N e w Series, VOL VT -NT--
JohnAWeir
strictly in Advance $2.50, Otherwise $3.
Postage 20ets, to be paid where delivered. I
—The Synod Of the Pacific (0. 5.,) and the
Synod of Alta California, (N. S.) held an en
thusiastic joint meeting during their sessions in
San Francisco.
—The gifts of the Irish Church continue to
pour in. The late Earl of Derby gave £2,000.
Lord Powerscourt, who sustained Gladstone in
his policy of disestablishmeet, gives - about £19,-
0 00, by purchasing the tithe rent•charge on his
Irish estates from the Church Commissioners, and
presenting it to the Church,
—As we supposed, our Irish Presbyterian
visitors who come to beg; and pay the expenses
of their trip out of their, receipts, are to pull up
on the Pacific Coast, hereafter. A San Francisco
paper announces the arrival in that city of the
Reverend brother who, While with us, prefaced
his appeals for money with the candid concession
that his people were not lit want 'of any—not
poor.
—A telegram from Havana, received on last
Tuesday, conveys the follctwing gratifying intelli-.
Bence : A decree of the Constituent Cortes es
tablishing unrestricted liberty of religion. itr Cuba
and Porto Rico, was Promulgated, Oct. 25th, in'
this island, and has gone into effect as a law of
the land. The document is exceedingly liberal
in its terms. =lt deolifes that Spain cannot re•
main removed front the general movement in
Europe and themcirld, and adds .that this con
sideration :is: more powerful, for the Antilles be
c tuse they lie near 'a continent where liberty of
riligion is 'recognized by law..
The clause provides that no person shall be
prevented from holding office under the govern
ment by reason of hidreligious belief. The de
cree is received with 'general satisfaction by the
ropulace. As there is now no obstacle, it is
probable the Proteitant Church will soon be-es
tablished in this city.
—The would-be assassins of Revenue. Officer:!
Brooks, have been convicted of attempt to mur
der, and thus far the course of justice has been
steadily onward, in spite Of AM intrigues of the
whiskey-ring. Such precautions against a res
cue were taken, that the convicted prisoners
have again been lodged safely in their cells. No
doubt their friends will be on hand, in force,
to seize any opportunity of rescue which may
offer, when they are brought out for sentence.
That danger once over, and their doom is cer
tain. They have no hope of executive clemen
cy. In that direction, the power of the whiskey
ring, mice so great, is utterly ineffectual. Every
upright and orderly citizen breathes more freely
at the discomforture—complete so far—which
this desperate combinatieu has suffered, in its
latest and bloodiest struggle for impunity, in
persistent and•monotreus fraud. But the whis
key traffic is incurably wicked, and can only
rightly be reformed by legal suppression. Let
us prepare ourselves for that next.
OOHING. TO CHRIST.
Men are often embarrassed to get at the mean
ing of these very simple words. We puzzle in•
quirers, sometimes, when we press upon them
their duty in this language. It is not a place,
like the so-called and miscalled " altar " of some
Evangelical Chnrches,—it is not an inquiry room
or particular seat, which must be visited in order to
find Christ. It is not climbing heights, or descend
ing into depths, which is meant. But it is a
change in the mind's attitude towards Christ.
Hitherto it has been turned away from Him, in
disregard and disobedience. The movement of
the corrupt and worldly nature is more and more
away from Him. There is little or no sense of
need of His salvation; there is no sympathy with
the spiritual kingdom He is setting up; there is
no knowledge of the length, and breadth, and
depth,aud height of the surpassing love of Christ.
'When the long-estranged mind begins to crave this
knowledge, feels a need'of Redemption, ceases to
regard the world as a satisfying portion, and
admits and cherishes the thought of Christ, then
it is returning to Him, it is coming to Christ.
It is a necessary part of the meaning of the term,
coming to Christ, that there should be a full recog
nition of his supreme authority over the soul. The
repenting rebel conies to the authority which he has
resisted. The sinner is urged to come to Christ by
confessing His claims, and by yielding to His au
thority. Above all, it is coming to Christ to
• trust in Him. alone for salvation. That inward
act so vast in its meaning, so deep and so intimate
in its confidence, can scarcely be better described
than by the simple words/" coming to Jesus."
Perhaps the specific act of faith is more analyti
cally described by other local , phrases. The
Confession of Faith and,the Shorter Catechism
use the words : "rest upon Him ;" which seems
more exactly to describe the trusting attitude of
EIEMEI
liart7o
the mind in belief. " Coming to Christ," em
'bracing both this and every other inward
movement, in conversion from the world to
Christ. •
But why use these local phrases, when there
is no visible Christ, or visible representative of
Him to which we can literally go ? Are we
dealing in mere figures of speech; borrowing
from the outward world ; as we so often must, for
means Of expressing -purely mental facts ? Not
altogether, we think. The language points , to a
great feet.of Christian truth' - and =Clirigtianllife:!
the personal presence. of the living Christ.. It is
no mere figure of speach that we can come to
Him. It is no mere mental , change, under .the .
power of abstraettruth, that ire undergo in sub
mitting to and trusting in Him.. He is here,
with ux, , about us. Ilekindeed has come to. us ;
not merely in•figu i res, He knocks at the ',nor of
our hearts:with a '.certaim. living personal ur
gency He presses His claims , upon , ust We do
not see Him. Wes Weknow not Christ after the
flesh. It is no realistic oneness, either, that we.
are speaking of. Bat there are two real persons
in the work of conversion—the. soil and the.
Spirit of Christ. 'And., the soul comes to -Christ
by a spiritual movement, whichis,better:clescribed
by that language than by anyietber.
Sinner, we invite you tet.conie tclaridt.;, tea,
real divinaihuman-persan, 4 who)died fa' you; and
rose again, and Eby His Spirit is 'Close to you
olOser: than if He•were in the hodywaiting for
yon to.turn from sin, andl to Aove, MAW,: and :obey-.
Hini.-. , The word is night thee, even in ithy mouth'
and id thy heart, that la , the.vrord cf faith which
we . preach. That &thou shalt confesS ' with thy
mouth. the- Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in
thine heart that .0-ad lath raised Him from .the
dead, than Shalt be saved
THE SYNOD AT. YORK, PA.
In the history of. the Presbyterian Church;
York is classic ground'. Here, in": 1835, occurred
the celebrated trial, condemnation, and' suspension
of Albert Barnes, for heretical teaching ; here,
too, occurrecfanother trialbefare ttlin4ivil court,
for the possession of the church property of the
York congregation ; Nthicir, following the adverse
decision of the Supreme Court' of Pennsylvania
upon the general principles at issue between the
two Assemblies, was somewhat unexpectedly de
cided by the same court, in favor of the majori
ty of the congregation at York, adhering to the
New School Assembly. Such majorities, every
where, drew Winch-needed encouragement froni
this decision, which gave them a legal precedent,
and virtually ineured them possession of their
places of worship. Whatever may have been
the effect of the trial 'of. Mr. Barges, the news
of the decision of the court in " the-York Case,"
visibly shortened and lightened the faces of New
School men in every part of the Church.
Among the singular coincidences accompany
ing the Re-union, we note that as York witnessed
the gathering of the last Synod befoe the virtu
al disruption of the Church, so it witnesses the
last before the Reunion; and as Pittsburgh suc
ceeded- to York in 1836, so now we look from
York to Pittsburgh in 1869. But here the par
allel ends. The contrasts are now striking and
significant. Then, the Synod was an object
of dread to the people from its contentions; now
it is welcomed as a social and spiritual gift to
the congregation. Then, it was the scene of un
appeasable discord. Now, every vote is unani
mous, and mutual love and confidence are recipro
cated from member to member, of a thoroughly
homogeneous body. Then, the members came
from scenes of dissension, and beheld with sad
ness, the Lord's heritage under their care, laid
waste and desolate. .Now, unwonted degrees of
material and spiritual prosperity in almost every
part of the field call for thanksgiving, and swell
the hearts of the brethren with joy.; the church,
at York itself worships in one of the most beau
tiful buildings out of our great cities; has just
completed a chapel almost unrivalled in complete
fitness for every department of church work, and
hears signals, scarcely to be misinterpreted, of
the early and gracious visitation of the Holy
Spirit. Then judicial business was the absorb
ing topic, and the forbidding formalities of a
court swallowed up another characteristics ; now,
the skeleton of forms is scarcely visible, the ju
dicial committee was discharged, as it almost in
variably is, for want, of occupation, the elastic
and delightful spirit of Christian brotherhood
prevailed in the, management of every item of
business, and every weight of mere ecclesiasti
cism laid aside, there was almost nothing to, be
done but to counsel and stimulate one another in
the great work of advancing the interests of
Christ's kingdom through the various channels
of effort and liberality adopted by the ehurch.
If the meeting of 1869 be the last of the
distinctively "New School" Synod of Pennsyl-
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY,- OCTOBER 28, 1869.
vania, its record could not close more happily or
honorably than now; and now, if the Holy Spi
rit will add yet another to the auspicious omens
of the times; if the York Church in 1869 be
comes the scene of , His gracious and powerful
visitations, we shall take it as an intimation of
His blessing upon the whole. Reunion movement.
The dove of peace could`scarcely have brooded
over the York of 1835 ;. if He comes now in
, signal measure, as imAeed seems probable;_it will
be like the bow of promise castimpon the:vanish
iing-ieloWs! of the storm. Tl e. prayers of the
'members 'of , ,Synod, And of 'all Christ's people
may.yell continue aseetlinl.behalf of that
people and their pastor.
FATHER uticil4RE.
-This marked personage will-noon acquire an
equal reputation for, his silence..as he has_for his
speech.: If there are.timeawhen:Speech is silvern
'and :silence:golden ; he seems-tobinow just which.
they are., His unostentatious !;behaviour ad
suited,to,his position. 4,,ast Sabbath he
went &stip. Hohian;Catholic Oburch, and after
wards to , Alloy War&Reecher's, where, it would
appehr, he was'redognized , only b:v his resemblance
to the portraits. After' Serv . icet be was cordially
welcomeds: by the ebngregation= pressing round•
him; and - ; by Mr. Beecheroirhp; after warmly
greetibg. hiM, explained: that all)this demonstra
tion' was..,not pure curiosity ih tho!feople, but the
expreisioni..of :their, very, genuihe sympathy for
him inttlie stand , which hail likan.in behalf of
many Christian 'liberty.: t The . Beverend Father
responded by. expressions of . gratitude and of
sympathy. • He • presented two I latte rs of intro-
Auction, one from Mrs. Merriii i kan (formerly of
_Plymouth church, and now a Catholic,) and 'one
from Mr. Persance, a celebrated- French
He came to .church in•his: coach,,accompanied by
Mr. Darling, the .:Fiend' Cookial, and by Mr.
Tuck, from the office+of Monroe & Co., bankers,
who acted as. interpreter., to
Late telegrams say that Father Hyacinthe, not
having„ .. returned to his bouvent4ordercay.liio
superiors, has been dispossessed C l f• all his charges.
FUSION OF NEWSPAPERS.
We have already chronicled the disappearance
of the North Western Presbyterian, the exponent
of the McCormick, or southern type of
Presbyterianism in • the other branch of the
church. This event was significant and encourag
ing to every friend of a wholesome doctrinal' lib
erty in the re united body. It was at least one
token of the weakness of the exclusive and high
church sentiment in the other branch. The
Presbyterian of this city, which purchased the
list of the North Western, has certainly not ac
cepted its peculiar spirit, but. conforms itself to
what its conductors must seeto be the more pop
ular sentiment of fraternal ,comprehensiveness
towards the New School branch.
Another event of hopeful meaning, is the fu
sion, or-consolidation of the two Cincinnati pa
pers, The Herald of, our Church and The Pres
byter of the Old School. The Herald was pur
chased by Rev..C. Babb, its editor, from the
Ohio and, Indiana Synods who owned it, and Mr.
Babb and Dr. Monfort of The Presbyter, are now
joint owners and editors of the united paper,
which,islhappily called The Herald and Presby
ter. The united paper is considerably larger
than was either of its elementary parts. A deci
ded improvement is perceptible in its matter and
form, and an array of talent is presented in its cor
respondence department, which any newspaper
might covet. As the two papers when separate
pursued a conciliatory course, and never aimed
in any clear and positive manner to represent or
to promote the distinctive principles of their de
nominations, no root of bitterness had, sprang up
between them, such' as seems inevitable where
such ptinciples are esteemed as important and
are vigorously maintained on both sides. There
was, therefore, nothing to lose and much to gain
by this consolidation. Both branches are better
off in having The Herald and Presbyter, than
in possessing either of them alone. We suppose
such little infelicities as calling our own churches
and ecclesiastical bodies New School, or using
the initials (N. S.), when only the term " Pres
byterian" is employed of 'the other branch, are
accidents, or flow from the pens of correspon
dents only. They should be corrected.
But what of newspapers, in either , hianch;
which have felt themselves called to the position
of, and have been universally regarded as, rep
resentative papers ? It is the fashion , of some to
cast . reproach upon such papers.; to stigmatize
them. as enemies of the peace of the Church,
and to calculate how much better it would be if
they were out of the way. Other and clearer,
heads, while aware of the dangers conneated•
with such decided expressions of opinion, know
well that the existence of independent organs is
a sign of vigor and vitality in a denomination.
Free thought within reasonable bounds, in their
;view, is to be encouraged. The merging of dif
ferences of opinion into a uniform level of
thought is'a calamity. Peace purchased at such
a price is too dear. Peace maintained amid rea
sonable differences of opinion is the heritage of
true, living men; the other will do for mere ma
chines.
The ,Church is entering upon an era of peace.
But a peace of what sort is the question. Is it
to be mechanical and narrow, or broad and
generous:? The peace of
:who
who have no
marked opinions, or of men who have recognized
and accepted the substantial orthodoxy of thobe
who differ; from them on minor points ? Must
our popular literature.be .eviscerated of its positive
elements ; must our different and legitimate
types of opinicin . surrender, their organs; must
'the life and spirit to these: organs by
high and earnest, argument on great themes be
quenched, and must .the quest for truth be hin
dered by. a :series of,'.newspaper compromises
,Whieh imply a,certaiuwant ofoonfldence in one
another, if, not in the truth itself? Not a 'few
persens,are asking these questions at this time.
For ourselves, we wish to believe that the era.
of reunion is to differ from the past, not.so. much
in the cessation.of discussion, as-in the improved
spirit in.Whichit will be carried on ; notq much
in the suppression of our types of thought and of
our orgabs of opinion as .in their raised tone.
Our ambition is .to maintain the banner of free
(discussion to keep open column's for the: widest.
-range of thought within the recognized landmarks
of orthodoxy, 'and to let all whom it may concern
be aware that the reunited Presbyterian Church
'of America has not been, formed upon the narrow'
basis of sect, is no mere expression of a single
school of opinion, but is the home of evangelical
liberty, where more light is expected to break forth.
from God's word. And this,, doubtless, is the
wish of the Synod of Pennsylvania, in regard to
the_f 4Qf • t-he ':AANEBwAzi: PassiasiTstitArksta
expressed in ,their action' taken in the recent ses
sion at York. Though not suggested nor urged
hyithe proprietor of the paper, he will be most
happy to see the object of the resolution accom
plished. It is as follows :
Resolved, that the committee on the AbIERIcA.N
PRESBYTERIAN be authorized to aid the Editor
by their counsel and their influence to promote
and to perpetuate the distinctive character of the
paper,' ill 'any way that shall commend .itself
to their best judgment
"THE VICTORY OF HONESTY."
Thus truthfully are the recent elections, espe
cially that in Ohio, characterized by "Veteran ;
Observer" (Hon. E. D. Mansfield) in the N. Y.
Times- of Saturday. A leading issue before the.
people voting on the 12th of October, was whe-'
ther the great burden of national debt should be
honestly shouldered in- its-- whole length and
breadth, or whether, in one way or another, it
should be diihenorably ended. The ,policy of
repudiation was offered to the people with a cer
tain disguise of greenbacks; and so many honest
men allowed themselves to be, persuaded that no
real wrong was designed'. But the sugar-coating
did not make the pill go down. By far the mast
&nous and popular advocate of the scheme was
defeated in his aspirations for office. Repudiation
was repudiated. The people mean to be frank
ly honest with their creditors. The political
creed which embodies even the round about inti
mation of a fraud, though, alas, it commands a
formidable array of voters, and enjoys the advo
cac3riif some of the ablest . minds of the country,
cannot' establish itself as the accepted belief of
the nation. The doctrine - is dead. Both parties
i r olsTew York State declare for an honest pay
,
ment of the Public Debt. The recent decisions
of Ohio and Pennsylvania, joined'to the fact
that the - debt is in rapid liquidation, must be con
elusive of the national policy. The proposal of
repudiation drops out of party politics. Leaders
wlui regarded' it as a shrewd' device ; as a power
ful bid to the covetousnessnnd the mean jeal
ousies of the masses through which they• might
be s wept into office, must retire. They have
failed utterly in their slanderous calculations.
The people are 'bad enough. Their consciences
are sufficientlY sluggish and corrupt. But they
are too =eh under the influence of Christian
teaching to be made the tools and dupes of bad
men', for the perpetration of a great and palpable
national wrong.
And we have every reason to regard the re
sult in our own State as a verdict for the fearless
execution of the law ; for the policy of inflexible
justice towards incorrigible offenders ; for the
overawing and:suppression of that element of
Genesee Evangelist, No. 17223
I Home & Foreign Miss. $2OO.
1 Address:-1331 Cheltnn. Street
rascality and violence that aspires to rule in all
Our great cities. So far as the executive and the
judiciary of our State are copcerned, every hon
est citizen may feel secure in life and property.
The needed reforms in municipal and legislative
politics, the purifying and right working of the
machinery of the primary elections, are, it is
true, still deferred; but now tbat the great ques
tions growing out of the war are virtually settled,
good men of all parties will soon be in a condi
tion to give their unbiased attention, and their
very best thought, to the cleansing of the foun
tains of political power, and to the emancipation
of partiee from the control of the miserable
cligues who have brought free government into
disgrace befOre the whole world. We have yet
to settle the question whether`whiskyv rings and
corruptiou rings shall control our, municipal elec
tions; and temperance men, and virtuous Chris
tian men will have a, word to say when the
square struggle comes.
• —The Church of England has had quite a va
riety of heretics in•the past quarter century, but
the lag—Rev. Chas. Voyse,—is the worst of
them all. He rejects the doctrine of the Incar
nation. and the Atonement, teaching that " sin
cere sorrow for sin is, or' ought to be, enough to
make winan at peace with God," and "that the
common:, notion of the coming of God into the
world:once, and- His , expeoted return to judge the
world ~ . takes its•rise .in .unbelief."
—Some' time ago we noticed a heresy trial in
the Free Church of. Coupar: Angus, Scotland, in
which two persons, neither of them elders, were
charged with. holding unsound views on the na
ture Of the Atonement, the extent of Inspiration,
&c; In their appeals from the Coupar Angus
session to the higher! courts' they raised two
points: (1.) that aiprivate member of the Church
was net required to give assent to her doctrinal
standards; and '(2.) that accused persons must
not be required to criminate themselves. The
first point was overruled,. so far, at least, as they
were concerned, but the second.was decided to be
well taken. As there is no evidence of the truth
of the charges, except the merest gossip, the trial
has fallen through, and its promoter—the pastor
of the congregation—has received a good share
of public censure. -
—lf we may judge from a recdnt, speech by
Archbishop Tait, the Church of England is
awakening to the question of the power and po
sition of dissenting Christians. He'said- that the
clergy had been very much in the habit of ig
noring the existence of any bul avowed Episco
palians ; and to some extent the whole Legisla
ture had done this. But now the existence of
others was very distinctly recognised by the
Legislature in a thousand ways. He would be
extremely sorry if the idea was to get abroad,
that they were to take their position like other
Sects in the cogntry, and were to receive only
those who distinctly declared that, after weigh
ing the matter, they preferred the Church of
England above any other body. No doubt these
were the persons who were their real strength ;
but he should be sorry to exclude persons who
hang loose to the church, and who might., by any
action of the clergy`be sent off into any other body.
It would be well to cast their lines as broadly as
possible and take In all they possibly could.
—A Methodist 'paper, reviewing Lange on
Romans, says :
" We can dead, , some traces of Calvinistic
bearings which we could wish were modified, but
do not feel inclined to indulge in criticism."
Had the words, " He hath mercy on whom He
will, and whom He will He hardenetb," occurred
in Lange's comment, and not in Paul's text, our
Methodist brethren would have thought there
was more than a trace of Calvinism there.
Res. Geo. H. Smyth was recently installed pas
tor of the Weit church, Wilmington. Rev. J. E.
Beale preached the sermon ; Rev. C. D. Shaw
delivered the charge to the pastor, and Rev. Dr.
Wiswell the charge to the people. Rev. E. Webb,
of Glasgow, Del., presided, and. Messrs. Marks
and Snyder took part in the exercises which were
held in Monroe St. Chapel. The interest of the
occasion was much enhanced by. the tasteful floral
decorations of the interior..
-'The Philadelphia Baptist Association ins
in session last week. The Churches, which lie
in or south of the city, have 19,457 members,
with 16,698 scholars in their Sabbath Schools,
and during the past year had 376 baptisms. Re
solutions reaffirming close communion and im
meraion and 'attempting, retort on those who re
jeet them, were unanimously adopted.