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May 5, 1909. . THE PRESBYTERIAN
made and cheerfully anticipate its continuance, while
we deplore obstacles that may be interposed.
We must frankly recognize an attendant danger.
Counterfeits are ever ready to imitate and supplant
genuine merit. We may become so prepossessed with
misconceptions of fraternity as to rashly belittle or
ignore that which seems to our narrowed vision to restrain
or limit its free expression. We accordingly find
many sneering at creeds and discrediting doctrinal teaching,
and even definite Christian convictions, because
forsooth, these may prove to be barriers to untram
meled fellowship. Speakers at popular conventions
ring the changes on co-operation and sneer at "distinctive
principles." If the secret of the tendency to minimize
the authority of the sacred Scriptures were fully
exposed, it would probably be found in the appetency
of the aspiring critic toward eliminating authoritative
sources of difference between that great multitude of
appreciative disciples who in his imaginings, may constitute
his following. Get the public ear and eliminate
all authoritative sources of divided opinion, and your
fortune or your reputation is secure.
Now, the just and genuine ground of fraternity is
truth. The attainment of one means the realization
of the other. We can do nothing against the truth but
for the truth. The dissemination of truth is a gradual
process, and it may be slow but it is the only
process. By the manifestation of truth we are to commend
ourselves to every man's conscience. If we haw
an intelligent and worthy zeal for brotherhood, we can
only expect its realization by magnifying truth until
all shall see it. In our relation to the church at large
our aim and desire should he, "that their hearts might
be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all
riches of the full assurance of understanding.'' "until
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fulness of Chrisf '*
"RIGHTFULNESS" OR "PRUDENCE."
In the Supervising Work of Appellate Church Courts.
Our F?ook of Church Order gives to the appellate
courts of the Church an almost unlimited authority of
review and control of the acts of the lower courts. This
is wise. Occasions arise, and not seldom, in which it is
necessary for the appellate court to have the fullest
authority.
Yet it is not always wise that the appellate court
should exercise all this authority. In training a child
the parent does not use all the power that is lodged in
his hands. The training is better if the parent forbear,
and, in cases where no great harm will result, let the
youth act for himself. So it is with the Presbytery or
Synod or General Assembly. It is not always wise
for the UDOer COlirt tr? rritJ^Icn 1
, 4 V.iviviov IW 111 UC1I.
Is an illustration wanted? We have seen Presbyteries
waste hours over a criticism of a sessional record,
because the "minutes" of a congregational meeting
to elect officers was recorded in the same page with
sessional acts. The issue was not worth the time spent
on it. The interjection of a surplusage in the
minute book did not do so much harm as the
wasting of two hours of Presbytery's time in cfiscussJ.
OF THE SOUTH. 5
ing it. It is often wise to ignore that which can safely
be ignored.
What Classes of Actions Need Review?
In the life of a church, questions are constantly aris:
: -i_ _r_? - i i -
nig which are 01 a uocinnai cnaracter; frequently there
are questions of discipline; and sometimes questions
that are merely administrative. If a preacher he reported
as teaching false doctrine, and the lower court allow
him to continue in such a course, it is important that
the appellate court should take notice of the fact and,
if the error be of consequence, proceed to correct it. If
it be reported that such sins as drunkenness have been
ignored by a church session, the Presbytery ought to
take notice thereof. These are matters of doctrine
and of discipline.
But in matters that are merely administrative, while
there may sometimes be a need for supervision on the
part of the superior court, yet is it not ordinarily wise
to forbear criticism?
We have in mind such questions as the location of
a church building on one street or another: the erection
of a building for institutional uses, such as reading
rooms; or the appointment of hours of service. Unless
there be some special reason, these matters are best settled
by the session; and the Presbytery may well accept
its decision. So also with the reception of this or
that person as a member of the church. It is indeed
possible for a session to err so gravely in the admission
of members as to call for supervision by the Presbytery,
but ordinarily the superior court may well trust
the action of the lower court.
These administrative questions include the election
and ordination of officers, the management of ordinary
trusts, the arrangements for evangelizing waste places,
the control of the society work within its bounds, or
the assignment of individual workers to particular
forms of work. The decision of the lower court may
not always be wisest, but in most cases concurrence is.
less injurious than a prolonged discussion and possible
ill feeling. Even if a few hundred dollars be wdsted.
tne loss ot money may amount to less than the loss of
harmony.
In the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, there has
been great injury because of the recent attempt to force
the judgment of a bare majority upon all the congregations
in that Church. Happy had it been for the Master's
kingdom, if its General Assembly had taken such
action as would leave the individual congregations
more liberty of choice and thus avoided the occasion
for many a lawsuit and much bitter strife.
We have been speaking of the Church, not as it
ought to be, but as it is. It ought to be that the
spirit of mutual love would prevent clashes. Alas! it
is not always thus. We haye need, therefore, in our
church work, to be first pure then peaceable; both pure
and peaceable.
The world can not be organized into godliness, or
preached into godliness, but it may be led into godliness.
The simple, quiet, imposing practice of their
professions by Christians would do more to set this old
world right than all the powerful organizations that
bear the Christian name.