The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-06-01
General Assembly Presbyterian
Chureis tsOufh).
From the Globes report.l
ST. LoUIa, May q.
Prayer by the Rev. Mr.. Houston.

3.
From the Globes report.l
ST. LoUIs, May q.
Prayer by the Rev. Mr.. Houston.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
The reports Of the Com nittees on the
Commissioners Fund and on Bills and
0verturcs were received and docketed for
future consideration.
Reports on the Union Theological School
Of Virginia and the Columbia Theological
School Of Columbia. S. c.. were heard. The
former was adopted and the latter laid over
for future disposition.
BEPoRMED CHURCH.
The delegates sent by the Reformed Church
were introduced, and one spoke.
RESPONSE OF REV. pR. HoGE.
The Moderator responded as follows:
My Dear Doctor GanZ,-The last time that
we met was on the morning of communion
day 10 your own church. And now we meet
at another communion of different charac.
ter, 1t Is true, and yet one that is sacred, be-
cause. as you have reminded us, this union
which we to-day commemorate Is one that
has been brought about not by human
agency, but by Influences celestial, sent down
from ABOVE. And, therefore, it ia pleasant
to renew associations with you under cir
cumstances like these. And We are gratfied
not only to see you here, but, if am not
mistaken, this is the first occasion when your
Church has honored Us with delegate Sc.
cundus az we'll as delegate primdrius. We
are gratifed TO meet not only with DR.. GAM,
but with Elder Heath.
But, sir, I cannot forget in. this con-
uection The tribute that you have paid to
the memory of one that vas appointed to
discharge the Office which you have fulfilled
to-day, and permit me TO say that at the men.
ton of the name Of Jonathan Srurgis there
are some in this house that are ready 10 plant
flower upon his grave and drop tear to
his memory. ---.-.-----.-------~-.--.
But since there are these reasons, which
you have so elcquenty stated, for the union
that exists between our Churches, therefore
it is good and pleasant to meet and inter-
change these congratulations between two
bodies alike 10 order and alike in doctrine,
With some little difference. as you have told
us-perhaps with some little imperiections
upon our part, which we hope to lay aside
by degrees as we continue to associate with
you Gaughter), and perhaps such commuui-
cations will even improve good manners.
And although you may have little the priOri-
| ty Of us with regard to the date of your con.
| LESSONS, when We come to trace the thing
| back to its origin, and discover that these are
| only different streams which take their rise
| ia the old epistles of the Apostles, we find
| that inasmuch as We do not believe one ar
ticle in the Confession of Faith because it Is
in the Confession of Faith, but because 1t Is
| in the Word of God, therefore there is no
priority in origin.
But at the same time I cannot wonder that
your heart should thrill at the memory Of the
grand historic origin Of your Church, coming
| from old Holland. reclaimed from the sea
With its bikes. just as 1t was reclaimed from
spiritual deSpotism, in your long, long strug-
gle, 10 which you have alluded, three hun.
dred years ago. You refer to the fact that
we derive our origin from Scotland, and you
derive yours from Holland. But, sir, this
reservoir of our Church Is composed Of
many corfueut streams, not all from Scot
land, though sll honor to the memory OF the
men who came 10 US from Scotland. From
every portion of the continent OF Europe we
have our tributaries, and, sir, when you refer
| to the fact that Holland has been the land OF
reformers and has opened her gates to GODS
prosecuted people, from whatever part OF the
world they may have come, cannot forget
.bat in branch Of my own family there Is
III OlQ IHulllN wi uS Wy VIZ ohSSS'OAo
of that family from The beautiful valley
where they dwelt in France to Holland,
where they were refugees, and where they
received hosptable welcome, and thence TO
Virginia shores an old Bole, worn by much
handling, and often wet by the salt spray oil
the ocean and the salt tears of the sorrowing
exile, and yet upon the yellow pages Sill may
be read verse like this:
;, of fro roIrn1 oh0I1f HIs
people, and glory in the midst Of His
Church" -,
Upon those pages may be read the old, old
story-and yet how new, even IA the morn
ing which, generation after generation, rises
In dewv freshness on q waking world
And nov, my dear Doctor, it gratIfies me
still more that tb, Sc are the occasions moi
ONLY for an interchange Of these fraternal
>alutations, bur for the laying of plans by
VIII III that c operation may be carried out
to which you have made such forcihle allu.
>ions. Oh, is it not pleasant to think that
upon the foreign mis- sionary shore, wherever
the standard Of the Cross is planted and the
| Church of either one OF our bodies e>tab-
! IIsbed all differences in ecclt SaStical nomen-
clature will disappear, and there will be 10
| distinction between ClisSis ana Presbytery.
between Consisfory and Session, between
| Anglo SlXon aud Latin, but Il synonym from
| the foreign tongue Will be the term 10 which
| both will be expressed, and we Will be one
IN name as we'll as in action.
And now, sir, with regard to another most
i'm portant topic to which you have c ,led
| our attention, permit me to say that L re-
| card il as one OF the distinctive character
| ,stics of this Southern presby ieriap Churcn
that if admits and toleraies within its courts
no action that is not strictly ecclesiastical; and
that is the sentiment that was announced to
the world at the very date OF our organizes
ton. We recognize one, and but one, Head
10 the Church-the everything, eYer-inter-
ceding. eyer-reigning Redeemer; and as we
know that the BOUNDARIES OF His Kingdom
will one day be commensurate with tne
boundaries OF this world we feel that therels
scope enough for all our energies IN that vast
circumference without attempting 10 Iegu-
late mems relations TO the State or defining
the terms Of loyalty to civil governments.
And now, sir, you need not be told tnal
| the Moderator but gives expression 10 Tue
feeling of this entire Assembly When ne as
sures you Of the qualification that we nave
received from this visit Of yours, and from
the constantly converging lines 10 Wnlcn
! these two bodies travel as they move on 10
closer union with each other. We need not
tell YOU how We re- Dice that we hold together
those great and glorious doctnes which ootn
of our Churches keepin the ascendancy, and
that We delight to proclaim that We exult ID
the divine sovereignty, and rejoice that the
| Lord God Omuipotent reigneth, and that we
proclaim also the doctrines of mans helpless.
ness, weakness, and ependence-poin'so OF
essential significance at ibis day, when the
great doctrines OF Gods supremacy, OF Coos
Sovereignty, and mans dependence, seem
likely to be swallowed up in the great doc