The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1872-03-27


seuce, is published at the earliest time practicable
since his return. 1t is far from our desire to do
any injustice to the author, but truth and candor
require some notice Of the points presented in his
communication.
/. Our correspondent who wrote the article
'Barnum's Happy Family is BY no means alone
in thinking that Chancellor Howard Crosby has
published a semi Unitarian book. DR.. Crosby
may be far from consciously adopting such views:
that be has really presented them is another ques
ton There are not a few who believe that he
has.
. Our correspondent nowhere asserts that DR..
Cuyler formally advocated the ordination Of wO
men to the pastoral work" He expressly init
mates that he did 'diselaim desire to introduce
female preachers and pastors" "into the Presby
terian Church" He asserted, however, that DR..
Cuyler justified what he had done, not only upon
the ground Of personal and social considerations as
connected with Miss Smiley, but chiefly on the
argument that neither the Bible, nor the Cons6tu-
ton Of the Presbyterian Church prohibits the
ordination and preaching of women" Now, after
a careful reading Of the elaborate speech before
the Presbytery Of Brooklyn, this is exactly what
we understand the author to have maintained. Il
is not possible for any man to take Dr.. Cuyler's
ground, and from it present any sound principle
upon which the ordination Of women to the Office
of the Christian ministry should be opposed. Our
correspondent was entirely correct in saying Of the
speech, that the line Of reasoning pursued inevi
taby leads to the sanetiOniug Of the ordination
and preaching of women in the Presbyterian
Church, if it has any meaning in it,
3. Our correspondent said: . Mr. Cuyler iu-
formed the Presbytery that they had no idea how
many Christian people thought with him, &C.
" He is doubtless right single minded Christians
have little idea how much baptized in6delity there
is in the Church and in the pulpit" The remark
is general one and does not assert that DR.. Guy
Ter is "a semiin6del" 1t may be understood as
meaning that this and other movements in some
Of the churches rest upon ground essentially in6de
whatever may be avowed by their authors
Thousands of the best and most enlightened peo-
pie Of the land, North and South, have long
mouEned over this as one Of the saddest and most
ominious facts in the history Of our times IF Dr.
Cuyler viii consult the pages Of the Princeton BE
Ue17 on the subject Of his two pet hobbies "aboli-
tiOnsm" and temperance, especially seme articles
speech, "Dr Hedge of Christendom," he will
find ample assertion and proof Of the infdel as
well as ianatieal tendency Of these movements.
f. Did our correspondent misrepresent the ere
fined ladies' who attended the Presbytery2 He
did not say they became riotous.' He said,
The vast audience Of women seems to have been,
at some stages Of the proceedings, so nearly riot
GUS that the Moderator could not restrain them,
and they we're only brought to their manners by
strong threats Of expulsion from the Church. -
The extended reports Of the meeting confirm every
fact on this point stated by the author Of Bar
Ruul's Happy Fan,ig." Whether they warrant
the terms used in eharaeterising them as "nearly
riotous," is a point about which the taste and
judgment Of people may differ. Our eorrespon-
dent is "a plain blunt man, very apt to speak
right on, and call things BY their right names
In reading the proceedings Of the last Northern
General Assembly, he would probably say the fire.
quent and uprOarjoas clippings and stampngs
which daily characterised them, were, for a church
court, nearly riOtous; while DR.. Cuyler, who
was a member, Il our recollection serves, might
think that was one Of the most charming refine
ments Of the grand occasion.
So much for this part Of the letter. The aH-
thor misQuOtes our correspondent aud fails to re-
present correctly what he did say. After reading
carefully ali that We fad about the meeting and
the speeches, the conclusion is that the Happy
Family has not been caricatured, but set before
the public in every essential respect, very much as
it really was in that meeting Of the Brooklyn Pres
bytery.
Into the great question at issue we enter not
That there is an immense and important field of
labor for cody women" is to be fully conceded
The church viii open itself more and more to this
idea, no doubt. If it ever is so infatuated as to
take the weak, unseTiptural ground of DR.. Cuyler
and 1.-THE refined women" who applauded him
either so dehcately, or so riOtously it viii be sad
day to Presbyterianism which has hitherto said,
" We hare no such custom, Reither the Church oil
God"
Next let Us notice the reasons assigned for ad-
dressing US this frank and fraternal note "
What Or, Cuyler's "large and liberal church I
may have given freely this year for the aid Of
Southern churches and pastors, we know nothing
Of beyond his own statement, the correctness Of |
which is not questioned. If Southern Presbyte- |
rams choose to reckon strictly good deal might
be put down on the other side of the balance |
sheet There is large unsettled account of pill |
LACED churches and mansions among us, in which |
Northern PresbyteTians have had hand, and from l
which not a few Of them came out with hand |
JuA There Is now, as We are erediby and minute
" informed, a venerable and h0a0red minister in .
that church, who breaches the gospel through an
elegant pair Of gold spectaeles, and also displays
massive service Of silver which be informs the /
quests at his table are Trophies" sent home By
his son from Sherman's raid through Georgia
That Is to say, they were pilaged BY the sou, and
the pious father only receives and takes care Of
them If DR.. Cuyler's people wish story Of
church robbery Church and manse) that must
make the ears Of every honest man tingle they
may get exact information by asking their neigh
Dor, the Rev. Dr. Vandyke, or BY writing to either
Of two as truthful men as ever lived, viz. the Rev.
I. l. De Feauz, or the Hon. Judge James NJ.
Baker, Of Jacksonville Florida. But we are en-.
tirely willing to give Dr. Cuylers people credit for
all the good feeling and all the acts Of Kindness
bestowed upon any PresbyteIians in the South
When We fail to appreciate duly any manifestation
Of this kind, "let the righteous smite us.
But when Dr. Cuyler claims for Limself-''I
have abored zsalously since the war to promote
cordial fellowship between the Christians of the +