New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-01-24

have to say to yOtir catholic practice viii not
undertake to determine. And whether in "mls-
sionary'' enterprise and the circulation Of Gods
word YOU find yourselves in brotherly unity with
the Methodists, need not inform the public But
will say that the professions OF your last letter
&C catholic affection and practice are strangely
illustrated by the charge brought against you by
$4,000 of your Presbyterian brethren. tina, IN
Ammo Domin, 1897, you by an act OF discipline
cut them off from your Church. because they adj
hered to 2 "plan of union between Presbyterlans
and Congreoationasts' for the work OF the Gospel
or rather because. as Church members, they were
embraced in system which grew out OF this
union.
Into the merits of this charge l dc not enter
far T do not make the charge-but may 1t not be
well for YOU to remember that While you are
bringing accusations against me Tor exclusive
moss, and ssuncharitabeness," and are ringing all
nossible changes upon the word 'unchurch' b.
600 Of YOUR aymen and 500 Of your clergy are
Of vour clergy arc hurting an accusation against
YOU They employ the stronger word excom-
mnncate.'' Does not this tend TO show that
whatever NAV be YOUR mercy toward tluakers
and others. this mercy has not been extended to
those vour brethren You communicated"
tbem-without citation, and without trlal-not
IN the ground Of apostacy from the essential
faith. but on the pretenslon that the Z" Ian OF un
ion Of the Presbvterians and Congregatonallsts"
was unconstitutional, irregular and unnatural
You accommodated" them all. This, | be-
lieve, is their charge against your Church.
The facts and principles advanced in your last
letter. think, have been shown to be lnconsst-
ent with your standards. But you will say no
and refer again to book |, chapter |. of the Form
of Government =" They also believe that there
are truths and forms with respect to which men
of rood characters and princp Piles differ. And in
all these they think it the duty both Of private
Christians and Societies to exercise mutual for
bearance toward each other Who can doubt
the truth of this position, or dissent from it
There are many truths and many forms, as
to which we differ, that | should think it waste
of time to dispute about. Bat the question IS,
whether among these truths and forms the
standards and doctors Of your Church mean to
include the doctrine IN question between us
namely, that of a dlvnely commissioned minis
try. If they do not, your quotation does not hold
good for the purpose for which you cited lt-and
that they do not, think have sufficiently shown.
And surely you yourself do not set so lightly by
the ministry Of the word as to regard the ques-
ton between yourselves and the Friends, and the
Congregationalists, as only question Of form.
If YOU do I am confident that the most learned
and eminent Of your brethren will not coincide
with you. Did regard the discussion between US
as involving only matters ofiorm, would instant
lv drop my pen, destroy what | have written, and
retire from the field, conceding to you the Veto
nv. Butt is very far from being, IN my view,
question of 4' FORM or dispute about 'externas.'
1t involves principle of the deepest Importance
IL hoe hro,
down to me, from my blessed Saviour. that cove
nant Of mercy in which place my hope of sal
walton, and which is forever to protect this cove
nant and convey it to all the lost and perishing
sons of men-not relaxing its watch and ward
over it till the Church militant on earth shall be-
come the Church triumphant in Heaven. But
even fit were matter Of mere form, if God has
ordered and appointed it, how dare we say that it
is not Indispensable
I may seem 10 you ungracious in me to adopt
the line Of argument to which this letter has
been devoted, but plead as my apology that |
have been constrained to do it in self defence, for
so far as as the doctrine goes of the necessity for
a dvinely appointed ministry, deriving its autho-
rity from Christ, by external ordination by other
ministers, | ana Presbyterian, in the sense
which attach to your standards. If you cannot
there with me try our strength whether | must
remain witt, you or you be compelled to 90 on
ward with me, | shall be forced to leave you IN
the atitudinarian region Of CongregatlonaIlsm
till some other opponent from the Presbyterian
ranks presents himself to break lance with you
or in other words shall consider this point as
sufficiently established, and in my future letters
shall take it for granted without farther argu-
ment.
Now in a few words, let me say, IN concu-
sion, that it may be distinctly marked, that your
own standards plainly and unequivocally set
| forth
!. That the ministry is given TO the Church by
the sefsame authority which gives to it the Holy
Scriptures, namely, Christ's authority AS
Chrst's authority must be binding in one case as
absolutely as 1t is in the other, 1t follows of course
that the Presbyterian Church holds a divnely
appointed ministry 10 be essential to the being OF
q Church.
Ii. That this divine appointment is given in
an external e0mmiSSlOn through ordination by
other ordained ministers.
Now 1t is for you to say how the ordainlng
ministers are invested with Christ's authority TO
ordain Observe, the question is not concerning
the internal call and qualifications of the candid
ate for ordination-but concerning the qualifca-
tons of his ordainers to give him his outward
call. The question is, not whether he hold the
faith Of Christ, but whether his ordainers have
authority to give dim the commission Of Chr9st-
so that the scriptural rule may be obeycd which
is referred to by yourselves as bearing upon ez-
te1nal 0rGin0tion-'' No man taketh this honor
unto himself, bat ne that was called of God, as
,cas Aaron.
Do you or DO you not believe that you can,
consistently with your standards, with the teach
ings OF your accredited ministers, and the most
eminent living doctors Of your Church, affirm