Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-10
atnion aud Amtritaa.
EXTRACTS FROM DIR STUART ROBIN
sons ADDRESS, AT MERCANTILE
LIBRARY HALL. JUNE 4th. 1866.


SONS ADDRESS. AT MERCANTILE
LIBRARY HALL. JUNE 4th. 1866.
Our readers are aware Of the action Of the
late General Assembly Of the Presbyterian
Church, at St. Louis, in regard TO DR.. Rob
inson and those Of lis members, who have
protested against the course Of that BODY.
BY invitation, DR.. Robinson was permitted
TO defend himself and those who acted with
him. After some proper personal illusions,
the speech opens with the great subject Of
the relationship Of the Church TO the State.
We append as much ne we have space for OF
the argument upon that point, and regret
that we are not able to give the whole Of the
vindication Of his character as a minister Of
Christ, and the acorching exposure he makes
Of the religious Jacobins who have assumed
the control Of the venerated church whose
true and pure principles lac 50 ably upholds
You are aware, men and brethren, that
ever since the conflict between truth and
falsehood began, the grand strategy Of the
devil, the god of falsehood, has been, when
ever he found the argument Of the witness
Is for his truth at all troublesome, then to
evade its force by destroying, ifpossible, the
character Of witnesses. So YOU will recall the
case Of Elijah Il Kings, oh. 49,, who was
cursed and abused as che that troubled Is
rael," because he testified that Jehovah was
the true King, and Ahab a usruper of the
prerogatives of Jehovah. So you may re-
member the case Of Micajah q Kings, ch.
22), who when ordered By the Government
to concur with the lying prophets, and 60 in
for the war against Syria, declared he would
not prophecy according to the order Of his
Government, but only say what jehovah
his King, told him TO say, was handed over
as a traitor and felon 10 Provost Marshal
General Anon, in order TO destroy his influ-
ence over the people, with the order. "Pui
this fellOw-dirty dog-into prison, and feed
him with the bread of afilictiOn and the wa
ter Of aiiliction." So, again, when jeremiah
insisted on proclaiming the orders of Jeho-
yah, the true King, against the schemes OF
a caucus Of leaders that set themselves alike
against Zedekiah, the vicegerent, and JehO-
yah himself, Ia. 9th and 38th), they bran
ded him as a Chaldean spy and Imprisoned
him in loathsome dungeon.
Ii is a very curious fact i'm sacred history,
that of all the issues between truth and false
hood, that concerning the kingly power OF
Christ as a lawgiver in his Church always
seemed to arouse usurping kings and factions
10 the most malignant efforts against the
character Of those who testified TO it. When
the great King in Zion came himself incar-
nate, and the common people heard him
gladly, and hailed him as King with ho-
sannas, usurping ecclesiastics even of his di-
vinely organized Church assailed him with
abuse "a a companion Of publicans and sim
ners. And, when nothing else would do "a
secure his death, charged him with treason
TO that Cesar whom they in their hearts
cursed. Trying him at the bar Of theiI
General Assembly, and finding themselves
hard run for pretext for pronouncing the
sentence which, as dictated by preliminary
caucus, was a foregone conclusion, Their
leader, Cariphas, adroitly leaped over all
barriers Of logic and law, by flying into q
phrenzy of holy passion-shouting, "Blas-
phemy, blasphemy p and rending his sacred
robes of Office, and so calling at once the
previous question, and voting the sentence,
condemned him 10 death as a maleiactor
So they cleared all the barriers of law and
logic before the secular court by melting the
soldiers and the mob to mock him as an inn
poster, and, by an adroit phrenzy Of loyalty,
shouting, NO King but Cesar" secured his
execution as a low impostor.
So the grand strategy of the enemy, when
the great argument of his Apostles in favor
Of Jesus as "a Prince and a Savior" could
not be answered-"pestilent iellows"-those
men that disturb the peace Of the Church
turn the world upside down." &c, were the
,afg ,pbar,h,- tho obor.ptar Of big Witnesses
should be destroyed in order to check their
influence over the people The selfease OF
men makes the cry "disturbers Of the
Church" those who turn the world upside
down." very effective When Satan, taking
opportunity while the world is asleep or eX-
cited by revolution TO get the world turned
wrOng-side-up, he is Of course, then ready
10 have quiet and therefore will incite men
against all effort TO turn it up-side-down
again. SO might go on and illustrate the
case from every period Of church history.
II would therefore have been an excep-
tional ease, rather than according to the
general rule, had such a crisis, wrought on
the practical conflict between the true doc
trinc of the non-political character of the
Church, "the kingdom not of this world,
and its antagonist doctrine of the function
of the Church TO take part in Caesars strifes
and divisions, and we who stand for the
truth against the storm of popular passion
without, and the rawlings of fanaticisn with
in the Church, had not been villihed and
abused. You viii pardon me, therefore,
if | seem 10 speak too much of myself i'm
connection with so great theme in which
self should be forgotten. When | remind
you that in my case, the strategy of destroy
ing the character of the witness, whose tcs-
Tiny cannot be gainsaid has been very thor
oughly triod.
In the first place, the Christian world has
been taught by every form of insinuation,
that my doctrine Of the non-political char
acter Of the Church, was all an after thought
and pretence TO hide my sympathy and
concurrence with the rebellion. How alb
surd and caluminous that charge is, ] hap
pen 10 have very conclusive evidence to
show. These are the facts: That began my
public teaching and witness on this subject
in Baltimore in lS5i-siN years before the
war
In January, 1856, in the Presbyterial
Critic" in review of a sermon on National
Character, 10y my friend Mr.. Burt, and with
special reference to the statement Of Mr..
Hodge that it would be the duty of the
State 10 secure the preaching of the Gospel
20 the people, were the State not anticipated
bv other agencies" | asserted the following
propositions. See Critic, vol. >, page 80:
a" We venture, however, without attempt
ing TO present even synopsis Of the reason
ing by which we would defend them, 10
enunciate several propositions affirming the
contrary of most fthe propositions contained
in the foregoing citations, for the serious con-
sideration Of all who take an interest in the
subject Of the relation of the State 10 religion
in our country. We affirm then
l. That it is not true as an abstract prop
osition that "The preservation of Christi
anity is one Of the main ends of govern
ment" Nor that the promotion of religion
is primarily among the objects for which the
State is established But that, primarily,
the ends of government are simply the pro-
lection Of the persons and property of men,
irrespective of any religious opinions they
NAV entertain. And, therefore, any relation
is merely incidental, and any respect which
the State rs such pays TO any religious opin-
ions, is not because they are true m the
Judgment Of the Government, but simply be
cause the people creating the State hold such
opinions.
=. That the State has no such moral per
sonalitv, nor lis itself q moral person res
ponsible To Cod IN any such sense rs iniers
any obligation devolving on the State, as
such, 20 promote the true religion, Nor can
any moral personality b. predicated of the
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