The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-03-20
REPLY TO REV. DIR. VAN DYKE.

the Central Presbyterian of the 9Th ult,
gives him 8 claim to be heard which IS will
ingly acknowledged. At the same time it
calls for reply.
1. He says, You selected me as a speei-
men Of that rsn6Or." This is a mistake We
did not mean so, nor did We say so. We are
not aware that DR.. Van Dyke hes at any
time spoken of the South in terms deserving
such a word, and We cheerfully testify that
he has often spoken in words of another char
acter about IS strong as language could make
it. AS an instance of this we might refer to
his speech before the General Assembly in
Philadelphia, upon his return from mission
to our General Assembly in Louisville in
1870. If our context is examined it will be
found that he was not referred to IS belong
ing to the class no supPOses, bat to another,
those who made the "hvely prophecies
spoken of. And concerning those prOphe-
oies" We beg leave to say
2. That unintenioaally injustice vas done,
which we take this the frs; opportunity to
repair. The NeV York Observer, as could
be shown by copjous citations now before
US, has since 1865 referred, instance after
instance, in the most offensive manner to
the Southern Presbyterian Church, as soon
going back to the Northern. Under a lapse
of recollection at the time 70 did pos repre-
sent DR.. Van Dyke correctly. Il now gives
US pleasure TO assure him thai We d" see our
way clear to say in a few plain words" thas
sin a calm review" this Injustice Of sssoci-
ating him in this particular with the Ne0
Ycrk Observer and others, whose name is
legion, is regretted and disapp,Oged.' We
would not knowingly and gratuitOusly add
the weight Of a straw to the 4" burdensome
stone which ia already and inevitably upon
his shoulders in connection with these nat
ters-as viii appear hereafter.
3. Did the Southern Assembly Ia 1870 re-
spond to the overture of the Northern "with
accusations as bad, and worse than any the
Northern Assembly had preferred sgsinat
them?" DR.. Van Dyke asserts that they
did: We take issue with him in its most posi-
tive form. We published Central Pres5y-
terrain, June 17ib, 1879 every word of Dr..
Van Dykes speech before bis last General
Assembly, together with the whole quotation
be made frcm the Minutes cf our Assembly
of 1870. and now publish il again in another
part of this paper.
Now let Us see how the two cases stand
Are they alike? The following facts and
statements cannot be controgersed.
o. IF it were true that 10 terms the al
legations are Of equal grade, yet the Cir
cumstanees under which they were uttered
were so very different as to make them very
unequal. The Northern Assembly sent US
Commissioners (of whom Dr.. Van Dyke was
one) to talk about adjusting our grievances,
and they invited the appointment Of Com
mittee. This Committee vas appointed, and
a statement Of the wrongs alleged was put
into their hands for their guidance. We
were therefore called upon to make such
statement. TIE case on the other side was
wholly unlike this. Taeir offence, as De
Van Dyke knows and has often admitted,
was wholly gratuitoug. What had our As
sombly ever done to justify Is? Never had
it uttered word to give rise to such abusive
epithats.
a. More than this it had positively once
AID again declared that is was not iss desire
or purpose to assail that Assembly.
First, whea the Synod of Kentucky was
united with our Church in 1867, it came With
an extended aud able declaration of princi
pies for which it had been in conflict with the
!. Northern Church. In the action taken by
bur Assembly we find the following sentence
-"This General Assembly declines NOR, as
heretofore, to make any usterauca concerning
the acts of the body against which the Synod
protests"
Second, in 1870 We find tho following
{" The Southern Presbyterian Church car
C0bu05luy aPP5aA 20 al '47 aus e-o V9VA@
rations of al their Assemblies, that no atti
taas of aggression has been, or is nor, as
slnsd 5y It towqyds the Northern ClurcI.-
Aud this General Assembly distinctly avoWs
(as it has always believed and declared) that
no grievances experienced by u, however
real, would justify US in acts Of aggression,
or a spirit of malice or retaliation sgainst any
branch of Cariss's visible kingdom" If |
then cur Assembly has really uttered such
grievous accusations as DR.. Van Dyke as
ser.s, it has at least this palliation, unless it
spoke lies in hypocrisy, that it did not in
tend so to do. If the Northern Assembly |
should now attempt such declaration on its