Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-01-22

Prom the n. Y. SUM-

=
B0rgafD.
(From the N. Y. SUM-
The Long Island Presbyterians have
30 proceeded, from first to last, In the
management Of tho case of Talmage,
as to bring reproach on the great de-
nomination they represent, and de-
grade themselves in the eyes Of the
public. They have made farce Of an
ecclesiastical trial, and have estab-
lished precedents which will tend to
lower the dignity Of these tribunals of
the Presbyterian Church, causing them
to be regarded with suspicion, If not
contempt.
The Brooklyn Presbytery's treatment
last Monday of DR.. Van Dykes request
for an investi2 alton Of the loose charges
Of Talmage against his moral character,
was Of piece with all the ecclesiastical
dealings with the sensational preacher.
It was cowardly and evasive, and was
pursued with the manifest intent of
smothering an inquiryo which might
prove troublesome. Whatever Tai
mage may be, let him alone for the
sake of peace and quiet, was the appar-
ent feeling of the majority. The infer
ence we must draw from this is that II
a minister wishes to escape ecclesiasti-
cal investigation and censure, all he
needs to do is to commit such offenses
as are sure to impair the harmony Of
his church IL they are Investigated,
gather about him party Of supporters,
and proceed to bully bis accusers. Then
the timid tribunals Of his denomination
will conclude that the cure is worse than
the disease; that loud as the noise he has
made may be, 1t Is mot 80 disagreeable
as an attempt to silence him would
prove.
Therefore, though In addition to the
other offences with which he is charged,
Talmage publicly accused Dr.. Van
Dyke and others with "moral rotten
ness" yet the request for an investiga-
ton was refused by a vote of 30 to 10.
The charge was made, however, and so
long as neither its truth nor its falsity
has been established 1t will continue to
vex and divide the Presbyterian church.
es of Brooklyn, and to render impossi-
ble,tte harmony for which the Presby-
terJf professt sT iaSo. a
AS DR.. Van Dyke well said irt his
letter asking for the investigation,
"There can be no true peace in the
Presbytery Of Brooklyn, and In the
churches under it, care, while its min
listers stand publicly accused OF moral
and the accuser. himself a
member Of the Presbytery, is not re-
quired to produce the proofs Of his ac-
cusations." Or in the words ofDr. Mo
Clelland, who, though physically blind,
seems to have a clear moral and intel
lectual sight, "Refuse this Investigation
If you please, but If you do 1t, do not
expect peace. You may as well try to
bind heaven and hell together as to try
to do this and expect harmony"
But the Presbytery refused it, and
Talmage came off victorious. When
the action was taken, the magnanimous
Talmage made one Of the most extraor-
dinary proposals ever offered In q relig-
Ious convocation. II you will take
back what you said against me, he
said, / will take back what I said
against you. II you will say you lied |
when you called me liar and q conf |
lence operator, will acknowledge that |
lied when called you morally rotten. |
That was about the substance of the
Christian bargain" as he termed II,
proposed by Presbyterian minister In
IN assembly Of his brethren last Mon
lay.
Afterward Talmage went even fur
her. He withdrew his moral rotten
ness charges, though his accusers re-
used to take back what they alleged
against him, and would make no bar
pain at all. But what difference does
,is confession, that he spoke against
,is brethren without justification and
,nly in anger. make In their accusa-
ions against him? It rather goes to
ortify them, for he shows himself to be
acking in moral perceptions and In Q
roper estimate Of his responsibility for
lis words and actions. IL what he said
rue, that the Christian public and the
;hurch will endorse his offer as fair?
( they do that, is It not about time to
onsider whether q reformation Of our
ominal Christianity is not requisite?
The Talmage case will long vex the ]
'resbyterians. 1t can neither be set
led by any such bargain as he pro- ,
osed, nor kept quiet BY such soporifics
8 the Long Island Presbyterians have {
L,
for High Stakes at Dead.
wood.