The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-05-31
PRESBYTERIAN REUNION.
Discussion i'm the Old School Assem-
bly, at Cincinnati.

had under discussion the majority and
minority reports on the subject of re-
union with the New School branch.
We give the remarks of DIR. r. j.
BRECKENRIDGE, of Kentucky, and
Hon. SAMUEL GALLOWAY, of Ohio:
REMARKS OF DR.. BRECKENRIDGE.
By courtesy, on account of the age
and feebleness of Rev. DIR. Breckin-.
ridge, he was invited to express his
views on the subject-ef reunion, out
of order. He addressed the Assem-
. bly, for half an hour, to the following
effect, substantially:
have view of tn is thing which
does not seem to be entertained by
most of the brethren, which am anx-
ious not to argue but to present to
you. l object myself to the whole
movement, from the bottom onward.
1t cannot be put in any form that
would make it acceptable to me. The
only arrangement for admitting our
New School brethren into our organ
ization, to which [ could consent,
would be through the Presbyteries.
just as all of us got in; that is the
regular way, and do not believe that
by the constitution of the Presbyteri-
an Church there is any power vested
in us to receive ministers or elders by J
the lump. [ do not believe you can 4
make such treaty as you are propos-
ing to make. You have attempted it
again and again, and you have always
been defeated. fo
The venerable Doctor then adverted
to his own early experience in the
Presbytery, and in the controversies
that resulted in the disruption.
As to making an agreement here
for reunion, said he, I have two ideas:
If we do make an agreement, make
one that is endurable; but the main
idea / have is. don't make such an
agreement. Ifyou make one, don't
put in 1t things that every man in the
Presbyterian ministry, forty-fye years
of age, is committed against Ifwhat
l have written was of any account, [
have written enough on this. subject
to make book bigger than that Bible,
and that was read in its time. There
is not principle that DIR. Smith has
contended against that / have not
written and made speeches against,
and come we'll nigh being imprisoned
for; and it is not to be supposed that
/ stand here to retract the last fifteen
years of my life. There are brethren
here who used to be with me in this,
but who now look the other way, and |
it alarms me, lest / should come to
think | was wrong myself. When |
the blessed Word of God tells us that,
it is in vain to spread the net In
sight of any bird" it proves conclu-
sively that you are not birds, for they
have spread the net right before you,
and you are running into it as fast as
any game L ever saw. Laughter.
On the question of the franchises |
of the Church, DR.. B. said he did not
think them a matter of much con-
sequence, since it was his observation |
that the poorer the Church, more |
pious. and holy its members. He |
would say, however, that if he was a !
citizen of Ohio he would do his best
to recover the Lane Seminary pro-
perry, which had been wrongfully
wrested from the Old School branch |
at the time of the division. 1t was
proper, of course, that those entrusted |
with the property of the Church, |
should prove faithful to their respon-
sibility.
As to the book matter, it is mons
trous that, after thirty years spent in |
building up glorious religious liter
ature, it was to be sacrificed in the |
way proposed So it was with the |
seminaries, they were all close corpor-
ations, and we could never put any of |
our spirit into them; but they are to
come in and have part control of ours.
1t is not that the seminaries shall |
come to us, but ours shall go to them.
After discussing the influence of |
seminaries in forming the religious
character of men, by which the Cos
pei was demonstrated, he said: IF |
anything is plain on earth, it is that |
national denominations, or national |
churches are in the order of Gods |
Providence; and it is folly to say that |
they can be annihilated. God has |
not only need of individual men, but |
He has need of nations, that He may |
hold them in the hollow of His hand,
and dash them against what He |
means to crush. He has not only |
bad religions, like Mormonism, but |
false Christians, like the Catholics, |
He has need of the black race, the |
yellow race, and the white race, and |
He has used them in all time.
You say it don't make any differ
ence. Well, / have been a Union
man all the time but 1 know somie-
thing about races, and when you have I
done mixing them up, let me know
and | will give you my opinion about |
it. How is it possible for us Presby- !
terians all to unite, and then take in
our Methodist brethren, too? 1t can't
be done. To certain extent we may
go in fraternal intercourse, but no