1) THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HERSELF SEPARATED FROM THE CHURCH OF ROME:
Although the RC Church professed to believe apostolic Christianity and subscribed to the Apostle's Creed (as she still does) the Presbyterian Church through its links with John Calvin and John Knox and the Scottish Reformation saw the great need to separate from her fold. This is because Rome took on board other doctrines, teaching them in her colleges and therefore from her pulpits. Since no Bible believing Christian could tolerate these doctrines being taught under the name of Christianity and seeing that the curse of God is always upon apostasy, it was seen that separation was the only way to promote a vibrant, soulwinning Christianity.

2) THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND STOOD AMONG THE FAITHFUL, REFORMED CHURCHES:
Her "Westminster Confession of Faith" sets forth with great clarity and fidelity the fundamentals of the Christian faith and also exposed the errors of a pseudo Christianity. Who could begin to name the great galaxy of ministers who have graced Irish Presbyterian pulpits - from the early plantation men such as Blair, Welsh and Livingstone etc., right through to Henry Cooke and Dr Edgar etc.,?

3) THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT EVIL MEN PROPAGATING FALSE DOCTRINE WOULD ENTER INTO ORTHODOX CHURCHES:
It was already at work in Paul and John's day (2 Thessalonians 2:7/1 John 2:18) and Jude makes mention of it also (Jude 3 - 4) Paul warned the Ephesian elders: For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:29-30) Peter issued a similar warning: But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. (2 Peter 2:1-2)

4) WHEN SUCH THINGS HAPPEN…THE BIBLE LEAVES SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS AS TO WHAT DISTINCT ACTION IS TO BE TAKEN:
Heretics after the first and second admonitions are to be rejected (Titus 3:10) Those who have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof are to be turned away from (1 Timothy 6:3-5) Various other scriptures might be quoted: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18/Ephesians 5:11/1 Timothy 6:3-5 etc., all showing how the Apostles strongly rebuked and refused to tolerate those who were deviating from the gospel. This is seen clearly in that there were those who could not continue with the Apostles but left (1 John 2:19) separating themselves (not in accordance with Scripture) but who were "sensual, having not the Spirit" (Jude 19) A comparatively modern example of such were the "Non Subscribing Presbyterians" whose foothold in Irish Presbyterianism was halted by the righteous war waged against their beliefs by Dr Henry Cooke.

5) THE ABSENCE OF SUCH ACTION LEADS TO TOLERATION OF THESE TEACHINGS AND THEREFORE TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF THEM:
This may be denied, especially the latter, but such denials are untenable. We read in Obadiah 11: "In the day that thou stoodest on the other side…even thou wast as one of them." John Calvin comments: "They were not only idle spectators of the calamity of their brethren, but were also, as it were, a part of their enemies…" To remain silent while those in your denomination are denying the gospel either by (i) preaching contrary to it or (ii) by not preaching it at all is failing in the God given duty to "cry aloud and sin not" (Isaiah 59:1) and especially: "Reprove, rebuke with all longsuffering and doctrine." (2 Timothy 4:2) What would have become of us had Athanasius failed to challenge Arius or Luther failed to challenge the Pope?

6) THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND, NOT ONLY TOLERATES SUCH MEN IN HER RANKS, BUT HAS ENDORSED THEIR WRETCHED THEOLOGY:
It will suffice our case to examine but one incident which it is believed sealed the apostasy of Irish Presbyterianism. I refer to the heresy trial of Professor J.E. Davey in 1926. Much of the present mess that Irish Presbyterianism is in at the moment directly stems from this sad series of incidents.

Davey was a modernist who said concerning the WCF along with its Larger and Shorter Catechisms:
"The Church has been bluffed by the philosophical prejudices of theologians into accepting this negative definition" (Changing Vesture of the Faith: p245-246) Note: In order to draw his salary and to hold his position in the Church, Davey swore to uphold this Confession which he here vilified. A most despicable act indeed.

Davey considered the doctrine of Christ bearing away our sins on the tree as a theory and equated it with the Roman blasphemy of the mass.
"The centre of it's [Protestantism's] orthodox system is a doctrine , resting on a theory of imputation which is only another form of transubstantiation." (Changing Vesture of the Faith: p. 78)

Davey  was an evolutionist:
"The question is, Did God create the world by conjuring or by organic development which we call evolution? I think the second is better answer. I must accept the scientific explanation continually. (Belfast Newsletter 8-3-52) Note how, not only content to embrace evolution, he ridicules the act of creation as described in Genesis one as "conjuring"

Davey evidently did not believe in the inspiration of at least some of the Bible:
"The hand of the priest is everywhere in Joshua, magnifying and exaggerating the earlier history as seen through a golden haze." Again: "I myself have not claimed more than that there are elements in the book [of Revelation] which are not truly or fully Christian." (General Assembly's Record of the Professor Davey's heresy trial: pp 133/138)

On the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity, Davey's views were very brazen:
"We are really Unitarians." (Unitarian Magazine, September, 1944)
"I know of no proof texts for the Trinity which are conclusive." (Record of Trial: p149)
"Scripture therefore gives us no definite Trinitarian doctrine." (Record: p149)
"It is true that the Spirit is not a person in the same sense as God i.e. the Father. " (Record: p154)

Davey's views on the Person of the Lord Jesus were a studied insult on the Son of God:
"He [Jesus] would not have called himself innocent any more than good." (Record: p101)
"Even the Son is not good in himself." (Record: p102)
"The thought came to him in the minutes of felt desolation that he had failed, that he had made the great mistake when it was now too late to go back, that he had done the very thing which he had refused in his earlier temptations - he had tempted the Lord his God - and that God had abandoned him, and all was gone." (Record: p107)
"I do not think his opinions which reflect the standpoint and education of his day regarding the stars or evil spirits or Old Testament critical questions are for us." (Record: p112)
"Intellectually then, the Christ of the gospels is not final." (Record: p115)

THE HERESY TRIAL:
It comes as no surprise that Davey was the subject of a heresy trial. One of his students (W.J. Grier) challenged Davey's claim in class that Paul never claimed that Jesus pre existed as God before coming into the world. When Mr Grier quoted Philippians 2:6, Davey replied that he was right, Paul did so claim, but added "My faith is not in Paul." Rev. Hunter of Knock Presbyterian Church (Belfast) formulated heresy charges based on Davey's two books and notes from students present at his lectures. These quotations were acknowledged by Davey as being "substantially correct" The trial duly commenced and lasted fourteen sessions. Five charges were laid against Davey. In the first he pleaded "not guilty" whilst in the remaining four, by permission of the Presbytery, he submitted a plea of justification i.e. he set himself to show that he had sufficient warrant to teach what was being charged with.

GETTING IT ALL INTO PERSPECTIVE:
We ought to consider briefly the implications of the scene. Here stands a man charged with heresy. He is not a mere member of the church whose influences are minimal. He is a professor in its college where his influence is great. His students will occupy the pulpits of the church and the leaven of their teaching will have an effect (humanly speaking) on their congregations. If for good, they will "shine as the stars for ever" (Daniel 12:2) but if for bad, then they be "blind leaders of the blind" and we should fearfully remember that "both fall into the ditch" (Matthew 15:4) This man Davey stands as a professed Unitarian. In his own words, his faith is not in Paul (i.e. in a large part of the New Testament) His faith is not even ultimately in Christ for he has said that Christ 's word is not final. He has attacked his Church's very Confession of Faith, although he solemnly swore before God and the congregation to uphold it. The Rev. W.H. Nesbit quoted Davey as having said: "The Jewish view was that Jesus was the illegitimate son of Joseph and Mary, and I accept that view." A number of Davey's own witnesses from the previous year admitted that Davey taught that Paul's philosophy on sin was different from ours and at least one declared that Davey taught that it was legitimate to accept both the adoptionist and incarnationist view. The adoptionist view teaches that Christ was made God at some point in His career.

The matter comes to a head. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is called upon to make its decision. It must declare its faith. If it supports Mr. Hunter and the forty or so who helped formulate the charges, then Unitarianism, Adoptionism and modernism is heretical. On the other hand, if Davey is acquitted, then it is accepted that his views are to be accepted and that Jesus Christ was intellectually limited and the illegitimate son of Mary and Joseph. (I blush even to repeat this hellish blasphemy) The issue is most solemn and the standing of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland trembles in the balance.

THE OUTCOME:
Charge One: Davey was voted "not guilty" (60 votes to 5)
Charge Two: Davey's plea of justification was sustained (63-7)
Charge Three: Davey admitted the accuracy of the statements quoted in the charge. His plea of justification was sustained (65-11)
Charge Four: Davey's pleas of justification sustained (69-10)
Charge Five: Davey's pleas of justification sustained (69-11)
The General Assembly, like the presbytery, supported Davey (707-82)

Not only was Davey with his "accursed gospel" (See Galatians 1:8) upheld in the 1927 Presbytery trial, but the Irish Presbyterian Church proceeded to elect him as Moderator in 1953 thus honouring him further. W.P. Nicholson, the famous Ulster evangelist, wrote at this time:
"So they have chosen Davey for Moderator. That's the last straw on the camel's back, as they say. I can't see how any minister or member can remain any longer in the denomination, especially when they have a real Presbyterian Church to go to. Tell Mr. Paisley to preach on Revelation 18:4 'And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.'"

Rev. Hunter and Mr. Grier resigned membership of the Irish Presbyterian Church and founded the Irish Evangelical Church (now known as the Evangelical Presbyterian Church) The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster also separated from an Irish Presbyterian congregation in 1951.
Since these heady days, other liberal professors have stood and taught in the Assembly's College e.g. Professors Haire, Fulton and Barclay etc., RC priests have stood in her pulpits - her Clerk of Presbytery welcomed the visit of the Pope to Ireland. A so called evangelical proposed and won a motion to remove the reference in the WCF as Antichrist. Unsaved elders and reprobate ministers sit in the presbytery. The "week of Christian Unity" which was begun in 1908 by a RC priest and two Anglo Catholic Church of England ministers is supported as indeed is the ecumenical evangelism of Billy Graham who sends many of his converts back into Romanism. The soul destroying Charismatic Movement finds support in her midst. A recent pattern in electing Moderators show that this vital post is shared between "evangelicals" and "ecumenicals" Soul destroying error is thus deeply entrenched in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

7) THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND IS COMMITTED, AS REGARDS ITS FUTURE, TO APOSTASY FROM GOD:
We point to its continued membership of the World Council of Churches (WCC) which was formed in 1948 to (quoting its own words) "reverse the trend commenced at the Reformation." The WCC has given grants to African terrorist organizations and at it's Vancouver Congress some years ago, included in its opening ceremonies Indians dancing round a totem pole in spirit worship. Perhaps it will be argued that the Irish Presbyterian Church left the WCC some years ago. This is easily refuted. They are still in membership of other bodies which are in membership of the WCC. The Churches Correspondent in the Belfast Telegraph suggested that the decision to pull out of the WCC was to "avert a drift to the Paisley camp" (i.e. the Free Presbyterian Church) and so we can judge the withdrawal to be based rather on tactics rather than any great Biblical motive. The fact that priests of Rome are still welcome in some Presbyterian pulpits indicates that there is no lock, stock and barrel desire to remove the vestiges of apostasy of the Church. The withdrawal from the WCC was simply a ploy to maintain the grip of the Church on compromised evangelicals who are deaf to the call of God.

8) THESE THINGS BEING SO, THE CHILD OF GOD WHO IS STILL IN MEMBERSHIP OR WHO HAS ASSOCIATION WITH THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND SHOULD OBEY THE WORD OF GOD AND "COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND BE SEPARATE" (2 CORINTHIANS 6:14)
In real terms, this is not optional. This is not something which is subject to prevailing conditions or opinions. "To obey is better than sacrifice" (! Samuel 15:22)