GENESEE EVANGELIST.—WhoIe No. 774.
Voietvg.
DIES IRA
The fdaPWitg IN I free translation of the celebrated Latin client of
Tnusee Di Demo, a monk of the twelfth century. Me poem was
in Latin rhyme, a Style of composition peculiar to ble time&
That day of wrath,—tremendous dayl
(So David and the Sibyl* say,)
With whirlwind fires the world shall barn.
0 then I what trembling will there
When CHRIST descends in majesty, be,
Upon the resurreotion morn!
With wondrous pow'r the trump shall sound.
Death and the Dead it shall astound,
And rend the tombs of every land I
The whole creation shall arise
To meet th' ALMIGHTY in the Ales,
And at hie dread tribunal stand!
The mountains cleave, volcanoes wreathe,
Strange fires, disgorg'd from earth beneath,
That in conflipting flames are.tiung:
Affrighted Ocean'heaves amain!
Creation travaileth in paint
Heaven is ruin overhung t
Lo I in mid heavens that great white throne!
Nature convulsive heaves a groan!
The Nations look In dread amaze! • ,
-I ` - etillt4shilt behold, With anguish dire,
His eyes like fiercely flaming fire!
And shrink from the oppressive blaze!
'Tis Heaven's great King, tremendous Pow'r I
'ere cant thou fly at this dread hour?
Where seek relief from thy distress?
Pot 10l Tan Cnuotaran is come
To fils. thy everlasting doom,
. And judge the world in righteousness!
Earthquakes and thunderings prevail,
While trembling sinners weep and wail,
To see the Book of Doom display'd!
0. dread Remembraneer of Thotight,
'Whence every sin to light is brought,
To make the guilty soul afraid!
Wretch that I anti what can I say,
Or do, but humbly prostrate pray,
And through my tears look up to thee ?
In thee my refuge I have sought:
At that great day, destroy me not,—
In boundless mercy pity me!
0 kind Redeemer! bear my prayer;
'Elmo me, that day, from black despair,
Thou, who ballet pity on the thief;
Thou, who didat Mary's sins forgive,
Be merciful, and let me live,
Though I of sinners am the chief.
Thou, who sat'st wearied on the well;
'Who tolVdst to save lost souls from hell;
Let not such t e ravail.be is vain!
Thou, who, haat: borne the cross,
And hung , (a bleeding curse,)
0 !IMO me from eternal pain! •
A suppliant at thy holy throne,
My guilt and worthlessness I own,
And only plead that Jssus bled;
Bemire me, 0 thou Crucified,
Because for sinners thou hest died,
Eternal Judge of Quick and Dead!
Me absolution thou host given!
Faith to my soul bath capered heaven,
And mercy whispereth of graoe i
Eternal King! at that great day,
• 'When earth and heaven shall pass away,
Among thy sheep give me a plaoel
When wrapp'd in flames this rolling world
Is in one fiery ruin I'd,
And there is no more earth and sea;
When to thy tingdom Thou shalt come,
And guilty souls receive their doom,
0 then! my God! remember me!
• The San/lona tradition or antiquity concerning the Sibyl, wee
el/coifed of of equal authority with Scripture prophoe.y, la the dark
ISM" Om 07 TeX DYAD.
'.uovvoltitottfincrs.
For the American Presbyterian.
GOD'S LONG-SUFFERING.
God has been very patient with us. In every
one of our hearts lies the proof. Long since we
had tried his forbearance sorely. We knew it
then. Prom then till now every day we have put
His patienoe to the test. And where live those
who have not tried Him? tried Him grievously,
tried Him Constantly? What nation has . ever
ceased for one year, or for one hour, to sanction
what he forbids; to defend what he condemns; to
cherish and love what he abhors? Point to a na
tion, or to any briefest period in the history of any
nation, when, if the earth had opened and swal
lowed it up, the souls of its citizens rising from
their horrible sepulchre and appearing before God,
could, with consenting conscience have affirmed;
We did not deserve that fate!
No one is so near us. as God; no one so con
stantly With us; no one knows our sins so well, not
we ourselves. The past sins are before him as
clearly and as vividly as the present, no dimness
of memory veils them. He has searohed us and
known us thoroughly every moment, in dark
ness and light; in seclusion, in public. He has
known our down•sitting and our up-rising; He
has compassed •our path, and our lying-down.
Every word we have uttered, out-spoken or whis
pered; and every word that we have written He
has known it " altogetber"—its motive and pur
pose, and influence. No knowledge of us is so
minute, so perfect, as God's knowledge.
And as He has been with us everywhere and
every moment, never ceasing to observe us, so
has Be been with every one of our race. Not a
ali . me hail been committed of which He has not
,en a most attentive witness. Not an evil thing
all the earth hoe ever escaped His notice. He
as seen the start of the falsehood, and all its de
elating course. He has seen the conception of
he base and cruel deed, and followed all its work
ings in a single heart, in a family, or in a nation
suffering from it in hopeless rage and hate. No
dungeon's bolts have ever shut out God. He has
not only visited every 'prison, but taken up his
bode there. No prisoner's groan, or despairing
ugh ever meets another ear quicker than it reaches
His. Many cries of anguish have been heard by
Him only. He has watched every victim of tor
ture, looking on patiently. In barbarous countries
and in civilized; in' the wilderness; in the arena;
in Hindoo revenges; in Chinese executions; in
the chambers of the inquisition ; at the stake;
on the scaffold; at the whipping-post; on the
deSk of the merchantman; under the deck of the
slaver; in the field of the planter; in the havoc
of the battle, and in the ' hack and carnage of
the pursuit,' and amidst the writhing and groan
ing of the deserted field;—wherever man has tor
tured man, God has been present, closely ob
serving, missing nothing— not one feeling of the tor
turer or of the tortured. IS not his patience un
speakable? He baa watched all down through
the centuries, and seen men reject his Truth re
vealed by him to throw light into their darkness,
to bring them up out of its violence to kindness;
and of its wars to.friendship;. out of its oppression
to liberty; and out of its superstition to religion;
out of all the fierce disorders, and clashings, and
degradations of selfishness, into the peace and-or
der and happiness of love to Him. He has seen
that- truth selfishly withheld by men—by men
who believed it had saved them. Withheld while
the perishing begged for it; and while that fear
ful life of darkness went on , and drove men by na
dons down through the gates of death. Whither?
to what beyond? •
He has seen that truth perverted; wrested all
aside from its purpose, to help on the wrong, the
unheavenly, the polluting, the degrading, the cruel,
the base; and wielded , to beat down the Christ
like and the right. He has seen men—yes, men
who called themselves his ministers, and proclaim
ers of glad-tidings from him, holding it forth in
their hands, and running hither and thither, and
crying with eagerness, 'God is for the evil! God
is for the wrong!' He has seen the spirit that
rejected his Son, mocked him, , scourged him,,
nailed him to the cross, and reviled him while
hanging there, honored by men; power given to
it, and praise; and great multitudes bearing in
strange mockery the name of 'Christians' bowing
down before the antichrists in whiehlt has been
embodied,' and crying with a loud voice, "Ye are
worthy to receive dominion, and honor, and power,
and glory!"
Ah, it is not marvellous that men looking on
prosperous; unpunished, wickedness, have said,
4 God is indifferent to sin, altogether such an one
as ourselves' But they have erred; no one feels
sin so deeply as God. In his word, in his acts,
in the whole sweep of his mighty plans inward the
sure consummation which he has revealed, he
shoivs that he feels sin, keenly, deeply;‘,tip4 never
deadened sensibility. His forbearance is "long
suffering"—suffering. We wonder at the Son of
God, dwelling with sinners and enduring their
contradictions. God has always dwelt with sin
ners, down through all the fearful history of our
race, We wonder at the meekness and patience
of Christ when surrounded by his enemies. God
has always been meek and patient in the midst of
his enemies. He that hath seen the Son, " hath
seen the Father also."
And who is so painfully sensitive to cruelty, as
one whose heart - is overflowing with compassion?
Who is so stirred by meanness, as the magnani
tnons? By cheating, as the honest? By impu
rity, as the pure? By profanity, as the heavenly
minded? By selfishness,as the benevolent? As
you ascend toward holiness, sensibility to sin in
creases. Who then in all the universe is so aensi
dye. to sin as God? In whose heart is there such
repugnance, and loathing, and *detestation, and
burning indignation? And he is omnipresent,
and omniscient! His patience is unspeakable.
For the American Presbyterian.
SYRIAN TRUMPET.
Countrymen, why is your country 'clothed in
mourning? Why are your mountains and hills,
desolate, and your valleys and plains forsaken, and,
your cities and villages distressed, and your strong
men scattered, and your women mourning, and;
your virgins weeping, and your widows and or- ,
phans in a deplorable state of depression, disgrace
eta poverty ? Why '4,;.Danattsems, the queen of
Syria, the most,distingnished, and the greatest of
ancient cities, sitting in forests and groves under
the willows along the river Barady, clothed in,
dark apparel? She laments, weeping for her young
men and maidens, and saying, Alas ! bewailing her.
magnificence and riches, and deploring her mer
chandise and commerce! Why do you listen, here,
to the voice of lamentation fot a lost friend, or a
companion departed, or a husband imprisoned, or
an only son fled, or a beloved daughter carried
away captive? And their :wailings ascend from
broken and disconsolate harts, which grief and
anxiety have overwhelmed, and the cup of dis
tress and anguish have filled.. And there again,
are deep, incessant groanings, sent forth fro,
hearts whose misfortunes are blended with 11j1031•
tigated maladies and severe sufferings., ,Why do
we see still beyond, there a man hiding in caves
or dens; and another betaking himself to the dense
forest to dwell with wild beasts; and, another fu
gitive fleeing, like Cain who killed his brother,
while no one pursues after him? Why do we ree
in this city, a great multitude of people, high and
low, in a state which rends the heart, thronging
the doors, begging alms, although most of them
were of those formerly giving elms? Of a truth,
these sights and conditions are exceedingly fear
ful and painful. But what are the causes of them,
and who are they whom. Satan has instigated to
work this measure of physical and moral ruin ?
The answer to this will be understood, in general,
from what we have already written, and time does
not allow us to make detailed explanations. Nor
will it now profit us much to look,back to the past,
! but we ought to direct our consideration to the
I future, with the design of alleviating its misfor
tunes, and arresting the course of their evil im-
pressions and their wicked effects.
Countrymen, surely the season of tht broad car
peted summer, moderate in its requirements, has
I passed away, during which one might be satisfied,
as many of you have. been satisfied, with a bed of
the earth, and a covering of the trees, or of the
canopy of heaven, and the watchers of the stars.
But the trees, under the shadow of which you re
clined, have begun to put off their ornaments, in
preparation for another season. Behold I the .ga
thering armies, strong and bold, are ascending
from the west, and , assailing the sky to contend
with the firmament, and conceal from us the eyes
of those watchers, and awaken us to that season of
winter, severe in rigor, extensive in requirements;
coming with its hail and snow, attacking with its
tempests and frigid storms.
Countrymen, the tribes of ants have finished all
the provision of winter, and built for themselves
strong houses to protect them from its injuries;
and the swarms of bees have finished their collec
tions, and prepared for themselves safe retreats,
in which they have dein:wiled their treasures, and
retired into them, seeking rest and protection.
But our brethren, children of Adam, and our
countrymen, many of them have scarcely in their
hands a sufficiency for this day, and, alas! they
have no houses to dwell in, and no suitable cloth
ing to protect them from the severe - cold, and no
furniture which they can use for their necessities,
and no stores in their magazines. To look to their
future is exceedingly important and sad.
Countrymen, it is a proverb of the Franks,
time is money. But with regard to our poor bre
thren to whom we have alluded, time is life, be
cause every day that passes, coati the country the
life of many of its children. And, therefore, as
we have declared it the duty of the conquered to
be patient and moderate, we say it is the religious,
Beirut, October 15th, 1860
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1861.
moral and civil duty of the •conquering, the via
lent, and the public magistrates, to be- instant in
the use of the proper,' efficient arrangements for
providing sufficient security, and supplying what
is needful for food, raiment, houses and other ne
cessary things, when they are able to do it; as it
is the duty of every one endowed with honor, ge
nerosity and compassion, whoever he may be, to
give his diligence, and exhaust his power for their
aid, and not to sacrifice them upon the altar of
personal ; ease, selfish considerations, or political in
terests, whatsoever they may be.
. Countrymen, as it appears to us, security has
by the care of the rulers, certainly been born anew
in this country, and until now, is laid in its cra
dle bound in swaddling clothes, according to ori
ental custom, and liable; to many different vicissi
tudes. But it is surrounded by strong guardians
and skilful physicians of the ablest and wisest
men of the East and West, with all the instru
ments of surgery, .and all kinds of medicines.. We
hope that their care will protect it froutthe occur
rences of thud?. and their energy,
dom, will devise for it effectual means for its quick
development, and its attainment of, mature agd in
an accepted time, and its securing a, good portion,
of which it, may never be deprived.
Countrymen, we exhort you to One thing,
namely, to prefer living from the labor of your
hands and from the sweat of your brows, to stand
ing at the doors, and depending upon alias, the
fountain of which is only opened to dry up, and
only lives to die. And we caution you of 'one
thing, that is—idleness, which in its very nature,
injures the body, mind and soul. And we say,
especially to the afflicted of you, trust in God, who
takes care of orphans and widows, and forgets not
the cry of the poor and destitute. •
Countrymen, we have already taken much time,
but we cannot close this letter without mention
ing what follows, namely: True religion itself,
commands what is right, and forbids what is
wrong. And every religion which has not this
nature, does mot deserve to have the name of re
ligion. Now, it is the excellence of Christianity
in distinction
-from all other religions, that it com
mands the love of our enemies also. No doubt
the keeping of this command is one of the most
difficult, things, but its difficulty will, not cancel
its obligation upon all Christians; universally in
all times, places and circumstances. Moreover,
Christianity, which commands its followers to turn
their right cheek to him who smites them on the
left, and to recompense evil with good, does not
forbid those who embrace it, from seeking their
civil rights, but it allows them to protect them
selves, and demand their rights, but not to do that
in a spirit of revenge and love of retaliation. Be
cause, whosoever continues in malice and enmity,
and cherishes the spirit of revenge, and the love
of retaliation, has nothing to do with thisireligion.
And I beseech God:to guide you to understand,
this, and unable you to walk in accordance thereto.'
And the most high God grant you continuance.
r For thE AmOrican Presbj,tirian.
SORIPTUIit 'ILLUSTILATIONS.
INTRODUCTORY: WHERE ILLUSTRATIONS OF SCRIP-
TITRE ARE TO BE FOUND
It is three thousand three hundred and fifty
years since the first book, Genesis, was written by
Moses. After that early period, fifteen hundred
years elapsed before the book of Revelation, the
last book of the Bible, was completed. Remem
ber, that various facts which were well known to
every one living in these early ages, are, in our
days, known only through history, or they are to
be 'arrived at by, careful observations, examina
tions, and from recent discoveries. The informa
tion thus obtained, is necessary to the full under
standing of many panages of Scripture.
Again, remember that during those fifteen hun
dred years, in,which the history and books of the
Bible were being written, great changes took place,
even in the names of cities and places, the value
of Money, coins, weights, and measures, the nit;
tore and extent of governments, the peculiarities
of customs, and the modes and conditions of life
generally, and even the natural history of those
countries. Filets, therefore, which may be cor
rectly asserted of certain parts and certain allu
sions of Scripture, cannot, with equal correctness,
be certified in regard to other parts. Many rela
tions and conditions of a geographical, political,
and commercial charaeter, underwent modification
or entire changes during those centuries, and. a
knowledge of those variations and conditions adds
great interest to many parts of the sacred writings.
Moreover, from the period when the last book
of Revelation was completed and the canon of the
Scripture settled, to that year in which our Eng
lish translation of the Scriptures was Made, an era
of nearly sixteen hundred, years transpired, and
from the period of that translation to the present
time, two hundred and fifty years have passed
away. Important discoveries in several depart
ments have been, made, and important changes
have occurred, even in the signifieations of words
of our language, and many other circumstances
have taken place, a knowledge of all of which adds
greater. value to the study of the Scriptures.
Again; a most important interest is added to
parts of Scripture history, when an acquaintance
is had with cotempora,neous events in the same or
in other countries. For example: interest is
added to the history of the period when Judah
was carried captive into Babylon, if the historical
events of importance in other parts of the world
are at the same time known. Then Daniel and
his companions were boys of about fourteen years
of age. Ezekiel and Obadiah were living, the
former about twenty years of age, and the latter a
young lad. Nebuchadnezzar is supposed to have
been about thirty years old. Beyond Syria, SOlon
was legislating in Athens. .lsop was about the
age of Nebuchadnezzar, and Nineveh was in ruins,
having fallen a few years before.
In many instances, such synchronisms aid the
memory easily to retain that which otherwise it
could only with difficulty. Such - are the fields
where we may find illustrations and explanations
of Scripture. ' H. S.
PREACH SMALL.-" Mother," said a little girl
seven years old, "I could not understand the mi
nister to-day, he said so many hard words. I wish
he would preach so that little girls could under
stand him. Won't he, mother?" ".Yes, I think
so, • if we ask him." Soon after this her father
saw her tripping away. " Where are you going,
Emma?" said be. lam going over to the mi
nister's, to ask him I.. l epreacla small."
TEE Ems:nous. WOO. ABROAD.
Our monthly summary is 4 , 0k1& later than
usual on the Aceinint of the latS : iiirival'of the fo
reign summary of iixfornastion, din whi'eh we chief
ly depend.
In addition to the recent very fall letter of our
English correspondent, we only add one or two
items.
There is some prospect, of w Series of Essays
appearing by distinguished philOsophical and cri
tical writers in detailed •rertly top,9 Oxford Essays.
The newoxford school have '.ow begun to issue
a series of tracts of a New Refirmation Society,
of whiehlio. 1 has already apptared. "The Tract,
which is a s sign of, the limee,-ii'vigoreply and at
tractivelY, but wildly anddarilgly "riven. The
doctrine of the; Atonement is one nt the principles
attacked as a 'relic of a Mss 4ltivated age of a
lower state of •deVelopment. ' •
An important - Meeting of.mAttistermand deacons
of the London :Oongregationt4churches•was re
cently held,. to consider the- :bails of a
,plan for
working out a new iiiaciatitio.
The great objecti of the 1140 were stated to
be the evangelization of Lo. motion of
fraternal fellowship among < id Churches,
the calling torth of their separt*ounited efforts
for the diffusiOn - of dhristiarl i uth, and the estab
liihment of public worship in ekinnOion With con
gregational principles among thOtieglected Odious
of the population.
SCOTLAND.,
.
The revival movement is et' making progress,
but only in the Orkney Islap and More recently
in Annan, does it appear tel)e now 'compelling
much of public attention. ' The reason seenis.just
to be this, that Orkney andran are the, last
a.
places to which the blessing as extended, and
that; as in almost every other instance, its first
outgoings have been of such a. haracter as to star
tle and arouse the entire cominunity. That the
revival fruit is not withering! away, however, in
other places, is manifest, fronkthe accounts received
from all parts of the countrykof, the remarkable
change in the 'manner of eel brating the New
Year's day, which as our Sa' tish readers know
well, is of all days-in the ye the one'which was
wont to,he most abused by the ree scope given to
the drinking customs. - For m ny years, as official
statistics and universal observation bear witness,
there has been a 'gradu'al a: . very considerable
diminution of drunkenness iti ' ‘tland, and this;
of course, partly accounts =fes i Acre rational
observance of= the •firit — day the present year;
but in many cases this is quite insufficient to ac
count for the great change, lite remark is made
in very many of the provincial papers, that New
Year's day of 1861 has bee: observed "like a
Sabbath,' prayer-meetings, sermons, and lectures,
having ; taking the place of even the innocent amuse
ments, as well as the debaucheries so common on
past occasions of the kind.
The Genevan, DisseminatscrProtestant Society
is prosecuting its labours in Prance. as .usual. A
pious theologies' student viVd the churches of
the high Alps, so diffieult- - of ' bess, formerly evan
gelized by Felix Neff. :Zealmtis theyare, the pas
tors are too few,
the villages icwscattered, fox-the
pastoral work to be done with the.requisite regularity
-
and frequency. Two months' sojourn among three
of the most secluded villagesAcitedileep spiritual
aspirations, especially from the youth, many of
whom would accompany their:young visitor on a
Sabbaths
hours' walk with hymns and spiiiiiiardiscouria:
Family 'worship, religious conversation, Sabbath
schools, have been encouraged or isiablished. On
the 15th of August tour National Festival ) ) these
primitive Christians resolved to:go to a mountain
top, there to.celebrate the Lord of :Hosts.. Some
had ten hours' march, others three; or. less. It,
was a fine and moving sight*to - r behold those hun
dred Protestants; descendants of - the martyrs, !Bet
on the lofty summits surrounded by -the eternal
snows, singing, 'praising God; hearing His"-word,
extollino ° His name, and worshipping in spirit and
in truth. The meeting lasted for two hours, and
might almost have hard the echoes of the
song. of praise uttered by the Vaudois, who
were, to the number of 4000, also celebrating the
Lord's goodness on distant monntains of Piedmont.
Many hearts were touched, and consciences
awakened, and when the young missionary left,
he was accompanied by weeping `brethren, young
and old, some of whom on horseback would not
leave him for four hours.
.A . PATRIOT.
it is interesting to know in this land of on
eidnt and prevailing bigati;idiereNire not wanting
those who are willing to suffer and Who are stiffer
ing, bonds, imprisonment and exile for the truth.
Alhama and Matamoras were still, at last 'amounts in
prison, the former 'hating refused to accept his
liberty on bail. 'The Christian Worldsays that their
ease was brought before our own, as well as the Bri
tish government, but as General Cass was just about
leaving the Cabinet at the' time, no attention was
paid to it, so far as it is knewn-, by the Department
of State. The Ret'vs olth4vh"nrihes says:
It is gratifying to learn that the account of what
passed at the late meeting of the deputation in be
half of the persecuted Protestants in Spain with
Lord John Russell, his eatly encouraged the
friends , of the gospel who are more
numerous than is generalis believed,
rrnE.
The Italian, Vvangetief Jfazzarella:—A.Ger
man writer , translated .le.last-Alethsi of the
Churches says: t , . ,
The most gifted, and f ! ortant, perhaps, of all
the Italian evangelists is
y ; , Szar from Galli
poli, formerly an advo ' ap
and - ma a political fuve , an subsequently,
when the grace of God blisi •mastered him,' an ar
dent champion of the doctrineof pod's free grace.
I have spoken about him to.many Italian, Frenoh,
and German evangelicals "who know; him more in
timately, and they have - all-told me with one ac
cord that ke is from this: heart a-believing Chris
tian. I then read his works myself, and was hear
tily refreshed therewith. , I name only two of them,
Meditate e seegliete (Meditate and choose) with
the motto, Luke - 42, a little 'pamphlet, which
contains, as in the germ, the religi6us ideas of his
larger philosophic work, the Oritique of Science.
By the latter, M.azzarella,,,,and with him the young
Italian Evangelic Church,. have already. won an
honourable name in the' domain of science. On
account of -this book, Matzarella has been desig—
nated by the Sardinian Minister Marniani to the
Professorship of Moral Philosophy in the Univer
sity of Bologna. I
While in their doctrine,about Christ, man, and
the way of salvation, .Mhzzarella, and with him all
the Italian evangelical associations, do not forsake
the common ground of evangelicism they are, on
the other hand, Darbyipt,ie in their doctrine about
the society and the app4intment of ,the ministry,
though they insist otroregarding themselves as
simple adherents of the gospel; atiroppOnents of
Darbyism.
The Atnekican and Foreiin Christian Union are
about entering more fully upon the work of evan
gelizing this - country.: The Christicin World for
March say:
Our readers will b pleased to learn that the
AMERICAN AND FPRETON CHRISTIAN. UNION Will
soon, (if the Saviour simile upon our efforts,) have
an important mission in Central Italy. Florence
has been selected for its centre, because that city
ENGLAND.'
PRANCE.,
PRAISING UPON THE MOUNTAIN TOPS
SPAT :
is the true literary capital of Italy. A man of experi7
ence,, in whose judgmentwe have great confidence,
bas been selected for the station f —one whose know
ledge' of the Italian and French languages is such
as to give hita great advantages, even at the very
outset of the enterprise. Withal, he has the grand
qualification of knowing Italy and the Italians by
an actual residence of several years. But, the
grand object in placing such an agent and repre
sentative of the Society in Florence, will be to
establish an American Committee in that city, that
shall superintend and direct the labors of. the So
ciety and its missionaries in Italy. That Com
mittee will consist of our missionary (who Will be
its Corresponding Secretary,) and several excellent
brethren in Florence, who enjoy not only our
confidence, but that of the entire Protestant world.
SYRIA. -The agents of the Evangelical Protes
tants of Germany, in this country, Rev. Messrs.
Disselhoff and Kramer report:—
That whilst English, American, and otheiPro:
testants are giving their tens of thousands of dol
lars•to save the poor people from Starving, and to
clothe the naked, the French (Romanists) are
laying out thousands upon thousands, to build up
two great institution's, with the view of spreading
Romanism in that land.
souTri AFRICA:
Extensive Revival.-:—Rev. Prof. Hoffmeyer of
the Reformed Dutch, Church, in. Cape Colony,
gives the particulars of an extensive revival among
the settlers in that part of the country, vilich we
abridge from the News of the Churches. Its mani
fest connexion with the great work of 1858, and
the similarity of its characteristics with those of
that blessed revival, will impress every reader.
The revival first began at the village of Mon
tague, about the month of 'May, and has visited
since the parishes of Worcester and Wellington,
a portion of the parish of Tulbagh, and that part
of the parish of the Pearl which is called Klein
Drakenstein. Since the month of August the pa
rish of Calvinia, situate at a distance of hundreds
of miles from these places, has also been alTheted 1
by this same religious movement. It is worthy of
note that both Montague and Calvinia were at
the time destitute of a minister, and but very
inadequately provided with the usual means of
grace. In my humble opinion, this simple fact
etamps upon the revival the -seal of divine ori
gin. In none of the places I have mentioned can
it be shown that the revival is connected 'with
the special exertions of any ; . individual. The
ministers at Worcester, Wellington and the
Paarl, declare that no efforts have been put forth
by them to create anything like the present awa
kening. They have only prayed with increased
earnestness for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The accounts of the late revival in America and
some parts of Europe had powerfully contributed
to direct the mind to this subject, and to create a
desire for this blessing. -
Di a report presented by the Consistory at Wel
lington to the Presbytery held last week in Cape
I Town, it was stated that.within a few weeks the
parish had improved to a greater extent'than du
.
ring all the previous years of its existence. A,
member of' our Parliament, who has known the
people at Calvinia for some years back, and who is
at this moment travelling at that place; wrote a
few days ago to his wife that he eould,not express
to her how Ivanderfully the people had improved
since he saw'them last year.
The young seem largely to partake of this real
val blessing. Some of them who were foremost
in a life (riven to vanity now most earnestly en
liea.vor..to Prornote.—trevenrirlabd---Iras-com
,
menoed in their own dwelling-place. The feeling
of compassion with which these young people, and
eireii:children, are possessed fur= their friends and
relatives is very remarkable. At a certain, farm,
the earnest prayer of a child for the conversion of
his parents, was secretly overheard; and produced
in_the mil:4°f both father and mother a happy
change. In another case, tbe earnest petitions of
two young girls for a friend who Visited them, were
inamediately answ6red. - -
It is a feature not less.delightful in the present
revival, that not a few of the heathen who live
with, our farmers, and aniorig whore are to be found
the outcasts of society, have been made partakers
of the enlightening and renewing influence of the
Holy Spirit, often to the utter astonishment of
those by whom-theywere known. -
THE REVIVAL IN JAMAICA
This also was clearly an' offshoot of the r great
awakening. Letters of the date of Nov. 19th,
and earlier, give the following particulars.
The work is still going on, although much of
the excitement has abated. I ean, at present,
only record results of a general character. Many
of the ruin-shops and ganabling-houses ' which were
the greatest kinderanceslO our usefulness, have
been closed; husbands and wives; long separated,
have been reconciled; prodigal children .have re
turned Penitent to their parents; banns' of mar
riage were published last Sabbath in some of the
chapels by the score;' ministers have been aroused
to greater diligence and zeal; the churches are be
ing purified; sinners are converted; every place - of
worship in this vicinity is Crowded on the Sabbath;
the demand for Bibles is beyond our power to Rip
ply it; all classed are compelled to give some at
tention to that Divine Power which alone could
accomplish such results; and many " who hate the
change" are compelled to exclaim, "This is the
finger of God!"
Coaversions do not in general take place from
the public preaching of the gospel, but rather from
the incessant ; entreaties of the young converts.
The labors of the miuisters are absolutely neces
sary to build them up in the faith, but the begin
ning of the work is generally the fruit of the labors
of those who have just started into newness of life.
The Church, then, risingiato life, can find no rest
but in missionary exertion. They begin to pray
for tire Pixe&t-around, and, watch the filet oppor
.
Wray to-visit them.
The great" majority of the converts are young
persons from sixteen to twenty-four years of age:
and all. of them appear full of love and zeal, anx
ious to bring their friends and neighbors to the
Saviour.
TURKEY.
The Armenian and Paseyite Churches , , vs.
the Amerkan Mission'. Sundry dark intimations
have straggled over to this country, principally
by way of the European , journals, to the effect
that many of the Armenian converts now attached
to the American Board in Turkey, were dissatis
fied with the simple ritual and polity of the Ame
ricans, and were likely to conforin themselves to
the usages of the Episcopal Church in these par.:
ticulars. The following, which we quote from the
last News of the Churches, may throw some light
on the subject.
The Armenian press has never been so active
as during the past year in attacking Protestantism.
Pamphlet after pamphlet has come out, and news
paper after newspaper, against the American mis
sionaries and`their converts; and it has become a
very favorite method to represeat- to 'the' peo
ple that the Americans are, considered as' heretics
by all the other great divisions of the Protestant
Church; that they are trouble-makers in every
land and 'despised by everybody, and that, in op
posing their influence, and condemning their sys
tem, the Armenians do by no means wish to be
considered as opposing true Protestantism, or Any
of the great national Protestant churches. The
great object of one of the pamphlets, alluded to;
indeed, is to show how nearly the Armenian
Church is like the Anglican -Church; antria-
der to this, the whole of the 25th arable of Reli
gion is quoted from the prayer-book, on the sub
ject of the sacraments, but so cunningly changed
by the translator as to make it appear that the
English Church admits, as well as the Armenian,
that there are seven sacraments, though he says
five of them, namely—confirmation, penance, the
priesthood, marriage, and extreme unction, are re
ceived by the English Church, as they are by the
Armenian, as secondary sacraments!
It has been whispered here that the author of
this pamphlet has had aid and encouragement, in
his work from certain Anglican presbyters of Pu
seyite proclivities; and there is certainly much in
the whole shaping of the thing that tends strongly
to confirm such a suspicion.
Another recent attempt has been made, by cer
tain misinformed individuals in England, to esta
blish a friendly and fraternal connexion between
the English and Armenian Churches. This was
the errand 'of Bishop Southgate here many years
ago, and it signally failed, as it ever Must, for
" what agreement bath light with darkness?" But
the attempt has now been renewed by parties in
England.
Sir George Williams was sent to bear the 'bro
therly and Christian salutations ot the bishops of
Oxford and Lincoln" to the Catholics and bishops of
the Armenian Church, and, to request that certain
Armenian youth be sent to the 'University of Cam
.
bridge for instruction. The wrier asserts that
the whole scheme will issue in failure.
THE OXFORD "ESSAYS AND REVIEWS.'
The January number of the London Quarterly
Review contains' an elaborate Essay devoted to
the examination and refutation of the arguments
of the "Septern contra Christum," as they are
called, the seven Essayists,in the Church of Eng
land, who have, recently attempted to revive upon
the soil of England, the spent struggles of the
rationalism of Germany. It is a scandal to the
Church of England that they are not summarily
excommunicated; nothing can, excuse the authori
ties in that church from this duty. In the mean
while what literary measures they are taking against
them, arc not without interest, however inadequate
to the occasion they may be. We quote from the
article in ',the Lalidon Quartfrly., First, as to
THE SOURCE AND VALVE OF THEIR ARGUMENTS
They quote unblushingly from these German
sources arguments which every scholar acquainted
with the/history of German opinion knows to have
been so completely refuted that they have been
abandoned by.those who first invented them. Nay,
even further, in more than one instance criticisms
have been gravely advanced as unanswerable, which
the later and, deeper researches of the critic him
self have led him to retract. The same 'freedom
of handline'peryades the representation they give
of the whole present state of the controversy in
Germany; for their language would lead us to be
lieve that in that land Rationalism was now ma-ch
in absolutely triumphant along its '
.pathway
beaming with light;' whereas the very opposite
is the 'case. The utter weariness of spirit which this
unresting skepticism has bred in most minds
of the highest order of thought; the deep study
into which it ; has driven the - noble reactionists who
have arisen there; and the unanswerable demon
stration's of the shallowness of the views lately pre
valent to which it has given birth, have entirely
altered the whole tone of religious feeling amongst
our Teutonic brethren.
'PROBABtE INFLUPNCE IN E a '
But we cannot believe that they will exert any
wide-spread influence in the Church of our land,
or, amongst our people. The English mind is too
calm, too sound, too essentially honest to be widely
or deeply affected by such speculations as theie—
and more especially from such mouths. The flat
tering appeal which they make to unassisted hu
man reason,-and; the gratification which they afford
to the natural pride of the human heart, may win
for them a certain following, butthe great body
of Chureh-of-England men-will stand aloof from
them. Three of the Bishops (Winchester, St.
David's, and Oxford,) representing in some mea
sure different schools of thought within the Church,
have, we observe, already spoken out plainly in
condemnation of them. The Bishop of St. David's,
in his letter to Dr. Williams, which for temper,
wit, acuteness, fairness, and sound learning is' well
nigh a perfect specimen of what Christian contro
versy ought to be, is, led to announce, in language
which none who have read it will forget, the opi
nion which a long and deep acquaintance with
German theology has led him to form on the
value of rationalistic criticism. All the schools,
then, of theological opinion amongst us are op
posed to the Essayists. On the one side stand in
their way the recentgrowth of higher-views of the
authority of the Church and a juster value of all the
great dogmas of the Catholic faith; on the other,
the fact that the special points assailed by them
are those which are the dearest to the school which
has been least affected by the Church movement;
such As the doctrines of original sin, justification
by faith, and, above all, that of the Atonement.
It may be that He whose attribute it is to bring
good out of evil may, through this assault upon
the common doctrines oft-he faith, draw together
minds which have hitherto been far too widely
separated, and heal divisions in which is at this
moment the main danger of the Church of this
country. The -thunder-cloud which, with its elec
tric presence, has stirred up into unusual activity
these buzzing interrupters of our peace, may
thus burst upon our land in a refreshing shower
of precious and invigorating influences.
THE MYSTERY OF INSPIRATION.
The concluding paragraphs of the Review con
tain an argument upon the rnysteriousnest of
Inspiration founded on the analogy of this fact
_with that of the incarnation. If it does not throw
light upon the subject, it will lielP to-explain, - why
there should be darkness, and tend to reconcile us
to our ignorance.
Here we gladly leave the Essayists and Their
Essays; but before we ctinelude we wish to say a
very few words on that momentous subject of inspi
ration, on which, as we said at first, is the brunt
oftheir whole attack. It is a favourite mode of assault
with all who wish to lower the, authority of inspi
ration to require those who believe in it to define
with exactness wherein it exists: 'Where,' they
ask, 'is your -own theory of inspiration ?—either
admit ours, or substitute another. This finding
fault with what is proposed, and yet proposing no
substitute, is the very helplessness of a miserable
obstructiveness! Now this we entirely deny.
We maintain that this craving for 'a theory of
inspiration' is itself a part of the disease we have
to treat. In this sense of the word, Holy Scrip
ture has never laid down any theory of inspiration;
the Church has never propounded one; and there
are plain and we think sufficient reasons for this
reticence. A doctrine concerning inspiration in
deed that Word does contain, and that doctrine
the Church Catholic received at first, and accord
, ifig to her office has guarded ever since. But
this 'doctrine which Holy Scripture distinctly as
sorts concerning, itself, which the Church has'al
ways repeated, and which has satisfied believers
of the deepest thought and of the most command
ing power of reason, is really inconsistent with any
such theory of inspiration as the skeptic desires.
For what dohs Holy Scripture claim to be? The
Word of God, 'The oracles of God'—esorvever.
roc*--7-God'preathed; and what must this imply?
Surely that there is a mighty and mysterious pre
,
...' , .l`.'; l'imw iii. 1.6....
VOL. V.
--NO. 29.—Whole k 246.
sence of God in this His word. This is why there
is so great a difficulty in saying in all•cases whe
ther, when 'the Word of God' is spoken of in its
pages, it is the Incarnate Word or the written
Word which is designed. For as the Incarnate
Word, the divine Aoroc, the Word who was in
the beginning with God, is to all created being,
even, it seems, to the angelic hierarchy, in whom
it exists in its highest and purest form, the
coming forth of the unapproachable glory of the
Everlasting Father, so the written Word is the
manifestation to man of the self-same hidden
glory of the Father. Thus there is a divine pre
sence in the Word; and even as in the Word In
carnate there is a true union of the divinity with
the iLanhood, both natures being uncommingled,
though both eternally united in the person of the
Son, even so in the written Word there are pre
sent evermore the human element and the divine,
each acting accerding to the perfect law of its own
nature, neither interfering with the other. The
Divinity, restraining or enlarging its communica
tions, as is required for the perfectness of God's
revelation of Himself, never. annihilating Hu
manity, nor ever giving possible place for the en
trance into the Revelation which is the proper
subject of the divine acting, of that infirmity, error,
or corruption, which arc natural to man save in
so far as the presence of the Higher Power holds
him up and keeps him free from their dominion.
So much God's Word declares: so much the
Church has received; so much every faith
ful Man believes. But, if curiosity seeks for
further insight, or captiousness begins to question,
or unbelief to stumble—if the flesh asks to have
the dividing line between the operation of the Di
viniand the Human in the inspired Word marked
sharply out, so as to meet all objections and an
swer all questions; if it asks, that is to say, for
such a perfect ' theory of inspiration' as the ration
alist craves—the answer must be the same as if
the same temper sought to criticise, the great doc
trine of the Incarnation itself; namely, 'that no
perfect theory is possible unless we could first fa
thom the infinite and reduce to defioite proportions
the bidden nature of the unfathomable Godhead.
So that the fact, that in this great gift of the writ
ten Word there is that which defies the philoso
phic skill which would have a perfect theory for
everything,e far from being a presumption against
its truth, is an argument for it.
The spirit which raises these difficulties, and
prompts the asking of these questions, is the very
spirit which, working with the subtlety of the
scholastic temper; framed and fashioned for the
Sacrament of the Eucharist the new unwarranted
and dangerous logical hypotbesis of "transubstan
tiation. In that Sacrament, as in the written
Word,the early Church believed simply, with our
selves, that God was present. But questions arose.
How was He present? what were the limits of the
presence, its mode, its consequences? where was
it possible to draw the sharp line between ele
mental matter and the presence of Deity? Unhap
pily, a portion of the Church listened to the tempt
ing whisper, that by logical definition it might
satisfy questions which piety never would have
asked, and reverential wisdom never would have
endeavoured to answer. The sad result ought to
be a lesson to us here; and to teach us that we
are surrounded by mysteries of God's presence
and working which reveal themselves sufficiently
to satisfy au bumble faith of their undoubted re
ality; but which are impenetrable barriers against
that proud curiosity which evermore leads men on
to seek to be as gods, knowing good and evil.
UNION OP PRESBYTERIANS IN SCOT
LAND.
• -
--.Avery-important movement, says the N. Y.
Observer, is going on among the Presbyterian
churches of Scotland not connected with the este
blishment. When the Free Church made its exo
dus, it was not altogether upon the ground that the
Church of Christ should be wholly separate from
the_State. The duty of the civil government to
support the church by pecuniary aid was main
tained, and there was still a leaning toward an
establishment, provided it could be maintained in
accordance with their wishes. But the providence
of God toward that important and highly efficient
branch of His church, has been driving it further
and further from all dependence, or thoughts of
dependence, upon the arm of Caesar, and towards a
closer sympathy with those who had previously
receded from the old Kirk, and who were occupy
ing an independent position.
The great revival, which has had such preva
lence and power in, Scotland, has deepened this
sympathy, and the conflict which the Free Church
is now having with the civil courts, in the famous
Cardross case, is doubtless leading its ministers
and people to a fuller acknowledgment of the
truth that the Church of Christ, in regard to spi
ritual matters, is and of right ought to be en
tirely free, and is thus binding all the indepen
dent Presbyterian bodies more closely together..
- We find in the Glasgow Guardian a report of a
large and influential meeting of the eldership of
the Free, the United Presbyterian, and the Re
formed Presbyterian churches, in. which a formal
union of these several bodies was warmly advo
cated. The following extract from a report 'read
by one of -the elders, will give some idea of the
history and tendency of this movement:
"The present - movement in favor of a union of
the three unendowed Preabyterian churches origi
nated at a 'special conference of the Ministers and.
office-bearers of the six Free Church congregations
in Paisley, which was held on the 17th December,
1867, when it was unanimously resolved that the
ministers and office beaters of the United and Re
formed Presbyterian 'Churches 'in Paisley should
be invited to meet with theirbrethren for the pur
pose of joining in .devotional exercises, and for
taking such other steps as shall seem most likely to
foster a spirit of, unity and love; and so as to ob
tain in this way,' as far as possible, the earnest co
operation of 'the' members of the three Churches
in all matters.relating.to the advancement of the
gospel, kingdom and glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ.- This proposal of the brethren of the Free
Churoh met wttb a.cordial response from the mi
nisters and office:bittrers of the other'Churches;
anti at a conference held 'on the 4th February fol- .
lowing, it was agreed that each party separately
should appoint a committee to arrange the terms
upon which such joint conferences should be held;
and from that time to the present, the brethren of
the three Churches - have met quarterly in confe
rence, the .ministers of the three churches pre
siding in an, order of rotation, according to seni
ority. At these meetings the subject of the union
of 'tbe unendowed Presbyterian Churches has been
the leading topic of conversation, and it has all
along been understood that 'the special object of
the conference has been to promote a spirit of
union, with a view to the ultimate incorporation
of the three Churches. The number of elders con
nected with the conference is about 180, and the
number present'his at times been as high as 120
or 130, and, upon the whole, such as to evince a
lively interest in the movement."
The influence of the Cardross else upon this
movement appears from the concluding sentence
of this report.
"In noticing the menacing attitude of the civil
courts towards the spiritual privileges of a Church
wholly unconnected with the State, and the con
sequent danger to all unendowed Churches, I see
only an additional reason for pressing Onward to
wards the accomplishment of the contemplated
union ; and my earnest prayer is, that He who is
mighty in counsel would direct to the means
which He will bless for healing the breaches in
Zion, and uniting those sister Churches which
without the State assistance, acknowledge the
same sublime Calvinistic doctrines, and otherwise
agree completely in worship, government and disci
pline.