that it springs primarily 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 in the Presbyterian church in the United States, is, in all essential features, in full accordance 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 light then shall we be considered, 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 us. And the developments 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, and as a clear and noble exhibition 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 we 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 entrusted 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 to our forms, and repugnant 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 practised, when the occasion called for the free action of our laws; and sometimes the full and peremptory exercise of power, almost despotic, practised in cases where no authority existed at all. It is with increasing alarm that we behold a fixed design to organize new tribunals upon principles repugnant to our systein, 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 these departures from the true principles of our constitution against the formation of new presbyteries and synods, otherwise than upon the established rules of our church; or for other purposes than the edification and enlargement of the church of Christ; and we most particularly 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 delegated to it; and the exercise even of its delegated powers for purposes inconsistent with the design of its creation. RECOMMENDATION TO THE CHURCHES. Dear Christian Brethren, you who love Jesus Christ in sincerity and in 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 capacity engaged in religious instruction or effort, who hold the preceding or similar heresies. 2. That we make every lawful effort to subject all such persons, especially if they be ministers, to the just exercise of discipline 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 state. 4. That we use our endeavours to prevent the introduction 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 voluntarily 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 manner 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 reformation in the affairs of our church depends on the interposition of Him who is King in Zion, that we will unceasingly and importunately 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, 1835, a convention be held in the city of Pittsburg, to be 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 deliberate and consult on the present state of our church, and to adopt such measures as may be best suited to restore her prostrated 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 they will, at last, attempt to cut us off. If the former, we shall bless the God of Jacob; if the latter, we are ready, for the sake of Christ, and in support of the testimony now made, not only to be cut off, 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 candidly, laid before our erring brethren the course we are, by the grace of God, irrevocably determined to pursue. It is our steadfast aim to reform the church or to testify against its errors and defections, until testimony will be no longer heard. And we commit the issue into the hands of him who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. J. W. Scott, William Latta, James Scott, Joshua L. Wilson, Alexander McFarlane, Isaac N. Candee, James W. M'Kennan, William Sickels, Benjamin F. Spilman, George D. M'Cuenn, George W. Janvier, Samuel G. Winchester, George Junkin. Philadelphia, May 27, 1834, ELDERS. Samuel Boyd, James Agnew, A MEMORIAL ON THE PRESENT STATE OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. The following is the Memorial referred to in the preceding paper. Many copies of it, in pamphlet form, have been sent throughout the Presbyterian church; yet we question whether a fourth part of our readers have ever seen it. We therefore offer it to their inspection, and request them to give it a full and considerate perusal; that they may be able to decide for themselves, whether it merited the frowns, censure and rejection, which it received from the General Assembly. CIRCULAR. Dear Brother:-Your kind and Christian attention is respectfully invited to the following memorial on the present state of the Presbyterian Church, under the care of the General Assembly. It seems to us a matter of notoriety, that not a few of her fundamental doctrines have been denied and that in many instances her discipline has been disregarded, by which her purity is tarnished, her peace broken, and her unity in jeopardy. Deeply afflicted with this state of things, and ardently wishing speedily to diminish and ultimately remove from the Church these distressing evils, a number of ministers and ruling elders, from several Presbyteries, have held conferences, that by prayer and consultation they might learn their duty in the present important crisis. At these meetings, and by correspondence, they have obtained the sentiments of a number of brethren from thirteen Presbyteries. The communications received have been both sorrowful and encouraging. A general concurrence of opinion respecting the present state of the Church, and the duty of making some united effort to arrest the progress of evils, by which all her real friends must be grieved, has led us to prepare the following memorial to the next General Assembly, in which we hope you can cordially unite. We ask the co-operation of those who love the doctrines and discipline of our Church. If the orthodox will all unite in one effort for reformation, the Church may yet be purified. This may perhaps be best done by having the memorial adopted by your Presbytery, or, if this cannot be done, have it signed by Church sessions, or as many ministers and ruling elders as possible. Union is strength. Hitherto, the sound part of our Church has acted with little or no concert, while the promoters of innovation have advanced in united and persevering efforts. In the memorial herewith presented we have intended to present nothing but truth, yet in soliciting your influence, we expect you to judge for yourself. Should you make any alteration, we hope your modifications may not differ in any essential points from our views and wishes. Let us all speak and mind the same things, that there be no divisions among us. Should we be under a mistake with regard to your opinions, we seek no concealment, and only regret that any who have the name should not have the feelings and sentiments of sound Presbyterians. Ministers.-Francis Monfort, Robert B. Dobbins, Arch'd. Craig, Thomas Barr, Jno. L. Belville, T. B. Clark, P. Monfort, James Coe, Simeon H. Crane, Daniel Hayden, Adrian Aten, John Burtt, Jno. P. Vandyke, Robert Rutherford, W. R. Smith, J. L. Wilson, Sayrs Gazlay, John Hudson, R. G. Linn. Elders.-Thos. Kirker, Daniel Voorhis, John Reid Dick, John Monfort, Wm. M. Orr, Joseph Owens, Robert Hunter, James Cunningham, Cyrus Johnson, William Lowry, Samuel Lowry, James Gwinn, Henry B. Funk, Wm. Cumback, Philip Skinner, James M'Intire, Francis Kennedy, Frederick A. Kemper, George Layman, Samuel Newell, William King, Peter H. Kemper, G. Wallace. 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, on the 15th of May, 1834. REVEREND FATHERS AND BRETHREN, We, the subscribers, ministers and elders of the Presbyterian Church, respectfully present to you this our memorial, praying you to take into your most serious consideration, the subjects to which it asks your attention. It would be inconsistent with the opinion which we entertain of the intelligence of your reverend body, to offer any proof of what is too lamentably notorious, that from Ch. Adv.-VOL. XII. 2 M sundry causes, our once united and harmonious church, for some time past, has been afflicted with alienations, strifes and divisions. These evils have greatly disturbed the peace of our Zion, paralyzed its strength, and exposed it to reproach; and notwithstanding the efforts which have been made to arrest their progress, nothing satis factory has been accomplished. It is the deliberate opinion of your memorialists, that these evils and their causes, are so deeply rooted and so widely spread, that unless speedy and decisive measures are adopted for their removal, divisions and separations of a more distressing and permanent character must inevitably ensue. To prevent, if it be the will of God, an issue so much to be deprecated, your memorialists call upon your reverend body, as the supreme judicatory of the Presbyterian Church, to exercise your constitutional powers of "deciding in all controversies in doctrine and discipline, of reproving, warning, or bearing testimony against error in doctrine, or immorality in practice, in any Church, Presbytery or Synod-and of suppressing schismatical contentions and disputations." Plainly as the path of duty is marked out in our excellent Constitution, it is with grief that we feel constrained to say, that for some years past a policy of an evasive character has distinguished many of the proceedings of the General Assemblies, as also a number of inferior judicatories, wherein they have, apparently at least, sought to avoid a prompt discharge of their constitutional duties, and have substituted a course of procedure unknown and repugnant to the prescribed order of our form of government. Although this has been applauded as a policy wisely calculated to prevent evils and preserve peace, yet we are compelled to view it in a different light, and as indicating that there is a widely spread principle of evil operating in the Presbyterian Church, to the general change of its form of government, and the character of its creed. We feel alarmed at the evidences which press upon us, of the prevalence of unsoundness in doctrine, and laxity in discipline; and we view it as an aggravating consideration, that the General Assembly, the constitutional guardian of the Church's purity, even when a knowledge of such evils has been brought before it, in an orderly manner, has, within a few years past, either directly or indirectly refused to apply the constitutional remedy. Appeals, 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 compromise which aggravated the evils intended to be removed. But that your reverend body may be convinced of the justice of our complaints on these subjects, we shall come to particulars, and present distinctly to your consideration certain acts and proceedings, in our opinion, unsound and unconstitutional in themselves; some of which have been the precursors and inlets of other evils. 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 effect. I. 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, p. 297,) with the constitution of our church, will make it evident, that the General Assembly of 1801, in adopting it, assumed power no where 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 constitution, and is plainly repugnant to it. We allude to the "Mutual Council" recognised in that Plan. In the same act, the Assembly also granted the powers and privileges of ruling elders to "committee-men," which was contrary both to the spirit and letter of the constitution, as is now generally conceded. But a "mutual council" as an ecclesiastical court for Presbyterians, is, if possible, more evidently unconstitutional than the powers of committee-men. Without dwelling on the details of the "plan," we merely place in opposition to the whole of it, c. xi. sect. 6, of our Form of Government, viz: "Before any overtures or regulations proposed by the Assembly to be established 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." This provision of our constitution was not attended to then, nor at any subsequent period; and still the "plan" is in force, and acted upon, to the annoyance and injury, both of the purity and the peace of the Presbyterian church. In the original adoption of this measure, it was intended for application in those "new settlements," the inhabitants of which, literally consisted of Presbyterians and Congregationalists: and had the "plan" been strictly confined in its operations to its first and only object, the evils resulting from it would have been less, although its unconstitutional character would not have been changed. For a short period, it was probably thus limited to its primary object; but as the whole plan was a real departure from Presbyterian principles, it was soon found convenient to apply it to congregations where there was not a single Presbyterian, and to others where there was but a solitary individual or two, of that denomination. A little further extension of the plan, led to the formation of entire Presbyteries, consisting of Congregationalists, in which neither the ministers adopted our Confession of Faith, nor the congregations our Form of Government. Although remaining strictly Congregational, yet they appointed committee-men to represent them, and to deliberate and vote in Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assemblies. The Western Reserve Synod, with its Presbyteries and churches, strongly testified to the truth of these statements. A larger proportion of the churches in that Synod are, or very recently were, really and truly Congregational, in principle and practice; and we fear that the same is true, of nearly as large a proportion of the ministers. We could refer to other Presbyteries in the east, north and west, almost in the same circumstances, exhibiting the same practical results. This want of conformity to Presbyterianism, is defended and justified by an appeal to the terms of the "plan of union." This course of things was, at first, overlooked, and then connived at, until the leaven so fermented the whole mass, as in a great degree to change the tone and character of Presbyterianism. II. Closely connected with the influence of Congregational prepossessions and principles introduced gradually into our church, 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 construction, without being responsible for the construction, or the character of his explanations. They who hold this principle, practise accordingly and thus an unnatural mixture of conflicting elements is brought into the bosom of the church, unfavourable alike to its purity and peace. III. We next notice another course of unconstitutional proceedings, which adds to the evils that now afflict us. We refer to the practice of Presbyteries, in ordaining men, sine titulo, to preach 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 necessities 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 Presbyteries, within whose bounds they expect to labour, either on account 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 Presbyteries 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, viz. The ordaining 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 suddenly, nominally and geographically converted into Presbyterian ministers, before it was possible, in the nature of things, that they could have clear and just views of Presbyterianism. For where could they acquire them? Certainly, not in the Congregational 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 of Faith and Form of Government. The fact is, that, every year, numbers of these Congregationalists come directly into Presbyteries 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 afforded by the Newburyport Presbytery, and the Third Presbytery of New York: the former of which, a few years ago, ordained nine young men at one time as evangelists, for the A. Home Missionary 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 1831, ordained ten young men at one time, for the A. Home Missionary Society, most of whom were sent directly into the bounds of Presbyteries in the West. The same Presbytery, in 1832, received the Rev. L. Beecher, D. D., from a Congregational Association, and forthwith, at the same meeting, dismissed him to join the Presbytery of Cincinnati, to which place he was journeying to take charge of the Lane Seminary, upon condition that he should be acknowledged as a minister of the Presbyterian church. The Third Presbytery of New York, moreover, did this without his personally appearing before them, and upon |