Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-11-09


Mr.. Moderator and Brethren Of the PresJy'
terry of Columbus When 10 1862 was liceu
sed and afterward ordained by the o. S. Pres
byterY OF Oxford, | sincerely accepted the
standards of the Church "tor substance Of doc
trine." But feel bound in conscience to state
that more years and longer sui lection to n"
influences that form and modify belief, have
bred in me convictions SO much at variance with
those standards that l can and ought 10 remain
10 the ministry no longer.
Fer gears | agreed with the many ministerial
and other friends With whom [ counsellcd, il
tie opinion that, as bad always been candid
aud free Of speech, both il public and in pr.
7ate, could properly, and indeed should
preach SO long as Prcsbytcry did not warn ne
| that was outside the limits OF permissible lib
erty in doctrine. Two things made the advice
| the easier 70 follow. was rot q pastor, and
| knew that veSs like nine were held by 4 large
and fast Increasing number OF ministers in the
Presbyterian and other orthodox denominations.
But now the greater postiveness of my convc
tious, and various Indications in the Prcsbyte.
| rian and other churches make my position in
| the ministry illogical aad impossible. | must
| be honest, and known to be honest, 10 this
| matter | must be free TO speak cut what |
| believe, as occasion arises. 1t would be To-
tolerable to be merely tolerated and. in
| view of many aud recent examples OF the
sins and passions attending trials for
heresy | shall be party 10 DO such trial
For you and for myself, then, gao much and
avoid much by this voluntary, explicit declara.
tion viz that am unorthedox as to many OF
| the doctrines and differences from doctrines cs-
sentia to the CalVinistic and orthodox systems.
/ cannot give here my beliefs, and it would
avail nothing if | could. For your purposes
and mine it suhices to say that do not believe.
| and cannot pretend to believe, maDy things
| that Presbyterian MINISTER is righttuIy rx
peoted to believe, teach, and conform to.
think it due to all concerned to add that
whatever God sees in my heart, there Is poth'
| ing in my outward life making me unworthy
your continued fellowship; tLat have hcrcsy
to avow, not vice to confess. And as for my
beliefs, tte7 are neither the cause nor coEsc.
ouence of Indifference to religious truth, or dc
cay of religious feeling. am not mystic
drifting, bctogged, nor q matcriailst, with the
soul frozen out of me. have beliefs That arc
as strong and dear as yours 10 you. God
Christ, in an incomprehcnsibla way His Son.
and, as an undeniable fact, Ills reVealcr ana
| our helper-righteouncS and duty-ihc end
| less life to comc--my faith n all this has been
| always growing in certainty, prcclousness. and
!
| when no man shall have a less and no church
| require longer creed than that
! The Church has in it too many whom love
| and reverence; it has had ln it too many OF my
dead: there arc crysalized about its very game
too many Of my best thoughts and purposes, ioy
my leaving it to be other than unspeakaby
painful. But it is not so painful as would be
living disoyal to what to me Is truth, IN ialSe
position, aud not free with the Intellectual as
| we'll as spiritual liberty whercwlth Christ has
made us free.
| | know that Presbyterian law admits no do.
| mission of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. donecton
from its doctrine involving dlsclpllae Oh Inc
same sort as does conviction on trial tor drunk
enness or lewdness. But, in fact II not IN law,
| the ministry can be resigned, and l. hereby give
up tho rights and privl eges, and loose myself
| from the duties and obligations pertaining to
and binding upon me heretofore as Il minister
Of tho Presbyterian Church. L have no need
| am sure to ask that the action to bo had in my
case be prefaced with etatemen OF ths TACT that
| it results from my own wholly unsouSAt
avowals.
For tho groat and manifold kindness I have
received from my brethen during the llitoen
yosrs that are gono shall always be most CRATE
! full and know l can trust 10 its continuance.
| MY college duties have kept me personally 4
stranger to the most Of this Presbytery, but tho
loss has been mino. and l hsve falt it as a loss
l
other, far better than now. Meantime II re-
| mains that we follow wheresO He seems to lead,
if need be by paths seemingly lonely aud lying
far apart.
The severance Of no nooutward bond can prcvoat
nv remaining in heart and with great respect.
YOUR brother JosErH MILLIKIN,
Columbus, Ohio, October :. 1877.
Two AMERICAN GIRLS ABROAD mar
riage Of Prince A!cssa1dro Nuspo!I to NlI Eva
| Hennen Broadwood has just taken place At
Rome. After the civil ceremony had been per
formed-Nllss B:oadwood being Protest2nt-
special dispcnSatioa was granted hy the I1pe
sanctionipg the celebration OF t'io u0lon accoT1-
ing to tho Roman Catholic ritual. The BRIDE,
who IS sn American by birth, il described as :.
beautiful blonde o. the Aogio S2xcn type, clsE-
teen 2cnrs or age, a1d very accomp'shcl. She
| is q granddaughter cE The late Allied llCGncr,
q prominent member OF thc bar at New W:
leans, and niece Of iI- Dawson ilcnncn and
Mrs. John A. NOUS, & New York, Prince
Sciarra Cc0n5a, a1 intimate i!iend Of Hflncc
Acs.andr1 Ruspoli, gave the htlIc aAd ncf
family handsome entertainment some days
before the marriage, Including IN excursion 10
the Priuces yacht Ssppho to the Bay OF Nap
les. Prince Alessardri Ru5poli is The youngest
sou Of Prince Ruspo!i, and q brother Oh the
Princess Napoleon Charles B0napartc. the vile
of the brother anI heir o. the CaTiinal, IfiHce
Of Cauino.
The engagement is announced 81 Miss Ar,,
tcincttc Polk, of Tennessee, a daughter OF
the late Mr. Andrew Polk: a niece OF Bishop
and Lieutenant General Polk, aud cousin
of DR.. Mecklcnburg Polk, OF Baltimore, to Gen
Baron de Charattc, who commanded the Papa
Z1uayes at the baltic Of Castcl Fidardo.
! General de Charette Is a descendant, Of the
loyalist hero Of the war tf IN Vcndee, and
: inherits all the devotion Of bis race to the
. Church and to the Crown. lie was born IN
l 1928, aud was married number OF years az age
to az Irish lady. Mrs. Fliz James, who died
not long afterwards, bearing bin two children.
= Miss Polk has resided abroad for a long tim,
: mast With her mother, principally 10 England
! and in Rome, where she has been greatly ad
mired not only for her beauty and accomplish
: ments 10 the ordinary routine OF iashlooab
d life, but for her daring aud grace as horse
woman, riding fearlcssly to the hounds IN tit
English hunting shires and on the Roma'