The American Presbyterian GENESEE EVANGELIST. religious AND family newspaper Ef 188 UOTBBST OP THE Constitutional Presbyterian Church, PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY, AT THE PRESBYTERIAN HOUSE 1334 Chestnut Street, (2d Story,) Philadelphia. Bev. JOHN W. HEARS, Editor and Publisher. CONTENTS OF Letter from 5arat0ga.....250 Centralization andlndi- vidualism 2(0 Thomas Chalmers 260 Honorable Exception 260 Missionary Items. 260 Editor’s Table 261 Literary Items 261 Second Advent. 261 Germs of the BeantifnL.264 Gradatim 264 LETTEBS BY THE SEA. Cape Island, August 6, 1864. Farewell for a season to the Maples 1 Not enough of healing influence fails from your.pleasant, musical shadow for. one worn with the cares and burdens of an editor’s life in these trying times. A balmier influence, a stronger stimulus, more medicinal, more reviving is needed; and whither shall we turn for relief but to that ample and potent refuge for the overtasked and ailing, for the hrain we*ry and the heat-worn, which God has provided in the neighboring ocean? O thou deep treasure-house of health and vigourf thou birthplace of the cool and quickening breezes, thou “ broad belt of the world”—with thy “ glows and glories,” thy indescribable endless Changes, thy vastness and thy mystery, thy majestic chant to the shore, ‘the voice of the great Creator’ continually sounding in our charmed ears, thou'art a refreshment and a joy forever! The heat of the dog-star cannot tame thee to stillness and lay thy airs into breathless, silence. Thy great heart, linked to celestial movements, throhs with a vast er life than this, and thou bearest greater and more enduring than earthly gifts from the Creator to his pining creatures. Away then to the surf; drink the balm-inspired breeze; inhale with every breath the invigorat ing sea-salts that have been manipulated in the great laboratory of nature; rush to meet The league-long roller thundering cm the boach as eagerly as if to embrace a long absent friend. Groat as was the blessing and com fort of neighboring sea-sbores in the times of stage and steamboat merely, it is much enhanced by the progress of railroad communication -with the water ing-places. Cape Island is worth double, in a hygienic point of view, to our citi zens, since the West Jersey and con nected railroads have fully reached the place. The length and fatigue of the journey are reduced one-half, and the frequency of the trips—three a day make it comparatively easy for business men to spend part, if not the whole of each week with their families, ready at a telegraphic summons to move rapidly in either direction as interest or plea sure may require. Luxurious cars are provided on the route, and scarcely four hours elapse from the time of leaving the foot of Walnut street, until we reach by three railroads, yet without change of cars, the handsome new station-house of the Cape May and Millville Railroad, five minutes walk from the edge of the town. It is partly owing to these fa cilities, that the Island is more thronged this season than for years past. It is computed that there are no less than seven thousand visitors in the place. Hotels and cottages are crammed to overflowing, yet hundreds are still com ing daily by rail, and doubtless a goodly number every other day by the boat. Prices range from $l2 to $25 per week, just double the usual charges. Dress and gayety aro very much as usual, no more, no less than in former times. Mere pleasure-seekers are just as nu merous doubtless—the atmosphere, on the whole, much as if our nation were in peace and prosperity. Certainly if the war has told upon the national abil ity or hopes or spirits generally, this is not the place to see it. Amid the gay throng of bathers, riders and promena ders, one soon comes to doubt whether anything Berious is truly the matter with us. And are we wholly to find fault with this unconquerable elasticity, and to brand it as heaven-defying levity and pour but lamentations upon it, as proof of the ripeness of our people for the destroying hand of the Almighty? To some extent wo should doubtless be justified in so treating it; yet not alto gether. Many Christian people among these seemingly gay visitors, and many loyal and true men and women, with all their disappointment at temporary reverses, have such an abiding faith in their cause as that of justice and of God, that they can bo cheerful and enjoy this enjoyable place. - INSIDE PAGES. A Hundred Years. .264 Birth Day Gift.... Tom Thome’s Troubles.2s4 One of Uncle Sam’s 8«5264 Seo’ry Fessenden’s Ap- P®el--.. 256 Paul’s Weakness 265 Negro Bishop. 266 U. S. Christian Commis sioll Series, Vol. I, ISTo. 3S. The truth seems to be, that the nation is settling itself down to the stern work now on its hands. Our business at pre sent, and for some considerable time to come, perhaps, is war . It is a terrible business; it involves great calamities; it brings desolation in its track; it would seem to plunge one side at least into the barbarities of an unenlightened age; its issue, though including the very existence, of our country, the per petuity of Republican govemmentin the world, and-very peculiarly the welfare of four millions of slaves, seems 'some times placed in jeopardy. No man can with certainty predict the end. But God in his providence has laid it, with all its vicissitudes and burdens, upon ns, and we are squaring our shoulders and adapting onr plans to the business. Shall we therefore expel all enjoyment and recreation from our national exis tence? Shall we dress our whole land in mourning and make music and laugh ter a sin ? This, at any rate, is not the rule in our armies, and would not be suffered by military authorities to be in culcated upon our soldiers. We do not believe a single army chaplain preaches any such doctrine to his hearers. Nor do we think the nation should put on such an attitude. The very vastness, nobleness and hopefulness of the work in which we are engaged as champions of social order, of republican govern ment and of liberty to the slave, in the greatest conflict for these principles that the world has known, may well fill ns with exalted feelings, and with a deep joyfulness, inconsistent indeed with fri volity, riotousness and mad excess of every kind, leading often to deep thought, to profound sympathy with every; phase of, the changing struggle, to prayer and penitence, hut also pro ducing a steady-hopefulness amid mis- fortune, and a readiness to eatch every favorable aspect, to give a favorable in terpretation to every uncertain indica tion, and perfectly consistent with and even tributary to the common joys and recreations of men. Let secessionists and traitors scowl and denounce these fleasures; true men and Christians should be cheerful while fulfilling their great, difficult yet practicable and glorious work. The Lord is our strength and our song, he is become our salvation. The voice of rejoicing is heard in the tabernacles of the righteous. POPISH PERYERTS AND ROMISH UNITY. Most of us remember the flourish of Roman Catholic trumpets over the so called conversion of Orestes A. Brown sou. We who knew him, had only this to say of the bargain, that if they were satisfied, we were. The kind of capital which he has brought into their trading stock, unity, may be' estimated by tak ing up almost any current number of their cis-Atlantic papers. For example the Yery Rev. Dr. Moriarty writes as follows in “ The Universe,” of ! this city, of July 23 ; This wretched Brownson has been for a considerable time endeavoring in private, -by his slanderous talk, to do more harm than he has yet attempted in public. It is true that, like the scor pion, he is stinging himself, but as there is something of the cobra snake in him, it is well to wrench out his fang. I will, when more at leisure, give a twist to the animal; in fhe meantime, I send you a blow from the Dublin Review, which I beg you will apply with the potency of the Universe, and it will serve to lay out Sir Towser ior further operations. Print the entire article, If you can.” In an editorial of the same number,' The Universe, “the oldest Catholic pa per in the United States,” gives the following additional touches to the por trait, at the close of an article of more than two columns, which, to say the least, is rather uncomplimentary. We may remark by the way, that Brown son’s offence this time consists in beard ing the Pope on the great question on which he is at issue with the Christian wdrld—-civil liberty. The Universe ex claims : “ What now is to he thought of Dr. Brownson? He is at once a Yoltaire and a Garibaldi. The arch-infidel never surpassed him in irreligious abuse of the Papacy. The arch-revolutionist never suggested worse conduct than he has in regard to Rome. And this re viewer calls himself a Catholie, —an obe dient son of the Church! It is false. He is no Catholic. He is no son of the Church. The Church disclaims him. He is a vain, audacious, irreligious, .ma lignant libeller and revolutionist against God’s Church, and nothing else. There PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1864. is his review to prove. Let all Catho lics repudiate him. -He is true to noth ing hut tortuousness. To patronize his “ Review” is to uphold the worst defama tion and invasion ever let loose against the Church.” In the personal aspects of the pase, we have simply a fresh illustration of what we long since found to be the general fact, that perversions never add any strength to the cause of the Papacy. In onr own country, we have seen no single exception to this fact. These perversions, just at the time of their oc currence, answer a temporary purpose. They serve for a shout. The papers and altars are jubilant, and the people are told that the days of heresy are soon to be numbered. But, beyond this, no Anglo-American pervert, has proved of any service to Rome.- When his quality came to be examined, he was found to he either use less lumber, or, as in the case before us, an unmitigated pest. A man like Brownson, who, in the matter of de nominationalism, has pretty much box ed the compass, and everywhere proved, himself unbearable, could not he expect ed to change his restlessness and spirit of domination into the abject servility which is an essential qualification for good service in a church where one alone is to think, while all the others unquestioning perform. As indicative of the vaunted unity of Rome, this controversy was not needed to show what that claim is worth. The Papacy from its earliest records, has reeled from side to side" under the alter nate sway of the fiercest factions which have ever embittered the peace of a church. Between rival and often hostile societies and orders, strifes in its internal policy which the secular arm has more than once been invoked to quell, and disputes like the present respecting the character and extent of the Papal prerogative, there has beeru no century, from the days of Gregory down, in which it has not been the scene of violent discords—sometimes the most violent of the age in which they occurred. It is true that the most delectable holocaust of the auto-da-fe has been reserved as a special compliment for heretics; hut intolerance of spirit has been quite as lavish where no taint of heresy lay. AMERICAN BOARD—A SUGGESTION. “ A friend of the Board,” through the Boston Recorder, suggests that, in view of the embarrassments into which the condition of the currency is likely to throw the Board, a large portion of the usual expenses of attending the annual meeting be this year diverted to the immediate relief of the Treasury. “ Would it not,” says the writer “be well fqr those who contemplate attending the coming annual meeting, to forego that pleasure, and send the money which they would spend in the journey, back and forth, to the treasury of the Board? Let those who would be inclined to extend their hospitality to the attend ants on the meeting, contribute the ex penses of their hospitality, also, to the treasury of the Board. There can he no doubt, many a Christian delights in being hospitable on such occasions, yet it costs him something. Would he not equally delight to give that something, be it great or small, directly to the Lord’s Treasury ? Let the Board meet and do its business ; and let the would be-spectators stay at home, and send their would-be-expenses to the Treasur er ; and it will do the cause more good than their presence. I would be very much pleased to attend the meeting, hut it would cost me at least forty dollars. Now, if I can send this to the Board, it will accomplish infinitely more good than I could possibly do by looking at them. Will not some act on this sug gestion?” Snubbed. —The would-be negotiator is on a rampage for notoriety. As the following will take pretty much the rounds of the papers, he is likely enough to get it. Wbsubmit it as a decidedly “ safe conduct ” to out-of-doors. Executive Mansion, 1 Washington, July 13th, 1864. } “ Sir : In the exercise of my duty as secretary in charge of the President’s correspondence, it is necessary for m@ to use a certain discretion in the choice of letters to be submitted to the perso nal inspection of the President. In order to avoid a further waste of time on your part, I have ,to inform you that your letters are never so submitted. My proceeding in this matter has the sanction of the President. “ I am, sir, very truly, your obedient se™t, John Hay “ Wm. Cornell Jewett, etc., etc., etc.” THE ARMY AS A FIELD FOR BELI- GIOUS EFFORTS. The question whether the country could now spare the Christian Commission, has ceased to be ope of- debate. Its temporal relief aspects would alone be sufficient to settle it. The conception of distributing help on so magnificent a scale, by the im mediate hand of the Commission itself, malting it, through its delegates, personally cognizant of each individual case of need, and bringing itself into personal contact with each sufferer, is perhaps the grandest which human-benevolence ever invoked. We believe the country is now well awak ened to appreciate this feature in the work of the Commission. We only wish that the same amount of interest might follow its higher labors for the salvation of souls in the army. We wish that a deep and active sym pathy m this part of its work, were univer sal among our people; we expect it from Christian people. For whom is it asked ? For men whose calling exposes them to the highest spiritual danger. With all the necessity which has driven us into war; with all the justifying elements which we rightly attach to our side of the contest, and with all the loftiness of sentiment which inspires our armies, still it is impossible to ignore thc fact that it is war, and that the moral tendencies of war are always had—superlatively bad. Nowhere else is human nature so loosened from almost all outward virtuous restraints, as in camp-life; no passions towards enemies are so hellish as those which war naturally inspires ; and no employments are in themselves so adapted to barbarise our natures, and turn our hu manities into Satanism, as the butcheries of war, and the exultation in them—an exul tation that is always high in proportion to the amount of slaughter. If, as in the present case, we accept war as an awful neceesity, there is no higher Christian duty of the hour, than to surround the men whom we thrust into these soul-perils with every pos sible protecting influence against these cor rupting tendencies of war. That such would be the moral exposures of our soldiers, we might have known, either .from the nature, or from all the past histo ■ But sad to say, after three years experience of our- own, the proof is mofe-tangible in the seen results before us. We are proud to say that the world never witnessed the gathering of an army of more magnificent personal qualities than that which has sprung to the defense of our go vernment. But with all our honest glorying in tbeif high standing as men, their intelli gence, their patriotism, and their self-conse cration to the country, the fact everywhere stares us in the face, that among sinners in the army,’ the downward course has been awfully rapid. They learn the worst of hu man vices, and they learn them fast. We are glad to say that many bright spots rest upon this picture. The success which has attended religious efforts among our sol diers has been wonderfully great. Revivals and conversions have rolled up their records of what has been,as the earnest of athousand fold more that may yet be, and certainly will be If- the church has the faith and heart for effort ha such a crisis as the present. - It isthe cases which havqnot been reached by.thgse holy counteracting agencies, which demonstrate the corrupting influence of war upofy the spiritual nature, the morals, and all |hG gentle amenities of life. Travel in our (jars when they are crowded with fur loughed soldiers, or re-enlisted veterans with'their pocketsfilled with bounty-money; put up at the hotels where they are staying, or attempt to sleep where along the street night is made hideous with their carousals; listen, to the language used, aud hear scorn expressed toward all that is dear to the Christian heart, and you cannot resist the belief that so many could not have carried to the war such wickedness of heart as they have; brought away. More than this, you cannon but be impressed with this alterna tive,, that, under God, we must make haste to roll down upon them a tide of salvation, ; or they will soon roll back upon us, an over- ■ wheljtning spiritual desolation. The call for such effort as works directly to the eternal salvation of the soldier, is very loud in view of his incessant exposure to sud den death. He knows this well enough, but if he is out of Christ and careless in sin, he obtains calmness under this exposure, by cultivating a recklessness of death. The Christian view of the tenure by which the unconverted soldier holds his life, is a terri ble one, A column marching into the blaze of a battery.does it, not under the possibility or even probability that some may fall, but under,the certainty that more or less of them will, a few moments, go into the presence of their final Judge. Where, in all the world;!.is the call for swift, faithful and abun dant Christian labor -so imperative, as for men qho so emphatically walk where there is but a step between them and death, and many of whom have sought no other prepa ration for it, but that of carelessness respect ing the issue ? There is one aspect to the spiritual perils of our soldiers, which, in some respects, is the gravest of all. We can but glance at it, but we challenge for it the very earnest thought of evangelical Christians. We refer to the false estimate which, ‘fn times of high Genesee E-vang-elist, No. 951. The Treasurer’s acknowledgement of receipts in our present number, speaks nobly. We are not at this moment aware of the amount yet wanting to fill up the quota specified by the Assembly, $50,000,00, but at least two thirds of it must be already secured. For the re mainder, the Committee must look to the churches and people who have not yet contributed; and with the examples of punctuality before them, they ought soon to respond. It must be they will do it. The enterprise will then have a comfortable working capital, and its usefulness, already well felt, will be greatly enlarged. patriotic feeling, is apt to be placed UD on their true perils. 1 There is no disguising the fact that, wheth er in a defined or undefined shape, the no tion is widely prevalent that patriotism is good religion for the soldier, and that in dying for his country, he dies a sanctified death. The doctrine has a most amiable attire, and we can easily think how strongly it appeals to the sensibilities of people, whpn they think of those who have died bravely for their country, but who lived without any positive Christian character. Still it is a perfect Mahomedanism, and false from every Christian point of view. The soldier going to war, changes none of his relations to the law of Cod, or to the gospel of Christ. For the soldier and the civilian, there is the same one law of religion for the life and preparation for death. There is nothing in the soldierly consecration to make good the same heart which in a civilian would be bad; there is nothing in a shell from a rebel fort to give a claim upon heaven to the departing spirit which, had it taken its flight from a dying chamber at home, would have gone only to meet God’s judgment of eternal wTath. The soldier’s delusion that, if he dies in battle, God will accept his devotion to the country .as good religion, must be broken up before he will come to Christ for true fitness for death. And here at home we must al learn to put the right estimate upon his spiritual responsibilities and perils, or we shall not rightly bear him in prayer before God, or do what the indications of provi dence at this moment so solemnly require of us for his soul’s salvation. So far as effort has been made, success has been wonderfully great. But the field widens; the agencies of sin are thickening in number, and be coming more desperate in character ; battles are more anymore destructive of life; and the whole history of what has been done, and the whole view of the work now needed, tells that there is no time to loose. Men for whom we may labor to-day, will be in eter nity to-morrow. B. B. H. MISSIONARY HOUSE, BOSTON, To the Editor or the American Presbyterian — Dear Sir: Ab there is much anxiety, on the part of the friends of the A. B. C. F. M., to receive the latest information in regard to its finan cial prospects, will yon have the good ness to say, that the receipts for July have exceeded $61,000, hut that $115,000 will be needed within the present month, if the year is to close without a serious deficiency. This may seem to many a very formidable amount; but never has there been such a “ willing mind” among the churches as there is now. Within a few days the treasurer has received $5OOO from Providence, and $5OOO from Hartford. Persons of large means and small means, in different parts of the country, seem to be alike desirous of doing what they can. It is quite clear, therefore, that the sum of $115,000 can be secured prior to September 1. In view of the exceeding desirableness of an unembarrassed treasury, will not the patrons of the Board see that it is received? Yery respectfully yours, S. B. Treat, - Home Secretary. DR. SUNDERLAND’S DEPARTURE’ Dr. Sunderland left Washington on Tuesday morning, and is' followed with the gratitude and blessings of many. We all regret the necessity which com pels his leaving Washington for a sea son. I send you some extracts from his sermon on the Sabbath. It was a most eloquent and impressive discourse. On Monday night was held a farewell meet ing in the church, largely attended by the clergy of the city and the members of the various churches. At this meeting the members of the First Presbyterian Church presented to their pastor a purse of five hundred dol lars. The addresses from different pas tors and ministers of the city were of a character to greatly cheer and comfort the Dr. in the sorrow of separation. OUR PUBLICATION ENDOWMENT, By mail, $2.50 per j'Bnum, in advance. ' 11 300 (< “ ... after 3m on tbs. By carrier, 50 cents additio. na l for delivery Ten or more papers sent by ma G to one church or locality, or in the city to one 1 addressi* By mail, $2.00 per annum. By carriers. 2.50 “ To save trouble, cluo subscriptions must commence at the same date, be paid strictly ir advance, in a single remittance, for which one receipt will be returned. Ministers and Ministers’ Widows supplied at club rates. Home missionaries at $1.50 per an. Postage.—Five cents quarterly in advance, to be paid by subscribers at the" office of de livery. flu ifawte. Revival at Red Wing, Min.—A correspondent forwards us, through the St. Paul Press, the following account of the labors of Rev. E. P. Hammond, at the place mentioned. The letter is to the Press, under date of July 16: Rev. E. P. Hammond, the Evangelist.— Mr. Hammond has just spent a week in our place, holding children’s meetings every morning, and preaching every night. He came not to labor, but to recreate, being worn out with his un ceasing labors for many months. Yet he could not resist, when there seemed such readiness and desire on every hand to listen to his words and yield to the claims of the Gospel he presented. He therefore held Union meetings twice and great good has been done. Our town has been aroused. Backsli ders have been reclaimed, the careless and scornful awakened and convicted, and many dear children brought to the Savior. The good work, we trust, has only begun. Christians have been stirred np to pray and labor, and this is always followed by glorious results. TwO open air meetings have been held, and a large nnmber collected at the corners of our two principal streets to listen to earnest words for Christ. Some there heard truths that were a strange sound to their ears. More meetings are to be held on the same spot, in the very midst of “ Satan’s seat,” that those who neglect the Sab bath and never go to God’s House, may hear of the way of salvation. Mr. Hammond expects to be in St. Paul next week, and will hold a few meetings if the door seems open. Let Christians rally around him, and the same glorious results that have attended his labors elsewhere will be witnessed in St. Paul. Peter preached one sermon, and three thousand were converted to God. The same God now reigns and invites rebel sinners to return to Him. May they return by thousands in St. Paul. Q. Ordination.— The Presbytery of Trumbull, at a regular meeting held in Warren, Ohio, Wednesday, May 4th, after a unanimously sustained examina tion, ordained Rev. Henry R. Hoising ton, Jr., to the work of -the ministry as an Evangelist. The sermon on the occasion was by the Rev. Theron H. Hawks, of Cleveland. Brother Hoising ton’s address is Warren, Ohio. Installation.- —The above Presbytery adjourned to meet the next day at New ton Palls, where it installed Rev. Au gustus Cone pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Newton Palls, Ohio. The sermon on the occasion was by Presi dent Hitchcock, of Western Reserve College. Rev. JED. B. Miner,of Barahoo, Wis., having been dismissed from his pastoral charge in that place, at the united'request of himself and the Church, has accepted an invitation to labor with the Presbyterian Church (N. S.) of Mineral Point, Wis., a “Convention Church.”— Evangelist. August 6,1864. LIVING PAITH AND ITS PRACTICAL The extract below, from the address of a prominent English pastor, is very impressive and suggestive to all Christ ian people. Is not our Christianity becoming fatally professional merely? “To build up a church,” seems often to mean, securing a goodly sanctuaxy, out of debt, a fair attendance and general peace in the parish. The words of the eloquent divine across the ocean should be heard in all the churches .- “ At the late meeting of the English Baptist Union in London, Rev. Baptist W. Noel made a searching appeal on the state of the churches, in which he in sisted that they and their ministers wei*e responsible for this small increase, and among other things he said, ‘Do you and I ever weep"over sinners ? Are we as earnest for them as we ought to be ? Do you not think that if we give ourselves up to this sort of work we ought to pray and preach with a great deal of hope? lam quite conscious, not only of a defect as to the amount of labor, but also of a defect in this matter of hoping and believing in God.’ ” J. J. M. At the late commencement at Amherst College, the following honoi-s were con ferred: Honorary A. M.—Dr. Dio Lews, of Boston; Francis O. Mason, of Geneva, N. Y.; Lebbeus B. Fifield, of Bucks County, Ind.; William C. Collar, of Roxbury. D. D.—Rev. Daniel Bliss, President of Beirut College, Syria; and Rev. Gordon Hall, of Northampton- From Western Reserve, the LL. B. nas most worthily fallen upon Prof. H. B. Smith, D. D., of the Union Theological Seminary, Hew York. Dr. Allyn, Pres ident of McKendree College, has re ceived the degree of D. D., from the Wesleyan University. CLUBS. PRUITS. ACADEMICAL HONORS.
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