The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-12-08

-. ne WIN CVuWisS tHe CIluo H1eS' Nv ~
''There can be no blaspheuy therefore
where there is no impiOuS purpose to dero'
gate from the Divine Majesty, and to alien
ate the minds Of others from the love and
reverence Of God" "The blasphemer is no
other than the cslumniatOr of Almighty God
To constitute this crime it is also necessary
that this species of cslumny be Intentional
He must be one therefore who by his impious
talk endeavors to inspire others with the
same irreVerence towards the Deity, or per-
haps adherence of him, which he INDUCES in
himself"
DR.. Stanton cannot find a respectable
authority differing from this. If he were to
bring charge of that crime to-day against
any one, he must know that the Presbytery
or the civil court would require him to prove
the whole length and breadth of what is laid
down above. Should he attempt to make 1t
out BY construction or infsrsnce-by showing
that the party accused held an error which,
by a supposed logical consequence, cast an
"indignity " upon the Divine Being, he would
be secuted, and deserVedly, as the laughing
stock of the court This, however, is the
part the gentleman is now acting before the
Christian public of America. He sadly mis-
led the General Assembly that had made
him its Moderator lin 1866 into the ignOble
act of charging upon the whole Assembly of
another Church this revolving crime. And
now, after the lapse of about ten years, he
grsvely comes forward to reiterate and JUS
tify it. Taking it precisely upon his own
statement, it is seen that he brings out a
"most lame and impotent conclusion. -
Suppose the Southern Assembly did hold
erroneous views on the subject of slavery,
what sort of "blasphemsrs are they who
declare it their solemn mission and purpose
to make 1t blessing both to master and
slavs9" And more still they say: awe
distinctly recognize the inscrutable Provi-
dence which brought this benighted people
into our midst, and We shall feel that We
have not discharged our solemn trust until
we have used every effort to bring them I'M
der the saving influences of the gospel Of
Christ" And why did not DR.. Stanton
quote this, seeing it stood right by what he
did recite? One would expect man who
is so deeply concerned for the honor of his
Maker, to have paid some respect to common
honesty. But the rub was here-the quota
ton of such words would have hoisted him
with his own petardl
4. But there is another fact not to be
overlooked. Our Assembly had, in 1861,
fully set forth its doctrine in carefully pre-
pared paper. In that paper the Address Of
1861 they expressly declare that Sin our
ecclesiastical capacity We are neither the
friends nor the foes of slavery: that is to
say, we have no commission either to propa-
gate or to abolish it, &c. Soar business
is with the duties that spring from the rela.
ton" Aud much more to the same effect
This strain was repeated in every paper in
which the subject was formally mentioned.
Now, mark it, single expression found
in the Narrative, "a place where difficult or
debatable points are not generally expected
or scrutinized,) and adopted under rumOrS of
impending battles which left the Assembly
very thin and insttentive, is seized upon, and
sense fixed to ambiguous words in direct
opposition to our previous, careful and we'll
known views Did not DR.. Stanton know it
is a maxim of law and common sense that
all documents are to be construed by CON-
parison of one part with another; that what
is obscure is to be explained by what is ex-
plicit; that an incidental expression, or an
obiter dictum, is not to override carefully
considered opinion where the express point
is raised? His attempt in this matter is
nothing short of a shameful perVerSion of the
truth.
But &" the misery of that estate" where
into DR.. Stanton has fallen does not end
there.
5. When he Or. Stanton made this charge
of Uasphsmy, and miSled his Assembly into
the same misdeed, in their Pastoral Letter of
May, 1866, our General Assembly of Deem
Der, 1865, had already signi6ed plainly that
it was not responsible for the meaning he
aud others have attached to that expression
found in our Narrative of May, 1864. In
the sense intended, of making the best of an
existing institution, and by the ministration
of that gospel entrusted to the Church snake
it blessing both to master and slave" and
to do all in their power to bring
the slaves "under the saving influences of
the gospel of Chris" in this sense it con-
veyed sentiment proper to be held by any
Church of Christ. But as it had been wide
y represented as conveying a meaning not
and which neither that Assembly
IF 1864, nor our Church ever held, it was
proper it should do whatever was reasonable
20 disengage itself from such an interpreta
ion. Formally to expuDge or repudiate a
record which was simply ambiguous in its
meaning, was uacalled for, and would have
,een improper. All that was necessary or
proper was done, viz to declare as our As
emily did, that the Address of 1861 "cOu.
aims the only full, unambiguous, deliberate
nd authoritative exposition of our views in
O..-A "a Ah;a rnntkor - (San pontnrnl Int