The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-26
Grertiug Telegraph
SATURDAY, MAY %, 1866.
Will the Presbyterian Church Stand True

faces, that the d1fhculty at present agtattng the
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church is
contrary to the doctrines of the Gospel, and
savors rather of the world, the flesh, and the
devil, than of Christian charity. They desire
peace at every hazard, and would rather have
the cankering worm of treason hidden securely
beneath an outward semblance of verdancy, than
that the bough should be cut off and the
whole tree purified and saved. Some states
man has said, "that whosoever sacrifices
principles for peace deserves to lose both peace
and principles;" and we, therefore, welcome the
discussion at st. Louis as far preferable to the
whited sepulchre which was erected by another
denomination in our own city last fall. We
mean no invidious comparison, Dut frankly say
that the issue had better be fought at once, and
the test OF loyalty applied, rather than the
Southern Synods should return as favor and
forgiveness on their part, and an exhibition of
what rare supply OF the milk of human kind
ness exists in their bosoms. Let us rather
have an open bold, bitter quarrel than decep.
tive peace wherein oil and water are supposed
to mingle, and loyalty and disloyalty unite on
the basis of falsely called Christian charity.
Holding these sentiments, therefore, we have
read the debate at the General Assembly without
any Of the morbid terror which seems to have
pervaded certain Christian minds. We are glad
it has occurred, if there was any necessity tor it,
and we are glad that the cause of freedom had
such an able advocate as DR.. THOMAS, of Dayton
Ohio. We will briefly state the facts which led
10 the discussion. The Synod of Louisville
have elected as delegate to the General Conven-
lion a DR.. STUART ROBINSON, late of Canada, a
bitter, consistent, open, and unrepentant Rebel
one who has always gloried in his treason, and
does so to-day. The Synod was largely com.
posed Of returned Rebel chaplains, and by their
union with the sympathiZers defeated the Rev.
ROBERT j. BRECKINRDGE, and adopted series of
reasonable resolutions. DR.. BRECKENRIDGE, with
all of the loyal minority in this synod, presented
protest against the reception of Dr. ROBINSON,
and prayed for the dissolution or reform of the
Louisville Synod. The prOtesters number one
hundred and eleven ministers of Kentucky and
submit three propositions, OF which we give the
gist. They recommend the Church,
First. To purify herself from the widely diffused
poison OF the times, which, III form more less
vrulent IS Oiffused tbroug all the churches, and to
do this, as remembering that the discipline of the
Church IS OF God, and Is an audience of mercy to
backsliders.
Second To hold out, and open wide, the arm of
her love to every child OF God in the Southern
States who has been victim and not willing par
taker OF the sins against God against his Church,
against their countrV, and against which Divine Pro.
vidence has testified by such severe and such
righteous judgments.
Third. 10 proceed at once with zeal proportioned
to the urgency OF the case to redeem the solemn
promise mace by the first General Assembly after the
schism, organized in 1861, that she would wholly
dlsr gard It's existence and as God might make her.
would strive TO recover all he might lose by It, and
TO extend and to establish and more through.
out the South the precious system OF Divine truth
unto the liberty and INTO the power OF which God
had called her by His grace Let the revenge we
will ask OF (Iod be double share IN the work OF
saving those who have cast us out as doubly vile.
1t was on the other hand, contended that these
mild and Christian resolutions were far too
radical and bitter in tone; and DR.. VAN DYKE, of
Brooklyn, and DR.. BoARDMAN, of Philadelphia,
appear as leaders of the sympathizers, and favor
DR.. ROBINSON and his reasonable declarations
and certl6cst
DR.. THOMAS opened the debate with vigor
Gus, whole-souled, and loyal speech. He did not
tempOrize with treason or treasons friends We
quote portion of his speech the reference TO
the calf being to DR.. VAN DYKE and the self
constituted martyr caucus:-
Sir, when the National Government finds State
organized IN armed resistance TO its authority does
scouts to search the portfolios OF boarding.
school misses to ascertain what namby -pamby trea-
they may have written to their country cousins!
l thiEk not sir In this case, sir, we have a PLAIN
ard distinct defiance. rhe paper of my friend Dr.
MCLEAN, takes the bull by the horns, and mean no
disrespect SIR, when say that while we have the
bull by the horns, we need not trouble ourselves
about the bleating OF the calf Laughter) IL is
natural sir, that they should sympathize the an
gulsh of the sire Renewed laughter) We have
plain work before u.s. 1t IS the settlement of this
particular question between the PresDytery of LOUIS
Church OF the United States.
"Taklng up the would-be martyrs VAN DYKE
BRA oKEN, ANDERSON Co., DR.. THOMAS remarked
that the age OF martyIdom had, he feared, forever
passed away. Marty rdom used TO mean the cross of
PETER, with his head downward !; the boiling caldrOn
OF ST JOHN, and the like, but what does this martyr
dom meany II means palatal mansion on Brook
lyn Heghts 1t means trip to Europe il means
the smiles OF an 'lnnumerable company OF angel',"
waving their cambria handkerchieis. (Great merri-
ment and sensaton.l
sir, when / want wine Civ G me the blood of the
CRAZE, and not your cider champagne. Wnen the
age OF martyTdom comes let 1t be martyrd, IN that
means something and costs something's martyrdom
that. .emptes mans church, and does not fill t-a
mHriyr0om that drives man from his pulpit and
does not invite sYmpathizers,
To this spirited address, DR.. BoARDMAN, of our
own city, a gentleman whose pamphlet, issued
IN the darkest days of the war, threw an lmpu.
tarion on his sympathy with the Union cause,
replied. His remarks have local interest,"
DR. BoARDMAN proceeded to say thar he had talked
with of those brethren, not III their coun.
ellis, and had no intimation of their intention to
present tins OF anv other paper He referred TO the
great danger to which Legislators are exposed
times OF great pubic excitement, He was as loyal
and sincere in his devotion to the Government as
any one, bIt even tyTO in navigation knows that
when the gale is passed the great danger to vessel
Is of being lifted on tie lee shore amid the
heavy ground swell and that is JUS the
The speaker had no sympathy with the
views attributed TO some Of the Louisville
brethren, hut he had With righteousness, and truth
ana justice, and Christian charity, "a he would not
SET even the bitterest SecessOnist oppressed here
ana remain quietly IN his seat. He had been graft
ned at The address of the brother from sister AS
semDly ana drew contrast between 1t and DIR.
IHOMAB address; and then proceeded to criticize