Year: 1875

Q
them.


Now, all this is very clear and
quite conclusive; but We are not sur
prised that it was regarded by the
Southern Committee as not altogether
satisfactory, and We confess that, as
an act of Presbyterian diplomacy, We
do no not regard it with any special
pride.


1t should be understood by our peo-
| pie that we were not asked by the
Southern Committee. to repeal or to
declare null and void any act or de-
iircraacc Of any of our General .4Ssemj-
lies. They distinctly stated that, as
a condition of fraternal correspond
ence, they do not ask us to say a
single word inconsistent with our
principles in regard to the relations
of the Church to the civil power
They intimate that if the question
related to reunion, it would be nee
essary toagree upon that point. But
as condition of the establishment
of fraternat relations by the inter
change Of ofdelegates, they simply ask
that we shall disown the injurious
imputations cast by former Assemb-
lies lp0n deir character as religious
denomination. This request our Com
mittec fatty refuse, on the ground,
l. That it has already been done; J.
The South is guilty Of a similar Of
fcnse, and stands in need of the same
charity which we ask for our Church
;. We have no right to touch the
subject.


For ourSelf, We regard the demand
of the Southern Committee as very
moderate and as altogether reason
able and Just. 1t is far more noder-
ate than We expcctd them to make,
and we do not see how they can ae-
Co., Ia-c zerss;fssEis
prepared TO accsdS to- this demand,
We do not see how it is consistent for
US to enter into this correspondence.
That in the heat of our excitement
severe and unkind things were said,
it is idle, and worse than idle, to deny
and that severe and unkind things
were said on the other side is not 4
becoming reply for the Presbyterian
Church to make. Our duty is plain.
Whatever others may do, We must
set our own house in order.


If the imputations cast by our As
semblies upon the Christian charact-
er of our Southern brethren are true
if they were uttered in the fear of
God and in the exercise of the chari-
ty of the gospel-then It Is our dutyto
stand By them, whatever may be the
consequences. Andunless the Church
South is brought to repentance, We
have no right either to ask or to ac-
cept fraternal correspondence. 1t
is our duty to stand before the Chris
tian world as witnesses against them.
But if they were uttered in haste,
ard if Sin calm review" We are not
prepared to defend them at the bar
of public sentiment, or to meet the
account at the bar of God, they
should be promptly and cheerfully
disowned. So long as they are not
disowned, they are our imputations,
and if they involve sin, the guilt
of it is upon our souls.


But to their recapitulation of our
imputations our committee has only
to reply, inferentially ard construct
lively they are null and void The
application of the terms, null and
void" toinjprious imputations strikes
us as having the merit of originali--
ty, and we are notquite sure that we
understand what it means. But We
cannot think it strange that the
Southern committee were unable to
see that these imputations were re-
moved, while we refuse to disown
them, Notwithstanding they are
null and void"


Besides, if we have really removed
these imputations in an indirect
manner, as the committee claims, We
cannot see the objection to saving so
in such language as plain people are
able to understand. Is it consist
ent course to perpetuate alienation
by standing upon a mere technicali-
ty?


But il we are fully determined not
to go single step beyond the past
action of our Assemblies why was
this Conference appointed? Was it
supposed that this committee would
be able to make anything plain to
the Southern Church that hitherto
had been obscure? If this was the
idea of the movers, then we not only
fail to see the wisdom of the procee-
ding, but we think the Southern
Church has right to regard their
invitation to the conference with
feelings akin toresentment. Ifthey
had known that they were invited
to the Conference for the sole pur-
pose of retracting their position on
this subject, We think they would
scarcely have accepted the invita-
ton.


But is the reply of our Committee
all that, as denomination, we are
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