New-York tribune., 1879-12-12
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
REPLYING TO MR.. TALMAGE.

REPLYING TO Nix. 1ALMAOE.
THOSE WHO VOTED FOR HIS CONVICTION DENouNcE
MS STATEMENTS LAST SUNDAY MORNING As
FALSE AND sLANDERoUs.
The Twenty-Five complainsnts TO the Synod OF
Long Island from the decision of the Brooklyn Pres
by.ery in the case Of the Rev. I. De Witt Talmage
have prepared the following statement in denial OF
many of the assertions made by him at the Taber-
pacle Sunday morning when he announced his in
tention of remaining in the Presbyterian Church,
although he had been requested by the trustees OF
his church to withdraw fromit
The undersigned having lodged before the Syncd
Of Long Island their com against se ac1'", o'
have hitherto absf aimed from all public uttcranccs
on the subject. We have been ana are willing that
the questions winch unhapplv divide the Prcsbv-
terv should be Judged and decided before an impair
tal tribunal according to the law and usage OF the
PRESBYTERIAN Church. We dcprecate the discussion
of these questions in the newspapers. and nave
therefore made response to the misrepresenta-
ton and abus" which have been heaped ull"n us Tor
the conscientious discharge OF our dnty 10 IhrisI
and His Church.
Rnt the statement read by Or. Talmage TO his
Congregation last SUNDAY morning aud yublishcu IN
he newspapers of Monday cannot DC thus ignored
i've are constrained publicly Ia den0uEcc that state
ment as a tissue of faIschoods.
The general charge that We are the enemies ana
persecnors of DR. Talmage. seeking his destruction
ior the qualification of selfish passions, is utterly
without foundation in truth. We have only sought
IN fulflment of cur ordination VOWS and IN the
way prescribed in the Form OF Government" to
purge the PRESBYTERIAN Church ofthe disgrace which,
In view OF the evidence we believe Dr. Ialmagc mas
brought upon N.
The more specific charges-that we, or any of us,
have tried 10 damage the financial credit of our
Dr. Ialmage'sl church by sending torehgious news
papers letters packed with financial falschoOds' :
that we have employed spies TO watch him that we
have invaded the sanciity OF the domestic relation
by an emesary that one of us offered an elaborate
speecb OF n speech of any kind, TO a member OF the
Presbytery, saving in effect: On take TINS speech
against Dr. Talmagc and deliver It. and YOU shall
hos. thc eralif off
of them in letter and in spirit utterly unfonnded ana
untrue DR.. 1almage's statements ~ regard 10 lns
assessments of the IresbYterv for the expenses "l
his trial are equally false. The assessments Tor
which bis church is delinquent. and Tor when paw
ment has so often been demanded by the PreshNteiy
In VAIN, reach back three years, anu We're al ma
tured six months before the trial began i ne as,
sessments which include the expenses OF tne ulal
are not due until next year. The demand Tor tne
paymcnt OF the overdue claims on the Tabernacle
was not made as DIR. Ialmage lntlmatcs, by thoSehe
calls his enemies, but by tho whole fEeSnvteiy. IN
The action taken upon the subject since the tra the
motion was made 10y DIR. Spear, the counsel OF ir.
1alnage. aud the vote was unanimous. Inc eider
from the Tabernacle acknowledged the lustness of
the claim, and promised 10 use ms hl,u, .h'.
ence 10 have IT paid And yet. IN the lace oi these
facts DIR. Talmsee complains that ms chnrcn Is re-
Guired to pay foo the stettos win whlch they
have been stabbing us," and likens the demand oi
the Presbytery 90 Booths sending bill for pistol
and ball to tle administrators of Abraham Lincoln.
The declaration of DIR. 'almage thar he has in his
possession proofs of the moral rottenness" Ol some
of those whom he calls his prosecutors is siander
OF the most gnODie klhu / ne lrahsPaIvH' Ple'cnO,
that he Is unwilling to retaate upon his so-csled
enemies while at the same time lac Is openly ac-
cusing them Of " moral rottenness." aud leaving 1t
10 evil imaglnatiOns to define and apply the accuSa-
tion. is rendered the more revolving 10y the nlnlsy
prctext that IN this course he is initiating the ex
ample aud illustrating the spirit of Him who said
Father forgive them they know not what they
do" Notwithstanding this affected similitude be-
tween his case and that of the Saviour. we shall
hold hm to hls responsibility as a false acenser.
This i signed hy J. NJ. Sherwood. j. NJ Green,
A. McCullagh Arthur Crosby. c. H.. TAYLOR. Charles
J. Jones NJ. G. Young. J. l.. Thomas. q. j, Cham
. J. w limlklev, -. Bridges. IL. J. NanDyke, W.
IT, Hazard V. Morse, 7. A. Nelson. A. w Sexton, j.
u. Wells, William " WOlf and Hugh MeDougall.