The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-04-19

the North before the war, supported by the names
of many of the hottest and wisest IN our Virginia
land, did most plainly, yet meekly and lovingly
forewarn these very men. Here was part OF their
sin, that in the hour of their arrogance, they dis
dained the caution. My second is: If they are
now helpless to redeem the cruel fruits OF their
error, it is so much the more incumbent on them
to confess it. Let but that word OF confession be
spoken, equsrely and honestly; and notwithstsnd-
ing all the unutterable horrors and heart breakngs
they have suffered, Southern Presbyterians will
display no lack of charity.
Such now being the true state of our testimony
as to Christs rights, cannot see how our witness
ing obligations differ from what they were in 1870
This being so, it seems to me equally clear, that
rather than compromise this in any way, we should
dispense with connexion with this costly and use
less Alliance.
1t seems very preposterous to you, that we should
decline to be one of an Alliance of fifty churches,
because with one of them we have quarrel of our
own. But suppose that one is the largest of all,
and practically equal to all the rest in weight
Suppose that this our accusor is the inventor OF
the scheme. Suppose that many Of the other
forty.eight are so minute as to be but nominal
members, and the rest insufficient. even if sound,
to aid us in counterposing the Leviathan? The
truth is, that this Alliance is practically the affair
OF the Northern and the British Presbyterians:
the latter in full sympathy With the former. So
that in this Alliance, whenever our late assailants
choose to repeat their attack, we shall fud our
selves in the house of our enemies. Again, you
very generously labored to secure us full share
of the representation (twenty-eight.) But. as
showed in the Revieao, the difficulty of the expense
will render this eeeming advantage useless. While
Northern Presbyterians, gaddng people with
plenty of money, will be there in full force, we can
only hope to be represented by one or two; and
our showing will be about equal to that Of the little
Waldensian Synod.
You seem much scandalised with the plainness
of my charge as to the two dominating Churches
which control this Alliance. Let me say, in one
word, that did not expect to please the accusers
of our Zion by telling the plain truth Of them,
which meant to tell | fully endorse the follow
ing statements from your own pen, free Christian
Commonwealth, July, 1862 which you afterwards
illustrated so energeticsy by your bold defence OF
truth and denunciations of error:
I'm no way have the champions of truth been
more hindered in their work, than by the perpetual
outcry of certain amiable brethren, against their
bad spirit their ferceness, their uncbristiau
language against the apostacy. The great diff
Guilty with this theory is, that it ignores entirely
the obligation upon every Christian man and wo
man, and especially every offce-bearer in the
Church, to testify against error in doctrine and
tyranny in practice, and to contend earnestly ;"
etc. You convinced me that the candid and out
spoken way was tie best Hence | shall RI affirm
what my duty as an elder of our Church Dictates
that in my honest opinion, the tendencies of the
| Northern and British Presbyterian Churches are
not such that ours should crave any closer sfflia.
ton with them. Ii will not be wholesome for U.S.
| One of these tendencies is to Broad Churchism.
Is not this true2 Did you ever hear of the school
of Principal Tuoch in the Scotch Church? Did
you ever hear of the charge OF Drs Hodge and
Van Dyke, that the fusion of the New and OLD
School was virtually on Broad Church ground |?
But again. my best witness is DR.. Robinson him
SELF In March 9th, 1865, he declares
Zone of the remark able results of the bloodless
revolution going on in Great Britain and the bloody
revolution in the United States, is the tendency to
| Broad ChwchiSm in general and the reunion OF
the several sections OF Presbyterianism in particu
lar" This is true; and hence | am afraid of these
reunions the fruits of Broad Churchism.
Another unwholesome trait of these allies you now
desire for us is in6del abolihonism and political
radicasm. spoke land truly Of the two great
Presbyterian bodies which will dominate the ALI
ance, as being dominated by these errors. My
meaning here was clear [ will now make it clearer
| hope the smaller communions included in the
Alliance are free from this evil. [ know many
men in the larger bodies dislike this truculent abe
litionism Though probably themselves opposed to
our ideas. | have no quarrel against their opin-
ions. But they permit the more dangerous men,
holding the unscriptural dogmas, to be dominant
IN their church courts at least when it comes to
their legislation against US. 1t conservative men
in that Church are SO helpless, or so timid as to
let the erroneous part Of their own fold lead the
whole against Gods truth, am sorry for them !;
but certainly this state of facts is the strongest pus
sibe proof that associations with them are neither
safe nor wholesome for US. Obviously the same
state of things exists in the Scotch Church. DR..
Guthrie and DR.. Candlish leaders, who, recently
dying, have had almost csnonisation in Scotland,
we're abolitionists so bitter to load the Southern
Churches with opprobrium. And it was too plain
that the eager sympathles Of the Scotch and
Scotch Presbyterians, as swayed by such men,
went with our accuser and destroyers in the North.
ern Church. in their war measures and the dread
full issue against US. The truculent ans of vic.
tory raised in the North were echoed back from
the Scotch aboitionists.
Now, as to the real infdelity Of this advanced
abolitionism, lei me again quote DR.. Robinson
In his Toronto Lecture on Slavery in the Mosaic
Civil Law, he calls it hypocritical infdelity."
Up. 49, He tells US, (p. 59) that the apostle "or
dams that ministers Of the gospel shall give them
no countenance !" Is from such withdraw thy
sef;') and he warns US ' that the same process is
now carried on in the Churches of Scotland by
even holy men who know not what they do, pre-
pairing the soil for any Presbyterian Coenso to rise
and lead eff the masses into aposasy from the faith
of their fathers" This witness is true.
Again, uOH olteu hafO you piOFeu VIII lnVlucl-
BILE logic that the abolition theory of human right
is Jacobinism, is anti scriptural, and thus in ten
doncv in6del, as well as subversive of free govern
ment and that however Southern institutions
might be destroyed, the heresy OF abolition was by
no means dead issueP That it does make the
confusion l charged, between the true republican
and the "levelling' theory, is seen from this,
II
opby of Horace Greeley is now the accepted one in
the dominant party but you and are old enough
to remember when all Resbyteians everywhere
dreaded it as utterly disorganizing And as to the
corruptinp moral tendencies of this abolition creed