ISTew Series, "Vol. "VI, N"o. 7. Strictly in Advance $2.50, Otherwise $3. 1 Postage 20ots, to be paid where delivered, j gmmtatt Iralnftmaii. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1869. METHODIST AFFINITIES FOR PRESBY TERIANISM. The recent declaration of Dr. Abel Stevens in the-London Watchman , which is copied in an other column, to the effect that Methodism is a Presbyterian form of Church government, awakens some serious and hopeful reflections on the affini ties of our various truly Protestant bodies. With; out pausing closely to oriticise the ecclesiastical accuracy of the language, we may say unhesi tatingly, that such a use of the term betokens a degree of friendliness and fraternal feeling for whioh there must be a deep, underlying founda tion in the truth. And we hesitate not to say that this fraternal fueling is fully reciprocated by multitudes who bear the name of Presbyterian. It has become simply impossible for any intelli gent Christian to ignore the great advance made by the Methodist denomination in all the ele ments and appliances of theological and general culture, or to overlook the eminent services they have begun to render in theological literature both periodical and permanent. It looks as though we should soon owe to Methodism the only great Cyclopedia of Theology in the English language. Presbyterians would not be true to themselves if they failed to feel a lively sympathy in such movements and their authors. And if Presbyterians have for nearly a century regarded Methodist revivals with suspicion, and reckoned the success of their camp meetings and their special measures as a very doubtful benefit; from the beginning it was not so. The same spiri tual impulse which made Wesley the apostle of Methodism, sent Whitefleld as a flaming star across the ocean among the Congregational and Presbyt terian Churches in America. The Calvinistio Meth odists of Wales are a fruit of the same movement. Tho Countess of Huntington, though a Calvinist, went warmly into the movement, “ and such,” says Dr. Stevens, writing of the early history of Methodism, “ was the moral unity of both parties, the Arminian and the that the es sential unity of the general Attthofiistic move* ment was maintained.” And if balvinists feel that the Armiuianism of the Methodists is pre cisely the weak point, the doctrinal defect which has led to shallowness of inward experience and evanescence of results, and even disastrous reac tions, they cannot deny a persistency, a tenacity of life, and an extraordinary power of growth to the body, which points to an inner and a great reality. Moreover, the Methodists themselves.no longer shut their eyes to those extraordinary de linquencies of their probationers, which have been a matter of unfavorable criticism so long among other denominations. They view them with grief, and they have started the inquiry, How the abuse is to be remedied. If it has been made a reproach to the Metho dists that they know nothing of the Presbyterian principle of government by representation, they have answered, on the one hand, that our or dained elders were ministers almost as truly as their local preachers, and their presence in the judicatories is not, therefore, lay representation; and besides, holding office during good behaviour, they are not, in the full sense of the word, repre sentatives, of the people. On the other hand, the Methodist Church is now passing through an agitation tor lay representation in the strict sense of the word, and may yet turn out more republi can and popular in its form of government than Presbyterians or Congregationalists. Cer tainly Presbyterian ideas, or ideas quite as good on church government, are becoming fa miliar to them. And that some' ideas on the same subject, hitherto supposed to be quite pe culiar to the Methodists, are getting currency among Presbyterians, appears from Mr. Barnes’ suggestion at the Clinton St. installation of elders, which was in substance that Presbyterian elders would ■do well to assume not a few of the functions of class-leaders. As to dootrine, we cannot doubt that a like assimilation has boen going on. Calvinism and Arminianism are represented as opposite poles of theology, and so they are. But the fact that the earth has two opposite poles does not contradict the fact of its geometrical unity, but confirms it. Neither of its poles oould be dispensed with. Every Calvinist who has not theorized himself into fatalism, or something very like it,' admits with every pulse of his practical life, the grand truth of human freedom involved in, Arminianism- Every Methodist who philosophises, and they are-not a few, confesses the supremacy of the divine will and purpose in the universe, as the only escape from chaos. Both, when they come to the Bible, with out dogmatic prejudice, must see'both doctrines: divine supremacy, and human freedom', clearly v* s Sr ' stated there, and sometimes interwoven in the same sentence. Increasing numbers in both Churches admit, that if the two doctrines can no more be reconciled than the two poles can be brought together, they must both be simply be lieved in, as they are. The Calvinist does not need to loosen his grasp upon the iron pillars of the divine decrees in order to admit the mystery of free will. The Arminian need not sacrifice free will in embracing decrees. Only those ra tionalistic types, of mind, who insist on haying everything logically explained and systematized, need have any trouble about it. Here it is interesting to observe, that the Methodist articles of, religion contain not the slightest trace of Arminianism, but, if anything, are Calvinistio. The section XII. “of Sin after! Justification,” uses no such phrase as “ falling j from grace,” and contains nothing to'which the i opponents of that doctrine would hot subscribe.' Seotion VIII., on Free Will, would pass muster at Princeton. It is as follows: “ The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he can not turn and prepare himself by his own natural 1 strength and works to faith, and calling upon - God; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that'we may have a good will, and working, with us, when, we have that good will.” Thus it appears that there is no hindrance but rather encouragement in the written creed of the Methodists to the further development of affinities for Presbyterian doctrine. May the good work go on. SEARCH AFTER TRUTH. By Bev. £. B. Adams, S. B. Said a wise man: “Were the .Almighty to give me the choice either to accept truth, or,to. search.after it, I would, with all deference, pre fer the latter.” - , , : There is extravagance in this assertion, no doubt; yet it contains a very importanfcthqught.j We are so constituted that possession is npt to us the largest source of pleasure. The excitement of pursuit, the expectation and fa,ct of conquest, are often more rapturous an cl'absorbing than thej senfle of propnestorsTiip. This specially true of objects which have.'no power of development, no qualities which may .be successively unfolded to afford us. repeated instances ,of wonder and delight. And we are satisfied with what we possess only when it doed yield us new'arid''un-, expected proofs of excellence. Henee : whep our minds and hearts have put' fortfi their energies for that which only 'seerhe'd a” good, which is found, in'the possession, to be'an evily the reac tion is; In equal measure, painful. the 6ame law we find that only to be a. good-which is capable of successive disclosures of new and sur prising qualities; which is fitted for our-eh; larged experience, for our natural and our artifi cial wants ; for our improving taste, our growing intelligence; our better rviews and nobler -del The rapture of discovery is succeeded by the calmness, even by forgetfulness of possession. The huntsman who- has stricken the chamois from his alpine peak, or prostrated the, bison on the prairie, thinks" more bf~repeating that suc cess than of possessing what' he has gained. The astronomer, across the field of whose teles-. cope a new planet has rolled, lingers' not long in the joy of his disoovery, but lifts his lenses to the firmament, that he may win to science ano ther of its wanderers. Man desires tp know. Efis mind is for truth, and , truth;,is for the mind. The world is full of experimenters. They dig into the earth in search of' tokens, making, dead things eloquent and tuneful. They breathe the fumes of the laboratory, seeking hidden af finities. They soar to the heavens, measuring worlds'and systems, peering into space ; now on the confines of Sirius; anon, within, “ the bands of Orion,” then away with “ Arcturus and his sons,” applying that sublime arithmetic which they began to learn under the mother’s eye, by repeating the units, or counting their fingers. The discipline derived from these processes is invaluable, but the possession' of truth thus gained is also of infiniteworth. There maybe more excitement, more eestacy in the discovery' and the conquest, but there is, doubtless, more good, more calm, diffused, enduring happiness in the possession. And this because truth is mani fold. It forever unfolds its glory to the mind ; adding to the, wonder of ignorance the deeper wonder of revelation; bearing the spirit into clearer field's of light, until it lands us in the untroubled brightness of perfect ideals. The study of abstract truth is doubtless elevating, purifying to the mind, to society. We must have ideals, that they may win us above our ac tuality. It is , thus that we rise as individuals, as familtes; *aB 'Communities. There * mußt be a PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1869. goal for the mind, for., humanity, . Our aspira tions should go ou£ and, upward. Brit, truth is not a mere abstractfoja. , It,is reality. It .is the life and soul of fsets. It grows into ptates, into revolutions, into grand activities and,’growths pf power. It embodies itself in the popular inter est, and marches, as with the footsteps,of - God, over thrones and through empires. possession of Cromwell as a liberty and self-rule, and. makes the palace pf Charles Ist kinglcss., It takes up its abode the work men of Paris, and .the miserly Lou^i:. Rhilippc leaves his throne and his “ French people,” , and J hastens across the. channel ini the guise ,pilot. It enthrones itself in .the .heart of Luther, and revolutionizes Christendiom. .In the yearajphich have just gone by in our country, it embodied itself in the might of a million warrure, and in the persons of twenty millions of freemen, whose pulsations 'for justice and liberty- - shbek the world. We hear their'echoes now "from ‘ltaly and Spain'. Truth is life. When we haVo truth we have life. When-truth comes to ns- it conies to stay, for it is sent of God. Let us welcome it, and enthrone it in our hearts. Nothing'-is great, beautiful, healthful, divine, bub'Thun a. A PLEA FOR Tflti TEN COMMANHJttENTS. , “At the-present day-, the ten commandments are having a hard fime bf it,” suggested:’*-friend recently. It was an odd way-of putting it, but the -idea is important, and worth considering.- Are these.old mandates obsolete? Have the tables of the law. become fossils ? -Is it to beseemed a piece of old fogy ism. to regulate our .oonjduottby the ten commandments ? > - : - That young America does nob> like these- anti quated leading strings.is sufficiently .patent. Money-and Fashion: and Pleashre are very -popu lar divinities, foisted idolatrously into the. place where the first commandment puts the living Je hovah, i The good 1 old.- precept about honoring’ Father and Mother is tabooed utterly in many home- circles.- The Sabbath & kept holy after a‘very queer sort' of keeping, and-in a Way that ‘reveals the vaguest and loosest notionssancti ty. - tfThou shall kill,”. as interpret^ljy^thfi' - Mew Testament, finds many violator#'- of wboin our laws take'no cognizance. -Andi“ Thou shtilt not bear false witness,” is conveniently ignored' by many who would be shocked, if their Christian integrity were to be directly questioned. Wotild it riot be'well to give these, command ments'a little more airing in our papers--andipul pitß ?- 1 Do they not need re-ekposition and. pi’ao • broil- enforcement ? - Surely their observance has 'a very close connection, with piety.-Indeed, piety is out of the question, without faithful and con stant effort to observe them. Yet we. fear there are multitudes of professed Christians,-who have little conception of.'the binding obligations of the commandments, and who-rire'iutterly unaware hPw “ exceeding broad ” they are. Take this - matter of bearing false • -How fearfully preva lent it-is in society. Downright falsehoods—de liberately- coneeived and deliberately uttered lies, embrace not a tithe of the violations -of this law of God. Truthwithheld.is.sometimes a worse • deception-than, a direct mi# statement, The. es sence of a lie is riot iri what'is'said, but in the intent to deceive. Lying hearts are just as, much an abomination to God, as lying lips. We niay beliars, when every word uttered is the exact truth. We may be liars, and yet say nothing. A look may be a lie. Silence may be a lie. If we make false impressions, with intent to deceive, purpos ing to mislead, we are guilty of falsehood. '' Yet think what trickery, what guises, what, shams, what pretense, what withholdings of truth, what flippant misrepresentations, what so-called “ white lies,” there are in the "world ! - As if a lie could be “ white ” because it is about a little thing ! As if an untruth; could be washed to purity because it concerns a trifle! All lies are; as black as the devil, who is the father of them. AH liars, unless penitent and forgiven, shall have their, part with him who, first deceived the woman in Eden. , Yes : let us ventilate these old commandments. ; They are serviceable yet. If they are “ having a hard time of it” in these days, let us see to it, that their claims are more faithfully pressed to the conscience and the heart, and they doubtless will be given greater heed. The “go-easy” piety that makes profession of faith arid love, without obedience, is of the garnished sepulchre sort, full of dead men’s bones ,and all uncleanness. Send the ten commandments sweeping down., through onr hearts and lives, and many of us might feel to 1 our hurt and healing, the force of their strong, broad negatives. H. T.. —-We rejoice to learn that another Bible total-' abstinence man is tp be added to. the number now in the United States, Senate. . We, refer to Senator Carpenter, recently, elected from Wiscon sin., It is reported of him that, on the evening: of the 4th, he delivered a brilliant and powerful oration in. favor of total abstinence from intoxi cating drinks, at Music Hall, Milwaukee, taHng for. his text the following words: “ Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat. up flesh while the world standeth, lest I brother to offend.” The speaker who followed' said, that the Senatorial canvass had been con ducted, both on the part of the candidate and his most active supporters, on the total abstinence .principle. r CURRENT TOPICS. .—The recent 'conviction of notorious defrauders df the 1 revenue ih the whisky business, has been followed by beneficial results of the'Stmt sudden rind- extraordinary character. It has been -re ported to the District Attorney that hot a single distillery is in operation in New York" City. Several of the prom inent whisky men now urider indictment have fled, and the Whisky Ring’ is struck with sudden panic. The Tribune ascribes this panic to the near approach of an adminis tration' which promises to be conducted upon principles of common honesty and wholesome economy—virtues which for four years have been divorced from the national politics. We have every reason to credit this view. The vampire knaves who have been robbing our treasury, and loading' down‘honest men with a double taxation,- foresee-the wrath to dome, and seek safety in flight.-We should not wonder .if Gen.-Grant's administration were guided .by such downright American common sense, such simplicity and purityof. purpose, such anebonomieal regard to the condition of the national finances, as to ■ completely baffle'those who have' inade polities a (trade, and cleanse the ship of state of the myriads -of-'barnacles, that, by their plundering and their heartless intrigue, havfe nearly brought it to ruin. 1 —The flood tide of Exclusivism, of which we spoke some six weeks ago, is rising even in semi pagan communities.. Mohammedan Puritanism, is-gaining ground in every, part of.thp. Islamite community. There is, we think, a conspiracy on foot to destroy the present Sultan of Turkey, be cause of his leaning toward European civiliza tion, and from the strict enforcement of Moham- medan usages. The Sultan of Muscat, the most powerful of the Arab states, has been dethroned by the chief of the -Wahabees, a Mohammedan Beet, whose object is to revive the ancient fanati cism and ferocity of their religion. The success of this sect, ‘who are' more hostile‘to Christianity than the other Mussulman rulers, will prove un favorable to commerce; arts; agriculture, and 'general progress. 1 ’ —Fri the midst of an unprecedented number of murder eases, we hear of a movement to repeal the death penalty in our Legislature. Staid .old Pennsylvania will not easily be led to try this dangerous experiment in dealing with capital, crime. As to the whole question of the abolishing of capital punishment, we' agree cordially with a member of the French Corps Legislatif, who said, “Certainly; certainly, only let Messieurs the murderers set us the example.” —The ; outcry for (prohibition as the true mode of ' dealing with alcoholic drinks, is echoed back from the old world. In Sweden, the great national vice of , intemperance has become so alarming,, that the Legislature is called upon- to interfere. Even the victims* it ~is said, join in the,-cry. The King of Sweden sympathizes with the temperance men, but hesitates to act. , The agitators call for a sta tute rigidly prohibiting the manufacture .of liquor. . Doubtless our readers bave beard that Posi tivism, the'ablest and greatest system of scientific -atheism that has ever appeared, has- endeavored to organize a new worship, according to Mr. Mill’s idea, that there may be a religion without a God. But it has not yet appeared that* there may be a religion without material supporfr~for its teachers. So English Positivism, has its sus tentation Fund, and, if that is a test of the Zeal of the members, the cause must be at an exceed ingly low ebb. The report for 1867 shows a to tal of receipts amounting to barely £l5O. 'Even tills athouut is not kept up, and appeals for help to Paris for extra subsidy, are getting very cla morous. M. Comte himself, not only did not live with his wife, and had decided preference for the wife of another man, but quarreled with Mr. Mill and other friends, about money, because the sum they contributed for his support was not put in the form of an annual allowance. . —A suggestion worthy of the serious regard of Christeiidom, was made by the Berlin Clerical Genesee iEvangelist. ISTo. 1187. ( Home & Foreign Miss. $2.00. X Address:—l334 Chestnut Street. 'Conference, October' 15th, or, perhaps, by the iShnday' Magazine ■, commenting on the action of thief Conference, the purport of which is, that a lunited demonstration (should be made by the Protestant .'churches,. December 8, 1869, in re sponse to- the Papal allocution summoning the Ecumenical: Council at (that date.: A testimony ito.tbe essential truths >of the Gospel might ,be i sent abroad by the simultaneous act of those churches, which : might not only attest the fo rward s unity of Protestantism before the world, •bnt become a means of widely diffusing a knowl edge; ;oft Gospel truth among Romanists. them iselves;: i It 1 might properly become matter for iactihn littithe edming General Assemblies. -r—Tho Morning Post asserts that a community which had recognized the crime of theft, as the Mortnons have that' of polygamy, would have to be tolerated by the General Government, provided they-only stole, eaoh' Others’ property. On the same prinoiple, we‘ know not why any crime they Choße to perpetrate in'the name of religion: in fanticide, Thug-ism, widow-burning would not Aavo tO'be allowed, if perpetrated upon'each other. Thus a State might run with the blood of inno c'ents,and beoauSe.it was done in the name of re ligion,; it would. be “downright persecution,” for ithe. nation to. interfere., Roma n Catholicsmight get control ofa State and set up the Inquisition. audcelebrateAutodafewithout interruption; and dreadful to imagihe,Presbyterinns might get con : trobof the .'government' of Pennsylvania, and sup press the Post.iot heresy, and the Post accord ing.todts own principles:'would be guilty of ;“ persecution”iff it sought national in tervention in its own behalf. . :