The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-11-11

anlsninR, tnelr contentiOns cchsinR ana tue |
ay dawning In q nobler prospect for our
70 are coming up to take hold upon our
,reAt Inheritance. And why should We
'ausc to consider now the long dlsssnsions |
II the past1 When the voyagcr, after q long
md perllous passage, finds tho vessel com |
ng into port, aud sees the city OF his home
md friends looming thcro before him, and
Ilrcady marks the signals OF Welcome WOO
ng from the shore, IL II tirno for him 10
etire to the now deserted cabin, and there
1t down to ponder over the pages Of some
story, which, at It's last estate,
,cssf Nay, but he will cast aside the vol
ime, and as his feet press the highest deck,
md his eyes feast on the grateful scene be-
fore him, his heart shall swell with an ex-
infant sense OF happiness In tho glad en-
brace which Is nigh at handi 30 have
some of our fathers In the Church watched
aud waited through long years for the COM
ing Of this hour. So has our venerable
,rother who presides here tonight labored
md prayed for Is, and now while all the
house Is ringing with all the old strains Of
now good and how pleasant is for brethren
o dwell together in uuityln his heart may
Do saying, "Ah, Lord, now letteth thou Thy
servant depart 10 Psace' for mino eyes have
seen thy salvation" '-..- 20
But the great Significance Of this event lies
In these two points. list, as cold gain In
The spirituality OF the church, and "a, as IN
example Of Indictment In other directions.
When o union takes place In the outward
Visible organization, 1t eyinces the fact that
another measure Of advancement has been
made toward the perfect IDEAL Of the spiritual
man and the spiritual kingdom, and that
n tho A . n nj Al mn fOrVa I'd MT ,Of
yet larger and longer scale. We como to
perceive that 1t is indeed possible for even
those who have been deeply cmbittered and
cstranged to cease from contentious, and to
come to mutual understanding and fratcr-
nal confidence. Thus mere outward forms
and intellectual dieersitios shall give way to
the more impressive, dominating power Of
the spiritual life. For the last quarter OF q
century the signs of this tentative influence,
this disposition TO conveyance have been
Multiplying on every hand; "the young
ancee," the various forms OF Christian cor
respondence between the great bodies. Of
Professionalism oil consplre 10 this same cx.
allied end. r..r.s
And why should not America become the
theatre Of still grander display OF this
glorious confluence. By the latest aud
most reliable statistics We have In hand,
the great reli gious bodies In our country
stand as follows: Il have them alphabet
cally.) Baptists, Of all divcrsitics, ZOO, 900;
Copgregationalists, 300, 900; Episcopalians,
175,0o0; Methodists, of all diversitlcs, over
2,000, 900; Presbyterians, the whole family,
including the German and Reformed
churches, 800 900; Romanists, over 4,000,-
600; with about a dozen minor scots, om-
prising some 500, 900.
Now, of these great and powerful bodies
why may there not be union Of closer cor
respondence, If not III outward visible or
ganizatlon Suppose the question Of bap-
tlsm should be left In all the churches, un-
der the general teaching Of the scripture, to
the individual conscience. This will break
Baptist and the Pedobaptist forever. Aud
suppose we compromise with the Episcopal
llans upon the subject Of 'the apostolical
succession" by admitting on our part the
Necessity Of some succession, as q general law,
while they, on their part, shall conccdc that
h<irs Is not an exclusive succession. The
Congregationalists, Methodists and Presby-
terians have really but little to keep them
apart; what then remalhsl 1.-THE Romanists
will abjurc the Papacy altogether, If they
will cast of the heaps of rubbish which
their traditions have accumulated through
hoary centuries, IL they will stand forth 10
the early apostolical church, We will gladly
60 to then, and strike hands together. Aud
SO the body Of Christ should become unit
In America, with forces enough, by tho
blessing Of God, to revolutionize and reform
the world.
In prospect OF such a result late writer
has INDUCED In words like these ave can
imagine the crowned seraphs and the winged
cherubims gathering multitudinous, fra
grant with the odors of Paradise, and glow
ing with the ardent colors of heaven, to see
what a redeemed Church universal, coming
up from every part OF this Western world,
In such time as this, might do to lay broad
and deep the foundations of Zion for all gen
erations."
Now, among the possessions of this uniyer-
sal church of Christ, next to the great Head
himself, must be ranked the gift of the
Christian ministry and the Christian pastor.
And we are come at this time, according to
the requirements and usuges Of our Church,
to settle among you the man of your sclec-
tlOn How affecting are the schisms aud as
sociatlons of this hour! Here are the first
fruits Of reunion ut the capital OF the nation.
The two Presbyteries have been united.
This very church Is the fruit Of reunion, and
has stood as now we see II for years to
gether as the harbinger of that greater union
10 which We are now SO confidently looking
forward. With this church have been con
noete1 two Of the servants of Christ, who 10
their time have done as much as any Others
70 bring about this glorious contamination
our friend DIR. Tustin, and your late departed
pastor, the lamented DR.. Gurley. What q
| sueccsslon and what a mlnlstry-nrst In tn,
sepavatc congregations, and now under thi:
| one organization--has God sent among you
II Is fitting to call to mind the honored pas
tors and ministers Of Christ who have stood
In these pulpits from the founding of tho
city, and whose names are still fragrant In
the memories OF the people. There are q
few here tonight whose thoughts go bacl;
to the far-of years Of former generation
They remember the little company gathered
first In the building then used for the Treas
ury Department, and afterwards In the LITTLE
F-street church, where they received and
sustained In pastorate of half century
the Rev. DR.. James Lowrie, who, coming
from Scotland In the full strength of his
early manhood and Immediately entering
upon his labors here. both lived and died
among you. .| ...
Associated with him at different perloIs
were the Rev. Messrs.l Bannatyne aud Chris
tian, and likewise, during the period of hii
chaplaincy, first In the House OF Representa-
tlves but chiefly In the Senate of tho United
States, our beloved and revered friend who
IiSo'eNo avn ho"y she ihSN' bl' ubtiu, uUl
whose services to the church at that period
for several years were as life from the dead
After these come the Rev. Drs. Junkin aud
Gurley, whose immediate successor Is nov
to be installed. OF the other church, former
ly known as the "Second Presbyterian
shurch," and whose edifce occupied the very
site where we are now convened, and In the
place OF which this comedy and spacfou:
sanctuary has been erected, there are som,
now present who will think with u chastcnet
and tender interest. Over that charge hat
presided an equally faithful and noble suc
cession of Christian pastors; and today are
the names Of Baker and Knox, Campbell
Fowler and Eckord recollectei with sentl
ments of most aiIectionate regard. The two
churches, while distinct from each other
were, Indeed, not large; but the day came
when, under the wise and far-seeing couu.
sells Of the noble and beloved DR.. Gurey, an
organic union was effected between them
and from that hour the blessing Of God In a
peculiar degree of prosperity and power Ia.
rested upon the church and Its history. II
has truly been alike the dew upon Hermon
as the dew that descended upon the noun
tains OF Zion when the Lord commanded the
blessing, even life foreyermore.'
In such Church, In the footsteps of such
men, under such inspiring auspices, both
here locally In the capital and abroad gen,
orally throughout the country and the world
our brother comes TO take his place with the
seal and sanction of our presbyterIaI an.