
 and multiplication of theological institutions. The restless and 
 enterprising spirit of the age we live in, and the very air we 
 breathe, will engender elements of difficulty profusely, and cast 
 dangers into the bosoms of these seminaties. It will be no easy, 
 no unimportant work, to place them, and to maintain them un- 
 der salutary control, a control and discipline as much needed, 
 and perhaps more, by the faculties and professors, as by the stu- 
 dents. From secular, mere literary institutions, we may infer 
 something in regard to theological. Now is the time to settle 
 principles, ascertain limits, fix laws, form habits, on this great 
 and conimanding subject, which, if neglected now, may rend the 
 church, and prove disastrous to the great moral and religious in- 
 terests of this western world. Prove all things — hold fast that 
 which is good. 
 
 In regard to the general character and influence of the Assem- 
 bly of 1834, the spectators who then gave their attendance and 
 pronounced their opinion, and multitudes in and out of the church, 
 who have since observed the result of that long and solemn meet- 
 ing, have not hesitated to declare their honest conviction, that 
 through the influence of Divine Providence, it was more than any 
 other specific instrumentality employed, the effective means of pro- 
 ducing that happy expurgation of the Presbyterian family, which 
 was consummated in 1837. l( the New School triumph in the As- 
 sembly of 1834 was evil, it was short. In the Assembly of 1835, 
 which met at Pittsburgh, the convention invited by the Act and Tes- 
 limonv, so efiectually restrained the power of the New School, 
 that they obtained no signal victory in that Assembly, but were 
 checked in their progress, and cast into such a position as very 
 speedily led to their entire ejection from the cliurch. The so 
 much abused minority of 1834, and their momentous Jet and 
 Testimony, were the principal means of bringing deliverance and 
 trium[)h. 
 
 A controv^ersy between the General x\ssembly, by her consti- 
 
188 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 tuted Missionary Boards, and the Annerican Home Missionary 
 Society, and the Presbyterian Education Society, for supremacy 
 and exclusiveness in the management of their business within tlie 
 bounds of the Presbyterian Church, had been progressing for se- 
 veral years with increasing warmth. These societies had no 
 sanction for existence and operation within the Hmits of the Pres- 
 byterian body ; neither were they at all responsible to the Assem- 
 bly for their conduct. They were called voluntary societies, 
 because they claimed perfect independence of all control, and as- 
 sumed the right of acting according to their own sovereign plea- 
 sure, in opposition to the boards of the church, in concert with 
 spurious Presbyteries, who were ensraged in training, ^licensing, 
 and ordaining young men, unsound in the faith, to be located and 
 employed by these voluntary societies at pleasure, through the 
 wide expanse of the Presbyterian field, to propagate their tieresies, 
 promote disorder, and sow the seeds of Congregationalism through 
 the churches. To expose and impair this infecting system of 
 operation, about this period, {1832.) Dr. Joshua L. Wilson, of 
 (vincinnati, who may justly be styled the father o{ Presbyterian- 
 ism in the West, a man of decided talents, purity, power, and ur>- 
 tiring zeal in the cause of truth, attempted to establish against the 
 voluntary societies, the four folluwing propositions, viz^ 
 
 " I. The Lord Jesus Christ has committed the management of 
 Christian missions to his church. 
 
 "JI. The Presbyterian Church, being one great family of the 
 church of Jesus Christ, is by her f)rm of government, organized 
 into a Christian Missionary Society. 
 
 "III. The American Home Missionary Society is not an ec- 
 clesiastical, but a civil institution. 
 
 "IV. By interference and importunity, she dist-urbs the peace, 
 and injures the prosperity, of the Presbyterian Church." 
 
 A convention from twenty Presbyteries met in Cincinnati in 
 the month of November next ensuing, A majority of the conven- 
 tion decided against "a united agency of Home Missions for the 
 VVest," and in " favour of the General Assembly's mode of con- 
 ducting missions." Of this decision, the minority complained. 
 They published a report to the Presbyteries in the valley of the 
 Mississippi, in which they say that the " Synod of Pittsburgh had 
 a controlling influence in the convention;" "that the votes of that 
 Synod carried every question." They also complained, that the 
 " ollicial influence of the Board of Missions was employed to pre- 
 vent union in the West." 
 
 Mr. Judd's account of the effect of these measures is amusing, viz : 
 
 " This determined opposition to the American Home Missionary 
 Society, (Judd, p. 100,) hastened the general controversy respect- 
 ing the most eligible method of conducting the various benevolent 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 189 
 
 operations of the church. Most who were in favour of conduct- 
 ing them by boards especially of the General Assembly, became 
 more decided and zealous in support of their peculiar policy, and 
 increasingly hostile to the operations within the bounds of the 
 Presbyteiian Church, of societies organized and conducted upon 
 the voluntary principle. The advocates for conducting all the 
 •benevolent operations of the church by boards under ecclesiasti- 
 cal supervision, increased in number, and their policy became 
 more and more exclusive and intolerant.. Hence those who were 
 from principle,'** {Congregationalisls, i. e. New School men,) " in 
 favour of voluntary societies, were laid under the necessity of 
 abandoning their conscientious preferences, or of defending them. 
 A sense of duty constrained them to adopt the latter course."' 
 The following twenty pages of Mr. Judd's volume are employed 
 in detailing the disgraceful and disgusting contest into which the 
 voluntary societies had compelled the Assembly to engage, to ex- 
 clude these voluntary intermeddlers from their Presbyteries and 
 congregations, and to prevent, if possible, their constant inter- 
 ference with all the business of the church. It is really amusing 
 to see Mr. Judd, in the midst of his tirade against the Assembly, 
 for not tolerating the gross New School innovations and assaults 
 upon Presbyterian order, in connexion with, missions, writing 
 about "conscientious preferences," "being laid under the neces- 
 sity of defending them." What secret or open power, argument, 
 or influence, could possibly justify their hostile and rapacious acts 
 against the Presbyterian Church? It was their own deliberate, 
 voluntary, self-moving preference for New England men and 
 ineasures. They came in among us, but they were not of us. 
 Their hearts, their affections, their aims, their efforts, were all 
 directed to New England. They hated the Presbyterian Church, 
 and they intended and laboured hard to destroy it. By their 
 fruits, ye shall know them.. But they have failed, and we gire 
 tiianks to God for the deliverance.. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Convention called to meet in Pittsburgh, by Act and Testimony — Their 
 action— Memorial . 
 
 The convention called by the s-ignersof the Act and Testimony, 
 together with the minority of the last General Assembly, and 
 
 * This admission, of itself, is sufficient to condemn the whole course of 
 the New School party. 
 
190 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Others, in May, 1834, met in the Second Presbyterian Chctrch of 
 Pittsburgh, on the 14lh ot' May, 1835. The Rev. John Wither- 
 spoon was called tu the chair, and Rev. I. V. Brown and the 
 Rev. Thi)mas Alexander, were appointed secretaries pro tern. 
 The convention was opened by prayer, about fifty delegates being 
 present, which number was increased by additions at subsequent 
 meetings. The Rev. Dr. Ashbel Green was elected president, and 
 look his seat accordingly. The convention appointed and ob- 
 served the 18th inst., as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, 
 with special reference to the objects for which they assembled. 
 
 The committee, previously appointed for the purpose, on the 
 manner of addressing the General Assembly, reported : 1. That 
 the only expedient form is that of respectful memorial and peti- 
 tion. 2. That a committee be appointed to prepare such memo- 
 rial, when the convention shall have decided the points to be 
 embodied therein. 
 
 The great object contemplated in calling the convention was 
 not less appropriate than important, that of collecting informa- 
 tion on the state of the church, through all the channels and 
 from all the sources which might be laid open at the meeting, 
 and presenting that intelligence to the Assembly, with a memo- 
 rial based upon it, suggesting some principal measures required 
 to terminate or diminish the evils prevalent in the churclies. If 
 wrong information had been received, and thereby wrong im- 
 pressions made, it was esteemed very desirable to correct these 
 errors, and this meeting appeared well calculated to afford the 
 means. On the other hand, if the truth had been only partially 
 reported, and that small portion very iniperfectly circulated, this 
 meeting furnished a well adapted remedy. The memorial ad- 
 dressed to the Assembly was their principal measure, and, in 
 substance, appears in the minutes of that Assembly, The con- 
 vention passed several resolutions, having a direct and salutary 
 bearing upon the condition of the church, vi^hich we shall insert 
 without comment. 
 
 In connexion with the memorial from the minority of the 
 Cincinnati Presbytery, on the state of the church in Western 
 Ohio, the convention resolved: 
 
 " 1. That the operation of any missionary society within the 
 Presbyterian Church, and not responsible to her judicatories, is 
 an infringement of her rights, and inconsistetit with her integrity 
 and peace. 
 
 " 2. That the operation of any education society within the 
 bounds of the Presbyterian Church, for the training of her min- 
 istry, independent of her ecclesiastical judicatories, is a usurpa- 
 tion of the rights of the church, and ought to be resisted, as 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. ISt 
 
 tending to iiudermine her own education board, and the inde- 
 pendence of her ministry. 
 
 ^^ Resoloed, That the subjects contained in the above resolu- 
 tions be referred to the committee on addressing the Assemblj% 
 
 " Resolved, Tiiat the committee appointed to draft a memorial 
 to the assembly, make such a statement relative to tlie forma- 
 tion of ecclesiastical judicatories, on what has been called the 
 principle of 'elective affinity,' as shall express the disapproba- 
 tion of this convention, of all action on that principle, by any 
 judicatory of this cburch, and our desire, that the evils which 
 have already been produced, by acting on said principle, may 
 be redressed. 
 
 '^Resolved also, That the right of examining, and after exami-, 
 nation of receiving, or refusing to receive, any minister, licen- 
 tiate or candidate, whether from foreign bodies or from Presby- 
 teries of our own church, however sustained by credential, is 
 inherent in every Presbytery, and is essential to its well-being. 
 
 " Resolved, That the subject of doctrinal errors, existitig in th» 
 Presbyterian Church, and also, that of the repeal of the resolu- 
 tion of the last General Assembly, touching the right of judica- 
 tories, to try and condemn heretical publications, be also re- 
 ferred to said committee as proper to be inserted in the memo- 
 rial." 
 
 Sundry other resolutions contempleting the same object, we 
 omit the insertion of, to secure space for the following highly 
 important and impressive resolve: 
 
 " Resolved, That the conmiittee on the memorial be instruct- 
 ed to present to the General Assembly, thn, solemn conviction 
 of this convention ; that the Presbyterian Church owes it as a 
 sacred duty to her glorified Head, to yield a far more exempla- 
 ry obedience, and that in her distinctive character as a church, 
 to tht; command which he gave at liis ascension into Heaven — 
 'go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every crea- 
 ture.' It is believed to be among the causes of the frowns of 
 the great head of the church, which are now resting upon our 
 beloved zion, in the declension of vital piety and the disorders 
 and divisions that distract us, that we have done so little, com- 
 paratively nothing, in our distinctive character as a church of 
 Christ, to send the gospel to the heathens, the Jews and the 
 Mahommedans, It is regarded as of vital importance to tha 
 welfare of our church, that foreign as well as domestic missions, 
 should be more zealously prosecuted and more liberally patron- 
 ized, and that as a nucleus of foreign missionary etfort and 
 operation, 'The Western Foreign Missionary Society should 
 receive the countenance, as it appears to us to merit the conii- 
 
192 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 dence of those who cherish an attachment to the doctrine and 
 order of the church to which we belong." ' 
 
 After some discussion, th-e above document was committed 
 to Rev. Messrs. BIythe, Cuyler and Witherspoon, with instruc- 
 tions to present it to the notice of the General Assembly, in 
 whatever way was deemed best. 
 
 As closely connected with the object in view, the convention 
 unanimously passed the following resolutions: 
 
 " 1. That the thanks of this house be given to those editors of 
 religious papers who, by giving publicity to ' The Act and Tes- 
 limonj/,' and other documents connected with the same, have 
 contributed to the furtherance of the views of this convention, 
 in reference to the much desired reform in the church. 
 
 " 2. That this convention are deeply impressed with the con- 
 viction, that the Act and Testimony prepared by some of tlie 
 minority of the last General Assemby, in connexion with other 
 brethren, and since that time so extensively adopted, has been 
 under the smiles and blessings of God, of marked and extensive 
 benefit to our beloved churclL 
 
 " 3. That we recognize our obligations in the most lively 
 gratitude to God, for the care of providence in bringing togeth- • 
 er the members of the convention, in health and safety, and in 
 an especial manner for uniting us together in the most harmo- 
 nious accord in all the measures that have been discussed and 
 adopted." 
 
 After passing these acts, and spending some time in prayer 
 and praise to God, the apostolic benediction was pronounced, 
 and the president declared the convention finally dissolved. 
 
 Having already stated with sufficient fulness and clearness, 
 most of the prominent points which were referred to the com- 
 mittee to draft the memorial, with powers and instructions, we 
 refer the reader to the act of the General Assembly on the me- 
 morial, which exhibits that document without any material 
 change. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Oeneral Assembly in Pittsburg, May, 1835 — Memorial received from the 
 Convention — Resolutions accompanying and based upon it. 
 
 In the General Assembly which met in the first Presbyterian 
 Church, of Pittsburgh, on the 2lst of May, 1835, the Rev. Wm. 
 W. Phillips, D. D , was chosen Moderator. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 195 
 
 The following record embraces, substantially, the memorial 
 presented to the General Assembly, by the convention, ati 
 account of which precedes. 
 
 "The committee to whom was referred the memorial and 
 petition of a number of ministers and ruling elders of the Pres- 
 byterian Church, and certain other papers relating to the same 
 or kindred subjects, beg leave to report — that they have en- 
 deavoured to deliberate on the said memorial and petition, and 
 other papers committed to them, with all that respect which 
 the character of those from whom they come, could not fail to 
 inspire; and with all the calmness, impartiality and solemnity, 
 which the deep importance of the subjects on which they have 
 addressed the Assembly, so manifestly demands. 
 
 "In approaching the consideration of these weighty subjects, 
 the committee deemed it to be an obvious duty, to exclude 
 from their views all those principles which result from the 
 wishes or plans of diiferent parties in the church, and to take 
 for their guide, simply the word of God, which we consider the 
 only infallible rule of faith and practice ; and those public for- 
 mularies, by which we have solemnly agreed and stipulated 
 with each other, to be governed in all our proceedings. The 
 moment we depart from these, we are not only exposed to all 
 the evils of discord, but also run the risk of destroying those 
 bonds of union by which we have been so long bound together 
 as an ecclesiastical body. There is certainly no portion of the 
 visible church, in which a harmonious accordance with the 
 same adopted formularies, and a uniform submission to the 
 same rules of truth and order, are so essential to the mainte- 
 nance of ecclesiastical peace and to cordial co-operation, in pro- 
 moting the great purposes for which the church was founded, 
 by her king and head, as among the churches of our denomi- 
 nation. The committee, indeed, by no means expect,, and do 
 not suppose, that the Assembly would think of enforcing that 
 perfect agreement of views in every minute particular which, 
 in a body so extended as the Presbyterian Church, has perhaps 
 never been realized. But that an entire and cordial agreement 
 in all the radical principles of that system of truth and order,, 
 which is taught in the Holy Scriptures — which is embodied in 
 our confessions of faith and form of government, and which 
 every minister and elder of the Presbyterian Church has solemn- 
 ly subscribed and promised to maintain, may not only be rea- 
 sonably expected, but must be, as far as possible, secured, if we 
 would maintain the ' unity of the spirit,' in the bonds of peace 
 and love. This, it is presumed, the General Assembly will be 
 unanimous in pronouncing. If this be not so, it is in vain that 
 we assemble from year to year ; in vain that we hope for in* 
 
194 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 tercourse, either pleasant or edifying. Our judicatories musl 
 be scenes of discord and conflict, and the ties which bind the 
 several parts of our extended body to each other, can scarcely 
 fail of being ties to strife and contention. 
 
 "Under convictions which these general principles are adapted 
 to impress, the committee most deeply feel the importance of 
 some of the conclusions to which they are constrained to come ; 
 and although some of these conclusions are at variance with 
 several acts of the last General Assembly, yet they cannot doubt 
 that they make an essential part of the Presbyterian system, 
 and of course cannot be abandoned, without seriously endan- 
 gering both the comfort and the safety of our beloved church. 
 
 " The committee, therefore, as the result of their deliberations 
 on the documents committed to them, would most respectfully 
 recommend to the Assembly the adoption of the following reso- 
 lutions, viz : 
 
 "I. Resolved, That in the judgment of this General Assem- 
 bly, it is the right of every Presbytery, to be entirely satisfied 
 of the soundness in the faith, and the good cliaracter in every 
 respect, of those ministers who apply to be admitted into the 
 Presbytery as members, and who bring testimonials of good 
 standing from sister Presbyteries, or from foreign bodies, with 
 whom the Presbyterian Church is in correspondence ; and if 
 there be any reasonable doubt respecting the proper qualifica- 
 tions of such candidates, notwithstanding their testimonials, it 
 is the right, and may be the duty of such Presbytery to exam- 
 ine them, or to take such other methods of being satisfied in re- 
 gard to their suitable character, as may be judged proper; and 
 if such satisfaction be not obtained, to decline receiving them. 
 In such case, it shall be the duty of the Presbytery rejecting the 
 applicant, to make known what it has done, to the Presbytery 
 from which he came, with its reasons ; it being always under- 
 stood that each Presbytery is, in this concern, as in all others, 
 responsible for its acts to the higher judicatories. 
 
 "II. Resolved, That in the judgment of this General Assem- 
 bly, it is the right, and may be the duty, of any judicatory of 
 our church, to take up, and if it see cause, fo bear testimony 
 against any printed publication, which may be circulating with- 
 in its bounds, and which in the judgment of that judicatory 
 may be adapted to inculcate injurious opinions; and this, 
 whether the author be living or dead — whether he be in the 
 communion of our churcli.or not — whether he be a member of 
 the judicatory expressing the opinion, or of some other — a judi- 
 catory may be solemnly called upon to warn the churches 
 under its care, and especially the rising generation, against an 
 erroneous book, while the author may not be within the bounds 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 195 
 
 #■"•*' or immediately responsible, at their bar ; and while even, if he 
 were thus responsible and within their reach, they might not 
 think it necessary to arraign him as a heretic. To deny our 
 judicatories, as guardians of the churches, this right, would be 
 to deny them one of the most precious and powerful means of 
 bearing testimony against dangerous sentiments, and guarding 
 the children of the church against that ^instruction which cans- 
 eth to err.' The writer of such a book may reside at a distance 
 from the neighborhood in which his work is circulating, and 
 supposed to be doing mischief, or he may be so situated, that 
 even if it be proper to commence process against him, it may 
 not be possible to commence, or at any rate, t,o issue that pro- 
 cess within a number of months. In the meanwhile, if the 
 right in question be denied, this book may be scattering poison, 
 without the possibihty of sending forth an eftectual antidote. 
 Indeed, it may be indispensably necessary, in cases which may 
 easily be imagined, to send out such a warning, even though 
 the author of the book were fully acquitted from the charge of 
 heresy. 
 
 "III. Resolved, That the erection of church courts, and espe- 
 cially of Presbyteries and Synods, on the principle oi^ elective 
 affinity,' that is, judicatories not bounded by geograpical limits, 
 but having a chief regard in their erection to diversities of doc- 
 trinal belief, and of ecclesiastical policy, is contrary both to the 
 letter and the spirit of our constitution, and opens a wide door 
 for mischiefs and abuses, of the most serious kind. One such 
 Presbytery, if so disposed, might, in process of time, fill the 
 whole church with unsound and schismatic ministers, especial- 
 ly if the principle were adopted, that regular testimonials must 
 of course secure the admission of those into any other Presby- 
 tery. Such a Presbytery, moreover, being without geographi- 
 cal bounds, might enter the limits and disturb the repose of any 
 church into which it might think proper to intrude, and thus 
 divide churches, stir up strife, and promote party spirit and 
 schism, with all their deplorable consequences. Surely a plan 
 of procedure in the church of God, which naturally and almost 
 unavoidablj'' tends to produce effects such as these, ought to be 
 frowned upon, and as soon as possible terminated by the su- 
 preme judicatory of the church ; therefore — 
 
 "IV. Resolved, That from and after the meeting of the Synod 
 of Philadelphia, in October next, the Synod of Delaware shall 
 be dissolved, and the Presbyteries constituting the same, shall 
 be then and thereafter annexed to the Synod of Pliiladelphia ; 
 and that the Synod of Philadelphia, thus constituted by the 
 union aforesaid, shall take such order concerning the organiza- 
 tion of its several Presbyteries as may be deemed constitutional , 
 
196 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. ' 
 
 and expedient ; and that said Synod, if it shall deem it desira- 
 ble, make application to the next General Assembly for snch a 
 division of the Synod as may best suit the convenience of all 
 its P-resbyteries, and promote the glory of God, 
 
 •' V. Resolved, That while this General Assembly fully ap- 
 preciate, and deeply deplore, the many painful evils which re- 
 sult from the present division in our church, in respect to the 
 method of conducting domestic missions, and the education of 
 beneficiary candidates for the ministry, they are persuaded that 
 it is not expedient to attempt to prohibit, within our bounds, 
 the operation of tliB 'Home Missionary Society' or of the 'Pres- 
 byterian Education Society,' or any other voluntary association 
 not subject to our control. Such an attempt would tend, it is 
 beheved, to increase rather than to diminish the existing evils. 
 The Assembly, however, is persuaded ihat it is the first and 
 binding duty of the Presbyterian Church to sustain her own 
 boards, and that voluntary associations, operating within the 
 bosom of the Presbyterian Church, and addressing themselves 
 to her members and congregations, are bound upon every prin- 
 ciple, both of moral and ecclesiastical obligation, neither to edu- 
 cate nor to send forth as Presbyterians, any individuals known 
 to hold sentimenis contrary to the v/ord of God, and to the 
 standards of the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 VI. "Resolved, That this Assembly deem it no longer desira- 
 ble that churches should be formed, in our Presbyterian connex- 
 ion, agreeably to the plan adopted by the Assembly, and the Gen- 
 eral Association of Connecticut, in 1801 ; therefore resolved, that 
 our brethren of the General Association of Connecticut be, and 
 they hereby are respectfully requested to consent, that said plan 
 shall be, from and after the, next meeting of that association, de- 
 clared to be annulled; and resolved, ih-dt the annulling of said 
 plan shall not in anywise interfere with the existence and lawful 
 operations of churches, which have already been formed on this 
 plan. 
 
 " VII. Resolved, That this General Assembly see no cause, 
 ei'hsr to terminate or modify the plan of correspondence, with 
 the associations of our Congregational brethren in New England. 
 That correspondence has been long established. It is believed to 
 have been productive of mutual benefit. It is now divested of the 
 voting power, which alone could be considered as infringing tlie 
 constitution of our church, by introducing persons clothed with 
 the character of plenary members of the Assembly. It stands- at 
 present, substantially, on the same footing with the visits of our 
 brethren from the Congregational Union of England and Wales ; 
 and in the present age of enlarged counsel and of combined effort, 
 for the coaversion of the vvorld, ought by no means to be abolish- 
 
«#* OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 197 
 
 ed. Besides, the Assembly are persuaded, that amidst the in- 
 creasing and growing intercourse, between the Presbyterian and 
 Congregational Churches, it is desirable to have that intercourse 
 regulated by compact, and of course, that it would be desirable 
 to introduce terms of correspondence, even if they did not already 
 exist. 
 
 "VIII. Resolved, That while this General Assembly has no 
 means of ascertaining to what extent the doctrinal errors, alleged 
 in the memorial to exist in our church, do really prevail, it can- 
 not hesitate to express the painful conviction, that the allegation 
 is by no means unfounded^ and at the same time, to condemn all 
 such opinions as not distinguishable from Pelagian or Arminian 
 errors, and to declare their judgment, that the holding of the 
 opinions referred to is wholly incompatible with an honest adop- 
 tion of our Confession of Faith. That this is the case, will be 
 doubted by none, who impartially consider the statements of that 
 Formulary, contained in chapter VII, see's 3rd and 4th ; chapter 
 VII, sec. '2nd; chapters VIII, IX, X, sec. 1st and 2nd; chapter 
 XI, sec. 1st, which statements must of course be interpreted, in 
 their plain, obvious and hitherto acl<nowiedged sense. Against 
 the doctrinal opinions therefore, above alluded to, the Assembly 
 would solemnly lift a warning voice, and would enjoin upon all 
 our Presbyteries and Synods to exercise the utmost vigilance in 
 guarding against the introduction and publication of such pestife- 
 rous errors." 
 
 The following highly important missionary resolution, present- 
 ed substantially to the Assembly for their consideration, by the 
 convention immediately preceding, was adopted, viz: 
 
 " The committee on the paper submitted to them, in relation 
 to the Western Foreign Missionary Society, recommend the 
 adoption of the following resolutions, viz : 
 
 "I. That it is the solemn conviction of this General Assem- 
 bly, that the Presbyterian Church owes it as a sacred duty to 
 her glorified Head, to yield a far more exemplary obedience, 
 and that in her distinctive character as a church, to the com- 
 mand which he gave at his ascension into heaven, ' Go ye into 
 all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.' It is 
 believed to be among the causes of the frowns of the great 
 Head of the church, which are now resting upon our beloved 
 Zion, in the declension of vital piety, and the disorders and di- 
 visions that distract us, that we have done so little, comparatively 
 nothing, in our dislinctice character as a church of Christ, to 
 send the gospel to the heathen, the Jews, and the Mahomedans. 
 It is regarded as of vital importance to the welfare of our 
 chnrch, that -foreign as well as domestic missions, should be 
 more zealously prosecuted and more liberally patronizedj and 
 
198 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. "^l 
 
 that as a nucleus of foreign missionary effort and operation, the 
 Western Foreign Missionary Society should receive the coun- 
 tenance, as it appears to us to merit the confidence, of those 
 who cherish an attachment to the doctrines and order of the 
 church to which we belong. 
 
 " II. Resolved, That a committee be appointed to confer with 
 the Synod of Pittsburgh, on the subject of a transfer of the su- 
 pervision of the Western Foreign Missionary Society, now un- 
 der the direction of that Synod, to ascertain the terms on which 
 such transfer can be made, to devise and digest a plan of con- 
 ducting foreign missions, under tlie direction of the General As- 
 sembly of the Presbyterian Church, and report the whole to the 
 next General Assembly.*' 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The Assembly met in Pittsburgh, May 19,'1836, earnestly contend with 
 the New School assailants, for their right to conduct missions— Contro- 
 versy warm and lasting — Orthodox views presented — Resolutions offered 
 — Overruled by New School men — Their artifice — Pertinacy — Triumph 
 — Exultation — Protest drawn by Dr. Miller — The Church in the power of 
 her foes. 
 
 We here insert a very material part of the records of the As- 
 sembly which met in Pittsburgh on the 19th day of May, 1836. 
 
 The arrogant usurpations and encroachments of the New 
 School, through the whole course of this Assembly, confirmed 
 the impressions which their corrupt measures in preceding years 
 had implanted deeply in the breasts of honest and true Presby- 
 teriaTis. Here, having mustered their full force, they resolved, 
 by the most violent and reckless action, if possible, to occupy 
 -^the citadel of the church, and so to fortify themselves in that 
 ^ position as to defy all attempts to dislodge them. Mistaken in 
 their calculations, they could not see that they were preparing 
 a precipice for themselves, opening a volcano whose speedy 
 eruption would throw them, in fragments and scattered clusters, 
 with painful and disgusting exhioitions, from within and from 
 without, to every wind, as the just recompense of their long 
 and audacious crusade against that church which they bad 
 solemnly sworn, before earth and heaven, forever to maintain 
 and vindicate. 
 
 The question was now to be decided, whether or not the 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 199 
 
 Presbyterian Church should continue to exist and control her 
 legitimate business according to her own constitution, usages, 
 and earnest wishes, or be given up to the lawless management 
 with which they saw themselves threatened by the New School 
 party. A few brief records will remove the disguise from the 
 intruders, and display the full deformity of their designs. 
 
 On Wednesday, 27th of Maj'-, the following document was 
 presented to the Assembly, viz : 
 
 " The committee to whom was referred the report of the 
 committee appointed by the last Assembly, on the subject of a 
 transfer of the Western Foreign Missionary Society to the Gen- 
 eral Assembly, and also the overture from the Synod of Phila- 
 delphia, on the subject of foreign missions, report : 
 
 " That the attention of the last Assembly was called to the 
 subject of foreign missions, by the following overture, on page 
 31 of printed minutes : ' That it is the solemn conviction of this 
 General Assembly, that the Presbyterian Church owes it as a 
 sacred duty to her glorified Head, to yield a far more exemplary 
 obedience, and that in her distinctive character as a church, to 
 the command which he gave at his ascension into heaven, 
 ' G,o ye into all the world, and preach the gospel unto every 
 creature.' It is believed to be among the causes of the frowns 
 of the great Head of the church, which are now resting upon 
 our beloved Zion, in the declension of vital piety, and the dis- 
 orders and divisions that distract us, that we have done so little, 
 comparatively nothing, in our distinctive character as a Church 
 of Christ, to send the gospel to the heatiien, to the Jews, and to the 
 Mahomedans. It is regarded as of vital importance to the welfare 
 of our church, that foreign as well as domestic missions should 
 be more zealously prosecuted, and more liberally patronized ; 
 and that as a nucleus of foreign missionary etfort and operation, 
 the Western Foreign Missionary Society should receive the 
 countenance, as it appears to us to merit the confidence, of 
 those who cherish an attachment to the doctrines and order of 
 the church to which we belong.' " 
 
 " The Assembly feeling the force of the suggestions contained 
 in this overture, and believing it to be a very important part of 
 their appropriate work, to spread the gospel throughout the 
 world, adopted the overture in the form of a resolution, to- 
 gether with the following, viz : 
 
 " ' Resolved, That a committee be appointed to confer with the 
 Synod of Pittsburgh on the subject of a transfer of the Western 
 Foreign Missionary Society, now under the direction of that 
 Synod ; to ascertain the terms on which such transfer can be 
 made ; to devise and digest a plan of conducting foreign mis- 
 sions, under the direction of the General Assembly of the 
 
200 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Presbyterian Church, and report the whole to the next General 
 Assembly.' 
 
 '•' From this it appears that the proposition to confer with the 
 Synod, and to assume the supervision and control of the West- 
 ern Foreign Missionary Society, originated in the Assembly. 
 
 " At that time, the Western Foreign Missionary Society was 
 in a prosperous condition, enjoying the confidence, and receiv- 
 ing the patronage of a considerable number of our churches, 
 having in their employ about twenty missionaries, and their 
 funds were unembarrassed. The committee having conferred 
 with some of the members of that society, and findmg that the 
 proposal was favourably regarded by them, indulging the hope 
 that an arrangement might be definitely made with the Synod, 
 at their next stated meeting, by which the Assembly would be 
 prepared to enter on the work at their present session, brought 
 the subject again before the Assembly, when it was, after ma- 
 ture dehberation, 
 
 " ' Resolved, That the committee appointed to confer with the 
 Synod of Pittsburgh, on the subject of the transfer of the super- 
 vision of the Western Foreign JNIissionary Society to the Gene- 
 ral Assembly, be authorized, if they shall approve of the said 
 transfer, to ratify and confirm the same with the said Synod, 
 and report the same to the next General Assembly.' 
 
 " The committee thus appointed and clothed with full powers 
 to ratify and confirm a transfer, submitted the terms on which 
 they were willing to accept it, to the Synod of Pittsburgh, at 
 their Sessions last fall. The members of the committee not be- 
 ing present at the meeting of the Synod, and there being no 
 time for further correspondence, the Synod (although they would 
 have preferred some alteration of the terms,) were precluded 
 from proposing any, on the ground that such alteration would 
 vitiate the whole proceedings, and therefore acceded to the 
 terms of the transfer, which were proposed by the committee of 
 the Assembly, and solemnly ratified the contract on their part. 
 Feeling themselves bound by the same, and trusting to the good 
 faith of this body, they have acted accordingly, and have made 
 no provision for their missionaries now in the field, for a longer 
 time than the meeting of this Assembly, having informed them 
 of the transfer which has taken place, and of the new relation 
 they would sustain to this body, after their present Sessions. 
 
 " It appears, then, to your committee, that the Assembly have 
 entered into a solemn compact whh the Synod of Pittsburgh, 
 and that there remains but one righteous course to pursue, 
 which is, to adopt the report of the committee appointed last - 
 year, and to appoint a Foreign Missionary Board. To pause 
 now, or to annul the doings of the last Assembly in this matter. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. 201 
 
 would be obviously a violation of contract, a breach of trust, 
 and a departure from that good faith, which should be soundly 
 kept between man and man, and especially between Christian 
 societies; conduct which would be utterly unworthy of this 
 venerable body, and highly injurious to the Western Foreign 
 Missionary Society. 
 
 "The committee beg leave further respectfully to remind the 
 Assembly, that a large portion of our churches (being Presby- 
 terians from conviction and preference,) feel it to be not only 
 consistent, but their solemn duty in the sight of God, to impart 
 to others the same good, and in the same form of it, which they 
 enjoy themselves, and to be represented in heathen lands, by 
 Missionaries of their own denomination. They greatly prefer 
 such an organization as this contemplated, and which shall be 
 Tinder the care of the Presbyterian Church, and cannot be en- 
 listed so well in the great and glorious work of sending the 
 gospel to the heathen under any other form. Already, with the 
 blessing of the great Head of the church on the efforts of the 
 Western Foreign Missionary Society, in this form of operation, 
 has a missionary spirit been awakened among them to considera- 
 ble extent, and an interest in the cause of missions been created, 
 never before felt by them. They have furnished men for the 
 work, and are contributing cheerfully to their support in the 
 foreign field. 
 
 "As one great end to be accomplished by all who love the Re- 
 deemer, is to awaken and cherish a missionary spirit, and to en- 
 list all the churches in the work of evansrelising the world : as 
 every leading Christian denomination in the world has its own 
 foreign missionary board, and has found such distinct organiza- 
 tion the most effectual method of interesting the churches under 
 their care in this great subject ; as such an organization cannot 
 interfere with the rights or operation of any other similar organi- 
 zation, for the field is the world, and is wide enough for all to 
 cultivate, as it is neither desired nor intended to dictate to any in 
 this matter, but simply to give an opportunity of sending the gos- 
 pel to the heathen by their own missionaries, to those who prefer 
 this mode of doing so, giving them that liberty which they cheer- 
 fully accord to others, your committee cannot suppose for a mo- 
 ment, that this General Assembly will, in this stage of the pro- 
 ceedings, refuse to consummate this arrangement with the Sj'nod 
 of Pittsburgh, and thus prevent so many churches under their 
 care, from supporting their missionaries in their own way. From 
 this view of the case, they recommend to the Assembly the adop- 
 tion of the following resolutions, viz: 
 
 " 1. Resolved, That the report of the committee appointed by 
 the last Assembly to confer with the Synod of Pittsburgh on the 
 
202 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 subject of a transfer of the Western Foreign Missionary Society 
 to the Genera] Assembly, be adopted, and that said transfer be 
 accepted on the terms of agreement therein contained. 
 
 "2. Resolved, That the Assetnbly will proceed to appoint a 
 Foreign Missionary Board, the seat of whose operations shall be 
 in the city of New York." 
 
 The intelligent reader cannot fail to perceive that the preceding 
 minute contains an argument, and a thread of special pleading in 
 favour of the missionary system of operation, proposed by the 
 Assembly to the Synod of Pittsburgh. The question will at once 
 be asked, why this defence or vindication, so formal and serious, 
 of a measure not yet completely confirmed, is interwoven with 
 the report and resolutions under consideration by the Assembly. 
 The answer is obvious. It was well known that the New Eng- 
 land party, who were present with all their strength, had resolved 
 to make a most inveterate attempt to defeat the happy arrange- 
 ments so successfully made with the Synod of Pittsburgh, in the 
 missionary work. Well, we ask again, why did the New School 
 combine all their strength in this manner, and direct their venom 
 against this wise, and holy, and benevolent missionary enterprise? 
 The answer is, that they might monopolize and engulph this great 
 work in their Home Missionary Society, and bring the whole 
 Presbyterian Church, in her length and breadth, with all her 
 talents, resources, and capacities, to throw off their Presbyterian, 
 responsibility, name, and spirit, to become the tools, the abettors, 
 the convenient, dependent instruments of alien organizations, and 
 thus, at once the victims and the slaves of the New School party. 
 
 A few more lines will reveal the secret, and confirm the fact, 
 which, on the best grounds, are anticipated in the preceding doc- 
 uments. 
 
 Thursday morning, the Assembly took up the report to the 
 last Assembly, on the transfer of the Western Foreign Missionary 
 Society, the order of the day. 
 
 Dr. Skinner, one of the committee who dissented from this 
 report, made a counter report, which was read, and is as follows, 
 viz : 
 
 " Whereas, the American Board of commissioners for foreign 
 missions, has been connected with the Presbyterian Church from 
 the year of its incorporation, by the very elements of its exist- 
 ence; and whereas, at the present time, the majority of the whole 
 of that board are Presbyterians; and whereas, it is undesirable 
 that there should be any coHision, at home or abroad ; therefore, 
 
 *' Resolved, That it is inexpedievt that the Assembly should or- 
 ganize a separole foreign missionary institution." 
 
 Here the New School unmask themselves ; our anticipation is 
 realized ; the design of the adversary to subvert the Presbyterian 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 203 
 
 Church altogether,islaid bare. A briefanalysis of Dr. Skinner's mo- 
 tion would present the matters contained in it before us in the follow- 
 ing aspect. The American Board of commissioners "connected 
 with the Presbyterian Church from itsincorporation,by the elements 
 of its existence." The fact is, there were individuals of the Pres- 
 byterian Church connected with that board from the beginning-. 
 But who were these individuals? Who authorized that connexion? 
 What was their character, in ecclesiastical sympathy, policy, and 
 intercourse? They were, with very few exceptions, of the same 
 cast with those who were then supporting Skinner in his motion, 
 New England, Congregational, New School men, anti-Presbyte- 
 rian advocates of the voluntary principle. 
 
 Again : Skinner's resolution says, at present, " a majority of the 
 whole of that board are Presbyterians." If true, this fact shows 
 how far the spirit of apostacy and defection from the Presbyte- 
 rian family had already penetrated ; what power it had acquired 
 over our own members, and what dangers it was threatening to 
 the true church; for the fact still remains unshaken, that although 
 most of them might have been nominally Presbyterian, their 
 iiearts, th'eir afiections, their influence, their contributions, and 
 their efforts, were all directed and devoted to a foreign land; to 
 an institution, in every ieature, in all its designs, its movements 
 and influences, hostile to the Presbyterian system ; this, they sought 
 to abolish, and for it to substitute their own. 
 
 Again, Skinner says, " it is undesirable that there should be 
 any collision* at home or abroad." Here is exhibited the kind, 
 liberal, /)flc?^c spirit of the men who charge the orthodox body 
 with intolerance, for maintaining their own standards! They tell 
 us plainly, they mean to covtend; they are ready for war; they 
 never intend to relinquish the purpose of triumph and monopoly, 
 power and spoils, without a bloody struggle. We do not doubt 
 it; we have tested their principles, we have already witnessed 
 their rancour and violence, we have seen their character suffi- 
 ciently developed to put this matter beyond doubt. But are we 
 to be frightened and deterred by such threats? Must Presbyte- 
 rians, sacrifice all to the cruel invaders and plunderers of their 
 church, without an effort to repel them ? Have they no distinctive 
 principles and forms to contend for? Have they no duties to per- 
 form, to the trusts and responsibilities confided ? to the flocks 
 committed to their care? to the Saviour who bled for them ? to 
 the God who will judge them ? 
 
 Again: Skinner's resolution asserts, " it is inexpedient to or- 
 ganize a separate foreign missionary society." Who can fail to 
 admire the modesty of this summary, or conclusion of the whole 
 
 * Here is their threat of open warfare. As the Yankees in New York 
 said, " they meant to fight it out."' 
 
204 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 matter? This Boston association is competent to explore and em- 
 brace the whole earth; to perform the desired errand of mercy 
 to all mankind; to penetrate all lands and oceans, mountains, 
 rivers, islands, and continents. They will occupy the whole field 
 of the world themselves; they will leave nothing undone that 
 ought to be done; our name is legion, for we are many. God 
 needs no other instrumentality in fulfilling the Saviour's command, 
 " Go preach the gospel to every creature," than these New School 
 apostates from Piesbyterianism. 
 
 The motion was made and carried on the top of a hill, from 
 which it will be distinctly visi-ble to millions of honest eyes, to the 
 ends of the earth, and till the end of time. Another fact in this 
 disgraceful recapitulation must not be omitted. The motion of 
 Dr. Skinner, the mover well knew, if carried, came with an unre- 
 lenting, coercive power, of simple majority, to compel the As- 
 sembly to violate a sacred contract, made by her solemn ap- 
 pointment and sanction, with the Synod of Pittsburgh, to secure 
 the transfer of the Western Foreign Missionary Society to the 
 Assembly. Can any candid, judicious man upon earth, presume 
 to say that the Presbyterian Church were bound, in the slightest 
 degree, to submit to acts and measures of New School origin, so 
 arbitrary, insolent, and oppressive, when the alleged preference 
 was based, not upon the superior excellence or etliciency of the 
 New School missionary system, but upon open and inveterate 
 hostility to the avowed Presbyterian plan of conducting missions 
 as a church. 
 
 On Friday, at two o'clock. P. M., the vote was taken on the 
 question to postpone the report of the committee, to take up the 
 report of Dr. Skinner, and was decided in the negative by the 
 following vote, viz: 133 in favour of postponing, and 134 in the 
 opposition, giving to the Presbyterian Church organization, one 
 single vote majority. 
 
 The New School, still determined as death upon their object, 
 on the resumption and extended discussion of the subject of trans- 
 ferring the Western Missionary Society to the General Assembly, 
 on the main question of adopting the report, called for the pre- 
 vious question, which gave a majority of four votes in favour of 
 Skinner's motion. 
 
 The following protest was introduced and ordered to be en- 
 tered on the minutes, viz: 
 
 " The undersigned do solemnly protest against the decision of 
 the General Assembly, whereby the report of the committee of 
 the last General Assembly, respecting the Western Foreign Mis- 
 sionary Society was rejected, for the following reasons: 
 
 " 1. Because we consider the decision of the Assembly, in this 
 case, as an unjustifiable refusal to carry into efTect a solemn con- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 205 
 
 tract with the Synod of Pittsburgh, duly ratified and confirmed 
 under the authority of the last Assembly. 
 
 "2, Because we are impressed with the deepest conviction, 
 that the Presbyterian Church, in her ecclesiastical capacity, is 
 bound, in obedience to the command of her divine Head and 
 Lord, to send the glorious gospel as far as may be in her power, 
 to every creature; and we consider the decision of the Assembly 
 in this case as a direct refusal to obey this command, and to pur- 
 sue one of the great objects for which the church was founded. 
 
 "3. Because it is our deliberate persuasion, that a large part of 
 the energy, zeal, and resources of the Presbyterian Church can- 
 not be called into action in the missionary cause, without the es- 
 tablishment of a missionary board by the General Assembly. It 
 is evident that no other ecclesiastical organization, by fragments 
 of the church, can be formed, which will ut)ite, satisfy, and call 
 forth the zealous co-operation of those in every part of the church, 
 who wish for a general Presbyterian board. 
 
 " 4. Because, while the majority of the Assembly acknowledges 
 ibsii they had a board which fully met all the wants and wishes 
 of themselves, and of those who sympathized with them ; they re- 
 fused to make such a division as would accord to us a similar 
 and equal privilege, thereby, as we conceive, refusing that which 
 would have been only just and equal,, and rejecting a plan which 
 would have extended greatly the missionary spirit, and exerted a 
 reflex beneficial influence on the church, thus indulged with a 
 board agreeable to their views. 
 
 " 5. Because, to all these considerations, urged with solemnity 
 and afl^ection, the majority of the Assembly were deaf, and have 
 laid us under the necessity of protesting against their course ; of 
 complaining that we are denied a most reasonable, and, to us, 
 most precious privilege ; and of lamenting that we are laid under 
 the necessity of resorting to plans of ecclesiastical organization, 
 complicated, inconvenient, and much more adapted, on a variety 
 of accounts, to interfere wilh ecclesiastical harmony, than the 
 proposed board would have been.. 
 
 Pittsburgh, June 9, 1836.. Signed. 
 
 Samuel Miller — the writer, 
 James Lenox, &c." 
 
 In all, Orthodox, 87 names — New School, 91. 
 
 The passage of Dr. Skinner's resolution, was the consummation 
 of New School ambition for the present moment; a full exhibition 
 of the proscriptive tyranny and violence of their designs. It 
 seems scarcely possible, that any company of men whose reason 
 was not dethroned, could become so infatuated as to suppose that 
 the Presbyterian Church would submit to such; an outrage; that 
 they would permit strangers and aliens, of another creed, another 
 
206 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 policy, another name, another sphit, who had, under false pre- 
 tences and broken vows, crept in unawares, concealing their in- 
 gress, nnuUiplying their numbers, magnifying their powers, fortify- 
 ing their positions, with untiring zeal and in an increasing progress, 
 to take away from the Presbyterian body, to snatch rapaciously 
 from their very bosom, that work of benevolence and evangeliza- 
 tion, which was the governing and distinguishing designation and 
 ascension command of her gracious sovereign. But this tri- 
 umphant act of spoilation, these infatuated and desperate men 
 actually attempted, and well nigh succeeded in accomplishing; 
 with a deliberate coolness, callousness, air of triumph and exulta- 
 tion, rarely witnessed. So that at the church door, after the As- 
 sembly adjourned, the great apostle of New School propagandism 
 in the West, so flushed with the victory, and so confident of ulti- 
 mate triumph in their revolutionary progress, exclaimed aloud, in 
 vulgar terms, " That's the last kick of Presbyterianism 1" There 
 vou may read the character of Dr. Beecher. Poor creatures; 
 "they really calculated, with a majority of only four votes, that 
 " they had fought it out;" that they had won the battle; that the 
 struggle was over ; that the church was truly under their control ; 
 that its various boards, already organized or in contemplation, 
 would be either abolished, or changed to suit their Congregational 
 schemes, and transferred to another region, to be directed and 
 conducted as aliens and strangers might prefer. 
 
 But the giant church was only slumbering; half awake, the 
 foe had obtained only partial possession of her active available 
 means, in such a tremendous emergency. She heard their war 
 whoop and saw the desolation and havoc of the assailants ; she 
 heard their whispers and caught their secret counsels and de- 
 signs for the future, as they floated in the breeze — their self gratu- 
 lation and triumph in their past and future progress. "The last 
 kick of Presbyterianism !" — that delicate and refined morceau of 
 wit, of New School delicacy — of their apostolic piety and devo- 
 tion, startled many of the church's sleeping sons from their un- 
 seasonable repose. Thus the passage of the despotic resolution 
 above recited, and the manner in which it was promulged and 
 naade the theme of insolent boast and triumph, aided in producing 
 the speedy discomfiture and total banishment of the New School 
 party from Presbyterian record. 
 
 The church now clearly perceived, that their liberties, in Christ 
 Jesus, were violently assailed; that an attempt was made to im- 
 pair their honour and high standing in the christian world, that 
 the most choice, direct and animating path of duty and useful- 
 ness opened to them as a church, by their great leader, was ob- 
 structed ; that the solemn dictates of their consciences were par- 
 alized by arbitrary and coercive power, requiring them to sacri* 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 207 
 
 vifice their deep sense of obligation to obey the Saviour, and to 
 become subservient to the v\'ill and caprice of an alien band, who 
 had by corrupt and lawless means, and for corrupt and lawless 
 purposes, attempted to acquire dominion over them ; these sacri- 
 fices they were not prepared to make. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 New York Address— Opinions of Mr. Barnes— Strictures upon his writings -• 
 Favourable Notices of Dr. Junkius' Testimony — Dr. Miller's rejected Pte- 
 solution — Protest in connexion — A powerful host in support on record — 
 Unitarian Sentiments in regard to the New School, and their opinions. 
 
 '^ An address to the ministers, elders and members of the Pres- 
 byterian Church in the United States," was issued A. D. 1836, by 
 ,' a committee appointed by members of the last General Assem- 
 bly, at Pittsburg, to prepare and circulate a publication on the 
 state of the church, and particularly on the two great subjects, 
 which had occupied the attention of the Assembly, viz : — The 
 Barnes' case and the Foreign Missionary Question." This docu- 
 ment, abounding in lucid intelligence, powerfal argument and 
 convincing appeal, to the understanding and heart of all honest 
 and sensible men, stands among the most important papers pub- 
 lished in that day of contest, for the church's purity and safety; 
 foremost and highest in eloquence, integrity and power. We shall 
 endeavour to convey to the reader a just idea of that document 
 by inserting some extracts. It is a matter of regret that it can- 
 not be placed entire in the hands of every reader in our land. 
 
 The following observations should be stamped upon the front 
 of every religious society in the world, and make a permanent 
 lodgment there : 
 
 Page 4, " To the successful maintainance of the truth of God 
 — to union of efi'ort in its maintainance, creeds, confessions of 
 faith, are indispensable. It is readily conceded, that the Bible is 
 the only infallible rule of faith and practice ; the ultimate standard 
 by which every doctrine and every spirit must be tried. But it 
 is well known, that men interpret the Bible very differently, and 
 that all the errorists that have ever disturbed the church, have 
 professed to receive it as their text-book. The Arian, the Socin- 
 ian, the Pelagian, and the Arminian, if you believe them, all 
 find their several systems in the Bible ; so that a simple profes- 
 sion of faith in the Bible, it appears, is a very vague matter, and 
 
208 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 something more definite and explicit is evidently necessary to as- 
 certain the reh'gious sentiments of men. Accordingly, the church 
 has never been without her confession of faith, her avowed creed. 
 The Presbyterian Church has her forms of doctrine, her confes- 
 sion of faith and catechisms, which constitute her public stand- 
 ards. On entering the Presbyterian Church, every minister of the 
 gospel is required solemnly to avow, that the doctrines of these 
 standards are the doctrines which he holds and approves; he is 
 required to answer in the affirmative, the following among other 
 questions, viz : Do you sincerely receive and adopt the confes- 
 sion of faith of this church, as containing the system of doctrine 
 taught in the Holy Scriptures? Mark this language. It is not, 
 do you receive * for substance of doctrine,' ' with considerable 
 latitude of interpretation,' the confession of faith of this church t 
 Nor is it, do you receive the 'system' of doctrine which this con- 
 fession teaches ? It is more explicit still. Do you sincerely re- 
 ceive and adopt the confession of failh of this church, as contain- 
 ing the system of doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures? as 
 containing the accredited principles of Christianity, arranged in 
 systematic order, according to their mutual bearings and depend- 
 ence? This is the simple naked question, and were all who an- 
 swer this question to do so in good faith, sincerely and candidly, 
 then would the name of Presbyterian be an intelligible and suffi- 
 cient passport throughout our bounds; then would a certificate 
 of the fact, that an individual, before any Presbytery in the land, 
 had received our standards, at once make us acquainted with his 
 doctrinal sentiments, and commend him to our confidence, for 
 we should then all speak the same thing, and be perfectly joined 
 together in the same mind and in the same judgment ! 
 
 " But if in answering this question, men are not sincere and 
 candid, if when they say, they sincerely receive and adopt the 
 confession of faith o{ this c/iwrc//, they receive it merel}'' as a 
 'system,' distinguished from and in preference to other systems, 
 and reserve to themselves the right of construing its language, to 
 mean something different from that which it has been uniformly 
 understood to mean, then it is plain that we have no common 
 standards — no bond of union — and that it is impossible to know 
 what are the doctrines held by those nominally connected with us." 
 
 Another kindred paragraph is weighty and appropriate to this 
 point. "Creeds, confessions of failh, to answer their true and, le- 
 gitimate purpose, must be honestly received ; and here we are 
 constrained to believe, is one fruitful source of our distractions as 
 a church, a lack of honesty in the reception of our standards.. 
 Although they have professed to receive our standards, they do 
 not consider themselves bound by that act to receive all the doc- 
 trines contained in them, nor to construe the language in which 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 209 
 
 they are expressed, in the sense in which it was manifestly em- 
 ployed by those who framed them. Their gigantic and independ- 
 ent minds are not to be tramelhd by frame-works of faith, that 
 men have invented; without any regard to the solemn vows which 
 they have voluntarily come under, they publish to the world their 
 unhallowed speculations, their crude and undigested theories. 
 Instead of withdrawing in a peaceable and orderly manner from 
 a church, whose formularies they have never honestly adopted, 
 they remain to destroy its unity and interrupt its harmony. Under 
 the name and cloak of Presbyterianism, they disseminate senti- 
 ments which lead directly to Arminianism, Pelagianism and Soci- 
 nianism. These are the men, who, in our judgment, have caused 
 divisions among us, for we are a divided church, as really divided 
 as though we were called by different names, and existed under 
 different organization. The schism has come already, and let 
 those men who have come into our church, by professing to re- 
 ceive our standards, when, in fact,, they did not believe them, in 
 their plain and obvious import, answer for it, for they are its 
 authors. These remarks, it is painful, exceedingly painful, for us 
 to make, but we are persuaded they are well founded. If any 
 think them severe, it is our conscientious conviction, it is only the 
 severity of trulhy 
 
 This address contains a critical and just exposition of Barnes' 
 heresies, incorporated in his sermon on the Way of Salvation, in 
 his Notes on the Epistle to the Romans, and in all his theological 
 publications. The account it furnishes of his errors and the evi- 
 dence against them, exhibited in his trial before the Presbytery 
 of Philadelphia, and in the laborious and faithful investigation of 
 Dr. Junkin, in his memorable prosecution so ably conducted, will 
 be handed over to the church univers-al, in the present day, and 
 down to all future generations, as a monument of Mr. Barnes' 
 rashness, folly and guilt, in his wide and numerous departures 
 from the faith delivered to the saints. 
 
 Notwithstanding the New School influence ultimately brought 
 to operate in favour of Mr. Barnes, both in the Presbytery and 
 Synod of Philadelphia, so extensively as to exonerate him in a 
 great measure from his corruptions in doctrine, fully proved on 
 most incontestible evidence, yet the predominant party, in their 
 triumph, greatly impaired their character and standing in public 
 estimation, so as to facilitate and hasten their downfall. 
 
 The following resolution, presenting the doctrinal question in a 
 form entirely separate from all matters of church order, was in- 
 troduced by Dr. Miller, to obtain the real sense of the house m 
 this unembarrassed manner, on the charge of heresy, viz: 
 
 '^Resolved, That while this General Assembly has thought 
 proper to remove the sentence of suspension, under which the- 
 o 
 
210 OLD SCHOOL VINblCATElD. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Barnes was placed, by the Synod of Philadelphia, yet 
 the judgnnenl of this Assennbly is, that Mr. Barnes, in his Notes on 
 the Epistle to the Romans, has published opinions nnaterially at 
 variance with the Confession of Faith of the Presbyterian Church, 
 and with the word of God, especially with regard to original sin, 
 the relation of man to Adam, and justification by faith in the 
 atoning sacrifice and righteousness of the Redeemer. The As- 
 sembly consider the manner in which Mr. Barnes has controvert- 
 ed the language and doctrine of our public standards, as highly 
 reprehensible, and as adapted to pervert the minds of the rising 
 generation from the simplicity and purity of the gospel plan. And 
 although some of the most objectionable statements and expres- 
 sions which a()peared in the earlier editions of the work in ques- 
 tion, have been either removed, or so far modified or explained, 
 as to render them more in accordance with our public formula- 
 ries; still the Assembly considers the work, even in its present 
 amended form, as containing representations which cannot be re- 
 conciled with the letter or spirit of our public standards; and 
 would solemnly admonish Mr. Barnes again to review his work; 
 to modify still farther the statements which have grieved his 
 brethren, and to be more careful in time to come to study the 
 purity and peace of the church." 
 
 This motion was rejected by a vote of 122 to 109. The deci- 
 sion proves the existence of a maiked and irreconcilable opposi- 
 tion in fundamental theological sentiments between this majority 
 and the minority, against the decision of the Assembly. On this 
 resolution, the following protest was, presented, signed by one 
 hundred leading or prominent ministers and elders, in the Presby- 
 terian Church. The number of signatures would have been much 
 larger, had not the Assembly been daily diminished, by frequent 
 applications for leave of absence. The protest is in few words, 
 but full of import, from the pen of Dr. Miller; while it exhibits the 
 falseness of Mr. Barnes, it shows the sentiments of the Rev. and 
 venerated writer in their true character. 
 
 *' Whereas, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, 
 did by their vote, on the 7th instant, reject a resolution, disap- 
 proving some of the doctrinal statements contained in Barnes' 
 Notes on the Romans, which resolution, especiall}' under the pe- 
 culiar circumstances of the case, the uiidersigned considered of 
 high importance t® the church with which we are connected, to 
 the cause of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and to the just 
 exhibition of His grace and truth, we, whose names are subscribed 
 feel constrained in the name of the great Head of the church, 
 solemnly to protest against said decision, for the following rea-- 
 sons, viz: 
 
 1. Because we believe that the constitutional standards of the 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 211 
 
 church, in their plain and obvious meaning, and in the sense in 
 which they have always been received, are tlie rule of judgment 
 by wliich all doctrinal controversies are to be decided; that it is 
 the duty of the church to maintain inviolate her doctrine and or- 
 der, agreeably to those standards: to bear her decided testimony' 
 against all deviations from them, and not to countenance them 
 even by implication. Yet in the above decision, there was, we 
 believe, a departure from our constitutional rule, a refusal to bear 
 testimony against errors, with an implied approbation of them,- 
 and a constructive denial that ministers of the gospel, in the Pres- 
 byterian Church, are under solemn obligations to conform in their 
 doctrinal sentiments, to our Confession of Faith and Catechisms* 
 
 "2. Because the errors contemplated in the aforesaid resolu- 
 tion, do not consist merely nor chiefly in inaccurate or ambigu- 
 ous expressions and mistaken illustrations, but in sentiments and 
 opinions respecting the great and important doctrines of the gos- 
 pel, which are utterly inconsistent with the statement of those 
 doctrines made in the Confession of Faith, and revealed in the 
 word of God. We sincerely and firmly believe, that Mr. Barnes 
 has denied, and that in a sneering manner, that Adam was the 
 covenant head of the huiYian race ; that all mankind sinned in 
 him as such, and v^'ere thus brought under the penalty of trans- 
 gression ; that Christ suffered the penalty of the law when he died 
 lor sin, and that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers 
 for justification. These and similar doctrinal views, we regard 
 as material deviations from our standards, as dangerous in them- 
 selves and as contravening some of the leading principles of our sys- 
 tem, such as man's complete dependence and the perfect harmo- 
 ny of justice and grace, in the salvation of the sinner. 
 
 " 3. Because this expression of approbation of his opinions was 
 passed after, as we believe, it had been clearly and sufficiently 
 proved to the Assembly, that Mr. Barnes had denied these im- 
 portant truths, and had expressed opinions respecting original sin, 
 the nature of faith and the nature of justification, which cannot 
 be reconciled with our standards; and after, instead of retracting 
 any of his doctrinal opinions, he had declared expressly before 
 the Assembly, and published in the preface to the last edition of 
 his Notes on the Romans, that he had not changed, but held them 
 still, and was determined to preach them till he died. 
 
 " For these reasons, and for the glory of God, that we may pre- 
 serve a conscience void of offence, we request that this, our 
 solemn protest, may be entered on the minutes of the Assembly." 
 
 As this protest, in connection with Dr. Miller's rejected reso- 
 lution, brings the truth and reality of Mr. Barnes' obstinate and 
 determined violation of several leading and fundamental doctrines 
 of the gospel, and of the fixed purpose of the New School party 
 
212 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 now predominant in the Assembly, as appears from the vote of the 
 house, to sustain and vindicate him in his false doctrines, it is 
 thought highly expedient to record here the names of those who 
 had signed the protest, when it was presented to the Assembly,, 
 that the church and the world may see what kind of testimony 
 stands against him in this connexion, viz : 
 
 W. W. Phillips, J. McEiroy, James Hoge, Samuel S. Davis^ 
 Francis McFarland, Joseph Smith, James McCurdy, Jacob F. 
 Price, W. L. Breckinridge, H. M. Koontz, P.I. Sparrow, Robert 
 Johnson, Joseph Harleson, John H. Culbertson, VV. P. Alrich, J., 
 S. Wilson, T. C. Stuart, J. McClintock, Nathaniel Tod, Alex'r R. 
 Curry, Geo. Anderson, James McFarren, John Banin, John M. C 
 Bartly, Sam'l McQuestiu, Wm. James, Ananias Piatt, Duncan 
 LMcMartin, Edwin JJowner, H. M. Hopkins, James V, Henry, 
 Russel I. Minor, Wm. Marshall, James Lenox, Samuel Boyd, Wo. 
 Wallace, (N. Y.) Sam'l Miller, B. Ogden, James Seabrook, Jacob 
 Castner, Joseph Campbell, James Kennedy, John Stinson, Samuel 
 Henderson, I. Coulter, Joel Stoneroad, N. Ewing, James Alexan- 
 der, Jos. D. Ray, Rob't Highlands, John Miller, L Eaton, Rob't 
 Porter, Jos. McFarren, C. Valandingham, Alex'r Write, R. John- 
 son, James Wilson, E, Rowland, Archibald Hanna, Jno. Elliot, 
 W. Wallace, (Lon.) Rob't Smith, J. S. Galloway, S. Scovil, B.E. 
 Swan, G. Bishop, Wm. Dun, M. G. Wallace, J. S. Weaver, S. 
 Donnell, B. F. Spilman, W. A. S. Posey, J. S. Berryman, D. S. 
 Tod, Lewis Collins, W. Williamson, James Wharey, John Mc- 
 Elhenney, Thos. Baird, E. W. Careslhans, Arch'd JVlcCallum, R. 
 H. Kilpatrick, J. S. McCutchan, F. A. Ogden, A. A. Campbell, 
 I. Ingram, S. B. Luvers, J. J^e Roy Davies, Thos. L. Dunlap, Eu- 
 genius A. Nesbit, G. T. Snowden, Horace S. Pratt, John H. Van- 
 court, F. H, Porter, Thos. R. Borden, T. C. Stuart, John R. 
 Hutchinson, D. Morrow, J. H. Gray. 
 
 If the history of this melancholy transaction could stop here, it 
 would be a happy pause for the honor of poor fallen man, and es- 
 pecially for the christian ministry; but the truth must be told. A 
 paper was presented to the Assembly, professing to be an answer 
 to the above protest, prepared by Drs. Skinner and Allen, togeth- 
 er with Mr. Brainerd, and recorded on the minutes. When the 
 motion was made to insert it there, an excellent member from the 
 South remarked, that we might as well say white was black. 
 But the facts of the case being already quite fully before the read- 
 er, no comment is necessary ; the paper will proclaim its own 
 unhappy character. The signers to it say : 
 
 " 1. That by their decision they do not intend to, and do not, 
 in fact, make themselves responsible for all the phraseology of 
 Mr. Barnes, some of which is not sufficiently guarded, and is lia- 
 ble to be misuaderstood, and which we doubt not Mr. Barnes^ 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 213 
 
 wifh reference to his usefulriess and the peace of the church, will 
 naodify so as to prevent, as far as n:iay be, the possil)iHty of mis- 
 conception." It is painful to believe it, and yet such is the fact, 
 as is well known to all who were in the Assembly, that Dr. Skin- 
 ner, the chairman who presented this paper, did identify himself 
 with Mr. Barnes, and declaied, " that no man could have more 
 accurately expressed his own sentiments; that he fairly repre- 
 sented ihe New School brethren; that if Mr. Barnes were con- 
 demned, they would be condemned." Dr. Peters declared that 
 he not only approved of the doctrines, but of the language em- 
 ployed by Mr. Ijarnes. " When I heard," said he,*'of the sentence 
 of his suspension, 1 regarded it as a blow struck at one half of the 
 Presbyterian Church; I shall not vote to restore him on the 
 ground of toleration ; he has a right to be a minister in our con- 
 nexion; if anyone is to be tolerated, it is the prosecutor. Yes 
 sir, the lime has come when the question is, whether such men 
 are to be tolerated in the Presbyterian Church! No sir, I do not 
 even condemn his (Barnes') indiscretions. It is time to have the 
 question settled," (it has since been settled, quite decisively,) 
 ^'whether in this nineteenth century we may exercise the liberty 
 of using language adapted to the age!" And yet, after such ex- 
 pressions as these, {and this is a fair sample) these men have the 
 audacity to place on their records, which they knew would meet 
 the public eye, " that they do not intend to, and do not make them- 
 selves responsible for Mr. Barnes' phraseology," &c., &c., and they 
 proceed to say: 
 
 " 2, Much less do the Assembly adopt as doctrines consistent 
 with our standards, and to be tolerated in our church, the errors 
 alleged by the prosecutor, as contained in the book on the Ro- 
 mans. It was a question of fact, whether the errors alleged are 
 c6ntained in the book; and by the laws of exposition, in consci- 
 entious exercise of their own rights and duties, the Assembly have 
 come to the conclusion that the book does not teach the errors 
 charged." Wonderful! They were slow in coming to that 
 conclusion, and better for them had they never pretended to at all. 
 
 Thus every kind of denial, perversion and subteifuge, is resort- 
 ed to by them to conceal their obliquities, and if it were possible, 
 to recover public confidence. But it is too late; their falseness is 
 so glaring and manifold that it cannot be covered over. And 
 they allow their errors and attempted frauds and impositions, no 
 chance to escape detection ; for in every meeting, in their speech- 
 es, their public transactions, they never fail to ensure their re- 
 newed enactment and condemnation, by endeavouring, as in the 
 case now under review, to make the worse the better prove; to 
 clothe palpable falsehood and error in the habiliments of truth. 
 
 The following is a specimen of the language of the Christian 
 
214 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Examiner, (a leading Unitarian paper,) for Marcii, 1836, page 
 09, concurring with the orthodox opinion on this point, in regard 
 to the New School. " On the atonement, our author's (Mr. Barnes') 
 views are far in advance of those of the church to which he be- 
 longs. Though he maintains that Christ was, in some sense, 'a 
 substitute in the place of sinners,' he denies a strictly and fully 
 vicarious atonement, and makes the Saviour's denlh important 
 chieflv as an illustration of the inherent and essential connexion 
 between sin and suffering.** 
 
 Again, pnge 70, "On the subject of man's nature, capacities, 
 and duty, our author is sound and lucid. The idea of hereditary 
 depravity he spurns, as unworthy even a passing notice. He as- 
 serts repeatedly, that men sin only * i/i their own persons, sin 
 themselves, as, indeed, how can they si7i, in any other way'?' The 
 imputation of Adam's transgression, he treats as a scholastic 
 absurdity. Of the figment of Adam's federal headship, and the 
 condemnation of his posterity for partnership in his sin, Mv. Barnes 
 says, 'there is not one word of it in the Bible.' It is a mere 
 philosophical theory, an introduction of a speculation into theology 
 with an attempt to explain what the Bible has left unexplained." 
 How gratifying it must be to the pride and ambition, to the 
 talents, learning, moral purity, and devotion of Mr. Barnes and 
 all his sympathizers, to be thus eulogized and commended, or 
 shall we rather say, held up sarcastically to the derision and con- 
 tumelv of an indignant public by such men as the Unitarians ! 
 
 Hear the Unitarian brethren of the New School type again: 
 "In conclusion, w^e would say, that while our orthodox brethren 
 publish and circulate, and receive with favour, such books as 
 these ' Notes,* we most cordially extend to them the right hand of 
 fellowship, even though they refuse to return it. Wc regard them 
 as fellow-labourers with us for the overthrow of time-hallowed 
 absurdities, for the cleansing of the Christian creed 'from what- 
 ever defileth and maketh a lie.' " This must be, to the New 
 School, cheering language, coming, as it does, from one of the 
 most infidel, polluted, and corrupting sources in our degenerate 
 world. 
 
 As an instance of the most glaring artifice, we recite the following 
 resolution of the majority in the last x\ssembty. After labouring, 
 for many days, by every means they could invent and employ, to 
 screen Mr. Barnes, to throw censure and reproach upon orthodox 
 men, and sound judicatoiies, to sustain and confirm in the church 
 heretical sentiments and disorganizing measures, and discovering 
 that the public could not be blinded in regard to these palpable 
 acts of dishonesty and corruption, they fabricate and adopt, as a 
 last resort in this connexion, the following revolting declaration, 
 \vhich excited, at the time of its passage, inexpressible astonish-. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 215 
 
 rnent and grief, to all who heard it, or have been heard to speak 
 of it, viz: "So far is the Assembly from countenancing the errors 
 alleged in the charges of Dr. Junkin, that they do cordially and 
 ex animo, adopt the Confession of our church, on the points of 
 doctrine in question, according to the obvious and most prevalent 
 interpretation; and do regard it as a whole, as the best epitome 
 of the doctrines of the Bible ever formed. And this Assembly 
 disavows any desire, and would deprecate any attempt, to change 
 the phraseology of our standards, and' would disapprove of any 
 language of light estimation applied to them ; believing that no 
 denomination can prospei- whose members permit themselves to 
 speak slightly of its formularies of doctrine, and are ready to 
 unite with their brethren in contending earnestly for the faith of 
 our standards." Here we are compelled to pause in amazement, 
 not knowing which to admire most, the fabricators or their fiction. 
 On reviewing the course of Mr. Barnes' sympathizers and advo- 
 cates, the history of which is before us on the preceding pages, 
 for several years, the following facts appear: 1. They admit that 
 he used the language and uttered the sentiments alleged. 2. They 
 refused to censure either himself or his heretical sentiments, or to 
 bear testimony against them, or any errors akin to them at all. 
 3. They adopted and approved his peculiar and heretical terms, 
 identifying themselves and declaring their amalgamation with him 
 in his unsound course of exposition and remark on the word of 
 God, and the standards of the church. 4. They deny altogether 
 that Barnes' language teaches heresy, or deviates from the fair, 
 usual, and honest expression of the Confession and Catechisms of 
 the church. Fifthly, and finally, they profess, without proposing 
 the slightest alteration in their past declarations, to adopt the 
 Confession of our church as it stands, ex animo, to laud its 
 phraseology, its high and exalted pre-eminent standing among 
 the formularies of past ages and the present time. Now, is it 
 wonderful that these men, as a body, should have forfeited the 
 confidence of both the church and the world ? that they should be 
 considered unreliable and desperate in their public course, striving 
 to sustain themselves, and to buoy up their prostrate and ruined- 
 reputation, by fraudulently forcing under it, a foundation of disso- 
 lution and rottenness? Ought it to be surprising, if the great mass 
 of Presbyterian ministers and people, of a totally difierent faith 
 and spirit, the standards of our church being the touch-stone, after 
 being compelled, with painful conflicts and lamentations, to asso- 
 ciate in trials, in business, in responsibilities, for many years, 
 without a possibility of deliverance, that they should now feel the 
 urgent necessity of throwing off this humiliating, burdensome, and 
 inosi painful connexion ? How could it be otherwise I Are our 
 
216 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 lives to be unceasingly vexed, and finally worn out, in perpetual 
 strife and suffering! 
 
 The address of the Pittsburgh committee, published at New 
 York, 1836, on the missionary question, is able and conclusive. 
 But having already filled several pages with this interesting dis- 
 cussion, and placed the subject in as clear a light as was found 
 practicable, we do not think it is necessary to add any thing to 
 what is already written upon this subject. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 The Convention of Ministers and Elders which met in Philadelphia before 
 the Assembly of 1837 — The Testimony and Memorial presented to them, 
 and their Memorial and Address to the Assembly based upon them — 
 Committee appointed on this Memorial. 
 
 The convention of Presbyterian ministers and ruling elders, re- 
 commended by the committee appointed by the minority of the 
 last General Assembly, met agreeably to appointment in the Sixth 
 Presbyterian Church, May 11th, 1887, immediately preceding the 
 Assembly. 
 
 The roll embraced one hundred and twenty-six, from every 
 part of the Presbyterian Church. This number was augmented 
 by new accessions, and the Rev. George A. Baxter, of Virginia, 
 was chosen President. 
 
 The convention met frequently, and sometimes even during the 
 session of the General Assembly. The condition, dangers, and 
 prospects of the church were solemnly and ably discussed, after 
 which, and on the most mature and deliberate consideration, the 
 following document was adopted and presented to the General 
 Assembly. 
 
 " Testimony and Memorial. 
 
 " When any portion of the Church of Jesus Christ is called in 
 his providence to take a step which may materially affect their 
 Master's cause, and influence for good or ill the destinies of large 
 portions of mankind through successive generations, it is a very 
 plain, as well as solemn duty, to state clearly the reasons of their 
 conduct, the evils of which they complain, the objects at which 
 they aim, and the remedies which they propose. This convention, 
 consisting of one hundred and twenty-four members, of whom one 
 hundred and twelve are delegated by fifty-four Presbyteries, and 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 217 
 
 twelve by minorities in eight other Presbyteries, all of which 
 members are ministers or ruling elders of the Presbyterian Church 
 in the United States of America, after mature deliberation, full 
 consultation with each other, and earnest prayer to God for di- 
 rection, have agreed on the following memorial, and do hereby 
 respectfully lay it before the General Assembly now in session, 
 and through it before all the churches and the whole world, as 
 our solemn, and, as we trust, effective Testimony against evils 
 which faithfulness to God, and to the world, will no longer permit 
 us to endure. 
 
 " That we have not been rash and hasty, nor manifested a fac- 
 tious opposition to errors and disorders, which were only of small 
 extent or recent introduction, is manifestly proven by the fact that 
 these evils have been insidiously spreading through our church for 
 many years, and that they have at length become so mature and 
 so diffused, as not only to pervade large portions of the church, 
 but to reign triumphantly over the body itself, through successive 
 General Assemblies. On the other hand, that we have not been 
 wholly faithless to our Master and to truth, we appeal to the con- 
 stant efforts of some through the press and pulpit ; to the firm and 
 consistent course of some of our Presbyteries and Synods; to the 
 faithful conduct of the minorities in the Assemblies of 1831, 2, 3, 
 4, and 6; to the Act and Testimony; to the proceedings of the 
 conventions of Cincinnati in 1831, and Pittsburgh in 1835, and to 
 the noble Assembly of 1835. 
 
 " We contend especially and above all for the truth, as it is 
 made known to us of God, for the salvation of men. We contend 
 for nothing else, except as the result or support of this inestimable 
 treasure. It is because this is subverted that we grieve; it is be- 
 cause our standards teach it, that we bewail their perversion; it 
 is because our church order and discipline preserve, defend, and 
 diffuse it, that we weep over their impending ruin. It is against 
 ei'ror that we emphatically bear our testimony ; error, dangerous 
 to the souls of men, dishonouring to Jesus Christ, contrary to his 
 revealed truth, and utterly at variance with our standards. Error, 
 not as it may be freely and openly held by others, in this age and 
 land of absolute religious freedom : but error, held and taught in 
 the Presbyterian Church, preached and written by persons who 
 profess to receive and adopt our Scriptural standards; promoted 
 by societies operating widely through our churches; reduced into 
 form, and openly embraced by almost entire Presbyteries and 
 Synods; favoured by repeated acts of successive General Assem- 
 blies, and at last virtually sanctioned to an alarming extent by the 
 numerous Assembly of 1836. 
 
 " To be more specific, we hereby set forth in order, some of the 
 doctrinal errors against which we bear testimony, and which we 
 
218 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 and the churches have conclusive proof, are widely disseminated 
 in the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 " In relation to Doctrine. 
 
 "1. That God would have been glad to prevent the existence 
 of sin in our world, but was not able, without destroying the nnoral 
 agency of man; or, that for aught that appears in the Bible to the 
 contrary, sin is incidental to any wise moral system. 
 
 "2. That election to eternal life is founded on a foresight of 
 faith and obedience. 
 
 " 3. That we have no more to do with the first sin of Adam 
 than with the sins of any other parent. 
 
 "4. That infants come into the world as free from moral de- 
 filement as was Adam, when he was created. 
 
 " 5. That infants sustain the same relation to the moral govern- 
 inent of God in this world as brute animals, and that their suflfer- 
 ings and death are to be accounted for, on the same principles as 
 tiiose of brutes, and not by any means to be considered as penal. 
 
 "G. That there is no other original sin than the fact that all the 
 posterity of Adam, though by nature innocent, or possessed of no 
 moral character, will always begin to sin when they begin to ex- 
 ercise moral agency ; that original sin does not include a sinful 
 bias of the human mind, and a just exposure to penal suffering; 
 and that there is no evidence in IScripture, that infants, in order 
 to salvation, do need redemption by the blood of Christ, and re- 
 generation by the Holy Ghost. 
 
 "7. That the doctrine of imputation, whether of the guilt of 
 Adam's sin, or of the righteousness of Christ, has no foundation 
 in the word of God, and is both unjust and absurd. 
 
 "8. That the sufferings and death of Christ were not truly vi- 
 carious and penal, but symbolical, governmental, and instructive 
 only. 
 
 "9. That the impenitent sinner is by nature, and independently 
 of the renewing influence or almighty energy of the Holy Spirit, 
 in full possession of all the ability necessary to a full compliance 
 with all the commands of God. 
 
 " 10. That Christ never intercedes for any but those who are 
 actually united to him by faith; or that Christ does not intercede 
 for the elect until after their regeneration. 
 
 "II. That saving faith is the mere belief of the word of God, 
 and not a grace of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 " 12. That regeneration is the act of the sinner himself, and 
 that it consists in a change of his governing purpose, which he 
 himself must produce, and which is the result, not of any direct 
 influence of the Holy Spirit on the heart, but chiefly of a per- 
 suasive exhibition of the truth analogous to the influence which 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 219 
 
 one man exerts over the mind of another; or that regeneration is 
 not an instantaneous act, but a progressive work. 
 
 " 13. That God has done all that he can do for the salvation of 
 all men, and that man himself must do the rest. 
 
 " 14. That God cannot exert such influence on the minds of 
 men, as shall make it certain that they will choose and act in a 
 particular manner, without impairing their moral agency, 
 
 *' 15. That the righteousness of Christ is not the sole ground of 
 the sinner's acceptance with God ; and that in no sense does the 
 righteousness of Christ become ours. 
 
 " 16. That the reason why some differ from others in regard 
 to their reception of the gospel is, that they make themselves to 
 differ. 
 
 " It is impossible to contemplate these errors without perceiving 
 that they strike at the foundation of the system of gospel grace; 
 and that, from the days of Pelagius and Cassian to the present 
 hour, their reception has uniformly marked the character of a 
 church apostatizing from 'the faith once delivered to the saints/ 
 and sinking into deplorable corruption. To bear a public and 
 open testimony against them, and as far as possible to banish 
 them from the 'household of faith,' is a duty which the Presbyte- 
 rian Church owes to her Master in heaven, and without which it 
 is impossible to fulfil the great purpose for which she was founded 
 by her divine Head and Lord. And this Convention is conscious 
 that in pronouncing these errors unscriptural, radical, and highly 
 dangerous, it is actuated by no feeling of party zeal, but by a firm 
 and growing persuasion that such errors cannot fail in their ulti- 
 mate effect, to subvert the foundation of Christian hope, and de- 
 stroy the souls of men. The watchmen on the walls of Zion 
 would be traitors to the trust reposed in them, were they not to 
 cry aloud, and proclaim a solemn warning against opinions so 
 corrupt and delusive. 
 
 " In rehition to Church. Order. 
 
 " Believing the Presbyterian form of government to be that in- 
 stituted by the inspired apostles of the Lord, in the early churchy 
 and sanctioned, if not commanded, in the scattered notices con^ 
 tained in the New Testament, on the general subject, our hearts 
 cling to it as to that order approved by revelation of God, and 
 made manifest by long experience, as the best method of pre- 
 serving and spreading his truth. When that truth is in danger, 
 we hold but the more steadfastly to our distinctive church order, 
 as affording the best method of detecting and vanquishing error. 
 That any form of administration should totally prevent evil, is 
 manifestly impossible while men continue as they are; and it is 
 no small praise to the institutions of our church, that they so 
 
220 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 nearly reach this result, as to be incapable of regular action in 
 the hands of those who are themselves corrupt. They live with 
 and for the truth ; to spread error, ihey must be perverted ; and 
 before a general apostacy, Presbyterian order must always perish. 
 
 " Thus it has been in these evil limes. Abundant proof is be- 
 fore this convention, and indeed befoie the whole world, that the 
 principles of our system have been universally departed from, by 
 those who have departed from our faith ; and thai generally that 
 has been done with equal steps. Or if, as there is reason to fear, 
 some portions of the church still hold the external form of Presby- 
 terianism, and deny the power of its sacred doctrines, they are 
 those only, who, in attaching themselves to us, have either evaded 
 subscription to our creed, or subscribed without believing it. It 
 is enough that any system should exclude honest errorists, and 
 speedily detect, if it cannot exclude, those who are o(he?nt)ise. 
 
 " Among the departures from sound Presbyterian order, against 
 which we feel called on to testify, as marking the times, are the 
 following : 
 
 " 1. The formation of Presbyteries without defined and reason- 
 able limits, or Presbyteries covering the same territory, and es- 
 pecially such a formation founded on doctrinal repulsions or affin- 
 ities; thus introducing schism into the very vitals of the body. 
 
 "2. The refusal of Presbyteries, when requested by any of 
 their members, to examine all af.plicants for admission into them, 
 as to their soundness in the faith, or touching any other matter 
 connected with a fair Presbyterial standing; thus concealing and 
 conniving at error, in the very strong hold of truth. 
 
 " 3. The licensing of persons to preach the gospel, and the or- 
 daining to the office of the ministry such as not only accept of 
 our standards merely for substance of doctrine, and others who 
 are unfit and ought to be excluded for want of qualification, but 
 of many even who openly deny fundamental principles of truth, 
 and preach and publish radical errors as already set forth. 
 
 "4. The formation of a great multitude and variety of creeds 
 which are often incomfjlete, false, and contradictory of each other, 
 and of our Confession of Faith and the Bible; but which even if 
 true are needless, seeing that the public and authorized standards 
 of the church are fully sufficient for the purposes for which such 
 formularies were introduced, namely, as public testimonies of our 
 faith and practice, as aids to the teaching of the people truth and 
 righteousness, and as instruments for ascertaining and preserving 
 the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace; it being understood 
 that we do not object to the use of a brief abstract of the doc- 
 trines of our Confession of Faith, in the public reception of private 
 members of the church. 
 
 " 5. The needless ordination of a multitude of men to the office 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 221 
 
 of evangelist, and the consequent tendency to a general neglect of 
 the pastoral office; frequent and hurtful changes of pastoral rela- 
 tions; to the multiplication of spurious excitements, and the con- 
 sequent spread of heresy and fanaticism, thus weakening and 
 bringing into contempt the ordinary and stated agents and means, 
 for the conversion of sinners, and the edification of the body of 
 Christ. 
 
 " 6. The disuse of the office of ruling elder in portions of the 
 church, and the consequent growth of practices and principles 
 entirely foreign to our system ; thus depriving the pastors of need- 
 ful assistants in discipline, the people of proper guides in Christ, 
 and the churches of suitable representatives in the ecclesiastical 
 tribunals. 
 
 "1. The electing and ordaining ruling elders, with the express 
 understanding that ihey are to serve but for a limited time. 
 
 "8. A progressive change in the system of Presbyterial repre- 
 sentation in the General Assembly, which has been persisted in by 
 those holding the ordinary majorities, and carried out into detail 
 by those disposed to take undue advantage of existing opportuni- 
 ties, until the actual representation seldom exhibits the true state 
 of the church, and many questions of the deepest interest have- 
 been decided contrary to the fairly ascertained wishes of the ma- 
 jority of the church and people in our communion ; thus virtually 
 subverting the essential principles of freedom,, justice, and equality, 
 on which our whole system rests. 
 
 " 9. The unlimited and irresponsible power assumed by several 
 associations of men under various names, to exercise authority 
 and influence, direct and indirect,, over Presbyters, as to their 
 field of labour, place of residence, and mode of action in the diffi- 
 cult circumstances of our church;; thus actually throwing the 
 control of afl^airs in large portions of the church, and sometimes 
 in the General Assembly itself, out of the hands of the Presbyte- 
 ries into those of single individuals or small committees located at 
 a distance. 
 
 " 10. The unconstitutional decisions and violent proceedings of 
 several General Assemblies, and especially those of 1831, 2, 3, 4, 
 and 6, directly or indirectly subverting some of the fundamental 
 principles of Presbyterian government, effectually discountenanc- 
 ing discipline, if not rendering it impossible, and plainly conniving 
 at and favouring, if not virtually affirming as true, the whole cur- 
 rent of false doctrine which has been for years settit)g into our 
 church, thus making the church \{se\{ a principal actor in its own 
 dissolution and ruin. 
 
 *^ In Relation to Discipline. 
 " That a slate of affairs even approaching to that over which 
 
222 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 we now mourn, should obstruct the exercise of discipline, may 
 not only be easily supposed, but unhappily, the very evils which 
 rendered it imperatively necessary, conspired to prevent the pos- 
 sibility of its regular exercise. A church unsound in faith is ne- 
 cessarily corrupt in practice. Truth is in order to godliness, 
 and when it ceases to make us pure, it is no longer considered 
 worthy of being contended for. 
 
 "With the woeful departures from sound doctrine, which we 
 have already pointed out, and the grievous declensions in church 
 order heretofore stated, has advanced step by step, the ruin of all 
 sound discipline in large portions of our church, until in some 
 places our very name is becoming a public scandal, and the pro- 
 ceedings of persons and churches connected with some of our 
 Presbyteries, are hardly to be defended from the accusation of 
 being blasphemous. Amongst other evils, of which this conven- 
 tion and the church have full proof, we specify the following: 
 
 " I. The impossibility of obtaining a plain and sufficient sen- 
 tence against gross errors, either in thesi, or when found in books 
 printed under the name of Presbyterian ministers, or when such 
 ministers have been directly and personally charged. 
 
 "2. The public countenance thus given to error, and the com- 
 plete security in which our own memt)ers have preached and pub- 
 lished in newspapers, pamphlets, periodicals and books, things ut- 
 terly subversive of our system of truth and order, while none 
 thought it possible (except in a few, and they almost fruitless at- 
 tempts) that discipline could be exercised, and therefore none at- 
 tempted it. 
 
 " 3. The disorderly and unseasonable meetings of the people, 
 in which unauthorized and incompetent persons conducted worship 
 in a manner shocking to public decency; females often leading 
 in prayer in promiscuous assemblies, and sometimes in public in- 
 struction ; the hasty admission to church privileges, and the failure 
 to exercise any wholesome discipline over those who subsequent- 
 ly fall into sin, even of a public and scandalous kind ; and by these 
 and other disorders, grieving and alienating the pious members of 
 our churches, and so filling many of them with rash, ignorant and 
 unconverted persons, as gradually to destroy all visible distinction 
 between the church and the world. 
 
 "4. While many of our ministers have propagated error with 
 great zeal, and disturbed the church with irregular and disorder- 
 ly conduct, some have entirely given up the stated preaching of 
 the gospel, others have turned aside to secular pursuits, and others 
 still, while nominally engaged in some part of christian effort, 
 have embarked in the wild and extravagant speculations which 
 have so remarkably signalized the times, thus tending to secular- 
 ize and disorganize the very ministry of reconciliation. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 223 
 
 " 5. The formation in the bosom of our churches and ecclesi- 
 astical bodies, of parlies ranged against each other, on personal, 
 doctrinal and other questions, strit'es and divisions amongst our 
 people, bitter contentions amongst many of our ministers, a gen- 
 eral weakening of mutual confidence and affection, and, in some 
 cases, a resort to measures of violence, duplicity and injustice, 
 totally inconsistent with the christian name. 
 
 " Method of Reform. 
 " Such being the state of things in the Presbyterian Church, we 
 believe that the time is fully come for the adoption of some mea- 
 sures, which shall speedily furnish relief from the evils already re- 
 ferred to> Under this conviction, we present ourselves respect- 
 fully before you, praying you to lose no lime, in so adjusting the 
 important matters at issue, as to restore at once purity and peace 
 to our distracted church. We are obliged to record our most 
 solemn and settled belief, that the elements of our present discord 
 are now loo numerous, too extensively spread and essentially op- 
 posed, to warrant any hope that they can, in any way, be com- 
 posed, so long as they are compressed within the limits of our 
 present ecclesiastical organization. Mutual confidence is gone, 
 and is not to be restored by any temporizing measures. This is a 
 sad, but a plain truth. It is a result over which the church has long 
 mourned, and at which the world has scofled, but for the production 
 of which we, and those who agree with us, cannot hcjld ourselves re- 
 sponsible, firmly believing, as we do, ihat we are in this contro- 
 versy contending for the plain and obvious principles of Presbyte- 
 rian doctrine and polity. In a word, it needs but a glance at the 
 general character, ihe personal affinities, and the geographical re- 
 Ifitions of those who are antagonists in the present contest, to be 
 satisfied that our present evils have not originated within, but 
 have been brought from without, and are, in a great degree, the 
 consequences of an unnatural intermixture of two systems of ec- 
 clesiastical action, which are in many respects entirely opposite 
 in their nature and operation. Two important families in the 
 great christian community, who might have lived peacefully under 
 different roofs, and maintained a friendly intercourse with each 
 other, have been brought beneath the same roof, and yet without 
 an entire incorporation. Contact has not produced real union, 
 except in a comparatively few instances; on the contrary, origi- 
 nal differences of opinions and prejudices, in. relation to the prin- 
 ciples of government and order, in many points of great practical 
 moment, have for a number of years, been widening instead of 
 narrowing, and those who would have been friendly as neighbors, 
 have at last, by being forced together into the same dwelling, 
 after many and painful conflicts, furnished abundant evidence of 
 
IT 
 
 224 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 the necessity of some effectual remedy. We cannot consent to 
 meet any longer upon the floors of our several judicatories, to 
 contend against the visible inroads of a system, which, whether 
 so designed or not, is crippling our energies, and which, by obvi- 
 ous but covert advances, meances our very existence. We are 
 in danger of being driven out from the home of our childhood. 
 
 " While, however, we complain and testify against the opera- 
 tions of this unnatural, unwise and unconstitutional alliance just 
 referred to, we wish it to be distinctly understood, that we do it 
 chiefly because of our sincere belief that the doctrinal purity of 
 our ancient Confession of Faith is endangered, and not because of 
 the preferences we have for a particular system of mere church 
 government and discipline. We hold the latter to be important 
 mainly from their relation to the former. Hence, we wish it to 
 be distinctly understood, that we have not, nor do we wish to 
 have, any controversy with the system of congregational church 
 government upon its own territory. Towards the churches of 
 New England, which stand fast in the failh once delivered to the 
 saints, towards the distinguished and excellent brethren in the 
 Lord, in those churches, who are now testifying against the er- 
 rors which are troubling them, as they are troubling us, we 
 entertain the most fraternal esteem and afl^ection. Let there be 
 no strife between us, and there will be none, so long as there is 
 no eflbrt made by either body to intrude upon the domestic con- 
 cerns of the other. We want no more than to be allowed the 
 fair and unimpeded action of our own ecclesiastical principles. 
 We desire to stand upon our own responsibility, and not to be 
 made involuntary sharers in the responsibility of other bodies and 
 systems of action, with which we cannot entirely harmonize. We 
 desire to perform our Master's work upon principles which we 
 prefer, because they are the first principles of our own ecclesias- 
 tical system of government, recognizing at every step the proprie- 
 ty and necessity of responsibility, and refusing to commit to any 
 man, or body of men, large and important trusts, without the right 
 of review, control, and if needs be, speedy correction. 
 
 " These being our views, we earnestly urge upon the attention of 
 the Assembly, the following items of reform : 
 
 " 1. While we wish to maintain as heretofore, a friendly cor- 
 respondence and interchange of annual visits, with the evangeli- 
 cal associations of New England, we are anxiously looking to the 
 General Assembly, in the hope and belief that it will take into im- 
 mediate consideration the plan of union adopted by the Assembly 
 of 1801, (See Digest, p. 297, 298) and that it will perceive in the 
 original unconstitutionality and present pernicious operations of 
 that plan, reasons for its immedinte abrogation. 
 
 " 2. While we desire that no body of Christian men of other 
 
OLD SCHOOL V1\D»CATED. 225 
 
 denominations, should be prevented fronn choosing their own plans 
 of doing good ; and while we claim no right to complain should they 
 exceed us in energy and zeal, we believe that facts too familiar to 
 need repetition here, warrant us in affirming that the organization 
 and operations of the so called American Home Missionary So- 
 ciety, and American Education Society, and its branches, of 
 whatever name, are exceedingly injurious to the peace and purity 
 of the Piesbyterian Church. We recommend accordingly, that 
 they should be discountenanced, and their operations, as far as 
 possible, prevented, within our ecclesiastical limits. 
 
 '* 3. We believe that every Church, Presbytery or Synod now 
 in nominal connextion with this Assembly, but which is not 
 organized on Presbyterian principles, sh«)uld be immediately 
 brought into order, dissolved, or disconnected from the Presbyte- 
 rian Church. 
 
 "4. We believe that it is highly important, that, at the present 
 time, Presbyteries should be directed to examine henceforward 
 all licentiates and ministers applying for admission from other de- 
 nominations, on the subjects of theology and church government, 
 as well as personal piety and ministerial qualifications,, and to re- 
 quire of them an explicit adoption of the Confession of Faith and 
 Form of Government. 
 
 " 5. We desire that immediate measures be taken, in order that- 
 such members of any Presbytery as hold any of the errors, or 
 practice any of the disorders now testified against, may be 
 subjected to discipline; that such Presbyteries and Synods as 
 tolerate them, may be cited and tried, and such of these bodies as^ 
 are believed to consist chiefly of decidedly unsound or disorderly 
 members may be separated from the Presbyterian Charch, pro- 
 vision being made at the same time for the re-union of orthodox 
 churches, private members, or ministers, who may be found in 
 any of them, with other convenient bodies. 
 
 "6. As these are times of high and dangerous excitability in 
 the public mind, when imprudent or partisan men may do great 
 injury, especially when tbey have facilities for operating on a 
 large field, this co-nven-tioii is of opinion that the General Assem- 
 bly Ought to make known to our national societies, not previously 
 noticed in this memorial, that the Presbyterian Church expects of 
 them great caution in the selection of their travelling agents, and 
 that it ought to be regarded as peculiarly unkind in any of them 
 to give to the correspondence or general bearing of their institu-. 
 tions, a bias against the strictest order, and soundest principles of 
 our beloved branch of the Church of Christ. 
 
 " Covclvsion. 
 "And now we submit to the highest tribunal of our cliurcb, ta 
 P 
 
226 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 all our brethren beloved in the Lord, and to the generation in 
 which our lots are cast, a Testimony which we find ourselves 
 unable to weaken or abridge, and keep a good conscience to- 
 wards God and man. We have performed a duty to which the 
 providence of God has shut us up. We have done it, in reliance 
 on his grace, and in view of his judgment bar. Whatever the 
 issue n)ay be, we rejoice in the sense of having discharged a 
 great and imperative obligation, manifestly required at our hands, 
 and all whose issues ought to promote the purity, the peace, and 
 the unity of the Church of Christ. 
 
 " The whole responsibility of future results is from this moment 
 thrown first upon the General Assembly now in session, and after- 
 wards upon the whole church. The Assembly will, of course, 
 pursue such a line of conduct as will appear to acquit it before 
 earth and heaven. The destinies of the Presbyterian Church, as 
 now organized, are in its hands, and our Saviour will require a 
 strict account concerning it. The great body of the churcli must 
 needs rejudge the whole action of the Assembly, and on her judg- 
 ment we repose, with a sacred assurance, second only to that 
 which binds our hearts and souls in filial confidence to her glo- 
 rious Lord. For ourselves, the hardest portion of our work is 
 past. Hearts which the past has not broken, have little need to 
 fear what the future can bring forth. Spirits which have not 
 died within us in the trials through which we have been led, may 
 confidently resign themselves to Mis guidance, whose words have 
 rung ceaselessly upon our hearts, ' This is the way, walk ye in 
 it,' and whose cheering voice comes to us from above, ' Fear not, 
 it is L' 
 
 By order of Convention. 
 
 "Geo. a. Jjaxteh, President. 
 
 " C. C. CuYLER, Vice President. 
 
 "Thos C.BAmD, ) Clerics. 
 " Horace b. rRATX, ) 
 
 "Philadelphia, May 18, 1S37." 
 
 The preceding memorial presents a synoptical view of the 
 deeply interesting subjects v\ hich were discussed by this conven- 
 tion, and the results and conclusions of that large and distinguished 
 company of pastors and elders, convened from all parts of the 
 Presbyterian body, to collect and exhibit intelligence, to detect 
 dangers, and suggest remedies, on the slate of the church. Thai 
 this Testimony, with the character it bears, and at the time it 
 was presented, should exert a strong influence on the public 
 mind, and on the transactions of the General Assembly then in 
 session, it would be very reasonable to believe. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 22t 
 
 Meeting of the Assembly of 1837, Philadelphia — Organization — Memorials 
 presented — Resolutions of Assembly — Abrogation Act passed — Majority 
 thirty- three votes — Committee of ten from each party, on voluntary divi- 
 sion of Church — Assembly engage in prayer — Report of the committee of 
 majority — Committees agree on some points — Not on others — Their cor- 
 respondence — Papers in numerical order — Committee on state of the 
 Church discharged — True reasons for the failure of friendly division — 
 Synod of Western Reserve declared out of the Presbyterian Church — 
 So also, Synods of Utica, Geneva, and Genessee — Cases of orthodox indi- 
 viduals and churches provided for — Testimony against heretical opinions; 
 
 The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church met agree- 
 ably to appointment in the Central Presbyterian Church, Phila- 
 delphia, May ISih, 1837. Rev. David Elliot, D. D., was elected 
 Moderator. Testimony in various forms, memorials, complaints, 
 and petitions, on the subject of corruptions and abuses in the 
 church, were presented from the Presbytery of Lancaster, the 
 Presbytery of Albany, Presbytery of New Brunswick, and espe- 
 cially a " Me:norial and Testimony," from the large and impor- 
 tant convention of delegates from all parts of the church, then in 
 session in the city of Philadelphia. This memorial was commit- 
 ted to Dc. A. Alexander, Mr. Plumer, Or, A. Green, Dr. Baxter, 
 Dr. Leland, Mr. Lovvrie, and Mr. Lenox. The committee re- 
 ported on that part of the memorial relating to the connexion ex- 
 isting between the Congregational and Presbyterian Churches, 
 and recommended the adoption of the following resolutions ofiered 
 by the chairman : 
 
 "1, That between these two branches of the American Church, 
 in the jadgmertt of. this Assembly, there ought to be maintained 
 sentiments of mutual respect and esteem, and for that purpose no 
 reasonable efforts should be omitted to preserve a perfectly good 
 unde'rslandiiig between these branches of the Church of Christ. 
 
 "2. That il is expedient to continue the plan of friendly inter- 
 course between this church and the Congregational Churches of 
 New England, as it now exists. 
 
 "3. Bui as the Plan of Union adopted for the new settlements 
 in 1801, was originally an unconstitutional act on the part of that 
 Assembly, these important standing rules having never been sub- 
 mitted to the Presbyteriesj and as they were totally destitute of 
 authority, as proceeding from the General Association of Con- 
 necticut, which is invested with no power to legislate in such 
 cases, and especially to enact laws to regulate churches not within 
 her limits; and, as much irregularity and confusion have arisen 
 
228 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED, 
 
 from this unnatiira) and unconstitutional system of unio«, there- 
 fore it is resolved, that the act af the Assembly of 1801, entitled 
 ' A Plan of Union,' be, and the same is hereby abrogated." Di- 
 gest, pp. 297 — 9. 
 
 The subject of these resolutions, and especially that of the third 
 in order, was, after long and serious discussion, adopted by the 
 Assembly, by a majority of thirty-three voles. 
 
 By this decision, the root and origin of the calamities which 
 had so long and so deplorably afflicted the church,. were so far re- 
 moved out of the way, that the Assembly immediately began to- 
 exert her utmost skill with great moderation to devise and apply 
 some appropriate system, to terminate amicably all connexion 
 with the party whose action had been for a long time so seriously 
 adverse to the interests of the church, and annoying to the ortho- 
 dox body. 
 
 In reference to that part of the report of the committee on the 
 memorial, relating to disorders in practice, and errors in doctrine, 
 tolerated in the church by inferior judicatories, a resolution was 
 passed, to cite to the bar of the next Assembly, such inferior ju- 
 dicatories as shall appear to be charged by common fame with, 
 such irregularities as are referred to in said mcmorwl. And it 
 w^as farther resolved, to take the proper steps for carrying out 
 such a process. For this purpose, it was pronounced essential by 
 a decision of the house, to appoint a special committee to ascer- 
 tain what inferior judicatories are thus charged by common fame, 
 to prepare charges and specihcations against them, and to digest 
 a suitable plan of procedure in the matter, and report, &c. 
 
 Subsequent action of the Assembly on this subject rendered it 
 unnecessary for this committee to meet and report, according to 
 appointment. 
 
 A suspension of the action of this committee was occasioned 
 by the following motion of Mr. Breckinridge, in pursuance of 
 previous notice, viz: To appoint a committee often members, on 
 the state of the church, of whom an equal number shall be from 
 the mojorily and minority of the vote on the resolutions to cite 
 nferior judicatories, to inquire into the expediency of a voluntary 
 division of the Presbyterian Church. Dr. Junkin and Mr. Ewing, 
 on the part of the majority, and Messrs. A. Campbell and Jes- 
 sup, on the part of the minority, were af)pointed to nominate 
 each five members of the committee on the preceding resolution. 
 Dr. Junkin and Mr. Campbell, from the committee to nominate 
 this committee of ten on the division of the church, respectively 
 reported the following nomination, viz: Mr. Breckinridge, Dr. 
 Alexander, Dr. Cuyler, Dr. VVitherspoon, and Mr. Ewing, on the 
 part of the majority, and \}\'. McAuley, Dr. Beman, Dr. Peters, 
 Mr. Dickinson, and Mr. Jessup, on the part of the minority. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 2219 
 
 The Assembly engaged in prayer on behalf of this commit- 
 tee, and ®f the snbject, referred to them. This large and re- 
 spectable -committee, appointed on Saturday, May 27th, met 
 several times, corresponded frequently on the subject entrusted 
 to them, and held the whole matter under profound and solemn 
 advisement till the following Tuesday, when the Rev. Dr. 
 Alexander, chairman, of the committee, with instructions, re- 
 ported, that they had not been able to agree and requested to 
 be discharged. Both portions of the committee then made se- 
 parate reports, which were entered upon the minutes, and are 
 Qs follows, viz : 
 
 To fhos€ persons Vv^ho desire to understand thoroughly the 
 nature of this interesting matter, we offer no apology for in- 
 sertii?g the documents, literally and at full length, as they came 
 from the hands of the committee. And it cannot but be re- 
 garded as a very important matter, to exhibit in this record, the 
 evidence, as well as the nature, of the disposition manifested by 
 the majority, in this negotiation, to effect a division of the 
 church on just principles and in an amicable manner. 
 •' Report of the Committee of the Majority. 
 
 "The comm-ittee of the majority, from the united committee 
 on the stale of the cIvKrch, beg leave to report: 
 
 "That having been unable to agree with the minority's com- 
 mittee, on any plan for the immediate and voluntary separation 
 of the New and Old School parties, in the Presbyterian Church, 
 they lay before the General Assentbly the papers which passed 
 between the committees, and which contain all tbe important 
 proceedings of both bodies. 
 
 " These papers are marked 1 to 5, of the majority, and 1 to 
 4, of the minority. A careful examination of them will show 
 that the two committees were agreed in the foltowing matters, 
 namely: 
 
 " 1. That of the propriety of a voluntary separation of the 
 parties in our church, and their separate organization. ^ 
 
 " 2. As to the corporation funds, the names to be held by 
 each denomination, the records of the church, its boards and 
 institutions. 
 
 " 3. It will farther appear, that the committees were entirely 
 unable to agree on the following points, namely : 
 
 " 1. As to the propriety of entering at once, by the Assembly, 
 upon the division, or the sending -down of the question to the 
 Presbyteries. 
 
 " 2. As to the power of the Assembly to take effectual initia- 
 tive steps, as proposed by the majority ; or the necessity of ob- 
 taining a change in the constitution of the church. 
 
 " 3. As to the breaking up of the succession of the General 
 
330 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Assembly, so that neither of the new assemhlies proposed 
 should be considered this proper body continued.; or that the 
 body which should retain the name and institutions of the Ge- 
 neral Assembly in the Presbyterian Church, in the United 
 States of America, should be held in fact and law, to be the 
 true successors of this body. While the committee of the ma- 
 jority were perfectly disposed to do all that the utmost liberality 
 could demand, and to use in all cases such expressions as 
 should be wholly unexceptionable, yet it appeared to us indis- 
 pensable to take our final stand on these grounds. 
 
 ^' For, first, we are convinced, if any thing towards a volun- 
 tary separation is done, it is absolutely necessary to do it ef- 
 fectually and at once. 
 
 " Secondly, as neither party professes any desire to alter any 
 constitutional rule whatever, it seems to us not only needless, 
 but absurd, to send down an overture to the Presbyteries on 
 this subject. We believe, moreover, that full power exists in 
 the Assembly, either by consent of parties, or in the way of 
 discipline, to settle this, and all such cases; and that its speedy 
 settlement is greatly to be desired. 
 
 " Thirdly, in regard to the succession of the General Assembly, 
 this committee could not, in present circumstances, consent to 
 any thing th^^t should even imply the final dissolution of the 
 Presbyterian Church, as now organized in this country; which 
 idea, it will be observed, is at the basis of the plan of the mi- 
 nority ; insomuch, that even the body retaining the name and 
 institutions, should not be considered the successors of this bodv. 
 
 "Finally, it would be observed from our fifth paper, as com- 
 pared with the fourth paper of the niinority's committee, that 
 the final shape which their proposal assumed, was such that it 
 was impossible for the majority of the house to carry out its 
 views and wishes, let the vote be what it might. For if the 
 house should vote for the plan of the committee of the majority, 
 the other committee would not consider itself or its friends 
 bound thereby, and voluntary division would therefore be im- 
 possible in that case. But if the house should vote for the mi- 
 nority's plan, then the foregoing insuperable objections to that 
 plan being supposed to be surmounted, still the whole case 
 would be put off, perhaps indefinitely. 
 
 " A. Alexandkr, C. C. Cutler,' &c., &c." 
 *' Report of the Committee of the Minority. 
 
 "The subscribers, appointed members of the committee of 
 ten on the state of the church, respectfully ask leave to report, 
 as follows, to wit : 
 
 "It being understood that one object of the appointment of 
 said committee, was to consider the expediency of a voluntary 
 
OLD SCHOOL VmDICATED. 231 
 
 division of the Presbyterian Church, and to devise a plan for 
 the same, they, in connexion with the other members of the 
 committee, have had the subject under dehberation. 
 
 " The subscribers had behoved that no such imperious ne- 
 cessity for a division of the church existed as some of their 
 brethren supposed, and that the consequences of division would 
 be greatly to be deprecated. Such necessity, however, being 
 urged by many of our brethren, we have been induced to yield 
 to their wishes, and to admit the expediency of a division, pro- 
 vided, the same could be accomphshed in an amicable, equita- 
 ble, and proper manner. We have accordingly submitted the 
 following propositions to our brethren on the other part of the 
 same committee, who, at the same time, submitted to us their 
 proposition, which is annexed to this report. 
 
 " JVb. 1 of t fie Majority. 
 
 " The portion of the committee which represents the majori- 
 ty, submit for consideration : 
 
 "1. That the peace and prosperity of the Presbyterian Church, 
 in the United States, require a separation of the portions called 
 respectively, the Old and New School parties, and represented 
 by the majority and minority in the present Assembly. 
 
 " 2. That the portion of the church represented by the ma- 
 jority, in the present General Assembly, ought to retain the 
 name and the corporate property of the General Assembly of 
 the Presbyterian Church, in the United States of America. 
 
 " 3. That the two parties ought to form separate denomina- 
 tions, under separate organizations ; that to effect this, with the 
 least delay, the commissioners in the present General Assem- 
 bly, shall eleet which body they will adhere to, and this elec- 
 tion shall decide the position of their Presbyteries, respectively, 
 for the present; that every Presbytery may reverse the deci- 
 sion of its present commissioners, and unite with the opposite 
 body, by the permission of that body, properly expressed ; that 
 minorities of Presbyteries, if large enough, or if not, then in 
 connexion with neighbouring minorities, may form new Pres- 
 byteries, or attach themselves to existing Presbyteries, in union 
 with either body, as shall be agreed on ; that Synods ought to 
 take order and make election on the general principles already 
 stated, and minorities of Synods should follow out the rule sug- 
 gested for minorities of Presbyteries, as far as they are appli- 
 cable." 
 
 «JVb. 1 of the Minority. 
 
 " Whereas, the experience of many years has proved, that this 
 body is too large to answer the purposes contemplated by the 
 constitution, and there appear to be insuperable obstacles in the 
 
232 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 way of reducing the representation ; and whereas, in the exten- 
 sion of the church over so great a territory, embracing such a 
 variety of people, difl'erence of view in relation to important 
 points of church policy and action, as well as theological opin- 
 ion, are found to exist ; 
 
 " Now, it is believed, a division of the body into two separate 
 bodies, which shall act independently of each other, will be of 
 vital importance, to the best interests of the Redeemer's king- 
 dom ; therefore, 
 
 " Resolved, That the following rules be sent down to the 
 Presbyteries, for their adoption or rejection, as constitutional 
 rules, to wit : 
 
 " 1. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in 
 the United States of America, shall be and it hereby is divided 
 into two bodies ; the one thereof to be called the General As- 
 sembly of the Presbyterian Church, in the United States of 
 x\merica,and the other, the General Assembly of the American 
 Presbyterian Church. 
 
 "2. That the Confession of Faith and form of government, 
 of the Presbyterian Cimrch of the United States of America, as 
 it now exists, shall continue to be the Confession of Faith and 
 form of government of both bodies, until it shall be constitu- 
 tionally changed and altered by either, in the manner prescribed 
 therein. 
 
 "3. That in sending up their commissioners to the next Gen- 
 eral Assembly, each Presbytery, after having, in making out 
 their commissions, followed the form now prescribed, shall add 
 thereto as follows, viz: Tliat in case a majority of the Pres- 
 byteries shall have voted to adopt the plan for organizing two 
 General Assemblies, we direct our said commissioners to attend 
 the meeting of 'The Presbyterian Church of the United States 
 of America,' or 'The x'^merican Presbyterian Church,' as the 
 case may be. And after the opening of the next General As- 
 sembly, and before proceeding to other business, than the usual 
 preliminary organization, the said Assembly shall ascertain 
 what is the vote of the Presbyteries ; and in case a majority of 
 said Presbyteries shall have adopted these rules, then the two 
 General Assemblies shall be constituted and organized, in the 
 manner now pointed out in the form of government, by the 
 election of their respective moderators, stated clerks, and other 
 officers. 
 
 '•'4. The several Presbyteries shall be deemed and taken to 
 belong to that Assembly with which they shall direct their 
 commissioners to meet, as stated in the preceding rule. And 
 each General Assembly shall, at their first meeting, as aforesaid, 
 organize the Presbyteries belonging to each, into Synods. And 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 52133 
 
 in case any Presbytery shall fail to decide, as aforesaid, at that 
 time, they may attach themselves, within one year thereafter, 
 to the Assembly they shall prefer. 
 
 "■ 5. Churches, and members of churches, as well as Presby- 
 teries, shall be at full liberty to decide to which of said Assem- 
 blies they will be attached ; and in case the majority of male 
 ■members in any church, sha^l decide to belong to a Presbytery, 
 Goimected with the Assembly to which their Presbytery is not 
 attached, they shall certify the same to the stated clerk of the 
 Presbytery which they wish to leave, and the one with which 
 they wish to unite, and they shall, ipso facto, be attached to 
 such Presbytery. 
 
 " 6. It shall be the duty of Presbyteries, at their first meeting 
 after the adoption of these rules, or within one year thereafter, 
 to grant certificates of dismission, to such ministers, licentiates, 
 and students, as may wish to unite with a Presbytery at. ached 
 to tlie other General Assembly. 
 
 " 7. It shall be the duty of church sessions, to grant letters 
 of dismission to such of their members, being in regular stand- 
 ing, as may apply for the same, within one year after the or- 
 ganization of said Assemblies under these rules, for the purpose 
 of uniting with any church attached to a Presbytery under the 
 care of the other General Assembly; and if such session refuse 
 so to dismiss, it shall be lawful for such members to unite with 
 such other church, in the same manner as if a certificate were 
 given. 
 
 " S, The boards of education and missions shall continue 
 their organization as heretofore, until the next meeting of the 
 Assembly; and in case the rules for the division of the Assem- 
 bly be adopted, those boards shall be, and hereby are transferred 
 to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in tiie 
 United States of America, if that Assembly, at its first meeting, 
 shall adopt the boards as their organizations, and the seats of 
 any ministers or elders, in those boards, not belonging to that 
 General Assembly, shall be deemed to be vacant. 
 
 " 9. The records of the Assembly shall remain in the hands 
 of the present stated clerk, for the mutual use and benefit of 
 both Assemblies, until, by such an arrangement as they may 
 adopt, they shall appoint some other person to take charge of 
 the same; and either Assembly, at their own expense, may 
 cause such extracts and copies to be made thereof, as they may 
 desire and direct. 
 
 " 10. The Princeton Seminary funds, to be transferred to the 
 Board of Trustees of the Seminary, if it can be so done legally, 
 and without forfeiting the trusts upon which the grants were 
 made; and if it cannot be done legally, and according to the 
 
234 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 intention of the donors, then to remain with the present board 
 of trustees, until legislative authority be given for such trans- 
 fer. The supervision of said Seminary, in the same manner in 
 which it is now exercised by the General Assembly, to be 
 transferred to and vested in the General Assembly of the Pres- 
 byterian Church, in the United States, to be constituted. The 
 other funds of the cliurch to be divided equally between the 
 wo Assemblies. 
 
 " Pass a resolution suspending the operation of the controvert- 
 ed votes, until after the next Assembly." 
 
 Being informed by the other members of the committee, 
 that they had concluded not to discuss in committee the propo- 
 sitions which should be submitted, and that all propositions, on 
 both sides, were to be in writing, and to be answered in writing, 
 the following papers passed between the two parts of the com- 
 mittee : 
 
 " A'b. 2 of the Minority. 
 
 " The committee of the minority make the following objec- 
 tions to the proposition of the majority : 
 
 " 1. To any recognition of the terms ' Old and New Schools,' 
 or ' majority and minority,' of the present Assembly; in any 
 action upon the subject of division, the minority expect the di- 
 vision, in every respect, to be equal, no otlier would be satis- 
 factory. 
 
 "2. Insisting upon an equal division, we are willing that 
 that portion of the church which shall choose to retain the 
 present boards, shall have the present name of the Assembly; 
 the corporate property which is susceptible of division, to be 
 divided, as the only fair and just course. 
 
 " 3. We object to the power of the commissioners, to make 
 any division at this time, and as individuals, we cannot assume 
 the responsibility. 
 
 " J\o. 2 of the Mtjorily. 
 
 "The committee of the majority having considered the paper 
 submitted by that of the minority, observe: 
 
 " 1. That they suppose the propriety and necessity of a divi- 
 sion of the church may be considered as agreed on by both 
 committees, but we think it not expedient to attempt giving 
 reasons in a preamble ; the preamble, therefore, is not agreed to. 
 
 "2. So much of No. 1, of the plan of the committee of the 
 minority, as relates to the proposed names of the New General 
 Assemblies, is agreed to. 
 
 " 3. Nos. I to S, inclusive, except as above, are not agreed 
 to, but our proposition, No. 3, in our first paper, is insisted on. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 235 
 
 But we agree to the proposition in regard to single churches, 
 individual ministers, Hcentiates, students and private members. 
 
 "4. In Ueu of No. 9, we propose that the present stated 
 clerk, be directed to make out a complete copy of all our re- 
 cords, at the joint expense of both the new bodies, and after 
 causing the copy to be examined and certified, deliver it to the 
 written order of the moderator and stated clerk of the General 
 Assembly of the American Presbyterian Church. 
 
 '•'5. VVe agree in substance to the proposal in No. 10, and 
 ofter the following as the form in which the proposition shall 
 stand : 
 
 " That the corporate funds and property of the church, so far 
 as they appertain to the Theological Seminary at Princeton, or 
 relate to the professors' support, or the edcation of beneficiaries 
 there, shall remain the property of the body retaining the name 
 of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in the 
 United States of America; that all other funds shall be equally 
 divided between the new bodies, so far as it can be done, in 
 conformity with the intention of the donors, and that all liabili- 
 ties of the present Assembly shall be discharged in equal por- 
 tions by thein ; that all questions relating to the future adjust- 
 ment of this whole subject, upon the princijiles now agreed on, 
 shall be settled by committees, appointed by the new Assem- 
 blies, at their first meeting, respectively; and if these commit- 
 tees shall not agree, then each committee shall select one arbi- 
 trator, and these two, a third, which arbitrators shall have full 
 power to settle, finally, the whole case in all its parts; and that 
 no person shall be appointed an arbitrator who is a member of 
 either church ; it being distinctly understood, that whatever dif- 
 ficulties may arise, in the construction of trusts, and all other 
 questions of power, as well as right, legal and equitable, shall 
 be finally decided by the committees or arbitrators, so as in all 
 cases to prevent an appeal by either party, to the legal tribu- 
 nals of the country. 
 
 " JVo. 3 of the Minority. 
 
 " 1. We accede to the proposition to have no preamble. 
 
 "2. We accede to the proposition No. 4, modifying our pro- 
 position No. 9, in relation to the records and copies of the re- 
 cords; the copy to be made within one year after the division. 
 
 " 3. We assent to the modification of No. 10, by No. 5 of the 
 propositions submitted, with a trifling alteration in the phrase- 
 ology, striking out the words, 'shall remain the property of the 
 body retaining the name of the General Assembly of the Pres- 
 byterian Church, in the United States of America,' and insert- 
 ing the words, ' shall be transferred, and belong to the General 
 
236 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, of the United States of, 
 America, hereby constituted.' 
 
 "4. We cannot assent to any division by the present com- 
 missioners of the Assembly, as it would in no wise be obliga- 
 tory on any of the judicatories of the church, or any members 
 of the churches. The only effect would be, a disorderly disso- 
 lution of the present Assembly, and be of no binding force or 
 effect upon any member who did not assent to it. 
 
 " 5. We propose a resolution, to be appended to tlie rules, 
 and which we believe, if adopted by the committee, would pass 
 with great unanimity, urging in strong terms, the adoption of 
 the rules by the Presbyteries; and the members of the minori- 
 ty side of the committee, pledge themselves to use their influ- 
 ence, to procure the adoption of the same, by the Presbyteries. 
 
 " J\^o. 3 of the Majority, 
 
 " The committee of the majority, in relation to paper No. 2, 
 observe : 
 
 "1. That the terms ' Old and New School,' ' majority and 
 minority,' are meant as descriptive, and some description being 
 necessary, we see neither impropriety nor unsuitableness in 
 them. 
 
 "2. Our previous paper, No. 2, having, as we suppose, sub- 
 stantially acceded to t!)e proposal of the minority, in relation to 
 the funds, in their first paper, we deem any farther statement 
 on that subject, unnecessary. 
 
 " 3. That we see no difficulty in the way of settling the mat- 
 ter at present, subject to the revision of the Presbyteries, as 
 provided in our first paper, under the third head ; and as no 
 'constitutional rules' are proposed, in the way of altering any 
 principles of our system, we see no constitutional objection to 
 the execution of the proposal already made. We therefore ad- 
 here to the plan as our final proposal. But, if the commission- 
 ers of any Presbytery should refuse to elect, or be equally di- 
 vided, then the Presbytery which they represent, shall make 
 such election, at its first meeting after the adjournment of the 
 present General Assembl3^ 
 
 " A^o. 4. of the Majority. 
 The committee of the majority, in reply to No. 3, of the mi- 
 nority's committee, simply refer to their own preceding papers, 
 as containing their final propositions. 
 
 " J\^o. 4 of the Minority. 
 " The committee of the minority, in reply to No. 3, of the 
 majority, observe, that they will unite, in a report to the As- 
 
I 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 237 
 
 sembly, Stating that the committee have agreed, that it is expe- 
 dient that a division of the chwch be effected, and in general, 
 upon the principles upon which it is to be carried out, but they 
 differ as tO' the manner of effecting it. 
 
 "On the one hand, it is asked, that a division be made by 
 the present Assembly, at their present meeting; and on the 
 ather hand, that the plan of division, with the subsequent ar- 
 rangement and organization, shall be submitted to the Presby- ^ 
 teries for their adoption or rejection. 
 
 "They wilt unite in asking the General Assembly, to decide 
 the above points, previous to reporting the details ; and in case 
 the Assembly decide in favor of immediate division, then the 
 paper No. 1, of the majority, with the modifications agreed on, 
 be taken as the basis of the report in detail. 
 
 "If the Assembly decide to- send to the Presbyteries, then 
 No. 1, of the minority's papers-, with the modifications agreed 
 on, shall be the basis of the report in detail. 
 
 "The committee of the minority cannot agree to any other, 
 propositions than those already submitted, until the above be 
 settled by the Assembly. 
 
 " If the above proposition be not agreed to, or be modified, 
 and then, agreed to, they desire that each side may make a- re- 
 port to the Assembly, to-morrow morning. 
 
 " JVb. 5 of the Majority. 
 " The committee of the majority, in answer tO' No. 4, &:c., re- 
 ply, that understarjiding from- the verbal explanations of the 
 committee of the minority, that the said committee would not 
 consider either side bound by the vote of the Assembly, if it 
 were against their views and wishes, respectively, on the point 
 proposed to be submitted to its decision, in said paper, to carry 
 out in good faith, a scheme which, in that case, could not be 
 approved by them.; and under such circumstances, a volurijary 
 separation being manifestly impossible, this committee consider 
 No. 4, of the minority, as virtually a waiver of the whole sub- 
 ject. If nothing further remains to be proposed, they submit 
 that the papers be laid before the Assembly, and that the united 
 committee be dissolved." 
 
 The committee on the state of the church was discharged. 
 After the discharge of this committee, whose report is fully 
 presented above, the whole subject of a voluntary division of 
 the Presbyterian body, was indefinitely postponed. 
 
 From these papers, it will be seen, that the only question of 
 any importance, upon which the committee differed, was that 
 proposed to be submitted to the decision of the Assembly, as pre- 
 liminary to any action, upon the details of either plan. There- 
 
•^'l? 
 
 238 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 fore, believing that the members of this Assembly, have neither a 
 conslitiitioiial, nor moral right, to adopt a plan for the division of 
 the cliurch, in relation to which they are entirely uninst ructed 
 by the Presbyteries; believing that the course proposed by their 
 brethren of the committee, to be entirely ineflicacious, and calcu- 
 lated to introduce confusion and disorder into the whole church, 
 and instead of mitigating to enhance the evils which it proposes 
 to remove, and regarding the plan proposed by themselves, with 
 the modifications thereof, as before stated, as presenting in gene- 
 ral, the only safe, certain and constiiutional mode of division, the 
 subscribers do respectfully present the same to the Assembly, for 
 their adoption or rejection. 
 
 " Thos. McAuley, N. S. S. Beman, O. Peters, &c." 
 
 The candid and judicious reader of the propositions, the cor- 
 respondence, and the reports of the committees, in the General 
 Assembly of 1837, on the state of the church, and on the subject 
 of an amicable division, may, from the pages here recorded, ob- 
 tain a good insight into the real character and aim of the parties 
 at issue. The orthodox had been rendered so unhappy by tlie 
 encroaching and distracting measures of the New Seliool for 
 vears past, that they were most honestly and earnestly desirous 
 of accomplishing a separation without conflict or tumult, that 
 their committee were prepared, and, indeed, substantially in- 
 structed and auihorized, to exercise the highest Christian liberal- 
 itv, and to make every lawful sacrifice to effect the object in 
 view. It is, therefore, submitted, whether the records of their 
 transactions do not fully award to them the high character of 
 fidelity to the principles avowed, and to the accommodating spirit 
 professed. We most deeply regretted the failure of the magnan- 
 imous efl'ort to avert most aggravated evils, both experienced and 
 apprehended, in this voluntary and peaceful manner. Tire com- 
 mittee of the majority had a herculean task to perform. All the 
 interests of the church, under God, were entrusted to them, and 
 they had wily adversaries to treat with, and to watch and to 
 guard against, every step. 
 
 Candid reviewers cannot but see, that the negotiation failed 
 through the unreasonable, and, as appears, the designing positions 
 insisted on by the minority's committee. They demanded delay, 
 that the matters might be sent down to the Presbyteries, on the 
 pretence, that the Assembly had no power in herself to act on the 
 subject; they alleged unwillingness to assume the responsibility of 
 inmediate decision; they avowed openly, that neilher they n-or 
 their division of the church, would be bound by any action of the 
 Assembly touching the division of the church at that time; they 
 insisted that the constitution of the whole church should be en- 
 tirely changed and reorganized, to bring themselves, it may have 
 
^^i 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 239 
 
 been, upon a parallel with the original and true church ; they re- 
 quired that the whole institution of the Presbyterian Church should 
 be so broken up as to leave no vestige of it; to destroy the iden- 
 tity of the body, the true succession to the General Assembly ; 
 that no remaining fragments of the wreck should be afterwards 
 considered the proper body of the Presbyterian Church heretofore 
 existing. What could be more monstrous? Design, artifice, re- 
 newed and protracted warfare, stand out prominently in every 
 feature of this dark, foreboding exhibition. It was absolutely im- 
 possible that the majority could coincide with such an absurd 
 and shocking plan of proceedure. The idea of treating upon such 
 terms, was not for a moment entertained. And the alluring pros- 
 pect died away, leaving among the orthodox, many spirits deeply 
 afRicted at the failure. 
 
 The subject of the " Abrogation" of the unconstitutional and 
 injurious "Plan of Union" of 1801, from which all our evils 
 sprang, had been several days* under more .absorbing and solemn 
 consideration than ever before; and the minds of the Old School 
 seemed to be conducted, as if by an inspiring ray, to the adoption 
 of this inconfestible principle, that if "the Plan of Union of 1801," 
 the source of all our church difficulties and unhappiness were 
 dried up. the streams of strife and biiterness would cease to flow 
 out; if the foundation of the corrupt and nauseating mass of New 
 8i;hoolism be removed, the wliole superstructure erected upon it 
 must fall to the ground; for a house which has no foundation 
 cannot stand. 
 
 Here, the original motion, which had been for several days be- 
 fore the house for consideration, but postponed from time to time, 
 was introduced in the following terms, viz: 
 
 ^* Resolved, That by the operation of the abrogation of the 
 'Plan of Union of 1801,' the Synod of the Western Reserve is, 
 and is hereby dpclared to be no longer a part of the Presbyterian 
 Church in the United States of America;" which Was decided in 
 the afrirm'ative by a majority oftwenty-seven votes. 
 
 The Assembly prosecuted, to great extent, a discussion of the 
 resolution ofiiered respecting the 0|)erations of the American Home 
 Missionary Society, and of the Amerif;an Education Society, 
 within the bounds of the Presbyterian Church. After this long 
 debate, the resolution passed in the aftirmatrve, in the following 
 words, viz: "That while we desire that no body of Christian 
 men, of other denominations, should be prevented from choosing 
 their own plans f>f doing good; and while we claiin no right to 
 ('omplain, should they exceed us in energy and zeal, we believe 
 that facts too familiar to need repetition here, warrant us in af- 
 
 * See Miautes of the Assembly for 1837, pp. 420—437. 
 
240 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 firming, that the organization and operations of the so called 
 American Home Missionary Society, and American Education 
 Society, and its branches, of whatever name, within our bounds, 
 are exceedingly injurious to the peace and purity of the Presby- 
 terian Church. We recommend, accordingly, that they should 
 cease to operate within any of our churches." 
 
 The following resolutions were carried by large majorities: 
 
 " 1. That in consequence of the abrogation, by this Assembly, 
 of the * Plan of Union of 1801,' between it and the General As- 
 sociation of Connecticut,, as utterly unconstitutional, and, there- 
 fore, null and void from the beginning, the Synods of Ulica, Ge- 
 neva, and Genessee, which were formed and attached to this 
 body, under and in execution of said ' Plan of Union,' be, and ate 
 hereby declared to be out of the ecclesiastical connexion of the 
 Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, and that 
 they are nol,.in form or in fact,. an integral portion of said church. 
 
 "2. That the solicitude of this- Asi^embly on the whole subject, 
 and its urgency fur the in)mediate decision of it, are greatly in- 
 creased by reason of the gross disorders which are ascertained to 
 have prevailed in those Synods, as well as that of the Western 
 Reserve, agninst which a declarative resolution, si.mil-ar to the 
 first of these, has been passed during the present Sessions, it being 
 made clear to us, that even the ' Plan of Union' itself, was never 
 consistently carried into effect by those professing to act under it. 
 
 "3. That the General Assembly has no intention, by these re- 
 solutions, or by that passed in the case of the Synod ol Western 
 Reserve, to affect,, in any way, the ministerial standing of any 
 members of any of said Synods, nor to disturb the pastoral rela- 
 tion in any church, nor to interfere with the duties and relations 
 of private Christians, in their respective congregations ; but only 
 to determine and declare, according to the truth and necessity of 
 the case, and by virtue of the full authority existing in it, for that 
 purpose, the relation of all said Synods, and all their constituent 
 parts, to this body, and to the Presbyterian Church in the United 
 States. 
 
 " 4. That inasmuch as there are reported to be several churches 
 and ministers, if not one or two Presbyteries, now in connexion 
 with one or more of said Synods, which are stiictly Piesbyterian 
 in doctrine and order, be it therefore further resolved, that all 
 such churches and ministers as wish to unite with us, are hereby 
 directed to apply for admission into those Presbyteries belonging 
 to our connexion, which are most convenient to their respective 
 locations; and tliat any such Presbytery as aforesaid, being 
 strictly Presliyteiian in d(K-trine and order, and now in connexion 
 with any of said Synods, as may desire to unite with us, arc 
 hereby directed to make application, with a full statement of 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 24 1 
 
 their cases, to the next General Assembly, which will take propei* 
 order thereon." 
 
 Here the Assembly resumed the consideration of that part of 
 the report of the committee on the memorial of the convention, 
 which relates to doctrinal errors. The following preamble and 
 resolution were both adopted by a large majority, viz: 
 
 " As one of the principal objects ot the memorialists is, to point 
 out certain errors, more or less prevalent in our church, and to 
 bear testimony against them, your committee are of opinionj that 
 as one great object of the institution of the church was to be a 
 depository and guardian of the truth; and as by the constitution 
 of the Presbyterinn Church in the Ignited States, it is made the 
 duty of the General Assembly to testify against error, therefore, 
 
 '^ Resulued, That the testimony of the memorialists concerning 
 doctrine, be adopted as the testimony of this General Assembly, 
 as follows, viz : 
 
 "' 1. That God would have prevented the existence of sin in 
 our world, but was not able, without destroying the moral agency 
 of man; or, that for aught that appears in the Bible to the con- 
 trary, sin is incidental to any wise system. 
 
 "'2. That election to eternal life is founded on a foresight of 
 faith and obedience. 
 
 '* ' 3. That we have no more to do with the first sin of Adam 
 than with the sins of any other parent. 
 
 '"4. That infants come into the world as free from moral de* 
 filemenl as was Adam, when he was created. 
 
 " ' 5. That infants sustain the same relation to the moral govern- 
 ment of God in this world as brute animals, and that their suffer* 
 ings and death are to be accounted for, on the same principles as 
 those of brutes, and not by any means to be considered as penal. 
 
 " ' 6. That there is no other oijofinal sin than the fact that all the 
 posterity of Adam, though by nature innocent, or possessed of no 
 moral character, will always begin to sin when they begin to ex- 
 ercise moral agency; that oiiginal sin does not include a sinful 
 bias of the human mind, and a just exposure to penal suffering; 
 and that there is no evidence in Scripture, that infants, in order 
 to salvation, do need redemption by the blood of Christ, and re- 
 generation by the Holy Ghost. 
 
 "'7. That the doctrine of imputation, whether of the guilt of 
 Adam's sin, or of the righteousness of Christ, has no foundation 
 in the word of God, and is both unjiisi and absurd. 
 
 "'8. That the sufferings and death of Christ were not truly vi- 
 carious and penal, but symbolical, Gjovernmental, and instructive. 
 
 " ' 9. That the impenitent sinner is by nature, and independently 
 of the renewing influence or almighty energy of the Holy Spirit, 
 Q 
 
242 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 in full possession of all the ability necessary to a full compliance 
 with all the commands of God. 
 
 '" 10. That Christ does not intercede for the elect until after 
 their regeneration, 
 
 " ' 11. That saving faith is not an effect of special operation of 
 the Holy Spirit, but a mere rational belief of the truth, or assent 
 to the word of God. 
 
 "' 12. That regeneration is the act of the sinner himself, and 
 that it consists in a change of his governing purpose, which he 
 himself must produce, and which is the result, not of any direct 
 influence of the Holy Spirit on the heart, but chiefly of a per- 
 suasive exhibition of the truth analogous to the influence which 
 one man exerts over the mind of another; or that regeneration is 
 not an instantaneous act, but a progressive work. 
 
 " < 13. That God has done all that he can do for the salvation of 
 all men, and that man himself must do the rest. 
 
 "* 14. That God cannot exert such influence on the minds of 
 men, as shall make it certain that they will choose and act in a 
 particular manner, without impairing their moral agency. 
 
 " ' 15. That the righteousness of Christ is not the sole ground of 
 the sinner's acceptance with God ; and that in no sense does the 
 righteousness of Christ become ours. 
 
 "' 16. That the reason why some differ from others in regard 
 to their reception of the gospel is, that they make themselves to 
 differ.' " 
 
 Against all these errors, whenever, wherever, and by whom- 
 soever taught, the Assembly solemnly testified, warning all in 
 connexion with the Presbyterian Church against ihem. They en- 
 joined it also upon all inferior judicatories, to adopt all suitable 
 measures to keep their members pure from opinions so dangerous, 
 and especially to guard with great care the door of entrance to 
 the sacred office. 
 
 In regard to the report of the committee on that part of the 
 memorial which relates to church order, the Assembly adopted 
 the following preamble and resolutions, viz: 
 
 " Whereas, it is represented to the Assembly, that the follow- 
 ing disorders and irregularities are practiced in some portions of 
 the Presbyterian Church, without determining the extent of them, 
 the Assembly would solemnly warn all in our connexion against 
 them; the principal of which are as follows, viz: 
 
 " ' 1. The formation of Presbyteries without defined and reason- 
 able limits, or Presbyteries covering the same territory, and es- 
 pecially such a formation founded on doctrinal repulsidns or affin- 
 ities; thus introducing schism into the very vitals of the body. 
 
 "'2. The licensing of persons to preach the gospel, and or- 
 daining to the office of the ministry such as not only accept 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 243 
 
 our standards merely for substance of doctrine, and others who 
 are unfit and ought to be excluded for want of qualification, but 
 of many who openly deny fundamental principles of truth, and 
 preach and publish radical errors as already set forth. 
 
 "'3. The formation of a great number and variety of creeds 
 which are often incomplete, false, and contradictory of each other, 
 and of our Confession of Faith and of the Bible ; but which even if 
 true are needless, seeing that the public and authorized standards 
 of the church are fully sufficient for the purposes for which such 
 formularies were introduced, namely, as public testimonies of our 
 faith and practice, as aids to the teaching of the people truth and 
 righteousness, and as instruments for ascertaining and preserving 
 the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace; it being understood 
 that we do not object to the use of a brief abstract of the doc- 
 trines of our Confession of Faith, in the public reception of private 
 members of the church. 
 
 " ' 4. The needless ordination of a multitude of men to the ofl^oe 
 of evangelist, and the consequent tendency to a general neglect of 
 the pastoral office; frequent and hurtful changes of pastoral rela- 
 tions; to the multiplication of spurious excitements, and the con- 
 sequent spread of heresy and fanaticism, thus weakening and 
 bringing into contempt the ordinary and slated agents and means, 
 for the conversion of sinners, and the edification of the body of 
 Christ. 
 
 " ' 5. The disuse of the office of ruling elder in portions of the 
 church, and the consequent growth of practices and principles 
 entirely foreign to our system ; thus depriving the pastors of need- 
 ful assistants in discipline, the people of proper guides in Christ, 
 and the churches of suitable representatives in the ecclesiastical 
 tribunals. 
 
 " ' 6. The unlimited and irresponsible power assumed by several 
 associations of men under various names, to exercise authority 
 and influence, direct and indirect, over Presbyters, as to their 
 field of labour, place of residence, and mode of action in the diffi- 
 cult circumstances of our church; thus actually throwing the 
 control of affiiirs in large portions of the church, and sometimes 
 in the General Assembly itself, out of the hands of the Presbyte- 
 ries into ihose of single individuals or small committees located at 
 a distance. 
 
 "•7. A progressive change in the system of Presbyterian repre- 
 sentation in the General Assembly, which has been persisted in by 
 those holding the ordinary majorities, and carried out in detail 
 by those disposed to take undue advantage of existing opportuni- 
 ties, until the actual representation seldom exhibits the true state 
 of the church, and many questions of deepest interest have 
 been decided contrary to the fairly ascertained wishes of the ma- 
 
24^ OLD SCHOOL VINDrCATfiD. 
 
 jority of the church and people in our communion; thus virtually 
 subverting the essential principles of freedom, justice, and equality, 
 On which our whole system rests.' " 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Dr. Alexander's resolutions to correct New School disorders — Protest of 
 New School against the Abrogation Act — Committee to reply — Their 
 answer, long, minute, and able. 
 
 As an additional subject of great and vital importance, show- 
 ing the zeal and pertinacity of the New School, in their aims and 
 eflbrts to subdue the church to their power, we might here record 
 the fact of their dividing and subdividing Presbyteries, possessing 
 their views, so as to multiply their aggregate number and increase 
 their strength in the General Assembly. To remedy this disor- 
 derly and corrupt artifice, the following resolutions were offered 
 by Dr. A. Alexander, viz: 
 
 " 1. That no commissioner from a newly formed Presbytery 
 shall be permitted to take his seat, nor shall such commissioner bo 
 reported by the committee on commissions, until the Presbytery 
 shall have been duly reported by the Synod, and recognized as 
 such by the Assembly ; and that the same rule apply when the 
 name of any Presbytery has been changed. 
 
 "2. When it shall appear to the satisfaction of the General As- 
 sembly, that any new Presbytery has been formed for the [jurpose 
 of unduly increasing the representation, the General Assembly 
 will, by a vote of the majority, refuse to receive the delegates of 
 Presbyteries so formed, and may direct the Synod to which such 
 Presbytery belongs, to reunite it to the Presbytery or Presbyteries 
 to which the members were before attached." 
 
 To see the unfairness of this New School measure, for the cor- 
 rection of which Dr. Alexander's resolutions are intended, let us 
 suppose a case, parallels to which, on a small scale, can be de- 
 signated in the history of New School artifice, to swell their num- 
 bers and their influence in church judicatories. By the constitu- 
 tion of the church, every Presbytery, consisting of twenty-four 
 members or less, down to three, according to the last established 
 ratio of representation, is entitled to one commissioner to the Ge- 
 neral Assembly.* Now, if a New School Synod should desire 
 
 * Form of Government, chap. X, sej. 7. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 245 
 
 and resolve on such a course of action, they nnay make out of one 
 Presbytery, containing twenty-four members, eight Presbyteries, 
 each entitled to a seat in the General Assembly. Now the whole 
 origTnal Presbytery of twenty-four members, being restricted by 
 the constitution to one clerical representation in that body, by this 
 artful subdivision their ratio of representation and power in the 
 General Assembly, are augmented in the proportion of one to 
 eighty The case supposed is an extreme one, but the disorderly 
 and corrupting principle or practice is fairly exhibited and has 
 been successfully attempted. 
 
 The protests entered by the minority in the General Assembly, 
 against the measures passed by the majority, to correct the dis- 
 orders and abuses prevailing in the church, are so numerous and 
 destitute of strength, that passing by the whole train of them, and 
 the answers to them, we shall transfer from the minutes of the 
 Assembly, pages 458 — 462, the answer recorded there to the 
 protest of the minority against the abrogation of the " Plan ot 
 Union" of 1801. As the protest of the minority, in all its mate- 
 rial points, is referred to, and discussed at some length in the an- 
 swer, the protest is omitted, but can be seen on the minutes, at 
 page 454. 
 
 The committee to whom it was referred to answer that pro- 
 test, state that *' The reasons of protest are numbered from I to 6. 
 No. 1 is the principal, and, therefore, we prefer leaving it to (he 
 last, and commencing with No. 2. ' We protest,' say the minority, 
 'against the resolution referred to, because the Plan of Union 
 adopted by the General Assembly of 1801, was designed to sup- 
 press and prevent schismatical contentions and for the promotion 
 of charity, or, in the language of the plan itself, " with a view to 
 prevent alienation, and to promote union and harmony." ' To 
 this, a sufficient answer is found in the broad and undeniable fact, 
 that the Plan of Union ' has been a principal means of dividing 
 the church, and this General Assembly, into two parties; and has 
 been the main source of those schisms which for many years 
 have distracted our Zion.' Whilst it is admitted, that in some in- 
 stances, it may have beneficially affected certain localities, it has 
 laid the deep foundation of lasting confusion, and opened wide 
 the floodgates of error and fanaticism. For proof of this, we have 
 only to refer to the recorded votes of the last and the present 
 General Assemblies, from which it abundantly appears that the 
 representatives of churches formed on this plan, have always op- 
 posed the boards of education and of missions, and the efforts to- 
 wards reform, and the suppression of errors and of schismatical 
 contentions. 
 
 •' No. 3. ' Because it declares the said " Plan of Union" to have 
 been totally destitute of authority, as proceeding from the Gene- 
 
246 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 ral Association of Connecticut, which is invested with no power 
 lo legislate in such cases.' 
 
 "In reply to this let it be remarked, first, that the protestors, 
 seeming to admit that the General Association of Connecticut 
 had no power and authority to bind their churches, yet insist that 
 the General Assembly could make a treaty or covennnt that should 
 be binding on the other side; and the brethren, in arguing the 
 case, did insist on the ' Plan' being of the nature of a covenant, 
 (although no such term is contained in it.) and yet one of the par- 
 ties to this covenant had no authority to make a contract, and to 
 make it obligatory on their churches. That is, a contract, treaty, 
 or covenant, can exist, and be and continue for ever, binding in 
 right and in law upon one party, whilst the other party, having no 
 power or authority to bind themselves, and those for whom they 
 plead its benefits, never could be bound. That is, a treaty or 
 covenant may exist, without a mutual obligation, or a considera- 
 tion stated. 
 
 " Secondly : The protestors, without distinctly affirming it 
 again, seem willing that the reader of their protest should believe, 
 that the General Association of Connecticut had power to bind 
 their churches; that their acts participate of the nature of eccle- 
 siastical authority. 'By acceding to the said stipulations,' say 
 they, ' the said Association relinquished whatever right it had to 
 the direction and regulation of the members of its own churches 
 in the new seltlements.' Now these remonstrants know perfectly 
 well, that the General Association of Connecticut never had, 
 never claimed, and never exercised any right at all ' to the direc- 
 tion and regulation of the members of its own churches,' even in 
 Connecticut itself, much less 'in the new settlements.' The right 
 of counsel and advice is the utmost stretch of their power and 
 authority. And this General Assembly might give counsel and 
 advice to the churches of Connecticut, and should it be founded 
 in truth, it is just as binding upon those churches as the counsels 
 of their own General Association, i. e. it comes divested entirely 
 of all ecclesiastical authority. 
 
 " Thirdly : The resolution of abrogation is alleged to be * a 
 breach of faith, and wholly void and of no effect.' This is beg- 
 ging the question ; it goes on the assumption that faith was plighted 
 of right, and the treaty, so called, lawfully constituted ; which we 
 have supposed to be the very point in question. 
 
 " Fourthly: 'Because it denominates the "Plan of Union" un- 
 natural, as well as unconstitutional, and attributes to it much con- 
 fusion and irregularity.' A sufficient answer to this is found in 
 the preceding; to which may be added a single remark as to ir- 
 regularity, viz: that upon inquiry of brethren who came in upon 
 this * Plan,' it appeared from their own showing, to the abundant 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 247 
 
 conviction of this General Assembly, that there were some mem-- 
 bers-on the floor, deliberating and voting on the vary resolutions 
 in question who had never adopted the Confession of Faith of 
 this church." 
 
 No. 5. The fifth reason of protest is, that the resolution was 
 concocted and brought before ihe Assembly, by members of this 
 body, who had previously consulted in the form of a convention, 
 and memorialized this body on the subject; and that a majority 
 of the committee to whom the memorial was referred, were 
 members of the convention. 
 
 As to the former, let it suffice to say, that it is the right of 
 every free man, and the duty of every Christian, before entering 
 upon any great and important measure, to " ponder the path of 
 his feet," because, "in the multitude of counsellors there is safe- 
 ty." How the name convention, any more than the name "cau- 
 cus," should utterly vitiate their counsel, it may be difficult to 
 discern. 
 
 As to the latter, it may be remarked, that in all deliberative 
 bodies, the principle is settled, that large committees ought to be 
 selected, in proportion to the respective party views that may be 
 entertained on the subject committed. The wisdom of the rule 
 is obvious to common sense, and the moderator of this Assembly 
 simply carried out the rule in this case. 
 
 No. 6. The sixth reason of protest is, " because the debate on 
 the subject was arrested, by an iiTipatient call for the previous 
 question. The Assembly was thus forced to a decision, without 
 any proper evidence of the existence of the alleged irregularities, 
 and before the subject of errors in doctrine, had been decided on 
 in the Assembly." 
 
 Here remark, first, the call for the previous question was not 
 impatient; it was asked for, and seconded by a majority of the 
 house, not in the spirit of violence, and unjust oppression of the 
 minority; nor, secondly, was there any unreasonable curtailment 
 of debate. The resolution was discussed two whole days, a 
 period of time, perhaps, more extended than was ever before al- 
 lotted or allowed by any General Assembly, to any single naked 
 resolution. And, thirdly, the brethren of the minority occupied 
 the floor more than one half of the time. And on another reso- 
 lution, when the discussion was arrested by the previous question, 
 it was just at the close of two long speeches, by the minority, and 
 after they had consumed more than five hours in debate; whereas, 
 (he majority had not occupied the floor two hours and a half. So 
 utterly groundless is the insinuation, that a cruel and unjust use 
 has been made of the previous question. 
 
 " The Assembly was thus forced," say the protestors — " the 
 Assembly was forced !" "Forced" — by whom ? undoubtedly by 
 
!P48 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 itself; "forced" to do as it wished to do; "forced" to decide by 
 a strong vote, on a subject which had been discussed two whole 
 days ! Strange coercion, this ! 
 
 But, fourthly, the resolution in question was passed before the 
 doctrinal errors were condemned. This is true. But it is also 
 true, that the "Assembly was thus forced," by the opposition of 
 the minority, to pass by the doctrinal discussion, because they 
 could not have it in the order recommended by their cominittee. 
 Certain alleged errors were ofiered by the minorily, which they 
 refused to have put in their proper place, but insisted upon having, 
 first of all, a decision upon them as amendments.; which attempt, 
 had it been successful, would have precluded their discussion, ex- 
 cept upon a vote of reconsideration, which requires two-thirds; 
 and thus, the majority would have been completel}', as to these 
 alleged errors, in the power of the minority. Hence they were 
 laid on the table, to be taken up at a future time. 
 
 We now proceed to No. 1. The principal reason of protest is 
 in these words, viz: "Because the said act is declared, in the 
 resolution complained of, to have been unconstitutional."* 
 
 In opposition to the resolution declaring the Plan of Union un- 
 constitutional, it would appear most reasonable, that the protestors 
 should affirm its constitutionality ; {. e., that the constitution covers 
 and provides for it. This ground, however, the protestors have 
 not ventured to take. On the contrary, they explicitly admit, 
 that the constitution makes no provision for said act ; "it is," say 
 they, " neither specifically provided for, nor prohibited in the con- 
 stitution." 
 
 A remark or two will show, that in this they have abandoned 
 the ground, for 
 
 1. The constitution of the Presbyterian Church, like that of 
 our national union, is a constitution of specific powers, granted 
 by the Presbyteries, the fountains of power to the Synods and 
 the General. Assembly. 
 
 2. No powers, not specifically granted, can lawfully be in- 
 ferred and assumed by the General Assembly, but only such as 
 are indispensably necessary to carry into effect those which are 
 specifically granted. 
 
 * Several writers of aLllIty and discrimination, have writ'en in support 
 of this declaration, and proliably there is no point, respecting vrhich the 
 honest and sensible portion of our church are move fully satisfied, than 
 that now before us ; but as the committee who prepared this answer, was 
 one of peculiar ability, candor and zepJ, and as they have added some im- 
 portant ideas to the mass presented by others, thus strengthening!; and deep- 
 ening the general impression in regard to this fundamental principle, we 
 hinlt it is important to insert the whole answer in this public record. It 
 is believed to have been written by Dr. Geo. Junkin, an d bears marks of 
 his mind and his pen. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 249 
 
 3.: Therefore, the burden of proof lies upon those who affirm, 
 that the Assembly had power to enact this " Plan of Union." They 
 admit that there is no specific grant of such powers; they are 
 bound then to prove, that its exercise was indispensably necessary, 
 in order to carry out some other power specifically granted. 
 Now we search in vain for any such proof in the protest. There 
 is, we believe, but a single effort of the kind. This effort is made 
 in view of two distinct and distant clauses in our book. (Form 
 of Gov't, chap. XII, sec. 4.) The General Assembly "shall con- 
 stitute the bond of union, peace, correspondence and mutual con- 
 fidence, among all our churches." But surely here is no power 
 granted to constitute a bond of union with churches of another 
 denomination. It has exclusive reference to all "our churches;" 
 and yet the protestors refer to this as authority for forming a 
 union with a denomination not holding the same form of gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 An equally unsuccessful attempt is made, upon chap. 1, sec. 2, 
 where the book affirms, " that any Christian church or union, or 
 association of churches, is entitled to declare the terms of admis- 
 sion into its communion.''^ And the protestors assert here, that 
 the General Assembly exercised this power in lortning the " Plan 
 of Union," and so detdared the " terms of admission into the com- 
 munion, into the Presbyterian Church, proper to be required in 
 the frontier settlements." 
 
 On this statement, two remarks seem requisite : First, the set- 
 tling of the terms of communion, we had thought was the highest 
 act of power; an act beyond the reach of the General Assembly 
 itself; an act which the constitution itself provides, shall be done 
 only by a majority of the Presbyteries. When, we ask, did the 
 Presbyterian Church " declare the terms of admission into its 
 communion V Most assuredly, when the coiisiitution was adopted. 
 And yet the protestors, in this case, aver that the " Plan of Union," 
 is a declaration of the terms of admission into our communion ! 
 Could they affirm inore directly its unconstitutionality. 
 
 The other remark is, that the Plan of Union does not prescribe 
 the terms of admission into the communion of the Presbyterian 
 Church. It prescribes the way in which Congregationalists may 
 remain out of this church, and yet exercise a controlling and gov- 
 erning influence over its ecclesiastical judicatories. 
 
 In the entire absence of all proof, that the power exercised in 
 forming the Plan of Union, was indispensably necessary to carry 
 out a power, specifically granted, and in the face of their own 
 admission, that such power is not specifically given to the Gen- 
 eral Assen^bly, we conclude that the act in question was without 
 any authority, and must be null and void. 
 
 The next thing worthy of notice, is the criticism on the phrases, 
 
2S0 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 "constitutional rules," and "obligatory on all the churches." 
 This Plan of Union, it is argued, is not of the nature of constitu- 
 tional rules, obligatory on all the churches, and therefore, it was 
 not necessary that it should have been sent down, and have re- 
 ceived the sanction of a majority of the Presbyteries. In pre- 
 senting this argument, the protestors admit, that if the plan did 
 embrace constitutional rules, the Assembly had no power to enact 
 it. The book (Form of Gov., chap. XII, sec. 6) declares: "Be- 
 fore any overtures or regulations proposed by the Assembly to 
 be established as constitutional rules, shall be obligatory in the 
 churches, it shall be necessary to transmit them to all the Pres- 
 byteries, and to receive the returns of at least a majority of them, 
 in writing, approving thereof." 
 
 This was not done with the Plan, and the only question before 
 us is, whether it is an alteration of the constitution. This Assem- 
 bly affirms, that it is a radical and thorough change of the entire 
 system. On which remark — 
 
 1. Our book describes our church courts, viz: The Church 
 Session, the Presbytery, the Synod and the General Assembly; 
 and in chapter IX, it defines " the Church Session to consist of the 
 pastor, or pastors and ruling elders, of a particular congrega- 
 tion," and intrusts to these, as permanent officers, the government 
 of that church. But the Plan of Union provides for no such 
 thing. It expressly dispenses with the Church Session, and leaves 
 the government in the hands of the people, or of a temporary 
 committee. 
 
 Again: chap. X, sec. 2. "A Presbytery consists of all the 
 ministers and one ruling elder, from each congregation within a 
 certain district." But ihe Plan of Union abrogates this provision. 
 It does not merely pass it by, but absolutely repeals and nullifies 
 it. According to the Plan, a Presbytery may have committee 
 men, less or more in it, and may have not a single elder. The 
 book further states, that " every congregation, (?'. e., of Presbyte- 
 rians as before described) which has a stated pastor, has a right 
 to be represented by one elder; and every collegiate church, (^. 
 e., a church with two or more ministers) by two or more elders, 
 in proportion to the number of pastors," Here, it is perfectly ob- 
 vious, that the principle of equal representation in Presbytery, is 
 aimed at. The same is true of a Synod, chap. XI. " The ratio 
 of the representation of elders, in the Synod, is the same as in the 
 Presbytery ;" that is, every congregation governed by its own 
 Session, shall be represented in Presbytery and Synod. But the 
 Plan provides for Congregational committee men, sitting and act- 
 ing, and voting in Presbytery, although it also provides that the con- 
 gregation he represents, shall not be under the government of the 
 Presbytery, and no appeal shall be taken from it to the Presby- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 251 
 
 tery, even by a minister, unless the church agree to it. Thus the 
 power of government is in the hands of men, over whom that 
 government does not extend. It is surely not necessary to pro- 
 ceed farther, to show that the Plan is an abrogation of the funda- 
 mental principles of the Presbyterian system ; and yet the pro- 
 testors say, it does not contain constitutional rules. No, verily, 
 but it is a mass of unconstitutional usurpations, resulting from an 
 overstretch of power. By the criticism of the protest, it is de- 
 nied that the Plan contains constitutional rules; whereas, in the 
 first sentence of the instrument itself, it is called "a Plan of Gov- 
 ernment for the Churches, in the New Settlements.' And the se- 
 cond sentence runs thus, " Regulations adopted by the General 
 Assembly, &c." Now, if regulations are not rules, language has 
 lost its meaning; and if regulations, containing "a Plan of Gov- 
 ernment for the Churches," are not intended to be binding, and 
 do not touch the constitution, we are utterly at a loss to see how 
 rules and regulations could be expressed. The article in question 
 has been called " a Plan of Union," " a contract," "a covenant," 
 none of which phrases are found in the document itself. It declares 
 itself to be "regulations," containing "a Plan of Government for 
 the churches." Now, the General Assembly never had the power 
 to establish " regulations," and a new " Plan of Government ;" the 
 Plan is therefore null and void. 
 
 But we are told, that these governmental regulations were not 
 binding on " all the churches." Were they not, indeed ! Have 
 they not given rise to heterogenous bodies, who have come up 
 here and bound us almost to our undoing? Have they not bound 
 with green withes, this body and its boards of education and 
 missions ? Have they not well nigh shorn us of the locks of our 
 strength, and forbidden us to go forth into the fields of missionary 
 conflict against the foes of our God and King? Surely these 
 protestors will not say the regulations are not binding upon all 
 the churches. 
 
 But again, we are told in the protest, they are of long stand- 
 ing and have acquired the force of common law. Does long use 
 constitute law? Then it would follow, that concubinage and po- 
 lygamy exist of moral right. 
 
 Again, we are told that this " Plan of Government" was in ex- 
 istence twenty years prior to the last adoption of our constitu- 
 tion, and the inference is, that therefore it is binding, and was 
 viewed as a contract to be kept in good faith. The fair inferen- 
 ces from the fact, however, ought to be, that this "Plan of Gov- 
 ernment" was not submitted to our Presbyteries, by the General 
 Assembly, and is therefore not binding; and that this neglect was 
 owing to the circumstance that it was then little known, and its 
 evils were not all developed. 
 
252 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Again, we are told in the protest in reference to this new 
 " Plan of Government," that its omission of elders being expressly 
 provided for and designed, docs not "vitiate the organization, for 
 there must then be numerous churches among us, in which there 
 are no deacons, for the same reason pronounced unconstitutional." 
 And we are free to confess, that if the constitution made the dea- 
 con a ruling officer in the church, he must be found in our eccle- 
 siastical courts, and his absence would nullify their constitutional 
 existence. This, however, is not the case. The deacon's office, 
 in the New Testament, and in our book, is limited to " serving 
 tables." The argument, therefore, is lame and shows its eastern 
 birth. 
 
 Again, this protest affirms, that the argument against this "Plan 
 of Government for the Churches," because it was not submitted to 
 the Presbyteries, strikes equally against the theological semina- 
 ries, the boards of education and of missions, and also against the 
 admission of the Presbyteries of the Associate Reformed Synod, 
 into this church. 
 
 Let us touch these in their order; and first, the theological 
 seminaries. Here again, if these protestors can show that these 
 seminaries are, in the language of our book, " constitutional 
 rules, obligatory on the churches," or even, in the language of 
 their favorite plan, " regulations" and " a Plan of Government for 
 the Churches in the New Settlements," we will give up the argu- 
 ment, and Princeton and the Western Seminaries, and all. But 
 if, as every one knows, the constitutions and regulations of these 
 seminaries, have nothing to do with the government of the churches 
 any more than the private regulations of a private clergyman, 
 for his private class of students, then is this argument null and 
 void from the beginning. As to the power in the Assembly to 
 organize a seminary, it may be found in the bool;, (Form of Gov. 
 chap. XII, sec. 5) under the general power of "superintending 
 the concerns of the whole church," none of which concerns is of 
 more vital importance, than that of providing an efficient minis- 
 try ; also, to them belongs the power of " promoting charity, 
 truth and holiness, through aJI the churches under their care." Now, 
 the training of a pious and orthodox ministry, is the most effectual 
 mode of accomplishing this work, and clearly places theological 
 seminaries within the Assembly's power. 
 
 The same remarks are relevant and true, in reference to the 
 board of education. 
 
 As to the board of missions, "the superintending of the con- 
 cerns of the whole church," cannot be carried out without mis- 
 sions , and the Form of Government, chap. XVIII, expressly 
 provides for them, and grants to the Assembly power over this 
 very business; it reads thus: "The General Assembly may, of 
 
Oli5 school vindicated. 253 
 
 their own knowledge, send missions to any part, to plant churches 
 or to supply vacancies; and fur this purpose, may direct any 
 Presbytery to ordain evangelists or ministers, without relation to 
 any particular churclies." How utterly unreasonable then for 
 the protestors to deny the Assembly's power, to institute a board 
 of missions. 
 
 As to the Mason Library and the Associate Reformed Churches, 
 it may be necessnry only to remark, that the two Presbyteries of 
 New York and Philadelphia, the only parts which came into this 
 Presbyterian Church, were from their beginning Presbyterian, 
 according to the strictest order, holding the same identical Con- 
 fession of Faith and Presbyterian Form of Church Government ; 
 it is, therefore, ditiicult to perceive how the admission, by the 
 General Assembly, of strict and rigid Presbyterians, into their 
 connexion, could be either extra or unconstitutional. The act of 
 their admission did not create " regulations" and a "Plan of Gov- 
 ernment for the Churches," as did the Plan in question ; it was not 
 an " overture or regulation for establishing constitution;il rules, 
 obligatory upon the churches," and therefore its transmission to 
 all the Presbyteries was not necessary. 
 
 Fina'ily : The unconstitutionality of the "Plan of Union for the 
 Government of the Churches, in the New Settlements," abrogated 
 by this resolution, is farther demonstrated by a reference to Form 
 of Government, chap. XII, sec. 1, which says : " The General As- 
 sembly is the highest judicatory in the Presbyterian Church ; it 
 shall represent, in one body, all the particular churches of this 
 denomination ;" and subsequently, it defines the ratio of repre- 
 sentation. Now, it has been proved on the open floor of this 
 General Assembly, by the protestors themselves, that the ISynod 
 of the Western Reserve, which was formed on this " Plan of 
 Government," and which contains one hundred and thirty-nine par- 
 ticular churches, has only from twenty-four to thirty Presbyte- 
 rian Churches in it; and yet, that Synod claim a right to twenty 
 representatives here! Whom do these twenty represent ? Cer- 
 tainly not "particular churches of this denomination," as our 
 book snys. No, but Congregational Churches, which by the 
 terms of our book, and the whole representative spirit of our sys- 
 tem, have no right to be represented here, and to jiidge and vote 
 here, under a coHstitulioti which they deny to be binding upon 
 themselves. W^ith no greater impropriety would unnaturalized 
 foreigners claim the right of franchise in our country, and of eli- 
 gibility to oflice in our legislatures, our supreme judicial tribunals, 
 and the executive departments of our states and of the nation. 
 Besides, it has been shown by themselves here, that this " Plan of 
 Government" has been here violated, by those claiming privileges 
 
254 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 under it, sending men to the Assembly who had never adopted 
 our constitution. 
 
 We therefore conclude, that the reasoning of the protestors is 
 fallacious; the " Plan of Government," adopted in 1801, is, and 
 ever has been unconstitutional, and therefore this General Assem- 
 bly ought to declare, as it has done in the resolution protested 
 against, that it is, from the beginning, null and void. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Mortification and designs of the exscinded company — Considerations on the 
 pecuniary terras offered by the majority — Estimate of the claims of the 
 New England body. 
 
 On considering the situation of the New School party, after 
 their ejection from the Presbyterian Church, it must be perceived 
 that they had cause for profound and cutting mortification. They 
 had hoped and looked for protracted warfare, relying upon their 
 skill and prowess, to turn the tide again in their favour. But 
 when they found themselves, in the midst of their buoyant and 
 delusive anticipations, suddenly and irresistibly struck with this 
 masterly and statesmanlike coup de main, placing them univer- 
 sally and entirely without the limits of our ecclesiastical connex- 
 ion, desperation took -the place of their deceptive illusion. Had 
 they peacefully acquiesced in the measure, knowing, as must ne- 
 cessarily have been the fact, that their whole habitual and deter- 
 mined course of action was absolutely uncongenial and irrecon- 
 cilable with the elements, the structure, integral features of the 
 Presbyterian body, which, sickened and distracted with their 
 anomalous and incurable disorders, had, as a last resort, cast 
 them out, as an heterogeneous and intolerable incubus, to seek 
 some new and congenial associations, they might have exhibited 
 some traits of dignity, self-respect, and Christian decorum, which 
 would have deterred them from the unlawful and undermining 
 struggles in church and state with which they now stand con- 
 victed and stigmatized through the whole Christian world. 
 
 In this sudden and overwhelming change of circumstances, 
 their first attempt was, by an intrigue as degrading as it was 
 shallow, disorderly, and violent, to regain, by arrogant demands, 
 their standing in the church, which, from pure disgust, had dis- 
 owned and repudiated them. At the same time, they manifested 
 a strong desire to monopolize the loaves and fishes, a moiety of 
 which had been gratuitously offered to them, at the last meeting 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 255 
 
 of the General Assembly, on an amicable arrangement then pro- 
 posed for dividing the church. In their perfect infatuation and 
 extravagant aims, they hoped to place themselves in a higher 
 sphere, under a new name, for the gratification of their pride and 
 ambition, and for the admiration ot the present generation; but 
 through the entire failure of all their schemes and efforts, they 
 have become sensible that the want of pure faith, true consistency, 
 and sound discretion, have brought upon them the frown of Divine 
 Providence, and the disapprobation and disgust of all good men; 
 for it is an immutable truth, " The face of the Lord is against 
 them that do evil." 
 
 On inspecting the pecuniary account, it will be seen that the 
 terms offered to the New School, by the General Assembly of 
 1837, in their proposed compromise, were large and liberal, far 
 beyond what justice would require. In dividing the funds sus- 
 ceptible of division, on lawful principles, no more equitable stan- 
 dard to be governed by could probably be suggested, than the 
 relative numbers of the respective parties. On examining the 
 lists, it will be found that the New School numbered and claimed 
 at most about five hundred ministers, which would leave in the 
 Presbyterian Church about one thousand four hundred and fifty 
 ministers, and, including ministers abroad and Presbyteries who 
 have not reported, would enlarge the amount to fifteen hundred. 
 Hence, on the foundation of justice, leaving out of view every op- 
 posing consideration, the largest amount of the disposable funds 
 which the New School could ai all pretend to claim, would be 
 one-third, or less. But the overture for pacific adjustment shows 
 that the Old School assented to the proposal of an equal division. 
 This is considered, on the part of the majority, evidence of strong 
 desire, not only to do full justice, but to extend great favour to 
 the weaker party, at the moment of separation. 
 
 In ascertaining the correct state of this account, and striking a 
 balance, it is of no small importance to inquire which of these 
 parties contributed most to the accumulation of the funds in ques- 
 tion. Some facts may be collected from unquestionable ecclesi- 
 astical records, for our guidance on this subject. Before the New 
 School were fully formed and recognized in the church, a portion 
 of these funds were already in hand. Nothing is more fully sus- 
 ceptible of proof, if not already impressed on every man's memo- 
 ry, than the fact that far the greater part of the whole amount 
 was contributed by the Presbyterians of the old stamp. The New 
 School, even when few in number, in general, never would, and 
 never did, give a pro rata proportion of their church funds to the 
 General Treasury, and that proportion rather decreased, than in- 
 creased wiih their growth. Their sympathies for New England, 
 the A. B. C. F. Missions, the Home Missionary Society, the 
 
1^56 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Presbyterian Education Society, and other nninor institutions, be- 
 gan early and increasingly to distort their feelings and their char- 
 itable energies in the church ; so that of the moneys raised in the 
 churches lor benevolent purposes, fractions and reserves were 
 kept back for the avowed purpose of indulging their acknowledged 
 predilections for New England societies. In the Synod of New 
 Jersey, this practice was kept up for many years, and openly ad- 
 vocated by men of some popularity and distinction,* who, from 
 personal influence, procured a heavy vote in favour of this course 
 of action. Warm debates and struggles often agitated the Synod 
 on this subject. f The contributions which swelled the amount of 
 the funds in question, came chiefly from the Old School churches, 
 and Old School pastors, in the principal cities, large towns and 
 villages, and opulent country congregations, who were, for a long 
 time, almost universally free from New Scthool obliquit3^ In set- 
 tling this question, or forming a correct opinion upon the subject, 
 it is right to embrace in our view, the notorious fact, that the de- 
 formed and dishonest devotion of the New School to New Eng- 
 land societies, prompted them to such measures in collecting mo- 
 ney, from pure Presbyterian districts, as to impair the resources 
 of the church, and divert them into foreign channels. The feel- 
 ings and aflxjctions of the honest and unsuspecting people, were, 
 in many cases, alienated from their own church to serve another; 
 the regular operations of sound Presbyteries were deranged by 
 the artful and disorganizing interference of strangeis. Agents 
 of New England societies overran the whole church, to collect 
 money, and awaken sympathy for rival institutions. It seemed 
 of little avail to complain of such men as trespassers, disturb- 
 ing the church, filching her treasures, disatrecting her congrega- 
 tions, interfering with her boards, seizing upon funds which pro- 
 perly belonged to the uncorrupted Presbyterian Church. These 
 were the men who had come in among us " unawares" on the 
 platform of 1801. They were bound by solemn sanctions to 
 build up the Presbyterian Church ; but, behold, instead of contri- 
 buting to her aggrandisement, they are constantly robl)ing it; in- 
 stead of strengthening her, they make it their chief work to 
 weaken and distract her, to block up the channels of order, and 
 introduce confusion. Now, had these intruders been faithful to 
 their vows, and used as much zeal to enrich and adorn the church 
 as they have to impair and destroy her, had they honestly per- 
 formed the work assumed, faithfully discharged their duty, given 
 their funds in good measure and good season, how much fuller 
 would have been her treasury, how much more strong and 
 
 * Such men as the very escBllent and respected Dr. Samuel Fislier. 
 t In this, the writer cannot be mistaken, having frequently participated 
 in these controversies. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VhVDIGATED. 257 
 
 elevated would the church have appeared at this day. But these 
 are the men, after all their neglect, their misapplication of Pres- 
 byterian funds, their hostility and overt acts against the church, 
 who come forward and unblushingly demand her property; even 
 call the whole church into a civil court, with very little object in 
 View, but to make a vain and empty show of themselves and to 
 embezzle the funds, acquired in the manner stated, before a New 
 tSchool judge, who seemed inclined very strongly to help out their 
 dishonest enterprise. All this they performed or attempted, after 
 having, by their heretical departures for many years from the 
 standards of the church which they had sworn to support; after 
 labouring incessantly, for a long period, to divide, corrupt, and 
 overthrow the church, by encroaching, deranging, and subversive 
 measures, secret and insidious, or open and darit)g, as the preced- 
 ing history fully proves. 
 
 The principle has been long and firmly established by the deci- 
 sions of the highest judicial tribunals in Europe and America, 
 that in cases of intestine commotion and division, and ultimate 
 separation of parties in ecclesiastical bodies, on the ground of 
 heresy,* the orthodox portion, of course, retain the name, the or- 
 ganization, the power, the property, and the rights pertaining con- 
 stitutionally to the original body. The intruders, the dissenters, 
 or revolutionists, forfeit every claim to estate or property, per- 
 sonal or real, except so far as the pure and uncontaminated ad- 
 herents of the orthodox principles and policy, may voluntarily 
 choose to differ, as a matter of gratuitous favour. 
 
 * The Presbyterian Church case was not one of that kind. There was 
 no charge of heresy. Hence, Judge Gibson, in delivering the opinion of 
 the court, (see Judd, p. 203,) distinctly states : " We were called, hovrever, 
 to pass, not on a question ot heresy, for we would have been incompetent to 
 decide it, but on the regularity of the meeting, at which the trustees were 
 chosen. That the Old School party succeeded to the privileges and property 
 of the Assembly, was not because it was more Presbyterian than the other, 
 but because it was stronger." This decision was controlled merely by the 
 amount of numbers, and comparative strength of parties. The questions 
 of orthodoxy and order were only incidentally referred to in the decision, 
 though fully established in the evidence. Had both been embraced in the 
 enquiry, the New School would have been more overwhelmingly cast down. 
 They complain that they were not tried. They moved the suit upon a 
 mere question of law, because they were afraid to go into the merits of the 
 case. Thus it is clearly seen, that the judgment of the court was pro- 
 nounced upon a principle entirely different from that on which the Abro- 
 gation rested. Both were just and appropriate. Either sufficient to war- 
 rant and sustain the decision issued upon it. And if both are viewed to- 
 gether, and the fact of lioresy is superadded, on what ground would the 
 misorab'e ejected party tlien stand? But they are all, substantially, com' 
 "irehended in those historic illustrations and results. 
 11 
 
258 OLD SCHOOL VIXDIGATED. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 The design and attempt of the New School, by intrigue an<l violence, it 
 necessary, to substitute their mockery in the place of the constitutional 
 organization of the General Assembly of 1838 — Their riotous conduct 
 — Their suit before Nisi Pritis in Philadelphia, to obtain the church 
 bodily. 
 
 Facts justify the belief, that the exscinded Synods, by their 
 leaders, intended, if possible, first of all, to regain their places in 
 the Presbyterian body. Though it is really difficult to conceive 
 how their pride, their self-respect, and their wounded honour, 
 could allow them to think for a moment of desiring to associate 
 again with a company of men, who had so unceremoniously, as 
 they alleged, cast them out of their union, as unworthy of it, or 
 unfit for it. But an interim of a year between the last and the, 
 next General Assembly, gave them a full opportunity to devise a 
 plan of procedure, which they thought better adapted to their 
 vievi's. This plan, succeeding disclosures proved to consist of a 
 covered design, by art and violence combined, by one of the 
 grossest instances of humbuggery the world can show, to efieci a 
 substitution of themselves, en masse, for the orthodox body, and 
 manoeuvre the majority entirely out of the house, they remaining 
 as the sole possessors. For this purpose, they had agreed to con- 
 gregate in numbers in the General Assembly, at the opening ot 
 their meeting in Ranstead Court, rudely to rush upon them, to in- 
 terrupt their regular proceedings, throw them into disorder, and, 
 in the confusion of the moment, created by themselves for the 
 purpose, to get up a mock organization of their own corrupt ma- 
 terials; thus to prostrate and extinguish the General Assembly of 
 the Presbyterian Church, if possible, altogether, call themselves 
 by the same name, claim to be the true body, seize upon what- 
 ever property of the church they could lay their hands upon, and 
 sue for the balance wherever their rapacity failed to reach it. 
 
 In the prosecution of this desperate scheme, their first step was 
 to procure an adviser in the premises : and it is to be regretted, 
 that they hit upon a man of so little wit, discretion, or integrity, 
 to dictate in this very. critical emergency. The plan of the con- 
 spiracy* being arranged by their " counsel," as they pronounced 
 
 * The following extract from Dr. Judd's book, p. 1G4, confirms facts 
 stated above. The writer being located in the seat immediately in the rear 
 of Mr. Cleaveland, had a near and distinct view of the paper from which 
 he read, and could even have read it himself, and is fully confident, there- 
 fore, that this document differs considerably, in length and substance, from 
 the original, -which could not be obtained. " As the commissioners from a 
 large number of Presbyteries have been denied their seats in this house, 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 259 
 
 him, " learned in the law," the scene of development selected was 
 the floor of the General Assembly, in the church of Ranstead 
 Court, at about three o'clock, P. M., on the opening of the As- 
 sembly. Their conscript fathers, their Cataline and Cethegus, 
 &c., &;c., all being designated, enrolled, and instructed, are 
 promptly present at the decisive hour; though personally visible, 
 yet perfectly disguised, and their designs covered with midnight 
 darkness, except as to a few old side men, who may have had 
 some knowledge of what was to follow. A multitude, of all 
 characters, sexes, and ages, appeared anxiously crowding round, 
 some in the gallery, and some in the church below, as if some 
 intimation had been given them of the exhibition intended, or that 
 their aid, in some way, might be needed to carry out the con- 
 spiracy. Now, without any outbreak, or overt act disturbing the 
 meeting, on a simple disclosure, or detection of the fact, that such 
 a brigand, under concealment, banded together, under a mis- 
 chievous written article or bond of union, of an absent leader, 
 with matured designs to interrupt one of the most solemn assem- 
 blies upon earth, to derange, to supplant, to overthrow, the whole 
 Assembly : to usurp their powers, to occupy their places, to in- 
 validate their trusts, to seize their property ; what opinion would 
 be formed by intelligent, upright, impartial judges, of such a coni' 
 pany of assailants, so organized and circumstanced ? especially 
 when it is recollected that the great majority of this Assembly 
 were ministers of Jesus Christ, met by his authority, and upon the 
 business of his earthly kingdom, commencing their proceedings 
 under their own established vjiles and usages ? Would they not 
 consider the purity of the hall occupied, profanely invaded? the 
 conscientious rights of the Assembly unrighteously impugned / 
 the principles of order and decency, by law secured to all reli- 
 gious bodies of men, completely outraged? But what shall we 
 think, when these combined assailants, throwing oft' their disguise, 
 assuming their true character, and each beginning to perform the 
 part secretly assigned him, in the tumultuous drama, by reading* 
 their own documentary history of their combination, making mo- 
 
 and as Tve hare been advised by counsel learned in the law, that a consti- 
 tutional Assembly must be organized at this time and place, he trusted it 
 would not Ije considered an act f>f discourtesy, but merely of necessity, if 
 we now proceed to organize the Assembly of 1838. in the fewest words, and 
 in the shortest time, and with the least interruption practicable. I there- 
 fore move, th:(,t C. N. S. Beraan, from the Presbytery of Troy, take the 
 chair." This rude and disorderly assault upon the Cfeneral Assembly, 
 struck them like an armed force, in the midst of their regular proceedings, 
 in the organization of the body, in strict conformity with the letter of the 
 Book of Discipline, established rules, and prescribed order. The Assem- 
 bly, of course, suspended action in perfect astonishment, and allowed the 
 disorderly, tumultuous intruders, to get through with their mock-move- 
 ment, when they resumed business. 
 
260 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 lions, stamping feet, uttering conflicting and unearthly sounds, 
 from all sexes, ages, positions, and directions, overwhelming all 
 business, impressing the quiet and orderly assembly wiih astonish- 
 ment and dismay, following up this profound and appalling con- 
 fusion, amidst shouts and screams, tnaking motions and calling 
 for votes, with a violent rush, exhibiting in numbers and violence, 
 the extent of the revolutionary movement, which had clandestinely 
 gained access to the house — would not any sane discreet man, on 
 beholding these extravagant and unparalelled exhibitions, be im- 
 jiressed with the belief that the actors were rather a company 
 broken loose from a lunatic asylum, or a state penitentiary, than 
 nn association of grave and dignified ministers of any church? 
 This plain statement will show that ihe object which they were 
 vainly labouring to accomplish, was that of forcing themselves 
 back, on some principle not fully disclosed, into that church and 
 Assembly of which they had recently been declared, on account 
 of their false principles and disorderly conduct, to be no longer 
 members, or of seizing the whole church as their own. 
 
 In the honest state of New Jersey, they would have been called 
 a mob ; they would have been characterized as rioters, legally 
 liable to indictment, punishable with fines and imprisonment, for 
 clandestinely and violently disturbing a religious Assembly. 
 
 The idea of attempting gravely to analyze and discuss the 
 course of such a band of lawless intruders step by step, to decide 
 its constitutional course and procedure, in common sense, law, or 
 justice, is perfectly preposterous. And if the counsellors, whose 
 opinions they have so boastfully spread out before the public, had 
 honestly declared to them, as they certainly ought when applica- 
 tion was made for their opinions, that they had acted like a com- 
 pany of outlaws, and could expect no protection or indulgence 
 from the legal tribunals of the land, they would have saved the 
 courts of Pennsylvania from much burdensome labour, the appli- 
 cants from expense and disgrace, and themselves from extensive 
 and justly merited disapprobation. 
 
 But the task of a formal legal investigation, they forcibly, under 
 the sanction of legal advisers, imposed upon the court of Nisi 
 Prius, in Pennsylvania, with a view to justify their tumultuous 
 and disorderly conduct, and to secure the spoils of the churcli 
 they there sought to destroy- This resort to law, before a secular 
 tribunal, was in violation of the fundamental principle of Protest- 
 antism, viz: That the Church of Jesus Christ is independent of 
 she civil power, and not amenable, while she commits no civil of- 
 fence, to the bar of Caesar. Honest devotion to this fundamental 
 principle of religious liberty and gospel religion, inspired the Free 
 Church of Scotland, in its defence and establishment of this sacred 
 foundation, in defiance of the secular arm. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 261 
 
 To make this appeal to Cossar successful, a jury was obtained 
 in the court of JVisi Prius, of an order well adapted to the end 
 pursued. As the Old School have always protested against liti- 
 gation, or acknowledgment at all, of civil power in ecclesiastical 
 affairs, Dr. Judd pronounces it very inconsistent in the Old School to 
 •' apply to the court for a new trial, after the decision against them in 
 the court below." After having violently, and according to the rules 
 of the church, illegally compelled them to appear before a civil 
 tribunal, which was considered by the public generally prejudiced 
 against them, and in which, in the course of trial, one of the emi- 
 nent advocates of the prosecutors attempted to increase lha.i pre- 
 judice, as was manifest to every observer, could it possibly be 
 regarded as unreasonable or unrighteous, that the Old School 
 party, injured and oppressed as they were, should be willing to 
 let the same court, more fully assembled, review the case, exam- 
 ine the evidence, and reverse or sustain the sentence, as appeared 
 to them to be right ? 
 
 That suit, once commenced, based upon false history and nu- 
 merous charges wholly insupported by evidence, in violation of a 
 'ong train of unimpeachable ecclesiastical records, the idea of 
 compromise, concession, of retreat, of surrendering funds, to a 
 company possessing no claims to them, was entirely futile. At 
 the crisis when negotiation was atternpied, the New School re- 
 fused a spontaneous bona fide offer of a full half of the whole 
 property of the church, legally disposable, and upon that broad 
 and immovable fact, we leave this branch of the subject in con- 
 troversy, to the estimate and decision of an impartial public. It 
 might justly be added, that the mischiefs this party had been do- 
 ing, and attempting in the Presbyterian Church, for twenty years 
 preceding the abrogation, and the mighty, sweeping desolation 
 they intended, could they only acquire the requisite power, are 
 matters so much of public notoriety, as to expose their designs 
 and graduate their turpitude, in the most ample manner. Instead, 
 therefore, of sustaining their spurious and unchristian litigation, 
 the whole company ought to have been reached, under a crimi- 
 nal process, for disturbing the peace of the church, and intro- 
 ducing disorder and confusion into the house of God. 
 
262 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Court in Banc — Judge Gibson presiding, &c — Explanatory remarks — Ar- 
 guments of the Hon. John Sergeant — Three points particularly dis- 
 cussed. 1. The principles of religious freedom and the rights of con- 
 science; the argument by implication, denying the jurisdiction of the 
 court, in ecclesiastical and spiritual matters. 2. Justifying the organi- 
 zation and proceedings of the General Assembly of 1837. 3. A vindica- 
 tion of Dr. Elliott, and the party who supported him, in the Assembly of 
 1838. 
 
 At first glance, it seems very absurd, to set men whose heads 
 and hearts are habitually and laboriously occupied, with the in- 
 tricacies and quibbles of civil law, to investigate questions of 
 a purely moral and spiritual nature ; and such a measure assumes 
 a more unwarrantable and repulsive character, when the fact is 
 recognized, that the constitutions of both church and state pro- 
 hibit it. The constitution of Pennsylvania declares, " that every 
 man shall worship God in his own way — that no human authori- 
 ty, in any case whatever, can control or interfere with the rights 
 of conscience." But the relators (as the New School are techni- 
 cally called in this suit) have forcibly introduced this controvery 
 to a civil tribunal. After refusing a liberal proposal by the Old 
 School, to compromise the matters in controversy, they pressed it 
 into the court of Nisi Prius, in Pennsylvania; and its presentment 
 for argument in the Supreme Court of this state, is a matter of 
 course, as well as of right, on the part of the respondents. The 
 New School are therefore the responsible party, and to be cen- 
 sured for all the scandal to religion, and inflammatory effects 
 among the parties, that may result from this process. 
 
 The fruitless attempt made, 1837, in Ranstead Court, by these 
 parties, to divide and separate amicably, shows the impropriety 
 and impracticability of their remaining together, and if once sepa- 
 rated, of ever uniting or coming together again, peaceably. There 
 was an irreconcilable opposition in their integral elements, their 
 ideas, their habits, their objects, and universal tendency of mind, 
 character and life, which must forever prevent their harmonizing 
 and constituting a uniform homogeneous body. There seemed to 
 exist insurmountable, moral and conscientious diflerences, which 
 neither party was willing to sacrifice. The same causes, or ir- 
 reconcilable discrepancies, which prevented their agreeing to di- 
 vide, prevented their continuing together, and must secure their 
 permanent separation. A division must take place. That sepa- 
 ration which the parties could not, or would not effect, no other 
 power has a right to compel or enforce. This would violate the 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 268 
 
 rights of conscience and impair religious liberty. Where, then, 
 shall an umpire be found to settle this religious controversy? 
 Civil power, the arbiter in civil disputes, has no right to intermed- 
 dle with spiritual interests and moral obligations. Calming the 
 tumult — harmonizing these discordant elements, must be left to 
 the religious community itself, however heterogeneous the mass 
 and difficult the work. They must recur to their own constitu- 
 tion and laws; search into the facts and principles of their pre- 
 vious organization and action ; apply the law and testimony, and 
 form a separation, according to the whole collected and concen- 
 trated body of facts and circumstances. A majority of the whole 
 is the only power recognized in our ecclesiastical constitution, to 
 perform this work; and with the result of its action no power 
 upon earth has a right to interfere, or can intermeddle without 
 disorganizing the church of Jesus Christ, paralysing the rights of 
 conscience, subordinate only to the Lord of conscience, and ex- 
 pelling religious liberty from the world. 
 
 Now, the interference of civil authority in the case before us, 
 is especially inexcusable, as the respondents had performed no 
 act in violation of civil rights, making them amenable to a civil 
 tribunal. Nothing is more notorious than that they had trans- 
 gressed no laws of the country; ihey could not, therefore, be in- 
 terfered with by the tribunals of the country. They must be left 
 to the moral and spiritual discipline of the church. But suppose, 
 in spite of all these views, an appeal is made to the civil tribunal, 
 before which we now stand? How is this Bench, with all its 
 profound learning, to decide or prescribe the proper course for 
 the church, in the difficult crisis to which she is reduced? Only 
 by assuming the place of the General Assembly. But who gave 
 them a right to erect themselves into an ecclesiastical tribunal? 
 The constitution of this state positively forbids it. And after the 
 civil court has acted, what is to give their decree a binding force ? 
 They cannot touch the rights nor the power of conscience, but 
 by rousing its voice and its indignation against them, if they in- 
 terfere with the church's sovereign decision. To produce acqui- 
 escence in their action, if adverse, their only resort is civil power, 
 fines, and bars and bolts, all hostile, if not fatal, to the rights of 
 conscience, and to the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. 
 And yet here we are as a religious body, prosecuting a great re- 
 ligious object, before a civil court. 
 
 With these sentiments in our hearts, we responded to the re- 
 lators in the court ofJVisi Prn^y, by compulsion, and with the 
 same sentiments we appeared before the Supreine Court, driven 
 by necessity to that last resort, in civil law, not oi free men in 
 Christ Jesus, but of common citizens, or secular men, in the com- 
 munity. We hope the world around us, and the court above us, 
 
264 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 and all observers of our course, will form a right estimate of the 
 Old School body, in joining this issue with our pursuers, to 
 redress our multiplied grievances, under this constrained ap- 
 peal to Csesar. 
 
 This case, as presented to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 
 was not only in itself important, complex and difficult, but alto- 
 gether novel in its character, very little attention having been 
 paid to questions of conscience, in the practice of the American 
 courts. 
 
 The only parallel case recited by Mr. Sergeant, in his argu- 
 gument before the Court in Banc, denying the power of civil 
 courts to interfere with the spiritual interests of the church, or 
 disavowing on the part of civil tribunals, their right of jurisdiction 
 in ecclesiastical and spiritual affairs, was the record of a case in 
 the Supreme Court of Delaware, showing the opinion of that 
 court to be, Chief Justice Johns presiding, " that no power shall, 
 or ought to be, vested in or assumed by any magistrate, that shall 
 in any case interfere with, or in any manner control the rights of 
 conscience, in the free exercise of religious worship," or by im- 
 plication, in managing and conducting their spiritual and religious 
 affairs, agreeably to the free and conscientious dictates of their 
 own minds and hearts. 
 
 The entire and permanent separation of church and state, is of 
 unspeakable importance and absolute necessity, to the freedom 
 and stability of all our institutions; and no man better qualified 
 than Hon. John Sergeant, to discuss and establish upon its right 
 principles, this great question of religious liberty and the rights of 
 conscience, it is honestly believed, could be selected from the 
 American bar. Here, from constitution, deep reflection, fixed 
 habit, and experience as a pre-eminently learned christian advo- 
 cate, he was at home. This great question of religious freedom 
 j'or hundreds of millions of people, in these rising states, absorbed 
 all his sympathies, elicited all his powers of thought and ratioci- 
 nation, and prompted him to that great eflbrt, which proved him 
 to be the champion of religious liberty and the rights of con- 
 science. 
 
 The clear conceptions, the powerful reasonings and impressive 
 conclusions, exhibited in his argument, are of inestimable value, 
 for the influence they must exert upon the minds of all sober 
 thinking people. We therefore, with pleasure, present in these 
 pages as much of Mr. Sergeant's masterly argument as our lim- 
 its will allow. In that part which relates to the rights of con- 
 science and religious freedom, we use his language closely. On 
 some other topics, we have been compelled to abbreviate and 
 condense the argument, however, honestly retaining the true 
 meaning and import of the speaker. Those wishing to examine 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 265 
 
 the whole discussion, may have that pleasure, by referring to ihe 
 " Church Case," I vol., 8 vo„ by the Rev. Samuel Miller, Jr. 
 
 J\Ir. Sergeant's Argument. 
 
 " May it please your Honours, the counsel for the relators have 
 told us, that such a decision (confirming the judgment of the 
 court below) would be productive of peace: that it would bring 
 together again those who are so widely separated. But, that has 
 been tried ; they were together, and after all that has been dis- 
 •-•losed, in the course of the trial of this cause, I think every one 
 ought to be very cautious in cherishing a desire to force them to- 
 gether again. If 1 understand the subject, this is the main ground 
 of our portion of the objection made to the decision of the court 
 and jury ; that the rights and the powers of the General Assem- 
 bly, the highest and the final judicatory of the Presbyterian 
 Church, as well as of all its subordinate judicatories, are purely 
 spiritual and moral. It so happens, that deeming them to be mat- 
 ters between every man and his own conscience, in which no hu- 
 man tribunal has the authority to interfere, we consider an at- 
 tempt to force us into any religious connexion whatever, a direct 
 violation of our most sacred rights. We suggest now, that such 
 an attempt would be unconstitutional and inconsistent with spirit- 
 ual liberty ; that it would strike at the root of the great principle 
 of our institutions, namely, that spiritual concerns are not to be 
 interfered with by the civil power. These parties can never 
 come together again by consent, never in the world, but of their 
 own free choice. The idea of forcing one mass of people to sit 
 at the same spiritual table with another, implies, in the first place, 
 the power of searching into the hearts of men, for without it, who 
 can tell the consequences of such an union? I take it, then, that 
 the position of the learned counsel is not correct. I go for free- 
 dom, for no force from any quarter. We shall presently see 
 whether, notwithstanding all that we have suflfered in name and 
 character, we are not the real champions of spiritual liberty. I 
 believe we are. And at the same time, it will appear, whether 
 the eftbrt of the minority is not to deprive us of that, liberty, to 
 force us into an association with those whom we do not choose 
 to be with ; whether their prominent object is not to compel us to 
 abandon all our rights, or what is equivalent, to give up the great 
 right of choosing our associates. An effort in itself strongly re- 
 pulsive. 
 
 " This is the most dangerous power that a civil tribunal has 
 ever been called upon to exercise. Your Honours have enough 
 to do, enough of trouble and perplexity, in determining those 
 cases upon which you must decide. What you are here called 
 to do, is to open for the subjects of your inquiry and labour, a 
 
266 OLD SCHOOL VI\DICATED. 
 
 new source of conflict and litigation, of unknown extent. None 
 can define its limiis, or control the spirit of discord, which it 
 will pour forth. We have warned our opponents — not threat- 
 ened, as has been intimated — we have warned thern of the liti- 
 gation that would tbllow their proceedings; but it is for litiga- 
 tion that they seem to have sought. Every church, Presbytery, 
 and Synod in the land must decide this question for itself; that 
 is as plain as it can be. Nay, every individual in the land must 
 engage in the contest, and how will you limit the violent spirit 
 of litigation, if the law is once thrown open to these parties? 
 Observe what eflects it has already produced. The minority of 
 the Assembly of 1S3S have certainly done a great deal, if they 
 liave accomplished what the charge of his Honour, Judge Ro- 
 gers, decides that they have accomplished. If the matter be not 
 too serious to joke about, following the example of those who 
 have preceded me, in some degree, though, perhaps, speaking 
 more innocently, I would say, that the proceeding by wliich the 
 minority in that Assembly claim to have manoeuvred the ma- 
 jority out of doors, was one of the greatest practical hoaxes 
 ever seen or heard of. I mean to say, that no man can look 
 seriously at the thing, uninfluenced by any respect to who shall 
 succeed at last, but he must so regard it. 1 do not speak now 
 of the decision of the law. So the facts strike me, and so they 
 must, 1 think, strike every one. I say that these gentlemen, if 
 they succeed here, will have accomplished a great deal ; but the 
 rest that they will have to do, what remains to be accomplished, 
 they will find more difficult, weightier, more distracting. Let 
 us tell them, that much trouble and confusion would be avoid- 
 ed, if the admonition — I will not quote scripture — -the admoni- 
 tion to let spiritual bodies decide on spiritual questions, were 
 duly observed. I intend to show, before I have done with the 
 case, that this is an attempt to strip the General Assembly of 
 that power ; to place it in the hands of the tribunals of the land ; 
 and SO- to place it, in a manner, I will not say to the shame of 
 religion, but to the disparagement and disgrace of its ministers, 
 SO far as disparagement and disgace can be brought upon those 
 lioly officers. What length of years, what venerable character, 
 what stock of service or of merit, will ever serve as a shield? 
 The very first act of power performed by the new body, which 
 met in the First Presbyterian Church, was to direct a bolt at 
 the head of the only remaining trustee, of those originally in- 
 corporated by the act of 1799. Their first act was an act of 
 rough exscision. The first exercise of their newly obtained 
 power, was aimed at him who had held his office from 1799 to 
 iS9S — forty years lacking one. Your Honours may see in this 
 the spirit with which we are threatened ; you may see it even 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 267 
 
 in the argument of the cause in this court. All must grant, 
 that in my learned friend's remarks upon Dr. Elliott's text, and 
 in his offer to furnish him with a more appropriate one, the 
 same spirit is manifested, not originating in him, but within the 
 compass of the supposed triumphant party, who, flushed by 
 their fancied victory, begin immediately to claim cognizance of 
 the conscience and the heart, and charge Dr. Elliot with having, 
 while in the performance of a solemn religious service, in the 
 very presence of his Maker, used that text from impure mo- 
 tives. From the beginning to the end of the trial of this case. 
 I am sorry to say it, but say it because I felt it, during the short 
 time that I was able to be in court, I felt, and I am sure my 
 colleagues felt — I hope my clients did not feel — that we were 
 ill the midst of a pelting tempest, a torrent against which it seemed 
 almost vain to make resistance. The same spirit, may it please 
 your Honours, has been manifested in the course of this discus- 
 sion, and if at last, the Assembly of 1838 and the Old School 
 party, are condemned, it will be, not because of their acts, but 
 because we have undertaken to know what is in their hearts, 
 and judge that we may have discovered there, sinister motives 
 and designs. We, I have said, are the true champions of spi- 
 ritual liberty and of the rights of conscience, and however much 
 we may have suffered, if our cause is just, it must prevail ; all 
 must come back to the plain ground of the constitution and 
 laws, and leave such disputes as this, which cannot be adjusted 
 by the civil power, to the tribunals of the church, and to Him 
 who shall be the final judge of all. 
 
 " Now, may it please your Honours, the general question which 
 is presented in this case is, whether we are not entitled to have a 
 new trial. Great interests are confessedly involved in it. The 
 question, as regards our country, is one of vast magnitude; in 
 some aspects of it, none greater can arise; and certainly there 
 candbe none in which the respective champions of the two parlies 
 are entitled to greater consideration, as regards their motives, 
 characters, and lives. The respect due to them, I mean not to 
 violate. I do not mean to speak a single word of any member of 
 the New School party, personally disparaging, or calculated to 
 wound needlessly his feelings. I am not instructed so to speak, 
 nor would I, if I were ; I will endeavour in my reply to the argu- 
 ments which we have heard, to maintain this principle inviolate, 
 treating with the utmost respect the opinions of our opponents, so 
 far as it may be practicable, and with respect unlimited the opin- 
 ion of his Honour, Judge Rogers. Yea, more, I will in the be- 
 ginning, say, that the learned judge had a most difficult and 
 arduous task to perform. Not on account of the mere novelty of 
 the case, though this made it essential that there should be time 
 
268 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 and opportunity for cool discussion and careful consideration. 
 Look at the great amount of evidence contained in this paper 
 book, that has been laid before your Honours. He must search 
 out and gather from Jill ihis mass, and from the confrarient state- 
 ments of the bar, the precise facts of ihe case to which the law 
 was then to be applied. And what were his means for the per- 
 formance of his remaining duty? Was he to turn to the common 
 law? That could give him little aid ; and our own statute law 
 none at all. This case introduced an entirely new system of 
 laws, and, though thoroughly instructed in all the principles of the 
 law of the land, his Honour was required to gather, from the 
 scattered fragments suddenly laid before him, in the heat and 
 hurry of the trial, the whole law of the Presbyterian Church, a 
 church which has a common law, and a stalute law of its own, 
 and a complete form of government, not framed, however, like 
 ours, in the exact distribution of distinct powers. One while a 
 witness occupied the stand and gave in his testiinony; then a lit- 
 tle was read from one pamphlet, and then a little from another ; 
 then a rule of order, and then an article from the constitution. 
 Here was thrown in the history of a Synod, and there a map 
 containing the names of certain judicatories without their boun- 
 dary lines. Amid all this, his Honour must suddenly catch up 
 just what was necessary to the case, undisturbed by the din and 
 conflict below, so that he might at last instruct the jury as to the 
 law that was to govern their verdict. I will not say, may it 
 please your Honours, that it was impossible for him to compre- 
 hend the matter to his own satisfaction, in the course of a single 
 trial; I will not undertake to measure the utmost reach of human 
 intellect; but I will undertake to say, that I trust and believe that 
 there is no judge on this bench, who would not desire the ground 
 thus gone over, to be reviewed ; and that if he has fallen into any 
 error, it might be corrected. I do not doubt it; and, therefore, I 
 now address his Honour as freely as I do any of his associates, 
 under the perfect conviction that if he should see any error, he 
 will not be the last to correct it. Now, we desire the opportunity 
 of another tri.il, and the grounds of our application have been al- 
 ready, in some degree, disclosed. We undertake to show from 
 the history of the cause, that several parts of our defence were 
 not allowed to have that weight which should have been allowed 
 them. I go farther, and say, that when the case went to the 
 jury, and even before it went to them, there was a manifest preju- 
 dice in their minds against us ; from what source arising, it is not 
 necessary for me to say. If the fact, that the verdict was ren- 
 dered by a jury so influenced and so prejudiced, be substantiated, 
 that, of itself, will be a sufficient ground for demanding a new 
 trial. I say, also, that the whole investigation, so far as it has 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIiVDICATED. 269 
 
 been conducted, and the decision, to the extent to which ii has 
 gone, is a manifest violation of our constitution, I mean the coii- 
 stitulion of the church, of spiritual hberty, and of ihe rights ol 
 conscience. I have already adverted to ihis point; for an illus- 
 iration of which I must thank Mr, Randall. He has told us, that 
 the effect of your Honour's adding your sanction to the verdict of 
 the jury, would be to force together the two parties in this con- 
 troversy. Now, if I may be allowed a few words more, in reply 
 to this, I will endeavour to suggest some views of the subject, 
 ji rising out of it, tending to show tiie propriety^ in fact the neces- 
 sity, of a strict adherence lo the constitutional principle to which 
 1 have referred. 
 
 " In the first place, and this must already have suggested itself 
 to your Honour's mind, there are great difficulties and embarrass- 
 ments in the way of inquiries like that in which we are now en- 
 gaged, as the present case must bear witness. Is it fit that this 
 court should entertain an appeal from the General Assembly ? 
 I do not mean now to inquire, whether it is fit that such an appel- 
 late jurisdiction, when it belongs to a civil court, should be exer- 
 cised. If your jurisdiction be established, you must take cogni- 
 zance of the appeal. I speak of the difficulty, nay, of the irnpos- 
 sibility of arriving at a right conclusion in such a case. Need I 
 point out the grounds of difficulty ? I will call your attention for 
 a moment to the resolutions of the Assembly of 1837, which have 
 given rise to this proceeding; to either one, that repealing the 
 Plan of Union, or that exscinding the four Synods, or to both. 
 Why, if an appeal be taken in regard to those acts, to this tribu- 
 nal, your Honours must put yourselves in the place of the Gene- 
 ral Assembly itself, and decide what you would have done in a 
 similar case, whether, under the same circumstances, you would 
 have pursued the same course. In this investigation, the very first 
 blow has been aimed at the intentions and motives which go- 
 verned those whose acts are called in question. They are charged 
 with pride, a lust for power, a desire to appropriate to themselves 
 the funds of the church ; every thing opprobrious and vile has 
 been heaped upon them, and, if finally, our opponents effect their 
 purpose, it can be only because those acts are to be considered 
 as done not honestly, but with some sinister design. How can 
 your Honours undertake to decide this point? 
 
 '• Again, passing by the gross injustice which was done us in 
 the out-set, I coine to another point ; and here, 1 mean to be ex- 
 plicit. His Honour, Judge Rogers, no doubt in the press and 
 hurry of the proceeding, after distinctly admitting that the act 
 ijbrogativg the Plan of Union was one which the Assembly had 
 n right to perform, goes on to characterize that act as unjust. 
 No doubt, in the discussion of the case at the bar, one side had 
 
270 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 jnainlained that it was an unjust act, and the other that it was 
 just. Tfiis, probably, led his Honour to inquire, not only whether 
 the act was lawful, but also as to the other point debated. Now, 
 I mean to contend, and, therefore, have brought this view before 
 you, that where an act is not unlawful, a court has no right to 
 inquire into the motives which influenced that act. And lor this 
 reason; tliat lo decide as to a man's motives, you must place 
 yourself exactly in his position, and take the same views of every 
 thing that he does. Else you cannot judge properly. If the 
 General Assembly has a right to do any act, it is accountable to 
 no human tribunal for the manner in which it may choose to ex- 
 ercise this riglit. It is a fundamental doctrine, that so long as 
 <Hny one keeps within the precincts of his legitimate powers, he 
 r-annot, in law, Le affected, by his thoughts, words, or deed?. 
 Your Honours have seen, that in another part of the charge t-) 
 the jury, that relating to the oiganization of the Assenil)ly of 
 1S38, the learned judge has in a like manner, treated Dr. Elliott, 
 the clerks, and a portion of the Old School party; inquiring into 
 their motives, characterizing acts otherwise right, from the mo- 
 tives with which they were performed, as a conspiracy. I do 
 not know whether a conspiracy had been charged upon us, even 
 in the discussion at the bar. ' Certainly such a charge could not 
 be applicable, it being once decided that our acts were lawful — 
 such as we had a right to perform. 
 
 "There is great cause here, for the court to ponder deeply and 
 examine well the ground on which t'ley stand ; and another reas< n 
 may be added to those already mentioned. Before your Honours 
 arrive at the end of this case, I am persuaded you will find that 
 ;if these parties are left to themselves, the public at large, and the 
 friends of religion, will not have more cause to deplore the resul*, 
 ihan lias been furnished in the present investigation. They were 
 in their own proper arena, two parties contending for what they 
 considered their respective rights ; one remained upon the ground 
 while the other betook themselves to another place. The latter 
 have appealed to a court of law, and, drawing their adversaries 
 out of their ordinary and appropriate place, have compelled them 
 to join in conflict and strife of a mere temporal tribunal, where 
 are commonly dealt with matters that engage the feelings and 
 arouse the passions, there is no telling how far the inflammation 
 may extend. Whatever may be the result, or the influence of 
 this proceeding, if hereafter it be found that it has brought scan- 
 dal on religion, if, indeed, that be in the power of man, which I 
 <io not believe, or disparagement upon its professors and ministers, 
 this cannot be imputed to us. Those who brought the case here, 
 are alone responsible for the issue. And if they have raised the 
 shout of victory once, they may possibly yet see the time, as they 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. 271' 
 
 advance in life, as the shadows of their closing day lengthen, and 
 the distance before them becomes contracted, when they may 
 have occasion to mourn the events that have separated them en- 
 tirely from these good men. In the course of the events of this 
 world, those who are allowed to live to old age, must find many 
 coming after them younger than themselves, of an active, bustling, 
 and aspiring spirit, seeing places above them which are objects of 
 their ambition; who, if they can discover a good precedent to 
 sustain them in cutting off their elders, will not fail to follow the 
 example. Nor is that all. This spirit once abroad in the church, 
 who will allay its violence ? I do not fear that any man will ac- 
 complish the destruction of the church : it is, as I believe, founded 
 upon a rock. But who can exorcise that spirit when it is once 
 raised? Nobody. If it begin its domination in injustice, in the 
 prostration of one of those venerable props which support the 
 church, a pillar on which it rests, and which has stood for half a 
 century, no part of the building can ever be secure. 
 
 " These are times of restless inquiry, of storm and struggle, and 
 your Honours will see the spirit of the times clearly exemplified 
 ira every part of this controversy. What is likely to be the efiect 
 of its supremacy 1 Mark it, and mark it in connexion with the 
 phrases which have fallen from the honourable gentleman on the 
 other side. The only remaining trustee of those appointed in 
 1799, he who had been respected amid all the changes of party, 
 was the first object of attack. The body that assembled in the 
 First Presbyterian Church, has set us an excellent example, 
 says Mr. Randall; they have appointed no minister of the gos- 
 pel a trustee. Here is exactly the thing of which I am speak- 
 ing; that wisdom, that young btit confident wisdom, which 
 would exalt itself above all the experience of the past, above 
 all other wisdom. These gentlemen have not only no respect 
 for their predecesf^ors — they may treat them as they please — 
 but they have no respect for the law. That act of the legisla- 
 ture, by which these trustees were incorporated, gives one-third 
 of the number ministers, and this arrangement has been made 
 the pattern in all subsequent times, until the new light has 
 burst upon us, showing all past wisdom to be folly. It seems 
 that there is a concentration of light, in this newly formed bod}", 
 that the legislature were entirely wrong, and that they are to 
 set every thing to rights ; that is, in the first place, they are to 
 set the minority above the majority, and then to exclude all 
 ministers from the Board of Trustees. I do not, however, com- 
 plain of this at all. It is our business now, merely to show why 
 the verdict of the jury ought not to stand. My colleague has 
 most faithfully discharged his duty I could not have wished 
 for the church, when these most important interests were at 
 
272 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 slake, a friend of greater learning and ability. Indeed, he has 
 gone into the details of tlie case so fully and minutely, that 
 all I am astonished at is, that it has not been almost painful to 
 the court to be obliged to listen to tliem, instructive, and even 
 essential as they are."' 
 
 For the above extract, see Miller's Church Case. One vol- 
 ume, 8 vo., pages 509 to 514. For the extract following, see 
 page 520. 
 
 "For the present, let us confine our attention to the Acts of 
 Assembly, 1S37, to see whether they were really unconstitu- 
 tional and unjust. 
 
 "The measures of that body which are here called in ques- 
 tion, are, fust, the Abrogation of the Plav of Union of 1801, 
 and secondly, what are called the exscinding resolutions, which 
 are consequent upon the former, flowing directly from it, de- 
 riving from it their validity, and following it of necessity, iti 
 whatever capacity you choose to place it, whether they are 
 considered as judicial or as legislative acts, at least so following 
 it, in the judgment of those who passed them. That the osten- 
 sible grounds of those acts were the true grounds on which ihey 
 were passed, I have meant to assume; and it is important to 
 understand at the outset, whether we are to believe that these 
 men sit)cerely, honestly, and bona fide, meant what they de- 
 clared, that tiieir measures were really and truly intended for 
 the good of the church. I protest solemnly against the right of 
 any body to question their motives. You caimot, under the 
 constitution, deny my position, that these are to be respected. 
 Presently, I will read a part of the constitution of Pennsylvania, 
 bearing directly, as I thinlf, upon this point, and which it is of 
 infinite importance that we should understand. This case, I 
 believe, was lost before the jury, and if we lose it here, will be 
 lost finally, in a great measure, because, in sincerity, a want of 
 truth, the declaration of motives, not real, has been imputed to 
 my clients. On the trial, and the same thing is very manifest 
 in the argument on this motion, the widest license was taken in 
 commenting upon the character of the Assembly, and contra- 
 dicting the assumption which I now make. I submit it, there- 
 fore, as a clear position, that at every tribunal of the common- 
 wealth of Pennsylvania, a church, with each parly in that 
 church, is entitled to the clear concession, that whatever it does 
 within the spirit of its discipline, is done from the mutives which 
 are professed. If you do not believe this, you cannot believe 
 it to be a church, only a set of hypocrites, sinners of the worst 
 kind. When, therefore, our opponents quote scripture for pur- 
 poses to which we think it ought not to be applied, we chal- 
 lenge them to show their authority for casting the first stone at 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 273 
 
 •fiwr motives; we do not consent to be put on proof of these, ex- 
 cepting by those to whom we are acconntable for them; and we 
 are thus accountable, only to the church, to ourselves. The world 
 vloes not, and cannot, govern us in matters of faith and conscience. 
 It IS, then, of great consequence, that you consider these acts to 
 have been performed honestly,sincerely, and conscientiously, for 
 5 he good of the church, as my clients believed. We do not claim 
 ij3 fallibility for them, more than for any other men. Presently, I 
 sh.all point your Honours to the strongest evidence of the fact, that 
 the true reasons for their acts were those oji their face exhibited, 
 liut we are, at all events, entitled to assume it. 
 
 " In entering upon the discussion of the acts of 1837, I have 
 first to propound to this court a great question, which must be 
 decided in the outset. To whom does it belong to determine 
 whether the proceedings of my clients were, or were not, tor 
 tiie good of the church ? I do not now speak of motives. That 
 tiiey were right, I have assumed ; and that this should be be- 
 lieved is secured to us by the fundamental principles of our 
 government. None can call our motives in question, so long 
 as we are careful in our observance of respect for the laws. 
 Assuming this as undeniable, I respectfully demand, who is to 
 decide whether the acts of 1837 were, or were not, for the good 
 of the church ? Or supposing a certain end confessedly desira- 
 ble, who is to decide how that end is to be reached } It has 
 been argued, that in order to attain a certain object, we were 
 bound to follow the course of a regular trial; to commence pro- 
 ceedings in an inferior judicatory, unU ss where the superior 
 had original jurisdiction, and conduct them in regular judicial 
 form. I do not know how this law is to be established. In 
 tlie first place, we have the question, who is to decide whether 
 tlie proposed erid is for the good of the church or not ; and 
 then, who is to decide how that end can best be attained? Can 
 the civil tribunal prescribe the course to be pursued by the 
 church? No. Suppose we say, ' We do not make any charge 
 against our brethren, with whom, in time past, we have lived 
 in unity; we do not mean to dismiss them with the mark of 
 heresy, or other criminality upon them. All that we allege is, 
 tiiat they do not live according to the discipline of our church ; 
 that disorders may thence arise— that, in our opinion, they have 
 aiready arisen.' And supppose, too, that the act is performed 
 by a competent tribunal, and involves nought but a separation 
 of the parties. The question is, not whether our purpose is the 
 !>est and wisest, but who is to judge whether it is, or is not so ? 
 ii\e church, or a civil tribunal ? If the latter can interfere at all 
 in such matters, you had better dissolve the whole system of 
 cfiurch government from top to bottom. If we cannot follow 
 
 8 
 
274 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 our own judgment throughout, we had better not form any 
 judgment. Suppose farther, that we consider not only the emh 
 but also the means proposed, to be essential ; both method and 
 endy we maintaii), are for the consideration of the Assembly 
 alone. Whatever method they adopt, is sure to be protested 
 against by some person or other. But suppose they select a 
 certain method, and are conscientious in their choice, is the 
 judgment of any body to interfere ? That selection is as much 
 a matter of conscience, as the final decision itself. The rights 
 of conscience are as clearly invaded by interfering with the 
 one, as the other. I am speaking of the proceedings of the 
 Assembly of 1S37. The consideration of them involves the 
 pure question, were they good or bad — constitutional or uncon- 
 stitutional ? This single question is now proposed ; I go no far- 
 ther at present. I maintain that no temporal tribunal can have 
 cognizance of such an issue. I do not niean the question, which 
 are the legal trustees, but the single one in regard to the acts 
 of 1837, and I say, that of it no civil court has cognizance — 
 that it belongs exclusively to the jurisdiction of the church. 
 
 " I know that in this part of the argument, I must encounter 
 the denunciations of the opposite side. Why did you not insti- 
 tute regular process? Why did you not give us a trial, and a 
 hearing? Why did you not do this, that, or the other thing? 
 Of course, we expected them to make objection and find fault ; 
 we took it for granted, they would think that anything else 
 would have been niore acceptable than just what we did. We 
 disregard this clamor. But, as I am well aware, we here meet 
 a much more formidable obstacle, the opinion of Judge Rogers, 
 made up at the trial and propounded in his charge ; which, of 
 course, should be very seriously weighed ; we should proceed 
 with extreme caution, step by step, before arriving at a con- 
 clusion contrary to his. And I do not know that I have ever be- 
 stowed, upon any single subject, more thought than I have 
 upon this, to view it in every aspect, to understand its bearing 
 in every particular, that I might not be led into a false track, 
 to avoid error in judgment, and the more especially because 
 my opinion was contrary tO' that expressed in the charge. I 
 will state the grounds of my conclusion, acknowledging, at the 
 same time, that I am liable to error; possibly I am in error 
 here. I think 1 am not. I am happy that Judge Rogers agrees 
 with us in one important point. He says — 
 
 "'1 have been requested by the respondeiits' counsel, to in- 
 struct you, that the introduction of lay delegates from Congre- 
 gational establishments into the judicatories of the Presbyterian 
 Church, was a violation of the fundamental principles of Pres- 
 byterianism, and in contravention of the act of the legislature 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 275 
 
 of Pennsylvania, incorporating the trustees of the church ; that 
 any act permitting sucli introduction, would therefore have been 
 void, although submitted to the Presbyteries. As an abstract 
 question on this point, I give an affirmative answer, ahhough, 
 gentlemen, I am unable to see the bearing it has on the matter 
 at issue in this cause.' (See Rogers' charge.) 
 
 •' In another part of the charge, which I have not time to 
 read, his Honour gives the opinion, that the act repealing the 
 Plan of Union of 1801, was not liable to any legal objection, 
 was entirely valid. His opinion, therefore, is in favour of the 
 abrogation. Of this I am very glad, because the subject has 
 been earnestly discussed, and the opposite counsel have pro- 
 nounced the abrogation unconstitutional and void, and here is 
 the key of the whole matter. From the assumption, that it was 
 unconstitutional and void, the proceedings of the New School, 
 in 1838, derive all their virtue. Now, let us endeavour, sober- 
 ly, seriously, and quietly, to look at this matter. First, let us 
 look at the nature of the thing done ; that is to say, let us in- 
 quire whether it was a purely spiritual and moral act, or 
 whether it had any touch or admixture of a civil nature. To 
 determine this, I refer to the resolutions themselves, (vide ante, 
 page 37.) I need call your strict attention to the third only, but 
 the whole should be taken in connexion, and should be "taken 
 — I cannot too often repeat this— every word spolcen should be 
 taken as coming directly from the heart. You must consider 
 these gentlemen to have meant what they have here said; if 
 you do not, we cannot proceed at all. 
 
 "' In regard to the relation exisiing between the Presbyterian 
 and Congregational Churches, the committee recommend the 
 adoption of the following resolutions :' 
 
 "That is, in regard to the voluntary association hitherto ex- 
 isting; for I maintain, that whatever constitutes a voluntary 
 association, this was one ; and as such, it was treated through- 
 out these acts. In fact, every religious association is voluntary. 
 
 i' '1. That between these tv/o branches of the American 
 Church, there ought, in the judgment of this Assembly, to be 
 maintained sentiments of mutual respect and esteem, and for 
 that purpose, no reasonable effort should be omitted to preserve 
 a perfectly good understanding between these branches of the 
 Church of Christ.' 
 
 • •' Here is exactly the spirit which I have before described; 
 we wish to abrogate the Plan of Union, but we are not going 
 to denounce you as wanting in either doctrine and faith — or 
 Ibrm of government and discipline — to assert that you are not 
 a church. By no means. We desire to live in peace with you, 
 and not to quarrel. If you choose to maintain your own form 
 
27Q OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 of worship, as before, we shall not, on that account, respect 
 you the less. All that we say is, that Congregationalism and 
 Presbyterianisni are immiscible; when associated, one destroys 
 tlie discipline of the other ; the union produces disorder and 
 confusion. You see a specimen of this in Mr. Bissil's case, 
 (vide ante, p. 77,) by which the Assembly was distracted to the 
 length of a protest. He was neither an elder or connnittee-man, 
 and yet claimed a seat in the Assembly, and was admitted. 
 This was only one occurrence, to be sure, yet it was in itself 
 sufficient to condemn the Plan of Union. That is no longer an 
 assembly of Presbyterians or Congregationalists, an assembly 
 in which one man, coming through the channel of no church, 
 claims a seat and all feel bound to admit him. 
 
 "' 2. That it is expedient to continue the plan of friendly ift- 
 tercourse between this church and the Congregational Churches 
 of New England, as it now exists. 
 
 '" 3. But as the Plan of Union adopted for the New Settle- 
 ments in ISOl, was originally an unconstitutional act on the 
 part of that Assembly, these important standing rules having 
 never been submitted to the Presbyteries, and as they were to- 
 tally destitute of authority, as proceeding from the General As- 
 sociation of Connecticut, which is invested with no power to 
 legislate in such cases, and especially, to enact laws to regulate 
 churches not within her limits; and as much confusion and ir- 
 regularity have arisen from this unnatural and unconstitutional 
 system of union, therefore it is resolved, that the act of Assem- 
 bly of 1801, entitled a Plan of Union, be, and the same is hereby 
 abrogated.' 
 
 "That plan was entirely voluntary from beginning to end. 
 Now, in the judgment of the Assembly, sufficient grounds for 
 the abrogation existed, and none can say-that they did not exist. 
 It is asserted that the plan was originally unconstitutional — 
 ihey don't say, however, that it was a constitutional regulation, 
 nor what character precisely it bore ; but speak only of certain 
 " important standing rules,' whether constitutional rules or not 
 is left undecided. It was a system of rules, and, as such, not 
 binding, unless sent^down to the Presbyteries, and by them ap- 
 proved. Admit that it was unconstitutional, and no doubt the 
 Assembly had a right to abrogate it, and besides being lawful, 
 the abrogation was certainly expedient, if the plan had intro- 
 duced disorders, and threatened others still more serious. My 
 clients say that it had. This being alleged by the Assembly, it 
 was clearly an adequate ground for their proceeding. What 
 objections are urged against the abrogation of the Plan of 
 Union? On the supposition that the Plan was constitutional, it 
 is contended, that it was a compact ; as if, in agreements purely 
 
, OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 277 
 
 spiritual, there can be any consideration, by reason of which 
 the compact can be enforced, though a parly is desirous of re- 
 scinding it, because it is productive of mischief. When a com- 
 pact or bargain is made between man and man, it is perfectly 
 well understood that this is cognizable by the law 5 our consti- 
 tution recognizes such contracts, and you have a doctrine of 
 consideration applicable to them. You may have a contract, 
 cognizable by the civil law, in which legal obhgation mingles 
 with that which is purely moral ; but here you have no mix- 
 ture, nothing whatever that is worldly; if binding at all, this 
 agreement is binding only in conscience. Where you have 
 nothing like a consideration, you can have no contract that can 
 be enforced at law. You cannot keep joined by the sanction 
 
 •of law, elements which have come together on the principle of 
 voluntary association. How, then, is such an agreement to be 
 determined ? Evidently by the will of the majority. The ma- 
 jority on either side may resolve that its operation shall cease. 
 The resolution that I have read, then, abrogated the Plan of 
 ISOl ; and it is abrogated — it ceases to have any force. 
 
 " Next conies a scries of resolutions, resting on the supposi- 
 tion that the Plan of Union was unconstitutional and void, 
 which are merely administrative. I do not mean to say whether 
 ihey are legislative or judicial, because we do not find the go- 
 vernment of the Presbyterian Church divided, like our national 
 government, into three distinct and well defined branches, but 
 I call them simply administrative, as they were passed to carry 
 into effect that which was already adopted. I might have re-' 
 ferred to the protest against the other, but leave that for the 
 present. Here is the first of the resolutions : 
 
 "'That, in consequence of the abrogation, by this Assembly, 
 
 . of the "Plan of Union," of ISOl, between it and the General 
 Association of Connecticut, aS utterly unconstitutional, and 
 therefore null and void from the beginning, the Synods of- 
 Utica, Geneva, and Genesee, which were formed and attached 
 to this body, under and in execution of said Plan of Union, be, 
 and are hereby declared to be, out o( the ecclesiastical coimex- 
 ion of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of Ame- 
 rica, and that they are not, in form or in fact, an integral por- 
 tion of said church.' ante 46. 
 
 " On which resolution, the ayes and noes being called, it was 
 carried by a majority of twenty-seven, one not voting. This 
 i;hen, so far as I have gone, declares simply the practical effect 
 of the abrogation. If such was its practical effect, all that the 
 General Assembly did, in passing this resolution, was purely 
 administrative. They made known to their own churches, and 
 gave notice to those associated with them, what the effect oi 
 
278 OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. , 
 
 the abrogation was, and then adjudicated accordingly. What 
 is the next resohition ? 
 
 " Particular attention is requested to the following — the se- 
 cond resolution : 
 
 '"That the solicitude of this Assembly an the whole subject 
 and its urgency for the immediate decision of it, are greatly in- 
 creased by reason of the great disorders which are ascertained 
 to have prevailed in those Synods, (as well as tjiat of the West- 
 ern Reserve, against which a declarative resolution, similar to 
 the first of these, has been passed during our present session,) 
 it being made clear to us that even the Plan of Union itself, was 
 never consistently carried into effect by those professing to act 
 under it.' (p. 526, Argument.) 
 
 "Consider next, the nature of the body by which the act was* 
 done. This is the definition of a church : first, it is a voluntary 
 association ; secondlv, established for divine worship and godty 
 Hving, agreeably to the Holy Scriptures; 'and, thirdly, submU- 
 ting to a certain form of government.' AU these are material 
 to its existence, and they are things which, as I understand the 
 Constitution of Pennsylvania, are by it left, entirely left, to the 
 church itself, and to every man's conscience. What says the 
 constitution ? This part of it has undergone no cliange in the 
 recent revision ; I wish I could say as much of the whole. The 
 third section of the declaration of rights, guarantees certain re- 
 hgious rights, reserved out of those delegated to the government, 
 not granted to the legislature, the judiciary, or the executive. 
 " ' All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship 
 Almighty God according to the dictates of their own con- 
 sciences ; no man can of right be compelled to attend, erect, or 
 support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry, 
 against his consent ; no human authority can, in any case what- 
 ever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience ; and no 
 preference shall ever be given by law to any religious establish'*- 
 ments or modes of worship.' 
 
 " This provision is carefully, studiously, and redundantly 
 written, with a view to fence round conscience, to fence round 
 the church, so that the civil authorities may not even look into 
 them, unless to see that the peace of society is preserved; for 
 all denominations are bound to obey the laws of the land, ac- 
 cording to the precept of Christ, who inculcated every civil 
 duty, the payment of every lawful tribute, but the conscience 
 we hold sacred. What right has the civil power to interfere 
 with conscience ? If certain forms of government and discipline 
 are part of the belief of a church, conscience has as much to do 
 in the maintenance of these, as in the preservation of sound 
 doctrine, and it is mj'' right of conscience to choose such form 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 279 
 
 i)f religion as I tiiink best. If I do not like the denomination with 
 which I am connected, at any moment I may depart; if the ma- 
 jority of the sect do not like me, they may turn me out. I don't 
 know of any other rule. I might be turned out of the Presbyte- 
 rian Church because 1 did not submit to its government and dis- 
 cipline, but the wide world would be before me, and I at liberty 
 to choose my associates. If I desired to join the Congregation- 
 alists, I might do if. If I chose to attend as a hearer in a Pres- 
 byterian place of worship, I should not be excluded. It might be 
 supposed, from the argument addressed to the court, that these 
 men were turned out to starve — to starve for lack of spiritual 
 food. 
 
 " When a question arises, in regard to any thing, which, in our 
 judgment, interferes with the proper administration of discipline, 
 which produces disorder and confusion, and endangers sound 
 doctrine, how is it to be settled ? Here comes into o})eration, the 
 established principles of our republican constitution; for the go- 
 vernment of the Presbyterian Church bears a close affinity to our 
 national government. We may alter that constitution whenever 
 we see fit. How is this to be done? By the vote of the majority. 
 What rule will you establish other than that which prevails in the 
 civil aflairs of state — the rule that the majority shall govern? 
 Wiienever the majority decide any question, it is finally settled, 
 unless you have recourse to some other principle of government. 
 But the power of the majority is annulled, if their decision may 
 be overborne, if it may be referred to another tribunal for correc- 
 tion. Look at the instance of these resolutions of the Assembly 
 of 1837. How were they decided '? By a majority. There can 
 be no doubt of that. They concern discipline, government, and 
 doctrine. Then it was a rightful decision. The majority alone 
 could decide in such matters. And more than this, the decision 
 being according to conscience, it is not our right to interfere. If 
 the Assembly is left to itself, there is nothing to be apprehended. 
 Alien interposition must lead to trouble and difficulty. If evil re- 
 sults from their measures, they alone are responsible for it. Now, 
 let us get back to the plain language of the constitution ; and 
 where does it give to a civil court, the right of interference in 
 matters of conscience ? the right of deciding on spiritual concerns? 
 If the civil power claims authority to prescribe or modify our re- 
 ligious creed, this is manifestly wrong — an usurpation of author- 
 ity. Yet not more so, than an interference with ecclesiastical 
 government and discipline. Every church has a right to settle 
 these matters for itself; and that any other power should interpose 
 Jo expound their creed, or to prescribe ecclesiastical laws, is de- 
 structive of spiritual liberty. It has become very much the fashion 
 of late, to speak against creeds, if a creed is to be enforced by 
 
280 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 any measure of compulsion, let it be admitted that our liberties 
 would be in greater danger than if mere civil rights were attacked 
 — our rights of property, our security of life and limb. But if a 
 church establishes a certain creed, what right have I to go in 
 among its members, when I do not receive that creed ? And 
 what right to remain among them, when 1 cease to believe in its 
 doctrines? I may be right and they wrong, but still I am no 
 more at liberty to overturn the fundamental principles of their 
 faith, because it does not agree with mine, than is a man to dis- 
 turb the peace, because he does not like a republican government. 
 The creed is but the agreed principle of association, the common 
 faith, which is the ground of union. No man is bound to adopt 
 the creed. But no man has a right to insist upon being a member 
 of the society without adopting it, or to remain so, after he has 
 ceased to believe in it. 
 
 "Now, in the constitution of the Presbyterian Church, we find 
 the sanction of that authority which the church exercises in all its 
 branches. I read from the ' preliminary principles' to the Form 
 of Government, section eighth. 'Lastly, that if the preceding 
 scriptural and rational principles be steadfastly adhered to, the 
 vigor and strictness of its discipline will contribute to the glory 
 and happiness of any church. Since ecclesiastical discipline 
 must be purely moral or spiritual in its object, and 730^ attended 
 with any civil effects, it can derive no force whatever, but from 
 its own justice, the approbation of an impartial public, and the 
 countenance and blessing of the great Head of the church uni- 
 versal.' And again, chap, viii : 'These assemblies ought not to 
 possess any civil jurisdiction, or to inflict any civil penalties. 
 Their power is wholly moral or spiritual, and that only ministe- 
 rial and declarative. They possess the right of requiring obedi- 
 ence to the laws of Christ, and of excluding the disobedient and 
 disorderly from the privileges of the church.' 
 
 "Here, then, is the whole sanction of the jurisdiction exercised 
 by the church — that moral or spiritual power which operates by 
 means exclusively its own, and is not to be interfered with by the 
 civil authority. How is the great frame work of the Presbyterian 
 Church to be maintained in its established order? Here is that 
 frame work. First, the congregation, governed by its own Ses- 
 sion : then the Presbytery ; thirdly, the Synod; and then a power 
 above all the rest, the last object in the sight of a member of this 
 church, the ultimate tribunal to which he can appeal — beyond it 
 he knows no appeal — the General Axsemhly, which is just as su- 
 preme in ecclesiastical matters, as this honourable court is in civil 
 affairs, the highest tribunal in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 
 I call upon the court to say, is there any thing within the whole 
 circle of this jurisdiction with which you would deem it right to 
 interfere 'i 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 281 
 
 " These bodies we have been speaking of, are a law unto them- 
 selves. They owe no submission to any other tribunal. Is it 
 lawful, is it consistent with spiritual liberty, that the church should 
 be carried out of its own sphere, before a tribunal where prevails 
 a law that is not applicable to it? and this, when the constitution 
 tbrbids the civil authority to interfere in any manner with the 
 rights of conscience ? Talk of a violation of the constitution of the 
 church ! What greater violation of it, in its essence, its life, its 
 soul, can there be, than dragging it before a tribunal entirely alien, 
 here to compel its members to prove (acAs and to justify their own 
 judgments upon those facts '( Demand of any Presbyterian, that 
 he point out the place where he finds authority for this proceed- 
 ing. Where does he find the liberty given to refuse to submit to 
 the judicatories of the church, and to refer his dispute to other 
 tribunals? And how does he find that this is to be done? Is his 
 appeal to be entertained thus — not by calling upon us to show our 
 minutes, and prove that the question has already been decided by 
 the' church, but, without crediting our statements, putting no con- 
 fidence in our sincerity, by summoning us, as if already convicted 
 of an atrocious crime, to justify ourselves, or else sufier the penalty 
 of being hunted down as we have been? Where in the Presbyte- 
 rian constitution will you find this? There is no such thing. 
 
 •' When the four Synods were disconnected, immediately their 
 whole power ceased. Who can complain that four Synods are 
 separated from a voluntary association? Even without any rea- 
 son, the Assembly had a right to separate them, just as the Sy- 
 nods had a right to secede at pleasure. Whether they shall sub- 
 mit, is not a question to be entertained here. I mean to contend 
 for that doctrine, to its whole extent, that it is not for this tribu- 
 nal to look into the constitution of the church, and decide whether 
 ihey have been rightfully excluded ; that the question, who is of 
 the church, belongs exclusively to the church to determine, and 
 that when it has decided, the judgment is final. 
 
 "I propose now, to examine into the acts of the Assembly ot 
 1837, upon their own footing, as if the court had the power to ex- 
 amine them. For if it can take cognizance of this and all other 
 ecclesiastical bodies, we must submit, though we should like to 
 be more thoroughly persuaded of its right of jurisdiction, and do 
 not feel bound to conform to the verdict of a single jury, or the 
 charge of a single judge, when entitled to the opinion of the entire 
 tribunal. U here, finally, the jurisdiction be established, there can 
 no longer be any question of its constitutionality. The decision 
 of this court is conclusive. I propose, therefore, to examine the 
 proceedings of 1837, and will end this part of the case with thai 
 examination, which will be brief. And I begin by asking, by 
 what law will you judge those proceedings? According to whose 
 
282 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 judgment wHi you judge them? What will you appeal to as a 
 aground of argument ? I say, that the acts of the Assembly ol" 
 J837 were good. Why? Because I think they were right. 
 What 1 think is, however, of no consequence to any one else. 
 We must have some rule. What is it ? The Presbyterian Church, 
 by its highest tribunal, regularly constituted, has perl'ormed cer- 
 tain acts, deliberative and administrative; \hesc, prima facie, are 
 certainly good. But it is argued, that on some ground or other 
 they are wrong. Now, let us look closely at this matter. I do 
 not indeed feel myself competent to form an opinion on spiritual 
 questions, for others. I go for one gran-d, consistent, constitu- 
 tional principle, in all such matters, that every man must have 
 exclusive cognizance of his own spiritual concerns. 1 cannot 
 judge at all in regard to the spirit of anotlier. How, then, am I 
 to argue the question now proposed? Wliere will I find authori- 
 ty for my doctrines ? Let us go to the constitution of the church. 
 The constitution declares, that the power of the church and its 
 jurisdiction, are purely spiritual and moral, and that the civil- au- 
 thority has no spiritual power. Now, how will you test these 
 acts, and determine whether they are right or wrong? Will you 
 appeal to the scriptures? No, that would be a profane use of 
 them. They are not to be brought into court, except where the 
 law requires their use, in the administration of oaths, or there are 
 other cases of like necessity. But, if we do open the sacred vol- 
 ume, I may not understand it, as others do, and they have a per- 
 fect right to understand it for themselves. My understanding of 
 it, is a guide for my own conduct only, not a directory for theirs. 
 Yet the scriptures are the rock on which they believe, their pecii- 
 liar system, their church, to be built. I am not competent to say 
 how they understand their Bibles. But our only security is, on 
 the foundation of the scriptures; from this rock we must endea- 
 vour to avoid being shifted or thrown off, each man upon his own 
 individual responsibility." 
 
 Mr. Sergeant read Form of Government, chap. XII, sections 
 4 and 5, pages 335, 336, for the general powers entrusted to lhc~ 
 General Assembly. 
 
 " To this body then is given entire authority over all the aflairs 
 of the church, authority to determine, not only the ends to be at- 
 tained, but also the mode in which power shall be exercised for 
 their attainment. They are to correct the errors of other judica- 
 tories, but are not themselves subject to correction. They have 
 a general superintending jurisdiction. The act here complained 
 of is, that four Synods have been laid down or dissolved, for 
 what the Assembly considered a sufficient cause, (p. 556, argument.) 
 
 " The act of abrogation and the exscinding resolutions, while 
 they state that irregularities had occurred, inconsistent w^ith those 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 283 
 
 !a\vs which the Assembly was bound to enforce, do not allege 
 any individual or criminal misconduct, but impute all the fault to 
 the 'Plan of Union,' itself. Instead of laying the blame upon 
 their adversaries alone, the Old School charge both sides with 
 (disorders, that were owing to the act of 1801, in which they had 
 muiualiy concurred. Censure is cast as much upon the General 
 Assembly as upon the General Association of Connecticut, and 
 the Synods formed under that act. Was there any criminal 
 charge made against the other side? Where can you show this, 
 in either the resolution abrogatino; the 'Plan of Union,' or the re- 
 sj-flutions by which the abrogation was carried out, to its legiti- 
 mate consequences ? There was no such censure pronounced 
 upon those connected with the four Synods, as a judicial sentence 
 invt)lves? They were not charged with attachment to the Con- 
 gregational Form of Government as a crime, and besides, they 
 were immediately afterwards assured that no offence was itn- 
 j'uted ; that it was not intended to fasten upon them any stigma 
 or reproach, for they were invited to come back, to prove not 
 their innocence, but their Presbyterianism, with the promise, that 
 w henev^er satisfactory proof upon that point had been given, their 
 connexion with the church should be restored. Nay, still more 
 to facilitate their return, they were told to apply for admission, to 
 the nearest and most convenient Presbyteries. Each individual 
 aud church was told, ' we do not charge you with any crime — 
 we do not say that you are unfit to associate with us; we say, 
 on the contrary, that you are fit, if you are Presbyterians. Go 
 to the nearest, most convenient Presbytery, and prove your or- 
 thodoxy.' I take it, that this was not a criminal proceeding at 
 all.. The exscinding resolutions profess to be, what I suppose 
 those who passed them, understood that they were, the only le- 
 gitimate and necessary consequences of the resolution, abroga- 
 ting the ' Plan of Union.' 
 
 " In the next place, what was the whole effect of these exscind- 
 ing resolutions, as they are commonly called ? Did they impose 
 a penalty upon any individual or collection of individuals? They 
 merely dissolved the connexion of the four Synods, with the Gen- 
 eral Assembly, but not for contumacy ; not for any crime al- 
 leged against them. All that the resolutions proposed was, to 
 abandon them for the good of that church, under the protection 
 of which they had thus far grown and flourished. The investi- 
 gation had proceeded upon general grounds, without doing any 
 prejudice to personal character. Not a reproachful word was ut- 
 tered against the members of the four Synods, unless it was a re- 
 proach to say, that they were Congregationalists. I do not hold 
 that to be a reproach. If the Assembly had a right to cut them 
 off from the Presbyterian Church, because they preferred another 
 
284 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Form of Government and worship, it had no right to censure 
 them for this preference. If being members of the church, and 
 professing Presbyterianism, their belief and practice had been in- 
 consistent with the doctrines and laws of the church, they might 
 liave been brought to trial; but if the Synods were formed, or 
 under the Plan of 1801, and that Plan was so vicious as to ren- 
 der the connexion repugnant and detrimental to the church, this, 
 in the estimation of the xA-ssembly, for I do not myself say any- 
 thing now about the Plan, or the formation of the four Synods ; 
 this might be, and was a good reason for separating them, but 
 certainly was no reason for pronouncing a judicial sentence or 
 imputing crime. 
 
 " Now, may it please your Honours, I have stated the nature of 
 the act of exscision, and the Assembly's grounds for that act. 
 Suppose the Assembly entertained the opinion expressed in the 
 second resolution, which from the beginning, I had intended to 
 notice, and now take up, as well for my original reasons, as for 
 the construction upon it by Mr. Randall. Suppose it had been 
 made clear to the Assembly, that disorders and irregularities pre- 
 vailed in the four Synods, which were a proper siil)ject for the 
 application of the process provided in the constitution, which 
 would have justified a criminal charge, and a citation to the bar 
 of the Assembly for trial. Then there were two grounds of i)ro- 
 ceeding against the Synods; first, the unavoidable consequences 
 of the Plan of Union; and secondly, the actual working of the 
 Plan in those Synods. A proceeding resting on one ground 
 might work their dissolution, without the imputation of any crime; 
 a proceeditjg on the other ground might have resulted in the 
 same thing, but must have been a criminal proceeding. Either 
 one, independently of the other, might have been sufficient to blot 
 •them out of existence. But the first ground being sufficient, it 
 alone is taken. Then the second ground is exhibited, not to sup- 
 port the measure of exscision, but to show the importance of 
 having acted promptly. I would call your attention again to the 
 statements made by the two committees, of the majority and mi- 
 nority. They both concurred in the opinion that a separation 
 was indispensable." (See Minutes of the Assembly, for 1838.) 
 
 A few brief extracts from Mr. Sergeant's speech, in reference 
 to the organization and action of the General Assembly, of 1838, 
 will close this argument. 
 
 "The Assembly of 1838 met with full powers, excepting that 
 the antecedent Assembly had sent down to it a moderator, whom, 
 up to a certain period of -their session, they had no right to re- 
 move. That moderator, and the clerks who were to assist him 
 in the organization, were continued in office to perform certain 
 acts, and until those were performed, they were beyond the reach 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 285 
 
 of the New Assembly, or rather, that Assembly had not yet ac- 
 quired the capacity to touch them. 
 
 * * • * * * # * * * * 
 
 " Then we oome to the conduct of the moderator, Dr. Elliott. 
 He too had been appointed by the antecedent body, and sent 
 down to preside in the new organization. The Assembly of 1838 
 were not accountable for him, nor he to them ; I mean, that for a 
 certain time, he was not accountable to them. The language of the 
 rule is, that the last moderator shall preside until a new ariC is 
 appointed. This rule has been read several times. Being one of 
 great importance, it is laid down in two distinct places in the 
 constitution. (Form of Gov., chap. XIX, sec. 3.) 'The moderator 
 of the Presbytery shall be chosen from year to year, or at every 
 tneeiing of the Presbytery, as the Presbytery may think best.. 
 The moderator of the Synod and of the General Assembly, shall 
 be chosen at each meeting of those judicatories; and the modera- 
 tor, and in case of his absence, another member appointed for 
 the purpose, shall open the next meeting with a sermon, and shall 
 hold the chair until a new moderator be chosen.' It is obvious 
 that this means, till a new one can be chosen, and when that 
 time arrives, is the next matter for our consideration. 
 
 " Here I would submit to your Honours, that when points of 
 form acquire such power, as to be able to overturn a whole 
 church, they must be very closely and strictly examined ; they 
 are equivalent in importance and force, to the greatest laws. 
 iN'ow, by the rules of the Assembly, what is the next thing to be 
 done, after the report of the clerks on the roll ? The rules pro- 
 vide, that the clerks, as a committee of commissions, shall exam- 
 ine the commissions presented, and report the names of the un- 
 doubted members, who shall then take their seats and proceed to 
 business ; but they do not stop here. They direct, that the first 
 thing which the house shall do, after being thus ready for busi- 
 ness, shall be the appoinl(nent of a committee of elections. Well, 
 I suppose that is equivalent to saying, that nothing else shall be 
 done, until a committee of elections has been appointed. I inter- 
 pret the whole of these provisions together, as ordering that the 
 several things which they direct to be done, shall all be done be- 
 fore the Assembly proceed to the choice of a new moderator. I 
 am not inquiring, at present, into the power of the Assembly to 
 make such rules, I do not ask what was their efiect, but simply 
 what they were? There was, in 1826, a change in the form 
 prescribed by the constitution, for examining commissions and 
 enrolling the names. Previously, it had been required that the 
 commissions should be publicly read, but then it was ordered 
 that they should be only examined. After the adoption of this 
 ehange by the Presbyteries, it was also 
 
286 OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. 
 
 '" Resolcecl, That so soon as the alteration proposed in the 7ili 
 item, above enumerated, shall appear to have been constitutional- 
 ly adopted by the Presbyteries, the following rules of the Assem- 
 bly shall be in force. 
 
 "'1. Immediately after each Assembly is constituted with 
 prayer-, the moderator shall appcAni a committee of commission s.' 
 
 " This committee report the regular commissioners to the house. 
 
 '"5. The first act of the Assembly, when thus ready for busi- 
 uess, shall be the appointment of a committee qf elections, whose 
 duly is to examine all informal and unconstitutional commissions, 
 and report on the same as soon as practicable.' (p. 150.) These 
 are the sum of the provisions made by these standing rules. They 
 areas strong and binding as any articles in the constitution. Now 
 it was clearly not in the power of the house to do any thing, 
 until a committee of elections had been appointed. The old mod- 
 erator was continued there to direct and see that the rules were 
 complied with. If Dr. Patton, Dr. Mason, Mr. Squier, or any- 
 body else, arise and propose some business, differing from that 
 required by the rule, the moderator is bound to tell them, respect- 
 fully, that they are all out of order. Now, there could be no ap- 
 peal from the chair, until the rules of the house were complied 
 v,'ith; there was nothing on which an appeal could arise, and no 
 body by whom an appeal could be decided. But again, there is 
 a provision beyond this, a provision for the vacancy of the chair. 
 Who shall put a question then ? To enable any body not in the 
 chair, to assume the duty of presiding, it is absolutely essential, 
 t-hat the cljair should first be vacant. So long as it is occupied 
 de facto, as regards the members, it is occupied de jure, and no- 
 body else than the actual occupant can propose any business to 
 the house. If the chair is vacant, of course that is an emergen- 
 cy requiring a new rule. Then the next person in the eyes of 
 t^ie members, as they all look towards the chair, the clerk must 
 put any resolution offered, and this until the chair is filled. All 
 these rules are essential to the due transaction of business. 
 
 "To return to the Assembly of 181^8. I say, that until the com- 
 mittee of elections had been appointed, the body was in the hands 
 of the officers of the preceding year. They were not under its 
 control, or responsible to it, until the organization was complete, 
 and it was clothed with its full and legitimate powers. And I 
 say further, that Dr. Elliott could not entertain a motion or ap- 
 peal ; that he had been placed in the chair merely to keep order, and 
 to perform a specific duty, ending with the organization, which 
 was to be completed by the appointment of a committee of elec- 
 tions. Now, it is clearly in evidence, that Dr. Elliott was keep- 
 ing very good order, as any body must acknowledge who reads 
 he provision, which has been referred to. But if it were other- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATED. 287 
 
 wise — if any thing improper had been done by Dr. Elliott, this 
 was not to be visited upon the body which had no control over 
 him, which as I contend, could not remove him. Now, I am at- 
 tempting to vindicate the majority of the Assembly and Dr. El- 
 liott; to establish the point that it was not consistent with justice, 
 for them to depart in the smallest degree from the rules prescribed, 
 the five rules which were to govern in the organization of the 
 body, and at the same time to vindicate the rules themselves; 
 showing, that when a contest was expected, and a black cloud 
 lowered over them, sutlicient to envelope the whole body in storm >; 
 when Dr. Elliott knew that the elements of discord and strife 
 were gathering in fury, and unless pent up, would break forth in 
 the midst of those who had collected in the house of prayer for 
 religious worship: that the Assembly was composed of all des- 
 criptions of people, of friends and foes; of those belonging to the 
 household of strangers, and of persons claiming to be of the 
 household, though their title was disputed; this was a sufficient, 
 an imperative reason, why he should not swerve for a single in- 
 stant from the precise letter of his instructions. From the five 
 rules of the Presbyterian law book, which are to govern the 
 church, it is plain that no questions could be put but such as are 
 incident to the organization, at this stage of progress ; none such 
 were put, Dr. Patton's motion not being of this nature, it was 
 disallowed. Judge Rogers says, that in deciding it out of order, 
 the moderator was right. Next, Dr. Mason made a motion, it 
 was declared out of order; he appealed — the appeal was not sus- 
 tained. In these several motions, all acquiesced. Mr. Squier 
 moved, but was out of order, too. Next, Mr. Cleaveland rises 
 and delivers a written speech. That paper has been secreted and 
 suppressed. It is unfortunate for the respondents. Instead of 
 having the very words uttered, we are left to select and interpret 
 the document from the testimony of hearers. Here we put one 
 important question. In such circumstances, in such a crowd and 
 excitement, was it proper, was it possible, to pursue the old busi- 
 ness of the Assembly then on hand, correctly and suitably, much 
 less to introduce a new, untried, tumultuous, if not revolutionary 
 item ?" (For the details of this transaction, we must refer to Ser- 
 geant's argument, p. 574, and in Miller's Church Case.) Mr. 
 Hubbel's remarks on the same side are clear and convincing, and 
 the conclusive observations of Judge Gibson, in his opinion of the 
 court. The several steps by which the New School, pursuing a 
 concerted scheme through Mr. Cleaveland, as their chief organ 
 for the purpose, exhibits a series of gross departures from order 
 and constitutional rule, through all their progress, tending only t^ 
 demonstrate the extravagance of their designs, and the wildness 
 and folly of their measures. 
 
288 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Introductory Reaiarks — The Contrast — Including eight principal pointu 
 in Theology — Old School and New School compared — I. Confession of 
 Faith, Ac. — 11. Extracts from New School Books. 
 
 That the spirit and the habit of wild and reckless .speculation 
 upon theological subjects, have prevailed to a very great extent 
 within the Presbyterian (Jhurch, during the last twenty or thirty 
 years, is perfectly notorious. The (juestion presented here, i>, 
 how far heretical and unsound opinions have been published and 
 circulated in the Presbyterian Church, by her ministers and nicni- 
 bers, in conflict with her Confession of Faith, her catechisms and 
 her church policy, thus offering violence to her constitution, ink- 
 pairing her character and influence, and demanding from her su- 
 preme judicatory an appropriate remedy. In all similar casc«, 
 the avowed sentiments of prominent leaders constitute the stand- 
 ard of truth, and the evidence of the facts upon which the inves- 
 tigation is to rest, and they form the test by which the party hel(J 
 in default must be tried and estimated, their guilt graduated, and 
 ihe award proportioned. 
 
 To bring the unsound, in the shortest and easiest mtinner possi- 
 ble, to the constitutional touch-stone, we shall present, in the form 
 of extracts from the writings and speculations of New Schooi 
 men, some of their opinions on the fundamental points of truth re- 
 vealed in the Sacred Scriptures, and contrast them, item by item, 
 with the doctrines contained in the Confession of Faith and cate- 
 chisms of the church, as based upon the word of God. This is 
 the only meihod we can properly pursue in ascertaining the purity 
 and fidelity, or detecting the unsoundne.>s and criminality, of gospel 
 ministers and professing Christians in our ecclesiastical connexion. 
 It is perfectly just to infer, as a general principle, that the follow- 
 ers of those who are recognized as leaders in theological opinions 
 and church policy, agree with their leaders; and tliey are, there- 
 fore, in common with them, responsible f<»r whatever of truth, or 
 of error, they may hold and propagate. Pursuing this course, we 
 shall place on opposite pages or columns, under the several heads, 
 Firsf, the doctrines of our Confession and Standards. Second, tht' 
 |iublished opinions of New School theologians belonging to the 
 Presbyterian Church. From the contrast, every reader may 
 easily decide as to the agreement or discrepancy between these 
 difierent forms of expression. 
 
 All we have to do, is to see that the members of our own church 
 do not violate our own system; that they observe and comply with 
 their sacred obligations to the church, to one another, and to God. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 289 
 
 With other denominations, of vviiatever name or characteristics, 
 we have no quarrel, but stand in a peaceful, friendly alliance. We 
 are not bound to favour their notions, nor they ours. Whatever 
 they or we publish to the world, becomes common properly, 
 which may be criticised and controverted before the great public 
 tribunal, which tests and decides every question, and by publi'; 
 sentiment, the great arbiter in human aflairs, we and they stancf 
 or f;dl. We claim no exemption from the common amenabilities 
 of the heart and the pen to this decisive tribunal. 
 
 In this exhibition, it is of Uttle importance to show, as other 
 writers have attempted to do, what a diversity of tongues have 
 spoken, what a confusion of opinions on religious subjects has 
 Ijeen uttered, by other denominations and speculators through the 
 land. 8uch a review would teach us what kind of company the 
 New School party have kept; who were prubably their asso- 
 ciates, their guides, and seducers into error, into the very kennels 
 of contamination and guilt, which they had solemnly promised to 
 avoid. For the sake of brevity, we shall restrict our view to a 
 few specimens on each side of the contrast. 
 
 Old School, or CoiVfessio.y of 
 
 F.^ITH. 
 
 -> Federal Headship of Adam. 
 
 " The covenant being made 
 with Adam, as a public person, 
 not for himself only, but /br his 
 posterity, all mankind descend- 
 ing from him by ordinary gene- 
 ration, siVuiec? in him, and fell 
 with him, in that first transgres- 
 sion." Larger Gatechism, ques- 
 tion 22. " They being the root 
 of all mankind, the guilt of this 
 sin was imputed, and the death 
 in sin and corrufited nature co?i- 
 v.eyed to all their posterity, de- 
 scending froin them by ordinary 
 generation." Confession of 
 Faith, chap, vi, sec. 3. 
 
 "Original sin is conveyed 
 from our first parents unto iheir 
 posterity, by natural generation, 
 so as all that proceed from them 
 in that way, are conceived and 
 born in sin." Larger Catechism, 
 queslicjn 20. 
 
 T 
 
 New School. 
 Federal Headship of Adam. 
 
 " That Adam was not the 
 covenant head or federal repre- 
 sentative (A his posterity, and 
 sustained no other relation to 
 them, than that which subsists 
 between every parent and his 
 offspring." 
 
 " It .has been supposed by 
 many, that there was a cove- 
 nant made with Adam, such as 
 this, that if he continued to obey 
 the law for a limited period, all 
 his posterity should be confirmed 
 in l)oliness and happiness for- 
 ever. What the reason is for 
 this belief, I am unable to ascer- 
 tain. I am not aware that ihi 
 doctrine is taught in the Bible. 
 I suppose that mankind vveie a'l 
 originally under a covenant of 
 works, and that Adam was not 
 so their head or rcpresentatine, 
 that his obedience or disobedi- 
 ence, involved iheiTi irresistibly 
 
290 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 in sin and condemnation, irre- 
 spective of their own acts." 
 Finney's Lectures. 
 
 '•Nothing is said of a cove- 
 nant with him," that is, Adam. 
 "No where in Scripture is the 
 term covenant applied lo any 
 transaction with Adam. All 
 that is established here, is the 
 simple fact, that Adam sinned, 
 and that this made it certain 
 that all his posterity would be 
 sinners. Beyond this, the lan- 
 guage of the apostle does not 
 go ; and all else that has been 
 said of this, is the result of mere 
 philosophical speculation."* 
 
 Mr. Barnes again : " A com- 
 parison is also instituted between 
 Adam and Christ, 1 Cor. 15, 22, 
 25. The reason is, not that 
 Adam was the representative 
 or federal head of the human 
 race, about which the apostle 
 says nothing, and which is not 
 even implied, but that he was 
 X\\Q first of the race — he was the 
 fountain, the head, the father; 
 and the consequences of that 
 first act, introducing sin into the 
 world, rould be seen every 
 where. The words representa- 
 tive and federal head, are never 
 applied to Adam in the Bible. 
 The reason is, that the word 
 representative implies an idea 
 which could not have existed in 
 the case, the consent of those 
 who are represented, jjesides, 
 the Bible does not teach that 
 they acted in him and by him., 
 or that he acted for them. No 
 passage has ever yet been found 
 that stated this doctrine." 
 
 * Barnes' Notes on Romans, first 
 edition, p. 12S. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 291 
 
 Old DiviNMTY — CavFESsiox of 
 
 Faith. 
 
 Imputation. 
 
 " The sinfulness of that estate 
 whereinto man fell, consisteth in 
 f/ie guilt of Adam's first sin, 
 the want of that righteousness 
 wherein he was created, and the 
 corruption of his nature, where- 
 by he is utterly indisposed, dis- 
 abled, and made opposite to all 
 ihat is spiritually good, and 
 wholly inclined to all evil, and 
 that continually, which is com- 
 monly called original sin, and 
 from which do proceed all ac- 
 tual transgressions." Question 
 25, Larger Catechism. 
 
 " They being the root of all 
 mankind, the guilt of this sin 
 was imputed, and the death in 
 sin and corrupted nature con- 
 veyed to all their posterity,^' &c. 
 Confession of Faith, sec. 3. 
 
 Dr. Beecher, though generally 
 wrong, sometimes luiwittingly 
 testifies against hitinself and his 
 party : 
 
 " The Reformers," says he, 
 "' with one accord, taught that 
 the sin of Adam was imputed to 
 all his posterity, and that a cor- 
 r7ipt nature descends from him, 
 to every one of his posterity, in 
 consequence of which infants 
 are unholy, unfit for heaven, and 
 justly exposed to future punish- 
 ment." "Our puritan fathers," 
 he continues, " adhered to the 
 doctrine of original sin, as con- 
 sisting in the imputation of 
 
 Again, Barnes' sermon : " Sin- 
 ners have no federal relation to 
 Adam, and are not answerable 
 for his guilt." 
 
 New ScifboL. 
 JVo Imputation. 
 
 Mr. Barnes, in his Sermon on 
 the Way of Salvation, says, 
 " Sinners have no federal rela- 
 tion to Adam. The notion of 
 imputation is an invention of 
 mi)dern times." 
 
 Mr. Finney, in his Lecture.'=, 
 says, " The truth is, Adam was 
 the natural head of the human 
 race — from the relation in 
 which he stood as their natural 
 head, as a matter of fact, his 
 sin has resulted in the sin and 
 ruin of his posterity." 
 
 Barnes, p. 95, Notes on the 
 Romans, says, *' I have exam- 
 ined all the passages where the 
 word imputation occurs in the 
 CHd Testament, and have come 
 to the conclusion, that there is 
 not one in which the word is 
 used in the sense of reckoning 
 ov imputing to a man that which 
 does not strictly belong to him, 
 or of charging on him that which 
 ought not to be charged on him, 
 as a matter of personal right. 
 The word is never used to de- 
 note imputing in the sense of 
 Iransfei'ring, or of charging 
 that on one which does not pro- 
 perly belong to him. The same 
 is the case in the New Testa- 
 ment. The word occurs about 
 forty times, and in a similar sig- 
 nification. No doctrine of trans- 
 ferring, or of setting over to a 
 man, what does not properly 
 belong to him, be it sin or holi- 
 
292 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Adam's sin, and in hereditary 
 depravity ; and this continued to 
 be the received doctrine of the 
 churches of New England, until 
 after the tinie%f Edwards. He 
 adopted the views of the Re- 
 formers on the subject of origi- 
 nal sin, as consisting in the im- 
 putation of Adam's sin, and a 
 (depraved nature, transmitted by 
 descent." Spirit of the Pilgrims 
 for 1828. • 
 
 ness, can be derived, therefore^ 
 from this word." Men are "sub- 
 ject to pain, and death, and de- 
 pravity, as the consequence of 
 his (Adam's) sin, he being the 
 head, fountain, father, or root of 
 the race, and having secured, as 
 a certain result, that all the race 
 will be sinners also, such being 
 the organization of the great so- 
 ciety of which he was the head 
 and father. The drunkard," says 
 he, " secures a result, cotnmon- 
 ly, that his family will be re- 
 duced to beggary, want, and 
 woe. A pirate or a traitor will 
 wheln>, not himself only, but his 
 family, in ruin. Such is the great 
 law or constitution on which so- 
 ciety is now organized ; and we 
 are not to be surprised, that the 
 same principle occurred in the 
 primary organization of human 
 affairs." 
 
 Mr. Barnes, Notes, 7th edi- 
 tion, pp. 121-222, says, "That 
 doctrine, (imputation) is nothing 
 but an elfort to explain tlie man- 
 ner of an event which the apos- 
 tle did not think it proper to at- 
 t tempt to explain. That doctrine 
 i is, in fact, no explanation. It is 
 ! introducing an additional diffi- 
 j culty. For, to say that I am 
 .blameworthy, or ill-deserving, 
 for a sin in which I had no 
 I agency, is no explanation, but 
 is involving me in an additional 
 1 difficulty, still more perplexing, 
 to ascertain how such a doc- 
 trine ran possibly be just.'' 
 "Christianity does not charge 
 on men crimes of which they 
 are not guilty. It does not say, 
 as I suppose, that the sinner is 
 held to be personally answera- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 293 
 
 ble for the transgressions of 
 Adam, or of any other man." 
 Way of Salvation. 
 
 •* It is admitted, that this lan- 
 guage does not accord with that 
 used on the same subject in the 
 Confession of Faith, and in other 
 standards of doctrine. The main 
 difference is, that it is difficult to 
 affix any clear and definite 
 meaning to the expression, ' we 
 sinned in him, and fell with him.' 
 It is manifest, so far as it is ca- 
 pable of interpretation, that it is 
 intended to convey the idea, not 
 that the sin of Adam is imputed 
 to us, or set over to our account, 
 but that there was a personal 
 identity^ constituted between 
 Adam and his posterity, so that 
 it was really our act and ours 
 only, after all, that is chargeable 
 on us. This was the idea of 
 Edwards. The notion of im- 
 puting sin, is an invention of 
 modern times, and it is not, it is 
 believed, the doctrine of the Con- 
 fession of Faith. 
 
 "Christianity affirms the fact, 
 that in connexion with the sin 
 of Adam^ or as a result, all mo- 
 ral agents in this world will sin, 
 and sinning will die. Rom. v, 12 
 -19. It does not, however, af- 
 firm any thing about the mode 
 in which this would be done. 
 There are many ways conceiv- 
 able in which that sin might se- 
 cure the result, as there are 
 many ways in which all similar 
 facts may be explained. The 
 drunkard commonly secures as 
 a result, the fact that his family 
 will be beggared, illiterate, per- 
 haps profane or intemperate. 
 Both facts are evidently to be 
 
294 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VIXDICATKD. 
 
 Old Divinity — Co^fFESsION of 
 Faith. 
 
 Moral state of Infants. 
 
 " They being the root of all 
 mankind, the guilt of this sin 
 was imputed, and the same 
 death in sin and corrupted na- 
 ture, conveyed to all their pos- 
 terity, descending from them b}' 
 ordinary generation."" Confes- 
 sion of Faith, chap. 6, sec. 3. 
 
 " Original sin is conveyed 
 from our first parents, unto 
 their posterity, by natural gene- 
 ration, so as all that pi'oceed 
 from them in that way, are con- 
 cieved and born in sin." Larger 
 Catechism, question 26. 
 
 explained on the same principle 
 as a part of moral government.'' 
 "When Paul," says be,"states 
 a simple fact, men often advance 
 a theory. A melancholy instance 
 of this we have in the account 
 which the apostle gives, chap. 
 V, about the effect of the sin of 
 Adam. . . They have sought 
 for a theory to account for it. 
 And many suppose they have 
 found it in the doctrine, that the 
 sin of Adam is imputed, or set 
 over, by an arbitrary arrange- 
 ment, to beings otherwise inno- 
 cent, and that they are held to 
 be responsible for a deed com- 
 mitted by a man thousands of 
 years before they were born. 
 This is the theory, and men in- 
 sensibly forget that it is mere 
 theory.^' 
 
 New School. 
 
 State of Infants — Ko Moral 
 Character. 
 
 " It is a question alike perti- 
 nent and important, whether in 
 the incipient period of infancy 
 and childhood, there can be any 
 moral character whatever, pos- 
 sessed. Moral character, is 
 character acquired by acts of a 
 moral nature. Moral acts, are 
 those ficts which are contem- 
 plated by the law, prescribing 
 the rule of human conduct." "It 
 is obvious, that in infancy and 
 incipient childhood, when none 
 of the actions are deliberate, or 
 the result of motive, operating 
 in connexion with the knowledge 
 of law, and of the great end of 
 all human actions, no mora! 
 character can appropriately be 
 predicated.'' " Properly speak- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VIPfDICATED. 
 
 295 
 
 ing, therefore, we can predicate 
 of it, neither sin or holiness, per- 
 sonally considered." Duffield 
 on Regeneration, pp., 377 — 78 
 —79. 
 
 Again, p. 389: "There is 
 no manner of necessity, in order 
 to account for the death of in- 
 fants, to suppose that the sin of 
 Adam became their personal 
 sin, either in respect of its act, 
 or o-f its ill desert." 
 
 Finney says: "Children 
 universally adopt the principle 
 of selfishness, because they pos- 
 sess human nature, but not be- 
 cause human nature is itself 
 sinful." Sermons. 
 
 " Temptation alone is suffi- 
 cient, under present circumstan- 
 ces." Duffield's Regeneration. 
 
 " The infant is placed in a re- 
 bellious world, subject to the in- 
 fluence of ignorance, with very 
 limited and imperfect experi- 
 ence, and liable to the strong 
 impulses of appetite and passion. 
 Instinct, animal sensation, con- 
 stitutional susceptibilities, create 
 an impulse, which not being 
 counteracted by moral consid- 
 erations or gracious influence, 
 lead the will in a wrong direc- 
 tion, and to wrong objects.'' 
 Duffield on Regeneration, pp. 
 §10—379—380. 
 
 Mr. Finney again says : 
 
 ^* Here are two systems, the one 
 
 maintains that infants have no 
 
 moral character at all, until 
 
 they have committed actual 
 
 transgression; that their first 
 
 moral actions are universally 
 
 I sinful, but that previous to moral 
 
 j action, they are neither sinful 
 
 j nor holy ; that, as they have no 
 
29G 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Old DivixiTY — CoyFEssiox of 
 
 Faith — Scriptuhe. 
 
 Depravity. 
 
 Rom. 5, 12, 21. "As by 
 one man sin entered into the 
 world, and death by sin, so 
 death passed upon all men, fur 
 that all have sinned." Larger 
 Catechism — before recited in 
 full. 
 
 Man's nature is so corrupted 
 by the fall, "that he is utterly 
 indisposed, disabled, and made 
 opposite unto all that is spiritu- 
 ally good and wholly inclined 
 to all evil, and that continually, 
 which is commonly called orig- 
 inal sin, and from which do 
 proceed all actual transgres- 
 sions." "And God saw that the 
 wickedness of man was great 
 in the earth, and every imagi- 
 nation of the thoughts of his 
 heart was only evil coniinually." 
 Genesis, 6, 5. Jobl4, 4. "Who 
 can bring a clean thing out an 
 unclean? Not one." Ps. 51,5. 
 " Behold I was shapen in iniqui- 
 ty, and in sin did my mother 
 concieve me." 
 
 Dr. Beecher states the views 
 of the reformers and of the New 
 England churches, on the sub- 
 ject of original sin, as formerly 
 
 moral character, they deserve 
 neither praise nor blame, neither 
 life nor death, at the hand of 
 God. God might annihilate 
 them without injustice, or he 
 may bestow upon them eternal 
 life, as a free and unearned gift. 
 The other system maintains 
 that infants have a sinful nature 
 which they have inherited from 
 Adam." Sermons. 
 
 New School. 
 Depravity. 
 " All sin consists in voluntary 
 acts, no innate, inherent. or de- 
 rived corruption in human na- 
 ture. 
 
 " In order to admit the sinful- 
 ness of nature, we must believe 
 sin to consist in the substance 
 of the constitution, instead of 
 voluntary action, which is im- 
 possible." Sermons, (p. 158) 
 Finney. 
 
 " Holiness, or sin, which is 
 its opposite, has a direct and 
 immediate reference to those 
 voluntary acts and exercises, 
 
 ; which the law is designed to 
 
 I secure or prevent." Duffield 
 
 1 on Regeneration. 
 
 i , Finney says : " All depravity 
 is voluntary, consisting in vol- 
 
 I untary transgression. It is the 
 sinner's own act ; something of 
 
 I his own creation. That over 
 which he has a perfect control, 
 and for which he is entirely re- 
 
 h sponsible." Sermons. 
 
 i " A depraved nature can no 
 more exist without voluntary 
 agency and accountability, than 
 a material nature can exist 
 without solidity and extension." 
 Beecher. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 29-7 
 
 consisting in the imputation of 
 Adam's sin, and a depraved na- 
 ture transmitted by descent, 
 but it is changed, and now is 
 wholly voluntary, and consists 
 in a transgression of the law.^' 
 Spirit of the Pilgrims, 1828. 
 
 '' From this original corrup- 
 tion, whereby we are utterly in- 
 disposed, disabled, and made 
 opposite to all good, and wholly 
 inclined to all evil, do proceed 
 all actual transgressions /" Con- 
 fession of Faith. " The carnal 
 mind is enmity against God, and 
 is not subject to the law of God, 
 neither indeed can be." Ro- 
 mans. " The natural man dis- 
 cerneth not the things of the 
 spirit of God." Romans. "For 
 I know that in me (that is, in 
 my flesh) dwelleth no good 
 ihing." Romans, 7, 18, &c. 
 " And were by nature the child- 
 ren of wrath, even as others." 
 Ephesians, 2, 3. 
 
 "Now, if I do that I would 
 not, it is no more I that do it, 
 but sin that dwelleth in me." 
 Romans. 
 
 " If therefore," says Dw 
 Beecher, "^man is depraved by 
 nature, it is a voluntary and ac- 
 countable nature, which is de- 
 praved, exercised in disobedi- 
 ence to the law of God. Na- 
 tive depravity, then, is a state 
 of the affections, in a voluntary 
 accountable creature." Ser- 
 mon on the Native Character of 
 Man. 
 
 "When Adam was first 
 created and awoke into being, 
 before he had obeyed or dis- 
 obeyed his Maker, he could 
 have had no moral character at 
 all ; he had exercised no affec- 
 tions, no desires, nor put forth 
 any actions." Sermons, p. 10, 
 11, Finney. 
 
 Dr. Lansing on Regeneration, 
 says: "nothing more is neces- 
 sary for God to do for you, than 
 to make you willing, and hence 
 your voluntary opposition to 
 him is the only obstacle to your 
 salvation." 
 
 Barnes, with approbation, 
 gives the following as the mean- 
 ing of the Confession of Faith, 
 and its framers, a very false 
 construction. " They affirm 
 that the difficulty is in the ivill. 
 Nor do they mention any other 
 difficulty or obstacle in the way 
 of man's conversion ; evidently 
 implying that if the will were 
 j-ight, there were no other ob- 
 stacle" 
 
 " Duffield, after much appa- 
 rent search, adopts the same 
 theory, " that man's (disability) 
 difficulty, moral defect, 'consists 
 in acts and exercises,' or ' in 
 some deranged and inappropri- 
 ate exercises.' " 
 
298 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Again: ** VVe are infallibly 
 directed in nnaking our estimate 
 of human depravity, to have 
 exclusive regard to the acts and 
 exercises of the human soul." 
 Man's "depravity consists in 
 the misdirection and inappro- 
 priate exercise of his faculties, 
 not in wrong faculties inherit- 
 ed." Regeneration, p. 310, &c. 
 
 Finney teaches, in his sermon 
 on total depravity, " some per- 
 sons have spoken of depravity, 
 and of the pollution of our na- 
 ture, as if there were son>e 
 moral ■depravity cleaving to or 
 ivfcorporated with,\\\& very sub- 
 stance of our being. Now this 
 is to talk utter nonsense. If 
 such a depravity were possible, 
 it would not be moral, but phy- 
 sical depravitv. It could not 
 be a depravity for which we 
 are blameworthy. It could not 
 be a sinful depravity. It would 
 be a disease and not a crime. 
 Moral depravity is a quality of 
 voluntary/ action. It is not 
 meant that there are appetites 
 or propensities that are consti- 
 tutional, which are enmity 
 against God. I do not mean 
 that there is some constitutional 
 depravity which lies back, and 
 is the cause of actual transgres- 
 sion. By total depravity, I do 
 not mean that there is any sin 
 in human beings, or in any 
 other beings, separate from ac- 
 tual transgression." 
 
 Dr. Lansing says, "that all 
 sin consists in the voluntary ex- 
 ercises of the sinning agent." 
 Sermon on Inability. 
 
 Barnes says, "all sin con- 
 sists in voluntary action." Ser- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 209 
 
 Old Divinity — Confession and 
 
 Catechisms. 
 
 Man's Inability, 
 
 Conlession ot Faith, chap. ix. 
 sec. 3. " Man. by his fall into 
 a state of sin, hath wholly lost 
 all ability of will to any spirit- 
 ual good, accompanying salva- 
 tion, so as a natural naan, being 
 altogether averse from that 
 which is good, and dead in sin, 
 is not able, by his own strength, 
 to convert himself, or to pre- 
 pare himself, thereunto." 
 
 " The sinfulness of that state 
 whereinto man fell, consists . 
 . . in the corruption 
 of his nature, whereby he is 
 utterly disabled, and made op- 
 posite to all that is spiritually 
 good." Lar. Cat., question 26. 
 
 "Can the Ethlopean change 
 his skin, or the leopard his spots 1 
 Then may ye also do good that 
 are accustomed to do evil." Je- 
 remiah xiii, 23. 
 
 "No man can come to me, 
 except the Father who hath sent 
 me, draw him." John vi, 44. 
 
 "The carnal mind is not sub- 
 
 mon on Salvation. In his note 
 upon Romans., chapter viii, 7ih 
 ver«e — ■'•* The carnal mind is 
 enmity against God" — he says: 
 ." It does not mf an the mind it- 
 self the intellect or the will ; it 
 does not suppose that the mind 
 or soul is physically depraved, 
 or opposed to God, but it means 
 that the minding of the things of 
 the fleshy giving to them supreme 
 attention, is hostility to God." 
 
 " The heart is deceitful above 
 all things, and desperately 
 wicked."" Jeremiah, xvii, 9. 
 
 New School. 
 Man's entire ability, ^t. 
 
 Dr. Beecher's Views in The- 
 ology, pp. 30, 31. "That man 
 possesses, since the fall, the 
 powers of agency requisite to 
 obligation, on the ground of the 
 possibility of obedience, is a mat- 
 ter of notoriety. Not one of the 
 powers of mind, which consti- 
 tuted ability before the fall, has 
 been obliterated by that event. 
 All that has ever been conceived, 
 or that can now be conceived, as 
 entering into the constitution of 
 a free agent, capable of choosing 
 life or death, or which did exist 
 in Adam, when he could and did 
 obev, yet mutable, survived the 
 fall." 
 
 Page 47. " This doctrine, of 
 the natural ability of choice 
 commensurate loith obligation, 
 has been, and is, the received 
 doctrine of the universal ortho- 
 dox church, from the primitive 
 age down to this day." 
 
 Duifield on Regeneration, p. 
 542. '• Not much less deluding 
 are the system and tactics of 
 
300 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 ject to the law of God — neither, 
 indeed, can be." " Without me, 
 ye can do nothing." Johnv, 4, 5. 
 
 " The natural m.an discernelh 
 not the things of the spirit of 
 God, neither can he know them, 
 because they are spiritually dis- 
 cerned." 1 Cor. ii, 14. 
 
 '* The flesh lusteth against the 
 spirit, and the spirit against the 
 flesh ; so that ye cannot do the 
 things thai ye would." 
 
 Old Divinity. 
 Regeneration. 
 "Except a man be born 
 again, he cannot see the king- 
 dom of God." John iii, 3. 
 " A new heart will I give you, 
 
 those, who, fearing to invade 
 the province of the spirit, are 
 careful to remind the sinner, 
 that he is utterly unable, by his 
 own unassisted powers, either to 
 believe or to repent, to the sav- 
 ing of his soul. It might as truly 
 be said, that he cannot rise and 
 walk, by his own unassisted 
 powers." 
 
 Finney says, Sermons, &c., 
 pp. 18, 37, 38: *' As God re- 
 quires men to make themselves 
 a new heart, on pain of eternal 
 death, it is the strongest possible 
 evidence, that they are able to 
 do it: to say he has command- 
 ed them to do it, without telling 
 them they are able, is consum- 
 mate trifling If the 
 
 sinner ever has a new heart, he 
 must obey the command of the 
 text, and makd it himself." 
 " Sinner ! instead of waiting and 
 praying for God to change your 
 heart, you should at once sum- 
 mon up your powers, put forth 
 the effort, and change the go- 
 verning preferences of your 
 mind." 
 
 Dr. Beecher, p. 67, (Views 
 in Theology,) defines natural 
 ability to be "the plenary pow- 
 ers of a free agent — the intel- 
 lectual and moral faculties 
 which God has given to man, 
 commensurate with his require- 
 ments.^' 
 
 New School. 
 Regeneration. 
 
 Mr. Finney says : " A change 
 of heart (regeneration) then, 
 consists in changing the con- 
 trolling preference of the mind, 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 301 
 
 and a new spirit will I put with- 
 in you." Ezekiel xxxvi, 26. 
 
 " Create in me a clean heart, 
 O God, and renew a right spirit 
 within me." Psalms li, 10. 
 
 *• Which were born, not of 
 blood, nor of the will of the fiesh, 
 nor of the will of man, but of 
 God." John i, 13. 
 
 " He saved us, by the wash- 
 ing of regeneration, and renew- 
 ing of the Holy Ghost." Titus 
 iii, 5. 
 
 " And you hath he quickened, 
 who were dead iti trespasses 
 and sins." Ephesians ii, 1. 
 
 "For we are his workman- 
 ship, created in Christ Jesus. 
 . . If any man be in Christ, 
 he is a new creature, old things 
 are passed away, and all things 
 are become new." See Confes- 
 sion of Faith, chap, x, sec. 1. 
 
 *' All those whom God hath 
 predestinated unto life, and tliose 
 only, he is pleased, in his ap- 
 pointed and accepted time, eflcc- 
 tually to call by his word and 
 spirit, out of that state of sin and 
 death, in which they are b}^ na- 
 ture, to grace and salvation, by 
 Jesus Christ; ealightening their 
 minds, spirituals and savingly, 
 to understand the things of God, 
 taking away their heart of stone 
 and giving unto them a heart of 
 flesh, renewing their wills, and 
 by his almighty power, deter- 
 mining them to that which is 
 good, and efFectually drawing 
 them to Jesus Christ, yet so as 
 they come most freely, being 
 made willing by his grace." 
 
 " This effectual call is of 
 God's free and special grace 
 alone; not from any thing at all 
 
 in regard to the end of pursuit. 
 The selfish heart is a preference 
 of self interest to the glory of 
 God, and the interests of his 
 kini2;dom. A new heart con- 
 sists in a preference of the 
 glory of God, and the interests 
 of his kingdom to one's own 
 
 happiness It is a 
 
 change in the choice of a su- 
 preme ruler. 
 
 Duffield says: "It is goino; 
 altogether beyond the analogy 
 in the case, to assert that there 
 is in regeneration, the injection, 
 infusion, implantation or crea- 
 tion, of a new principle of spir- 
 itual life." " Whenever the 
 spirit of God excites and se- 
 cures in the mind and heart of 
 man, those acts and emotions 
 which are appropriate to his 
 rational soul, {. e., when they 
 are directed to God, as his su- 
 preme good and ciiief ejid, he 
 is renewed, regenerated, born 
 again." As to the mode, hear 
 him: "Shall we suppose that 
 God cannot do with sinners, in 
 reference to himself, what one 
 man has done with another i* 
 that a physical elficiency is ne- 
 cessary, to make the sinngr 
 willing to confide in him, a.nd 
 repent of his rebellion ? To 
 suppose this is, in fact, to at- 
 tribute a moral influence to a 
 man more potent than that 
 which, in such a case, it would 
 be requisite God should exert. It 
 would be in effect, to say, that 
 man can subdue his foe, and by 
 an appropriate moral influence 
 convert him into a friend : but 
 that God cannot convert his 
 enemy and bring him to believe, 
 
302 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VI\DICATED. 
 
 foreseen in tnan, who is alto- 
 gether passive therein, until, be- 
 ing quickened and renewed by 
 the Holy Spirit, he is thereby 
 enabled to answer this call, and 
 to embrace the grace oll'cred 
 and conveyed in it." 
 
 The language of the New 
 Testament, its figures and de- 
 scriptions, all iin[)ly and rc]ire- 
 scnl a change of nature, such as 
 l)cing born again, becoming new 
 <;realurcs, rising from the dear!, 
 beinsT renewed in the spirit ol 
 the mind, dymg to sin and livmg 
 to righteousness, putting off the 
 old man, and putting on the new 
 man, being irigralieJ nitoa new 
 st(K:l<, having a divine seed im- 
 planted in the heart, being made 
 partakers of the divine nature. 
 
 " Who is altogether passive 
 therein" — passive in the work 
 — passive in the act of regene- 
 ration. 
 
 Old School Pivimtv. 
 Rer.nnrdial'wn — Re dcmplion — 
 
 Satisfaction of Christ — Swm- 
 
 med up in Jltnndmtml. 
 
 Romans, v, 19. "For as by 
 one man's disob«dience, many 
 were made sinners, so by the 
 ob'edlence of one, shall many he 
 made righteous." 
 
 Hebrevvs, ix, M. "How 
 much more shall the blood of 
 Christ, who, through the eternal 
 spirit, offered himself without 
 spot to God, purge your con- 
 science from dead works, to 
 serve the living God." 
 
 Romans, iii, 2h, 20. " Whom 
 , God hath set forth, to be a pro- 
 pitiation, throu;,'h faith in his 
 blood, to declare his rightcous- 
 
 except he puts forth his physical 
 power, and literally creates him 
 over again." pp., 492, 493. 
 " Motives, moral suasion, pro- 
 duces the change." 
 
 Mr. Fintiey says; "The 
 spirit pours the expostulation 
 hoine with such power, that the 
 sinner turns." . . " Now, in 
 speaking of this change, it is 
 perfectly |)roper to say, that the 
 spirit turned him, just as you 
 would say of a man who iiarl 
 f)ersuaded another to change 
 his mind on the subject of poli- 
 tics; that he had converted fiim 
 and brought him over. Some 
 have douf)ted this, and supp(;sed 
 that it is e(]uivalent to denying 
 the s|)irit's agency, altogelfier, 
 to maintain that he converts 
 sinners by motives." Sermons, 
 pp., 21^27, 28, 30, &c. 
 
 New School Divjmtv. 
 ]. C/irist vol the Icij^al suhstiute 
 of siiinnrs. 2. Did riot en- 
 dure, the. pp.n(dty of the lair 
 in their behalf, 'i. Did not. 
 pay the debt of his people. 
 The fi)llowing extracts from 
 Dr. neman's Qilfrmons on the 
 Atonement, and from others on 
 kindred topics, will exhibit 
 clearly the false notions of New 
 School men, on this sulijecl. 
 
 " The law can have no penal 
 demand, except against the of- 
 fender. With a substitute, it 
 has no concern ; and though a 
 thousand substitutes should die, 
 the law ill itself, considered and 
 left to its own natural operatio?i. 
 would have the same demand 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 303 
 
 ness for the remission of sins, 
 that are past, through the for- 
 bearance of God ; to declare, I 
 say, at this time, his righteous- 
 r.ess; that he might be just, and 
 the juslifier of him which be- 
 heveth in Jesus." 
 
 Hebrews, x, 14. " For by 
 one offering, he hath perfected 
 forever them that are sanctified." 
 
 1 Peter, iii, 18. " For Christ 
 also' hath once suffered for sins, 
 the just for the unjust, that he 
 might bring us to God, being put 
 to death in the fiesh, but quick- 
 ened by the spirit." 
 
 See Confession of Faith, chap, 
 viii, sec. 5. " The Lord Jesus 
 Christ, by his perfect obedience, 
 and sacrifice of himself, which 
 he, through the eternal spirit, 
 once offered up unto God, hath 
 fully satisfied the justice of his 
 father, and purchased not only 
 reconciliation, but an everlasting 
 inheritance in the kingdom of 
 heaven, for all those whom the 
 Father hath given unto him." 
 " For he hath made him who 
 knew no sin, to be made sin for 
 us, that we might be made the 
 righteousness of God in him." 
 
 We observe here, by way of 
 explanation, tha^ by Christ's en- 
 during the penalty of the law, is 
 not meant that he endured lite- 
 rally the same sufferings, either 
 in kind or in duration, which 
 would have been inflicted upon 
 the sinner, if a saviour had not 
 been provided. In a penalty, 
 some things are essential — 
 others incidental. It was es- 
 sential to the penalty, that 
 Christ should suffer a violent 
 and ignoininious death, but 
 
 upon the transgressor, which it 
 always had. This claim can 
 never be invalidated ; this penal 
 demand can never be extin- 
 guished." " Others," he says, 
 " contend that the real penalty 
 of the law was inflicted upon 
 Christ, and at the same time ac- 
 knowledge, that the suflerings 
 of Christ were not the same, in 
 nature or degree, as those sul- 
 ferings which were threatened 
 against the transgressor. The 
 words of our text are considered 
 by many, as furnishing unequiv- 
 ocal testimony to the fact, that 
 Christ endured the penalty of 
 the law, in the room of his peo- 
 ple. ' Christ hath redeemed us 
 from the curse of the law, beine: 
 made a curse for us.' The 
 apostle tells us in what sense he 
 was made a curse for ns. 
 'Cursed is every one that hang- 
 eth on a tree.' Believers are 
 saved from the curse or penalty 
 of the law, by the consideration 
 that Christ was made a curse 
 for them, in another and verv 
 different sense. He was made 
 a curse, inasmuch as he suffered, 
 in order to open' the door of 
 hope to man, the pains and ig- 
 nomy of crucifixion; he hung 
 upon a tree! he died as one ac- 
 cursed." 
 
 He adds afterwards, " If it 
 should be said, that the divine 
 veracity was pledged to execute 
 the law, we reply, that the di- 
 vine veracity can find no sup- 
 port in that kind of infliction of 
 the curse, which is here sup- 
 posed. A substantial execution 
 of the law, an endurance of the 
 penalty, so far as the nature of 
 
304 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 whether he should die by decap- 
 itation, or by crucifixion, was 
 incidental. It was essential that 
 he should sufFer for our sins, but 
 ii(;w long his suffevings should 
 continue, was incidental. If in- 
 flicted upon us, they must ne- 
 cessarily be eternal, because Sin 
 is an infinite evil, and finite be- 
 ings cannot endure the punish- 
 ment which is due to it, except 
 by an eternal duration. But 
 from the infinite dignity of 
 Chi-jst's character, the penal de- 
 mands of the law could be fully 
 answered by his suffering ever 
 so short a time. The imputa- 
 tion of our sins to Christ, does 
 not involve a transfer of moral 
 character, but only of legal re- 
 sponsibility. In being made sin 
 for us, Christ did not become 
 personally a sinner. What is 
 intended, then, by Christ's suf- 
 fering the penalty of the law as 
 our substitute is, that in law he 
 assumed our place, whereby he 
 fully satisfied divine justice, be- 
 irtgr made a curse for us." 
 Wood's Old and New Divinity, 
 pp. 91, 92. In support of these 
 passages, we might refer to an 
 impressive catalogue of wise 
 and holy men, of ages past, 
 holding these views, Bellamy, 
 Bates, Owen, Beza, Wither- 
 spoon, Edwards, Davies, Fin- 
 lev, and a long list of like char- 
 acter. 
 
 the case admitted or required, 
 an infliction of suffering, not 
 upon the transgressor, but upon 
 a surety, when the law had not 
 made the most distant allusion 
 to a surety, certainly has much 
 more the appearance of an eva- 
 sion, than execution, of the law. 
 As to imputation, he says, we do 
 den}^ that the sins of men, or of 
 any part of our race, were so 
 transferred to Christ, that they 
 became his sins, or were so 
 reckoned to him, that he sus- 
 tained their legal responsibili- 
 ties." Again," There is nothing 
 in the character of Christ's suf- 
 ferings, which can affect or 
 modify the penally of the law. 
 These sufferings were not legal. 
 They constituted no part of that 
 curse which was threatened 
 against the transgressor." pp. 
 64,65. "The penalty of the 
 law, strictly speaking, was not 
 inflicted at all ; for this penalty 
 in which was embodied the 
 principles of distributive justice, 
 required the death of the sinner, 
 and did not require the death of 
 Christ." 
 
 Dr. Beman says, p. 65 : "The 
 law or justice, that is, distribu- 
 tive justice, as expressed in the 
 law, has received no satisfaction 
 at all. The whole legal system 
 has been suspended, at least for 
 the present, in order to make 
 way for tlie operation of one of 
 a different character. In intro- 
 ducing this system of mercy, 
 which involves a suspension of 
 the penal curse, God has re- 
 quired a satisfaction to the prin- 
 ciples of genera] or public jus- 
 tice ; a satisfaction which will 
 
OLL» SCHOOL VliXDICATEDo 
 
 305 
 
 effectually secure all the good 
 to the universe, which is intend- 
 ed to be accomplished by the 
 penalty of the law, when inflict- 
 'ed, and at the same time, pre- 
 vent all that practical mischief 
 which would result from arrest- 
 ing the hand of punitive justice, 
 without the intervention of an 
 atonement." pp. 63, 66. This 
 general or public justice, he 
 says, "has no direct reference 
 to law, but embraces those 
 principles of virtue or benevo- 
 lence, by which we are bound 
 to govern our conduct, and by 
 which God himself governs the 
 universe. This atonement was 
 requked, that God might be just 
 or righteous, that is, that he 
 might do the thing which was 
 fit and proper, and best and 
 most expedient to be done, and 
 at the same time be at perfect 
 liberty to justify him which be- 
 lieveth in Jesus." " The necessi- 
 ty of this atonement," he says, 
 " will farther appear, if we con- 
 template the relations of this 
 doctrine with the rational uni- 
 verse. We may naturally sup- 
 pose it was the intention of 
 God, in saving sinners, to make 
 a grand impression on the uni- 
 verse." Observe in Dr. Be- 
 man's scheme, particularly, the 
 following expressions : " the pro- 
 visions of the law are entirely 
 set aside in our world ;" atone- 
 ment " has no direct reference 
 (o law," and yet "involves a 
 suspension of its legal curse; 
 "the law has no concern with 
 a substitute." In all that God 
 has done, "it was his intention 
 to make a grand impression 
 U 
 
306 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Old Divimty. 
 On Justification. 
 " Those whom God eflectu- 
 ally calleth, he also freely jusli- 
 lielh; not by infusing righteous- 
 ness into them, but by pardoning 
 their sins, and by accounting 
 and accepting their persons as 
 righteous; not for any thing 
 wrought in them, or done by 
 them, but for Christ's sake 
 alone ; not by imputing faith it- 
 self, the act of believing, or any 
 other evangelical obedience, to 
 them, as their righteousness, but 
 by imputing the obedience and 
 satisfaction of Christ unto ihem, 
 they receiving and resting on 
 him and his righteousness, by 
 faith, which faith they have not 
 of themselves, it is the gift of 
 God." Confession of Faith, chap, 
 xi, sec. 1. 
 
 Section 2. '« Faith, thus re- 
 ceiving and resting on Christ 
 and his righteousness, is the 
 alone instrument of justifica- 
 tion," &c. Section 3. " Christ, 
 by his obedience and death, did 
 fully discharge the debt of all 
 those that are thus justified, and 
 did make a proper, real, and full 
 satisfaction to his Father's jus- 
 lice, in tkeir behalf; vet inas- 
 
 upon the universe." .... 
 The death of Christ was not a 
 real, vicarious, atoning sacrifice, 
 but a mere exhibition or display 
 of what God might do for some 
 high state purposes; a brilliant 
 masquerade, to excite profound 
 and universal gaze ; an empty 
 parade, a splendid sham, deeply 
 to impress the universe, to sat- 
 isfy public justice. 
 
 New School. 
 On Justification. 
 Mr. Finney says: " GospeS 
 justification is not by the im- 
 puted righteousness of Christ. 
 Under the gospel, sinners are 
 not justified by having the obe- 
 dience of Jesus Christ set down 
 to their account, as if he had 
 obeyed the law for them, or in 
 their stead. It is not an uncom- 
 mon mistake, to suppose that 
 when sinners are justified under 
 the gospel, they are accounted 
 righteous in the eye of the law, 
 by Jiaving the obedience or 
 righteousness of Christ imputed 
 to them. I can only say, that 
 this idea is absurd and impossi- 
 ble, for the reason that Jesus 
 Christ was bound to obey the 
 law for himself, and could no 
 more perform works of supere- 
 rogation, or obey on our ac- 
 count, than any body else:" "this 
 would have been true, if Clirist 
 had been a human, finite, and 
 ordinarv being, but being divine 
 in his nature, as well as human, 
 and infinite in perfection, the ob- 
 jection here made, and usually 
 urged by Socinians, is of ni> 
 force." "Abraham's faith was 
 imputed to hira for righteous- 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 sol- 
 
 much as he was given by the 
 Father for them, and his obe- 
 dience and satisfaction accepted 
 in their stead, and both freely, 
 not for anything in them, their 
 justification is only of free grace; 
 that both the exact justice and 
 rich grace of God, might be 
 glorified in the justification of 
 sinners." 
 
 ness, and because it worked by 
 love, and therefore produced 
 hohness. Justifying faith is ho- 
 liness, so far as it goes, and pro- 
 duces holiness of heart and life, 
 and is imputed to the believer 
 as holiness, not instead of holi- 
 ness." Lectures, pp. 215, 216. 
 Mr. Barnes says, " the phrase 
 righteousness of God, is equiva- 
 lent to God's plan of justifying 
 man." On this he observes : '• It 
 is not that his righteousness be- 
 comes ours ; this is not true, 
 and there is no intelligible sense 
 in which that can be understood^ 
 But it is God's plan for pardon- 
 ing sin, and for treating us as if 
 we had not committed it." 
 Notes on the Romans, pp. 28, 
 29. At p. 94 : " Abraham be- 
 lieved God, and it was counted 
 unto him for righteousness;" he 
 observes : " the word ' it,' here, 
 evidently refers to the act of be- 
 lieving. It does not refer to the 
 righteousness of another, of Godj 
 or of the Messiah; but the dis- 
 cussion is solely of the strong 
 act of Abraham's faith, which in 
 some sense was counted to him 
 for righteousness. In what 
 sense this was, is explained di- 
 rectly after. All that is mate- 
 rial to remark here, is, that the 
 act of Abraham, the strong con- 
 fidence of his mind in the pro- 
 mises of God, his unwavering 
 assurance, that what God pro- 
 mised he would perform, was 
 reckoned for righteousness. The 
 same thing is more fully ex- 
 pressed, verses 18, 22. When, 
 therefore, it is said that the 
 righteousness of Christ is ac- 
 counted or imputed to us; when 
 
308 
 
 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 it is said that his merits are 
 transferred and reckoned as 
 ours ; whatever may be the 
 truth of the doctrine, it cannot 
 be defended by this passage of 
 scripture; faith is always an 
 act of the mind; God promises, 
 the man believes, and this is the 
 
 whole of it,' 
 
 . . Thus Mr. Barnes teaches 
 that the act of believing is im- 
 puted for righteousness ; the 
 Confession of Faith says, " not 
 by imputing faith itself, the act 
 of believing, or any other evan- 
 gelic obedience to them, as their 
 right eousness." The Confes- 
 sion of Faith adds, that we are 
 justified on principles of law and 
 justice, as well as of grace and 
 mercy, all harmoniously meet- 
 ing in the cross of Christ. Mr. 
 Barnes says, " It does not (Ro- 
 mans, i. 17) touch the question, 
 whether it is by imputed right- 
 eousness or not ; it does not say 
 that it is on legal principles." 
 p. 28. 
 
 We might easily, did our limits permit and the case require it 
 extend this exhibition of false theology or mutilated Scripture, in- 
 definitely, as New School publications are replete with repeated 
 and multiplied statements of this erroneous and enormous charac- 
 ter. Jf what is presented, is not sufficient to establish the charge 
 of heresy against the New School, a larger amount of quotations 
 from their printed works of a like nature, would also fail of this 
 object. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 309 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Remarks upon the eleventh chapter of Dr. Judd's Volume, p. 214, &c., 
 headed, " Our position — Duty — Prospects" — Substantial renunciation of 
 Presbyterianism. 
 
 The avowals and disclosures contained in this chapter, will 
 satisfy any intelligent and candid reader, of two facts : 
 
 First, that the reasons alleged by the Old School for the Ab- 
 rogation, were real and honest in themselves, and sufficient to 
 justify that act. 
 
 Second, that the same reasons now exist, in such form and 
 force, as to warrant the permanence of that separation or ex- 
 clusion. 
 
 I. To justify the Abrogation : They say, p. 215, " Our posi- 
 tion, in respect to doctrine, is between latitudinarianism and uni- 
 formity." They consider themselves, then, half-way men be- 
 tween truth and error, not strictly bound to either. Now, our 
 preceding illustrations show, that there never was a place for 
 such men, in the Presbyterian Church. They go on to say : 
 " We maintain, the Confession of Faith and catechisms, framed 
 and adopted by the Westminster Assembly, as containing the 
 system of doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures." This is, 
 when properly viewed, a rejection of the very Confession and 
 tatechistn which they are professing to receive. Did the As- 
 sembly of divines at Westminster, who framed and adopted this 
 Confession and Catechism, perform that act with reserves and 
 modifications? did they adopt and publish it as containing the 
 undefined System of doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures? 
 The term "system," is a latitudinarian, deceptive term, selected 
 and employed as an inlet to error. In this application, it is in- 
 tended to admit the idea of amplification or restriction, of en- 
 grafture or change, of invention or perversion, of multiplication 
 or deduction of items. No such modification, not the slightest 
 shade of such a thought or imagination, was conceived of, by 
 the framers of these standards of truth. And they who do not 
 receive and adopt these documents, these specific, smind words, 
 just as they were written and uttered at first, do not receive 
 them at all. They '•' maintain" something else, entirely diiier- 
 ent'; some vague and indefinite phase of thought or fancy, 
 which they secretly intend to originate and mature into a 
 shape, more or less, at pleasure, conformed to the Confession 
 and catechism, and then call it a system of doctrines taught by 
 the Westminster Assembly, and founded on the Holy Scrip- 
 tures. But who can tell what that system of doctrines now is, 
 
SlO OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 or may become ? Here is profound ambiguity and uncertainty. 
 This is no adoption at all. It is impossible to tell what such 
 pretended adopters intended. There is no distinct and positive 
 obligation arising out of it. Such adopters cannot be held to 
 any construction, which is not defined and understood. Hence, 
 Dr. Judd, speaking for the New School mass, proceeds to say : 
 " We believe that perfect uniformity, in reference to a system 
 so comprehensive, is not to be expected, and ougiit not to be 
 required. It must be so, or there will be almost endless strife 
 and divisions." This is enough to show that these men ought 
 never to have been connected with us. 
 
 On the subject of church order and discipline, to strengthen 
 this conviction, we single out but one point, and that in the fol- 
 lowing terms, p. 217 : "As regards the most eligible organiza- 
 tions for evangelizing our nation and the \v orld, om preferences 
 are generally in favour of that type of evangelism, which seeks 
 the attainment of its object by voluntary societies, composed of 
 members of various denominations." This is clear and candid, 
 but conclusive against themselves ; for nothing can be conceived 
 of, more preposterous than such a declaration coming from a 
 sworn Presbyterian minister. " Voluntary societies, composed 
 of members of various denominations !" This is voluntary and 
 perfect confusion. As an exemplification of it, we may state, 
 that in the greatest agitation that almost ever occurred in the 
 Presbyterian Church, and as the chief procuring cause of it. 
 Dr. Judd states this very predilection for voluntary societies. 
 In reference to the memorable Pittsburgh struggle of 1836, p. 
 101, he says : " The advocates for conducting all the benevolent 
 operations of the church, by boards under ecclesiastical super- 
 vision, increased in number, and their policy became more and 
 more exclusive and intolerant. Hence those who were, from 
 principle, in favour of voluntary societies, were laid under the 
 necessity of either abandoning their conscientious preferences, or 
 of defending them. A sense of duty constrained them to adopt 
 the latter course." Here they assert that they* were conscien- 
 tious in endeavouring to revolutionize the church. 
 
 The reflecting reader will observe, that the term voluntary, re- 
 pudiates all ecclesiastical supervision or control ; denies and re- 
 jects all responsibility to the church, is a complete substitution for 
 it. A society of this class is a mere secular or political engine, 
 self-constituted and self-governed. 
 
 On the contrary, the whole organization of the Presbyterian 
 Church is republican, and in its action, conducted upon represen- 
 tative principles. She has an admirable order of church judica- 
 tories, rising gradually in power and importance, from the ('hurch 
 Session to the General Assembly, embracing the intermediate 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 311 
 
 Presbytery and Synod. All these, are so connected and com- 
 bined, that under the direction of the Assembly, their united influ- 
 ence and zeal in any work of benevolence, in raising funds or in 
 distributing them, can be drawn to a point or diversified at pleas- 
 ure, by competent authority. 
 
 Here is perfect unity, harmony, concentration of strength and 
 unity of action in the whole church, in the prosecution of any ob- 
 ject of benevolence, church extension, diffusion of knowledge, or 
 of missions. And to accomplish these and other great ends, the 
 Presbyterian body have been laboriously engaged for more than 
 fifty years, in organizing and maturing into full vigor, an admira- 
 ble company of ecclesiastical boards, to act as her organs and 
 instruments in the accomplishment of her great and momentous 
 duties. 
 
 Here is then presented a striking and decisive antagonism in 
 church form and church action; voluntaryism against Presbyte- 
 rial organization ; the one a political or secular compact, without 
 any ecclesiastical feature, amenability or appeal ; the latter, the 
 creature of the churches, established by them, controlled by them, 
 supplied with the means of operation by them, accountable to 
 them for every measure they adopt, instructed in regard to the 
 objects t^ey are to pursue, furnished by the voice of the people, 
 or their representatives in the Assembly, with boards of missions, 
 of education, of publication, of church extension, as appropriate 
 and consecrated organs, to be employed in building up the church 
 and securing the great object of the Gospel. 
 
 Now, we appeal to the world and honestly ask, with what pro- 
 priety or color of excuse, these New School men could come into 
 our church, assume our common vows, without intending to re- 
 gard them, and insidiously and pertinaciously attempt to supplant 
 and demolish the whole organic structure of Presbyterianism, by 
 forcing upon us the voluntary principle or system, and mode of 
 action, diametrically opposed to that already existing there, and 
 then complain of us for maintaining our venerable church invio- 
 late, as arbitrary, ultra, bigoted, intolerant? Their system can 
 no more amalgamate with ours, than oil with water. The abro- 
 gation was, therefore, as Dr. Alexander says, absolutely indisperr- 
 sable to the peace and life of the church. And the true Presby- 
 terian orthodox body have reason to thank the committee of the 
 New School Synod, for declaring through their agent. Dr. Judd, 
 that their mind is still the same as before the exscision; 'Mhatthe\ 
 are in favor of voluntary societies!" We have no doubt of the 
 fact as stated. They are not, therefore, Presbyterians at all ; 
 they never had an honest and just standing in the Presbyterian 
 Church, on account of this as well as other reasons; and with 
 their principles unchanged, they never can have it, never ought 
 
312 OLD SCHOOL VI.VDICATKJD. 
 
 !o. Hence, our second observation is, that since ilie same obsta- 
 cles to union exist now as before the abrogation, and will proba- 
 bly continue to operate for ages to come, there is no prospect of 
 a harmonious and happy reunion of these parties. The New 
 School now publish to the world, most positively, their determi- 
 nation to persist in their former corrupt theology, decisive und 
 distracting policy. Barnes and others, are still publishing their 
 " false views, i|^every variety of form." Our principles, say they, 
 p. 221, "lay us under obligations to do all in our power to give 
 increased efficiency to voluntary societies, for the spread of the 
 gospel and the conversion of the world.*' After all this, they pro- 
 ceed to say : " We had no desire to interfere v^ith their prefer- 
 ences." But, was their opposition to the Assembly's plan, of 
 transferring the Western Foreign Missionary Society, no inter- 
 ference with their preferences'? How could they establish, as 
 they laboured for many years with their utmost povi'er to do, their 
 voluntary plan of action in our church, without interfering with 
 our ecclesiastical boards'? "Especially," they say, on the same 
 page, "should we hold fast and defend that feature of the volun- 
 tary principle, which unites the labours of Christians, of all de- 
 nominations." After this, it is amusing to hear Dr. J., pp. 218, 
 19, speaking of the " brethren of the New Basis, the mefuves of 
 the New Basis Assembly," &c. 
 
 Surely, the New School are well identified by their name, the 
 novelty of their opinions, the youthfulness of their voluntary crea- 
 tions. The orthodox. Old School church, which has existed here, 
 jUst as they are now, in principle and form, about, one hundred 
 years, have now become JVew Basis men, a jYew Basis Assembly ! 
 
 Can any thing be imagined, more repulsive, than compromise 
 or re- union with the New School body, while they make no re- 
 nunciation of their false doctrines, and declaring their fixed pur- 
 pose •' to do all in their power to give increased efficiency to vol- 
 untary societies?''^ Such a re-union would secure to the Presby- 
 terian Church perpetual, internal strife, and speedily, either vio- 
 lent separation or complete extinction. 
 
 Dr. Judd desires to prove that the exscision, as he calls it, was 
 produced by the operation or influence of these voluntary socie- 
 ties. Extending the idea of these societies a little, so as to com- 
 prehend the fact, that they were the principal organs or channels 
 through which their corrupt theology was propagated, and their 
 church-distracting operations carried on, and it is true. The ortho- 
 dox have avowed, hundreds of times, that the Presbyterian Church 
 could not exist, maintain its integrity, and attain the end of its 
 being, if these societies were permitted to continue and operate 
 within our bounds. The reason is perfectly obvious. The vol- 
 untary societies act capriciously^ without church connexion or 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 813 
 
 authority; are composed of heterogeneous materiaJs, thrown pro- 
 n^iscuously together, without regard to any standard or model, 
 qualification or rule. The Presbyterian Church observes a per- 
 fectly defined and ascertained law; is founded upon and sus- 
 tained by the sovereign authority and will of the people. They 
 framed the system in all its detail and symmetry; they speak and 
 act through it by a well digested pro rata representation in every 
 measure; they must be appealed to and consulted for their ap- 
 proval and ratification, when any thing new is attempted, or old 
 found defective. Unity, in organization and action, was the car- 
 dinal principle or feature, aimed at in the Presbyterian Church ; 
 she laboured to get clear and keep clear, of all heterogeneous mix- 
 tures; to maintain their own organic system unimpaired, by the 
 intestine or aggressive influence of strangers, who know us not, 
 and whose hearts were far away, set upon systems and objects 
 diametrically opposed to ours. 
 
 Why, then, need Dr. Judd, or any body else, say, " hostility to 
 voluntary societies, and a desire to rule the church, were the chief 
 causes of the" abrogating or exscinding acts? If the orthodox 
 were honest and sincere, how could it be otherwise? There was, 
 in reality, previously no union; neither could there be, among 
 elements so discordant. They were, while nominally connected, 
 truly separated. At every public meeting, especially of the As- 
 sembly, the line of demarcation was distinctly drawn, as between 
 conflicting armies. These exhibitions had become the scorn and 
 derision of the world. Nothing was needed to break the rope o{ 
 sand which attached these parties together, but a mere declara- 
 tion. That declaration was uttered by the Assembly of 1837. It 
 is called by many hard names; but it was a peace measure, in- 
 tended to terminate strife. The New School had been separating 
 themselves more and more, for many years, from the true church. 
 The Presbyterian body, after waiting, sufl^ering, entreating, all 
 ineftectually, at last resolved to let the New School go, to take a 
 position where they had long been expect^ to place themselves, 
 aside from the Presbyterian body, with which they possessed no 
 real sympathy, or desire to be amalgamated. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Brief Summary — Conclusion. 
 
 The measures adopted by the General Assembly for the purifi- 
 cation and safety of the church, were not presented at all as pu- 
 
314 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 iiitive or disciplinary. This will appear from the fact that no 
 charge was tabled, and all thought of crinninal process, or citation 
 to answer, was formally abandoned, as the minutes of the Assem- 
 bly prove. Even Mr. Barnes himself attests, that " not one of their 
 number was accused or tried.* Sermon. . 
 
 The following questions are proposed and affirmatively an- 
 swered, especially at the ordination of gospel ministers, viz: 
 
 I. " Do you sincerely receioe and adopt the Confession of Faith 
 of this Church, as containing the system of doctrines taught in the 
 Holy Scriptures ?" 
 
 II. "Do you approve of the government and discipline of the 
 Presbyterian Church in these United Slates 1" 
 
 III. " Do you promise subjection to your brethren in the Lord ?" 
 
 IV. "Do you promise to be zealous and faithful in maintaining 
 the truths of the gospel, and the purity and peace of the church, 
 whatever persecutiorj or opposition may arise unto you, on that 
 account?" 
 
 This soleinn contract with, and pledge to, the church, in heaven 
 and upon earth, is publicly made before many witnesses — to re- 
 ceive and adopt lh§ Confession of Fafth as it stands, to support 
 the government of the Presbyterian Church as it is, to be zealous 
 and faithful in maintaining the truths of the gospel, the puiiti/ 
 and peace of the church, whatever may oppose, and that under 
 the guidance of the assumed standards and control of the breth- 
 ren. Now, the simple inquiry is, have the New School men 
 been true and faithful to their promises? On the Contrary, have 
 they not habitually warred against every interest they covenanted 
 to support? Remonstrances and entreaties, multiplied upon them, 
 to check their violence, have only increased it. The church had 
 a right to expect in them friends and auxiliaries, but she has 
 found them to be inveterate and implacable opposers. All the 
 talents and industry, and art and power, at their disposal, have 
 been employed against her. They bound themselves to maintain 
 the purity and peace Of the church, but, through all her bounds, 
 they have created a disgusting scene of strife and confusion. 
 Combinations and conspiracies against our church, schemes of 
 change and subversion, exhibitions of disaffection and hostility to 
 our standards and ecclesiastical order, have been for many years 
 a constant and affecting spectacle throughout the land, causing 
 the ways of Zion to mourn, and her friends to wear sackcloth 
 and weep. While we mourn over all the injuries inflicted upon 
 the church, and feel that we may justly exclaim, in reference to 
 most of the prime truths of the gospel, with Mary Magdalene, to 
 
 * Strictly speakinjs, there had been a few attempts to try unsound min- 
 isters, but the state of the church prevented their conviction. Barnes, Duf- 
 field, and Bee ;her, are the men here referred to. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 315 
 
 Peter and the other disciple in relation to the body of Jesus, 
 "They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we 
 know not where they have laid him," we offer neither crinnination 
 nor revenge, but refer them, for the settlement of their accounts, 
 to the just decisions of an indignant world and offended God. 
 
 Now, if any man asks the members of the orthodox body, why 
 they declared the four Synods no longer belonging to the Presby- 
 terian Church, and virtually excluded them from our communion, 
 we answer, in a brief recapitulation : 
 
 I. Because, as has been proved in the preceding sheets, they 
 came into our body on the Plan of Union of 1801, and so stood 
 upon a foundation which was unconstitutional in its nature, in- 
 consistent and irreconcilable with the elementary principles, real 
 spirit, and true letter of our plan of ecclesiastical organization 
 and government. The Assembly of 1837, did, therefore, after 
 long and solemn consideration, abrogate and expunge that un- 
 con^litulional Plan of Union, on which these Synods were stand- 
 ing, and, of course, their connexion with the orthodox body ceased. 
 
 II. The Assembly of 1837 were induced to pass this act of ab- 
 rogation, by the fact, which we have most abundantly shown in 
 the preceding pages, that from the Plan of Union, multitudes of 
 derangements and confusions, injurious to the peace and pros- 
 perity of the church, inundated the new settlements, and gradu^ 
 ally spread over the whole land, introducing disorder, and threat- 
 enini? entire dissolution to the church, under circunjstances too 
 flagrant to be any longer tolerated. The alternative was then 
 strongly presented, either to abandon the church to her foes, 
 which was seriously contemplated by some of her best members, 
 or to deliver her from her sufferings and apprehensions, by cut- 
 ting off" her intestine destroyers. The most lawful and constitu- 
 tional, most harmonious and feasible process for accomplishing 
 this object, was reluctantly embraced, as a last resort, to redeem 
 the church, by the discharge of a high and solemn duty to God. 
 to his people and their posterity, in exscinding the offending 
 members. 
 
 III. The third great cause of this decision, and ground of its 
 vindication, was the fact, that the New School having formed a 
 plan to revolutionize the church, had passed such acts, formed 
 such combinations, pursued such a system of action, had so far 
 multiplied their numbers and means, had so greatly augmented, 
 ramified, and strengthened their corrupting influences, by virtue 
 of their overgrown and dangerous power, that the friends of Zion 
 clearly saw her imminent peril,^ and the abrogation as her only 
 remedy. From overt acts com-mitted in her public assemblies, 
 and numerous developments constructive and confirmatory ac- 
 companying, it became evident that her members, her resources. 
 
316 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 her boards, her juJicatories, her formularies, her whole character, 
 substance, policy, and destiny* were marked out by the invading 
 foe as objects of their arbitrary control or sweeping ra'paciiy. In 
 such circumstances, presented in full detail, with appropriate evi- 
 dence, in what precedes, their course of action was distinctly 
 drawn, and a voice from heaven seemed to say to the uncontam- 
 inated, though oppressed church of Jesus, "this is the way — walk 
 ye in it !" 
 
 IV. The fowth and principal ground upon which we vindicate 
 the great relief measure of 1837, is the introduction, by the New 
 School, of false doctrines upon almost every cardinal point of 
 Christianity. 
 
 For the evidence of this statement, we refer ihe inquirer to the 
 contrast in the pages preceding. The statement is brief, and from 
 it there is no appeal. The adversaries of our church and of God's 
 truth, have unblushingly published their obliquity and iheir shame, 
 to the whole world. We take their own record, and place it in 
 contrast with our Confession of Faith. It there stands, as a per- 
 petual monument of their unsoundness in the faith. This is enough I 
 
 It could not rationally be expected, that such a company of 
 men as compose the orthodox body in the Presbyterian Church, 
 realizing their sacred obligations and responsibility, with adequate 
 power in their hands, should or would stand idly by and see the 
 enemy sowing tares, broadcast, in every field, without an effort 
 to expel thejpn, and preserve the soil pure^ lo receive from their 
 own hands, or those of their successors, the uncorrupted seed of 
 God's word. 
 
 The decisive 7-eUef measure, of the General Assembly of 1837, 
 is written in prominent and ineraseable letters, and commences a 
 new era in the history of the Presbyterian Church, in these United 
 States. The substance of this record will be recited by children 
 and youth of coming generations; saints of both sexes and of all 
 ages, will celebrate that act with triumph, as an escape for the 
 church from bondage and oppression, worse than Egyplain ; it 
 will be "said and sung" by sacred bards, rehearsed by poets and 
 orators, in strains more thrilling than those which celebrate the 
 emancipation of the mother church in Scotland, and published by 
 history and by fame to an admiring world, till the end of time. 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 317 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Chief Justice Gibson delivered the following opinion of the 
 court: 
 
 To extricate the question from the multifarious mass of irrele- 
 vant matter in which it is enclosed, we must, in the first place, 
 ascertain the specific character of the General Assembly, and the 
 lelation it bears to the corporation, which is the immediate sub- 
 ject of our cognizance. This Assembly has been called a quasi 
 corporation, of which it has not a feature. A quasi corporation 
 has capacity to sue and be sued, as an artificial person, whi<^h 
 the Assembly has not. It is also established by law, which the 
 Assembly is not. Neither is the Assembly a particular order, or 
 rank, in the corporation, though the latter was created for its con- 
 venience; such, for instance, as the shareholflers of a bank, or 
 joint stock company, who are an integrant part of the body- It 
 is a segregated association, which, though it is the reproductive 
 organ of corporate succession, is not itself a member of the body, 
 and in that respect, it is anomalous. Having no corporate quah- 
 ty in itself, it is not a subject of our corrective jurisdiction, or of 
 our scrutiny, farther than to ascertain its organic structure, may 
 bear on the question of its personal identity or individuality. By 
 the charter of the corporation, of which it is the handmaid and 
 nurse, it has a limited capacity to create vacancies in it, and an 
 unlimited power over the power and manner of choice in filling 
 them. It would be sufficient for the civil tribunals, therefore, 
 that the assembled commissioners had constituted an actual body, 
 and that it had made its appointment in its own way, without re- 
 gard to its fairness, in respect to its members; with this limita- 
 tion, however, that it had the assent of the constitutional majori- 
 ty, of which the official act of authentication would be, at least, 
 prima facie evidence. It would be to the legality of the choice, 
 that the majority had expelled the minority, provided a majority 
 of the whole body concurred in the choice. This may be safely 
 predicated of an undivided Assembly, and it would be an uner- 
 ring test in the case of a division, could a quorum not be consti- 
 tuted of less than such a majority; but unfortunately, a quorum 
 of the General Assembly may be constituted of a very small mi- 
 nority, so that two, or even more distinct parts, may have all the 
 external organs of legitimate existence. Hence, where, as in this 
 instance, the members have formed themselves into separate 
 bodies, numerically sufficient for corporate capacity and organic 
 action, it becomes necessary to ascertain how far either of them 
 was formed, in obedience to the conventional law of the associa- 
 tion, which for that purpose only, is to be treated as a rule of civil 
 
318 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 obligatioii. The division which for purposes of designation, it is 
 convenient to call the Old School party, was certainly organized 
 in obedience to the established order; and, to legitimate the sepa- 
 rate organization of its rival in contravention, as it certainly was, 
 of every thing like precedent, would require the presentation of a 
 very urgent emergency. At the stated time and place for the 
 opening of the session, the parties assembled without any ostensi- 
 ble division ; and when the organization of the whole had pro- 
 ceeded to a certain point, by the instrumentality of the moderator 
 of the preceding session, who, for that purpose, was the constitu- 
 tional organ, a provisional moderator was suddenly chosen, by a 
 minority ot those who could be entitled to vote, including the ex- 
 scinded commissioners. The question on the motion to elect was 
 put, not by the chair, but by the mover himself; after which the 
 receding party elected a permanent moderator and immediately 
 withdrew, leaving* the other party to finish its process of organi- 
 zation, by the choice of its moderator for the session. 
 
 In justification of this apparent irregularity, it is urged that the 
 constitutional moderator had refused an appeal to the commis- 
 sioners in attendance, from his decision, which had excluded 
 Irom the roll the names of certain commissioners, who had been 
 unconstitutionally severed, as it is alleged, from the Presbyterian 
 • connexion, by a vote of the preceding session. It is conceded by 
 the argument, that if the Synods, with the dependent Presbyteries 
 by which those commissioners were sent, had been constitution- 
 ally dissolved, the motion was one which the moderator was not 
 bound to put, or the commissioners to notice; and that whatever 
 implication of assent to the decision which ensued, might other- 
 wise be deduced from the silence of those who refused to speak 
 out, about which, it will be necessary to say something in the se- 
 (}uel, there was no room for any such implication in the particu- 
 lar instance. It would follow also, that there was no pretence 
 for the deposal of the moderator, if indeed such a thing could be 
 legitimated by any circumstances, for refusing an appeal from his 
 exclusion of those who had not color of title, and consequently, 
 that what else might be reform, would be revolution. And this 
 leads to an inquiry into the constitutionality of the act of exscision. 
 
 The sentence of exscision, as it has been called, was nothing 
 else than an ordinance of dissolution. It bore, that the Synods in 
 question, having been formed and attached to the body of the 
 Presbyterian Church, under and in execution of the Plan of 
 Union, be^ and are hereby declared to be, out of the connexion of 
 the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America ; and 
 ihat they are not, in form or in fact, an integral portion of said 
 church. Now, "it will not be said, that if the dissolved Synods 
 had no other basis than the Plan of Union, they did not necessa-^ 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 31^ 
 
 rily fall along with it, and*lt is not pretended that the Assembly ' 
 was incompetent to repeal the union prospectively, but it is con- 
 tended that the repeal could not impair right^of membership 
 which had grown up under it. On the other hand, it is contended, 
 that the Plan of Union was unconstitutional and void from the 
 beginning, because it was not submitted to the Presbyteries for 
 their sanction; and that no right of membership could spring 
 from it. But, viewed not as a constitutional regulation, which 
 implies permanency of duration, but as a temporary expedient, it 
 acquired the force of a law without the ratification of those bo- 
 dies. It was evidently not intended to be permanent, and it, con- 
 sequently, was constitutionally enacted and constitutionally re- 
 pealed by an ordinary act of legislation ; and those Synods which 
 had their root in it, could not be expected to survive it. There 
 never was a design to attempt an amalgamation of ecclesiastical 
 principles, which are as immiscible as water and oil; much less 
 to effect a commixture of them, only at particular geographical 
 points. Such an attempt would have compromised a principle 
 at the very root of Presbyterial government, which requires that 
 the officers of the church be set apart by special ordination for 
 the work. Now, the character of the Plan is palpable, not only 
 in its title and provisions, but in the minute of its introduction into 
 the Assembly. We find in the proceedings of 1801, p. 256, that 
 a committee was raised to "consider and digest a plan of go- 
 vernment for the churches in the New Settlements, agreeably to 
 the proposal of the General Association of Connecticut," an€l that 
 the plan adopted in conformity to its report, is called " A Plan of 
 Union for the New Settlements." The avowed object of it was 
 to prevent alienation, in other words, the affiliation of Presbyte- 
 rians in other churches, by suffering those who were yet too few 
 and too poor for the maintenance of a minister, temporarily to 
 call to their assistance, the members of a sect who differed from 
 them, in principles, not of faith, but of ecclesiastical government. 
 To that end, Presbyterians were suffered to preach to Congrega- 
 tional Churches, while Presbyterian Churches were suffered to 
 settle Congregational ministers; and mixed congregations were 
 allowed to settle a Presbyterian or Congregational minister, at 
 . their election, but under a plan of government and discipline 
 adapted to the circumstances. Surely this was not intended to 
 outlast the inability of the respective sects to provide separately 
 for themselves, or to perpetuate the innovations on Presbyterial 
 government, which it was calculated to produce. It was ob- 
 viously a missionary arrangement from the first; and those who 
 built up Presbyteries and Synods on the basis of if, had no reason 
 to expect that their structure would survive it, or that Congrega- 
 tionalists might, by force of it, gain a foothold in the Presbyterian 
 
320 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 Church, despite of Presbyterial discipline. They embraced it 
 with all its defeasable properties plainly put before them, and the 
 power which •bnstiiuted it^ might fairly repeal it, and dissolve 
 the bodies that had grown out of it, whenever the good of the 
 church should seem to require it. 
 
 Could the Synods, however, be dissolved by a legislative act? 
 J know not hVjw they could have been legitimately dissolved by 
 any other. The Assembly is a homogeneous body, uniting in it- 
 self, without separation of parts, the legislative, executive, and 
 judicial functions of the government; and its acts are referable to 
 ihe one or the other of them, according to the capacity in which 
 it sat when they were performed. Now, had the exscinded Sy- 
 nods been cut off by a judicial sentence without hearing or notice, 
 tlie act would have been contrary to the cardinal principles of 
 natural justice, and consequently void. But though it was at first 
 resolved to proceed judicially, the measure was abandoned, prob- 
 ably because it came to be perceived that the Synods had com- 
 mitted no offence. 
 
 A glance at the Plan of Union is enough to convince us that 
 the disorder had come in with the sanction of the Assembly itself. 
 The first article directed missionaries, (ihe word is significant) to 
 the New Settlements, to promote a good understanding betwixt 
 the kindred sects. The second and third permitted a Presbyterian 
 congregation to settle a Congregational minister, ar a Presbyterian 
 minister to be settled by a Congregational Church; but these pro- 
 vide^ for no recognition of the people in charge as a part of the Pres- 
 byterian body — at least they gave them no representation in its go- 
 vernment. But the fourth allowed a mixed congregation to settle a 
 minister of either denomination, and committed the government of 
 it to a standing committee, but with a right to appeal to the body of 
 male communicants, if the appellant were a Congregationalist, or 
 to the Presbytery, if he were a Presbyterian. Now, it is evident, 
 that the Assembly designed that every such congregation should 
 belong to a Presbytery, as an integrant part of it, for if its minis- 
 ter were a Congregationalist, in no way connected with the Pres- 
 byterian Church, it would be impossible to refer the appellate 
 jurisdiction to any Presbytery in particular. This alone would 
 show, that it was designed to place such a congregation in eccle- 
 siastical connexion with the Presbytery of the district ; but this is 
 not all. It was expressly provided, in conclusion, that if the said 
 standing committee of any church shall depute one of themselves 
 to attend the Presbytery, he may have the same right " to sit and 
 act in the Presbytery, as a ruling elder in the Presbyterian 
 Church." For what purpoge, if the congregation were not in 
 Presbyterial fellowship? 
 
 It is said, that this jus representationis was predicated of the 
 
OLD SCHOOL VliVDlCATED. 321 
 
 appeal, precedently mentioned, and that the exercise of it was 
 to be restrained to the trial of it. The words, however, were 
 predicated without restriction, and an imphed Umitation of their 
 meaning would impute to the Assembly the injustice of allow- 
 ing a party to sit in his own cause, by introducing into the 
 composition of the appellate court, a part of the subordinate 
 one. That such an implication would be inconsistent with the 
 temper displayed by the Assembly, on other occasions, is proved 
 by the order which it took as early as 1791, in the case of ari' 
 appeal from the sentence of the Synod of Philadelphia, whose 
 members it prevented from voting on the question, (Assembly 
 Digest, p. 332) as well as by its general provision, "that mem- 
 bers of a judicatory may not vote in a superior judicatory, on a 
 question of approving or disapproving their records." Judd, 
 p. 333. 
 
 The principle has since become a rule of the constitution, as 
 appears by the book of discipline, chapter vii., sec. 3, paragraph 
 12. As the representations of those anomalous congregations 
 could not, therefore, sit in judgment on their own controversies, 
 it is pretty clear that it was intended they should be represented 
 generally, else they could not be represented at all in the coun- 
 cils of the church, by those who might be Presbyterians; and 
 that to effect it, the principles of Presbyteric^ordination was to 
 be relaxed, as regards both the ministry an* eldership ; and it 
 is equally clear, that had the Synods been cited to answer for 
 the consequent relaxation, as an offence, they might have tri- 
 umphantly appeared at the bar of the Assembly, with the Plan 
 of Union in their hand. That body, however, resorted to the 
 only constitutional remedy in its power; it fell back, so to 
 speak on its legislative jurisdiction, in the exercise of which the 
 Synods were competently represented and heard by their com- 
 missioners. 
 
 Now, the apparent injustice of the measure arises from the 
 contemplation of it as a judicial sentence, pronounced against 
 persons who were neither cited nor heard, which it evidently 
 was not. Even as a legislative act, it may have been a hard 
 one, though certainly constitutional and strictly just. It wa» 
 impossible to eradicate the disorder by any thing less than a 
 dissolution of those bodies, with whose existence its roots were 
 so entwined as to be inseparable from it, leaving their elements 
 to form new and less heterogeneous combinations. Though 
 deprived of Presbyterial organization, the Presbyterial parts 
 were not excluded from the church, provision being made for 
 them, by allowing them to attach themselves to the nearest 
 Presbytery. 
 
 It is said, there is not sufficient evidence to establish the fact, 
 
 V 
 
322 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 that the exscinded Synods had been actually constituted on the 
 Plan of Union, in order to have given the Assembly, even leg- 
 islative jurisdiction. The testimony, however, of the Rev. Mr. 
 Squier shows, that in some of the three which were within the 
 state of New i ork, congregations were sometimes constituted 
 without elders ; and the Synod of the Western Reserve, when 
 charged with delinquency on that head, instead of denying the 
 fact, promptly pointed to the Plan of Union for its justification. 
 But what matters it, whether the fact were actually what the 
 Assembly supposed it to be ? If that body proceeded in good 
 faith, the validity of its enactment cannot depend on the just- 
 ness of its conclusion. We have, as already remarked, no au- 
 thority to rejudge its judgments, on their merits; and this prin- 
 ciple was asserted with conclusive force by the presiding judge, 
 who tried the cause. Upon an objection, made to an inquiry 
 into the composition of the Presbytery of Medina, it was ruled 
 that, "with the proceedings of 1837, (the act of exscision) we 
 have nothing to d'o. We are to determine only what was done, 
 the reasons of those who did it are immaterial. If the acts 
 complained of were within the jurisdiction of the Assembly, 
 their decision must be final, though they decided wrong." This 
 was predicted of judicial jurisdiction. But the principle is ne- 
 cessarily as applicable to jurisdiction for purposes of legislation. 
 I cite the passage,^owever, to show that after a successful re- 
 sistance to the introduction of evidence of the fact, it lies not 
 with the relators to allege the want of it. If then, the Synods 
 in question were constitutionally dissolved, the Presbyteries of 
 which they had been composed were at least, for purposes of 
 representation, dissolved along with them, for no Presbytery 
 can be in connexion with the General Assembly, unless it be at 
 the same time subordinate to a Synod, also in connexion with 
 it, because an appeal from its judgment can reach the tribunal 
 of the last resort, only through that channel. It is immaterial 
 that the Presbyteries are the electors ; a Synod is a part of the 
 machinery which is essential to the existence of every branch 
 of the church. It appears, therefore, that the commissioners 
 from the exscinded Synods were not entitled to seats in the As- 
 sembly, and that their names were properly excluded from the 
 roll. 
 
 The inquiry might be rested here, for if there were no color 
 of right in them, there was no color of right in the adversary 
 proceedings, which were founded on their exclusion. But even 
 if their title were clear, the refusal of an appeal from the deci- 
 sion of the moderator, would be no just ground for the degra- 
 dation of the officer, at the call of a minority, nor could it im- 
 pose upon the majority an obligation to vote on a question, p-ut 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 323 
 
 unofficially and out of the usual course. To all questions put 
 by the established organ, it is the duty of every member to re- 
 spond, or be counted with the greater number, because he is 
 supposed to have assented beforehand to the result of the pro- 
 cess, pre-established to ascertain the general will ; but the rule 
 of implied assent is certainly inapplicable, to a measure which, 
 when justifiable even by extreme necessity, is essentially revo- 
 lutionary, and based on no pre-established process of ascertain- 
 ing, whatever. 
 
 To apply it to an extreme oase of inorganic action, as was 
 done here, might work the degradation of any presiding ofiicer 
 in our legislative halls, by the motion and actual vote of a sin- 
 gle member, sustained by the constructive votes of all the rest; 
 and though such an enterprise may never be attempted, it 
 shows the danger of resorting to a conventional rule, when the 
 body is to be resolved into its original elements, and its rules 
 and conventions to be superseded by the very motion. For 
 this reason, the choice of a moderator to supplant the officer in 
 the chair, even if he were removable at the pleasure of the 
 commissioners, would seem to have been unconstitutional. 
 
 But he was not removable by them, because he had not de- 
 rived his office from them ; nor was he answerable to them for 
 the use of the power. He was not their moderator ; he was 
 the mechanical instrument of their organization ; and till that 
 was accomplished, they were subject to his rule, not he to 
 theirs. They were chosen by the authority of his mandate, 
 and with the power of self-organization only in the event of 
 his absence, at the opening of the session. Corporally present, 
 but refusing to perform his function, he might be deemed con- 
 structively absent, for constitutional purposes, insomuch that 
 the commissioners might proceed to the choice of a substitute 
 without him ; but not if he had entered on the performance of 
 that task ; and the reason is, that the decision of such questions 
 as were prematurely pressed here, is proper for the decision of 
 the body, when prepared for organization, which it cannot be 
 before it is fully constituted and under the presidency of its 
 own moderator ; the moderator of the preceding session being 
 functus officiis. There can be no occasion for its action sooner, 
 for though the commissioners are necessarily called upon to 
 vote for their moderator, their action is not organic, but indi- 
 vidual. Dr. Mason's motion and appeal, though the clerk had 
 reported the roll, were premature ; for though it is declared in 
 the twelfth chapter of the Form of Government, that no com- 
 missioner shall deliberate or vote, before his name shall have 
 been enrolled, it follows not that the capacity consummated by 
 enrollment was expected to be exercised during any part of 
 
324 OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 
 
 the process of organization, but the choice of a moderator ; and 
 moreover, the provision may have been intended for the case 
 of a commissioner appearing for the first time, when the house 
 was constituted. 
 
 Many instances may doubtless be found among the minutes, 
 of motions entertained previously ; for our public bodies, 
 whether legislative or judicial, secular or ecclesiastical, are too 
 prone to forget the golden precept, " Let all things be done 
 decently and in order." But these are merely instances of 
 irregularity, wliich have passed sub selentio, and which cannot 
 change a rule of positive enactment. It seems, then, that an 
 appeal from the decision of the moderator did not lie, and that 
 he incurred no penalty by the disallowance of it. The title of 
 the exscinded commissioners, could be determined only by the 
 action of the house, which could not be had. before its organi- 
 zation were complete ; and, in the mean time, he was bound, 
 as the executive instrument of the preceding Assembly, to put 
 its ordinance into execution ; for to the actual Assembly, and 
 not to the moderator of the preceding one, it belonged to re- 
 peal it. 
 
 It would be decisive, that the motion, as it was proposed, 
 purported not to be, in fact, a question of degradation for the 
 disallowance of an appeal, but one of new and independent 
 organization. It was ostensibly, as well as actually, a measure 
 of transcendental power, whose purpose was, to treat the ordi- 
 nance of the preceding Assembly as a imllity, and its moderator 
 as a nonentity. It had been prepared for the event, avowedly 
 before the meeting. The witnesses concur, that it was pro- 
 pounded as a measure of original organization, transcending the 
 customary order ; and not as a recourse to the ultima ratio, for 
 a specific violation of it. The ground of the motion, as it was 
 opened by the mover, was not the disallowance of an appeal, 
 which alone could afford a pretext of forfeiture, but the fact of 
 exclusion. To affect silent members with an implication of as- 
 sent, however, the ground of the motion and the nature of the 
 question must be so explicitly put before them, as to prevent 
 misconception or mistake ; and the remarks that heralded the 
 question, in this instance, pointed at, not a removal of the pre- 
 siding incumbent, but a separate organization, to be accom- 
 plished, with the least practicable interruption of the business 
 m hand; and if they indicated any thing else, they were de- 
 ceptive. The measure was proposed, not as that of the body, 
 but as the measure of a party ; and the cause assigned for not 
 having proposed it elsewhere, was, that individuals of the party 
 had been instructed by counsel, that the purpose of it could not 
 be legally accomplished in any other place. No witness speaks 
 
OLD SCHOOL VINDICATED. 325 
 
 of a motion to degrade, and the rapidity of the process by 
 which the choice of a substitute, not a successor, was effected, 
 left no space for reflection or debate. Now, before the passive 
 commissioners could be affected by acquiescence, implied from 
 their silence, it ought to have appeared, that they were apprised 
 of what was going on ; but it appears that even an attentive 
 ear-witness was unable to understand what was done. The 
 whole scene was one of unprecedented haste, insomuch that it 
 is still matter of doubt, how the questions were put. Now, 
 though these facts were fairly put to the jury, it is impossible 
 not to see, that the verdict is, in this respect, manifestly against 
 the current of the evidence. 
 
 Other corroborative views have been suggested, but it is dif- 
 ficult to compress a division of the leading points in this case, 
 into the old fashioned limits of a judicial opinion. The preced- 
 ing observations, however, are deemed enough to show the 
 grounds on which we hold, that the Assembly which met in 
 the First Presbyterian Church, was not the legitimate successor 
 of the Assembly of 1S37, and that the defendants are not guilty 
 of the usurpation with which they are charged. 
 
 Rule for a new trial made absolute. 
 
 Judge Rogers : I have nothing at this time to add, except 
 that my opinion remains unchanged, on all the points ruled at 
 the trial. 
 
 In all their schemes and movements, harmony, union, amal- 
 gamation, carrying out to perfection the great, system of Pres- 
 byterianism, formed no part of their object ; but change in every 
 cardinal feature, perversion, engrafture, substitution, revolution, 
 was visible triumphantly in their earliest plans and efforts, till 
 at last, emboldened by increase of numbers and devices of 
 measures, they here proclaim their devotion to voluntary so- 
 cieties, which is but another avowal of their inveterate hos- 
 tility to Presbyterianism, in all the glory of her system, her 
 boards, and radical features. As to their wide and deadly 
 apostacy from the standards of the church, and fundamental 
 principles of the gospel, let him that doubts *ad the contrast. 
 
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