RE~U~NION: THE REPORTS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE OF THE TWO GENERAL ASSEMBLIES OF 1866, AND OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE (N. S.) GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1867. NEW-YORK: PRESBYTERIAN PPT/LIC~AITION COMMITTE;EE BY THE STATED CLERK. JOHN A. GRAY & GREEN, PRINTERS, COR. OF JACOB AND FRANKFORT STS. 1867. -Q 11 ey?3 ,A, - 't.1 THE JOI~T COMMITTEE. '.'~ (o. S.) CHARLES C. BEATTY, D.D., LL.D., Steubenville, O. JOHN T. BACKUS, D.D., Schenectady, N.Y. PHINEAS D. GURLEY, D.D., Washington, D.C. JOSEPH G. MONFORT, D.D., Cincinnati, O., WVILLIAM D. HOWARD, D.D., Allegheny City, Pa. WVILLIAM E. SCHENCK, D.D., Philadelphia, Pa. VILLEROY D. REED, D.D., Camden, N.J. FREDERICK T. BROWN, D.D., St. Paul, Minn. [/ J. EDSON ROCKWVELL, D.D., Brooklyn, N.Y., I HoN. JAIMES M. RAY,'Indianapolis, Ind. HoN. ROBERT McKNIGHT, Pittsburghl, Pa.. HoN. SAMUEL GALLOWAY, LL.D., Columbus, 0./4: HOVEY K. CLARKE, Esq., Detroit, Miclh. HoN. GEORGE P. STRONG, St. Louis, Mo. Pr.OF. ORMOND BEATTY, LL.D., Danville, Ky. (N. S.) WILLIAM ADAMS, D.D., New-York City, N.Y. EDVWIN F. HATFIELD, D.D., " " " JONATHAN F. STEARNS, D.D., Newark, N.J. PHILEMON H. FOWLER, D.D., Utica, N.Y. JAMES B. SHAW, D.D., Rochester, N.Y. HENRY L. HITCHCOCK, D.D., Hudson, O. ROBERT WV. PATTERSON, D.D., Chliicago, Ill. HENRY A. NELSON, D.D., St. Louis, Mo. GEORGE F. WISWELL, D.D., Phliladelpllia, Pa. HoN. EDWARD A. LAMBERT, Brooklyn, N.Y. Ho,N. JOSEPI-ALLISON, LL.D., West-Plliladelpliia, Pa HoN-. HENRY W. WILLIAMS, LL.D., Pittsburglh, Pa. HoN. TRUMAN P. HANDY, Cleveland, O. MR. ROBERT WV. STEELE, Dayton, O. Mr. JACOB S. FARRAND, Detroit, Miclh. v N : /7, z....- /; - -I ' f I.,, REPORTS ON REUNION. Extract from the Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyteri.n Church, in the United States of Ame,ca, in session at Rochester, N. Y., May 22d, 1867: The Special Committee, to whom was referred the Report of the Committee of Conference on Retinion with the other Branch of the Presbyterian Church, presented their report, which was accepted and unanimously adopted. The Report of the Committee of Conference is as follows: The Committee, appointed by the last General Assembly to confer with a similar Committee of the other Assembly on the desirableness and practicability of reiniting the bodies w-lichi they severally represent, would respectfully report: That, in the discharge of the duty assigned them, the two Committees assembled in the City of New-York, Wednesday, the both of February, 1867, and, after organizing in their respective places of appointment, met in joint session for conference and prayer. Their meetings continued to a late hour on Friday evening, February 22d, when the Committees adjourned to meet agail, in the same city, on the first dclay of May. Reassembling at that time, they continued their conferences till Tuesday the 7th of May, when they finally adjourned. The circumstances, in which the Committees held their first meeting, were so peculiar as to demand a special mention, as they were fitted to produce an unusual sobriety. The Chairmen of both Committees as originally constituted were absent; one, the Rev. Dr. Brainerd, had been translated to that world, where all the distinctions of Christian discipleship which exist on the earth are lost in the harmony of Heaven. The other, the Rev. Dr. IKrebs, was disabled by severe illness firom all participation in our conferences, waiting for that chlange to come which will unite him to the great company of Christian Ministers in the Kingdom of Gbd. All the meetings of the Committees were distinguished by a degree of courtesy and unanimity, which was more than common. Composed of men of decided individuality, representing divers interests and sections, they have discussed every question, many of them of admitted delicacy and difficulty, with the utmost frankness, without one word or expression of any kind ever to be i *. VIA, i "I I /Y.11"; 4. regretted by Christian brethren who felt the grave responsibilities of their position The result of their conferences is contained in the following document, adopted in Joint Committee with remarkable unanimity. PROPOSED TERMS OF REUNION BETWEEN THE TWO BRANCHES OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE. UNITED STATES OF AME RICA. The Joint Committee of the two General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church, appointed for the purpose of conferring on the desirableness and practicability of uniting these two bodies, deeply impressed with the responsibility of the work assigned us, and having earnestly sought Divine gidance, and patiently devoted ourselves to the investigation of the questions involved, agree in presenting the following for the consideration, and, if they see fit, for the adoption, of the two General Assemblies: Believing that the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom would be promoted by healing our divisions; that practical union wvould greatly augment the efficiency of the whole Church for the accomplishment of its divinely-appointed work; that the main causes producing division have either wholly passed away, or become in a great degree inoperative; and that two bodies, bearing the same name, adopting the same Constitution, and claiming the same corporate rights, cannot be justified by any but the m1ost imperative reasons in maintaining separate and, in some respects, rival organizations; and regarding it as both just and proper that a Reuinion should be effected by the two Churches, as independent bodies and on equal terms; we propose the following terms and recommendations, as suited to meet the demands of the case: 1. The Reuinion shall be effected on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical basis of our common standards; the Confession of Faith shall continue to be sincerely received and adopted "as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures;" and its fair, historical sense, as it is accepted by the two bodies in opposition to Antinomianism and Fatalism on the one hand, and to Arminianism and Pelagianism on the other, shall be regarded as the sense in which it is received and adopted; and the Government and Discipline of the Presbyterian Church in the United States shall continue to be approved as containing the principles and rule of our polity. 2. All the ministers and churches embraced in the two bodies shall be admitted to the same standing in the united body which they may hold in their respective connections up to the consummation of the Union,; and all the churches connected with the united body, not thoroughly Presbyterian in their organization, shall be advised to perfect their organization as soon as is permitted by the highest interests to be consulted; no other such churches shall be received; and such persons alone shall be chosen Commissioners to the General Assembly as are eligible according to the Constitution of the Church. .1 11:1...: I I 5 3. The boundaries of the several Presbyteries and Synods shall be adjusted by the General Assembly of the united Church. 4. The official records of the two Branches of the Church for the period of separation shall be preserved and held as making up the one history of the Church, 4nd no rule or precedent which does not stand approved by both the bodies shall be of any authority until reestablished in the united body. 5. The corporate rights, now held by the two General Assemblies and by their Boards and Committees, shall, as far as practicable, be consolidated and applied for their several objects as defined by law. 6. There shall be one set of Committees or Boards for Home and Foreign Missions, and the other religious enterprises of the Church, which the churches shall be encouraged to sustain, though left free to cast their contributions into other channels, if they desire to do so. 7. As soon as practicable after the Union shall be effected, the General Assembly shall reconstruct and consolidate the several Permanent Committees and Boards which now belong to the two Assemblies, in such a manner as to represent, as far as possible, with impartiality, the views and wishes of the two bodies constituting the united Church. 8. When it shall be ascertained that the requisite number of Presbyteries of the two bodies have approved the terms of Union as hereinafter provided for, the two General Assemblies shall each appoint a Comnmittee of seven, none of them having an official relation to either the Board or the Committee of Publication, who shall constitute a Joint Committee, whose duty it shall be to revise the Catalogues of the existing publications of the two Churches, and to make out a list from them of such books and tracts as shall be issued by the united Church; and any Catalogue thus made out, in order to its adoption, shall be approved by at least five members of each Committee. 9. If, at any time after the Union has been effected, any of the Theological Seminaries, under the care and control of the General Assembly, shall desire to put themselves under Synodical control, they shall be permitted to do so at the request of their Boards of direction; and those Seminaries which are independent in their organization shall have the privilege of putting themselves under ecclesiastical control, to the end that, if practicable, a system of ecclesiastical supervision of such Institutions may ultimately prevail through the entire united Church. 10. It shall be regarded as the duty of all our judicatories, ministers, and people in the united Church to study the things which make for peace, and to guard against all needless and offensive references to the causes that have divided us; and, in order to avoid the revival of past issues by the continuance of any usage in either Branch of the Church that has grown out of our former conflicts, it is earnestly recommended to the lower iudicatories of the Church, that they conform their practice in re I : I: 6 as consistent with their convicstom of the Church prior to the e separation. on shall be of binding force, if fourths of the Presbyteries cone Church within one year after to them for approval. 1 shall be published by direction 67, for the deliberate examination , and the Joint Committee shall lies of 1868 any modification of , in view of any new light that the year. he Hon. DANIEL HAINES, and the )., of New-Jersey, DANIEL LORD, VIGIIT, LL.D., of New-York, and on. GEORGE SHIARSWOOD, LL.D., by the General Assemblies a Comtions of property and of vested d to the matter of Reiinion, and hhe Joint Committee as early as the or to adapt our ecclesiastical sysmstances of the united Church as extended body, some changes in d. The Joint Committee, theresemblies to instruct them in regard onal article on this subject, to be 868. t Committee, HARLES C. BEATTY, C/iairmcaoz. EDwIN F. HATFIELD, Secretary. NEW-YotK, May 7th, 1867. Leaving their Report with the General Assemblies and the ministers and churches of their denomination throughout the land, your Committee cannot disregard the Providential auspices under which their recommendations await decision. The present is thought to be a favorable time, now that many questions of former controversy have lost their interest, for adopting a magnanimous policy suited to the necessities of our country and the world. The Presbyterian Church has a history of great renown. It has been intimately associated with civil and religious liberty in both hemispheres. Its republican and representative character, the parity of its clergy, the simplicity of its order, the equity of its administration, its sympathy with our institutions, its ardent patriotism in all stages of our history, its flexible adaptation to our heterogeneous population, its liberal support of schools, colleges, and seminaries designed for general education and theological culture, its firmn and steadfast faith in the extension of the Redeemer's Kingdom, and that by means of revealed truth and I, I I I 7 the special effusions of the Holy Spirit in distinction firom all trust in human arts and devices, all unite to promise, if we are wise and faithful, a future for the Presbyterianl Church in these United States greater and better than all the past. Amnid the changes which have occurred around us, we are confident that nothing true and good will ever recede or decay; and it becomes all those who love the same faith, order, and worship, abounding in love and hope, to pray that God would count them worthy of their calling, that they may fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in them, and they in Him, according to the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Signed, by order of the Committee, WVILLIAMA ADAMS, CIhairrna)u. NEw-YoRK, Mav 7th, 1867. The report of the Special Committee to whom the above Report was referred is as follows: The Committee, to whom was referred the Report of the Special Committee, appointed by the last General Assembly to confer with a similar Committee on the desirableness and practi cability of lreiniting the bodies which they severally represent, would respectfully report: That they have given the document committed to them a care ful consideration, in view of its grave importance, and the mani fold interests it involves in its relations to our own Church and the progress of the Kingdom of Christ in the earth. It presents a basis for the proposed Reuiinion, which, if the two Assemblies so order, is to be submitted to the deliberate examination of both Branches of the Church for one year, subject to such modifications as may appear necessary or desirable within that period. It leates the General Assemblies of 1868 free to act with reference to these terms of Reinion, in whole or in part, as providential signs may indicate; and, if advisable, to submit them to the constitutional and final action of the Presbyteries. Ample opportunity is thus afforded for a full and deliberate consideration of the whole subject, in all its bearings, as they shall affect local interests or the well-being of the entire Church. For this and kindred reasons, your Committee conclude it was not the intention of this body, in referring to them this proposed basis of Reuinion, that its several articles should be discussed at this time and place; and yet they cannot withhold their conviction, expressed in these general terms, that results have already been reached full of promise are hope; that, whatever concessions have been made, they only indicate how near the two parts of the divided Church have approached each other; that nothing more and nothing less than Christian charity would dictate has been yielded; and that, in the adjustment of any difficulties or differences, a proper regard has been preserved for the honor and rights of the respective bodies, to which the work of K, I I ...: I.: . I 8 their Joint Committee is now submitted. The remarkable unani mity with which these initiatory proceedings have been conclud ed, after a thorough and frank discussion of the basis of Union, is full of encouragement; and, whatever may be the ultimate re sutilt, much has already been accomplished for the hlealing of our divisions, and the promotion of peace and good-will in the Pres byterian body. Impressed with these considerations, and gratefully recogniz ing therein the guiding providence of God in the successive stages of this work of concord, and especially the spirit of wisdom and love given to his servants in their several conferences, we do re commend, that this Assembly approve of the whole action of its Special Committee as declared in their Report, and that the same Committee be continued for the purposes for which it was consti tuted. There is a single point on which the Joint Committee ask in strutctions from the two General Assemblies. It relates to the changes in representation, etc., which will be required to adapt our ecclesiastical system to the necessities and circumstances of the united Church. We would recommend, that it be left to the Joint Committee to examine carefully the whole subject, and suggest such changes in the Constitution as in their wisdom they may deem requisite. It is further recommended, that the report of the Joint Committee be published under the authority of the General Assembly, for general distribution among our ministers and churches. It is also recommended, that the Assembly appoint the several gentlemen designated by the Joint Committee as legal advisers, and that, in case of the inability of any one of them to serve, the Committee have power to fill his place. It is indicative, we would believe, of the temper of this Assembly, the largest during our history of thirty years since the separation, that your Committee, though representing the extremes of our territory, and even the lingering memories of the conflict which culminated in the division, are of one mind in desiring the speedy and permanent Reunion of our beloved Church. It is but reasonable to anticipate, that the same spirit will characterize the action of the other Assembly, in the recollection of the fraternal, not to say magnanimous, advances made one year ago, and which gave rise to present measures for Reunion, and the hope increasingly and fondly cherished in the great Presbyterian household. Other members of that renowned family, than those represented in the two Assemblies now in session, at home and across the sea, are stirred in sympathy at the goodly prospect. The friends of Christian Union everywhere claim an interest in the completion of our work, so happily begun, as another sign of the predicted day when all Christ's people shall be one, keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. By order of the Assembly, EDWIN F. HATFIELD, Stated Clerk. I, I "