USA > Ohio > The plan of union: or a history of the Presbyterian and Congregational churches of the Western Reserve; with biographical sketches of the early missionaries > Part 16
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6. This Conference shall meet on the third Tuesday of June, annu- ally, at 7 o'clock, P. M.
7. This Conference shall establish its own Bye-laws and Regula- tions, subject to alterations at the future meetings.
8. The Conference may interchange friendly correspondence with other religious bodies.
9. At each meeting of the Conference, a first and second preacher for the next meeting shall be chosen.
10. Any local Conference or church may withdraw from this body by assigning the reasons in writing, to the Secretary.
11. The Constitution of this Conference except the fifth article, may be altered at the annual meetings of this body, by two-thirds of the members.
PREAMBLE AND DOCTRINAL BASIS.
Believing that the time has come for the formation of a State organi-
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zation among the Congregationalists of Ohio, which shall secure har- mony of sentiment and co-operation of action, we, in convention assembled, recommend the system of a General Conference, established on the following doctrinal basis, which we understand to be, for sub- stance of doctrine, in harmony with the Westminster Shorter Catechism and with the system currently know as New England divinity.
DOCTRINAL BASIS.
We believe that there is one only living and true God, self-existent and infinite in every perfection, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of the Universe.
That God is revealed in the Scriptures, as the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost : that these three are in essence one, and in all divine Attributes equal.
That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God, given by inspiration, and are the only unerring rule of faith and practice.
That man was at first in a state of perfection ; from which he fell by transgressing the divine commands ; and that in consequence of his disobedience, the hearts of all men, until renewed by divine grace, are without holiness and wholly alienated from God.
That man, as a sinner, deserves the curse of God, which is eternal death; that he can make no atonement for his sins, nor in any way deliver himself from the just penalty of the divine law.
That God has, by the death of his Son, provided an ample atone- ment for the sins of the world ; that salvation is freely offered to all; and that all who truly repent and believe in Christ shall be saved ; and that those who reject the gospel will perish through their own impeni- tence and unbelief.
That the hearts of men are so desperately wicked and averse to God and holiness, that if left to themselves, they will with one accord re- ject the offers of pardon through Christ and perish, but that God, in the soverignty of his love and to magnify the riches of his grace, has from all eternity purposed to bring an innumerable multitude to re-
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pentance and finally to glory ; and that all who are saved will owe their salvation to the mercy of God alone, and not to any works or merits of their own.
That without a change of heart effected by the agency of the Holy Ghost no one can be an heir of eternal life; and that all who have been thus renewed will be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
That Jesus Christ has a true church in the world, consisting of those who are friends to, and believers in, Him, and that all such, on a visible profession of their faith, have a right to its sealing ordinances (baptism and the Lord's Supper) and to baptize their infant offspring.
That the Christian Sabbath is an institution of divine appointment, and its observance of perpetual obligation.
That Jesus Christ will appear at the end of time to raise the dead and judge the world, and that all shall then receive a sentence of just and final retribution, the wicked be doomed to endless punishment and the righteous received to life everlasting.
The constitution and basis of the Huron Congregational Conference is also subjoined ; which was organized in 1852 as an auxiliary to the State Conference. This Conference embraces the Oberlin brethren of Lorain, Huron and Erie Counties. The reader may compare it with that of the "General Asso- ciation" of 1836.
CONSTITUTION.
1. The name shall be The Huron Congregational Conference.
2. Its objects shall be to promote Christian harmony and inter- course among both ministers and churches and to secure a more effec- tive co-operation in every good work. It shall not curtail the absolute control of the churches embraced within it over their own discipline. or their relations to their pastors, and it shall neither assume nor ac- cept any ecclesiastical authority.
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3. Any minister in good standing in some local church, may become a member of this Conference by consenting to its doctrinal basis as containing substantially the doctrines of the Bible, and by signing his name to the constitution.
4. Any Congregational Church may become associated with this body whose articles of faith agree substantially with its doctrinal basis ; and every church thus associated shall be entitled to two delegates at any meeting of the Conference.
5. Either churches or ministers (being in good standing in the Conference) may dissolve their connection with this body at their writ- ten request.
6. The officers of this Conference shall be a Moderator, Scribe, Register, and Treasurer, the two former to be elected annually, and the two latter at the discretion of the Conference, and all by ballot.
7. The Conference, when organized, shall make its own Bye-Laws and appoint its own meetings.
8. This Constitution may be amended at any annual meeting, by a majority of two thirds of the members present.
DOCTRINAL BASIS.
This embraces the following points of belief :
1. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and are the only unerring rule of faith and practice.
2. That the Lord our God is one Lord, the Creator and the Ruler of the universe ; and that He reveals Himself to us in the Scriptures as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, each possessing all divine perfections.
3. That by the disobedience of one man, sin entered our world, and that previously to regeneration, all moral agents of the race are enemies to God by wicked works, and their moral character is there- fore entirely sinful.
4. That all sin is transgression of the law of God, and deserves eternal death.
5. That the Son of God became incarnate, and by his sacrificial
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death made an ample atonement for the sins of the world, thus ensur- ing salvation to those, and those only, who repent and believe in his name.
6. That all men are averse to God and holiness ; that, left to them- selves, none ever repent and believe in Christ; that hence there arises a necessity for the interposing moral power of the divine Spirit to renew and sanctify ; and that even Christians owe their perseverance in a holy life, as well as their regeneration, to the sovereign grace of God.
7. That, hence, salvation is indeed all of grace; yet that true faith works by love, and is evinced by sincere obedience to all the known will of God.
8. That the provisions of gospel grace are purposely made so ample that victory over the world and sin is attainable by faith.
9. That the moral law is essentially embraced in the gospel and en- forced with even enhanced obligation.
10. That baptism and the Lord's Supper are the ordinances of the Christian church, and that all who profess faith in Christ and lead a correspondingly blameless life, are entitled to its fellowship and ordi- nances.
11. That God has ordained the Christian Sabbath to be perpetual.
12. That at the end of time Christ will appear, to raise the dead, judge all the race, and award to the holy, everlasting life in heaven, but to the wicked, everlasting punishment in hell.
The question now arises, why no efforts, to build up a large and efficient Congregational body on the Reserve, have as yet been successful.
The causes are several, and are to be found, partly, in the genius of Congregationalism itself, which is antagonistic to strong and extended co-operative organizations. The churches planted in the wilderness felt strongly the need of sympathy and co-operation, and therefore naturally sought association with the nearest Christian organizations of kindred spirit, and
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naturally joined in building up such institutions of their own, as would unite and harmonize them.
There have been adequate material and effort here; but the modified Presbyterianism of the region has proved too strong and too well adapted to the wants of the people, to give way before any thing else.
The indefiniteness and variety of Congregationalism in the West has also operated against its success. Some have advo- cated Independency ; others, Associations; others, Consociations. Some would have a Calvinistic creed ; others, a creed Semi- Arminian ; and still others would adopt a basis which would embrace every body calling themselves Christian. Without unity there can not be strength.
The character of those who labored for exclusive Congrega- tionalism has also operated against their success.
They have not generally been men long acquainted with the churches of the Reserve; nor men who had obtained any strong hold upon the people. Generally they had but a par- tial acquaintance with the field and the material upon which they were to work. Coming with strong denominational pre- judices, full of zeal, confident of their own abilities; and find- ing some few " old settlers" to sympathize with and encourage them, they have rashly begun to build without having counted the cost, and invariably found that they had not wherewith to finish.
The rash zeal of the Oberlin brethren, also, did much to prejudice the cause of Congregationalism, both on the Reserve and abroad. The policy of purposely dividing churches, and organizing rivals where there were scarce materials for a sin-
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gle organization ; carried, as this policy was, to the dismember- ment even of independent Congregational churches ; making two or three questions of moral reform, and as many doctrinal dogmas of questionable truth, paramount to all other interests of Christ's kingdom, could but work disaster to all concerned. It will take ages to wash away the stain and odium, and heal the evils, wrought by that short sighted and schismatical pol- icy. The policy is no longer practiced ; but there are regions upon the Reserve, which were so desolated by it, that long culture, and much toil, and rich showers of grace alone can bring them back to fertility. It is a matter for thanksgiving to God that the Oberlin brethren have at length discovered, that the way to unite Christians and churches, is not to break up all existing unions, and shatter to pieces churches and ec- clesiastical bodies, and fetch back chaos, in order to begin the world anew. The Plan of Union tolerated minor differences, yet adhered to the orthodox standards, and secured an efficient co-operative polity. The Oberlin plan tore away doctrine and polity, and proposed only to construct a conglomerate, ignor- ing vital disagreements ; clamoring for universal brotherhood, yet scattering universal discord.
But, a prominent reason, still existing, why purely Congre- gational organizations cannot succeed on the Reserve, is found in the existence of the Presbyteries, which constitute an ade- quate Congregational machinery for all but zealous sectarians. Most of .the churches and people have felt that the Presbyte- ries subserved the purposes of a bond of union to unite or consociate them; a council to advise; and an association to guard the doctrinal purity of the churches and ministry, with-
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out exercising over them any oppressive control or tyranny. The majority have been contented and satisfied with the origi- nal organizations, - have loved and clung to them; and so doing, the latter could not be superseded. And had it not been for the continued outcries and agitations of a few over- zealous propagandists, the churches might have enjoyed un- turbeed peace, and the Synod have gathered up and united in fraternal concord nearly all the churches of the Reserve.
New England Congregationalism, in New England, is admir- able; but in mixed communities, where there is no unity of sentiment, where all manner of wild opinions and movements abound, and where a different polity has pre-occupied the soil, it cannot accomplish what it does in New England. And the difficulty is necessarily increased where all varieties of Congre- gationalism attempt to occupy the same field.
And why should not the Reserve cherish its own original ecclesiasticism, as well as New England or New Jersey ? Why shall any imported polity be forced in, where there already exists a system capable of answering all demands, and having, by thirty years unsurpassed fruitfulness, proved itself a true and healthy agent ?
The better portion of the Reserve churches took the Plan of Union as a finality ; and they will adhere to it. Repeatedly it has been proved that no general interest can be awakened, either for pure Congregationalism or pure Presbyterianism, as an Ism, and an opponent of the native institutions of the re- gion. No High Churchism can flourish in this soil, whatever be its type ; nor can any outcries against co-operative institu- tions, prevent the co-operation of those who were born and
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bred together, and feel themselves one in Christ. And the minister, the layman, and the periodical, which make denomi- nationalism least prominent, and Christian charity most prom- inent, will here be most successful.
CHAPTER IV.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGAINST THE PLAN OF UNION.
The Plan of Union was promulgated by the General As- sembly in 1801. During thirty years it was believed to work admirably, and under it many new regions were evangelized. About the time, however, that Unionism, Radicalism, Ober- ism and other Isms began to work upon the Reserve, many of the Presbyterian brethren at a distance, not un- derstanding the precise attitude of things in this region, nor discriminating between the noisy and anomalous agitators of the time, and the orderly and conservative body of the churches, became greatly alarmed and scandalized ; and began to lament that they had taken troublesome boarders into the family. It now began to be suspected, either that the Plan of Union was a great error, or that the Synod of the Reserve and others affiliated with it, had widely departed from their lawful privileges and obligations ; and it was openly rumored that there were heresies in doctrine and irregularities in practice wholly inconsistent with Presbyterianism.
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These complaints called out an article in April, 1833, writ- ten by Rev. J. Treat, and published in the Observer, entitled " Presbytery of Portage vindicated."
The article notices charges made against the "orthodoxy and the integrity" of that Presbytery. The charge of hetero- doxy the writer deemed unworthy of notice, until it should be shown that the Presbytery had departed from the principles upon which it was organized, and which were sanctioned by the Synod of Pittsburg, when that body recognized it.
The charge of disingenuousness related mainly to the fact, that the Presbytery was governed partly " by rules of its own making," and had in it Congregational churches; the accusers claiming that it pretended to be Presbyterian when it joined the Synod, but that it was now virtually a Congregational body.
To this charge Mr. Treat replied that the Presbytery was " the same thing now that it was at its formation," and when received by the Pittsburgh Synod. The Presbytery always professed to be governed by its own rules; rules, based upon the Plan of Union, by which the churches were permitted to adopt either the Presbyterian or Congregational form of gov- ernment, and to be represented in Presbytery by delegates. These rules, moreover, were, in October, 1818, presented to the Synod of Pittsburg, and by the Synod submitted to an able committee, who reported in their favor, and also in favor of the orthodoxy of the Presbytery. That committee's report was unanimously adopted by the Synod. This peculiarity of the Presbytery, he continues, had also been fairly presented to the General Assembly ; particularly in a statement sent up to the
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Assembly in 1821, in answer to an overture to the Presbyte- ries respecting the "revised form of government and forms of process."
Thus commenced the agitation which resulted in the excision of 1837. We discern two specific accusations in the original complaints. Both of these, and several other considerations, had their influence in producing the final issue.
The Presbyteries and Synod doubtless had the reputation of much that did not belong to them; and ever have been, to a certain extent, identified, by persons at a distance, with many of the principles and movements against which they were most earnestly contending. To this day, there are many Presbyte- rians in different parts of the country, who never discriminate between the Oberlin Congregationalism, and the Congregation- alism embraced in the Presbyteries; and who have no appre- hension of a strong, orderly, Calvinistic body on the Reserve, such as the Synod has ever been. The excision was in part brought about through misapprehensions of this sort. Had the General Assembly made a thorough investigation, and learned the prevailing theology, spirit and aim of the Synod, and its precise attitude relative to the evils complained of, its course would probably have been different.
Yet there were causes operating, which probably must, in time, have resulted in a division of the Presbyterian church ; and the Plan of Union was made a scape goat upon which to lay the sins of revolution and schism.
In the first place, there was a growing denominational feel- ing in the Presbyterian church, which no longer cherished the charitable spirit out of which the Plan of Union grew. A
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large proportion of that body were tired of the co-operative benevolent Societies, and anxious to control exclusively their own missionary operations, and appropriate the fruits. The work of missions had now become a very different thing, from what it had been in the year 1801; and the General Assembly no longer felt dependent upon the Connecticut Missionary So- ciety, to support its missionaries.
There was also a strong sectional feeling which had its in- fluence in producing the schism. The General Assembly, par- ticularly in the year of excision, was largely controlled by southern men, full of indignation against the anti-slavery en- thusiasm, which was burning fiercest in the regions covered by the obnoxious Synods. The Synod of the Reserve was known to be largely anti-slavery in its elements and spirit, and this intensified the local prejudice, which was partly generated by other causes.
Doctrinal peculiarities were much harped upon; and cer- tainly there was some occasion for complaint. But no one, who has been intimately acquainted with the Western Reserve Synod, and with the predominant theology of the Old School Presbyterian Church, can avoid the conclusion that the outcry about doctrines has been mainly, either a misapprehension, or a device by which to justify and gratify prejudices, founded upon something else.
At the time when the disaffection began, there were a few Congregationalists in the Presbyteries who held doctrines re- pugnant to all staid Presbyterians. We have before noticed the practice of receiving Congregational ministers upon certifi- cate, in the same manner that members from one Presbytery
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were received into another. By this means, certain ministers from New England, who had adopted the views of Professor Taylor, of New Haven; some of the Oberlin men also, and perhaps a few others in bad odor amongst strict Calvinists, had come into the Synod. Many of the ministers in this re- gion were also inclined to what has since been called the New School Theology; though scarcely any two persons could agree in a definition of that great heresy; and to this day it remains a profound mystery to most persons, what the real difference, between New and Old School Theology, is.
That the prevailing theology of the churches and ministers, embraced in the Western Reserve Synod, had no affinity either with Taylorism or Oberlinism, is very certain. And nothing could have been more unjust than to repudiate the Synod on account of the small amount of elements of that character em- braced in it; particularly when, as at the time of the excision, those elements were fast separating, and collecting elsewhere, according to their native affinities.
It is therefore to be admitted, that the Plan of Union had introduced temporarily, a small heterodox element into the fellowship of the Presbyterian Church. But that the Synod, as such, was heterodox, or the objectionable elements extensive enough to justify the excision of the whole, could only be be- lieved by those who were misinformed. As such, the Synod has ever been strictly Calvinistic, adhering to the doctrinal standards of the Assembly's Confession and Catechism, and maintaining Presbyterian discipline and order, so far as was consistent with the Plan of Compromise upon which it was based.
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The church of the Reserve adhered to that Plan, was faith- ful to it, and was determined to adhere to it ever. The Gen- eral Assembly was tired of that Plan, determined to get free from it; and violently repudiated it and all that had grown up under it.
The point most insisted upon by the General Assembly, at the time of the excision, and which stands in the records as the prime rock of offense, was the original unconstitutionality of the act of the Assembly which first endorsed the Plan of Union.
It certainly was an anomaly in Presbyterianism. But there ever will be those, who will wonder how the Assembly of 1837 happened to be so much wiser and more constitutional than the Assemblies which had, for thirty-six years, preceded it. And particularly must it be regarded as strange, that the dis- covery of unconstitutionality was not made when the Consti- tution of the Presbyterian Church was revised and adopted, almost created, twenty years after the Plan of Union was in operation.
The particularly odious feature in the practical working of that Plan, was the admission of Congregational Deacons and committee men into ecclesiastical bodies, upon equality of privilege with Elders of the Presbyterian Church.
But it is not in accordance with the true spirit of Presbyte- rianism to lay so much stress upon the ceremony of ordination, as to look with horror upon an officer appointed in another church to fulfil the same offices, and chosen for like virtues, standing in very nearly the same relationship to the church, as the Presbyterian Elder, even if appointed in a slightly dif-
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ferent way. There was evidently an unnecessary and invidi- ous nicety of discrimination used here. An acquaintance with both the officers of consociated Congregational Churches and Presbyterian Elders, discloses no such dissimilarity as renders their co-operation impracticable in ecclesiasticism. It can not be possible that Presbyterial action was vitiated by the parti- cipation of such representatives of Congregational churches as were introduced by the Plan of Union. An unprejudiced ex- amination of the whole subject, shows that the real grounds of division were, High Church denominationalism, a dislike of the co-operative benevolent institutions, particularly the Home Missionary Society, a fear of the democratic tendencies of Con- gregationalism, and an undue apprehension of the extent of Armenian doctrines and irregularities in practice, introduced into the Synod under the Union.
Had a judicious effort been made, these irregularities might have been corrected, and these heterodox elements expurgated (as they soon after indeed worked themselves out), without the excision. Yet there probably never could have been complete harmony between the elements that separated, be- tween co-operative and exclusive Presbyterians ; and sooner or later a division was unavoidable.
Of the particular methods by which the excision was brought about, it is not necessary to speak. No union so intimate and of such long standing, can be violently sundered, without strategy and counter strategy and cruelty and unrighteousness. But the end, deliverance from the Union, being predetermined, means would be found in time to consummate it. They were found and used. And the unsuspecting family of churches,
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that had grown up under that Union, without suspicion of illegitimacy or consciousness of offense, were suddenly appalled to fine themselves cast out as children of the bond-woman, not only without name or inheritance, but branded as infamous. It is naturally impossible for those who were thus rejectod, ever to feel that they were treated kindly or even civilly, much less in a christian spirit ; though they may, and should, forgive the excesses of sectarian zeal.
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