The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-09-06
The Atlanta Assembly and Fra
ternal Relations.
BY REV. R. L. DABNEY, D. D.

JOuI SeueIOus OLSr 10 give me u place IN your
columns, for some views, with which you do
not fully concur touching our relations to the
Northern Presbyterian Church. Your readers
will understand that l alone am responsible for
the positions l advocate But trust that the
temper, long SO honorably characteristic of Pres
byterians, still prevails with all your readers :;
the Willingness to hear all sides, and Judge
fairly between them especially when he who
asks for a hearing has no motive except the
good of his Church, and when he has the right
to be heard on her behalf conferred by long ex-
perience, and many tolls and sufferings in her
service. Hence if it is not asking too much.
request that you publish the article which l
wrote, emitting the first three paragraphs.
4. In view of the high principles in
volved, the argument that since the
politicians have come together, and the
business men coalesced, it is high time
the churches came together" is almost
too thin to require answer. 1t overlooks
several essential points. Our subsection
to the same Government with our former
assailants is the result of force our re-
hgious affiliations must be voluntary, or
else, are worthless. Business relations
imply no sanction Of or responsibility
for, the other party's theological or
moral principles. In arranging with
Brown or Jones to sell boots, or tallow,
or calico, l should not endorse either his
politics, or his theology. The kind of
utilization now required Of us with North
ern Christians does imply such endorse
ment of their doctrine and ecclesiastical
principles; and without this, is dishonest.
5. Our Assembly and Presbyteries
ought not to have taken the initiative.
1t was derogatory to their own self-re-
spect consistency, and good name. Take
DR.. Browns constant showing, which is
that on which the Assembly protested to
act: that the Northern Assembly has
toully ibelled us; that ours, acting with
the extreme of Christian forbearance, had
dlsclaimed retaliation, but made an
0nee1lde for the libel the sole condition
OF restored confidence, and had said,
whenever you are ready with this, here
is our hand. That the defamer should
distinctly refuse this simple amende and
abide stubbornly in this refusal; all this
leaves for us one only attitude; which is to
wait, and be silent. For us to 90 farther,
and initiate another request for the
an'e1lde so insultingly withheld, is more
worthy Of a spaniel than of a Christian.
1t implies talsehood, as though 1t ageye
ne, the injured, AUTO acre responsible TO,
the scandal, instead of them, the iniurers.
1t converts our position, before so Chris
tian and manly, at once, into one cow
ardly and cringing. 1t was in the worst
possible taste and judgment for any Pres
bytery to overture the Assembly to this
step; and it was a great faur pas in the
Assembly to take it.
INT q cyrao for ono yvac ba
resolution" so-called, which makes our
Church alphabetically confess a sin
which she never committed, and which
she has always held she never com
mitted. She is made to say that provided
she has DETAINED and libelled the North
ern Church, she withdraws it; provided
the Northern Church, if it has DETAINED
us, will withdraw her SANDERS One
thing is plain to any honest mind, that
a manly individual, in the parallel case
would scorn such basis of adjustment
The parable is analogous For Dr.
Brown says emphatically that our asser-
tons OF wrong action against the North
ern Church 2Oere true, and not libellous
tie quotes DR.. Humphrey as declaring,
that we have never libelled or reviled
LILO ~AD'ShlOIJ IL 10 vain lOT one 10 al
tempt to cover the crookedness of this
action, by pleading that our "y' does
not sPeolfcate any particular libel OF
which our Assembly was guilty. If it'll
does not imply some sin of that sort in
our Assembly it is insincere. If it does,
1T is a sinful libel of our past Assemblies.
This pretended brotherly reconciliation
is Wanted as very Christian and lovely.
What sort of a reconciliation is that, to
which insincerity, and false accusation
OF our own brethren, is the essential
step? The apostles plea was: First
pure, then peaceable." This new tangled
love makes itself impure, in order 10 be
peaceable.
6. 1t was my privilege and honor to
oppose the deoeitful ENHANCEMENT of our
Church in the PAN Alliance" The
events at Atlanta show that was right;
for it Is very plain to the clear-headed
observer, that all those who were in
volyed in that affair have found them
selves embarrassed and handicapped"
now, in their efforts to adjust the new
relations with this slandering Tally.
But this by the way.
FrateInal Relations.
Approaching now the centre of the
subject, let US disentangle fraternal re.
lations' from the confusion designedly
thrown around it by our Northern as