The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-12-17


Rev. VIM. Graham, the former worthy ana De-
loved Rector of that Seminary"
This, said Mr., Blakey, was the early history OF
Washington and Lee. That it was begun and re-
ceiyed its first endowment as Presbyterian lnstl
tuition, is by these facts placed beyond dispute
AS to the recent act of the Trustees do not un'
dertake here to criticise it, No doubt they have
acted couscientiously. The ways and means by
which that institution has been diverted from the
Presbyterian line on which it was projected, am
not called here to discuss But the fact that
though founded as a Presbyterian institution, as
far as a UNCONVENTIONAL one possibly could be at
the time it received its charter you are called to
look at the fact that it is now openly declared to
have no vestige of such character. 1t Is under
this view of the case that give notice TO DIR. At
kinson that unless Hampden Sidney is placed un-
der safer relation to the Presbyterian Church, ne
need not appeal to me, as a Presbyterian for SIN
gle dollar.
REV DR.. ALEXANDER. Reluctant as | am to
ntrude upon these debates and to consume the val
liable time of the Synod, yet feel it to be my duty
to give expression to certain views which L enter
tain on this subject. do so the more readily as
during the discussion at Baltimore, sat an almost
silent spectator, and have so far not once opened
my lips in this discussion at Charleston.
1t is not my purpose, Moderator, to enter upon
the great college case-.the cause ceebre-of Hamp-
University. and of the University of Virginia,
uerSuS the University Of Washington and Lee. Yet
cannot refrain from giving utteranee to sentl-
ment of profound regret that these rival interests
have been made to battle upon this floor. Let us
try to disem6arrass our minds of these compiled
tons and to hx them upon the one point lmmedl
atey before the house, viz the substitute for the
original paper offered by Or. Smith, Having been
absent from some OF your sessions and not having
heard the resolution read out by the clerk, may L
be INDUCED in that privilege2
At this point the substitute was read.
Moderator the whole argument 10 favor Of
this proposition may be thrown into the form OF a
| plain syllogism
Whatever may be done legitimately by this Sy-
nod that is necessary to the maintenance OF the
| Presbyterian influence over HamDden sidney,
ought to be done. This is the major and most
of the debate on the affirmative has gone to the
support of this position, position which fancy
| few of US are unwilling to sustain The minor
would seem to run as follows: ecclesiastical con-
troll is the thing that is essential to the continued
ascendant of Presbyterianism at Hampden Sidney.
It is upon the truth or fasity of this minor that
the debate now hinges. The truth of that minor
| [ am disposed to question To my mind the sub
stitute before us, which consents to accept Sy-
nodical veto upon the appointment OF Trustees, Is
tantamount to a consent to accept SynodIcal con-
troll. Here is the dilemma: The substitute In
wolves control or not. If not, what becomes OF my
| friend DR.. Blskey's guaranty? Ii on the other
hand it involves control, what becomes OF the con-
sistency of nv friend President Atkinson? AS
Stunning that the veto power Of the substitute does
mean ecclesiastical control | am opposed to 1t on
two grounds: it strikes me as being questionable
in principle aud in policy.
l. 1t is questionablein principle | well remem
ber and others within these walls will remember,
the solemn scenes at Augusta IN 1861, when the
FIRST Assembly of the Presbyterian Church IN the
United States unanimously voted for the = Al
dress to the churches OF Jesus Christ throughout
the earth" and then one by one affixed their names
to that memorable document. That paper, drawn
by the hand of DR.. Thornwell, declares that the
two provinces of the Church aud OF the State are
distinct The State is the society OF rights. The
Church is the community of believers. The State
is natural institute, the Church supernatural
The symbol of the State is the sword that OF the
Church the keys The State realizes the idea Of
justice, the Church the idea OF grace The two
orbits do not mutually intersect at any point. A
collision of either OF these bodies with the other
produces the same confusion as collision OF two
spheres of matter The two curves do not inoscu
late, says DR.. Thornwell, even In the notion Of
duty. The duty We owe the Church, he argues, /;
quite different in its direction from the duty We
owe the State. The one, he contends, Is duty tC
God simply the other is duty considered as the
safe guard OF order. Here | cannot fully go with
Dr. Thornwell, holding as | do that obedience &c
civil governmental is also in Its prime motive obed
ence to God. But this slight difference OF oplnlor
need only be noticed here as showing that do no
follow DIR. Thornwe bliDdly. Such then Is the
position to which our whole Church stands com
United. Now the business of secular education
belongs to the sphere neither of the Church nor o.
the State but of the Family. True, no mere5
secular education is desirable, Education should
always 60 hand in hand with piety. But the tern
secular in this connection is used in a sense OPP
posed to the term ecclesiastical Ordinary educa
ton is properly to be regarded as secular ioasmucf
as it should be considered as one of the matters
that are 10 their nature non.ecclesiastlcal. | gram
that there are some rare exceptions to this rlglC
rule. But ecclesiastical control can only be de
Tended in case Of extreme necessity
3 But waving this point, | oppose this resolu
ton as one of questionable policy. | listened witt
extraordinary interest to the speech OF my able
and eloquent friend Mr.. Bakey Far be it from
me to pronounce opinion on the merits OF hi:
argument. But even conceding his conclusion as
to the case of Washington and Lee, by what pro
cess of logic does he arrive at his conclusion In re-
spect to Hampden Sidney? The drift of hi'
speech was to show that the institution at Licking
ton had formerly been under full ecclesiastical con
troll but had In some way forfeited Its claim to be
Presbyterian College. But if the fullest eccesi
aSICal COUlu uUI save w dSUluRlOu duu h5t
from the pit OF perdiuon as regards its Presbyte
rian character, how, [ ask, is a confessedly les!
degree of control to save Hampden Sidney from
the same fate? What is the worth OF the guaranty
of which my friend speaks? The true though
undersigned force of his argument is to show thai
no human guaranty under the SUI can render the
future certain with regard to any OF our schools
| have been surprised to hear no alluslon In TIL;
debate to that Presbyterian institution which more
than any other in this country has succeeded In the
way of outward prosperity and at the same time re-
tanned its Presbyterian features. refer Of course
to the College Of New Jersey at Princeton, which
has never tor one hour been under the control of
Presbyterian judicatory. What has always been
the security of Princeton? The overshadOwing
influences OF the neighbouring Theological Semi
nary. Now it is remarkable that Hampden Sid.
ney is in precisely the same situation In relation to
Union Seminary.
Moderator, will not be suspected of any cold
ness towards the University of Virginia and GER
tainly | will not be accused of any restitution OF
zeal for what Dr. DabDey has so well called our
valuable interest in the University of Washington
and Lee. If as my friend from Charlottesville
has labored to show, that interest is imperiled,
now is the time of all others for the friends Of the
Presbytersnism in that institution to fly to the
rescue and defend what of it remains whether that
be great or small. The books of the Sibyl which
have not yet persisted should be held as precious
as the whole number including those that have
been lost and we should stand ready to pay the
same costly price for them, in devotion and self
sacrifice, that could ever have been demanded Of
the faithful adherents of Presbytery in Virginia
In regard to Hsmpden Sidney, yield to few
in the warmth Of interest feel in that institu-
ton 1t gives me pleasure to say that Nme time
in January there will be held convention of the
ministers and elders and deacons in the Church
who will take into consideration the welfare and
prospects of this noble school, 1t is my ardent
wish that the endowment fund of 5000 600 nay
be raised, and that the day may not be distant
when the silver trumpet shall summon the friends
| tba COLLAGE 20 bar hua hills g.; srnsats m