122 lietritan 'reolxgtittiso -.AL N D--. GENESEE EVANGELIST. THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1862. JOHN W. NEARS, THE FIGHT AGAINST SIN. IT is not alone numbers or strength that makes an enemy terrible. These may be met, evaded, or parried, or neutralized by superior skill or sa- gacity. But when to strength, the enemy adds depth, skill, strategy, he becomes truly formid able. When, moreover, he has spies and even traitorous allies in our own camp, when we' are uncertain of the faithfulness of our own pro fessed adherents, and when we have but recently disavowed an ancient allegiance, and still wear upon our necks the traces of the yoke, and still bear a nature habituated to slavish submission, then the struggle, from a merely human point of view, would seem to be well nigh hopeless. If maintained at all, it could only be with the straining of every nerve, with the exercise of extraordinary wisdom, with comprehensive plans, and a never slumbering, untiring vigilance. - Suctk is the conflict with sin in our hearts. Not a mere struggle with abstract principles, but a contest, a strife, an agony. Not merely the action and reaction of diverse forces in our own natures, but a struggle in which great spiritual natures without and around us take an active part. For we wrestle not against flesh and.blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Be sobek, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. The Saviour, and Paul, and Luther, and Banyan knew, and every Christian in his measure knows, the fearful reality and tension of the struggle, the resources and subtlety of the enemy—he knows the indecision and fatal trea- ehery of his own heart, the uncertain issue, the humiliating defeat, the suspense, nay, even the awful though temporary despair of various stages of the life-long conflict. How shall the Christian carry it on ? That be should make it_his first business,,tlmt lie untiring and unresting, earnest, energetic and vigorous, adding to his faith, sol dierly virtue; that above all he should be prayer ful, trusting not in his own strength—all this is plain. More particularly he should. - I. Examine himself. He should know the nature of the enemy within him,, where he is strongest, where he is entrenched, Which are his weak points, and what is the beat mode of attack. He should not fight ac one that beats the-air. Only an utterly ignorant or utterly' reckless leader goes to meet his enemy, without gathering first such information as he may of his position, force and arms. It is particular sins of which we are guilty, and against which we have to con tend. And though all sin can be traced inn general way to -pride and selfishness, and is op posed to the one great law of love, yet•in each nature assumes different forms and phases, de manding different modes of treatment and of re sistance. Vagueness and- earnestness are incom patible. We - must have. a well-defined aim. We must acquire-the highest sort of knowledge, self knowledge, in order to take an efficient part in the oonitiet. We must deal with the utmost plaiimess with ourselves in this matter. What are our sins ? Wherein do we come short—how do we transgress ? Let us take the word of God, the ten commandments, the two great com mandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the imitable part of the character of Christ; let us read our characters and examine our conduct in the light of Scripture example. Let us take the faith of Abraham,the meekness of Moses, the patience of Job, the uprightness of Daniel, the forgiving spirit of the Saviour, the liberality of the poor widow at the templeAretuniry, the burn ing zeal of Paul. Ceasing to measure ourselves VIM among ourselves, let us take these divinely given tests and patter% and thus learn in what good trait we are wanting, in what evil, one we go beyond, Thus discriminating, we shall work in telligently and at a definite and a real object We shall discover especially our besetting sin— the point where we are weakest,.and where the enemy may take us at a disadvantage. Upon this we should lay out our strength. The ene my's demonstration's upon this point, we should especially labor to meet and to.foil. _ 2. Just here is the place for the exercise of strategy. We should take peculiar measures for overcoming this besetting sin. It is the key of the moral position. It is the central point around which gather the entire forces of evil in the soul. Win your battle here, and you will virtually vanquish the whole of the enemy's forces, or compel their withdrawal to a remote line of operations. Be this sin what it may, lust, or pride in dress, or covetous,ness, or evil curiosity, or a prating tongue, or greediness, or a hasty' temper, a victory here will both break the power of sin and elevate and quicken the better nature "most wond'erfully in its' future struggles. 8. It is often a point of strategy in contend• ing against besetting sins and inveterlite habits and practices, to go beyond the strict rule of duty, and deny ourselves in things in thenkselves indifferent or harmless. The power of a vicious habit can be' broken, and tone restored to a de praved system, and the moral nature be made to work healthfully only by a severe moral regimen (askesis). The enemy can be foiled only by re fusing to have anything to do with those in themselves harmless channels, by which he finds access to us. The man given to profane swear ing may find it needful to abstain even from or dinary conversation. The covetous man may see it to be necessary to follow the advice given to the young ruler, as the only effectual cure for the idolatrous vice which has ground itself into his nature. Innocent pleasures may be found secret doom of entrance for sin, to the heart long given to the pursuit of forbidden en joyments. Total abstinence from intoiieating drinks, so largely agreed upon as a duty among evangelical christians, is to be regarded in the light of a moral stratagem. No one now at tempts .to argue that moderate drinking is in itself sinful, no more than Paul ever argued that eating meat was in itself sinful. But if the vice of intemperance can be cured or prevented only by total abstinence in the individual, then it must be included as a part of his plan of opera tions against the foe; then it will be sinful not toabstain totally. The foe must be routed at whatever cost. The avenues by which he makes his successful approaches must to blockaded or destrdyed utterly, delightful or even useful though they may otherwise be.' And the whole _evangelical community, as participants in this strife, as sympathizing with the weak and strug gling victims, as - coilberned for its own safety against thi) inroads of intemperance in this and coming generations, catching the spirit of Paul, flings away the sparkling cup and vows it will drink no wine while the world standeth, rather than a weak brother should be offended. The temperance movement was a great and a needed piece of strategy Against a hitherto triumphant enemy. It was to a very large and encouraging extent successful. It needs to be practised now. It is not a narrow, short-sighted policy. It is _bold, comprehensive, sagacious, Pauline. Let as, as wise and earnest combatants, practice and recommend it with all our power. 4. " The sin which doth so easily beset us" all is unbelief. This is the one to which the teachings and exhortations of the apostle to the Hebrews are mainly directed. We do not look i3utficiently to Jesus. He has endured the Cross. He has fought the battle. In person he has menthe great enemy, and has repulsed him. His dying declaration was "It is finished." In that death agony he triumphed. The seed of the *Oman has bruised the head of the serpent. Adam miserably failed in the struggle, W and in, him we all suffered disastrous defett. Christ took up the conflict and won it gloriously for his people. He looked and saw there was none -to help; he wondered that there was none to up hold ; therefore his own arm brought salvation; He came from Edom, with dyed garments fiona Bozrah, glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength, speaking in righteous ness, mighty to save. He is the captain of our salvation. Our great business is to trust in him. This.our highest strategy—to have no strategy— to disavow our own strength—to accept and ap propriate his work—to take refuge in him as our rock in all assaults of the foe. Thus we shall most effectually triumph over our enemy, by making our own the grand exploits of him who ascended up on high, leading captivity captive and giving gifts.unto to n. Nay, when the enemy employs his most dreadful enginery—tii bulation, distress, persecution, famine, naked ness, peril, sword—in all these: things we shall he more -t4u- conquerors, •through hini that loved us. Editor. But a few weeks ago we chronicled the . aceep- Janes of a chaplaincy in the 51st New York Re giment by this brothor, then pastor of our church in Apalachin New.. York. We have now the melancholy duty of repeating the announcement of his death as given in the military defpatches, in the desperate struggle which preceded the capture of Newborn. His regiment was promi nent in the struggle, the . uierings, and the glo ry of that engagement, and Mr. Benton, like the true man that he was, shrunk not from sharing in its perils. He has died the thrice noble death of the faithful christian minister, the brave pa triot and the, martyr to his country. It fell to his lot under Providence to be the first sacrifice of the kind in the war.* - The first life of a minister, acting in that capacity in the open field, sacrificed, in this cause, was taken - from the ranks of our church. While we feel our loss deeply, and while the fountains of our sympathy are opened towards his bereaved relatives and friends, we cannot find it in us to grieve. We do indeed gain clearer views and deeper convictions of the sacredness and solemnity of the struggle in which we are engaged. ' Over such sacrifices, we indeed feel prepared to pledge ourselVes anew to our country's. cause. Law and liberty and union are dearer watchwords since they have been breathed from the.nor cold lips of our-slain brother in the master's service. But such deaths are too honorable to consort with ordinary grief. They illustrate too many noble qualities of the man the minister, they leave examples too lumihous and benign in their influence; they are far rather the glory of profession and of a peo ple. The death of a minister of the gospel on the battre AeOil, where unarmed and - fearless he had been passing to and fro, carrying the heaven ly consolations of his religion to the wounded and dying,—sudden death, while engaged nn- shrinking in a perilons duty,—is a enthanaiy, is enviable, even when occurring, as, it did in the ease of Mr. Benton, in the very prime of a use ful life. Mr. Renton, as we learn from one of his fel low students, pursued his theological course at Union Seminary New York; after which lie was employed in a missionary capacity by.the Amei can Sunday School Union. The field of his la bors was is the vicinity of Lynchburg Via., where he acquitted himself to the acceptance of all. Recently. he has been pastor of the church in Apalachin in the Presbyte7 of Tioga N. Y., and from that charge he waa called to assume the responsible position which he held in the army of our brave - defenders when fell. Up to the time of going to press, we have heard nothing beyond the bare announcement of hbi death, ttul shouldhe glad to learn ths'par ticulars from any of our readers who maihaie become acquainted with them. - * The case of Chaplain Lenhart of the United States ship Cumberland was not unlike.' The Chris tian Advocate and Jinarntil says that Chaplain Len hart of the Cumberland, had been in the Naval ser vice fifteen years and that the day before the disas trous engagement in which he lost his life he wrote to a friend -" It is as near myheavenly home from the old Cumberland as from any. other plack." Speaking of the two fallen chaplains Messrs. Len hart and Benton, the same paper says "They halm gone up almost in the same chariot together ; one from the salt sea wave, the other from a field of blood and fire. On a sea of glass mingled with fire they now stand ; they hear the roar of battle no more, but there are palms of victory in their hands, for they overcame through the blood of the Lamb, and are set down at the right hand of God." TILE OLD BOHOOL OHUBOIC IN KENTUOKY. The excellent •service done by Rev. R. J. Breckenridge D. D. to the cause of our country in Kentucky, is known and warmly appreciated by loyal people ever, where. True, Dr. B. for a time was dazzled by the remarkable qualities and brilliant prospects which he fondly conceived to belong to his nephew the late Vice President, and for a time he insisted that Kentucky should and could take no part in the contest and should exclude both combatants from her soil. But as the nephew's treasonable proclivities developed, and as the unavoidable crisis approached in Ken tucky, the Dr's. views gained decisiveness and clearness, and his late essays in the Danville Re view have been as sturdy .and effective blows at rebellion as have been administered in any quar REV. 0. N. BENTON. Ameritan grtolittrrian and Olotutott Orangtlifit. ter. A number of Old School ministers from this state are also serving as chaplains in the United States army; bat for the rest, a wide and, as we must believe, an irreconoileable diver sity of sentiment prevails among brethren of the Kentucky Presbyteries and Synods. The Pres byterian had information some weeks ago, that a scheme was on foot to draw away the churches of Kentucky to the seceding organization of the Southern States. The language of the Presby terian showed that this was by no means to be regarded as altogether a hopeless undertaking. The Presbyterian Herald, hitherto the organ of this portion of the church, denies the statement of the Presbyterian but it has carried out in its columns to this day the neutrality policy which the state repudiated so overwhelmingly last sum mer. We do not undertake to say whether Dr. Hill, the Editor, is at heart a loyal man—it would be a great misnomer to call the Herald a loyal pap:tr. Recent developements, we are sorry to say, show no signs of improvement in the - spirit of theseKentuckyPresbyterians. Dr. Breckenridge's Danville Review is on the point of extinction on account of the odium created by_ its bold and powerful arguments for the cause of the Union. The company of: . Old School ministers by whom it was started is broken up, and the subscription list has got out of Dr. B's reach. IFor once, this able leader and tactician has been butgeneralled, and is obliged to cry out for succor from the machinations of his Kentucky brethren, to any and every quarter.: It is a strange spectacle when this Cesar of the Old School church, in a region which but lately was a. strong-hold of Presbyterianism, is compelled to- cry out to men of all denominations, New School among the rest, " Help me, Cassius, or I sink!" We say this in no unkind spirit; we are merely- taking a note of an interesting and important phase of events in the- other branch of the church. We sincerely hope his Review will be liberally sus tained. " But to crown- all, we observe that Dr. Stuart• Robinson, of Danville Seminary, and one of the originators of the Review, is about to start an intpendent Journal in Louisville Ky., with the it:W'wed purpose of advocating the pestilent, but hereabouts defunct, heresy of Dr. Thornwell —the complete separation of spirituf and tem porarmatters in the church.. This tkw paper is` to bear- the pretentious title of the "True Pres byterian." It will take - a position antagonistic to the loyal action of the late General Assembly, ,and so far as it is patronized will, doubtless, un der the very able leadership of Dr. Robinson, coneribUte to the further demoralization of the Old School ranks. We hope the good sense and genuine loyalty of the larger part of the church in the North will frown upon this venture in the direction of South Carolina logic in morals and religion. If all feel with the Presbyter of Cincinnati our hope will - be fulfilled. That pa per says : • - "We are to have, in a loyal State, a religious journal of the Thorn Well stripe. If Dr,. It is as shrewd as the father of the doctrine he espouses, he will be able in urging. the devorce of the spiritual and temporal:order' to discuss the tem poral ad libitum. "We suggest that the first number of Di. 'Robinson's - new weekly journal' shall give several forms which may <be -used with= safety, Without mixing - the temporal and-spiritual—in asking a blessing or saying grace at meals. Is 'eating and drinking temporal or spiritual ? We are told, Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' To glorify God is spiritual. To eat and "drink are temporal. Should a blessing be asked at-meals t" WORSTITP.of WE have been deeply interested in the peru sal ofDr. Darling's pamphlet on " Worship as an. Element, of Sanctuary Service," reprinted by Mr. Young, from the forthcoming number of the Presbyterian Quarterly Review.' It ably discus ses the prevailing wrong tendencies in the pub lic services of our own and affiliating Churches, and points out the 'means far correcting them. It gives utterance to a want, deeply and widely felt among the devout members'of these non-liturgi cal bodies, and which occasionally dri4es them away into connections where more regard is paid to the devotional parts of the Sanctuary service. It.cannot be doubted that among us the sermon has attained "undue prominence, and that while some are driven away, with many others, as Dr. Darling says, " the only motive of church-going is sermon-hearing." The undue prominence given to;the sermon, or rather to the element of instruction as compared with that of worship, ap pears also in 'the unstudied and inappropriate character of the prayers offered, and to the in creasingly subjective type of our hymns, as well , - as •in the indifference of thecongregation towards both of these parts" of the service. Hymns of experience and of doctrine, rather than psalms of adoration and praise are demanded and are mul tiplying in our collections, and even so, our con gregations show tooreadyndisposition to delegate the whole business of singing to a select paid choir. The people are not scrupultms to'be in season for the opening services of the sanctuary. Their external demeanor, too, while there, con_. treats unfavorably with that of a Roman Catholic congregation. Of the Papal Church, Dr. D. says, It mnst'be.conceded that it is seemingly at least, more obedient to that command, 'Keep thy foot *hen thou goest to the Haase of God,' than many other Churches that hold a more scriptural faith." And it is not only " a mistak en notion of the peculiar sanctity of the place in Which divine service is held:" which produces this reverent demeanor it is the great promi nence, too, which is given to the element of worship in all the religious exercises of this Church. But the evil of this *rant of balance in our pub lie, services is traced by the writer to other, and less perceptible, but not less pernicious results. We quote a paragraph which strikes us as impor tant, not to say alarming : irregularity likewise of attendance upon Gbd's Houle, and 'that attendance graduated by the character of the expected 'discourse, is among the evils that forgetfulness of worship, as an ele ment of sanctuary, service, has a tendency to pro duce. Some of our oldest and wisest divines have remarked, that there seems to be of late, even ariOtg the professed followers of Christ, a far lower sense of obligation, with reference to the attendance upon God's house, than formerly. Many Christians now permit very trivial causes to keep them from filling their place in the sane tuary: They regard church-going rather as a privilege than '.a duty, and are quite satisfied if they avail themselves of it occasionally, or, at the most, upon a part only of the Sabbath. And is not this the necessary result of that theory or practice of sanctuary service which wholly ig. nores the element of worship? If the church is man's church, and the leading conception in the mind is the listening to a set discourse, is it strange that men deem it a' inatter of little mo ment whetlins they I,ttind regularly upon its ser vices ? Ay, more :;, if spiritual instruction con stitute the very, seltc, Or a sanctuary service— if we are to Ole God's house alone to be taught divine truth---why sionld not a man stay away from it, when at home, by his own meditations or reading, he honestly believes that that spirit ual enlightenment would best be promoted,? That God should be adored, and that this adoration 'should have some outward expression, all men instinctively feel. Satisfy than, then, that this is the great aim of sanctuary service, and • they will not so often, and for causes so trivial, desett it. And are not Protestant and unliturgical churches just here in great danger.of losing their hold upon the unianetified masses ? With the Murat nothing but a school, can all the teachers be so eloquent, or any one always so eloquent, as to receive,-on the part of voluntary pupils,' corp. stant and unviried attendance ? Apart from the direct outpouring of the Divine Spirit, we do not believe that anything -would be more effectual in laten. enlarging Sal) ' '`" Itir t 'gntionak ancL..maliing them more unifo his, than an iliditas ed attention to wershlii As - nn element of sanda -1 ary service. • , It is not difficult for devnt persons to realize that they have worshipped, in attending the ser vices of a liturgical church; even the impenitent and unbelieving if the natural 'religions suscepti bilities are not utterly - dead,' receive' impressions and go away awed: They have something to go to church for, even if the element of instrection is insufficient to briug ahem. How then shall we accomplish the same results under our simple forms of worship I' How shall we satisfy the de vout and impress the thoughtless with a sense of something more than human in the aim and reference of the exercises ? By intreducing litur gical, elements ? So, not a few have argued.. In the earlier history of 'the Church, both in. Gene va and Scotland they were frequently and even regularly t_ . a.ts,(l... The great names of CalVini-Beza add KuCi t ina -., . ..qu,' el" in their faior.' Bpt, they were neV. s , ' , - , .' . ;ed as authoritativer and Dr. Darling *ill have none of them. He says " Let it be distinctly' understood that we have no sympathy with that class of minds among us, who are continually hankering after, a ritual, and who make themselve,s the small imitators of other denominations than, their own, _ No,; away with prayer-book and gown, rubrics and bands I Associations of the mystical Babylon still cluster around them. Give us a free voice and a free arm, as we attempt to direct the worship of the , sanctuary. Let the full soul pour out itself in gracious expressions, of its holy thoughts into the bosom of the Almighty; and if there should be some stops or solecisms in the fervent utterance of our wants, these are so 'far from being offen sive, that they are the most pleasing, music to the ears of that_G-.4 unto whom our prayer§ come. To this imperfect , elocution, our Heavenly Father is. o other Wise affected, than an indulgent-earth ly part nt is to , Wwifclipped, and,. broken Janguage of his dear -chihl. 3 '-• I . ... 7 - • After thisitol„andunqualified declaration,we it look with some i * threat to the writer's proposed improvement in our method. It is found simply in a closer adherence to our. Directory, which even a casual reader nay: see lays great stress upon devotion, and warns Ministers against-making "their sermons Iso long' as to interfere with or exclude the mor4iimpOrlant duties of prayer and praise.” We must net becothe liturgical but 'simply more thoroughly Prestyterian. Dr. Dar ling believes it to `be necessary en the , part of preachers, simply to give a more devotional cha racter, and to throw - a : greater degree of interest and e trnestness ipto. the forms or worship already in use. Let us have. objective hymns,--"hymns in which both writer and reader come entirely out of themselves, magnify God and have their whole souls ravished by the Conception of his matchless perfections." Ile congregation should join in the singing..., ~, c- JO music of the Befortna tion,, a singing g stt , vin introduced, when,,' rin the use tel em p l et- Marot's metrical version-of the Psalms, he introduced a revolution as wide speed and as iniportant, perhaps,. as that pro duced by his political and theological writings and discipline,--ihis -is 'what we need in place of the too prevalent choir-singing of our time. • The prayers of thevginctuary - serviee should be more largely madp up: of adoration'; they should be scriptural in language : and spirit; they should be made matters of study and preparation by the minister; the people must not be too indolent to take part in the Oby some change of posture and reverent attitude.--Commeuding this,pamphlet, so seasonable, so admirable and,. evangelical in spirit, so thorouglily-Presbyterian in tone, though its proposals may be regarded bksome'es insuffi cient, we leave its-with the quotation of the 'eon eluding paragraph: , - "In closing t...arti:ele**Efeannot refrain-from inviting the sper attention of onr.reaflers ASA, thought which, ongl4has appeared all along the line of our aiktment;ls still 'worthy , of a -se parate and distin4 notice. The-thotight is this: All that is'necessay to give to worship, as an ale talent of sanctuareservice,lts true importance, is a full and faithfill' development of that order which is embodied in our own Directory for Wor ship. We frankly confess -our sympathy with those, who-, upon rettridg frOm some of our Pres, byterian churchea t after, their Sabbath services are over, feel a Truro of dissatisfaction. They have, indeed, heen well instructed, but theylave not worship/red. ; They have been in a school, rather than in a church. Their intellects have been fed, but their hearts have not been:touched. They have had nothing to do is the service. But what, to. meet thiefelt want, shall they. do ? Go elsewhere?. tniti themselfes with some liturgi cal church, thong her doctrines and-'ministerial orders are op " I , s"their belief r. Of, staying at home;"shalith` seekle jet& upon the Pres hyterianChuzch.s• hat' is unseriptural and oppos ed both to her - spl t',-aed- history ? Whence this lack of true worn :p in her services? What is the cause of this leficiency;of-which some com plain ? Is it in . rent to her very- - structure ? Is it of her essence, or simply a 'defect in her ad ministration? We are bold to proclaim the lat. ter. - Let every minister -and, layinan carefully study our Directory for Worship, and, inthe ser vices-of God's hOttseLfeit4fallY carry out all its provisions, and every just ground for criticism in this particular will, we are, sure, be removed. Worship and instruction, the two great elements of sanctuary service, will then haye to each other their just relations. Neither will be unduly or dispropor - tionably develpied,. but both in' such beautiful symmetry as tOintake the whole appear but one act of grateful homage to Jehovah, just as a star, really binary, looks out upon us from the skies=one world." Two articles on the. History and the Theory of Public Worship, translated from the German, and of great interest, will be found =in<the Re view for July and December, I&i7. A THOUGHT FOR THE MONTHLY 00NOERT " WHEN the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on earth ?" It seems to us that this inquiry may be appropriately made with regard to the present attitude,of the Church towards: the work of missions. The Son of Man has come, in the opening up of the world and the ripening of the spiritual harvest, but how inade quate the faith and zeta with which he, is met ! In truth ) the movements of Divine Providence are too fast foi us; we cannot keep pace with them. The cry is everywhere, enlargement, new fields, more laborers, teachers, books, funds. Everywhere in the heathen world the Gospel is received, and its preaching, after no protracted period, rendered fruitful. Light is breaking in Micronesia; Mohammedans are exchanging the Bible for the Koran; the two-leaved gates of - China - have yielded u-Christian - king rules on the lately persecuting throne of. Madagascar; Ethiopia's mysteries cleared up, behold a long injured continent stretching forth its hands unto God ! 0 privileged day the Church is op pressed with its opportunities'; God is trying its zeal and its sincerity, by bringing upon it the answer to its centuries of prayer. With what trembling anxiety should we seek to rise and respond to these opportunities, to recognize our glorious day of visitation, and. to meet it with a full: consecration of power and property to it? Otherwise, may not the leading part in the high enterprise be taken away from us and given to some Christian - community now .scarcely known, who in future shall be summoned to carry the Gospel over the earth, when . our 4 .Thristian temples are in ruins, and our civilization, unsup ported by an active, self-denying, pure Chris tianity, has laprd into barbarism? Who know eth whether.we are come to the kingdom for such- a time as this? - PHILADELPHIA EDUOATION 800IETY. THE annual meeting of this Society was held in the Presbyterian House, on Tuesday, 25tkof March: ' . In the absence of the President, Mr. Joseph H: Dulles was called to the chair, and the Rev. Robert Adair was appointed clerk. The meet ing was opened with - prayer. The minutes Of thelast annual meeting were read and approved. From the annual report of the Directors, pre sented and read by the Corresponding, Secre tary, the Rev. Charles Brown, it was shown that, notwithstanding the embarrassed condition of the country, the Society had made fair progress in its work of educating young men for the nistry.. Fifty-six candidates had received aid during the whole, or part of the last year. These were pursuing their studies in varieu.s institu thins, and distributed in 'four Theological Semi- . naries; twelve colleges, and six academies. Four candidates had- compd*their course of study since the lasride - efilig, aridixe nOW - usatilly, en gaged in the work, of th"ininistry; Zeltet". others - will be licensed to preach .:vvithin: - a few months hence. The numerous demands for nioney,, growirt out of the necessities of the war, rendered it dif ficult .to obtain the 'usual amount of funds for educational purposes, and yet, 'excepting-a par tial reduction which occurred in the appropria tions of one of the quarters, the Society was enabled to meet all its liabilities for the year. By the treasurer's report it was seen that the receipts for the year,, from all sources, were $4580.114; the 'expenditures, for all purposes, $4327 18. An abstract of the annual report was ordered to be publiehed, which` will soon be issued.- The following officers were'unanimously elect ed for the ensuing year : ' PRESIDENT. Ambrose White. , VICE-PRESIDENTS. A John . Brown, Hon. William Darling. oonnEsPoNiAutt SECRETARY. ' * Rev:Charles Brown. TREASURER. - • William Purves. AUDITOR. Clem Tingley. : • ,Dmagrons. Brainerd;Rev.•Thos. rainerd, D.D. Joseph. H. Dulles. " John Jenkins;D.D. Benedict D. Stewart " David Malin', Y.D. A. S. Naudain. " Robert Adair. Alexander Whilldin " Thos. J. Shepherd. John Sparhaik. " John Patton, D.D. J. S. Kneedler.: • " J. Helffensteini DD. Wm. E. Tenbrook. " Edward B. Bruen. 11. X. Williams, Esq "E. E. Adams. - George W. Simons. " J..G..Butler. James S. Earle. _ S.IL Perkins , Esq J. C. Chance. Alexsnder Fullerton. Areled:WElroy. Adjourned 'with prayer. - ICOMZ MISSIONS NOTICE I—To Presbyteries It is desiiable that Presbyteries which have feeble 'congregations receiving or liable to need aid from the ‘‘ Presbyterian Committee of Ilome Missions," should appoint a Standing Oimmiittee' on Home Missions , and fonira****artrames to the' Aisembly's Cominittee; 'WA'. 150 Nassau street, New York. 2—To MisScmi-Crat.- All MimiOnaries under , appointment of the Comrttittee," are requested, as instructed by the tern&of their commissions, on, or immediately previous to, the first of 4241, to forward :a statis tioarreport for the year preceding, or for the part of a year during which they have been in commission, .to the G-eUeral Secretary, it the saw place. " H. KENDALL, - dens?* Secretary Home Afiesior t +Committee. A SiMIT of new life and enterprise is mani festing itself in the different Oakland churches. The Presbyterian Church, under the' able and wise, labors of Rev. R B. 'Walsworth, is taking a long start ahead of anything it her. done 'for years. The church edifice, both inside and (Mt _ side, is undergoing material improvements for the better, and the grounds_ around the building are not 'neglected. The congregations are- in creasing, and a unity of spirit . and action, always , essential to the highest, ortler of ,success, most happily prevails. HOME MISSION* WE have welcomed to oui,,cohnins therecerk Contributions of 'our Committee on Home Mis sions, selected chiefly from the communications made, to them by the Missionaries. -We shall ex.- , peet to be the medium of such communications to our readers, at least once a month. Those al ready furnished, have been.of a deeply interest ing and encouraging character and well calculat ed to rouse and quicken the denomination iii the great work of evangelization which it has most appropriately undertaken; Our brethren in the missionary field arc becoming more and more fully and happily convinced that they are eared for, that-their work.is 'appreciated and their trials made matters of sympathy and prayer by the de nomination. They will be sustained. One hun dred and thirty-five missionaries are now on the list of the committee, and we are informed that at its last meeting every application, which ap peared worthy, wasfavourably acted. upon. It is expected that by the meeting of our Assembly next month there will be one hundred and fifty . : missionaries receiving aid through the commit tee: The churches, too, are, entering.with some proper zeal into the work, and by degrees are ap proaching the measure of its demands. There can be no doubt that they were ripe for the change made last year: The harmony and stead iness with which. ouz affairs are moving in this department proveS it. Peale churches look up to our committee as the or , an of a united, liberal and enterprisinedenomination, with hope. Mean time, it should be understood that the constant demands made upon the committee, call for-con stant supplies from the churches and it is hoped they will be prompt and liberal in forwarding their contributions. , 41tt rat ftwo, A NEW CHER= n NEW Yons..--A n:ew Church, which promises to be one of the most prominent in the city, was organized at Dod- worth's Hall, corner of Fifth Avenue and twen ty-first sts, on Friday evening, March 2lst. Dr. Prentiss, brother of Sargeant S. Prentiss, former ly pastor of the Mercer-Street Church, and wide ly known in theAenomination, is to be the pas -tor. Drs. Skinner and Smith, of the Union The ological Seminary, have been very active in ea tablishing this nucleus of what is designed to 'be a large up , toin church. It begins with eighty three members.—The . Methodist. REV. A. L. BROOKS, late of Indianapolis and former pastor of the 3d Presbyterian Church,. Chicago, has accepted the unanimous call of the Edwards church of Chicago, 1 6d entered upon his labors on _Sabbath, the 16th ult. The Ed wards church is located en the " West Side," in that part of the eity . least occupied by evangelical churches, and is surrounded by a population of some 20,000 who need the Gospel. There is al ready a Sabbath school of 200 scholars, and con gregations fill the present house of worship. The prospects for usefulness before this church, with their new pastor, are very encouraging, and it is expected a *rger house will soon be requi red.--Crkris:ian Herald. iti,Jew,. t'iibti - rOivii.o' •• Messrs. Brown & Taggart, of Boston, have re sumed the publication of their very fine library -eftion of the WORKS OF LORD BACON. Volume thirirlMS been laid on our table, which consti tutes the eighth of thepresent issue, and leaves , seven to be ' , supplied as yet., These will be issued regularly'hereafter at the -•at,e, of one a month. The present 'volume .comprises, several books "De Augmentis Scientiarurn, Historia Ventorum, and the curious WorkrHistoria Vita!, et Mortis. We have already pointed - out the pe culiar excellencies of this edition of the:great English philosopher's works. Its completenefes t its systematic arrangement, the careful annota-• tions and introductions which explain without burdening the text, leave nothing to be desired in these respects • while the faultless exterior of the American reprint, is a credit to the pnblish era and their co-ksbaers in and about Boston. -The famous Riveriirle . Press oflt. 0. Houghton supplies the type. We cannot but believe that a service of the highest order is done to the cause of true philosophy arid Christianity, in this age ofpantheistic speculation and: of atheistic ten dencies in'natural Science by the issue in such an attractive form, of these great monuments of sober, practical and profound Christian thought.. As such, we rejoice to hear of their wide circu lation, andlope it may largely increase. For sale in this city by Joseph Buck, No. 43 North Sixth street., - - WASHINGTON A- CHRISTIAN,..-Thi is the title of Rev. Dr. Wylie's discourse delivered in -the First Reformed Presbyterian Church of this city, the Sabbath following Washington's birth day: It is a very simple, but apparently ex baistive,- presentation, of the evidence to prove ...the true evangelical piety and belief, of the ho nored Father of hiacountry. Who can calculate the influence for good upon the Amerilum people of this lofty - and almost unqualified exanipie of public integrity and Christian , eiolzi VOld lug- the foremost in the natibrial history? The profits of thetudeufthis valuable:discourse are devoted.ta the army committee of the Phila delPitiaYoung Men's Christian Association. We bore it may have a wide circulation". Published by W.,S. & A. Martien. From T. 0.. H. P. Burnhain 'BOStOrt• we have -two works of fiction of unexceptioßable charac ter: " The Old Lieutenant and his Son," by Nor -maw-McLeod (paper, 30 ets.) ":Can Wrong be Right?" by Mrs. S. C. Hall (paper 38 cents.) The Stone publisher announces the issue of a very important series of works, viz : Translations and' new e4itioni of the Sacred Books of all Na tions. Sale's Horin has already appeared,"and _will be followed by the Zendavesta, the Vol* the Edda, etc. The Koran is published at the -.lo* price of ft, and sent by mail, postage pre paid. ' - • The author of Meiiiorials of fiedley Vicarshan done another good service to the cause of_piety by her late work, Tan LIFE or ARTltipi VAN- Innnun, of the Royal Artillery. Besides . the in terest attaching to the:story of Christian, heroism amid the horrors of war,-we have in this ,hia graphy the life of one whoi , hylthe grace of God, was a christian from the cradle to•the grave ; One whose path of light,' trodden at first by infant feet; became with feiv - intnrruptions, brighter' and brighter unto the perfect day. 12nie, pp 03, illustrated. New York : R. Carter & Brothers. Philadelphia: C. S. Luther. PEE *B.. „Rum ,g 5 CirretAM' New Yoarke'o P lL l a t °::: issued a Boot Apotrx DOCTORS, being --4 .. collection of anecdotes, covering nearly 500 lar ge _ duodecimo pages, • and presenting the craft in every imaginable attitude of interest to publier' Buch a work, even if clumsily don e. could not fail to be entertaining; this work is really valuable for the very considerable amount oteurionuinformationubout medicine and prat. tice in past generations which it conveys, be s id es the constant entertainment its portraits and anec. dotes furnish to the reader. It is an English work, and its sketches appear to be drawn exclo_ sively from the lives of British physicians, i s .. chiding quacks, pretenders of various sorti,-.. male and female, and apothecaries. The field is broad enough. For sale in this city by Messrs. W. S. & A. Kaden. A POPULAR TREATISE. ON DEAFNESS, i ts causes and prevention, by Drs. Lighthill, with illustrations,, has just been,issued by Carleton, publisher, (late Rudd & Carleton) New York. It is a very clear and sensible discussion, design. ed apparently to recommend the authors' treat ment of ear diseases by cbemical vapors. 1 9 m o pp. 133. For sale by W. S. &A. Martin. DAYBREAK, or Right Struggling and Trium phant. This is the title of an English story, re published by R. Carter & Brothers. It is d e . signed for older children and youth r and opens very well. 18mo, pp. 277, illustrated. For sale by C. S. Luther. MAGAZINES AND PAMPHLETS LIE AMERICAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW for April, maintains its high and scholarly repute. Prof. Hickok, of Union College, opens in an article on the Pantheistic 'Aspect of Modern RA losophy. _ His own peculiar view is introduced as meeting the demands of faith and philosophy alike—" a truly rational Psychology, in which is the only door 'of escape from Pantheism and a philosophical entrance Upon a :'pure Theism." Swedenborg on the Divine Human,—expose s faithfully the gross errors and the pernicious and immoral tendencies of the system which goes by the name of this arch-heretic. The Perpetual Observance of the Sabbath is mainly a favorable review of Dr. Hessey's Bampton Lectures on the Sabbath. The Origin of Idolatry, the Roman Question , etc., make up the list of Essays. Theo logical and Literary Intelligence, arid - Review's of books are valuable.._ From the former depart- ment we learn that the British and Foretlgn Evangelical Quarterly Review of January last, in quoting Dr. Stearns' article on the Moral As pects of the Present Struggle, from the Ameri can, says, apologetically, that it merely wishes to show how the American Secession is viewed and explained by an intelligent Northern writer! With such caution and reserve do some of the best men in Great Britain talk about our present condition. The American Theological Review is published by Mr. W. H. Bidwell, 5 Beekman street, New York. TuE ATLANTIC MONTHLY for April, opens with:" A Letter to a Young - Contributor," full of sound advice to literary aspirants, sparkling with bright and apposite illustrations drawn from a fertile and well-stored mind. Prof. Agassiz's paper on Method's of Study in, Natural Science is .of great value mid interest... The .sonndness of this truly great naturalist'swiews on such ques tions as those mooted in Darwin's late work on Species, is worthy of note. We give an extract in another page. We are pleased to find it the purpose of the proprietors to pursue the sonic path which bas been lately followed, through -which the Atlantic has attained to such general acceptance. More than 10,000, copies have been added to its circulation since the beginning of the year. Boston : Ticknor &:Fields. We are pained to find that our monthlies can :not dispense with an occasional sneer at avenge- Heal religion. The KNICKERBOCKER for April opens with the continuation of a series of articles bearing the Somewhat affected title of " Sunshine in Thotw,ht;" thhir style is strained, and in the present issue, there is a repetition of the attempt often made bypeudo-reformers, to draw a broad distinction between Christianity as at present taught, and the teachings of Christ himself, to the great disparagement, not to say utter repu diation of the former. The Editor's Table is thickly spiced with jokes depending for their humor on profanity of expression. We regret to pronounce these unfavorable judgments on a magazine otherwise Valuable and attractive to the reader. New York . . J. R. Gilmore. THE - CONTINENTAL MONTHLY is earning a high position in our periodical literature. Such papers as the historical resume on the War in Missouri in the April number, that on the Its guenot Families in America, Among the Pines, and others that might be named, are on a par with the - best to be found in other quarters. The Editor's Table for this month is sparkling with gems of every size and quality. Boston :J. R. Gilmore ; Philadelphia : T: B. Callender. Tam Ecxxono for April presents a list quite as attractive - as usual, with a very . fine portrait of her Majesty the, Queen of Prussia. Those who wfit.hr for the cream of the British , ' reviews and magazines, regularly, promptly, and judiciously selected, can have their wish gratified at very reasonable rates, besides enjoying sundry extras in the form of valuable 'portraits, etc., by sub scribing for the Eclectic Magazine. W. H. Bid well, No. 5 Beekman street, New York. ARTHUR'S Home MAGAZINn is a' Philadel phia " institution" ably edited by T. 8. Arthur and Virginia F. Townsend. Besides lighter ar ticles, we notice in the present number, Arme nian Marriage Customs, Kings and Queens of England, Battle-fields of our Fathers, " What Came Afterwards,"-by the editor. T. S. Arthur & Co., 823 Walnut. street. -$2 a year. THAYER'S HOME * MONTHLY having failed to reach us for a couple of months, is again on our table, and. welcome. Rev. Wm. M. Thayer is the editor; .D. W. Childs & Co., Boston, pub lishers. To be most cordially recommended to all Christian families. larrin'sLiv - ord AGE for this week contains a 3floss Choice miscellany, opening with one of the ablest of English articles on our crisis, that from the Wesleyan Londrn Review of last Oc tober. It is one of the exceedingly few, too, written from a favorable point of view. m • ' A.ME PULPIT AND ROSTRUM, No. 29, for April contains Mr. Bancroft's admirable oration on the 22d of February, to which is added Wash ington's_Farewell Address. - -I:RE'INATIONAL PREACHER for April contains sermons by Drs. Pond and Hawes. That of the latteria on Decay of PoWer in the Pulpit. APRIL 3,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers