Tho American Presbyterian AND GENESEE EVANGELIST. RELIGIOUS AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER, DC VIZ IFFURFOT OF TEM Constitutional Presbyteripm. Church. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY, AT THE PRESBYTERIAN HOUSE, 1334 Chestnut Street, (2d Story,) Philadelphia. Bev. JOHN W. HEARS, Editor and Publisher. CONTENTS OF INSIDE PAGES. Narrative of General Assembly 178 Conclusion of Minutes of General Assault:4 178.9 Religious Intelligence 170 Letters from a Lady 182 Dr. Lyman Beecher ' 182 Titled Machinist .182 Household Cares .182 Editor's Table a.. 189 London Correspondent 183 Steam Boiler Exp10510n5........-...........................183 THE GREAT EVANGELICAL MOTIVE, There is an invariable logic in the actings of the human . will. Whatever be its power, self-determining or other wi4e, the fact is, it does not act without or against reason. The cause or oeca slim may be in the passions, the judg ment or the conscience, but somewhere it is, and in accordance with it •be the act. There may be, there often is, a conflict of these causes or motives; the nature of man itself is such as to aug ment the force of some and to break the force of other considerations. In the midst of diverse and conflicting mo tives, it is necessary that that one which is indeed to control his conduct, should be strong enough to overpower and to expel the others from his mind. Man sins because the motives to sin, which address his corrupt will, are powerful enough to outweigh the mo tives for holiness. To secure holiness, the motives to it must be greatly strengthened. They must be made. a sufficient reason for right action, and right action will follow. True, the Holy Spirit acts upon the corrupt nature itself and transforms it. And it may do so directly and independently of all means. Yet IVQ OW; it an admissible sapposi- Lion, that the renovating power of the Holy Spirit is communicated mediately b strengthening, illuminating and ex- I ling the motives for right action, by presenting new and unparalleled reasons ftir holiness. As these new reasons come within the horizon of the soul, their supreme beauty, worth, and expediency are instantly felt, and at the moment of recognition, the dominant power of evil motives is broken, the carnal, affections are cast down and the new principle or voansl- of action comes_info T _p_cosruss_ This, wo take it, is the inauguration of the new man—this, so far as human ob servation can trace it, is regeneration. Whether it is more, or other than this, we shall not stop to inquire. Mid whether wo have stated the con siderations correctly or not, sure we are that thcEvangelicalMotive to Obedience exactly corresponds to the statement. It is supremely excellent and powerful, It is fitted to command and sway the aet ings of the whole man. It is able to dis possess and expel every other affection from the seat of permanent influence in the heart. As says Chalmers: "The motive is adequate to the movement The effect is great but the cause is equal o it,—and stupen does as the moral resur rection to the precepts of Christianity undoubtedly is, there is an element of strength enough to give it being and continuance in the principles of Chris tanity." This grand motive is grateful love to a personal Redeemer. It is not regard for an abstraction, or for a mere system of truth, or for an existing reality so re mote -as to be beyond our sympathy. It is not regard merely for a great and benevolent being, who has put the race in general under obligation. It contem plates a marvellous act and dispensation of love, reaching from eternity past to eternity future, descending from the bos6m of the Creator in the way of sac rifice, upon guilty and perishing indi viduals. Its source is in the perception, by faith of divine love to sinners. It springs from wonder at the length and breadth and depth and heighth of the love of Christ, which passes knowledge. It flows from such a sight as the Holy Spirit gives of the infinite wisdom, glory, goodness, power and grace of God in the atonement; of the fitness, amiability and all-sufficiency of the person of Christ; of the amazing blessedness and benefi ceuce of his design in that work, and es pecially from a view, and souk of the personal relation of the work of Christ to oneself; the assurance more or less clear, that we are included in the vast scope of its gracious, saving influence. Such a view is attended with a large, all-encircling, overwhelming, yet sweet sense of obligation. It commands the service of the whole man. Feeling him self, and his whole race surrounded and upberne from destruction by infinite love, what less can the believer do than to breathe back that ransomed being in grateful lote Y He is personally indebt- incri )(4ll ( 4 , e t :tilltt + "D --- rrit New Series, Vol. I, No. .23. ed to Christ, for untold favors obtained for him by untold sacrifices ; all that is worth having in this' life and worth seeking in eternity, is Christ's personal gift to him, indiVidually. The great question between his guilty soul and the broken law of a holy God has been set tled by Christ himself bearing the Ten alty for him. He hastens to renounce his right to himself. Ho is Christ's, pur chased with a price. As the great in spired example of Christian devotedness, Paul,. said : " For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died . for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but . unto him which died for them and rose again." And again : " I am crucified with Christ ; nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Such was the com pleteness of his absorptiOn in grateful love, that will, and life, and being, seem ed swallowed up in Christ. And in.pro portion as Christ in his glorious charac ter, infinite condescension, and unspeak able love and sacrifice is manifested to us by the Spirit, will he take like control of our natures. Undoubtedly we want this intimate, personil, practical knowledge of the love of Christ. We need to take it home' to ear hearts as a matter of individual in debtectßiess, It is a moving power of irresistible force. It becomes the master passion of the soul, in whie h italone can rule by divine right. It is the strong man armed that binds the old usurpers of worldliness, and pride, and self, and spoils them of theirUnlawfulpossessions. It is this that expels the-old carnal affec tions, and replaces, by its own fullness and blessing the void they would have left in the heart. It is this mighty con, straining love of Christ that makes it reasonable, and to some extent compre hensible, how the corrupt and ol?s,timite : will of man, hardened- :in irreligion; in self-righteousness, in superstition and in paganism can be reached and subdued and transforMed to prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God; how Saul could be changed into Paul; how an abandoned Gardiner could become a humble, exemplary and devout Christian. These and the thousand mar vels of the history of Christian experi ence flow from the constraining love of Christ. " There is nothing in this to thwart or overbear any of the laws of our sentient nature—in fullest accor dance with the mechanism of the heart a great moral revolution may be made to take place upon it." Yes, reader ! The truly unnatural thing is, for any believer, in full view of the work and character of the blessed Redeemer, to withold from him the deep gratitude and the supreme co. § al,ofhis heart. Oh for affections that p 'omptly yield ,to the sweet and, powerful attrac tions of Redeeming Lo\re! Then consis tent, happy, efficient lives would follow; then more Pauls would bless the Church and the line of heroes would move un broken through the Church's history. SIMULTANEOUS COLLECTION. At the late General, Assembly at Day ton, among the many cheering and enli vening signs of the times, as regards our denominational activities, was the .re port upon the Publication cause. The account rendered of 4s stewardship by the Committee was full of encourage ment, and the action of the Assembly responded to its cheering tones. The list of new tracts and books, varied in character and - weight and object, gave pleasing evidence of progTess infulfilling the ends for which the Committee was raised. The increase in donations re ceived for the general purposes of the Committee in the absence of any agency, showed an advance in the interest of the churches in the cause that sustained the grateful acknowledgments of books and tracts which came up from many quarters ; and the progress of the effort to raise $50,000 for a permanent busineSs capital for the Committee, by lifting the cause above financial embarrassment, added to the cheerfulness of its position and prospects, The report of Dr. Curtis, of Elmira, N. Y., Chairman of the committee to whom the subject was referred, was a piquant and pithy document. It will be given in our next paper. It strongly PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1864. " commended and recommended," the work in the past and for the future closing with the - . Resolution.—That the General Assem-,, bly recommend to every congregation, in connection with it which has not already contributed its just proportion of the $50,000, or made arrangements to do so, to' take up a collection yor the pur pose on the fourth Sabbath of June. An animated discussion followed the report of Dr. Curtis, and many valuable thoughts were thrown out as to the duty . 'of the church to use the Press, to give through it to.our country and the world the truths that are preached from our pulpits by word of mouth. The senti ments.of the report met the concurrence of the Assembly, and , the resolition directing a simultaneous collection was adopted. The important question is whethek our churches will give efficacy to the Assem bly's resolution. Collections will un doubtedly be made in many churches at the time appointed. Shall it be a simultaneous collection? Shall it be a success ? It will be if every church does its duty. Let our Pastors and intelli gent Elders see to, it that the church members have- an oPportunity to con tributeto this important branch of our missionary work. With this $50,000 for their capital, our committee will buo,ble . to issue such book - s,aswo need ; and also to use more freely the annual collections ,in their gratuitons diStribution. In a portion of the Churches $30,000 has been Kbacribed ; from the remainder $20,000 will be received, if each church, large or sma,ll, does " its just proportion" of the whole. - Let . : us do justice to our high position as a branch of the church, by putting our Publication enterprise upon a firm footing for usefulness, We can do it with ease by a united effort. THE CONGREGATIOITAI l',"aratENT mnlS OITY. Readers, who have seen: or heard a great deal of the movement for estab lishing Congregational churches • - . 4L3.: - Philaderphili,4lll naturally 14664'; account of the enterprise in our columns. -It has been announced with considerable eclat and extensive advertiSing. and large estimates of the movement have been raised abroad and, perhaps, among its friends here also. The council which convened in this city on Wednesday of last week, composed of Rev. Dr. Bacon and Kirk, Messrs. Beecher, Gulliver and other ministers, with lay delegates from various parts Of New England and New York, recognized three Congregational churches as existing in Philadelphia. 1. The " First Congregational chureli'' with its pastor, Rev. D. L. Gear, were, until within about a year, connected with what is called the Christian body lan Onus and feeble denomination, which is principally noted for vego tarianisra," with other peculiarities less known. The church had enjoyed but a moderate degree of success and of repu tation under its former relations; when; without receiving any infusion of tan elements that We can leain, it *as suddenly heard of as a Congregational church—as the First Congregational 1 Church of Philadelphia. By and by, the title attracted the attention of zealous Congregationalists here, who nursed it with considerable care and some outlay of money. Its condition and prospects are better. 2. The " Second Congregational Church," is also a case of sudden con version. To present the case fully, we , must go back some three or four years in the history of this congregation„ when the removal of Rev. A. A. Willits to Brooklyn, left the First Reformed: Dutch Church of this city, without a pastor. From circumstances not neces-, sary to. explain, there was a strong Arminian eleMent in that church, which succeeded in electing a minister of sant-- jar predilections to the pastoral office, , " This was Rev. Geo. W. Smiley, D. 4;', then of the Methodist church, a, prezehef of ability and attractive:manners, and of excellent personal character. But the Classis very naturally were dissatisfied with Dr. Smiley's doctrinal views, and refused to instal him. The majority; however, insisted on retaining him, and endeavored to establish themselves with Dr. S. in the enjoyment of the church property. The case came before our courts, and, Judge Allison pronounced the decision that Arminians could not enjoy rights vested in members of Dutch Reformed churches, and the majority, Genesee Evangelist, No. 942. with Dr. S., was compelled to. yield. This is very singularly complained of by , a writer in the Independent, who is deep in this whole movement, as " a .trampling, under foot of the chartered rights of the majority, by a minority !" And Dr. S. and his adherents are spoken of as deeply injured ink the transaction I It is well for us to know, at this stage, whit principles of church order and property rights this development of Congregationalism intends to recognize, and what means of gaining a foothold among. us, it will feel free, in the fu ture, to practice. Since Judge Allison's decision, the justice and wisdom of which have hith-, erto passedunquestioned,* the experien ces of the congregation have been vari ous. Overtures with a view to church fellowship, more or less direct, have been made by them, with their pastor elect, to several evangelical denominations, , in fact to _nearly all except' Baptists, Methodists and Old School Presbyteri ans; and while all, doubtless, had the kindest feelings towards the individuals concerned, the decided, unalterable, Ar rainkanism of Dr. Smiley was an obsta cle to their reception, that could not be removed or overcome. Certainly, this was the difficulty in similar approaches very recently made to ourpwn 'body, The most liberal-minded Calvie:ists among us, upon mature delibcraVf"on, saw no al ternative but, to declii.ie the proffered - . connection. It we;uld have involved. nothing less thany a flat contradiction or lour plainest cicictrinal winciples. 1 But thelate council in the Academy (of Music found no such difficulty. It world be an insult to a gentleman of D4'.Smiley's age a.lia intellect to suppose 1 P- I de had und , ,y r o rte a doctrinal transfor-, I.Wation of serious character in the lapse lof three lunations. lie was taken doubt ! less "for better or for worse", (doctrin- 1 Lcally speaking) by the zealous apostles of Congregationalism, who were re ,ently among us. In this part of tho , proceedings, they have made it pretty Vidortekwhat phase of -congregational ism it is which they designed to intro duce. A reSpectable morning journal of this city, the 'United States Gazette, will have to' correct a statement which it made on Thursday, as to the affinities of Congregationalism. It said; The Congregationalists differ in noth ing, we believe, from New School Pres byterians, except in their form of church . ' government. Each church is indepen dent in itself, and the body has no Sy nods or Presbyteries. Otherwise the church is much the same as any other Orthodox and Calvinistic society. Some time ago we might not have ob jected to this statement. If we do so now, it is because - the Qengreg,ationaliski tbniseives compel us. A mere accurate l!statement seems to have been made ,tf few days previously by the Press, t:which speaking of Congregationali sm keaid : • . The ecclesiastical denocracv, which oes: not recognize ••any power but 'the l iltajority-of the worshipping congrega rtien, peculiar to New England, and there exists in its - strength. . . . The I,progress of this sentiment, which is cer tainly simple and plain and all-embra ' eing, which does not trouble its believer with any nice or exclusive points of the ology, marks an, epoch, &c. Although the adherenee of these two churches is chronicled with many a Iflourish, we do not think a great _deal -of dependence is placed upon them in the work contemplated by the movers. The churches -have no affinities for each mother, and none, of any depth, for Con gregationalism. The New England ele .ments in them mast be of homoeopathic proportions. Congregationalism is to them simply a refuge from an anoma lous and unplaitsant position. Elements lost from one body by disaffection,are not usually a saline of great strength to :the body receiving thorn. That some thing like this is in the minds of our 0. ealous friends, will presently appear. 3. - ,The " Central Congregational Church" is the really new organization, made up entirely of New England .ele ments. And in regard to such an en terprise, if indeed; orthodox New Eng land Congregationalists coming among us felt it a serious privation to be with out their familiar form of church gov ernment; if they regarded the differ ence between themselves and other kin dred denominations so great and so important as to make it a duty for *Judge A.'s decision was emphatically reaffirmed by the Supreme Court, to which the rase was subsequently marled, by, appeal. them to found a distinct organization ; if they could not with comfort and edi fication sit under the preaching of such men as Mr. Barnes,. Mr. Adams, or Mr. March ; if they eannot be happy as Christians or perform their whole part in extending the Bedeemers's king.d.om, except as a strictly Congregational body, who shall say aught against it? • In such a case, we should be prep ed to give them a hearty " God speed," and would rejoiCest the prospect of avigor ous, working, - Congregational church, in this city, diffusing an evangelical in fluence around it, such as many noble churches of that order are doing both in and out of New England. How is it with this new Central Congregational Chnreb ? To some limited extent, doubtless, its elements are of the kind abe,7e. describ ed ; of themselves theywoo:tick, however,. be totally inadequate• to the. needs of a church organization. It is resiless, un scrupulous, prepagandissm which must do the rest, and which har4 been exceed ingly busy , in tryiug to do it, for months past. New Euglund families comfor tably and contsrAtedly settled, in our chi: miles, many of them under pastors recently from New England, haVe been visited und urged to abandontheir con neeCons and ally themselves with the .net, undertaking. This has been done trAder circumstances, which we perso 'Rally know to be peculiarly irritating and discourteous, to use no stronger lan guage. The new church must be com posed larg,ely of elements detached, by such methods, from congenial, happy and useful church connections, if it is to be--of the imposing character implied in the bulletins announcing its advent. So say the leaders themselves in their " Appeal" published in the Independent of May 19th. - "It is impossible that Congregational churches should ever be founded in Philadelphia, unless those *ho are Con gregationalist in principle, but who have joined other churches, shall unite in founding theni,”, From this frank avowal, we may see how little reliance is placed upon such organizations as the "First" and " Sec ond Congregational churches" in the advancement of the objects' really con templated. They sound well enough in the enumeration, but after all, the only possibility of the success of Congrega tionalism in this City, depends upon the degree in which the propagandists can disturb and deplete other evangelical churches, particularly those nearest to their own. It is to be a process of tear ing down, as much as building up, for a considerable time tt least. How this third or Ceutral" Church will succeed, is, we presume, matter of uncertainty to the projectors 'themselves. Whether they have completed the MUM of 140 families connected with other churches, whether they design returning again and, again to the task, with printed doc uments, as well ,as personal appeals, we know 114 These are, the facts in the case, over which the Independont and its corres pondents are so jubilant. From the three articles on the subject, published in the paper of May - 19th, we gather such expressions as these : "It is harvest-time for Congregation alism in Philadelphia." " The Phila delphia movement is hearty and genu ine. We predict that it will in time prove to be one of the greatest successes of Congregationalism, whether in or out of New England. Earnest and able men are engaged in the work, who will ac cept no result but success. May they have the blessing of the Great Head of the Church !" Deep strategy is involved in the move ment. The Appeal says :_ " There are circanastianceswhichdes iguate this as the opportunity which we have only to improve that we may plant our cause on sure foundations. We are not at liberty at present to state what these all are: the statement might tend to overthrow. There are reputed charms which a word may break." In the meantime, as was to be expect ed, our best and most valuable New England men remain contentedly in their former connections. Some sort of Congregationalism is indeed likely to succeed in our city; our readers may judge of what sort it is. Our objections to it are four : (1.) It is intensely sec tarian--" High Church." (2.) It is un scrupulous in its policy. (3) It holds out encouragements to the disaffected in other denominations. (4.) Its doc trinal position is uncertain. TER~/S~ By mail, $2.00 per annum, in advance. 2 50 ,<, after-amonths. By carrier, 50 cents additional for delivery. CX4I7 - 338_ Ten or more papers sent by maki to one church or locality, or in the city to one.addresa By mail s $1.60 per annum. By carriers, 2.00 , c 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 be returned. Ministers and Ministers' Widows- supplied at club rates. Home missionaries at sllper annual. POS'PAGZ. —Five cents quarterly, in advance, to be paid by subscribers at the office of de. livery. II ars of lb Chubs Hosts MosloNs.--Alton Presbytery, with a membership of less than 1400, `has contributed 41424.05 i to Home Missions, an average. Of More, than 8? cents per member: The, average of the whole Church is about SO , cents a mere ber. That of the Preewtery of Pitts burgh is nearly V pen- member ; of the ,Presbytery of' Wilmington less than 20 eents ; Philadelphia & Third, about 70 cents ; Philadelphizt Fourth, 35 cents ; B arrisburg g . nearly *0 'cents ; District of Columbia ) , 1 4 3 cents New York Third, 52 cents.; New York Fourth, nearly $1 75;,Brooklyn, over 95 Cents; Newark, nearly 50 cents ; Buffalo, about 70 cents ; Rochester, about 54 cents ; _Niagara, 60 cents ; Cayuga, 72 cents ; Utica, nearly 60 cents ; Albany-, $1 17 ; Salem, Ind., I 58 cents ; Illinois, over TO cents ; Chicago, near 90 cents; Atoumoutla, 87 cents ; St. Louis, $2 62 ; San Jose, 54 cents. REASONS FOR ABBENOE.—We learn from the Presbytery Reporter that Illinois Presbytery has a rule requiring minis ters that are absent and. churches not represented, to report by letter the reason for non-attendance, which reasons are to be placed on the minutes. A very excellent arrangement. Immois.—At the late meeting of this Presbytery, held in the Second Porta gese Church, Springfield, Rev. F. H. N ew t on w a s reeeiyed from the (0. 5.) Presbytery of Mo. The Portugese Church of Sacksonville, composed of exiles of Madeira, was taken under care of the body. Mr. W. R. Adams was or dained as an evangelist. Much spiritual and temporal prosperity is-reported. THE PRESBYTERY OF WABASH ordained Mr. P. S. Smith to labor as an Evange list at New Providence, Ind. The first person whom. he received into the church, says the Reporter, wore the military uniform of his country. PERU, IND.—The First Presbyterian Church of Peru, Ind., has increased the salary of its minister from $BOO to $lOOO. Twelve years ago this church was able to offer its minister, then a Theological student, only s32s—and of that amount $75 was obtained from the Home Mis sionary Society.—Christian Herald. ST. JOSEPH, Mo.—At a special meeting of Lexington Presbytery, held on the 4th inst., at this promising locality on the Missouri, Rev. R B. Parsons, late of Laconville, was installed Pastor of the new Church. CHURCH OF THE COVENANT, N. Y. CITY. —This church was organized three and a half years ago, Dr. Prentifis, pastor. A church edifice is going up on a com manding site on lf.tarrfty Hill. The chapel in thq rear was opened with 11 17C>priate services, May 22nd. The main edifice will be finished in six months. PASTORS REMEMBERED. - Congrega tions who have not yet. rendered that aid to their paftors which the exigen cies of the time demand, need not hest tate on the supposition thal. the good practice has gone out of season. Shell deeds are always in order. Here are two instances clipped from a single number Of the Evangelist, sufficient to keep up the fashion and relieve other churches of any awkwardness they might feel at being singular. Rev. John G. Atterbury, Pastor of the Second Church, New Albany, as he was about leaving to attend the recent anni versary of Lane Seminary, was. present ed with a purse of $4lB. This is in addition to a regular salary, liberal Christmas gifts, and the expending, a year ago, of about four thousand dollars in the purchase and fitting a parsonage. Rev. Dr. S. 11. Gridley, who has been for twenty odd years the able and hon ored Pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Waterloo, has recently received a "testimonial" of the affectionate re gards of his people, in the .shape of a purse with $520 in it. PRESBYTERY OF DELAWARE.--There but one settled pastor in the bounds of this Presbytery. A correspondent of the Evangelist says of the recent meet ing Most of the session was spent in de votional milieus, and in the discussion of the question, How shall the feeble Churches in our bounds be supplied with the Gospel? A committee was appoint ed to make a thorough exploration of the condition of the destitute Churches, and report at the next meeting of Pres bytery. Rev. William T. Doubleday was dismissed to the .Litchfield North Association, being Pastor elect of the Church in Goshen, Conn.
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