The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1874-06-24
Address of Rev. B. M. Smith, D. D.

Mr. President, and Fathers and Brethren OF has
venerable Court:
feel at home among you. recall that, and
nut it in other words: am at home among you
The grounds Of this sentiment are not found VI
in the circumstances and surroundings OF the place.
This elegant house of Gods worship contrasts to
disadvantage with most of the structures to which
| am accustomed. Aud this beautiful city with Its
elegant cottages and Villas its parks, and yards and
gardens, its beautiful flowers and shrubbery stands
in sad contrast with macy of our towns In the South
Then too instead of looking out on the unsurpassed
scenery of the Hudson, the everlasting bills which
enclose It's deep and rapid stream on either side,
the we'll cultivated and richly productive farms;
the comfortable and often elegant farm houses and
appurtenances which fill the splendid panorama to
the west and east the north and south OF this city
/ am accustomed to look on land of no special
natural attractions in its scenery; land whose
people are impoverished; land desolated and
SCARED by war and on which still rests the blight OF
oppressive legslatiou and in whose babitatons are
found but few marks of Improvement: and from
many of which still come up the walls OF sorrox
of widows and orphans. of desoated age, and
afflicted youth Still / feel at home here But
not ~ because | am among people or my Own
race and lineage or natural ancestry. You, as
body, represent Holland. | belong to people
whose ancestors were Eaglish French and Scotch
4NOI udu L. Ou SouluSi NuO piO1ouAO Va
more than one Of all your number whom l had
ever yet known in the flesh. True in these two
days. have made many pleasant acqnaintances,
and all have made are delightful additions to the
circle of those whom reckon as Christian friends.
Why then do IJeel at home stsssong yoa,?
First, because our ecclesiastical ancestry, though
of diverse nations was one in TAI A. IN suffer- ngs' IL
deligerances. aud destiny and character neither
from the fens and dykes of Holland the vlpe clad
L = Al crnC nd
nesses, the Wales and des OF Switzerland and Italy,
the lakes and morasses, the cliffs and caves OF
Scotland, or the prisons and dungeons OF Eoglaec
they were alike of that "godly people, who
"suffHe1 persecution. Among that glorious
tbrong which ohm saw, in vision, about the chrome
who had come out of much tT'bulatiop, were
those who we're chased aud besten, TbJ LED iron
burning homes, or were drafg IRON the sioe o.
murdered fathers, mothers, brothers. sisters 'e2
or children to dungeons, and torture, Sie be'y
death. From such a persecution, 'ht5e Whn
escaped or we're exiled, found homes IN ois land
The Dutch settled along the banks Of the hIudsoh
from its mouth to Albany, and IN the 81 tcedc
parts of Jersey and Pennsylvania, These colol.sS
of Huguenots found homes in the E1g!isE colo
MES; one in New York. one in Virgins, ano enc ID
South Carolina. Scotch refugees and exleS, Nith
emgrants from the north of Ireland, and political
exes from the Highlands of Scotland spread
tue RT6dO Ndllo1o VI VIC NNuAoStiShNi WV
Shenandoah, the Holston, the Tennessee, into
North Carolina and into the adjacent eastern slopes
of the mountains Their descendants passing
further east, settled western North Carolina and
north western South Carolina. Whether in Penn
sylvania, Virginia. Tennessee or the Caroinas
these people erected churches and founded schools
and academies destined to grow into colleges
Mingling with the English, and the French Hugue-
not the race thus formed has given to US the bulk OF
that population, which is Presbyterian in Church
government, and Calvinistic in faith. The worthy
sons of the worthy sires who built the dykes to
repe the foods of the North Sea- and founded
Church and State on the basis of sound prlncl-
pies of religious and civil liberty, have likewise, on
these western shores, been distinguished for two
centuries as expounders aud defenders OF the
same great truths of a scrptural faith and Church
government. Together have these two leading
representatives of the Protestant faith by their
distinguished commentators and dlvlues followed
the immortal Calvin in expouuding the Epistles of
of Paul. They have ever held and taught as
did that great Apostle of the Gentiles, the great
doctrines of the trinity, the imputatiOn Of Adams
guilt original sin, and total depravity the human
and divine nature of the one person of Christ; His
vicarious sacrifice; publication by faith In his I'm
puted righteousness; regeneration by the Spirit
repentance specification; the resurrection OF the
dead; eternal judgment; the glori6cation OF the
tent unbelievers.
Alike has been their testimony to the princi-
pies of a Church Government by Pkesbyterisl
courts, the parity Of the ministry, and true lib
erty of conscience, under the power of govern.
ment of law derived from the Scriptures. Thus,
whether in formulated systems OF faith and order,
or their exempli6catiOn in the acts Of church
courts, these churches are substantially one To
your ARTICLES of the Synod of Dort," and your
" Heidelberg Catechism,. we say amen; and to
our Westminster Confession and Catechisms you
say amen True there are some diversities in
names. Our Session is your ConSstory, as
spiritual court. Your Chassis why so called |
know not is our Presbytery Your third court
which we call a Synod you call Particular Synod.
Your General Synod corresponds with our General
Assembly. You and we alike have Stated and
Permanent Clerks. Your President is our Moder-
atOr. You provide also AdSeSS0r to relieve your
President when tired or sleepy under dull speeches
like mine. There are also minor differences, In
that our Directory of Worship is your short and
generally optional Liturgy. On the tenure of office
in the parochial Presbyter or Elder, we differ more
in theory than in practice. Thus our churches
present such unity that they hardly diffeE such
diversity that they cannot be said to be identical
They are not one yet hardly are they t0o; but
seem to be alike as sisters do.
In practical Divinity, whether set forth in
tracts or books, religious biography, or preaching,
we teach the same old, old story of Jesus and the
Cross" We devoutly thank our common God
and Father for a pious ancestry. Some men ridi-
Guile the celebration of the praises Of good ances
try. We Virginians are twitted about our " F. f.
VS. and are sneeringy told that we live on IRE
collections of the past. | am not ashamed of
what some thus ridicule. | am not ashamed that
my children belong to race, OF which the great
and good Washington spoke, when he said in the
glOOmiest period of the Revolution, If driven
from the east, | will plant my standard in the
mountains of West Augusta. He knew the
Scotch Irish never surrendered to the power of
tyranny. Least of all have we Presbyterians, of
Dutch or Scotch descent to be ashamed OF our
fore fathers. 1t may not be ours to boast of pa.
renls eminent for success in trampng on the rights
of vrtuous PATRIOTS and enobled on the scrolls of
earth's heraldry; but we may rel ice, and with
christian temper boast of parents passed into
the skies" 1t is Scripture sentiment-a saying
OF the divine word, the glory of children is their
fathers"
And with the slight difference of form, already
named, our worship is the same. Not only is the |
gospel preached alike, and the catechetical gospel |
taught alike. bat we sing the same Psalms and |
Hymns. Our penitept tempers are expressed in
'Shew pity Lord, oh Lord forgive" Our simple
trust in " God my supporter and my hope Our
humble faith in Christ in /" Not all the blood of
beasts; and, ALAS, and did my Saviour bleed "
We gather around the table of one Lord, singing,
IT was on that dark, that dolefu night" or How
and how kind We worship with
our mourners in Father whate'er Of earthly
bliss" We unite in cheering our dying with
II There is land of pure delight" and as we
bury our dead, we sing in faltsring accents, lu.
With glorious hopes, There shall we battle our
weary souls.
Nor is this all. Our ecclesiastical courts conduct
business alike. Often during these days in which
have sat with you, have found myself almost
7otiug Here in Poughkeepsie your delegates are
as ours are on like occasions And
mixed in your Assemblies as in ours, are the or
lamental members. as we call the dear old moth