Walther attends Old Presbyterian Assembly (Slavery 4a)

           This continues from Part 3 (Table of contents in Part 1) on the Bible and slavery. In May 1866, the Old School Presbyterians held their General Assembly in St. Louis.  Presbyterianism is not normally a subject of this blog, but this meeting was different, for it had one in attendance who was the leading Lutheran in America — C. F. W. Walther.  Why would Walther attend a meeting of Presbyterians? (This was not a regular activity for him.) He gives his answer at the top of his 3-page report.  I spent considerable time polishing a translation only to find that portions had already been printed in English, from the original meeting (links provided to the original). I decided to keep my translation and provide links to both the Lehre und Wehre report and a Presbyterian pastor's printed address.  I am publishing this in 3 installments to highlight what Walther considered important, for that was my interest. Wherever Walther found a love for Holy Scripture, he rejoiced in it. For a background of the early history of the Presbyterians in America see this Wikipedia article. — In the following, underlining is Walther’s emphasis. Wording in parentheses ( ) is Walther's notations. Words originally printed in English are italicized. Square brackets [ ] are my insertions. Highlighting is mine. From Lehre und Wehre, vol. 12 (1866), pp. 213-216:

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     The General Assembly of the Old School Presbyterians met recently alongside that of the New School here in St. Louis. Since we had heard and read so much about the dignity by which this church body [the “Old School”] distinguished itself from others of its kind in its whole appearance and in the manner of its proceedings, we could not resist the desire to see this venerable body for ourselves on the occasion that now presented itself. We went there on May 22, 1866. But how disappointed we were! When we entered the meeting, it was just this: The Presbytery of Louisville had protested against certain resolutions of the General Assembly concerning slavery and loyalty, as contrary to God's Word and to earlier resolutions of the same Assembly itself. For the sake of this protest, the delegates of this presbytery had been unheard and refused to sit in the Assembly. Against this a number of 18 members of the last named body had protested. So a Mr. Galloway, a former congressional member from Ohio, appeared and sought to justify the proceedings of the Assembly in a long address. But this was done in such a frivolous, profane manner, with such manifest miserable sophistries and jests, amid resounding laughter from the whole Venerable Body, that one thought one was in a Ward Meeting, in which stump speeches [by political candidates] were held for the imposition of a disreputable party candidate. 

There was no calling on the Word of God, even on the Constitution of the Assembly; rather the speaker derived the exercised power from a "higher law" than that of the Constitution, namely from the law of "self-respect"; interpellated with the question of a proof, the speaker invoked legal authorities and the proceedings of the present Congress! Even if the Assembly, contrary to the Word of God, establishes something, there is no other way out than to resign, because "its decisions are the highest and a binding law." Without first hearing the delegates, they were therefore to be excluded from further participation in the proceedings, solely “because of their defiant and reproachful language” against the highest court of the Presbyterian Church, which is constituted by the Head of the Church through His chosen people. It was indeed no different for us here than if we were in Costnitz [in Germany]. The address was interrupted not only by loud laughter, clapping of hands and other signs of merriment, but also by the appearance of a pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church as its delegate, who gave an address which was replied to by the moderator; but we must confess that we never heard so many sine mente sonos [“sounds without a mind”]  delivered with so great pathos, as on the part of the former [Dutch Reformed pastor], and never so many vacuous compliments, as on the part of the Moderator, in a church meeting. We went away deeply saddened; we thought to ourselves, is this happening to the green wood, what will happen to the dry [when it ages]? If this is how it stands with the most serious religious fellowship in America [Old School Presbyterians], how might it stand with those fellowships whose foreign, wild fire is proverbial [e.g. the “New School”]? There is no doubt that the last years of war [Civil War], with their political fanaticism and their deluge of humanistic ideas, have wrought terrible havoc, especially in the Old School Presbyterian Church, which was formerly in better standing. — In order to get to know the spirit of those whom the General Assembly has excluded from itself, one must look at the statements [LuW p. 214] of those who in the Assembly have defended the excluded and made their cause their own. 

Among these persons is the local [St. Louis] Presbyterian pastor, Rev. J. H. Brookes, D.D., who, in a lengthy address delivered to the General Assembly on May 31, and already in printing [Google Books, full proceedings here], said, among other things: 

“Not having come here merely to have the glory of victory, but to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints, and for the truth which is in Jesus, I shall proceed with firmness, and, in my conviction, with respect to the high court, in expressing the views entertained by those [Louisville Presbytery] who have been brought before your court. The insulting epithets which have been heaped upon us without measure will not be returned to their authors; but until you show us by a calling upon the Holy Scriptures and the Constitution of the Church, we shall not be able to do so. But until you can show us by an appeal to Holy Scripture and to the Constitution of the Church that we are in error, we must stand where we stand, undaunted by threat and power. May the gentlemen cease to make general accusations and prove that we are in error, or, sir, we will steadfastly hold our ground, so help us God. Amen!" [A clear reference to Martin Luther’s stand at the Diet of Worms.] (At these words there was loud applause in the galleries, which the speaker earnestly forbade, asking those concerned to consider that they were in the house of God). 

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Walther was shocked to find that even the "Old School", the "most serious religious fellowship in America", apart from the old Missouri Synod, had succumbed to an anti-Scriptural position.  But in the midst of this he highlights the protesting opposition within this fellowship, of the Louisville Presbytery, and their "Declaration and Testimony" petition. 

      This matter could be superimposed on a convention of the LC-MS, but then again, there seems no leader or teacher within the LC-MS holding to the Biblical doctrine on slavery. That is why Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz is notable today for even mentioning the word "slavery" (see Part 1). — In the next Part 4b, Walther continues his lengthy quote from the stirring address of Rev. Brookes.