The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-05-28


in the heather world
We are thankful to say, our Church is a unit
in soundness OF doctrine and loyalty to Christ
The Spirit of bort and the Palatinate that sprang
from the Reformation, still lives
Again, our Church is unSectdrian, unbigoted,
and thoroughly American.
If any man doubts it we point to the Fulton
street prayer meeting and to our front rank in the
Worlds Evangelical and National Alliances. We
point to the sefsacri6ce that prompted us, not
without struggle to drop the Dutch, from our
title-and nail the original continental cognomen
-"Reformed alone to the mast head. Ii the
Reformed church has anything to glory in besides
the Cross it is her Catholicity
1t was this that warmed her toward yourselves
from the beginning of this correspondence.
We love our country much, but the gates OF Zion
more. The Church has her headship in Christ
The world is her field She knows no North-no
South, nor East nor West
Although | was not member of the last Gene
raj Synod, l know your honored delegate made
such earnest personal deverance on the subject of
organic union as drew that body with magnetic
power to himself and to the Southern Church. and
while | have no specific instructions to bear from
the General Synod, or its committee appointed to
consider this question and report at the next Cen
eral Synod, come as the representative of the
whole Church, and repeat the assurance of hearty
Christian love and fellowship which looks forward
to such union.
Brethren, the lever of my Church is slowness
and deliberation. If we do not scheme and calcu-
late and figure, we smoke and think all around a
thing before we act. But if we are slow in form
ing alliances you will find US as constant and true
as steel in keeping them. There are great many
matches made in the world. Some of them are
made in heaven, they all ought to be. But of all
matches, may heaven deliver US from dccommodd-
ton matches that never get down to the heart
Brethren, we don't want to be bound with rope
of sand We SEEK if not for closer relations, Tor
union of hearts; homogeneous affinity OF views.
Christ as the central po,oer. union that blends
the prismatlc coors OF the rainbow into one arch
that shall span the country from the Atlantic to
the Pacific. Aye, span the soorld. A union like
the ocean wave that rushes on with unsettled flow,
distinct as the pillows, but one ss the sea.
1t we are once united to Christ, as our magnet,
we shall be united to one another To make union
permanent success and not a sham, we must see
more OF one another. We want to hear the gospel
from your warm Southern hearts and lips.
have sat under your shadow with great delight,
and very sweet TO my taste has been the fruit of
your lips. There must be more of an inter
change between ministry and people till the whole
mass Is permeated.
If Henry VIII. had only gone himself to see his
Dutch spouse, Anne of Oleves he had never re-
homogeneity between us. Christianity and coun-
try need the power of united spontaneous action.
We are doing what we can. You are doing what
you can. You have gone through fire and water,
but God has brought you out into a wealthy place
Shall we not more than duplicate our power if
united
Take thousand grains of powder and fire them
separately and you scarcely feel the conclusion.
Put them together and you will rend the cliffs and
no,e ba GO MT tbo
the North and South and you will rend barriers Of
sin, level the mountains and fill up the valleys, and
usher in Christ's coming, Kingdom and Glory.
| Again, the country has need OF this We have
| had our differences. Our earnestness, courage,
pluck and perseverance have increased our respect
for one another and shown the latent power of the
nation. The world is looking for the plastic power
of Christ's religion to join heart and hand together
and mould us into the moral and national greatness
that is waiting to be worked by the unity and
power of Christ and His gospel.
have read somewhere in geography Of two riv-
crs of different volume and velocity, losing them.
selves in the sands, and after an ln6ltration and
| blending rising to the surface and debouching IN
one mighty volume into the ocean, and scattering
| Joy and fertility along its course.
So with US, although differing In character and
temperament If we lose ourselves in Christ, we
shall rise in more than redoubled might and sweep
down the barriers OF Cl0tne eartn IN Deau-
| " and make glad the city Of God.
Brethren, your unanimous, hearty expressions
of love overwhelm me. [ receive them as expires
sive of your regard for the Church represent =
Accept, again, the hearty, fraternal greeting and
sympathy of my Church, and may Gods richest
grace be poured out on you and'yours. bid you
farewell.
The Moderator replied:
| My dear brother, permit me cordially to welcome
you as the representative OF your Synod, and to
assure you that your church conferred additional
honor upon us by sending to US one who has so
| fully won our hearts.
The warm feelings which gil our hearts toward
your Church are we'll known. They have been re-
peatedly expressed, and we're most truthfuly borne
to you last year. in the warm words Of our delegate
to your body
We sincerely believe in the guiding care of an
all wise Providence. Our Assembly was born to
endure conflict, and heavy trials have fallen upon
her, but God has blessed US. We have sometimes
thought that God has designed to show by US how
small a beginning may result in great good. In
our days of weakness, He gave us missionary
spirit, and we have been seeking to do our work,
and, as you must have observed the language Of
our committee is still to "go forward.
A thrill went through our hearts when we read
of the exceedingly warm welcome you gave US at
your last Synod. Permit me, my dear brother, to
say that from our hearts, we return you confidence
for confidence, respect tor respect, esteem tor es
TEEN, friendship for friendship and love for love-
We agree with you that, if we could be drawn
closer together, our efficiency and usefulness would
be promoted
Garry back with you, to those brethren whom
you represent, the warmest assurances of our re-
spect and love for them, and OF our desire to be
drawn toward them in closer christian bonds.
ract hail
ing, which maketh rich and addeth no sorrow.
To complete this subject, we give the action of
the Assembly on the following day.
The Committee on Foreign Correspondence re-
port as follows:
the last General Synod of the Reformed Church in
America has notified this General Assembly of
the unanimous appointment of a committee to
consider carefully the desrabeness and feasibility
of establishing closer relations with our Church;
Whereas, The Assembly regards said notification
as indicative of desire on the part of that
able Synod to enter into such closer relations if the
way be clear.
Whereas, This Assembly on its part cordially re-
ciprocates this feeling, and knows OF no more efec
tive method for ascertaining whether tie two
bodies are prepared for nearer connection than
the method of conference; therefore,
Resolved, That this Assembly do now appoint a
committee to be composed of the following named
ministers and ruling elders:
Rev. B. NJ Palmer D. D. Rev. Joseph R.
Wilson, D. D., Rev. William Brown, d. D., Maj.
7. J. Kirkpatrick, VIM. Henry Smith, Gen. A.
NJ Scales, whose duty it shall be to confer with
similar committee, if appointed by the General
Synod of the Reformed Church, for the purpose
of ascertaining in what manner such more intimate
relations may be established, and what ought to
be the nature and extent thereof and report the
result to the next General Assembly.
2. That the stated clerk be directed to forward
a copy of this paper to the General Synod of the
Reformed Church, to meet in New Brunswick in
June of this present year.
On motion of DR.. WEIGH Rev. R. K. Smoot