Vol. VI, No. 19.—Whole No. 288.
Vargo
A Happy New 'Year.
=COME
IT was New Year's morn, and the city bells
Had ceased to toll the Old Year's death knell.
'Neath the winter's sun was glistening bright
The snow that the Old Year had left in its flight.
In many a heart was the warm love stirr'd,
As friend met friend with the kindly word—
" A Happy New Year "—and voices that morn,
Sang the welcome song of the year new born.
Through the crowded streets, where the thronging
mass
Of humanity—the rich, and alas,
The friendless child of poverty—meet,
An old-man tottering on his feet,
Trod slowly The brow 'noath the silver'd hair,
Was furrow d with traces of many a care;
There were tears on the faded and wither'd cheek,
That told there were thoughts he might not speak
Astir in his heart. Just then, came along
A little child, singing a bird-like song;
When just as she passed with a• merry bound,
The staff of the t old man dropped to the ground.
Quickly she turned, and with childlike grace
She gave it to him, while her fair young face
G r ew sad as she marked a falling tear,
And softly ihe whispered "A Happy New Year."
Thn atom 'darted, those simple words
His soul to its very depths had stied;
For.many a long and a weary year
l ad pass'd since that greeting fell on his ear.
With a murmured blessing his hand he laid,
On the soft flaxen curl of the little maid ;
Then Slowly" he turned upon his way,
While his thoughts wander'd back to his boyhood
day.
Again in memory he played by the side
Of the mother that long ago had died ;
Again:in the calm and quiet even,
He lisped at her knee s "Our Father in heaven."
Once more he stands by a father's side,
As when with a father'S love and pride
He blessed his boy; and faster the tears
Fall now, for one that was far more dear
Than even these---the fair young girl,
With her roguish ensile and her sunny curl,
Whose heart was his own, in whbse merry glee
He hid-joined so oft, nor thought it could be
`She would fade so soon. Sad, sad, these thoughts,
Yet a gleam of joy to him they brought.
Though with the past every idol had fled, -
Though the loved and cherished lay hid with the
dead, -
Yet, he knew life's pathway would soon be trod,
And he should meet them with his God ;
And Hope's voice seemed whisp' ring low in his ear,
Again the child's greeting--"A Happy New Year."
—Banner of the Covenant.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE.
" A FOREIGN Correspondent—who is he ?"
Perhalis some of your readers may quietly
ask such a question, when they see in one
of the columns a line or two from the editor,
introducing the new contributor's communi
cation. . Your "foreign correspondent" has
no idea' of telling your readers who he-is, '
however interesting an autobiOgraphical
sketch might be to' some of them Who have
Itne*firlff —, -ince b - eto . t ... .. ..
lie will,. however, give them his idea of what
a "forergri correspondent" should be; which
does not imply that he considers himself ad
unguem—up to the mark. Such a contribu
tor should be an hpnest, observant, warm
hearted man, who can look his fellows and
events fairly in the face, and :write of them
as he sees them, in language that does not do
what Talleyrand said words were invented to
do—" conceal ideas." He must not be , a
literary painter, whose fancy holds the pen.
He has a claim on the indulgence of his read
ers, when he differs from them in his opinions
concerning actors and their actions ; for if
the reader .and writer looked at the indivi
dua
.
übjects in question from the same stand
poi and through the medium of the. Bailie
oirc stances, most likely they would agree.
As for the correspondence of this contribu- -
tor, it should be mu/tum in panic, which may
be freely rendered, much in a nutshell,
though it cannot be de oinnibus rebus et ce
'Earls—about everything, and more. It shall
be the endeavor of your correspondent, to
the best of his ability,. to, give what you re
quest—" a sketch of .matters .of interest in
church and , state during. the month," and
with the sabre' noble• and ennobling object
which you have In view, namely, to promote
the interests of Messiah's kingdom, and, in
promoting these,• to proclaim His mediatorial
glory. He begs to say that; if his letters be
read with half the pleasure he feels in writing
them,- - among the reader's of the Banner,
there shall not be heard the voice of com
plaining concerning ;the ".foreign corres
pondence., . . •
ENGLAND.
The i.epeal of the. paper duty—a duty
which some political economists called a
tax .upon knowledge," ie now' a fact in his
tory. Though I mention it under England,
it refers to the' three kingdomi. Since the
abolition I . if the tax, in October, we get our
newspapers cheaper, and. we are threatened
with such a. multitude. of periodicals, and
books, that we are in danger of being bewil
dered. by the variety. The beauty of the
thing is the reduced price: -We fear a goodly
number of the cheap weeklies and monthlies
should be valued, if we take their contents,
as the disappointed wife valued her husband'
who did not turn out as she expected—" dear
at any pried." It is gratifying to find that
the' friends r of sound and varied literature are
taking advantage of the new act to increase
the, circulation of periodicals and papers,
which will prepare the way of the Lord, and
point sinners to the Saviour. The people
will read, and if they cannot get good read
ing they will take what .they can get. It is
time for Christians to make a determined
endeavor to drive pernicious literature from
the field,
,and to `fill it with Gospel truths.
About the same time,' two Americans—re
presentative men—appeared at•public enter
tainments in London. The representative
of the :United States made a very plain and
sensible speech, breathing a friendly spirit
towards Britain.. He was the statesman
without displaying statesmanship, such as we
are accustomed to witness• on similar occa
sions. He 'did' not however, avow the fact,
that the toresent fratricidal war in America
is, as ioiWinstictutlgy iS, a War against
slavery on the part of the North. Popular
feeling in these kingdoms is 'decidedly in fa
vor of the North, and dead against the South
.in the war question. There may be some ex
ceptions—interested individuals—Who could•
almost tell the weight of a shadow of a shit
hug ;- but we treat them as courageous and
not over-particular students of arithmetic
sometimes do the fractions they find at the
end of their sums—reject them. It is the
opinion of many clear-headed and sound
hearted men on this side of the Atlantic
that, if President Lincoln's government were
true to itself, true to liberty, true to humanity,
true to religion, true to God, and fearlessly
declared this to be a war against slavery,
the people of the British isles would give no
uncertain sound. They could understand
far better the meaning of the abolition of
slavery than the preservation of the Union.
The other American representative referred
to, was from the " Confederate States," as
they are termed. In his post-prandial ora
tion there was a smaller amount of tall talk
—" English on stilts "—than we would have
expected from that quarter. He did-not dis
guise the fact that the Confederates have
gone to war for slavery—to defend it, to ex
tend it, and to perpetuate it.
Considerable anxiety is felt about the sup
ply of cotton for British manufactures, that
froni the_ cotton-growing States - of America
being virtually cut off. A' deficiency in the
supply; even for a short •time; must cause
much suffering among the'operatives who, as
a class, are recklessly improvident. Parts
of Africa, India, and Australia are spoken
of as promising cotton-fields. So it appears
cotton will not dictate to England how her
pulse should beat in her political relations to
America, or ever make her the friend and de
fender of that iniquitous system of which, to
her enduring honor, she washed her hands
more than a quarter of a century since.
The excitement produced by the appear-
Alice of the now celebrated Essays has passed
a way.. The authors of some of them are in
the hands of certain ecclesiastical courts,
whose proceedings are so tedious that the
accused may live to be centennarians, and
die without having heard the verdict in their
case. The voluntaries are mustering their
forces for a vigorous campaign against the
church rates next session of Parliament. It
is not chimerical to suppose that :the Esta
blished... Church could do as well without them
in .England. as in Ireland, where - the loss of
them has been a gain, The Congregational
Union held a meeting in Birmingham lately.
Perhaps the most interesting and important
topic submitted to the meeting was a propo
sal for celebrating the bicentenary of St.
Bartholomew's day—the 24th of August,
1862—the day on which 2000 conscientious
clergymen of the Church of England refused
to put on the yoke of the Act of Uniformity.
The congregationalists should not be alone
in commemorating the events of that day. In
the celebration all should join who venerate
the memory of the noble Puritans, and ad
mire their principles and consistency. It is
not possible the Americans can have forgot
ten what they owe, under God, to the teach
ing, example, and, energy of the Christian
heroes whom a reckless bigotry banished
from their, happy English honfies. Oh, that
we had some of the spirit of the Puritans
among us to defend the sanctity of the Sab
bath against the desecrations of' the hosts of
mammon-worshippers and pleasure-seekers,
. •
the color of philanthrophy I It is the old
trick played over again—Satan transformed
into an angel of light. London is stirred to:
its centre - by the earnest efforts of Christ's
laborers. Preachers, visitors, tract-distribu
tors, lecturers, Bible women—all are busy
endeavoring to convey the life-giving current,
of Gospel truth through that mighty and
complicated system. The religious services
in theatres have been resumed for the winter,
and a series of special services in St. George's
in-the-East, so infamous a short time since
for riots caused by the .Puseyite pranks - of
the.. clergyman, is also announced. It is
something novel, and withal pleasing, that a
bishop finds it does not tarnish his Episcopal
dignity to write. a friendly note to a Baptist
preacher.
The Bishop of London, who, all honor to
him,, is an. open air preacher ' has written to
Mr. Spurgeon, as follows : "Indeed, when I
think of the thousandi in this metropolis,
whom the efforts of all the ministers of reli
gion among us fail to rouse, how can I fail to
thank God that those powerful means of. in
iluence you possess are enlisted in Christ's
cause.'! The mention of Mr. Spurgeon's
name reminds us of what is not so pleasing.
It has been going the rounds that the au
diences on Sabbath in the Metropolitan Ta
bernacle are not so large as fOrmerly. We
hope an enemy has said this. is singular
that Mr. Spurgeon has become% lecturer—
descended from the pulpit 1;i:413e:0/dorm—
from the Gospel to the Gorillifrom sinners
and how to save.them, to shrews and how to
tame them—from the- Lord Jesus Christ to
celebrated Lord Mayers. We remember, at
the outset of his London life, when asked to
lecture in the provinces, Mr. Spurgeon replied
to the request by - sayingi- his mission was' to.
preach the Gospel. Hewas right then, and
he should keep to that mission. Surely the
religious activitydiscernible in all ranks, is
reliable proof that the revival influence is
still at work in England. The Lord extend
it andmake it permanent,'
[Conclusion in our next.)
. (For the American Presbyterian.)
MERITORIOUS DISTRIBUTION OF KORAI,
BOOKS BY THE CHINESE. -
Orr .E of the methods invented by this peo
ple by which they fancy they perform acts of
merit, is that `of engraving and diStributing
books and tracts admonishing, the age. A.
vast amount of this falsely so called "good
works," is done every year at this place prin
cipally by literary men, and candidates for
promotion in literary rank, or by men who
are connected with the administration of the
affairs of large temples. Oftentimes the dis
tribution of such books is done in the per
formance of a l vow, either as a thanksgiving
for favors supposed'to come from* the gods,
or in order to procure such benefits in the
future. In connection with the literary ex
aminations of individuals for degrees, there
is much of this, distribution performed at
Fuh Chau. The design. of the distributors,
or those who are at the expense of the books
'and tracts distributed at these examinations,
is to acquire a• fund of merit, which will aid
them 'to suceed in some of the regular lite
rary contests.. The object in view is a selfish
and personal one terminating on the donor or
his family,. not . a benevolent one, prompted'
by the desire of doing good to others.
These books relate to a variety of subjects
such as the slaughtering of cattle, or the eat-
PHILADELPHIA, THITRS-:
ing of beef.; reverence for the Chinese print
ed. or written character, the eating of vege
tables, filial piety, the drowning of female
children, the repairing of roads and bridges,
etc. These subjects are treated in the pecu
liar manner of the Chinese, either exhorting
to do or to refrain froin doing them, and en
forcing compliance with the sentiments incul
cated, by the use of arguments peculiarly
Chinese. They generally hold up some tem
poral good as, the reward of compliance, and
sometimes refer to calamities, misfortunes,
and distresses endured by particular indi
viduals at certain-times, as being the punish
ment inflicted by the gods for non-compli
ance. Most of the large books state where
they may be had by those who wish to 'en
gage in their distribution, and contain the
names and residences of those who - have
heretofore printed and distributed them, as
well as the number of copies they have given
away. The sentiments inculcated, oftentimes
even in the same book,. belong to the various
popular native- religions, as Confucianism,
Buddhism and Lamaiim, being designed to
suit all classes oP religionists, and to meet
with the approval, more or less, of all classes
of the people..
Some time since an aged priest of seventy
years, of the. Buddhist sect, on calling at the
rich and extensive temple dedicated to the
honor of the goddess of ;sailors, with .which
he was connected, presented the writer with
a volume of the above general description,
saying it was a " most excellent work." The
book purports to have been written by a cer
tain' " doer of good works," a native of
Su - Chau. It has been published here to
accommodate those who wish to embark in the
meritorious employment of distributing it.
Among its contents are " Twelve Sentences
of Good Words." .Each, sentence, followed
by a . few lines of comments on its moaning,
and of- exhortations to its practice ; and by
a verse of Chinese poetry of twenty-eight
characters of similar impart. As a sample
of the sentiments of these books.desighed to
admonish, the age, I will give a liberal trans
lation of these good words: , "
W bLYE SENTENCES OF "GOOD, WORM --
1. You should 'not disobey your parents.
2. You should not quarrel with your
brothers.
3. You 'shoUld not indulge In depraved
and bad acts. - - -
4. You should not utter injurious. - words.
5. You should not drown female infants.
6. You should not wound the conscience
(lit. virtuous heart.)
7. You should not obtain money under
false pretences. -
8. You should not beat down: the proper
price of things.
9. You should not destroy animal life.
10. You should not be remiss in the doing
of goodworks.
11. You, should not throw doirn on the
ground kernels of grain or any printed paper.
12. You should not eat the flesh of a dog
or beef.
Immediatel3r following these " twelve sen
tences of good words," are fifteen supple
mentary ones, also designed to exhort the age.
. ata or ::and,
ortatorys - , - but , • pee ry.
translation of these sentences reads As follows:
You shonldliof commit fornicatiOn.
Yould not commit murder:
You should not impose upon the orphan or
the widow.
You should scold or curse.
You should not open> a gambling shop.
You should not smoke opium.
You should not be the go-betweerdn regard
to the marriage of a widow.. -
You should not instigate men to engage in
quarrels or lawsuits.
You should not plan how to deceive people.
You should not act or hire others to act
an obscene theatrical show. -
You should not oppress the poor.
You should not forget' benefits received
from others.
You should not charge or insist, upon an:
exorbitant interest.
You should not neglect the family graves.
You should not burn the coffins of the dead.
These, are given as examples of the doc
trines and the commandments of men taught
and revered by the Chinese. W Bile some
are highly important, how•-:trivial and tmim
portant as well as false -are others - of these
" good words," so lauded- and'lso much
_ad
mired by this people. How; vast the differ
ence between these and the,;Ten-Command
ments and the other moral and religious, doc
trines of the Bible -
Missioniries to. this people universilly
upon the'distribition.of these books and the
respect paid for` their sentiments, 'as great
obstacles to the reception of the Gospel; The
Chinese usually apply the sale term which
describes these books, to the tracts and booki
circulated by foreign missionaries, "Kionbi
sie ung" volumes admonisltin.g or exhorting
the age. They, however, are quick at dis
cerning the difference between the sentiments
of the native and the foreign. books. - They
praise the sentiments of their own - books, but
assert that the sentiments of books of foreign
origin, while- they may do well- enough for
foreigners, are unsuited to the custouis, the
taste and views of the Chinese; They de
clare 461-the-hooks >which are designed to
admonish the age introduced by missionaries,
are of no use in this land. They prefer
those which teach, the performance. of -so
called meritorious acts, to those;which teach
them to repent of their sins, and rely on the
merits of the Saviour. •
Fuh,chau, July, 1861.
VARIOUS TESTIMONIES ON THE TRUE
IDEA OF PREACHING.
MR. BARNES' ESSAYS AND REVIEWS.
IN that on Practical Teaching, which he
describes as "that which is adapted to pro
duce an immediate and decided effect oilmen,"
he says; "all other kinds of preaching are
comparatively useless." " Such," he argues,
was the preaching of our Lord. Jesus Christ.
He advanced no truth that was not, adapted
to make a deep and permanent impression on
mankind. . . The case of Edwards
will at once occur as a most striking exhibi •
tion of this just feeling about the proper ob
ject of . preaching. . . . In the pulpit,
the single aim was to press simple truths into
the hearts of men, and bind them.fast to the
cross of the Saviour."
Again, in the essay. on The Christian Mi
nistry, he says of the Gospel: If it is a
system whose power was appropriately &s
-played on the day of Pentecost, and under
„..-
thh labors of Luther; a i'. Edwards, and the
Tennants, then it dema . j”- in the ministry all
the culture which can . '. —mind to conflict
with mind, which can - . tshape - and' direct
truth that it shall reach he conscience, and
shall make the sinner •..lile when the law
speaks out its thunder*,:and be filled , with
joy when the Gospel whi, ,ers peace." -
Dr. JAMES W, ALEXAN tER., in his Thoughts
';,:
on Preaching, expresses inself much to the
same effect. He briefly , ' . Cribes the preach
er's business to be, "to .:'-glare God's truth
so as to save sons."- - --;., The great dufy of
the preacher is ' by mard '..,stationuf truth to
couurkend himself to eve •' man's conscience
in the sight of God.' " *.' peaking of doctri
nal preaching, he says,. 4 ' We think doctrine
being clearly defined an 4 established should
always be developed in i, practical and ex
perimental bearings." ~
VINET'S idea is somewttat different: -"The
object of pulpit eloquncef he says, "as In
f
deed that of all eloquc ~is-to, determine
the will, but this object' , ielosely,,CoMbine4
with that of instil/ca .
.;"'Tlie''-preaefier's
chief business is inatruu On." - There is an
inertia in the preacher's: dience which, says
Vinet, "he has to remov. Eby abstract truthS.
Let him not forsake —t 'office. Let him
solicit from the truth, it lf, front God that
eloquence which is• not t, he drawn from his
Circumstances. Let` us ,. , of be too eager-for
results," he adds; "let , not be more urgent
than God, who alone iris the; time for
everything." -
THE TnOLOGleiliS TEM OF EMONS.
HE agreed with the ;school of Edwards in
. . direct
rejecting the inn tation of Adain's
sin, but he advanced' b 4 a most of his pre
decessors in virtually res' vine all imputation
into - an abstract divine-e restitution—a mat
ter of sovereignty rathe than: a moral- pro
cedure. The covenant*: followed of course
in the same line. He i*mbolized with the
younger Edwards and Hekins, and opposed
the older Calvinism, as: gihe extent of the
. .
atoneixient = proclaa. i. 1 ' ,to be universal in
its provisions, and recog;"iing in it a satil
faction to the general ju#ice of God ; but he
is far from resolving yin* a means o moral
f. impresSion—foimpression—for'he.says . at it was"neces
sary entirely on God's count; " and that
" nothing can make at a tonement
.for man's
sins, which does- not eXpress the same vin
dictive justice of God,- . which he expresses in
the penalty of the law,'''l In contrast, how
ever, with both Edward i and Hopkins, he
denied Christ's actite - 4dience in relation
,
to our justificatinn, ' ilididentified jinftifica
tion with pardon. Inopposition to the whole
consensus of CalviniStrq, and to Edwards,
Bellamy and Smagey,and following out sun
dry hints and speculati9* of Hopkins, Em
mons denied the receivedldoctrine of original
sin, and reduced all iiii"tb Sinning—making,
t
however, the first - Ain ofe ach descendant of
Adam. to be coeval with, he' existence of his
soul, and to be a consequAnce of the, Adamie,
transgression. Taking lit - thelayiatheies of
Edwards and-West as to - tdentity Eind"the di-
crest, existence .903:1810,8_1161Tiy• the
that a divine constitutifin4iakes it:to. be the
same at each successive moment)---he was led
to the inference, that the divine power, byAn
immediate agency, actually brings halal:ming"
every event and every exercise; each distinct-,
ly by itself—the most thorough-going anato
ni,sm, extended to mind as well as matter,
surpassing even the idealism of Berkeley, to'
which it is near, akin. In distinction, too,
from the older Calvinism;end in harmony
with Edwards, the Frankin divine defined
virtue as the love of ,being ; following Hop
kins, he called it. a disinterested love ; com
bining it with the doctrine of submission to
the divine will, he drew the inference, which
he supposed Paul enforced, when he declared
himself willing to be accursed from Christ,
for the sake of his brethren. No medimval
mystic, no French quietist, dared to make a
willingness to suffer,the`tortures of the lost
the condition of_ obtaining, the bliss of the re
deemed. And this profound mysticism was
preached in the baldest*es,,,andyroyed by,
the keenest logic; acrgecil6atea.upon men
and women in: the church on Sunday, and in
the conference meetings on other days of 'the
week ; and many, Many iNew England soul,
through this torture has found its ecstacy.
And this is the -ethical theory which some
Calvinists even now do not scruple to call--
utilitarianism 4, ;: .Yet, again, opposing the
older Calvinism, and in conjunction with the
Hopkinsians he preached natural ability and
the necessity of immediate repentance, in de
ference to his exercise theory, sharpening the
Statements on both PointsT heiVever,
fighting the Armenian'Self=deterndriatiOri; and
inculcating 'the strict' irresistibility divine.
grade.— lii the theodicy, Calvinism has ge
' nerally been content . with -.
leaving" the,lllti
mate ground of the-divine permission of sin
:an inscrntable mystery_; but this did not . sa-
I tisfy -the restless questionings of, the school ef
.Edwards, in their endeavor:3 to •fathinn the
-
'ways of God.. Dr. Wl:st, of. Stookbridge,, de
clared that sin was f it tiecetiSary means of the
greatest good: Dr. INdcitis wrote a treatise
entitled, ". Sin, ;through %he Divine'lnterpo
sition an AdVantage 'tithe UniVerse " (that
is, as overruled, anit-not-inits own. nature).
And, Emmons, bolder-thanatherest, not only
withilopkins - denied thealliative of ~‘pet-:
mission; ' to :p
which most Calvinists clung, ; but
also made God the efficient cause of sin, in, 7 ,
tepidly asserting " that :there was the-Same
kind, if not the.same degree of necessity in
the divine mind, to create sinful, 'as to create
holy-beings," viz., that he might display his
justice and his grace.' And thus he carried
out to its„sharpest extreme; in prosaic` and
logical terms, what even Augustine and Cal
vin veiled in the language of 'feeling and of
faith:
" 0 felix cubonv quse talem - ettanturn
Meruit hithereß . ederapifirem I 3 !
—Am Theological Review.
PERIL OF A PRAYERLESS FAMILY.
MERE are 'times when Your children
think—deeply think, of the,subjeet of reli
gion. They inquire what' they must
,do to
be saved. They are;pripased,with the great
truths 'of eternity, and they desire to 'know
the path that leads to , immortality. Every
parent'knows that such - thoughts are right;
and that their first daye'are their. best days;
to attend to the cares oflhe soul., And few
are the parents who would not express a de
sire that these serious' thoughts should ripen
AY JANITMff 9, 1862.
into the settleilped.Ce and purity of the Chris
tian. They are the
.sweet - °Flemings of the
buds of spring, the putting, forth of lovely
flo3vers, and maybe nurtured to produce a
rich harvest of piety. Howe shall this be
done ? what, will be the most effectual deep
ener and promoter of these feelings ? - It is
clear - that if the object of the parent was to
secure the ascendency of these feelings; no
way. couldbe found so effectual as daily reli
gion. in the' family. . Let the child see that
his seriousness has the countenance of a fa
ther and Mother—that it falls in with their
views, and accords-with their most deep de
sires—that to cherish these feelings would be
to pour balm into - their bosoms, and to fill
their lips with praise--:--that there is an altar
for the morning and evening sacrifice to
deepen them, and. there is no earthly influ
ence that could be so effectual to ripeif these,,.
feelings into the love of God. It seems
be a power expressly organized to accom
plish this great work on the soul of the child.
And on the other hand, let there be no family
`altar, and no Sacrifice - of ',praise in the
tation, and it is easy to see what is to'be the
result-on the mind of a child anxious about
his eternal welfare. True, he feels, and
deeply feels. He prays, he trembles, he
weeps. He lifts the eye to heaven in a state
of deep anxiety, and waits for a guide, to
conduct him to the Saviour of men. he
world to him is losing its charms. Tempta
tion is shorn of its power. Fashion, wealth,
and splendor, are dimmed of their lustre, and
the spirit pants for immortality--for bright
er peace—more perennial joys than this
world can give. What is demanded then to
fill the whole soul - With peace ? What but the
family altar—the 'deep seriousness of reli,
gion there—the pleading father, the bending
circle, seeking for Common salvation? ' And
if there be no such altar how cold and chill
all that influence in a. family ! If the world
be all, and fashion only has its seat there, or
wealth is the grand object, or a mother's lips
invite to the theatre and the ball-room, and
never speak of prayer-; and 'a father's hand
guides only to scenes of gain, or ambition,
who can "fair to see the result ? How soon
all seriousness shall disappear ! How soon
the Spirit of God shall be grieved ! How
soon a new current will be given to the affec
tions, and the Son of God shut from 'the view,
And the. Prince of darkness - establish again
his broken and enfeebled reign. Stronger
fetters shall bind the captive to - the-chariot
of the dark _monarch of despair • and all the
influence .of a family be imparted to prolong
his empire over the soul., And if to this we
add what may, and does,often exist, in a fa
mily without praYer, : cold and cutting re
marks about religion • .perversion of its doc
trines and duties ; derision of the work of
God. in :.saving :man; apparent respect, but
real sarcasm, the work is done, " and the
enemy of man .has - gained ,his object.. The
most sad ; narrative, ,perhaps, that • epuld
penned in this
,World, would be the history of
families who have 'thus stifled the_ serious
thoughts of children, and driven back by ne
glect or derision, the Son of God advancing
to take possession of the human heart. For
Ithe wealth of the "" ' .
' `-- , • - 41iii:baz :* •
the loss and ruin which might accrue to my
children in days of sorb:rimless, by,the ne-4
gleet of family prayer. - There are times;
when the neglect of this plain and obvious,
ditty, May seal the chaia,eter of 'a child, and,
mark his course forever onward in the - ways
of sin and of hell.—Barnes' Essay.
Do we take devotion itself to be no busi
ness, or a, business of no consideration? Do
we conceit, when we pay God his debts, or
discharge our duty toward him, when we crave
his mercy, when we solicit the main concern
ments of. our souls, that we are idle,, or mis
employed ? that we lavish our time and lose
our pains ? What other affairs , can we have
of greater moinent, or necessity than this ?
Can there be any interest more close, and
weighty than this, of promoting for our own
souls eternal health and happiness ? Is not
this indeed the: great work—the only neces
sary -matter ,----in comparison with c , all
other occupations are trifling? What are the
great businesses .of this world? What but
-scraping for pelf, compassing designs,of am
bition, courting the respect and favor of men,
gratifying sinful curiosity, and carnal hu
mour ? Shall these images,
these shadows
of business, suppreas or crowd, out devotion?
"-=that Which procureth 'wealth inestimable,
pleasure infinitely satisfactory, and honor
incomparably noble : aboire all that this - earth
`can afford ? . Is :itnot, lbeside, no. such indis
pensable business, but rather, some bage do
tage on, lucre, some inveigling ,bait of plea
`sure, ,that crosseth our. devotion? ,Isit.not
often .a complimental visit, an appointment
-to tattle,. a wild ramble in vice, or folly, that
so" deeplY nrgetli As to put off. our duty?
Nay;' is it, not commonly sloth,
_rather - than
aetivity,, am averseness from-this; rather'thin
'inclination- to .any other employment, -.which
diverts us from our prayers? Is it not the
true. "reason. :why. we pray BO seldom, s not be
cause We are very busy, b?it because we are
extremely idle.: so idle, that we cannot will
ingly take the pains to Withdraw our affec
tions from sensible things, to reduce, our
..wandering thoughts to compose - our hearts
tozight frames, to bend our untoward inch
nations.tO compliance with our linty ? Do
we:,not :betake .ourselves to other.Conversa-
Cons:and commerces, merely for refuge, B.hwmq
-9ting this intercourse with God, and with
- ourselve,s.--43arrow, quoted, by Barnes.
AEMY ORAPLIINS-AUESTIONAZtE -ECO.
LAST:Week the House Committee en
Lary Affairs was charged to inquire into;the,
expediency of reducing the .salary of chap
lains in the army to nine - hundred. dollars---
about the.compensation of a departinent mes
senger or janitor.:: It can hardly be expected
that such a degradation• of these 'Offieers will
be considered either a wise or truly econo
mical procedure.
The Articleaof War have always -reetag- -
sized the importance of the nhaplain's.office.
If our memory does not mislead, the first bill
passed by the old Confederation; regulating
the pay of army officials made the compen-_
sation of the captain and chaplain the 'same:
When the army was re-organized iii =1808;
it was prOvided
_that every --'brigade -should
have a chaplain, who shouldif,ceive the pay
and - emoluments of a Major. After the war
NO TlliE FOR DEVOTION.
NOMY.
of 1812, this and other provisions were re
pealed, when the army was reduced to a
peace footing.
Congress, at the last special session, again
enacted that each regiment should be enti
tled to a chaplain, who should receive the
pay of a captain of cavalry.
Under the influence of a patriotism as pure
as that which constrained the brother of
Charles Carroll, President Dwight, of Yale
College, Bishop`White, and. Dr. Duffield, of
this city, to lend their influence to the coun
try in the days of the Revolution, some of
the best educated and most respectable cler
gymen of the Eastern, Middle and Western
States, have surrendered the quiet and pleas
ing associations of the pastorate, not to be
come " figlitieg parsons," like rebel Bishop
Polk.gud.loyal Brownlow, but good: Samari
tans,' iti l ady to share the privationi of the
camp, theTatigues of the march, the dangers
`of the field, and assist in binding up sailers'
wounds, pouring in oil and:wine, bringing
them to an inn and taking care of them.
The'fact that fOur of the chaplains at Bull,
Run were -captured, and that three of them`
are still in the casemates at • Moultrie or pri
sons of Charleston, companions of Corcoran,
sad faithful as Abdiel in their allegiance, is
abundant evidence that they were not as
swift-footed as the Mercury-like gentlemen
who reached Washington in good season for
their next day's session, and
. further proves .
that they were willing to, stand by the men
to the last. - Mulligan, Meagher, Burnside,
and others who have been in' the thickest of
the fight, agree that their chaplains did not
flinch in the trying hour.
Reduce' the salaries of, such men to the
same as those received•by the messengers .and
lackeys of the Departments and- Congress,
and you drive them from the Army, humili
ated by the low estimate placed upon their
services, and that, too, contrary to 'the pre
cedents established by all legislation, from
1776 to 1861.
The places of those now in the Army can,
perhaps, be filled with good: men, but not of
that peculiar order of talent, disposition and
culture so necessary to obtain influence with
the field and company officers.
It may be that a curtailment of expense in
this branch of the service is imperatively
demanded. .If this is so, let there not be a
reduction of salary, and thus of standard; but
a reduction of number. Now that the regi
ments are assigned to brigades, it may be ex
pedient to, repeal the existing provision, and
re-enact the law in existence during the last
war with Great Britain, that there shall he .a
Chaplain to.each brigade, with the rank and
pay of Major, to be selected by the President
from regimental chaplains now in the service,
on, account of the catholicity of his views and
fitness for this delicate and difficult office,
with a proviso, to prevent jealousy among
rival denominations, that not more than one
fourth of the chaplains shall at any one pe
riod belong to the _same ecclesiastical body.
By some such legislation, about two-thirds
of the money expended in the payment of
separate regimental chaplains. may be saved,
and. the morals of the army be nearly as well
.
- • • Inquirer.
HIL BEECHER - ON KR. STEPHENS.
THERE ; this merit: in Sbuthern politi
dans, thatare frank and 'open in the
-they
declaration:of political doctrin6s. The best
head among them is Mr. Stephens, and he
declares in the most emphatic manner, that
the object of the rebellion is to introduce new
principles in the government instead -of the
old. I shall read :
" The new constitution puts at rest forever
the agitated question relative to our peculiar
institution: 7 (Mr.. -Beecher.—We shall see
whether it.is forever.) "African slavery .as
it exists among us—the proper status of the
negro in:our form of civilization.' This was
the immediate cause 'of the . late rupture and
present revolution., .Jefferson, in his forecast,
had - anticipated this as the -':rock upon which
the old Union would split.' He was right;
What.was conjecture 'with hiin, is now a, re
alized fact. But whether he fully compre
hended the : great - truth:upon-which that rock •
Stood and stands, may be doubted.. The pre- ,
nailing ideas entertained by him and most of
the leading statesmen at 'the time of the for:
oration of the old constitution, Were,that the
I en.slavernent of. the African was 'in - violatien
Of the lais of nature; that' it was wrong in
principle, socially, - morally, and politically."
(Mr. Beecher.—l thank him for- that testi
' mony.). • "It was an evil they knew not Well
how :to deal with, but the, general opinion of
the men of that day.was that, somehow -or
other, in the -order of .Providence,-theinstitu,
tion WoUld be 'evanescent' and,..Pass, away,
The - idea, - though not incerperated in the
constitution, was' the - prevailing idea at'the
thee: - The canstitution, it is - tine; Secured
every essential guarantee - -to the institution
while it should,last, 'and hence argument
can, be justly; used against the-constitutional
rights :thus secured; ,because of the common
sentiment : of
,theday.. -Those ideas, 'however,.
were fundamentally wrong. They-rested up
on the assumption of the eqUality of races.
This was an error. It:was_a sandy fountda
thin, and the idea 91 goVernment built upon
it;' but when the, storniname and the wind
blew; it. ell' Our. ne*goterninent , is foun
ded inion 'exactly the: opposite' ideaa." (Mr,
Beecher.l. thank him. for that .acknoWledg-.:
Its -foundations are-laid, its corner
stone rests upon the great truth, that_ the .ne
gro is not equal to the white roan ;"—(Mr,..
Beecher... 7 -7W an - acknowledgment for, a
governMent)---" that slavery, .subordinatien
to the superior race; . is his' natural 'and,:lm nth
mar m
eeridition. Thus, our new gone
is the -first t;11- history of the . worldbased
upon thiS great physical; -philosophizerd
an
moral. (Mr.: Beecher:=And I will
take the ~liberty so far ,to ;interpolate his
speech, as to-say, it will be the last. T i arther
on, Mr.-Stephens says,—it is excellent read
ing, so that I cannot deny myself' he plea,
sure of - reading it to you)—" May 'we not,
therefore; look with'confidence Upon the nl6l
mate acknowledgment of. the.Priticipte .on
which out 'government rests'. .. It is thefirst
government ever
„instituted upon prineiplei
in strict .conformity=to nature. ; , and the. ordi
nation of,Proyidence, in furnishing the mite-
'rials of human society Many governments
have been foundedon the principle of certain.
clasSes the clideei . thus; enslaved; were
• :of the .same raCe; undin:iiiolation . .of the laWs
=of nature, = Oiir. system- conaius no -such via=
lath,* of nature's laws. The n.egro, -by-na
ture and the curse of Canaan, is..fitted -tor
GENESEE EVANGELIST.--W 143 No. X Bl6.
- that condition which he occupies in. our-Os
a
tem. ',The architect, in the construction of
buildings, lays-the foundation with th - elifitficr
materials--the granite, then comes - Umbria
or the marble. The substratum nf-on.l-a*
ciet,y is made of the material fitted by
a lmtdarlt--
- for it, and by experience 'we how'
,`"
the best, not only Tor the SuPerivis-'2 -
thejnferior race, that it should be
indeed, in conformity with the Crent4 It
is not us to inquire into the wisdeitTefhis
.
Ordinances,. or • to"question them. - 1 6 er -hip
own purposes he ,has made one race 'todiffer
from another, as he has made one star to
differ from another in glory.' The great
objects of humanity are best attained when
conformed_ tolls laws and deerees, iti the
formation of governments, as well as in all
thbigi else. Our confederacy is - founded
upon ,principles strict conformity' with
theselaws. This stone, which was rejected
by'the first builders, is become the chief
stone of the corner in our new edifice."
- These last words, you will remember, were
spoVnby thetiord. Jesits Christ, when:set at
naught and rejected by the JewS ' his_ cOnn
trymen and•--the - .,Viea President of these'So
called Confederkte- Stites does not hesitate
to declare, with; infamous'effrontery, - that
slavery, based on aio.other law thinithis, that
slaves are of a different race : that slavery
stands in our system in the place in which
-Jesus Christ stands in the Christian scheme :"
has becoma the head of the corner. Dr.
Smyth, of Charleston, second to none in in
fluence and learning among them, declares,
"N\That
_is the difficulty and what is the re
medy ? Not in the election of Republican
Presidents. No I Not in the non-execution
of the - fugitive slave bill. No ! But it is
back of all these. It is found in that atheis
tic red republican doctrine of the Declara
tion of Independence. Until that is tram
pled under foot or its antagonist, there can
be no peace. Which is to go under, time
will show.
[(The typographical errors in - this piece, as puh.
lished in our last, were such as to call for another
insertiond—ED. -
YES, the Church is one ; in doctrine sub
stantially, in faith, in offices, in foundation,
in the significance of its symbols, in its rela
tion to Christ, in its origin and destination.
As if the nations of the earth should agree
to erect on a certain spot, a temple, in which
Jehovah alone shall be worshipped. Each
nation furnishes its peculiar.materials. These
are brought together—masses of adamant
from our granite hills ; limestone from the
Paris basin ; marble *from - Italy ; brown
stone from Jersey ; beautiful pale Bath stone
from England igneous rock from Sinai ;
quartz blocks from California; boulders
from the -Alps; crags from the Jurigfrau and
the Wetterhorn and bricks from the shores
of the Euphrates ; and cedar from Lebanon,
—all builded into the one grand structure,
varied as the multiform architectural ideas
and diiersified tastes that- are litho. ra flied
_ _
„Luere;ls
-Le; fromAhat of SOlomon's temple 'to 'the
humblest expression of. Puritan plainness.
The rich turrets of Cologne. Shont up among
the minarets and domes of Constantinople.
The swell of St. Peters is a back-ground to
the tall and” tapering modern spire ; the
grand medimval tower, lifts itself over Gre
cian columns ; `Egyptian pyramids rise sub
lime beigide the stupendous gateways of Ba
bylon, and the archeiof Paris ; and the Lom
bardo-Venetian tower crowns the' fluted col
umns of Athens. In this temple are Epis
copal forms, Presbyterian teachings, - and
Methodist measures. Here are different
ideas, of discipline, and various Tha - ses 'Of in
terpretation. With some the prayer predo
minates, with others the sermon. Some
think more of days and seasons, others less.
Some - prefer doctrinal preaching, Othersprac
tical. Some' a ritual, others not ; all uni
ting in the
,great essentials of belief,A,nd
maintaining the order of God's :house - and
Word, constitute the Church visible; and
all heartily trusting in Jesus- Chriit, seeking
to be holy, depending -on the Spirit.; obeying
the Bible as: the only rule of faith and prac
tice ; all looking for the appearing of 'oar
Lord, and "a dwelling-place in heaven thro,ugh
grace and mercy, ---constitute the true Church
—the body of belieVers--of blessed souls.
They may preach with or without notes,—
with or without the toga,—pray kneeling or
standing,—baptise by sprinkling, pouring or
plunging,—yet. they are 0110 in the grand
idea of God—in the great fact of the Church!
HABIT is a strict master. The habit of
reading a newspaper every day is confirthed
among American people. Hereis_Where the
religious-newspaper comes in appropriately .
'on Sunday. A mind filled with exciting bu-
siness cares until Satu'rday's twilight, cannot
be, satisfied all day with devotional volume.
though ever so useful and admirable.. Tak
business man. in the, prime of life, turn"
feet suddenly into the good way ; he lliesi.4-2
roils to do right, to reverence the Sabba:thAE
but he cannot at once his; pleasure ifs
what is:to 'a mind unformed on religiou t s sub
jects, even tho Ugh taught -"by the grace of
God," dry . reading.
Ti WELSH Triad says - that •Caractaeus
was:seven years a captive in Rotne; aiid,then
returned to his native country, into which his
father, Bran, introduced. Christianity.. Bran
was a)ruid, converted by St.- Paul, Along
with hint returned Cyndas, MaWan, and Ar
wistli, Hen; or Arislobuins . .the Old, the Ita
lian' all - of whi'un "became - missionaries in
WitleS.—taitioer.oiof.noine, by Mrs:: I:regal
tcrn Gray, Laltd:On, 185(1. •
T.INwAsHEW lELA' Nns—itabbi Atitn:ha being
•
in prison, -and not having water- ertetagh to
drink and to wash his. hands; , Chose to do-the
latter, -saying, "It Wes: better 'to die: with
thirst, than transgress the tradition of . the
elders. • *
- WITEN' Scribes and Pharisees aae °fended
with plain trj,itbs, timid diSeiples We, con
cerned; and almost disposed - to - think that
their. bbltier -brethren- go too far.---Pr,.-Seigt:
SITRELY half the world• must be blind
they can see nothing :unless it glitters;
TEE ancients dreaded death the Chris
ti= can only fear dying..
THE CHURCH ONE.
BY REV. E. E. ADAMS.