Another result would probably be the reduction in number of the sects of Christendom. It would certainly not lead to the consolidation of all denominations, at least in the near future, if ever; but it would make the church of God one in feeling, and one in its standing before the world. Sectarianism is one of the greatest obstacles to the conversion of mankind to Christ, and the general acknowledgment, by all, of the churchship of all would silence the most effective cavils, as well as commend the church to the favor of God.

It is a mistake to seek consolidation of all organizations, and absolute uniformity of forms of creed, sacrament, worship, and government. It is based upon a misunderstanding of what Christian unity is. It is not the acceptance of a form; it is a common union with Christ. If this be true, we have already the thing we seek. We are one. What, then, is needed? The manifestation

and practice of unity. We are simply to strive to live up to the fact. Just as with any other spiritual fact in the case of an individual or a collection of individuals, we are to live up to it.

I appeal to psalm-singing Presbyterian close-communionists: Have you a right to refuse church fellowship to those who sing uninspired hymns? And to the Baptists: Have you a right to deny communion to non-immersionists, and to rebaptize members of other denominations when they come to you, and to rebaptize and reördain their ministers when they ask orders in your denomination, when you acknowledge that they are Christians? I appeal to the Episcopalians: Though you accept the baptism of other denominations, have you a right to treat those going from us to you as if they had never been church members, and to refuse the admittance of ministers of other sects into your pulpits? Do you not cordially concede that we are Christians; and do you not declare that when we die we go to heaven? How, then, can you say that we are not a church, and that our ministers are not ministers at all? Can this be justified before Christ? or would the great apostle to the Gentiles approve it?

We are one family; let us acknowledge it; so far from being ashamed, let us all glory in it. Any denomination may declare that it is the nearest to the Scripture model, and lovingly endeavor

to persuade all others to believe all which itself believes, and yet cordially acknowledge that we are all one family in Christ, and members one of another.

We are named for Christ. whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." We are named "Christians." Let us not say, "I am of Paul," "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas." Paul was not crucified for you. Christian is a nobler name than that of any denomination. The proudest title which any man on earth or any saint in heaven can wear is that derived from the name of his Saviour and King; and the grandest of all confessions is, "I believe in Christ; I am a Christian." Let us look more upon the things which we all hold in common. We have one God the Father, one Holy Spirit the Sanctifier, one Christ the Saviour, one Bible, one gospel, and one everlasting home; a house of many mansions, but one house, one building of God, eternal in the heavens.

He is declared to be the one "of

In view of these great things which we hold in common, let us love and acknowledge one another. Let us preach the gospel in each other's pulpits, join in a common communion at our several tables of the Lord. Let us assemble around one common mercyseat in prayer. Let us coöperate in all evangelical missions, and let us thus show to the world, to each other, and to Christ, in every way, that his prayer is being answered, in which he asked for his people that they might be one.

Richmond, Virginia.

ROBERT P. KERR.

VIII. THE SOUTHERN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 1897.

The Assembly met in the First Church, Charlotte, N. C., on May 20th at 11 a. m. The city was celebrating the anniversary of the Mechlenburg Declaration of Independence with great pomp and parade, when the commissioners gathered in that beautiful church, in that most historic town of the Old North State, to hear the opening sermon of the retiring moderator, and to organize themselves into what has proved to be the most memorable and important Assembly in the history of the church since the first one in 1861, at Augusta, Ga.

The opening sermon by Rev. R. Q. Mallard, D. D., of New Orleans, was on the text, "And it came to pass when the ark of God set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee before thee. And when it rested he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel." He announced as his subject, "The camping and the marching of Israel." He described the position of the tribes, and the arrangements for marching, each being where, and moving as, God intended it to. It was the march of the church, the tribes corresponding to the denominations of modern times. He then showed that church unity is that of the Spirit, and that separate denominations in no way interfere with true unity. He closed by giving some of the distinctive principles of our Southern Presbyterian Church: (1), A positive written creed resting upon the bedrock of the Scriptures alone, subscribed ex animo by all officers, and unblushingly proclaimed in the ears of a mocking world. (2), Utter, entire, everlasting separation of church and state. (3), The rulers in the church are permanent, educated, divinely ordained, of the male sex, and are divided into two classes, teaching and ruling elders. The close of Dr. Mallard's sermon plainly indicated that there are reasons still for the separate existence of the Southern Presbyterian Church; and the mood of the Assembly was

just as plainly against "organic union" with anything on earth, as was shown later, when the Reformed Dutch Church was up for consideration.

"Who will be moderator?" was a question often asked that morning; and "friends" were urging reasons for one man, and reasons against another. It was a pity. Electioneering should never enter a church court. It was unhappy in this case, and will always prove so. Some one moved to enter upon the election of moderator without nominations, following the precedent of the Memphis Assembly. This was very properly tabled. The Holy Spirit can "inspire" a nomination as well as a secret ballot. Four men were nominated: two professors, Dr. Robert Price, of Southwestern Presbyterian University, and Dr. F. R. Beattie, of Louisville Theological Seminary, and two pastors, Dr. S. M. Neel, of Kansas City, and Dr. George T. Goetchius, of Rome, Ga. The race was between the two pastors. They were classmates and bosom friends. Dr. Goetchius received the most votes and he was then unanimously elected, and his friend and class-mate, Dr. Neel, escorted him to the chair.

Dr. Goetchius proved himself to be a moderator of whom no man need be ashamed. Perhaps few men have upheld the dignity of that highest office in our church better than he. A thorough parliamentarian, he kept the Assembly out of "tangles," and pushed forward its business. Not once was a single ruling of his reversed or even appealed from. He was a moderator who was a moderator. On the last day, as the Assembly was about to close, many took occasion to express their high appreciation of the way in which he had discharged his onerous duties. It was a hard Assembly to manage. There were amendments, amendments to amendments, substitutes, and amendments to substitutes, till a less able moderator would have been utterly lost, and the Assembly with him. But not so with our moderator. He always knew where we were, and could instantly state the very matter before the house with its relation to all that had gone before, and he kept the Assembly at work on the very thing then before the house. It is to be hoped that in all future Assemblies the example of this Assembly will be followed in

selecting a moderator for his ability as a moderator, and not merely to honor some good brother grown gray in service, but utterly unable "to hold down" an Assembly at work.

There were many notable men on the floor of this Assembly. A body more thoroughly representative of the distinctive principles for which the Southern Chuch stands perhaps never gathered together before since its formation. The old leaders, the men whom the church delights to honor, were there in force. Five ex-moderators-Drs. Dabney, Hoge, Smoot, King, and Mallard-were on the floor as commissioners; two others, Drs. Wilson and Farris, are permanent officers of the Assembly; two others, Drs. Witherspoon and Strickler, took part in the Westminster celebration; and two others, Drs. Hemphill and Hill, were present as visitors. Thus there were present at this Assembly eleven ex-moderators. Also there were present twelve professors in our colleges and seminaries-leading men, every one.

It was an old man's Assembly. The old leaders were always heard with appreciation. They shaped its legislation. This was right. Age gives counsel worthy of a hearing. It was not a talking Assembly. Many men never opened their mouths to speak. Of course, there were a few who talked so much that the Assembly grew impatient of them, and often repeated to itself, when listening, the words of Eliphaz the Temanite: "Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?" Alas! no; a wise man should not!

It was a working Assembly. It was at work from 9:30 o'clock A. M. to 10 P. M. all the time. The committees were prompt in their work, and the docket was never cleared till the gavel dropped at the close on the last day. The moderator had no lack of excellent material for chairmen of the important committees; and the committees were prompt in shaping the matters referred to them for the Assembly's action.

While the commissioners were being enrolled, a tall, spare, nervous man arose and said: "Moderator, I desire to be enrolled. I could not, for reasons not interesting to the Assembly, put my hands on my certificate from my presbytery; but I desire now to