The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-06-13
DR. VAN DYKES SPEECH ON FRATER-
NAL RELATIONS.

the speech delivered by DR.. Van Dyke in the
Chicago Assembly thorough examination,
but to reserve it until some future time. No
fox ever doubled on his own tracks more
completely, bat we judge that no one ever
did it moro unskilfully. 1t is an easy task
to uncover the movement to the public eye.
But to do so in a manner answering properly
to the facts and demands Of the case, would
require far more time and space than it is
possible TO devote to it upon the eve and in
the hurry of an extended absence from home.
In the meantime the request has been repeat
eddy made within the past week for some notice
of the speech recently delivered in Chicago,
on a report offered by Rev. DR.. Marquis on
behalf of the Standing Committee on Cor
respondence touching "fraternal relations
with the Southern Presbyterian Church. -
This report was published last week, tOgeth-
er with the one which was adopted in its place
In attempting some compliance with this
request, it viii be understood that it must be
only part of the general subject that can
be noticed, and this only in outline.
l. DR.. Van Dyke misled his Assembly
last year, when, leaving the Moderator
chair, he informeG7 the body that Dr.. Tai
mage's paper would Oulyl make matters worse
with the Southern Church; that what it Of
fered was only hon e ,pathio dose compared
with what had been already conceded, but in
vain. No one had better right than he 70
know that this was not a correct statement
Dr. Talmage's paper contained distinct dis
approval of the offensive imputations' Sc
often referred to. 1t would seem to be i'm.
possible that DR.. Van Dyke did not know
that this was the only thing asked for in the
Baltimore Conference as settlement, and
that he had distinctly refused it.
2. In the same way he has misled the
Chicago Assembly or rather his main argu-
ment-indeed the only special ground on
which he rested-Was the partial statement
of fact and an utterly unfair use of it. He
takes the ground that if " fraternal relations
are established, they must be based upon the
principle ofperfect equality and reciprocity"
Certainly, provided the two sides stand alike
as to the ofFense given; not otherwise. DR..
Van Dyke therefore attempts to show that
this was the case. To support his assertion
he quotes passage from paper adopted by
orr Assembly in 1870, when he, together
with Rev. DR.. Backus, and Hon. William E.
Dodge, came as a committee from their Gen
eral Assembly. 1t is as follows:
l.. Both the wings Of the now united Assembly,
during their separate existence before the fusion
did fatally complieate themselves with the State in
political utterances deliberately pronounced year
after year and which in our judgment was sad
betrayal of the cause aud kingdom OF our common
Lord and Head We believe it to De sOlemuly in
cumbeut upon the Northern Presbyterian Church,
not with reference to us, but before the Christian
world, and before our Divine Master and King, to
purge itself Of this error, and by public pToelama-
ton of the truth to place the crown once more
mon the head of Jesus Christ as the alone King Of
Zion. Ii default of which the Southern Presbyte
risR Church. which has already suffered much in
maintaining the independence and spirituality Of
the Redeemer's kingdom upon earth, ieels con
strained 20 bear public testimony against this de-
lection of our late associates In the truth Nor can
we. BY cfieai correspondence ever, consent to
blunt the edge of this our testimony concerning the
nature and mission Of the Church, as purely
spiritual body among men.
2 The union now oOnsummated between the
Old ard New School Assemblies North was accom-
plished by methods which, in our judgments, IN
yoyed total surrender of all the great testimonies
Of the Church for the fundamental doctrines OF
grace at q time when the victory OF truth and er
ror huug long in the balance, The United Assem-
DIV stands of necessity upon an allowed latitude OF
Interpretation of the Standards, and must come at
length 10 embrace nearly all shades OF dootrinal DC
lief. OF those falling testimonies we are the sole
surviving heirs, which we must hit from the dus,
and bear 20 the generations after Us. 1t would be
= serioug eoyprOnise of this sacred trust to enter
INTO pubGo and Official fellowship with those Tepu
dating those testimonies aud to do this expressly
upon the ground, as stated in the preamble to the
overture before US: thSt the terms of reunion be-
tween the two branches Of the Presbyterian Church
at the North, now happily eonsummated, present
an suspiciOus opportunity Tor the adjustment OF
such relations. To found correspondence pro-
tessedly upon this idea would be to indorss that
which We thoroughly disapprOve
After quoting this the DR.. winds up his
drst paragraph by saying" when these
brethren come here demanding of US that we
shall apologize to them for those hard words
against them, it would become them to make
some little apology to US"
Now let US see how the two cases really
stand. Are they alike?
a. Even if in terms they were of equal
grade, the circumstances under which they