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I'Few Series, V"ol. XV", ISTo. 37.
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12,1867.
spiritual tactics and strategy.
A crooked policy is contemptible and un
christian; but policy without crookedness
is only another name for prudence.. It is
the choice and use of the best means to an
end. It is circumventing obstacles which
cannot be surmounted. It is approaching
an object cautiously and secretly, instead of
openly; attacking by flank and rear instead
of in front. It is relying not on the simple
force of truth, plainly and powerfully spo
ken, great as that is, but upon the mode of
putting it, as well. It is the adaptation of
means to ends, which arises from the study
of both. It is'living and acting on princi-'
pies gathered from a wide range of experi
ence and observation, or reached by a gift
of natural shrewdness, rather than by mere
instinct and impulse, however good.
It is not only allowable, but a duty as
well, to use honorable policy in accomplishing
agoodend. We are npt justified in confining
ourselves to blunt methods in attempting to
reach the heart and conscience of the un
converted, or of tfie godless poor of our
cities; to the bare’dispensation cifjustice in
tho effort to suppress crime; to hard disci
pline and peremptory commands in the man
agement of children, and thpn in piously
laying the blame on Providence if we fail.
We are under the most solemn obligation to
inquire into the causes of our failure; to
change our methods and make new efforts'
from entirely different starting-points. By
all means wo must save some. \
We repeat, it is a duty to be politic in our
efforts to do good in the family and the
world. It is simply a question 6f accom
plishing a greater or less amount of good.
And while the character of simple piety, the
cxamplo of undemonstrative, unscheming
a'nd undoubted excellence, the warm exhor
tation and solemn reproof, coming from the
heart, the simple statement of the grand
truths of the Gospel from believing lips, are
powerful for good, in the circles pf private
life and in the pulpit; by themselves, they
have not done, and they could not do, the
work of the Church in the world. It is not
only for the possession of goodness that we
shall be held accountable, but for effective
goodness , to the extent of our' faculties.
Evory aetivcly good man, every liberal man,
can increase vastly his efficiency by study
ing his opportunities, by laying a plan be
forehand of his work and of his gifts. How
vastly is every individual Christian’s effi
ciency multiplied by union and co-operation
with the Church! What grand enterprises
of benevolence have been accomplished by
organized effort in a thousand diversified
forms! The grouping of the forces of Chris
tianity in these forms of effort, is one in
stance of what may be called “ spiritual tac
tics,” the field of which is as inexhaustible
as the combinations on tho chess-board.
We earnestly believe tliere is call flsr in
gonuity in a good cause far more than in a
bad one. Tbe fact that truth has an intrin
sic and victorious energy, does not save it
from great disadvantage and peril in a deep
ly fallen world, full of the deceitful works of
darkness. Dhe devices of a cunning adver
sary, who has no scruples as to the means
used by himself and his agents, must be
matched and counteracted by better wisdom
and deeper strategy, on the part of those
who will not stoop to dishonor in the defence
of truth.
The Master himself recognizes the princi
ple of conduct which we are inculcating,
when be says to his disciples: Be ye wise' as
serpents and harmless as doves. And again,
when he lays down the maxim of conduct:
Give not that which is holy unto the
dogs; neithor cast ye your pearls before
swine. An apostle warns us not to allow
our good to be evil Bpokeu of. And we all
are familiar with the. example of the great
Apostle to the Gentiles, whose manner of life
and action was not more re note from “the
hidden things of dishonesty, walking in
craftiness or handling the word of God de
ceitfully" thsyi it was from confiding in the (
unaided power of the truth alone*. So con
fident and so clea? in conscience was he on
this poir.t, that he uttered tbe well-known
saying of “becoming all things to all men
that he might by all means save some,”
without deeming it necessary, or without
being impelled by inspiration itself, to add
If l6 jnlv6S ;
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1867.
any sentence or word of limitation against
the possible abuse of the language. And we
know that be boldly practised on liis prin
ciples. 'Weread' how uncompromising
chaudpion of Christianlibefty at' Jerusalem
was actually found circumcising Timothy'
because he was the son of a Greek, in L'yca
onia. He Was not at all afraid of the 1 charge''
of ’inconsistency, on which ' envibiis""dr
thoughtless persons, acquainted 'with thebe'
facits, might have 'ratted 1 a 1 terrible scandal:
Students of Paul’s laiiguaige, as rebbWed In’
the Acte, have noted 1 with- #hat"extraordi
nary shrewdness he adapted his addresteete'
td'ih'e Exigencies of the case 5 ." Ho w, on one
occasion, ho stilled a Jewish'mob; how, by
an adroit Stroke, he turned the arms of the
hostile parties ’ini 1 the’ Sanhedrim 1 against
each other and away from himself; libw he
diteptrted 1 marry mOjdths with the sophists of
Ephesiis; and' charmed with his eloquence
and coWciliateA with his cohidesy the’ Stdiete
and Epicureans of. Atberite; how he awed
Felix and stirred the better' nhjture 'iof the
corrupt' Agrippa, By a presentation Of the
truth; skilfully adUptedtb the character and
history Of each." And the exaihiriatibn 'of
his fourteen Epistles shows'the' Same ’bias-'
teirly adaptation to the case in 'hand; the
versatility Of a’riiind 'of en’dleds CxpeiSiehtte 1 ;'
the bver-appfopriate' use, 1 now ' b'fvetitreaty; 1
how "of invective, now'Of hearty and hand
some commendation, 1 now of condensed and 1
rapid argument, now of warning, how’ of
hopo; contemplating and'admifnStering to
every want and every crisis' in'the' life of
the nascent church, over 1 which he watched.
It'is dot a sufficient answer tb ascribe all ■
these characteristi cs'of Paul to inspiration.
We do not regard inspiratSOn as designed to
aet'upon ; character. Jbhh, whb ; Wds jnsf ate'
truly and remarkably inspired aS:P'auT,'\Vas
apparently destitute of 'any share *of Patti's'
astuteness and magnificent practical qiialii '
ties. Hite whole nature was bathed in the'
light .of divine philosophy. 1 One dee'p, calm
sea of holy love filled his soul. Af tlcssneste
ls-ith'b‘'typ'e't>f L -IHB-'B ; 6yle. He was content to
be, to feel, and to speak in a sense of thq di
vine nearness. Consulting our feelings, we
should; perhaps,'be leSs'Willihg to' dispense
with John than with any other of the apos
tolic circle. Regarding the interests of
Christ’s kingdom among men, we Bhould
give the pre-eminence unhesitatingly to
Paul.
A great example of strategy in the his
tory of the Church, is the Romish system.
In all the history of religions, there has been
nothing so artful, so politic, so worldly wise
as this. But, alas, it is policy at the outra
geous sacrifice of purity, and cannot serve
our purpose in this discussion. On the
other hand, the Reformed Churches and
Protestantism generally have some need to
beware lest they sacrifice policy needlessly,
in the supposed interest of purity. It is to
be feared that a tendency to depend exclu
sively, may we not say lazily, on truth itself,
is current, and needs watching, in these
Churches. Yet there have been some dis
tinguished ecclesiastical statesmen and di
plomatists among the Reformed Churches.
Such was John Calvin as distinguished from
Luther; such, too, was John Wesley as con
trasted with Whitefield.
But we turn back to the life of the Master
himself. If we may reverentially speak of
such an aspect of Christ’s life, we would say
that to us it seems the result of a profound
plan, a master-piece of strategy. It was the
triumphant solution of a most peculiar’and
perplexing problem. Christ must reveal
himself at once, as human and divine. His
divinity must be so evident as to satisfy
every reasonable condition of credibility. The
witnesses must be able to write: “ We saw
his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten
of the Father.” “ That which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon and our hands
have handled of the word of life.” And
yet this sufficiently clear evidence of divini
ty, must be so tempered as to leave room
for the equally satisfactory and convincing
exhibition of his humanity. The proofs of
diyinity must not be overwhelming or ap
palling; they must not keep men at a dis
tance; they must not extort homage from
unwilling, self-deceived, or hypocritical wor
shippers. Above all, the Messiah must not
make such a display of his deity as to defeat ,
the -great end of his coining—to die as a
voluntary sacrifice for the sins of men. He
mußt appear in such a light that wicked, men
will dare to lay murderous hands upon him.
llow utterly the whole desigri'of'bisboming
would have been frustrated by the 1 slightest
unmistakable revelation of his .AlmigbtinfeßS
is seen in'John's account of the’ capture {in
the garded, (Chap.' xYiii.- S, 6 : ; ) where; at*
the utterance of two words only, ! *from his
lips,! the whole multitude is’ described fis 1
gOing'b’ackwards a'nd' falling 'to'the'gboundi l
1 1- Waa n ecessary that Christ'should 'die un-’
der'the Operation'of the ordinary'principles’
of fdlfen
order of'events.' And to‘ ,I tb'ia i "e'Ud,"it ■'Was'
'needfrikthat‘he 1 'should! be dealt 1 with by iiVeu' :
ad'a’ rn>ari“'rind'yetfy’td' acco'tiipli’sh'-'' hid 1 full 1
mission, 'iti was just as' neebsSaPy that he'
should give all the paoofrtkatrcould in reason
beyeqjiired; of, his 'ygpl diyipity-n ;Thjg,oiKf?
say, was a problem 'jwhich only the most
sublime, strategy, could solvp, lChrist's
life, ! di 1 d u sol ! ve,. i,t. ~: . Men, wero. l ,and. ! ape. cpn
vipced.pf Jus, divinity,, and yetyoom y/af Jeft
grid, ma
lignity in the carpal heart,, so: that the di-,
ving,,Saviour; yas , : sapri ( sped.ap, aj criminal,:
and typps of theGld,
Testam,en,t pnd the, plan,,o£ Got},,in -Redemp
tion *w,ere,fr!eoly aee,ompUshg|d,by.the, wicked,
hpn,ds ; qf men. ; v , ;h; j,
“•Th.is tepiper;an,c,e.in l pari
! turpi ,powei;.is the ; master r of ChyisJk.lt,
is. a iH mpral .miracle,:^perinpßCgd,.upon, a
physical one. [tTShis ,, greatness
m : ak,es him surely, the, most ppbljme image
ever offered,to the, human imagination. It
is precisely this trait which, gyve hina .his,
immense and immediate ascendency, oyer
men. Heiwbpso power, andigfeatness,
asshownip his.miracles were'oyery helming,
denied .-himself thev.use of bispower,,treated
it as.a;,slights £hiug„yyalked among,,men as
though he were one of them,,. until pet
rified <£Ojd be,wildei;ed
memsaw him,arxested apd, ppt to,dearth with,
torture,, refusing steadily toppse in this own.
behalf; the power he co.neeifiEed he held for
the. bep.efit of others.,: the 'combina
tion' of . greatness and which
won theiri,hearts,,ithe held-,
under a mighty control, ..the unspeakable,
condescension, the CVoss of Christ. . : t
J A MELANCHOLY END.
Died of delirium, tremens, September 3, in ,
the city of Albany, Hon. James A. MeDou
gall, late U. S, Senator from California.
Few who hqve read this announcement are,
surprised at the fate which has, befallen the
individual in question. The whole Ameri
can public has been forewarned of it, and
we trust that the melancholy notoriety of
the case may give, i.t the greater effective
ness as a warning to .our youth and our pub
lic. men, generally. It is, indeed, the old
story of fine.talents, brilliant prospects, and
high honors miserably sacrificed to the ap
petite for strong drink. Yet it is not often
that intemperance finds its victims .among
those who have but recently sat in the high
est seats of political power. Thank God,
thenumberofsotsintheSenateqf the United
States has been so few, that a child might
write them; indeed, we believe the most
simple of the numerals is now alone required
in telling the story of disgrace which still
cleaves to that otherwise honorable body..
One of those whose loathsome exhibitions
brought a burning blush to the cheek of
every true American citizen, is .dedd —died
of delirium tremens; let the other one, be
ware. Let Delaware take warning .from.
California. And there are some who are
trembling lest the White House itself may
le irrecoverably disgraced by a similar scene
to, that which has just taken place in Alba
ny. Certainly its occupant has been play
ing a part which can scarcely be.explained,
except on the supposition of the influence pf
Strong drink—that .e'nemy which . men put:
into their mouths to, steal away,their brains,
Perchance impeachment may come in sea
sonably, to spare us the dreaded denouement.
From such melancholy, exhibitions of in
fatuation and subjection to an evil appetite,
working immense damage to . the public
good, we turn with satisfaction and hope to
facts of a far different character in the ca
reer of some of our most distinguished pub
lic men. Drunkenness and disloyalty have
got into high places, higher, perhaps, than
ever before; but more marked, .too, and fre
quent than ever before have been the evi
dences; recently given of. piety and temper
ance among .our statesmen and , generals.
Only two days before the sad case of delirium
tremens in Albany, Gov. Goary, of this State,
publicly attached himself to the people' of
God intbeFirst Presbyterian: Church (N.
S.) at the Oapitai, and by raising the family
altar', and by consecrating his children to
God ittbaptidm he 1 has proved' that thei act:
was too unmeaning! ceremony. We remem
ber. fhe recent sitfrilar act of Senator Wilson.
Whfijoyfully >oa}l to-mitad: the position!) of
Gent! Grant; of Speaker) Golfaxj; andf/many
othefs-ofour’mOßt'tfhstedan'dihonored'genT,
eralstand statesmen upomtbesiibjeotof tem
perances .We believe thfei priople iare sick of
impiety an din ebrietydu t ibighi places, We'
believeiiti is ionly neoessary, for,, pious and,
upright-men to ' enter vigorously; into poli
tics linAnMer; to 'control .them for righteous'
ends.-u/'v ! th;:' -if A
jkbiiiGOJERNOR) GfiAߥ. . : yn
' *'The. secular ! prOSs having riofcteed thri pub
lic-profession of Religion"rooeh'tiy made ‘by
Griverhor Geary] J it l proper' for! us
alsb*
ed:.i Satisfaction. 'The poMet public stand'
whichiithe Governor‘tool£?bri''the subjecttof
tem'peitiwfej.imtnediately'After' 'his.'iila.ugri-.
ratioffjl'mPid’fult ofreligiSus pirinbiplfe, that;
weiweretsoniewhat prepared thiS'fui’bh'efi'
advarieer Thibpubliefacd
kn o wltedgmerit- of'the ;d aiiths of Religion and"
avowaief OhristiaripurposeUstno hasty, but.
a w'ejl considered thing. (The-solemn eventß'
of thejMrar'in bore so conspicuous
a part, including hlsbwri' personal sufferings
by wounds* and the- deeper! of
fe'eling*in the fall'of'his-sori'by
battle, have 1 been/dio dbubt,.’a»:Bolfemn' trhin-i
ing; iindef’the blessing of Gb’dy for tlieposi-,
tio‘n»'>he ! has : s ifnst ! taken.; The "communion:,
services dt the- 'First/' Brebbyteriari’ Churchy >
Harris b urg, when ion Sunday, the Ist inst.y
GoVern'or iGeary .and 'hisdestiriiahle lady?
united',•‘ificludinjkthe -baptism- theirvfour
children, were v4r|y impressive-,: arid: will, be
long rememberedri'by those' who l witnessed
them; ? We haYC So'few men in leading offi
cial Stations'- who?' fire-willinghto identify
that it is nseful, wC think, to record instan
ces of this .kind; They' are incentives to
prayer that others in high-places of power
may be led to do likewise.' ! r
, TIIE EVAIVGELICAL ALLIANCE.
Amsterdam, Aug. 23d, 1867,
■Thm is .the, sixth; day of the sessions of
this majestic body.- The programme of its.
discussions has long been before the Ameri
can people, but the quaint and interesting;
surroundings and oonditionsoJQthis meeting,
no- one but a; person on the; ground; can
fully know. r lt is easy; to say that Am
sterdam is under thedykes and below the
level of the sea, and that.canals run through
mpst of its streets, and'that it has nearly,
four hundred bridges, and that,-.if it were not
for the skilful management of its sluices and
dykes it. might be submerged at any mo
ment,; but the imagination cannot construct
beforehand any such conception of the place
as will, prevent the visitor from ajdelightful
and constant surprise. The place in which
the .Alliance'holds its sessions is unusual
and peculiar.., It is called-.the bPark Zaal,”
and is-nothing less than:a large and com
modious building, ip one Of the most delight
ful gardens of thp city, and not altogether
unlike some similar resorts of;.the German
people in Chicago. Here under the' trees
are tallies and. .chairs, where amid the per
fume of flowers, and of an occasional cigar'
and lulled by the music of a fountain, and
perhaps of a band of trained performers, the
members of the Alliance can drink either
coffee or tea, as, suits their taste. The peo
ple -of Amsterdam, have welcomed the
strangers with a noble nospitality. Private
homes have opened with the most abundant,
Christian fellowship, -and every thing has
been done to.make visitors from abroad de
lighted , yrith the city .and its people.
It has been found most convenient for the
Alliance to dine together in one large hall
in the Zoological Gardens } a place.of public
resort, very near to the Park Zaal, It is a
fine room adorned with the portrait of the
King of Holland and when the Evangelical
Alliance is in it, holds about six hundred,
persons. “Baron Van Whssunaer Van Cat
wyck,” the President, presides. The divine
blessing is. invoked in two of the four lan
guages in which the Alliance conducts its
deliberations, and at the close of the meal,
which lasts an hour and a half, thanks .are
returned, to God in the Other two languages
Q-enesee [Evangelist. No. 111 Q.
f Ministers $2.50 H, Miss. $2 00.
i Addressl334 Chestnut Street.
all stan di Wh ether you con aid er this i repo
sing hpdyjh.tbe midsl ot its deliberations in
thp Park Zaal, or unbent and free for social
in the great eating hall,purround
tigers, hyenas, lions, porcupines, hippo
potamuses and bird or beast, which
the,earth aijprds, the view is equally inter*
eating
The great m.en,of the world,,are here. To
djß,y, it Thoiuok.pnd Vajn Osterzee who
jmplorgd.^h^^diy-ine^blessing, at,the table.
It .wap;PrjsBS,efl l £<s i and returned
of.the meal. .Near me
at; the l; table, ) §at I Jj,ange I famous for his
commentaries, snd Br. McQosh, famous for
gqqd books, an,d other good
and., gteat ll^n^T ,^Qp, ! qum ) erp,us tq mention.
,tp,jgiye extended re
ppjja.af, °f the 'Alliance in
plp^aWfc 6 ) .f PWtyHfo.Jar,t gNWJg ’-some,, notice
address,.made; to-day
by n Ep^.jDHf,^f!rH^iE ( ,of Edinburg, on the
|,iO: ( i;.i!: l iiiUAd*ED , ,
andtbow’beibeo&nreeonnec&edl wi th them. In
his early lifeythageniatorator told us, in that
charming natural to himself,
he'iwas iii'most excellent' coun
tryuparisib containing athousandsouls. Of
dne,. and he
wasla!me,dnd< dll fcould read except one, and
he was crazy.. Andjamohg tbssesobdr andin
te]lig.en't!ipetople'.heiremained (forsome years,
untill atr last be found himself called to the
midatibfjaiparishdn the city; containing vast
huiniberiof theimost wretched And vicious.
TbSy* were often starving, and as he came
home; from .Hisdvisits among; the -degraded
and'(the,, suffering,: he loathed the food on
his tablo, ithinking.-of the misery-.of ;those
‘who had notbread: - Oftenrhre saw children
pushed into criifae by unnatural parents, ar-
tried,-convicted and bung, and the
thought; forced itself upon his mind .that
“not those .childpenl so much as the. judges
of the courts-,and;the ministers- of religion
deserved most to be conyieted and hung.”
It seemed to him-a most unnatural- and hid
eous thing that a- child trained to cyime
should suffer the extreme penalty of the law
while those went free who never, in their
lives made A- single effort to remove that
child from the’ training of vice and misery.
“Not .all the money that Amsterdam could
pile upon that table,” said he, “could induce
me to endure again-the anguish and torture
of mind I felt in those days of sickening
parish labor.” But Out of all this mental
distress God ordained good by leadiag him
to labor in tbo-work of instructing the chil
dren-iof the-poor.;- - • . ■ ’
The manner of proceeding was two-fold.
He took a poor, pinched starved child, squal
id and wretched, and “into his head he put
know-ledge, into £ his stomach ;heput porridge
The effect was beautiful. “ See,” said he, “ a
child with a body six years, old, and wan,
wrinkledtand suffering face, seeming to be
sixty, so marked is it by distress and hun
ger, :coming to the, ragged school. And see
thatisame child six weeks later! The wrin
kles are gone, from the brow. The roses
are growing on his cheeks. Freshness has
come to the complexion and fulness to the
limbs. -.So great is the change, yon would
hardly recognize the decrepit child of six
weeks ago. Behold the good effect of por
ridge!”, , .
These children were trained to useful em
ployment, fed, and clothed, and instructed,
and they turned out well. “They did as
well as any children; and that was enough.”
But to have instructed their minds, while
their stomachs were suffering the pangs of
hunger would have been useless; and worse
than useless. It would have been nothingelse
when they asked for bread than to have given
theta: a Atone.' ThegbOd ddetor concluded
his address with two 'facts illustrating the
moral- condition Of the children in these
schools,*which drew tears from a thousand
eyes,- but which' would be spoiled by re
porting, so much was expressed by tone and
gesture.
The invitation from ‘ the branch of the
Alliance in the United States to hold the
next general meeting in Hew York is enter
tained with great favor by many individuals,
though of course, no official action has yet
been taken. The American and English de
legates meet to-morrow to confer concern
ing the matter. In the afternoon there
will he excursions to Haarlem and Zaardam.
' : c. o.k.