F AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN AXD GENESEE EVANGELIST. r.i.U'iors asd family kewspaper I.V TJJF. IVTKItEST OF THE institutional Presbyterian Church. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY T THE PRESRTTERIAN HOUSE, t Strcet,*f2d devices of scientific unbelief, whose yer? are cold, whose labors and denials < Ihrist are few, and whose inner life and .■r influence are feeble, may this be your r of revival and restoration to the ardor, ; joy, the energy of a first love. Parent! y you this year be happy in the conse- .•{ion of your child to Christ! Sabbath ; .,iol teacher, may you rejoice this year in j- manifest advance of your pupils in iriptural knowledge, in the conversion of .ir souls, and in your own inoreased ap j oiutidn of the spiritual nature and bloss privilege of the work ! » Soldiers of the Union on land and on sea, happy, thrice happy New Year to you! uve defenders of our national existence, (apy you this 1 year behold the consumma of your wishes and ours; the compie n of the great work to which you have voted your lives! Happy beyond all 3t years of our existence, may this year ove in bringing you back from the bloody Ids of strife alivo and victorious, with the ‘ty consciousness of having established the ithority of the government, vindicated the jroduess of its laws, and made good its meticent purpose to give freedom to the in every foot of rebellious terri tory. But if you should fall in these last pjtuggles, may your year be still happier Mm ever, when as victors over death and |J/V you shall be crowned in the palace of $V‘. and live and reign with Christ forever nr ever. \ ith the help of God, we shall do our , to make the New Year a happy one to all. . As divine aid shall be granted, will aid in the work of instructing, guid and quickening you and the children 'our homeß, in making you intelligent, 'out, and enterprising followers of Christ, a f r i ini in edifyiDg the church and promoting te advance of Christ’s kingdom among men. 'V r e ask your sympathy, your prayers, and bur co-operation. Encourage and stand by us ;V our extended efFort this year to promote ti-ur usefulness and enjoyment. Many hare {ready responded; many more have it in ioir hearts to do so. We look forward to VI . I happy year m witnessing the constantly jicreasing prosperity and popularity of the . |mcrican Presbyterian and the Banner of Covenant among the people of their rc p®tive churches. the prospectus, terms, premiums, &c., , ,vjP be found in another part of the paper. ENCOURAGING RESPONSES. Almost immediately upon the announce icnt of our purpose to enlarge our paper, ‘ began to receive the most hearty and ibstantiai tokens of appreciation from onr [ends. And responses have continued to pie in from every quarter of our field, Ith renewals of old subscriptions and large ,-essions of new names. Almost every aiit brings us the name of a Home Mis iohary with thanks for the manner in vhich .our terms are accommodated to his irqnmstnnces and with promises of assist j.’jw hi extending the circulation of the Some of our old subscribers have bsrfeded to the call made upon idd lone each” to the list. Others have iritila or called at the office attherecom |en dation of friends, and subscribed for Jemfeelves. Bat the pastors of the lurches are stirring themselves most effi jatly. From two of the Reformed Pres- Kerian churches we have received twelve New Series. Vol. 1, No. 1. \ ~ ' and fourteen new names respectively, with promises of more. Prom a Presbyterian pastor in Erie Presbytery we this week re ceived iwenty-eighl new names, with the. pay, in a single enclosure. His charge is by no means extensive and his success he tells us “ was] the fruit of but a few hours determined labor.” Other pastors have sent names in smaller numbers, and still others are at work and report partial re sults of a similar characters. TJe refer our friends,: for list of premiums to the Prospectus on the Bth page. At the suggestion of a pastor, we have prepared a prospectus, with ruled lines for names, addresses and amounts, for distri bution in the pews of such churches as de sire to make an effort for extending our circulation. We will furnish them in quantities on applieatiou at this office. A WEEK OF PRAYER AND UNION. While we write, the happy suggestion of the devout American Missionary on the other side of the globe, in regard to a week of united prayer among Christians of de nominations and in every clime, is, for the fourth time, in due course of observance. Already the custom has became dear to the hearts of believers and-seems in a fair way to bo established among us, like the feasts of Dedication and Purim among the Jews, with out express requisition from the Master. It seems a proof of a higher degree of spon taneity in prayer and mutual regard between Christians. It is the expression, doubtless, of love, of delight in such exercises, which not only fulfills, cheerfully, hut which anti-' ci pates and exceeds, the measures of duty. We cannot but regard the practice, so long as it is well and earnestly sustained, as in dicating a higher degree of spiritual life and unity in the churches. We have done with ecumenical councils and Synods, as expres sions of the visibly unity; we are inaugura ting a prayer meeting, which may be called ecumencial, in their stead. God will hear these prayers; he has hoard them in times past. Nay; is not this Christian sympathy and this very spi rit of prayer an -answer ? It is a token for good. God is to jprny, and by that, most signally proves that he both haß heard and is preparing still further to answer these prayers. While we speak to gether, we hear of his manifestations among ■the people. The meetings are enlivened with proofs that we are not seeking in vain. In the meeting of Monday morning, at But tonwood St. Church, the encouraging fea tures of the Foreign Missionary work were presented by Mr. McLeod, from which it appears that God, in answer to prayer, is sending forth laborers into the field, raising them more abundantly than ever from the native converts, while Dr. Brainerd showed that the success of the missionary work, judged by the figures presented, was at least as great on the average as the work at home. On Tuesday afternoon, at the meet ing in Trinity M. E. Church, Mr. Geo. H. Stuart spoke of the work of God as he had witnessed it in the army. •It was. marvel lous and cheering indeed. At Camp Con valescent, the inquirers and the serious among the soldiers were counted by thou sands. The prayers of pious^relatives and of the church at home for the soldiers, are receiving answers. Within a space of fif teen miles square in Virginia, thirty-three log churches are in course of erection for the soldiers without costing a cent. The Christian Commission is furnishing canvas roofs, made from old sails, for the log walls. So white is the field for the harvest, so abundant will now be the accommodations for religious services, that thirty qualified laborers are now asked for this work in the army. The reader will find in the second page of our paper an account of the pro gress of God’s work in Lawrence, Mass., where the most signal displays of his mer cy have been enjoyed, and where the laity are zealously 00-operating with the ministry in extending the work. And we are per mitted to copy part of a private letter to a relative in this city,- from the pastor of the Third Church, New Albany, Ind., Rev. C. Hutchison, dated Dec. 23d, which de scribes a great and cheeringmanifestation of divine grace in the conversion of sinners in that community. [The letter which wo designed for inser tion in this number will appear next week. ] These are the very items of intelligence that we wish, at such a period, to hear. They are providentially communicated, doubtless, to encourage our faith, and to bring us unitedly to lay a firm hold upon the promises of a covenant keeping God. May they but presage the grand, universal, saving results of this season of prayer. PHILADELPHIA, THUR'SD HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. If one would contemplate the most ma jestic marvel of human thought, moving under the clearest law, and advancing with the regularity almost of the heavenly bodies, he need but turn to the fascinating and deeply instructive study of Christian doctrine, as systematized by the latest and best writers on the subject. Here he will see the most powerful minds grappling with the most profound truths and myste ries of being and destiny. Here are high debates, conflicts of the ages, wars of the giants. Here is the precious inheritance, of revealed truth assailed, defended, eluci dated, developed and kept moving in its. pure, though winding course, unsullied* amid the utmost efforts to divide, pollute,- or evaporate its streams. Here is discern-' ed the finger of God’s providence and breath of His Spirit, as clearly as in any, part of His dealings with man. ■ Here, as plainly as in the Assyrian invasion of the Holy Land, may wo see the error and the wrath of man made to- praise God. Here is the thousand years which are as one day; the slow-moving process by whichs the church, learning patience, works out! the full and perfect statement of her faith! her creed. Here is a noble and brilliant! array of great characters to be seen ; his-J toric personages in whose single life were 1 embodied and concentrated the spirit of 1 the age and the church ; God-fearing men, J devoting their great gifts arid energies toJ the service of the truth, comibuning witMi angels, warring with devils! moulding /, the characters and destinies of ineratioL Ij to come. \ II It is a great undertaking to i, these cyclic movements of thought. So wide-is the subject, tiform, so susceptible of being it from divers points of view, that tl lect of a single inquirer can rarely tl to the whole task. What is called! history, in its fullest sense, is an l;ei to carry forward by the side of the ten history of the church, in its conflic wj the world, inwarmoi ment of the Christian mind. Nenlcrl tmpted. this “ hristian Keligion andChuriih,” toSu! partial success. Generally that ineiaf i abandoned, and the History of DoAe in the later division of labor among®is tian writers, falls into a distinct l®ch. The result has been to add to our ®lo gical literature some of its most ing and valuable features. The v'ff o! Kliefoth, of Hageubach, and otheW the same line, furnish some of the ricbjead ing that an. intelligent man c.Jwtve They are also among the strongesjpnce of our faith. A powerful staten®s f good as a powerful argument® tl full, clear and philosophic statenyk' such investigations enable us M ve Christian doctrine, carries con® wit. it. They put Christianity ° ! W lri * :a £ e ground, and allow it to testiV ttse’ with the unanswerable argunfflP a ’ found and homogenous system We accord, therefore, a mofi r ty ■ come to the first attempt in l‘t ture to give a philosophical tatl ° the history of Christian d< ' s front the pen of that accompli ‘ r an d writer on theological G. T. Shedd, of Uuio. 7, York. It is ably, thoi inde pendently done, and is to the theological literature of ' r 7 W« shall not detain our 1 aa e ! a ' borate criticism of the scarcely be told that it iar fr °T a lacking in works of ' aal s s°' larship at this time- e W' gelical spirit. Nor ,rise to hear our author, ;sant a |r is with the whole c< anna ? tfj o logy and philosop. himself n more indebted to ' -hers, that t the great lights of * i the preceding cenl style iseh gant, pure, gracefi earisoml; 1 self a powerful ai sb °f' ' have here no h kwardlyfc, j slated mass of few W e c of which is damf hatural&s character, but » 7 nat |' e f ljc 1 in style and mf iDg ’ w itlijCf i nistic soundness ie ’ tbe P en [ of which would ; ab - le cxe fis the head and tb c trast Merest our cleri m °^ e 6T ' e , and will and apprehem * Shedd. by "Win. G. Bvo., pp. 408, bner. Philad* lish & Co. Pri Christian Doctrine, /%' two volumes. ¥ork: Charles Seri* sale by Smith, Eng- JANUARY 1 , 18 6 em, bi keep ptioa j je&ngri sir. past! sse ; ,adjiiiJ | like to i Jtake the 'regard a ' Ending hilintroduction on methodolo : 'says: [This plan f f-a is also (an for a life long course of private stu hnu investi| xtion. The entire history frs general aspects may be investigated lei and wider-deeper and deeper, or a !?e'section may be made the subject of ly for 3 cars. The history of an indi iial doctrine may be,, selected, and the j.ent find matter enough in it to occupy i a life-time. What an interest would thrown around the clerical life of one, p, in the providence of God, is separated n educated men and large libraries, by acting about him the principal works n the doctrine of the atonement, e. g., a the patristic, scholastic, reformed and •;ent periods, and making them his study a few hours every week. What a va jli, yet substantially identical soteriology |ild pass slowly, but impressively before Sjjcontinually expanding and strengthen u mind, carrying him, back contiiiuallv Bin scripture matter, I,of which thisjßpimatic literature has In expanded, whaTa determined strength I broad comprehensiveness oftheologi- I character would be gradually and so fU- built up, like a coral isle, in that man’s fad.” / OF OHEIST must strike tile least careful observer theological discussions of the. age lit the ground upon which controversies lire waged a hundred or even twenty l-nrs ago, has strangely shifted. Excel |iit, unalterable in their influence, as are iie arguments of Pgley, . Butler and the men who werg their contemporaries uni. followers; still we must confess that the skepticism which would over vljlit-.djw all that/christian hope would rever qntlv cling to, has abandoned the old and lv|dcfeii3ii>ie works to occupy new ones of as to cause the dtsfwidem'or r l«rnti'on,"of 1 lieVeiatfOiTtnd “Faith; to' S sS ncw combinations, hardly thought > oj| the good men gone. And this very faf °f the continual changing of the jjffuls of skeptical controversy must \ i ! to him who holds to the old ways a ’ ■ * >g—nay, one of the strongest proofs of I’ h perpetuity of our holy religion.— ' stianity must progress, but there is a M > difference between progress and i ge ; change is death, this nature tells 3 and progress is life. 1 l. Ernest Henan, the author of tho ? fceady celebrated “Life of Jesus,” before k f publication, was Professor of Hebrew of jf ttie “ College de France Not much r as known of him outside of France, until •ithm the last year or two; for although as published several works, they seem to- I f.t to have had the effect of this later bok; which, however is but a, develope wel- lent of opinions advanced in his earlier stings. The book has unquestionably thieved no mean measure of distinction. L Freres, the original French publisher, as sold nine editions of it; and'doubtless lere is not a priest in France who has not t‘e this either anathematized it heartily, or se not at all; if he thought well of it. fie author, a Breton by birth, is one of the nost learned men in France, possessing a strong speculative spirit, and a peculiarly uiscinating eloquence and grace in writing. (Tfe book was written in Palestine in the fjwjnjtjr of IS.<4, about the close of an expedition sent out by the French govern ment for the exploration of Phoenicia. M. Itenan says: “All that history which, 5 * afar oft" seems to float amidst the clouds of a shadowy world, acquired a body and 0 solid reality to me. I had be fore my eyes a fifth evangel, torn, but pos sible to be read, so that henceforward, through the medium of the accounts of Matthew and Mark, I have seen in place of an abstract being—such as one would say never existed—a grand human figure, life-full and moving." Oh! weak, poor eyes that call our Saviour “an abstract being;” blame not "‘the,clouds ” nor “the fifth evangel,” nor St.' Matthew and St. Mark—but M. Renan’s eyes. The book rejects entirely what is miraculous—not any philosophy of the schools of but because of “experience.” thinks that “ if ever the worship of Jesus becomes feeble among men, it will (>e precisely on account of the acts which originally made men believe in him. ” Here on of >k, •sal if to ij in 'Tajing Genesee Evangelist, No. 920. ie charm of its noble philosophy, [i the stutHes -which the inter lastoral life make so difficult. ;ion could not more gracefully |ir; interest in the studies of than by p?esenting to him >le volumes. As they would irk a passage for his notice, Nrty of quoting, one which appropriate. The author in comes in a difference between the idea of Strauss and that of Renan. Strauss calls the miracles myths, brain figments of men who lived after Christ. Renan believes them to be a part of Jesus’ plan of decep tion! Our blessed Lord and Master is turned into a presdigitateur, and even that "beautiful episode,” it has been called, of the raising of Lazarus from thp dead; all a pious fraud; the weeping of the Lord, the rolling away of the stone, the dead body, a moment ago, now filled with life; all stage effect. There is nothing in the whole book that will so jar the soul of the believer as this fearful explaining away of the story which, next to Christ’s dying on the cross, keeps us near Him. Of course there is an assumption from the very first that Christ is human. Every line of M. Renan’s book is written of a man; how glad we should be that it is not our Christ whb is described. And yet, while we follow him through the story, and notice the devotion, the reverence the author appears to have for Jesus, as a man, we are pained and again gladdened— pained at the sad faithlessness of him who writes, and gladdened in the warm light which he throws about the pilgrimage of Christ. It seems to us that one, whom Christ’s blood has marked, can in reading much of this book find food for his faith; for no stronger expression could we find anywhere of some of the reasons for our Lord’s divinity, than we find in it. But it is perilous reading; there is no small danger of losing sight of what makes the Christ of lift true believer, his Divine nature. Christ is represented as the'grandest human being who ever walked the earth; as if that were a compensation for our lost Lord. He is supposed to be an ignorant Jew; "the young carpenter of Galilee;” acted upon by the circumstances of his nation during his life ; he begets within himself a grand idea of God as “the Father ;” his-views of his own mission are modified every -day, until it reaches the consummation, which is a proclamation of the near approach of the “Kingdom of Heaven,” and the final; revolution' -of the vague, and the attempt the human actor are, in spite of poetry, and incomprehensible, though gorgeous, explanations—nothing more than a failure. Jesus is supposed to know nothing of Greek; the language he speaks is Aramaic. A-prophet named Hillel, who lived fifty years before Jesus, is represented as his master in an indirect way; and the aphor isms of Hillel taught our Lord his mssion. The Psalms, the Prophets, and especially the book of Daniel, seem to have been his special study; the scenery of Galilee, his boyhood’s home, is supposed strongly to influence him through life ; and, what M. Renan seems especially to dwell upon, is the difference between the actuating motive of the religion founded by Christ and the religions of other men. His was a religion founded on love of God to man ; theirs- religions founded on God’s mastership. The Gospels receive the most unfortunate treatment; miracles are unceremoniously scissored out—and a nice theory "written on clean paper is pasted carefully in the place. St. John’s gospel and St: Liike’s gospel are especially badly treated.' St, Matthew’s and St Mark’s are favorites though St. Mark is accused of not being as original as he might be, which probably means that he did not say enough in sup port of M. Renan’s theory. The story of Lazarus is probably the strangest in the book Lazarus pretends to be dead ; his sisters bury him, sending for Christ in' the meantime and he raising him from the dead—loses his equability not long after, and when the authorities have been thoroughly aroused, brings on a hostile' meeting between his disciples and the Jews and soon is crucified. And yet M. Renan holds, without doubting, the doc trines in the sermon on the Mount; he seems, however, in his support of these an\f other sayings of Christ, to make con- cessions to his divinity, that it is impossible to consider with him, even while he him self is talking; that Christ is a man. The book has called forth almost number less answers in Franco and a few strong advocates and palliators, which last M. Renan would just as leave had not written at all. Men with the firmest belief in Christianity like De Presense, and Deists like Larroque—have replied to it; and strangely too, both in reprobation. The Deist, much as he likes a Christ shorn of His divinity, has an instinctive dread of even what hollow laudation the Saviour TERMS. By mail $2.00 per annum in advance. ‘‘ *' 2.50 " after 3 months. By carrier 50 cents additional for delivery. Ten or more papers sent by mail to one church or locality, or in the city to one address, By mail S 1.50 per annum. By carriers 2,00 “ “ To save trouble, club subscriptions must commence at the same date, be paid strictly in advance, in a single remittance, for which one receipt will he returned. Ministers and ministers' widows supplied at. club rates. Home missionaries at Si.oo per annum. Postage. Five cents quarterly in advance, to be paid by subscribers at the office of delivery. receives from Renan. Some of the answers have suggestive titles if nothing else —“ A false life of Jesus; or, M. Ernest Renan, historian, philosopher and poet-/’ “Re marks on a Romance called the ‘ Life, of Jesus,’ ” “ The gospel according to Re nan.” In the title of another work an inquiry is made about the Devil,; but, when read it is resolved into an inquiry about M. Renan. Let us hope that whatever evil has been done will be more than neutralized by the discussion which must follow the book wherever it goes. M. Renan teaches very plainly human selfishness. Eor 5000 years :and more, men believed .that “ we” were the centre of the universe, and that all the stars in tiie sky moved for our benefit. It was quite a stunning anouncement to learn that we were mistaken. Shall we never learn, in looking upon the Lamb slain since the foundations of the world, to regard Him as the One far above us in His Divinity ■ that Christ was not fashioned for us, but we for Him MOEE SUEPBISES. Ori Wednesday evening, 23d ult., in the FirstfPresbyterian Church, Kensington, just as the Pastor, Rev. W. T. Eva, was about to close' the religious service, the sexton stepped : foTward to the desk, and put into his hand a note, with the request that he should then examine its contents. He did so, when lo! to his surprise he found it to contain the sum of $215 in greenbacks, accompanied with a fittingly worded request, that he;W(spi| accept the enclosed as a gift~a slight and re gard of his eongrej*jr§bh ' requeht of course the Pastor complied with, ac knowledging the testimonial' few words pf gratitude and love. On the next evening a committee of the ladies of the congregation waited on the Pas tor’s wife, and in behalf of those whom %»V alsi Christinas day. a very handsome and sent me $250, 'a free-will ciation of my kindly' feelings towards me.’” The Pastor of Rer^ W. W. Taylor, received-front his congre gation, as a Christmas present, $l5O. It was given by willing hearts -and ready hands. - •' Another Pastor Surphtsto —The Christmas Festival of the Church Sabbath-schools waa„ffae of the happiest of all the , The lecture-room rated with evergreens, little ones were delighted with the j&a&r _ dant and beautiful fruit of the Chrisjpigs Tree. .. The feast of good things faeed by singing and addresses, presentation of elegant and valuable books to the superintendent, Mr. George Boyd. The New Year’s prayer meeting at this church was largely attended, not withstanding the rain. As the pastor, Rev. Daniel March, entered the lecture room he received an envelope containing $4OO, ‘‘presented as a New Year’s token of regard from the members of his congre gation.’’ Tins, added to similar tokens of kindly and /generous appreciation re« ceived by Mr. March from his people ; within the year, amounts to about $1,009. A Minister Surprised by Santa Claus in Person. —On Christmas eve,, while the . ladies of the Church of South; brange,N.- J., were holding a Festival at?*tHe Ofapgib Mountain House, Santa Claus himself, dressed all in furs, with the veritable pack upon his back, appeared in the midst of the gay scene, and, after young and old with his antics and thejpeiv fection of his costume, placed himieif in ' front of theijiastor of the; church, Rev; J. Allen Maxwell, and in a neat little presented him 1 with a packet the handsome sum of $2OO, the gift of a ' few friends of; his congregation. novel mo&e # presentation, and prise to which it gave occasionin’® this one of the most y; have heard of this season. \ CLUBS. J. I. F.