146
titan fttsbjtJtian
(terser (^Magrlist.
THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1860.
D. C. HOUGHTON. )
JOHN W. HEARS, f
ASSOCIATED WITH
! ALBERT BARNES I GEORGE DtJFFIELD Jr.
Thomas brainers, jobn jenkins,
HENRY DARLING, 1 THOMAS J. SHEPHERD,
EIGHT AND ITS EEWAED.
Plato defined man as " the hunter after truth.”
Said another philosopher—“ Were the Almighty
holding in his right hand ‘ truth,’ and in his left
hand ‘ search after truth,’ to offer me the one I
might prefer, I would, in all humility, but with
out hesitation, choose the latter,.”
That would be a wise choice. There is more
living pleasure in acquiring, than in securing pos
session. Energy is a condition of happiness—a
law of human developmenfc'and life. Action pro
duces pleasure by unfolding our faculties, thus be
coming its own end —action augmenting the power
of action—energy growing into intenser energy.
Such is onr nature. This is .true of all creatures.
The bird is wrought to ecstasy by its own song,
and by its swift, oiroling flight;—the lamb by its
free, innocent gambols in the field, The,.infant
-"heart gushes oyer with delight in his artless ges
ticulations. And, if we be not overcome by fa
tigue, prostrated by disease, or afflicted with in
curable dulness, action is our normal habitude.
Thus has God added good to our severe doom.
We are condemned to labor, but labor is our bliss,
inaction our sorest calamity.
In the intellectual world, the least of our gains
is the truth that we seek; the greatest is in the
discipline thereby secured. It is not merely in
the problems of geometry as truths, that the ad
vantage of pursuing that science consists; but in
the culture, the intellectual use and applianoe of
power, by which to go through the whole mathe
matical system, or any other mental process in
the fields of philosophy and of logic; and when
some degree of facility is attained in the difficult
process of investigation, there is the delight attend
ing mental conquest, the conscious progress of
the mind, the diminishing of obstacles, the larger
field already traversed, and the clearness with
which truths, after protracted study on onr part/
open into vision and beauty. All these become,
to the earnest seeker for truth, a present blessing;
so that he feels the prompting of no higher am
bition than that of constant struggle and succes
sive victory. It is his joy, not so much to excel
others, as to increase his own energy, to secure a
real development of his own mental powers.
We can imagine a man deeply engaged in se
cular enterprise; actuated, not at all by a desire
for riches in themselves, but by a love of action—
a satisfaction in seeing wealth diffused—great
works progressing, and the public reaping advan
tage from his skill; and that aside from the profit
accruing to him through an earnest and severe ap
plianoe, he experiences a precious reward in the
very thought and labor, in the success of his plans,
in the consciousness of right motives, though there
be no approving voice nor accordant spirit in the
hour of trial.
And, surely, if our natural Involuntary move
ments, and the action of onr intellects, are attended
with satisfaction, if it contributes greatly to onr
happiness to be engaged in some honorable, worldly
course, much more must the keeping of God’s law
carry along with it a constant and ample reward.
As in the natural world, obedience to law is
healthful, so in the moral kingdom obedience to
the divine statutes and word, has a present and
great reward.
The language of holy men is—“ How I love thy
law; it is my meditation all the day.” “I will
delight myself in thy statutes which I have loved.”
“The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the
heart.”
The rewards of obedience are not only remote,
but immediate. There is connected with fidelity
a “current as well as consequent satisfaction,” just
as there is to the ear on which sweet sounds vi
brate, a present pleasure; and to the eye that looks
on a fine painting, or a glowing landscape, a regale
ment from its light and shade; and to the inmost
soul, when feeling the joyous pulsations of human
sympathy, or of nature, a responsive emotion of
delight I And sometimes, when. the.heart of the
godly man meditates on the justice, or forgiving
mercy of God, on the beauty of his works, and the;
glory of his character, does it bubble up and over
flow with a pleasant hut boundless happiness, as
if he were living in all time, and expanding into
all-glorious life; os the lover of nature sometimes
loses himself, rapturously and willingly, in the
sense of existence, in the infinite unfolding of her
laws, in the thoughts of God and eternity, in the
associations and glorious ideas which she suggests
to him ?
The prevailing element in the satisfaction at
tending religious duty, is the. inherent sense of
right. Wo are sure that it cannot be otherwise
than right to obey God. Such a conviction is in
separable from our creatiireship. There is there
fore within us a felt complacency toward goodness
—toward what we know to be right. Not that
we claim any thing for our obedience—not that
we rest our salvation on it; we are taught other
wise, and believe otherwise; but our moral nature
renders a complacent testimony to right, so that
doing a good deed, and cherishing a right temper,
are in themselves benedictions. Paul knew this
kind of happiness when he said, “Our rejoicing is
this, the testimony of a good conscience." And
what better can we ask in the discharge of duty,
than this assurance—“l have done right! I have
obeyed God. Truth looks down on me from Hea
ven with an approving smile. Justice holds her
even balance before my eyes. Goodness sits en
throned in my view. Eternity opens its gates, and
~S&!rtUforth its ages for my vindication and tri
umpM and God holds out to me the garlands of
paradise!”
We shall have no occasion to seek happiness,
when With a true and bumble heart we can lay
our head on the pure breast of nature, or kneel
befoto tbh 'altar of God, or meet the gaze of hu
manity, and say, “I have done right; I have been
true to myself, ®y frilow-men, and my God, in
this thing. I have obeyed conscience and the
Bible Here is W Ibw » u does not condemn me.
I trnat its vindication— ‘ Lot my sentence come
forth from thy presence: thine ey ea behold the
things that are equal."
_ in lowa.— At the meeting of the Pres
was received ae a member of the Doey
LIVERPOOL MISSIONARY CONFERENCE.
More than ten closely printed pages (8vo.) of
the “News of the Churches," are occupied with
the discussions of this Conference. Why it should
have sat with closed doors, from Monday evening,
March 19th, until Friday afternoon, it would puzzle
an American, accustomed to the utmost publicity,
to understand. A short public meeting was held
every evening at 8 o’clock, and one at the close,
in the great Philharmonic Hall, which was pre
sided over by Lord Shaftesbury, and at which it
is supposed, more than 4,000 persons were in at
tendance. .
Among the subjects discussed, the most inte
resting were Education, The Native Agency and
Native Churches. As'was to be expected iu an
English Missionary Conference,: India was the
chief topic of remark and source of illustration.
From the remarks on Education we select the fol
lowing :
By preaching,' the young and females cannot be
got at in India. Females can he reached only
through the schools. Orphan schools, the in
mates of which are entirely under the tutelage of
the missionary, and where the children are kept
separate from the heathen,-had effected ,much
good. Mr. Leupolt mentioned that there had,
been more conversions among the orphans than
among ail others from preaching and teaching
together; also that more j, preachers had been
raised up from among them- As to the effect of
mission schools, this was attested by tho feet, that
not a single mutineer had been taught in a.mis
sion &ohpoL ;
Dr. -George Henry Davis, Secretary of the Re
ligious "Tract Society, in referring to , vernacular
literature, said,— *
That the mere translation of tracts and books
did not do. There must.be a vernacular litera
ture. There was a vast heathen literature to be
met and overcome. , Numerous almanacs were
published in Bengal, full of principles of heathen
ism. About 14,000 books of a vile character
were in circulation; 40,0,00 volumes of works of
fiction, and 96,000 of works on mythology were
also circulated. In opposition to this there were
80,000 Christian books and tracts in circulation.
A healthy vernacular literature written in the
country was of great importance.
The proportion of persons able to read, was
stated to be, among the Hindoos, 1 in 200;
among the aborigines, 1 in 800. ..
On the subject of Native Agency, Rev. J. Stub
bins, for twenty-four years missionary to Orissa,
and Dr. Lockhart, Medieal Missionary at Shang
hai, both stated the chief object of the mission to
be to raise up’native pastors. This was the great
cause of their success. These were their best
preachers and most successful evangelists.
Rev. W. Fair brother, Secretary for Funds of
the London Missionary Society, referred to the
South Seas, Madagascar, and the Karens, as a
proof of the value of native agency. Missions
had grown and flourished in Tahiti and Madagas
car when necessarily deserted by European mis
sionaries;-while among the Karens, native pastors
were bearing the -gospel to regions which no Eu
ropean had ever visited. : r
Rev. George R. Birch, Secretary of the Turk
ish Missions’ Aid Society said,— ■ : ... .
That the Turkish Mission of . the American
Board .was, to a great extent, a native agency mis
sion. . Missionaries were sent forth as-evangelists,
not as pastors. There were now 67;, American
missionaries, and 280 .native agents. • The native
agency is raising up great-question^,and .serious
difficulties. Mr. Birch read extracts from a let
ter from Dr. Anderson, of the American Board;
in reference to the Sandwich Islands, in which it
was announced that all American aid would be
gradually withdrawn, as the church was now quite
fitted to stand alone.
Rev. Behan Lai Singh said,— ‘
That the Brahmins, though‘a small proportion,
are looked upon as lords of the people, and are
very learned meni If you speak to a villager
about religion, he will answer—We do not under
stand; speak to our priests. Learning is there
fore required for dealing with those 1 Brahmins,
with whom, if native agerits were unable to Cope,
they would lose all respect among the people,
He had himself been challenged among a crowd
to read Hebrew by a Brahmin, and, if be could
not have done so, would have been exposed to ri
dicule. ' . v;:
As to Native Churches, it was remarked by
Rev. J. Mullens, Missionary of the London Mis
sionary Society at Calcutta, that this question was
the most important of all. He said:—
As to our methods, have we carried with us
nothing more than the gospel ? have wo not carried
purely historic elements of onr own European
churches, and attempted to graft them on the na
tive communities ? I was present at an ordination
in the Free Church Institution, when the native
candidates were asked whether they adhered to
the Deed of Demission of 1848, arid similar ques
tions. What have our native brethren to do with
this? How far is it wise to commit them to such
historical elements? At Tinncvelly, the Bishop
of Madras informed me that Mr. Sargent; of the
Church Missionary Institution in that district,
had translated into Tamil, for the use of native
candidates for ordination, Pearson on the Greeds,
and Burnet on the Thirty-Nine Articles.
These Mr. Mullens called forth
some remonstrances. Dr, Tweedie, of Edinburgh,
said that the native converts understood the prin
ciples involved in the Disruption, and were the
hottest Free Churchmen he knew. Mr. Mullens
said in another connection— -
•There is a tendency of missionaries to fall back,
as the churches grow, not into the office of pastor,
but of superintendents of churches. Thus, Mr.
Vinton in Burmah oversees forty-two churches,
and Mr. Thomas, in Tinnevclly, has* the oversight
of 5000 Christians. A practical New Testament
kind; of Episcopate has thus arisen, not from any
theory, but from circumstances which have been
forced on all the churches. Episcopal, Presby
terian, Independent, Wesleyan, and Lutheran.
This kind of Episcopate is more flexible than any
one of our many systems, and is especially adapted
to the case of our younger churches, which are
dependent on the advice and experience of Chris
tians in churches established for many years. It
answers more closely to the state of things in New
Testament times, when the churches were in the
same state, than anything found in our fixed sys
tem.
Mr. Donald M’Leod, Financial Commissioner
of the Punjab, said:—
That the difficulty of establishing government
in the native churches was precisely similar to
that of having self-government among the'hatives.
We expect too much. We are too unwilling to
give over power to them with their imperfections.
Unless we venture this, we shall never give them
a healthy constitution. Let them commit faults
and errors; these will correct themselves, and they
willirise to manhood. Why is the progress of the
church of the Karens so different from that of all
the churches in India? Gould any one show
this, they would confer a marvellous benefit. Let
the,point be examined, and we will get practical
guidance. Human nature is the same every
where, wi th slight differences. Leaving things to
natives themselves, there, may be a little oppres
sion at first, but it will Boon produce its own cure.
The only resolutions adopted were in respect to
establishing a lectureship on Christian Missions,
for which it was proposed to raise 300 pounds per
annum for five or seven years. This is ah impor
tant movement. It willjiave the effect of bring
ing and keeping before the public, the subject of
Missions on a footing with the great religious,
scientific and literary subjects thus treated. The
Conference here manifestly hit upon a want of the
times, which, with the liberal provision to be made,
will doubtless bo well supplied.
* Jtaijjeman
Great harmony marked the proceedings of the
Conference, and it may be regarded as another
spontaneous manifestation of the spirit of union,,
among different denominations, so characteristic of
our times. The Liverpool Courier of March 24th,
commenting on the proceedings, says, among other,
things: ■ „ , ;: 4 f
“The Conference presented a singular mixture
of the civil, military and ecclesiastical elements.
An Indian General;--(Alexander) -occupied-the
chair, surrounded by several soldiers, who like
himself had doubtless often trodden the gory fields
of battle. An officer stated of another present,
that he had not met-him, since as a young ensign
he was placed under his command many years
ago, in, India. Strange, that now after a life of
battle and conflict, they should meet once again, and
for the first time in many years at the board of a
Missionary Conference, in England. It does seem
as if there were signs of theswords becoming plough
shares, arid the spears pruning hooks when Ge
nerals arid Colodcls are uniting with such real,
earnestess with ministers and missionaries in pro
moting that glorious work, which is peace on
earth arid good wilt to men.
CHURCH EXTENSION COMMITTEE.
The Committee is enabled ribw ip go on ra
pidly with its work. Free from pecuniary em
barrassment, it is meeting all approved applica
tions before it. By a pruderit and efficient course
of conduct, we presume it will be able to meet
the constantly increasing demands upon it, how
extensive soever they'inay be.' .. ~
One of the most interesting features of the
support given to it is, that it comes, from the
whole Church almost equally, in proportion to
the means of each part. One part of the Church
is riot burdened unduly In this matter, but the
growth is gradual, healthy, and uniform over
the whole body. The increase, for this year,
when all the reports are received, will be pro
bably about fifty per cent, over last year. The
increase in missionary appointirients will proba
bly be larger than this. The following are new
appointirients: Rev. Win. H. Williams, re-ap
pointed exploring missionary in the Presbytery
of Keokuk, Iowa;: Rev. J. W. Baynes, Deer
field, Petersburgh, and Blissfield, Michigan;
Rev: R. R. Salter, Erie arid LaSalle; Michi
gan; Rev. John Walker, Palmyra, Michigan;
Rev. George W:Nicolls, Momence and Medina,
Michigan; Rev. Paul Shepherd, Dover, Mich.;
Rev. Wm. Herrit, Liberty, Illinois; Rev. L.
H. Johnson, Rockford, Illinois; Rev. Courtney
Smith, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Rev. 0. J. Pit
ken, Troy, Illinois; Rev. Samuel Sawyer, Ma
rion, Indiana ; Rev. Joseph Gordon, Yandalia,
Illinois; Rev. 1. B. Olmsted, Caledonia, Illinois;
Rev. John Gibson, Mount Vernon, Illinois;
Rev. H. Patrick, Marion, Illinois; Rev. Moses
Ordway, exploring missionary in the Synod of
Peoria.
Arrangements are also making for a
ary to Nebraska, and an additional missionary
for Kansas. . . . . . r . •
An interesting correspondence is going, on
with the Church Extension Committee of the
Synod of Alta California in relation: to an ex
ploring missionary for the Pacific Coast. It is
hoped that this important appointment .will soon
be made.:
The friends of our Church will see that our
Church Extension Committee are taking hold
of the work in earnest.
THE OLD SCHOOL GENERAL ASSEMBLY;
A VOICE FROM WESTERN NEW YQRK.
: The Old School Assembly comeS among us he
ralding its.prosperity and increase. We rejoice at
the prosperity of every evangelical church.. Though
it may not sympathize with us in all points, if the
Gospel be preached, and souls are converted, and
the cause of Christ advanced, “we do rejoice, yea,
and will rejoice.” If ministers in our jrfmrch in
large cities have not sufficiently enlarged ideas to
take a survey of the wants of the whole population,
particularly of our own members, or faith enough
to counsel and encourage the erection of church
edifices at important points—if our rich men will
throng and cling to the old. anrl full churches, and
leave weaker congregations to struggle with debt
till they despair, and will f not slift a finger to aid
them—and our Old School brethren will go on
and build for the waits of the' destitute, or will
take lip these weak congregations, and pay off their
debts, they ought to have, they will have, their re
ward. We rejoice that God sees to it that such
necessary labors do not fail of aid in our own world.
And, with shame to ourselves, we confess that
there is hardly a city in the limits of our church
which has not lost . one, and - some several, such
church edifices and congregations during the last
twenty years. Almost the entire growth of the
'Old School Church, at ‘many points, has ’ been in
taking ■up congregations that were weak, but
which" our rich and strong congregations would
hot adequately assist: And so itwill eontinue till
our people learn to care for their own, And if
any are disposed to murmur at it, they murmur
against tho plain laws of Providence! Our mi
nisters and churches must learn the ; value oi per
manent endowments for the cause of the Redeemer.
Churches must be built by our rich men-—and our
institutions of learning must be endowed. Our
brethren of. New York city. have done nobly
with respect to our Theological Seminary there;
hut they must learn to do asnobly with respeet to
church edifices,'if they would not continually lose
ground compared with other denominations, or
have next year the following: a feeble church, go
over to,- —be brought up, —rby.the .Old School bre
thren, as has been done this year, and was done
last. And we can call to mind on our own field
—central and Western New York—more’than
one instance of loss for the same reason. We
mußt learn that to establish; for God, in our dark
and fallen world, any Christian church, on a per
manent basis, is a work to which any Christian
■man of wealth might aspire,' in. which any such
might rejoice, much more than over some large
contribution made to some benevolent associa
tion in which it will be used up .immediately.
And we must learn that there is no-Christian la
bor so imperative on us, as the adequate endow
ment of Hamilton College, Auburn Theological
Seminary, and the Female Seminary, of Genesee
Synod, at Le Roy. If we fail of success for want
of such efforts, or, if by due attention to them, our
Old School brethren succeed, complaint does
not‘become us, but repentance and amendment.
And so far as the prosperity and growing numbers
of the O. S. Church depend on such foresight,
and generous and permanent'endowments for the
kingdom of the Redeemer, or any other, per
severing and prayerful endeavors, we ought to re
joice and give glory to God.
But, ever since Elijah, standing, as he thought,
alone in despair, compared himself with the.hun
dreds of Baal’s prophets, or the thousands *of
Baal’s worshippers, it has not been safe to make
majorities a sure evidence of the divine approval.
Majorities are seldom right. And it is entirely
pertinent to our discussion to notice some of the
hinderances to ; our growth, particularly such* as
have been interposed• by .the O. S. Church.
(Conolodeiftom.last week.)
tman ittfl
1. They have opposed, that generous disregard
'of sect, whichwas, characteristic of our body, and
in the exercise of which we wrere'prospered.
Probably we carried it too, far. We may have
conquered more territory than we could hold; xn
Other ; #brds, it lhdonlSldly^would havS been bet
ter, to have established the converts
more, and trained - s>’ -s j » i
“The sacramental host of God’s elect
To every holy warfare,
even though we had no't done so much directly for
the conversion of sinners. Perhaps, if we had
thought more of establishing churches of our
order, and training £]iem into our habits, it would
have been better in t|ie long run. But in times
of great revival, the temptation is very strong to
co-operate with any will aidin leading souls
to Christ.. And the readiness with which we were
aecustomed.to join l other. Christians in any direct
endeavors to promote! the kingdom of the Re
deemer, was as refreshing: as it was novel- And
we cannot forbear thinking there was something
pleasing to God in forgetfulness of sect, for
the higher interests of the soul’s salvation, in that
great revival to which We allude—in placing Christ
before .the church, or rather placing. the, church
universal before any of its denominations.
Our brethren made a great mistake in supposing
that there could be do growth except by exclu
sively ' Presbyterianism
never grew 1 the very time we Were
accused, of “ scattering our ways to strangers."
We doubt if the “Oldf School,” in any period of
her history, has ever yum converts, from the world
more rapidly. Then.tbis field was almost wholly
our own. It was after this, when the whole
weight of the 0. S. body had been brought to
bear against our, policy—after their terrible re
buke—while we faltered and staggered under the
stunning blow of the exscision—before another
policy, whicli'-we were feeling after, had been fully
inaugurated, that the Jilethodists' came and .estab
lished, their strongholds, and built their college at
JLima, and the Baptists a university at Rochester.
Perhaps, we had been—l will not say—too anx
ious for the conversion, of sinners, hut not suffi
ciently so to attach tltem.to our denomination. .
But the Q. S’. Chuieh is not open to any such
change. Numbers i? its boast. And as one of
them has said, Its “Itet for numbers is a snare.”
It has just taken int<|its fold a community of re
cent converts from th,etapacy, without re-baptism!,
which is contrary to its own official decisions; and
Paflter Chiniquy, thiqr leader, without r,e-ordina 7
tion. They have also secured to themselves a
mortgage on property of these artless
Protestants, which was purchased by-contributions
from all, denominations throughout .Christendom !
They were, content to have the Choctaw; Mission
swell their list with Jts ministers, cliurches. and
members; , but when the. American. Boards which
has always supported the mission, virtually turned
it over to them (where it should have elected to go
long since,) with all jthO'mission property, and a
pension for life ou its veteran missionaries, a meet
ing was called raise funds in New
England for its support. , , . :
2. The : settled mliot and all the official
acts, of the Old School Ohurch, have been, ad
verse to our growth. ■
Some of these, hot aver, have seemed to make
our continued exist! nee a necessity. A few
years after the separation, the two Assemblies
met in. the same city. The asperity of the pre
vious conflict ougiit to have, subsided.
.Pnr'Assembljf.made py’qpiireß to the'other for
a joint communion service —the .proposal was
rejected with a decided yote. Still later, when
many in our body were] less clear than we are
now that Providence had called us to a con
tinued separate existen'ei, other friendly over
tures were repelled. Thfl Old School has refused
all friendly advances on par part, and brought
many of us to feel- thatpOur separate existence
is both; wise and necessary/' ; ;
\ That body has refund to. extend to
common official . civilities and courtesies which
are Usually supposed ti be due from one deno
ihihation of Christians ltd another!, No public
or official act of recognition have we ever ex
perienced at their bqnds. They wouldnot
commune with us;. They will not correspond
with us. - 'Gftah tbeir churches refused to
graiit letterd of di&ftsslon to members desiring
to unite with our churches. -They receive mem
bers : from our Presiytcries, and even pastors
settled oyer oiir without letters of dis
mission or any other papers from ns. They
have seemed to regard 1 as lawful booty whatever
they could gain.fiqm.us: A. factious minority
of scceders from one of our they r re
cognise as the church if the place, and seem to
have no scruples "about dividing,- rending ;to
pieces and of our churches, ihdt
they may add one to tlliir number. Their minis
ters have frequently accepted i nvitations to sup
ply our pulpits as candidates for settlement, and
then refused to be installed unless the church
would go over to the Old School body. They
have vilified us &s jir minians, they have mis
represented our doctrinal belief. Their Board
of Publication,, or lading members of the body,
have published, and; continue to publish, As the
sentiments.antiaccledlted, approved or official
acts of the N. S. Church, what has been denied
and proved to be un|pim times j All
their friendly words! lqokto an absorption into
their body, rather acknowledgment of
onr right to exist, of uhion with us as a separate
body. All their acts', therefore, are true to the
original wrong; they did ns, which they never
have confessed, and if we were out of the way
or destroyed—they might, perhaps,
never be constrained tp confess! V'
' When we remember too,, that we were put off,
;without a ; dollar, fro® what : was.the common in
heritance of the Prelbjterian Ohurch, with never
the offer of a dollar from the body, which now
holds all that wsis the sum totil contributed by our
fathers, as well as theirs; and that we have lost
some .churches and; members who have joined the
Congregationalism, and that we also lost from
10,000 to 16,000 of-.our southern members, when
in the Assembly at Clfevelan d, we calmly re-affirmed
the utterances of past Assemblies on the subject
of slavery—we have act-occasion to despond at our
slow growth. In view ;of all these things we too
may say, “It '« hetler ip he ng'fii'thdh to be in a
majority.” God does not balance accounts with
churches any more than he does with nations or
.with men,at the endof every year! And superior
success does not prove God’s special favor.
But there is one reason why our separate
existence is now bots wise and necessary, viz.: on
account of- our different!attitude on the subject of
Slavery. ' \ /ti - . ' ! .
slavehy;
The positions of the two bodies onthat. subject
are known to be very rnueh unlike. Our church
from the time of the execision, in the true spirit
of' the Presbyterian church of the United'States,
atthe beginning, has bpen steadily,striving to re*
move slaveholding especially from the church. In
1850, the assembly declared that “ the holding of
our fellow-men in the cbnditioil%pf slavery, ex
cept in cases where it is unavoidable by the laws
of the State, the obligations of guardianship, or
the demands of is ah offence in the
proper import ; of that term 1 as used in the Book of
Discipline (chapter i. .section o,) and should be re
garded and treated in the same manner as other
offences.
When our Southern brethren complained of
injustice and unkindhess On the part of many
Northern brethreb;' of charging on ! them practices'
of which they were hot guilty; and motives which
they 'disclaimed—the ; Assembly iii 1853—-re
questcd them ; to'givethe facts in the ease (1) as
to the nnifibef of- sliive-holders in the churches—
(2) how many were properly embraced in the
Detroit exceptions —(3) whether - the Christian
rites and rights of slaves in'churches were ob
served, and the sacredness of conjugal ind parental
relations maintained, and our'Southern brethren
took offence at the request as if we were guilty of
some tiuworfchy espionage, seeking testimony
wherewith to!condemn them.
In 1856 one of our Southern Presbyteries boast
ingly gave official notice to iisi that a number of
ministers 'and ruling ‘eldefe; 1 as : well as many
church members, in their connection, held slaves
“from principle;” -“'believing it to be froni'tM
any qualifying ex
planationj assumed the responsibility, of sustaining*
such ministers, elders> and church members in
their position. The Assembly, at Cleveland, in
1857, asi have saidi : fecited extraets from past
utterances of the church on that subject, and reaf
firmed them; and “bore solemn testimony” against
the “newdoctrine” justfalluded to —disapproved
and earnestly condemned it; then added, a prayer
that slavery might speedily melt away—and an
expression of tender sympathy for all our brethren)
complicated with the.system, who deplored its ex
istence, and were honestly doing all in their power
for the ; preSefit well-being of their* slaves,’ and* for
their complete emancipation. “ This was the
head andjfrbnt of-our offending,” ■ bay; the sum to
tal. What could we do less ? What less did
truth and righteousness demand ‘at - our hands ?
And, yet for this; our Southern- brethren! mth
drew frbm-via; They wer enot“ exscihded;”?aud!
he-that' says they were, either virtually or actually,
dees not know whal he is'talking about, or wilfully
p'erverts the known foots of history.
If the Old School ehurch' : were to put forth
but Sd f teiiipCratc a-' condemnation of slavery:■! at
that time, who doubts, for a moment, that it would
share' a similar fate ? But is such a fate desira
ble ? By no means. And yet it is preferable -to
a silence which makes a church seem to be for
slavery and not against it. First “pure, then
peaceable,” is the divine rule.' ;But “lust for
numbered’ is so great, unity is magnified so much
and purity- 'so -' little, that the Old School church
dare not speak Out t
■ But, they say, “We' stand by 'the testinjony of
the Assembly of 1818.” But there is not a man
of them; who believes, that: an: utterance like that
ofriBlB could! even bepassedin,the O.Si Assembly
to-dayi; much lessj unanimously; as ;it was then.
Ever£ man ,of-i them? knows that the >general sen
timent of the body;on that, subjectdsnnot what it
was in 1818. It becomes moreand more favorable
to slaveryi-ri Slaveryis debauching: the old school'
church. And; yet there is a policy now songht'to
he initiated; which binds it to perpetual alence on
the subject ; or rather which allows leading men
and the organs of ithe church, south, to-.defen’d,
slavery “from principle “ believing it to be frbm
the Bible;-right” while the northern men are
bound to keep silence. As one said publicly,
without contradiction or rebuke, " Every man that
comes into our churcbknows; or ought to know,
that we will riot hive discussion on this subject”
One venerable in wisdom as in years, the be
loved ' and honored Theological Instructor of
manjf ministers in that church, aßd candidate
for a Professor’s chair in a hew‘‘school of the
prophets,” alarmed at the aggressions of slavery
and pro-slavery influence in the church, ven
tured *to lift np his voice against it, in the As
sembly at Indianapolis last year, and the vote
for him which followed that speech, so sur
prisingly small, was a terrible rebuke! ; “We
will not have such a mail in our church,” says
one. "“What will you do with: him?” says
another. * “ Turn him out!” “What if there
should be a whole Presbytery that should talk
he‘dbea?”" “ Twrnihemtmil” ' “What if a
wholeSynod “Tiimtheiii out!”" • i
But they will not torn him out! There will
not be another “ exscisibii ” till the ahthors of the
first are dead. They have learned a new, if not
“ more excellent way.” They drop from notice,
they turn from, they kill by "silence such as
dare speak against slavery; And this venerable
man, who has served God and the church so
long, as to any influence, position, notice, name
or mention in that church, is, to all intents and
purposes, dead! Not a newspaper in the whole
church defended him. A few friends blustered
for a few weeks, and talked of establishing an
organ for were soon awed ; tq s si
lence; And for months past silence has reigned
in'that church. And, silence on the subject of
slavery, except to defend or apologize for it, in
that church, is the condition of comfortable and
respectable membership!
As one. is reported to have said in substance,
before some Southern Synod or gathering of
ministers, in evident allusion to the case just
mentioned, “A fool drew a rope across Nia
gara, just. below the Falls' last yearj and crossed
the river in safety. But the man who draws
any narrow sectional lines .in our church, and
tries to walk them, shall plunge beneath the
raging torrent of public execration, and be heard
from—nevermore / ” Is not this the voice of a
‘propihei? Such is the treatment prescribed by
the “doctors of the law” on slavery for all who 1
wilTnbt seal their lips on the great iniquity 1
We would not have the church constantly
harping on the subject, but we would have it;
speak out, when silence is construed into indif
ference or approval of slavery. We would not
Have it denounced in unqualified terms all who
sustain the legal relation of Piaster to a slave,
or' spend much time in settling that historical
abstraction there were ■ slaveholders in;
the primitive church or not, but we would not
that their refusal to act or speak should be
made an argument for perpetual bondage, or
that the exceptions. should be taken for the
rule!■ We would not sec the church divided;
but it were better it should be divided, a thou
sand-fold better, than that the' whole of snch a
great body of Christians should be reckoned
apostate to God or recreant to her high trust
as the defender of his poor.
While slavery is rapidly increasing the num
ber of its victims, clamoring for more Af
rica, and for more territory in which to expand;
whileits wealth,, and political, and social influ
ences gjve it continually increasing power to
hold in check all opposition toitself,
seem that the yea* of our Lord 1818wassn -
ciently late, in the history of the
for a great and strong church, that claims
keep abreast with the times, to open its J P S
lift up its voice for the oppressed. And as
sure as God reigns, and the moral percep ions
of Christian men are not strangely perverse; as
sure as the wisest
logians, and the best men of ave
not made the greatest conceivable mistake, that
duty lies before the 0. S. church, and most e
performed, or all its prosperity; piety, fame,
wealth, zeal, and numbers, will not save it from
the doom of the churches whose fate is written
in the Apocalypse 1
“EDUCATION FOR TBR MINISTRY.”
Messes/ Editoes:— -In .your excellent deader
of last week, some remarks occur on the subject
of {ministerial .education, which need, perhaps,
to’ be qualified a little/ in order to apply fairly
to the condition of things iiiFTwslatitude, how
ever applicable they may be to the church as a
whole.-.-,-,- -- J-'-'VV- • /
For such reasons as those yon have given,
there is not only notv, but probably always will
be, “intrinsic unpopularity in the cause” of edu
cation. Its friends baye lopgjknciwn this,, and
therefore, in making- efforts to advance it,.their
appeals for assistance: have ever been plainly to
those who, from their position in the church,
have had a more intelligent conviction of its .ne
cessities, and -were better .able, to appreciate the
merits .of the cause. than isfoundto be the .case
with the majority of the people. It is: much
easier to .induce-the masses to; sustain an able
preacher, than to convince them that they should
assist in training,him for the pulpit., .. .
The, difficulties inherent to tbe enterprise may
have also been- aggravated, sometimes by ,tbe
adoption -of injudicious measures in multiplying
the number of candidates for, the. ministry,,, This
error. seems to have been committed by the
American Education Society and the Presby
terian Board in 1831, and after, But a gene
ration has passed away since the /‘rivalries ”
were most active, between those, two organiza
tions, and. although the fruits thereof haye : ;not
yet entirely disappeared, less importance should
be attributed to their influence than is frequently
allowed. ■ ;: .i ;:
i Within the last two or three years, mjich has
been said and written in regard to the discou
raging aspects of :the. education cause-,: How
much-reason th.e.re may be: for . these complaints
in other sections ; of the church, we Are unable
to judge; but, from appearances in this vicinity,
there, would, seem to be no valid ground for. de
spondency beyond the fact already alluded to,
it is more difficult (and always will be)
to obtain funds for educational purposes than
for most other important enterprises.. . . -
It is evident there is no deficiency in the num
ber of candidates for the ministry, judging from
the last annual report of the Assembly’s perma
nent Committee on Education, which states
“ There must be not far from five hundred look
ing forward to the work,” and it is fair to pre
sume that, these are "picked, men,” for enough
has beeAsaid of late to impress,all cqncerned,
that, ih receiving candidates, "the great princi
ple should Be qualifications, not numbers.” On
this 1 principle, we presume, those are actingvjho
now have in charge the edncational interests of
our denomination • and, so Faras'the Philadel
phia Education Society is concerned/ no rule on
this point could be more appropriate and expli
cit than the one they have adopted, which’ is 1 as
follows: •' : :
‘ “Whereas, It is undesirable that young men
should be J encouraged to study for the ministry,
unless they exhibit promising talents,' well
adapted to the duties of the clerical office; and
“Pereas, This ‘Society is less ahxicnis to
multiply the number of its candidates, than to
haVe such only as shall bid fair to become ac
ceptable ministers to the churches of our dehd
mihation; therefore, -
‘'dissolved, That the Corresponding Secre
tary be requested to obtain, by special corre
spondence and by personal interviews, so far as
practicable, the most reliable testimonials in re
gard to qualifications of the candidates who
shall apply to this Society for aid in their
studies.” c. B.
’ PhiladelpMa, May 7,'1860. .
UNION TENT OF THE Y.,M. C. k;
We call the attention of the friends of Christ’s
kingdom in our city to the following appeal :
The Divine blessing for the last two years
haying signally followed the labors of ministers of
the gospel and others in , with the
Union Mission Tent of the Young Mens’ Christian
Association, it is believed to he exceedingly "de
sirable that the same work should he continued
during the approaching summer. ,
In order to accomplish this, an expenditure is
involved of about one thousand dollars for super
intendence, watching, lighting, printing and re
moving the tent from place to place.
The Association at this time having no more
funds in its Treasury than barely sufficient to meet
its general expenses, is unwilling to enter upon
this work without a prospect of meeting promptly,
all its liabilities, and therefore this appeal is made
to those blessed iy the Lord with means, who de
sire the extension of His kingdom among the non
church-going population of this city for which the
Tent is admirably adapted; as will be seen from
the following facts of past experience.
Beneath its canvass roof of last summer there
'were 126 sermons preached by ninety-three diff
ferent ministers j 29 meetings conducted by lay
men, lfB prayer meetings, 101 children’s meet
ings and 86 meetings, for anxious inquirers,
making a total of four hundred and twenty ser
vices, in attendance upon which many heard and
embraced the gospel who had not* entered the
house of God for years.
We present these facts to' the community, con
fidently belhiving that practical encouragement
will be given us to warrant the commencement of
the work immediately. The Tent is all ready for
erection, aud it is only for pur friends to sny, they
are willing to sustain us. T , ;
; ; Contributions may be sent to Jonathan Wana
maker, Corresponding Secretary, 1009 and 1011
Chestnut Street, or to either of the . folldwmi :
James Grant, TlO Chestnnt Streets W, G CWll
530 Walnut Street, George Gookman, Broad above
Filbert Street.
Committee of the Union Missions,
_^? ro y ement m Buttonwood Street Church,
the enterprising congregatioh conriected with 5 this
C UTC ’~y e n ° w in improving their lecture
room. . They design connecting it, by means of a re
cess in ; the rear, with the pulpit above. This, with
painting ;aud,o;her,improvements, will make it a very
comfortable and convenient.apartment. The cost*will"
i . - 0I ? - one thousand to, twelve hundred i: dollars. ! 1
SA BI,E
* TjmdsaMm JESUS. By a Mother.
MAMMA’S to-Afrred MarUen.
Philadelphia:
V . , „„f ti,; R 'volame is composed of
M and impressive, and are well adapted to afford
algestions and assume to the Christian mother
jnlstructing her children M them Wlse
in the Scriptures.
„ npnTHEg -THE CHRISTIAN WIFE.
CAROLINE P Christopher
Perthes. By Mrs. L. ■ pp . 522. For sale at
Carter & Brothers, 1860. fi 4 "",* F*’
ttife 1834 Chestnut Street.
A good and usefal life S a living and perpetual
teacher: the biographies of
for piety and virtue are written that the excel
lency of piety may bVadmited, and the character
wH-
tensively imitated tw*fc d
blessing Unitedly they are God s best gift to
man. No man can ho complete in his sphere
without a po wife can .:truly bero<* “
all essential particulars unless she is a Christian.
Perthes was a bookseller and a Christian gentle
man in Hamburg- He led, a useful, valuable and
somewhat distinguished lifej his wife,-as all good
wives are, wSs said to be the power behind the
throne, the unseen influence that , gave vitality,
character and distingntehed nsefulness, to the
household In which she wat a. living and acting
agent for good. She is represented in tfien pages
as a model womau, ardent in affection, earnest m
piety, and possessing, the happy faculty ofj carry
ing sunshine wherever, she went, and of inspiring
love and good-will in others.., . , ■
THE THRONE OF the Consecration
of the Shepherd of Bethlehem, to the Rebellion of
Prince Absaloni. ’Being an Iliußtraition of the Splen
dor, Powefcand Domain of the Reign of the Shep
herd, anil Prophrt, Ancestor and
Type of Jesus.;, In a ; Series of Letters addressed by
an Assyrian Ambassador,xesidfnt at the Court of Saul
and David, to his Lord and King on the Throne of
Nineveh; wherein the Glory of Assyrians well as the
Magnificence of Judea, is pre|fented to the reader as
by an Eye ViHlt'nVss. IByJlev.. J. H. LL. D.,
authorof “Prince of the HSnse of David,” and “Ml*
” 3PMi»^jPW a i. G. G.Evans,439 Chestnut
•dTliiff f of <: flliMiiptioiis of
Scripturehistory byßev. J. H. Ingraham, LL. D
“ The Thro'ne of David;” is properly the; second
of tbe series, though last issh'ed.c ;33ie author
having issued “ The Prince of. the House 1 of Da
vid ”■ :>He>haß:4ttemphedtheibold and- danog
toslcofpresenting thegreatlead-ing historieabparts
of, Scripture in connexion rfith-seeidarfustdryi so
asitopreeentthe clear anid- life-like ■picture of- those
events'as they might' lappeafatbsa
casuafcobsenver/ drasstrangermlsrael. ..JChisrvo*
lufoei contains a series ;o£ letters
telligent amhassador, sent oiitil)y :the kuig dfiAs
syria for'the: pleasureof the M'ngj!andd;he';enligbf
enmentofihisS subjects.
•gatherijd‘fiedmuthe xeheaTsah ofjitiieipiihceslaudfel
■ders the sacred
writings of.the Jews. Contemporaneous- events
are described as witnessed by the writer; or .as ga
thered fro'mHheiihoiiths o£ the people. i. The,style
is highlyrimaginative and; attractive;;:
iumes have been extremely popular, and have
founeban extensive; Salk ' ;
■■f'i U.T Vl >\ \ .T r A 1 - .*'l; * /'» ' 4 /*!‘
THE MILL ON THE FIOSS. By George ‘ Eliot. aa<
thor of “ Scenes of Clerical Life;” and “Adam Bede.”
NeJw'Yorkf Harper&'Brolhers.- Torafleby US3SSjr
■ fz Blalriston, Philadelphia.
We ' presume that no person ' who has read
‘“Ada&- ifahffwhb* has ibtT) I’will iffifl- to
read v *‘The’Miir , 6h the’T'loss';” -The leading or
constant’ thought of-the'author sbems to-be'an il
lustration Sf thd evils of selfishness. Thedesign
of' the work if ah original : one, aiid the • execution
"of it, perfect.”’The characters are ‘selected from
the most dommdh walks "of-lifey kntl’eahb' one is
made' to act most hathrally thTdngh'ont. The
•Mory’ is" not dnly exceedingly ’interesting; bnt the
'moral is uhexceptiOnablte.-- - Tbe’authoriß supposed
-to be a Miss Evans—a lady whoihas Sh'Own tb the
public 'tf'rarc ability in describing 1 'human nature
and its motives, abd so'picturing character as to
•makfe'bvery individual ‘Stand out naturally before
the : ' The.'vblUme abbnn'ds'dtt genial sar
'casffl,-beahtifttb descriptions and ebaSte thought.
T HE LIFE of” FREIDRICH SCHILLER;' Compre
hending ah Examination b#HisWbrksl ’ From the last
London Bditton; CMlyleV
Sheldon & Co. -Boston : Gould & Lincoln.
Carlyle-is tto truth, that
'Genius lometim'ek ?fu’t& wild 'feom’ ifocf! luxuriant
growth. The book' - herd s -presented, ‘however, —
. the product of his 1 less; mature yeSrs—has less
bf-the straggliißg bver-g'rowth and uiiieOtttb deeora
tionCwhich mar-his later. writings'; Tt is amusing
- to compare -the stylebf the; prefaeetwrltten twenty
years after, with that of-the'original' ’hook : they
scarcely seem- -to have been -written by the same
| interest
ing—necessarily: sb ifrbin the gieatness of the
> the keen
analysis of Schillbr-B-Works Scattered throughout
the volume—and from the masterly way in which
a masterly, though sometimes faulty, hand has
sketched the Poet and the MaU. s We must not
forget the peculiar- attraetionsof this edition, which
has been issued by Messrs-Sheldon and Co., uni
formly with the Essays of the same, author, in
charming styles V ■ s .■ -
STORIES OF RAINBOW AND' LDCKY.'“ « Sellimr
By Jacob Abbott. Hew York: Harp er I
■ Brothers. • For sale by-Lindsay & Blakiston, Philada.
~ Wefk CMktitms.—A wriier in the Missouri Bap
tint groups "five classes under* this : title “ 3 There
are some brethren. ,*o 'physically Weak, that they can
.not raise tbcir hand as, high up as their pockets, and
some not quite so weak but that they could do that,
who are not able-to lift « out again. 2. There are
Some brethren so;WMk from the labors of business,
to VraJk to church on the
Sabbath, and- some not quite so weak, who can get
there only once that day: 3.. There are some so weak
the toilß, °f the day,.that they are not able to
walk to prayer-meeting-, and then, again, others who
can-get.there, who to'speak or pray.
:' inere. are aome brethren so weak, as to be unable
Y et fly-enough to have family worship before
business hours; then' there are others, who do rise
eany, but 1 aro.too weak to-reach down the old family
t f - h?Tb ar j e some , brethren so weak in ta-
able to teach a class in Sab
bath school; hiit who are not' qnite so weak when a
politicalmfeotingis on hand}”; .
A UseM -Invention.'— Passing 'along Chestnut
'street- yesterday morning, Bur attention was drawn
tq t an admirable lpve|ij4jqn. for the benefit of deaf per
eons, which we are glad to’ commend to the exami
nation of Others. ' It is exhibited in two forms, both
of which are, applications of the same principle, that
sound can he concentrated and conveyed to distances
through tubes. One of these machines is intended
to the-pulpit of a church. It is es-
a large funnel, from the bottom of which a
tube descends through' the floor,..and along under it
to the pew of a deaf person, where a flexible tube,
With an ear-piece, is inserted into it, and enables the
afflicted man to hear eveß the lowest tones uttered
by the speaker; of the invention is
'that of a table, which a man hard of hearingi
qs he would beside any
fetable* to KeareVery word of ordinary conversa
tion'madra wing room; ■—
4b«rfi • Oil' a • ;
May 10,