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

the vision of your readers. In one respect
alone we were in error. We were misled BY
the name of E. P. Palmer to say that DR.
Palmer was member of that Assembly, and
we make the amende honorable.
3 Your positive affirmation is wholly un-
satisfactory. Our General Assembly is not
named or alluded to it is true. But what
about its deliverances3 Particularly what
about the deliverauces it made the previous
year on the subject of slavery? Was that
not alluded to? In the year 1864 our Gene
raj Assembly made thoroughly matured and
carefully considered deliverance on that sub
iect In it that institution was character
lied as san, and the judgment was ex-
pressed that the time has at length come in
the providence of God when it is his will that
every vestige of human slavery among us
should be effaCed. min. p. 29S) In 1865
the following spring-you say "When we
sOlemnly declare to you, brethren, that the
dogma which asserts the inherent Sinfulness
of this relation is unscriptursl and fanatical !;
that it is condemned not only by the word ct
God but by the voice of the Church in all
ages; that it is one of the most perniCious
heresies of modern times; that ats cOunte-
nance By any ehurch IS a jast cause of sepG-
ration from 1t Il Tim. vi: 1.-5), We have
surely said enough to warn you away from
this insidious error as from fatal shore.
Now, DR.. Brown, in this deliverance of
yours you were not beating the air or shout
ing into vacuity, you were not warning your
people against an insidious error into which
no one had fallen, and fatal shore on which
no one had landed Presbyterian Assem-
bles do not do such silly things. Now, tell
US sin few plain words" who and what
were "alluded to in that deliverance p
Your allusion to the Apostle Paul is most
unfortunate one. One thing is indubitably
certain, he never spent his breath on here
sizes and schismatical intruders that had no
existence, nor did he hesitate to tell exactly
who he alluded to, when questioned on the
subject. Was it or was it not your purpose
to characterize our deliverance of the pre-
vious year as "unscriptural," heretical, "
"fanatical, etc. Until this question is
categOrically answered, we cannot retract
our assertion. The Christian world at the
time believed that in this deliverance of
yours it was your purpose, among other
things, to offset ours of the previous year
Do you undertake to say that in this belief
it was mistaken ? or does your 'positiVe af-
6rmation" when divested of its antiquities
amount at last only to this i: "That while
you alude to our deliverances as a heresy
you did not call as hereticss" If so, there
is no escaping the ugly fact you did try to
" fix the stigma of pernicious heresy upon
US exactly the offence among others, you
charge on US in the Baltimore Conference
(see letter 3D., and because Of which the idea
of fraternal relations can not be entertained
by you.
And then as to the schismatical intru-
ders." Our Assembly of 1864 had the sub
ject of sending missionaries into the South
directly and prOtractedly before it. The
Presbytery of New Lisbon proposed to it,
by Overture, prompt and vigorous mission
ary efforts in the South. The Presbytery
of Louisville, by Overture, opposed the
measure The result was that the Assembly
approved of what our Board had already
done in that way, and encouraged it to great
er efforts in that direction. See Min. p.
324) That fall the Synod of South Caro-
lima, in the bounds of which some of our mis-
sionaries were labOring, warned its churches
against all "schismatical intruders," and by
Overture sent up their warning to your AS
sembly for approval. 1t was formally ap-
proved by said Assembly when it met min.
p. 858)
Again in your Assembly letter you say,
{" Peculiar circumstances, well known, make
it our plain duty to put you on your guard
against attempts to divide and disturb yOur
congregations. Now, sir, you have vOlun-
teered yourself witness in behalf of the
position taken by the kentucky Pres5yte-
rian. In that capacity you have given tes-
timony which you think certainly ought to
send US into liquidation. But suffer little
cross examination before We liquidate. What
we're the peculiar circumstances you referred
to that made it your duty to warn your peo-
pie against supposed attempts to divide and
disturb their congregations Particularly,
we're those schismatical intruders you
spoke of phsntoms and ghosts, or were they
live men and women If the latter, please
tell US precisely who they all were, to whom
they all belonged, and under whose auspices
they were all labOring.
These questions now are not asked in a
spirit of captiOuanesS. The time when and
the circumstances under which your actions
we're taken point to our Board and its mis-
siOnaries as the persons you alluded to as
schismatical intruders, with the utmost
accuracy, and nothing but the most satisfac
tory answer to these questions will save what
you have said from being regarded by tht
public as a quibble and dodge, wholly un
worthy the traditionary reputation of Pres
byterians for frankness and courage. 1
rnn really do not know how TO answer then