Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-19
REV. HENRY VAN DYKE.


Letter Read Before His Congre.
Cation. aS =
{ At the prayer meeting of the First Pres
byterian church, Wednesday night, letter
from the pastor, DR.. Van Dyke, was read.
The letter was dated at Lausanne,
Switzerland, September 8, 1872, and was
received q few days sincs by DIR. Eve. Il
was addressed to the congregation Of the
church, and began by saying that the letter
would be received about the time the
church would be expecting the return of
the writer, and that letter was q poor
substitute for the face and voice Of pas
tor. Continuing, the Doctor writes that
when be determined to seek, by crossing
the ocean, that repose bis health and that
of his family required, it was not his pur
pose TO protract his absence beyond the
LIST Of Octeber, although, by . generous
resolution Of the session, the time of his
return had been left to his own discretion,
but he had found it impossible to secure,
in New York, return passage at any def
mite time, and he found it equally impcs-
sible to secure, at Liverpool, a desirable
return passage before the I'd Of October.
He had expected to take state
room on the steamer Egypt, and he
had received notice that her departure
had been postponed until the 9th and that
another vessel would take her place, and
upon which of these dates he would start
for America, he could not at the time the
letter was written, state with certainty.
However the congregation might rest as
sured that he would start upon his return
| at the earliest date, it would be safe for
his family to do so, as he was anxious to be
with his people engaged in his duties.
This was followed by a glowing discrip-
ton of the grand scenery of the country he
was then in, and If that was SO grand and
beautiful, what must heaven be? God did
not exhaust his powers and resources on
this earth. He that has made these things
is able to do for Us, in that future world,
all that We can ask of Him.
The Doctor said that its the pride or
weakness of Americans to draw invidious
comparisons between their own country
and Europe: be did not desire to do this,
but yet, after his experience in Europe he
wished to return to America, as, with all
her faults he loved her still. In no other
spot on earth, are the means of comforta-
Bile living so accessible to
all classes as here, and if
our lands were worked as carefully and
methodicaIy as they are in Europe, we
could sustain q much larger population,
and In this country, young man who uses
due diligence in doing whatsoever his
hand fndeth to do, will have no difficulty
in providing all the necessaries for himself
and his family after him.
Referring to the social aspect Of Europe,
he thanked God that the spirit Of toadyism
and "man worship" does not prevail In this
land as it does in the old Countries, and
that here the intercourse OF men and
women is not INSTRUCTED by any such
things. Good breeding does not require US
to speak of a drunkard, a gambler, or q
rake in terms of respect because of bis so
called noble birth.
Speaking of the religious features of
Europe, the Doctor thought that all this
spread eagle talk about American Christi
anity, mere demagogueism, whether it came
from the pulpit or from the platform, but
he was happy in knowing that in this
country there is not that union of Church
and State which is to be found in the coun-
tries he had visited. He was not fayorably
disposed towards the strict notions
of the old Puritans, but
he considered them in every way preferabl.
W bIo IcliSlOuS ways anu CucOOLn6 vi Tic
Old World. With a few notable excep-
tons, the spirit of Church and State pre-
vades the whole fabric of European society.
There, they considered that tie Church
ought to be supported by and identified with
the State and the duties and rights of in
dividuals must be subordinate matters.
Among the great mass of people, religion
is considered to be mere matter of form
and public observance, and If God is wor-
shipped with great pomp and show, the sins
of individuals will be overlooked, but that
it is not al all necessary that day should
be specially set apart for religious worship.
In this connection he gave q graphic des-
cription of grand musical demonstration
he had witnessed at Geneva two weeks be-
fore, on st. Bartholomew Day. 1t being
Sunday, short time in the morning was
devoted to religious services, and then the
professions, the strewing of flowers and
the revelry began, which parade aud show
impressed him as not being calculated to
foster true religious sentiment.
The letter closed with an allusion to the
great political strife now sgitating the coun-
try, exorting the members OF the church
to ''quit themselves like men," exercising,
in all things, that moderation which is the
crowning glory of the true christian char
acter.