The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-03-01

new discovery. And here at once arises the
strongest presumption that what is so new is
not true; because if true, it would not have
taken ten years for thousands of sharp set
eyes to find it out.
?, You have here virtually acknowledged
your own failure. The records of some Of
your Assemblies blaze fercely with such in
vectives against US as these-all as empty OF
truth as they are full of rancOur
"Men who have sinned exceedingly. -
"Men whom our own government, with the
approval of Christendom, may soon execute
as traitors. u" The wicked conduct of the
authors of that schism." Its "sinful reUlI
ings of the Presbyterian Church" " Sint~I
schism." "FOur years of ceaseless activity
in this sinful course" Our Assembly is
charged with teaching mot only hereSy but
blasphemy' =" both heretiCal and blasphe
nous"
Please notice the words here emphasized,
and the serious accusations they embrace
You do not even pretend that our Assembly
has uttered such reviling words against
yours. Now compare this fact with what
you pledged yourselves to prove, and then
look at the gap between the promise and the
performance. You might as we'll have con-
fe8sed judgment at once. But further
3. Even in the particular things mentioned
you fail to establish your position. You af-
firm that in using the words anscriptUral,
" fanaticaT' "heresies, - " schismatical IN
truders," our Assembly has committed pre-.
cisely the same offence charged against
yours, and has thus cut itself off from al
right of complaint. This would certainly
be, what you call it, an "ugly fact" if it were
so. But let US examine:
a. You do not pretend that your Assem-
bly, is anywhere mentioned by ours in any
connection with these words. You search
in vain for that; and therein is wide diff
ference between the two cases.
o. You claim, however, that your AS,
8embly and Church were certainly meant in
the use of the language referred to. And right
here comes in remarkable and amusing il
lustration of your conscious weakness. Your
Assembly is not once named; no. But then
it is certainly meant But where is your
proof of that? And now, (whO would have
thought it but so it is,) for proof of this
point you rely solely upon me, and turn to
your opponent again and again with an i'm
ploring look and call for help in your help
less condition. Your pathetic appeal is
enough to melt heart of stone, and far be
it from mine to deny your fOrlOrn estate any
alienation in my power. If even an OK or
an ass might, under the old law, be lawfully
lifted out of pit, and that too on the Sab
bath day, how much more under the gospel
of love is like compassion due to two such
worthy brethren But your fall, l am
obliged to say, is beyond my recovering.
For, in the first place, what right or power
have I, in the absence of any specific words,
or even allasiOns peculiarly descriptive, to de-
eide for a whole Assembly who or what was
meant by those general terms?
In the next place, even if knew it were
true that every member of our Assembly had
your Church, and yours only, in its eye at
that time, deny that, in the absence of any
thing specific in its language, there is the
slightest ground of complaint on the part of
yours. We did solemnly advise our churches
against a certain new-fangled doctrine of
AbolitiOnists. This doctrine was, not merely
that there were certain evils connected with
slavery, or certain actual wrongs in the laws
concerning it, but that the very relation itself
was always and everywhere sinful. 1t was
this "dogma which asserts the inherent sin-
fitness of this relation, :" which is pronounced
"unscriptural and fanatieal," and "one of
the most perniciouS hereSieS of modern times. !"
See Pastoral Letter Minutes for 1865, page
3S5. Also, while uttering the most liberal
views concerning our desire for fellowship
with other churches, we do say it is ca plain
duty to put you on your guard against at
tempts to disturb and divide your cOngrega-
tons" Was that an ofense?
Again, one of our Synods sent up an over
ture which, in connection with number of
other topics, requested "Warning to our
churches against all sehismatical intruders.
All our Assembly said was in eight words
the Assembly expresses its agreement in
these views" There is the whole.
Suppose now a case like this-one which
has many times occurred substantially: A
member of the congregation speaks of his
pastor, Enthusiastically and repeatedly, as a
liar, drunkard, blasphemer, hereto,
wicked man, &c. The pastor complains of
the atrocious accusations, The answer he
is, " You have no cause, sir, to COM
plain, for l now distinctly affirm that you
did use the very same language toward me. "
e" Why, you must be Mistaken replies the
astonished pastor; {" l certainly never men,
toned your name in any such connection. "
f." No, sir, rejoins the other, but do you
not remember that on this and that occasion,
you said some very pungent things about the
sins of lying, and drunkenness, and blasphe-
my; and also about certain heresies and GER
tain prevailing forms of wickedness :? You
also declared that g macmillan circumstances