The American Missionary | Page 2

debt.
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CONGREGATIONALISM IN GEORGIA.
At the recent meeting of the American Home Missionary Society, held
in Saratoga (June 6th), the question of the future relations of the newly

formed Congregational Conference of Georgia to that Society, and to
the earlier Congregational Association of that State, was fully discussed,
and resulted in the following action:
In the full conviction that these churches are in accord with the
principles of Congregationalism, and with the principles of this Society,
and with those held by the Congregational churches which it
represents:
_Resolved._ That we heartily welcome them to fellowship with us in
the Gospel. We commend them to the fraternal sympathy and prayers
of all our people, and we request the officers of the society to extend to
them such financial aid as they may need as promptly as the state of its
treasury will allow.
_Resolved._ That this Society rejoices to learn that an effort is making
to unite the Georgia Congregational Conference and the Georgia
Congregational Association on principles of equal recognition and
fellowship of all the churches of each body, and trust that such a union
will be accomplished.
We are in full and hearty agreement with the general spirit of these
utterances. In the hope that the churches of the Georgia Conference are
in accord with the principles of Congregationalism, which do not
discriminate against men because of caste or color, we are prepared to
welcome them heartily. That Conference has already published its
Articles of Faith and of Church Government, and these have assured us
of its adherence to the general principles of the Congregational faith
and order. The only question still open is as to the readiness of that
body to unite with the Congregational churches already existing in that
State in the practical recognition of the broad Christian and
Congregational principles in the fellowship of all churches irrespective
of caste distinctions.
The second resolution quoted above rejoices in the effort now making
to unite the two Congregational bodies in Georgia on that basis. We
trust that effort may be successful, for we believe that such a union is
essential to recognition by the National Council and to the cordial
fellowship of the Congregational churches. The Georgia Association,
ever since its organization in 1878, has been recognized and
represented in every subsequent meeting of the National Council, and
we cannot see how the Council can consistently welcome another

organization, covering the same State, that is kept separate from the
older body by the line of race or color; nor do we believe that the
Congregational churches of this country will fellowship both
organizations thus held apart. We are confirmed in the correctness of
this impression from the decided and independent utterances of the
influential religious papers which so largely represent the sentiments of
the Congregational churches of this country.
We present below some extracts from such of these papers published
since the Saratoga meeting as have come to hand before the
MISSIONARY goes to press, while in another portion of our pages we
give more at length the prior utterances of these journals on the same
general subject. We deem the question to be so important that we wish
to lay it fully before our readers.
_From The Independent._
We have nothing but satisfaction to express with this action. It would
be absurd to imagine that Congregationalists could forget their spotless
record, and could now, for the pride of the addition of fifty or a
hundred churches, consent to help a movement that should put colored
brothers in a separate fellowship by themselves. This they will never do.
They will hold out a warm hand of welcome to all comers, and warmest
to those who come to them from the South, white and black: but they
want them to come together, not apart.
_From The Congregationalist._
This, we are confident, was the proper attitude for the Society to
assume. No one wanted to grieve or irritate the Southern brethren, by
clauses in the resolutions, which might seem uncalled for, or at all
distrustful of their explicit utterances. At the same time it should be
distinctly understood that the unanimous action taken means that the
Congregational churches stand exactly where the Presbyterians do, in
not abating one hair of their principles, and in forever demanding that
color shall prove no barrier to Christian fellowship in its truest, deepest
intent. This journal has taken this position repeatedly, and it re-asserts
it. Sooner or later, but as surely as the sun-rise, it will prevail, because
it is right, and our grandchildren, if not our children, will wonder that
any of our generation ever hesitated about it.
_From The Advance._
Then, the question as to the color-line in the churches, as known to

exist in the South, could not be