Excerpt from The Cumberland Presbyterian Digest: A Compend of the Organic Law of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Together With the Organic Law of Its General Agencies, and the Judicial Deliverances of Its Supreme Judicatory

Surely in regard to an Assembly Digest, applicable has been the proverb, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick." Fifty years ago the General Assembly first took action looking to the preparation of a Digest of its deliverances. If the need for it had become keenly felt at that time, what is to be said of the sore and growing need which has been experienced, from year to year, as the Assembly's legislation has been expanding and its decisions accumulating? It is painful to think of the much valuable time which has been consumed in our Church courts, from a lack of this work. Frequently has the writer seen the General Assembly occupy many hours with discussion in trying to settle a question which would not have been debated for a moment, had such a volume as this been at hand for making ready reference to past deliverances. In a Synod lately attended by the writer, almost an entire half day was wasted in debating a point which would never have been raised, had an Assembly Digest been accessible, and this is but an example of what has been constantly occurring in the Assembly, Synods, Presbyteries, Sessions, and congregational meetings. Nor has this loss of time been the only evil we have suffered. Still more do we regret the conflicting interpretations and deliverances made by different Church courts, and the contradictory decisions rendered by the same judicatory, even the General Assembly occasionally crossing its own path unawares.

Notwithstanding this long-felt need of a Digest, and the Assembly's repeated directions that it should be published, various hindrances have hitherto stood in the way of its appearance, such as the sickness of committeemen having the work in hand, a failure to find the manuscripts of deceased committeemen, lack of means to carry the work through the press, etc.

Such having been our experiences concerning a Digest, the whole Church will hail with delight the publication of this volume, a copy of which should immediately go into the library of every minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and into the hands of every Session Clerk as well. And henceforth we may reasonably expect to see more intelligence, harmony, uniformity and consistency in the proceedings of all our Church courts, also a great saving of time in their deliberations. Every judicatory will appreciate this medium for finding ready and authoritative answers to questions of history, government, and discipline, and every interest and enterprise of the denomination will be a receiver of material benefits coming through the correct and orderly business methods which this volume will promote.

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