EXTRACT FROM THE ADDRESS 
 
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 KT. REV. THOMAS ATKINSON, 
 
 BX8HOP OF N0BTH CABOLIHA, 
 
 Be/are the Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church, held at 
 Bakighy September ISth, 1885.. 
 
 " There is a question of the greatest interest and impor- 
 tance, which this Diocese, in common with its associates in 
 the late Confederate States, is compelled by recent political 
 events to consider. The authority of the civil government 
 of the United States having been re-established, what is to 
 be our relation to the Church of the United States ? Ought 
 we to maintain an organization distinct and independent of 
 it, or to seek re-union with it? This is a question which it 
 is certain, requires of us, all of calm and dispassionate wis- 
 dom that we can command, and what is even more imnor- 
 tant, a supreme reference to the honor of our Lord and the 
 welfare of His Church, making us willing to sacrifice to 
 these objects, whatever tends merely to gratify our own feel- 
 ings, or to gain the favor of our fellow men. To me it is 
 plain that this is a critical moment in the history of the 
 Church, both at the North and the South — that on the de- 
 cision it shall now reach, and the action it shall now pursue, 
 it will depend very much, whether in the future if shall sink 
 to the level of a mere sect, or rather a bundle of hostile sects^ 
 or shall maintain its claim to be a pure and vigorous branch 
 of the Church, Catholic, rising continually into wider use 
 
W <^£\ 
 
 I, alfd ^^fe#i#l!jftfl^fl^^t,lei]yth it shall become 
 the Church, not merely in the United States, but of the 
 American people. 
 
 The organization of a Church in the Confederate States, 
 distinct from that in the United States, was I conceive, jus- 
 tifiable, and, indeed, would have been, if events had occur- 
 red according to our expectation, indispensable to enable us 
 to do our full duty to the people entrusted to our care. 
 Otherwise we could make no provision for the election, con- 
 secration, and trial of Bishops, for sustaining and regulating 
 our missionary efforts, and for the mutual counsel and co- 
 operation which we needed. Maimed and impotent as the 
 Church at the South had been rendered by our political sep- 
 aration from the North, had she shown that she had no {£ ins 
 medicatrix " in herself, men would have been ready to for- 
 sake her, as a dead body, and join some religious society, 
 that, whatever might be its defects, at least had life in it. 
 
 The Confederate States would either maintain their inde- 
 pendence, or they would not. If they maintained it, as we 
 believed they would, then the preface to the American Prayer 
 Book, itself taught us that " Eclesiastical Independence 
 was necessarily included in Civil, " a proposition which 
 goes far beyond what we need to maintain for our justifica- 
 tion. If, on the contrary, the Confederate Government 
 should fail, the union of the Southern Dioceses under it, 
 would be at least an aid and benefit to 4 them, while it 
 lasted. I think no man can study Church History intelli- 
 gently and candidly, and then deny that our action was sub- 
 stantially the same which the primitive Bishops and Coun- 
 cils would have adopted. To condemn it serves to show 
 either the violence of political feeling, or a narrow adher- 
 ence to forms, rather than a right perception of the spirit of 
 the institutions of the Church. 
 
 Having then as we trust, not seriously erred in the past, 
 how shall we avoidr mistake and wrong in the future ? Shall 
 we continue a separate church organization at the South, or 
 
 p~0 
 
shall we seek our former place in fche -church of the United 
 ; States ? To decide this it is well to inquire what were our 
 reasons for forming that organization. They grew out of 
 the political separation of the Southern States from the 
 Northern. There was no controversy or cause of alienation 
 in the Church whatsoever. As the Bishops of the Southern 
 Dioceses, at the meeting of the only G-eneral Council which 
 has been held, said in their Pastoral Letter, " Forced by the 
 Providence of God to separate ourselves from the Protestant 
 Episcopal Church in the United States — a church with whose 
 doctrine, discipline and worship we are in entire harmony, 
 and with whose action up to the time of that separation, we 
 were abundantly satisfied," the feeling of the Southern 
 Dioceses, towards the body of which they had formed a part 
 was entirely cordial and kindly. During the war, lan- 
 guage was undoubtedly used by ministers and members of 
 the Church at the North, which appeared to us, justly liable 
 to exception, but no act has been done by the Church as a> 
 body of which we can complain. There being many reasons 
 for union, and the cause which produced our separation 
 having ceased, it would appear now that re-union is the wise 
 and proper course. But it appears to me to be even more, 
 to be the course required of us by our principles as Church- 
 men. Unity of government is. one of the most essential 
 parts of that unity of His Church, which our Saviour stamp- 
 ed on it, as one of its marks and characters, but which men 
 have so signally defaced. This unity the Primitive Church 
 enjoyed by means of its General Councils. It is now lost 
 and with it much of the inward life and progressive power 
 of the Church are lost. 
 
 The unity of the Church in each Nation, in government 
 as in faith, has been retained as a principle, and with some 
 slight and easily explained exceptions, as a fact, wherever 
 the Church derived from the Apostles has been planted, — - 
 The Church of England for example, is one, the Gallican 
 Church is one, the Church of Eussia is one. The non ju- 
 
rorSy of England, with so much that was admirable m their 
 leaders and in their cause, failed very much on this account, 
 ihat if successful, if they had maintained their organization, 
 they would have accomplished a schism in the National 
 Church. This principle of the unity of the church in each 
 country was carefully kept in view by the fathers of the 
 American Church. They called that branckof the Church 
 <l The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. " 
 "They provided for Dioceses to be formed in each one of the 
 United States, and in any Territory thereof. On the same 
 principle the Church in the Confederate States acted, and a 
 corresponding provision did it introduce into its constitution. 
 Now, shall we of our own accord, renounce this approved 
 and time honored principle ? I speak not of what we may 
 "be compelled to do in these sad times. It may become neces- 
 sary to throw overboard precious treasures, in order to save 
 lliose which are still more precions. But shall we choose to 
 abandon this ancient and salutary principle, and do what we 
 can to put ourselves on the footing of a new sect? It is 
 easy to see what the practical cos sequences of- such a course 
 would be. If the Southern Dioceses shall not be in commun- 
 ion with the Church in the United States, congregations 
 will be fenced in those Dioceses, preferring, sometimes from 
 their view of church principles, sometimes on political 
 grounds, sometimes from early association, to retain and 
 hold fast by that cornea union. 
 
 Rival congregations will be established in the same town, 
 altar will be set up against altar, and preacher inveigh 
 against preacher, until instead of the Church being as here- 
 tofore the refuge of those who love peace and prefer religi- 
 ous instruction and exhortation to political harangues, it 
 will itself become a den of controversy, and a. fomenter of 
 political passion. "Similar results maybe expected in some 
 ^degree at the North, especially in the border States and the 
 great cities', for in these congregations with Southern sym- 
 pathies might well be organized. Let us then endeavor to 
 
forecast the future as well as we can, for we are not deciding;^ 
 any ephemeral question. The conclusion to which we shall 
 now come is one in which our children .and our children's 
 children nave a deep interest as well as ourselves. The 
 authority of the government of the United States is re-es- 
 tablished]* over the South, and there is an universal disclaim- 
 er of any intention or desire to attempt to unsettle it. Bat- 
 it is very far from being certain what the nature of the Union 
 is to he which has heen cemented again with so muchbloodL- 
 Is it to be one of constraint, or one of affection ? Is the 
 South to be added to the melancholy list of oppressed nation- 
 alities — to become an American Poland or Hungary, to live 
 by the side of the North in a state of chronic turbulence,,, 
 uspicious and suspected, hating and hated? A doom so 
 mournful and <»o humiliating is certainly not to be desired— 
 Can.it be averted t i'o me it seems very much to depend on 
 the Ministers of Beligion. They have a .great deal to do in. 
 moulding the sentiments of a people. They sit by their 
 firesides — they are admitted into their most confidential- 
 communications. A feeling which they sanction is, on that 
 account, much more strongly believed to be right and pro- 
 per to be cherished, while one which they reprobate is, even 
 if still indulged in, thought to be of a questionable nature. 
 The effect of this has been very plainly exhibited in the re- 
 cent history of our country. 
 
 No one, I suppose, doubts that the disruption of the bonds 
 which held together some of our largest religious bodies, 
 and the erection at the North and South of rival and hostile 
 communions, perpetually inveighing against each other, 
 bandying to and fro the most offensive charges, and stimula- 
 ting the passions of the people of both sections, that all this 
 led, by necessary consequence, immediately and powerfully 
 to the political severance, which culminated in the recent 
 terrible war. If we suppose then that there is to be hence- 
 forth no religious unison between the North and the South, 
 .except eo far as the Roman Catholic Church furnishes it, 
 
6 
 
 what will be the result ? One obvious and certain conse- 
 quence will be the immense increase of tbe Eoman Catholic 
 Church. But as that is not likely to absorb very soon, the 
 whole, or the greater part of the people, there will be this 
 further consequence, a mutual and constantly increasing es- 
 trangement between the people themselves. The soreness 
 and irritation which necessarily exist, will be perpetuated 
 and rendered more intense, and wounds instead of healing 
 ander the soothing effects of time, will be kept open and be- 
 come ulcers, only to be extirpated by fire and sword. It is 
 then of cardinal importance to the peace and welfare of the 
 country, that there should be a re-union of the different re- 
 ligious denominations which now have distinct organizations 
 at the North and the South. But I believe it to be perfectly 
 evident, that if this is to take place, it must begin with 
 fhe Episcopal Church. If that cannot, or will not re-unite 
 none can or will. We separated from the force of outward 
 circumstances, without discord, without crimination or re- 
 crimination, on the contrary, with the language of love on 
 our lips, and I trust and believe, with the feeling of love in 
 our hearts. 
 
 And again, we feel strongly the force of certain cohesive 
 principles in the Church, which other Protestant bodies, 
 cither altogether disregard or attach very little value to. — 
 We believe that schism is a sin, as well as a sourceof innum- 
 erable and incalculable evils. And surely wilful separation 
 from a church with which we hate hitherto been in union, 
 is schism, or schism is a very mysterious and impalpable 
 thing, a sentimental grief, not a plain matter of fact, taking 
 place before the eyes of men. An enforced separation is not 
 schism. The Church of Scotland is not schisnlatical as to 
 the Church of England, because the State keeps them apart. 
 The Church in the Confederate States was not schismatical 
 as to the Church in the United States, because war and di- 
 versities of political government kept them apart. 
 
 But when there is no war and no diversity of political 
 government, then io remain apart because we cannot bear 
 
each other's presence, that is schism and great uncharitable-- 
 ness, and so the common sense of all men who believe that 
 there is such a sin, will ultimately decide. But; it has been 
 maintained that a common government is not essential to 
 unity in the church, this consisting in unity of order, ritual, 
 faith and spirit. Certainly a common government is not in- 
 dispensable where it cannot be had, for no man is required to 
 do that which is impossible. And it is certain also that 
 Church unity consists of many particulars, but surely unity 
 of government is one of these, for two ' ecclesiastical bodies 
 with two distinct and independent governments can, only by 
 great riolence done to language, be called one body, and. 
 this also ought to be carefully considered, that a common 
 government is the necessary condition of unity in any other 
 relation of the Church. For if one ecclesiastical body 
 separate into two, what shall prevent the one part or the 
 other from making innovations in what had been their com- 
 mon ritual. No ritual is absolutely perfect, and consequent- 
 ly there is always a desire to amend in some way or other ; 
 and it is certainly very improbable that the same amend - 
 ments shall recommend themselves to both parties. And 
 even unity of faith can hardly be preserved where there is 
 diversity of government. For in some form or other it will 
 be apt to appear that there may be an improvement either 
 in the faith itself or in the expression of it, and especially 
 will changes of this sort be likely to be accomplished, where 
 one of these bodies is small and but few persons have to be 
 consulted. It is certain that the magnitude of an ecclesias- 
 tical body tends to the stability of its faith. All this seems 
 to me to be illustrated and enforced by what occured at the 
 organization of the Church in the United States. We all 
 know with what wisdom, patience and prudence this was 
 effected, and how sincerely the Fathers of the American 
 Church desired and even promised, not to depart in their 
 new organization from the faith of the Church of England. 
 Yet the Athanaisan creed has been expunged, and the ar- 
 
8 
 
 tide of -the descent into hell in the Apostle? ' creed, is allow- 
 ed either to be omitted or to have as its equivalent the 
 phrase, " He went into the place of departed spirits, " 
 which is not considered by many distinguished Divines as 
 being by any means its equivalent. In our case changes' 
 might be made with much less difficulty, for we have made 
 no promises, and are likely to be a smaller body. There 
 are persons of influence at the Korth, and I believe also at 
 the South, who have desired the exclusion of the "Filioque" 
 from the Kicene Creed. Suppose this were adopted by the 
 one party? it would be more likely on that very account to 
 be rejected by the other. We shall then have the same wall 
 of separation between us, which chiefly divides the Roman 
 Catholic Church from the Greek. And the party which 
 adopted the Greek type of the creed would be quite apt to 
 exhibit the feeling of the Greeks,, who consider all heterodox 
 who diifer from them on this point. In short, it seems to 
 me that two ecclesiastical bodies who have distinct and in- 
 dependent governments, "will be very sure to vary in many 
 important particulars, furnishing a battle ground for the 
 bitterest-controversv. 
 
 I am aware that it may be replied that this line of argu- 
 ment would tend to prove that there is schism in our separa- 
 tion from the Eoman Catholic Church, and I admit it to be 
 fair consequence, but we maintain that the schism is on 
 their side. If they admitted of our communion with them, 
 professing only the ancient creeds and submitting to the 
 authority of general councils lawfully constituted and 
 founding all their decisions on the Scriptures, he who would 
 refuse to unite with them, would show much more regard 
 for his own tastes and feelings than to the precepts ol Christ. 
 But when thev demand of us as the terms of communion — 
 the acknowledgement of the divine authority of the modern 
 and unscriptural creed of Pope Pius IYth, and the grievous 
 addition made to it by the present reigning Pope, we main- 
 tain that we cannot accede to this condition without violating 
 
9 
 
 ; our duty to God, and that the sin of the schism therefore 
 lies at their door. And so as to our present duty, if the 
 Church in the United States demanded of us unscripturai or 
 otherwise inadmissible terms of communion, and we sepa- 
 rate thereupon, ^becomes schismatical. If it demand none 
 such, and we wilfully refuse union, we are the schismatics. 
 
 Now these are principles which the Episcopal Church has 
 not only always held explicitly or implicitly, hut held aloft. 
 She has inculcated them upon her children, and thundered 
 them in the ears of her adversaries. If then the Church 
 which only separated because of outward circumstances 
 which have passed away, if that church, holding principles 
 which are so strongly adverse to separation, if she cannot 
 re-unite, how can other bodies which parted in mutual dis- 
 gust and indignation, and which regard diversity of organi- 
 zation as a merit and a blessing rather than an evil, how 
 can they be expected to come together again? And yet if 
 the Episcopal Church should, they must, or they will lose 
 their bold on the best part of their people, and probably at 
 length become extinct. For religious minded and thought- 
 ful men, who fear God and love their country, and seek af- 
 ter that charity and peace which are the especial fruitJ of 
 the Spirit, will certainly seek a shelter and a home in that 
 communion in which these graces are cultivated, rathen than 
 in those bodies, which rent asunder by political strife, ex- 
 haust their energies in mutual warfare. I conceive there 
 fore that the best hopes of the country, and especially of the 
 South, are bound up in the question, what will the Episcopal 
 Church now do ? My earnest desire then, and constant 
 prayer is, that the Church may be restored again in the unity 
 of its government, and the unfeigned love of its members. 
 And yet I can not conceal from myself, that even this bless- 
 ing, much as it is to be desired, earnestly as it is to be sought 
 after may be bought at too great a price. The price would 
 be too great, if to obtain it, we were required to violate con- 
 science, to deny what we believe to be true, or to express re- 
 
10 
 
 pentance for what we do not see to be evil. The assurances, 
 however, which I have received from a number of friends at 
 the North, lead me to believe that the great body of the 
 Church there desire nothing of the sort. And if there be, as 
 perhaps there may be, some persons in that communion, who 
 are contentious, and desire to perpetuate discord and 
 degrade their former brethren, let us hope that their num- 
 ber will prove to be small as their principles are evil and 
 pernicious. And let me add that what is right to be done on 
 this weighty subject, it is right should be done quickly. 
 The interests are too momentous to be left to the hazards and 
 uncertainties of time. May God give us wisdom and under- 
 tanding and faithful hearts to see our duty and to follow it. 
 And at the same time it ie our duty, as it is, I am sure, ©ur 
 wish, in all we do on this subject to consult, and as far as 
 possible, co-operate with the other Dioceses of the Church in 
 the Confederate States. 
 
 I think it right to add a few words on another topic con- 
 nected with ©ur political condition. It is, on our duty to the 
 colored population, lately liberated by the action of the Gov- 
 ernment of the United States. Some of us have ever feared 
 while the colored people were in the condition of slavery, 
 that the power and control which the white race possessed 
 over them, was not exercised in such a way as to make us 
 acceptable to God, and laithful stewards in His sight. — 
 There was much kind feeling towards our servants, which 
 was fully reciprocated by them ; there was a good deal of 
 care shown in providing for their bodily wants, but very in- 
 sufficient attention was paid to their moral and religious im- 
 provement. At the same time, I take pleasure in bearing 
 this testimony, which is, I think, very honorable to the 
 masters and mistresses under the old system, that they lis- 
 tened to sharp and pointed rebukes and remonstrances on 
 this subject, not only with patience but with gratitude, that 
 they desired to learn their duty, that they were year by year 
 improving in the discharge of it, that the chief care and la- 
 
11 
 
 Ibor of many men, and a still larger number of the women of 
 the South were occupied in promoting the welfare of their ser- 
 vants, and, that under our system of slavery, the Afri- 
 can race made a progress during the last hundred years, not 
 only in numbers and physical comfort, but a progress from 
 barbarism to civilization, from Heathenism to Christianity, 
 to which the history of the world offers no parallel- But 
 the system was no doubt defective, better adapted to the early 
 stage of a people's progress from the savage state, than to 
 that which they have now reached ; and at any rate, God in 
 lis Providence has definitively set it aside. The future of 
 that people is very obscure, and there is, in the judgment of 
 many, great danger even of their extinction as a race. 
 
 What then must we do as Christian men and women ? 
 We must continue our care for them ; we ought even to in- 
 crease it. We have sorely been in some degree delinquent 
 in the past, let us resolve in God's strength, not to be so for 
 the future. We shall have less of natural affection to ani- 
 mate us ; let us try to have more of christian principle.— 
 Slavery, strangely as such a sentiment may sound at the 
 Tabernacle, or in Exeter Hall, has much in it to attach men 
 to each other. There is protection on the one side and de- 
 pendence on the other, and as the wisdom of Lord Bacon 
 long ago taught us,- 1 i There is little friendship in the world, 
 and least of all between equals. That that is, is between 
 superior and inferior, whose fortunes may comprehend the 
 one, the other." This relation, however, with whatever it 
 had of good, and whatever of evil, being now at an end, 
 but the subjects of it being still in the midst oi us, necessa- 
 rily poor, generally ignorant, and generally improvident, 
 their wants and their dangers must be very great. That 
 then which becomes us towards all men, especially becomes 
 us towards them. First to be just, next to be kind. Let us 
 remember then that by our existing political system, in 
 which we have acquiesced, they have a right to wages for 
 their labor. Let us pay them then, not grudgingly or of 
 necessity, but as an honest debt. The amount must of course, 
 depend on the value of their labor, the number of their fam- 
 ilies, whom we have to support, and partly too, on the re- 
 sources of a much impoverished people ; but as Christians 
 we must see to it, that we give them " that which is just 
 and equal, knowing that we also have a Master in Heaven. " 
 
12 
 
 But we ought to be more than just. That is bat the 
 heathen standard of right. As Christians, we must aim at 
 something higher. We must remember the ignorance and 
 inexperience of these, who are to so great an extent, grown 
 children. We must allow for the immediate, intoxicating" 
 effect of so great and sudden a change in their condition. — 
 We must keep in mind their general faithfulness in the hour 
 of trial. We must allow for occasional i stances of what 
 seems to us folly, or perversity, or ingratitude. We must 
 practice towards them the, Apostical injunctions which are so~ 
 strikingly united. a Be pitiful, be courteous.** Their dis- 
 tresses in their new condition are likely to ne many and 
 greaft Let us be ready to relieve them accordingly as God 
 gives us the means. They are as a race, peculiarly sensible 
 of courtesy, or the absence of it. They show it abundantly 
 themselves, and they are very much wounded when it is de- 
 nied to them. They ieel contempt or rudeness, more than a 
 serious injury. Let us inuict none of these on them. Let 
 us make them feel, what is, I believe, most true, that their 
 best friends are among ourselves, and that to us, they must 
 look for counsel, and aid, and protection. But above all, let 
 us remember that part of our duty, in which, I fear, we have- 
 been most deficient, providing for them sound, religious in- 
 struction. They are in great danger of falling into the 
 hands of mischievous, and sometimes, no doubt, malevolent 
 fanatics, which would l)e a great calamity to them, and also 
 to us. Let us endeavor to avert it, by doing what is at any 
 rate our duty, by giving them the true doctrine of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ in lieu of the vain janglings of false teachers. 
 Let us raise up colored congregations in our towns, and let 
 all our clergy feel that an important part of their charge is to> 
 teach and to ^befriend the colored people, and especially to 
 train, as far as they are permitted to do so, the children of 
 that race." 
 
 The following resolutions were passed by the Council : 
 
 " The committee to whom was referred that part of the 
 Bishop's address which relates to the re-union of the diocese 
 of North Carolina with the Protestant Episcopal Church in 
 the United States, having considered the subject laid before 
 them, beg leave to report that oeing anxious to maintain the 
 unity of the Church within the borders of the United States, 
 and remembering with satisfaction the entire harmony which 
 formerly existed among the dioceses, they have heard, with 
 gratification, the sentiments expressed by the Bishop ot this 
 
13 
 
 diocese, in regard to re-union, and have received with equal 
 pleasure the cordial invitation which has been extended by 
 the presiding Bishop of the Church in the United States, to 
 the Bishops and dioceses of the South, to return to their 
 places in the General Convention ; therefore, 
 
 HesoLved y That the diocese of North Carolina is prepared 
 to resume her position as a diocese in connection with the 
 Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, whenever, 
 in the judgment of the Bishop, after consultation with the 
 Bishops of the Southern dioceses (which consultation he is 
 hereby requested to hold) it shall be consistent with the good 
 iaith which she owes to the Dioceses with which she has been 
 in union during the past four years. 
 
 Resolved, That with a view to such contingency, there be 
 ibur Clerical and four Lay deputies elected to represent this 
 Diocese in the ensuing general Convention of the Protestant 
 Episcopal Church in the United States. 
 
 K. S. MASON, Chin'n. 
 
 The following delegates were elected to the General Con- 
 vention to be held at Philadelphia in October, under the fore- 
 going resolutions : 
 
 Clergy. — Keverends K. S. Mason, F. M. Hubbard, J. B. 
 Cheshire-, W. Hodges. 
 
 Lay Delegates. — Hon. Wm. H. Battle, E. H. £niith, Bobt. 
 Strange, Kemp P. Battle, 
 
 PRIKTKD AT J. C. GORMAX'S BOOK ABD JOB OOTOB, BaLBTOH, N. C.