The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-06-27
4" Never can true reconciliation grow
Where wounds of deadly hate
Have pierced so deep,n

declaration. Nay, more, added to it the ro.
adoption of our old Standards. 1t seemed
to me strange thing. Under that declara-
tion was appointed one of committee, and
labored seven days in the conference at Bal
timore. In that conference, by the authority
of the Assembly, We declared to the South
ern Church, first, that all the acts of the
Church they complained of were null and
void;" second, that we had entire confidence
in their Christian character and soundness
in the faith; and third, that we we're willing
to enter into fraterDal relations with them on
terms of perfect equality and fraternity, not
saying any thing about the offences we be-
lieved we had against them. But that Com
mittee demanded still further that thiS> =
h6nlniil Il -oHly 49,
| Wits s5rmer action, but = -
declare ourselves sorry for having said it.
Now, Mr.. Moderator, it would be very
difficult for me to say 81 am sorry" l was
all the while. / protested and voted against
the action. But have observed this in my
intercourse with men: : 1t is a very easy thing
to be sorry for other peoples sins-a very
easy thing to be liberal with other peoples
money. | shall not enter into the question
now whether it is competent for this Assem-
bly, to repent for what some other Assembly
did but say that the claim that, in addi-
ton to what we have already said, there
must be an apology by this Assembly, is not
consistent with the dignity of this Court of
Jesus Christ Applause nor consistent with
the equities involved in this case because,
in the second place, the report of this Com.
mittee assumes, in accordance with what has
been assumed by our brethren on the other
side of the line,-st least by large portion
of them,-that the apology is all on our side
that there is nothing to be sorry for on
the other side. But want to say, after the
war was over, and the provocation was re-
moved, if there was to be any apology for
harsh and ungenerous words, the apology
was not due from US after such words were
honestly taken away. The Southern Gene
raj Assembly put in its rccord-and they
stand there to this day unrepealed, unre-
gretted, unapologized for-harsher words
than any Northern Assembly ever uttered
in regard to them. Applause. 1t pains
me to say this, but it is Gods truth, and it
ought to be known; and want it to be known
from Chicago to New Orleans, and from New
York to San Francisco. 1 read from the
action of the Southern Assembly in Louis.
vile in 1S7O-[D DR.. Van Dyke here quoted
the words of the Southern Assembly, in
which our Assembly is charged with taking
the crown from the head Of Christ and allow
ing admission to all doctrinal errors.
Now, Mr.. Moderator, here the very di-
lemma lies in my mind. If it is true in 1870
that the Northern Presbyterian Church "has
taken the crown from the head Of Jesus
Christ, and repudiated all our doctrinal
standards, and united with the New School
upon the allowed admission of all doctrinal
errors," then these brethren owe it to them.
selves and to God not to have any CORES
pondence with US. |, for one, do not want
them to come together. believe they are
sound, and do not want them to be contami-
mated with such body. Laughter. But
if it is not true that the Assembly to
which | belong. to which | was loyal during
all the dreadful days of the war, even when
I was Kissed from the platform of the AS
sembly in 1856, if it be not true that the
Assembly " has taken the crown from the
head of Jesus Christ, and repudiated all the
doctrines of grace" then l say when these
brethren come here, demanding of US that We
shall apologize to them for all these hard
words against them, it would become them to
make some little apology to us. Applause.
Now, sir, for the last reason, for | must
not detain this Assembly. cannot in my
heart approve of the spirit in which this de-
mand for the expression of regret, tanta
mount to an apology, is made upon this AS
sembly. do not think it is the true princi-
pie upon which any reconciliation can be ef-
fected. It smacks of honor, but not the
honor that cometh from above. You cannot
enter into an afiliation with anybody, as l
said before, upon an assumed ground that
they are all right, and you are all wrong,
and hold that afilistion. Applause.
The last Assembly declared that they were
ready to receive upon these grounds, at this
Assembly, delegate from the Assembly sit
ting in New Orleans. Why is not that del
egste here? There is venerable father be-
longing to that branch of the Presbyterian
Church in this city, man l love as love
my own soul, and it has been reported
through this city-I was confronted with it
at dinner-table only three days ago-that
an old man came hereas delegate from the
Southern Assembly, and We would not re-
ceive him. l took it upon me to- to-..y-s-.7Ssss. -
am wrong, let the Assembly correct me-
that if the venerable Dr. PIumer-God bless
his white head Applause If he had come
to US, with papers or without papers, and
said, Brethren, | am authorized to repre-
sent the Southerni Assembly in this body"
we would have received him with open arms,
Voices" That's so u and with unanimous
acclamations. And his face, as he sat here
upon this platform, would have been to US
like the face Of an angel, shining as the
face of Moses shone when he came down
from communion with God in the Holy
Mount Applause. And now, sir, pledge
myself, if Dr. Plumer will come forward and
say he is authoriz ID to take his seat as cor
responding delegate from the Southern AS
sembly to this body, that he will be received.
Applause Inasmuch as we stand upon
that basis OF perfect equality and reciprocity,
t insisting that the reciprocity must not be,
like the handle Of a Jug all on one side, and
, iuasmuch as we have declared our confidence
t in their Christian character and doctrinal
soundness, and invited them to send cor
responding delegate to US, think We had
better let that stand just where it stands;
t and if it takes ten years or twenty years, or
if my knowledge of the full establishment Of
fraternal relations between these two bodies
? must be delayed until l hear it by some swift
, messenger coming up from the courts of the
Lord Jesus Christ here, to announce it -