New Series, :Vol. V, No. 12. it;i1 1 ) 68 oitu ar $3 00 By Mail. $3 50 By Carrier. 50ots Additional after three Mouths. gmtritan IttrsiTtnian. TEEURSDA.Y, MARCH 19,X868. PERIL AND VOCATION: OF YOUNG MEN. The perils which young men are called to meet. in our day, arise in alarge measure from the high degree ;of respectability given to vice and infidelity. The days,of„Jielding and Smollett have come back,,to English. I t iteratnre, Gnat literary abilities are lavtslapd upon subjects` /te t t decency forbids to mention. Books - which may, not be read aloud.in a farbily circle are first intro:: duced to the 'world by monthly instalments, in ,- ,ur leading literary journals. Poetry which rivals the worst .products of the immoral mtise of Greece and Rome, is trumpeted into favor by critics in similar poSitions,.*he deride the oh: jections of the pure-minded as mere prudery. The foul details of criminal t; , trials are spread on with the minuteness of verbatim, reports over . whole columns of our most 'widely circulated journals. Theatres which maintain their' 'places before the public, by daily notices in the same respectable pesitions, justify twenty times over all that has been said of. their demoralizing ten: let - Kies by the character of their eading perfer mances, within the last eighteen months: And • .. it deserves to be named last in'this enumeration . that religious journals, so-Called, 'of the largest circulation in the: country, are fOund not to be proof against the large pecuniary considerations ,;onnected with advertising those . , infamous.ns. de:vi r ' !.. - !s of Satan, by which the path of :vice is snoithed over, and its hideous consequences in he present life deceitfully promised . a certain and agreeable remedy.. It is not by tliese re marks intended to be asserted that our age is more vicious than 'the ;past; that may also , be true; but unquestionibly viceTlust and sensuali- . ty are making a bold puslifer'reeognitiOn beyond !he gross circles' iq which •heretofore'they :have been openly tolerated;and the young man ,is , be Inaguered by influences-"tending- to . corrupt virtue, more subtle, more .general and. On s higker plane than in—thesittiptairtiintrtedextl i ris i>y. Wine-drinking and every path to intem perance opens: more widely, and begins much nearer to home and to church than it did a score or years ago. Divinegin high positions in Our own and other Evangelieal 'churches, are fothad . writing down the Scriptural claims of total ab- . stinence upon the conscience,.and thus destroy ing one of the best defences the young map can have against falling into; intemperate courses. Infidelity in various forms has made furniida 7: bin advances towards recognition among respeet able sources of influence. : The best literature as literature—in our corintry;!the most talented writers, the ablest literary organs of our country, and perhaps we must add of gn'gland,are :more or less under its control, and are .dingently ;used : to communicate its leaven. The best-daily paper the country, as our correspondent-on another page is showing ; lona" itself in all its .depart !limits to the defence and propagation . of scientific •, infidelity. Men of high deserved : scientific renown are arraying-themselves against the . plain fundamental teachings of Scripture, on the4age, the unity, and the primitive condition of our race 011 the earth. Again we say;'theae things do not prove that there is more 'unbelief in the world t!tan formerly, but-what 'there is. has certainly managed to win a mare prominent position; has forced itself upon the notice of 'higher Circle's, and is more" dangerous, - .More perVading, more persistent th4ni heretofore. 13esides this, scien tile unbelief tends very. s. decidedly to material ism and atheism ) to the confounding-of the Most rztdical moral distinctions, .and to the renievaLtif • supernatural and spiritual ;truth from the region of possibility. Shake a young man's faith in the Bible, and you loosed 'the elaief iestraints from. a course of vice; but put in its place the teach ings of modern materialism and naturalism, and you justify the pleadings of passion ; you urge him on to eat.and to drink for .to=morrow he dies. And it is this materialistic atheistic philosophy . that respectable journals in our day•are learning to tolerate, oi . are eveii recbg,nizing as the fashian, is scientific' circles, and are.commending by the arts of finished,rhetorie and-specious reason-- Truly, it is enchantO ground through which th e young man of to-day must pass in forming hL character, and Shaping )i l ia destiny': There however, one foe to enervating liudulgenco in the high enterprise, in the sleepless business ac:. tvity, and in the eutlfuelasiii - for achievment which animates society in:.this , uew and great. ' ,, tintry of ours.— A n d Eld' an opposite peril awaits the youth, who is' too` busy read OtO crash that loads the shelves of our respectable lbrarics, or to appreciate thespecial:6ll44 lll.6 lb' "f high class mcithlies aria quarterlics avinst - the truth of Qhristianity. He is a believer from want of time, to become otherwise. He is com paratively safe from low pleasnres, -because a dif ferent passion: consumes his breast: Full of haste,' full of unrest, he pursties his with of wealth and worldly success, often with all scru, pies, against violating the Spirit,. Of, .the ‘ :eight,li commandment,. swept away. . • . Young man bf to day, , Yout` iierib3 are not - so zieculiar after f all. - knell like l theiii had 4'oseph, hat .Slnsk t anit badsome tihorksairds,pf, years pgo.The same noble purpose, -and the,same-aid•of the Holy. Spirit which gave •them - sixelygrandvietories will suffice you to-day. tour enemies, it ma . pbe i , are more numerous, and more _subtle,_ ; but the luxurious habits and sensual tastes of.our day are doubtless , less perva ding,..aiid have less respectability than had those, of aneipt ,E ,, ypt and Babylon. It may be that Daniel, and Apses, and Joseph, would smile if they saw our estimate of the perifs of this age in -comparison 'with those which' they , so trium,„ "phantly met. The maintenance of virtue, they ; might say; in ; this favored age is child's compared with what it was in theirs. And, they , call upon you, young men of to-day, •with -your countless aids from the powerful sympathy of the • good ; —wliich they alone among idolators, knew_ nothing of, to show something of their courage; to refuse to do what js a " great .wickedness wand sin against God," to." Choose rather to suffer 011ie,- tion w s iththe ipiople• of God, than• to enjoy the pleasures of sin for nsCaion ; and to bsteem'th'e reproach of christ greater, riehes_than the treas : . urea of Egypt; haying. re,spect unto the recom-, pease of reward."l' -They call- upon you to .put_ your trust in a prayer-hearing 'God.' They hold before . you models 'true .greatness,; instances of unmatched worldly success, readied: by a course of lofty adherence to principle: -- They tell you in , effect that no temptation has ;overtaken you, but such as is common- to Mari ; that doll is faithful and will not suffer YOu to be teMpted above that Sou are 3 Ole,.and Will ;with the temp tation, also Itvil:l4,a' way to escape, that you may be-abla.to bear ie.. You are' estinTratited 'with • : temptation; for the trial of your strength, for the training:of your virtue, for the development of moral courage and the addition to your character of ;the sublime quality of patience, the keystone in the"arch, the rare fruit Of this - world' of Stri* and' prdbation., Our life and death struggles with sensuality, with villany, with doubt are needed ,to discipline such a soul as ours, and to rei . eal to us its true great ness. Lower . creatnres may safely succumb; man, immortal min, by yielding sinks lower than they. Life.is not an idle ore, But iron, dug from central gloom, And heated hot with burning fears, Atid dipt in baths of hissing tears,' And battered with the shocks of doign To shape and use. Young man Is there any iron of truth and duty in your nature, or are, you only . (Across? The fire through which you must fain pass will prove it. Show that you. are something, and that sorn'e• thing can be made of you, while the agencies of corruption sack to reduce you to naught. ,JOINT COMMITTEE ON RE-UNION. The meetings of these Committees held in this' city during four days of last week, were of the utmost, importance and had_ the most happy:re-1 sults. Nearly .all 'the. members on both sides. 'were - present, and these large bodies applied themselves most earnestly and prayerfiilly to, the' work before them. The plan of last year haritii i been found in some respects unacceptableitota large number of the Presbyteries of the other. Y branch, it became necessary to consider smite mo-' difications, which very naturally led to serious dispussions and to grave doubts of the, result. Yet there was not the slightest diminution of eoratality • between the negotiating- itodiesi and finaly, with not a little surprise and jay, eonclu.f sions were reached - as to the necessary modific,a dons of the plan, which commanded the„unani mous vote of the whole Committee, and Which, it Was hoped, would prove acceptable to the .entire Church in bothits branches. It is not considered quite respectful to tlie forthcoming General Assemblies to whom the re port tf the Committee will be made, t i pread their action at - this early. day before thi' public. We can only assure our readers;that, the distin guished and decided friends of ourlarinch on this Committee were,entirely content with,the results reached, and voted for them with all -, their hearts, as did the brethren. of the other branch.: For ourselves, we believe - a union founded upon these • krtielcs, and Maintained in, their spirit., wonld be likely to prove permanent, happy and promotive bf the,glory of• God and the welfare of Men. We hav`e - not seeuithe articles as amended, aid can-' PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1868. not speak finally of 'their character. and . tende.n cies, but we give our ipay ressio,ns Off arese conversation with several members ; of: the. Com mittee, and believe they will turn ont . to- be cor rect. • 1, The stay of the Committee i amcmg Its was - not ! , devoted altogether to busines4;,butiwan i mingled with, social entertainments of,,tbe, most ligreea.hle ' chancier. - slo . thing could ha, e;been .mere de lighkful..thani the , evening 47001 to. religious exercises- and _social f'estivitiesA i the dwelling of Matthew ,No r ki,rk, tsq., who} .thAngh poor . in health, would not permit the„iipportnnty - of de monstrating his, cloeßillterest intl:le -Aembers of the Committee and their w94lc.: A to, Taw lonian proved. ;His prinp,ely. mansioa ( Ink Oronged on Friday evening 7ithirepresentar t ive mei:,k of seve ral bran !hes of the Presbyterialpichnrch„ipolad ing most of .the, members of tl*Ppfnmittee i and everything was done by the hot and ; his, son to contribute to the happiness ofAhe guest's. Be ',sides Tother.aud - more usrial. , ro t : i's i.f - 'entertain pa / en't; -tat provided; the s' -I'4'4 of 'Philip „Phillips, the eminent *cieldist,,Vti been secured., An. unusually happy, glow spri4dithrough the, company as it becaine generally; known , that the. principal work of the Committee' was satisfactori ly accomplished', and the companY'parted, feeling IL- , • ..-,- that they well concluded li' iky likely le prove metnorable-in the Presbyterian ‘olxurich, ' ,_,, ITALY—HELP NEEMI). '. , ,i - - .Alt, present there is-scarcely hey librtioni of - the glohe, 'the religious' condition of which' affords ' ' a than that of more occasion for anxious solicitn e, ,the,kingdom of Italy. The goveinment itself ;,is ; . far enough from 'being settled don-' its 'founda tions, and its very stability', as well as its`mieral influ'eribe in'SOUthern Etirope,;l6 ',sky iiothing, - 0 - f its bearing ,Upon, the future of thei..,. ,apacy seems ,to depend largely: upon wh,etherlthat , beautiful land goei back info the hands •df: he: priesthood, j Or takes the leap to the ',:ither 'e feme of n'-ter •- ~ I - -:. ,, godTessneSs, or, on thepasSage no tf uoingnnfrpm, ' I' 4 C.J9F,S9EI -t 1 2#40q411441b. igt_ 3 "a4l46 l wil.Y.sillya .sound and spiritual evangelism; and - brought into place as one 'of the kingdoms of (Mr I,.thrd ofeSus Chriit: Estimates,. Which we pri ,, sui,ne L iO 'h'ave beea'carefulli t arid ' judiciously 'formed, - represent three-.fourths of the people of Italy, as being still, Roman .Catholick in name, but in heart lust to the faith Of that Church. Their baptism and whole religioiW discipline has so impressed Remanisna upon them as a system of life, that a formal sepa ration from it does not ; follow the revolt of their confidence. Romanism standing to them ' , for Chribtittnityk the passage from the Church to 'atheiSm is Only too natural, and, without a 'large ly increased evangelical ,aggression, a few years ,will probably witness there the reproduction, on an alarming scale.of magnitude; of the infidelity of cia4lphie Europe. Of the remaining one fourth','S,sfraction' consists of ecele,siasties, and the, poor ; t*ded, who are ,wedded to the superstitions Of the old religion. Though-few in number, this 'elasa •must and will hold large -power with those mas See above mentioned, wlae still abide under Romanism as a ' mere yoke. Another friction consists, of undisguised infidels, - educated and proud men, who summon science and history into the serviee of atheism; making 'Romanism 'to stand for -relf(iert, and under that caricatttre ,repres§nting. Christianity as Oespotic and ensla- Ting. .As yet,, they :are but-4 handful, but ; for reasons above stated, they are waiting in hope: of a greatlbarvest; - 'The 'evangelieal Christian ele inent includes the remaibinc , fractional t It . . . is l mafie up of Iheancieut Vandoischurches, and': the;Christian societies ,gathered by the British; missions.{ ,and" those of the AmericanandSoreign Christian Union, 'chiefly the latt,e44 These evangelical churcheland; missions now, under God, constitute o .. c,whole hope for Italy, _ and through them Christians of other parts of the world are to meet,the impending crisis in that • er, ~! , - ,country. Our4merlean SoCiety, noticed above, with two able missionaries.' from this country, I , Messrs.Aporehead and Clirk, acting as supervi-, aorsfathe field, are carrying on an energetic sys i tem of itinerant work, through 'ltalian evange , jists and colporteurs. The most press' ing need of 1 the mement seems to be that of talented and educated preachers, Italians rather than foreign ers, some for evangelistic work in new fields, and others to abide with the congregations gatheled, confirming and building up the positions- gained; and making .of them central points far further ag gressions. Mr. Clark has,,for the laa-twoiyears, carried •on'a school in Milan, for the training of such men, and some whe have gone` - from it to important localities ; are already giving `good'ac ,ceunt of their,work. The number of students, is limited, and_ facilities -for instruction straitened by the want:of means. Young men of prothise and piety ; just such as are wanted; are; one after another, put 011' 1. because the means do not come forward for giving them bread, .or _otherwise help ing them:- :Hitherto. .private individuala have handed in inniS,lmounting, in the• agg-iegate, to soiness,ooo in aid of the' enterprise. There has bcen a falling pff of these sporadic contributions, and just now—Mr. Clark.-bas the sad prospect of being, compelled, in May, to :and back about I r t!wenty of these yenng men to their shops and trades. In the present condition ,of, Italy, no greater Calamity could befal it than.the•dimiuipb ing of its evangelical force.- American Christians ~.every year lavish thousands, 'perhaps hriodreds of thonsarids, 14)614 the hotelS and - pieisnie. routes of that land : who among them will 'step forward' to forestall ,this Areatened calamity of one of the most promising Agencies for the: rescue of . that charinin'g - conntry. , froin the blight of spiritual deatli? . ' ' "TAE . Furs ! Mx in'the Tyng drain came ti,ff.on Saturday, Morning, March , - 146, in the Church of the TranSfigaration, New' York.' The canons require that' the admonition -be in pres .ence of atleastjwo presbyters but whether from a taste for "the histrionic,' or a desire, to hu nAliate the offender, Bishbp Potter administered t it in a densely ereYirded church; where Policemen were''neeiled to keep order. 'The' admonition which hafebeen_in twenty words would fill seyeraLcolurrins 'of our 'paper, and was read to the offender, whin - wile bad taken the place as signed him after morning prayers, and was as se -yere—while diselaimmg seyerity---as 'its ' l author (or authors) could Make, it. Att,attmpt,ozi the Tart of Dr. S. H. Tyng Sr., °nerd , the counsels for the defence, to read a protest,' was choke& off by - means of "our beautiful liturgy." T-he bishop received thefiodument after i the benediction. . , In this paper Dr. Tyng protests against the whole, proceeding, from its commencement to , its . conclusion, - as •.: • • • .1, " False in its , allegations, unjust in its princi ple; nricanonieal in its form, illegal in its' trans actioni-ihicinittms in its' purpose; and voluntarily' ;;rtnit-Tfre*Liates= -7- 4ly nntrde4lopmente Hence' 'he "appeals to the 'supreme and' final decision of, the General Con vention,,and with , the deepest; huniility, but with cOnfidence unfeigned to the judgment seat of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the ode' &fent 'Head and Ruler of His Church, and whose approval can never be given to the persecution of the, in nocent or to the 'oppression of the weak." THE , EEE8.3.11,1)-WESTERLY .CASE.—Bishop - Clark, of Rhode Island seems disposed to be wise about the rutiffer of the recent exchange of pul pits• in his dideese, i4tituting no proceedings, and - contenting himself with the issue of a Pastoral letter, Which,applies to the case without mention ing it. The usual canons are cited, but no men- Lion is made of the hilorical fact that they were levelled against , deposed ministers of, the Episco pal Church, such as Ammi Rogers, who traversed the country forty- years ago, preachi4 wherever _he could crowd- himself upon a congregation. The' Bishop argues their importance and force from the care with which they have been institn ted—from the fact that their violation involves a breach of contract for specific - service—from the danger of leaving to everiindividual clergyman the' guardianship of his own pulpit--; : from the liability, to incursions into Episcopal• pulPits of unlearned men—and finally, from the faetk,that kindly relations with other denominations cf Christians are neither depenidaut on pulpit-inter changes, nor r promoted by them. 7 -Erchange. • , . . • • DR. ANDERSON'S IDEAL OF PRESBYTERIANISM. CovregationciAst (And Recorder, eonment ing letters from two Andover students' in regiird to Dr. Anderson's lectures in .Ando'ver, says: . . " If the quotations which the [American] Pres byterifut makes from the letter of one of, the Ai.- dover students, in proof the distinctive C t ngrega tionalism of Dr. Anderson's lectures, are genuine, we ho.pyhat those young gentlemen will live, and liVe at ,Andover, long enough-to learn what Congregationalism, as a distinctive system, is." We may just remark, (1) That we are not in the habit of forging or publishing forged docu ments. (2) That the question is not so I[llloll What Con,gregationalism, as a distinctive sys tem, is," as " What is Presbyterianism ?" (3) That we hope that both the editor of the Con gregationalist and Dr. Anderson may live long enough to find out a satisfactory answer to this, last question. Dr. Anderson, as if,to,ccmie to our rescue against those who had charged ,, us with misrepresenting him publishes •his views on this last point, at great length, in the Evangelist of -last week. We quote what seems to' us to form the gist of it : "If a mission church be governed by presby ters chosen for the purpose,: it is Presbyterian J if by • the general vote, it, is Congregetional. Genesee Evangelist, No. 1139. Ministers $2.50 H. Miss. $2.00 Address :-1334 Chestnut Street Though independent of all other churches [l], yet if governed by presbyters, it is still Presbyte rian.". • And this, we must suppose, is what the advo cates and champions of the policy of the A. B. C. F. M. mean when they speak of " Presbyterian Mission churches." AFFAIRS AT THE CAPITAL. Another step was taken in .the impeachment trial last Friday,—the President then appearing before the . Senate by his council. He came to ask. or forty days in which to prepare his answer to the charges; he got ten. Thedilatory &dies employed by the Presi dent indicate,his sense, of weakness and his sel fish determination, He seems to rest his case solely on his ability to prolong the trial. He commences.by asking for, forty days—forty days in which with the help of, five learned lawyers to make up his.mindwhether to plead guilty or in nocent to she charges made against him! This is his.line ef, defence - . Technical forms are the in trenchincnts behind which he hopes toshelter him self. for a year, holding each as long as possible, and then r.treating to the next. He ought not to be suffered to have his own way. He is en titled to full and fair hearing, but the Senate has a duty to the .country. as well as to him, and sh)uld promptly and peremptorily refuse every motion to consume time and prevent a decision. The people want peace, and they want the confi dence that the industries of the nation shall not be wrenched and; istracted by the mad freaks of a wilful and reckless Chief Magistrate. Pre cious time should not be wasted in deference to legal quibbles.. - It was a °Teat relief to find the majority of . . the Senateacting.With such unanimity, in Aver of 'fixing an early day for the return of the Pres ident's answer., Mr. Stanberry •had made a deci ded impression by his- bearing and his earnest ness in his advocacy of preeedents and in his indignant dentnciation of " railroad speed' in a case of such gravity. He found Messrs Bing ham and Wilson quite equal to the task of dis cussing legal subtletke and pi-eft:lents with him. Both showed lhemselves clear-headed, self-pos sessed, quick in 'apprehension, forcible in -expres siorr,incisive in .theirretorts„and, , ,ready,to cope 'with' any of their'liTO - nents: l'h - eir'ieploki Were calm, dignified . and 'logical. Gen. Butler ap peared, to fine - advantage. He is more at home in the court roam than in a leois'ative assembly. His reply , to the spoions arguments for-delay, were admirable in mintier and in substance. To the 'Charge that the trial was' to be conducted with rai:road . speed. he replied " Why not ? Railroads have affected every other business in the civilized World; telegraphs have b=ought to gether places that were thousands of miles apart —they give the' accused the privilege of milling his counsel together instantly, and of bringing him here in hours where not ..lon4 ago it took months. In every other business: we recognize the change, why not in this ?" He then sketch:l with rapidity and clearness, the nature, of this trial, the position of the accused and his power for evil, and showed that the, plea for delay could not be admitted as in ordinary cases, because the accused is the Commander-in-Chief of the army, because he controls the Treasury, the Navy, all our foreign relations, and so can interrupt the business of these departments while the trial -is delayed. " But this is not all . . The great Pulse of the nation beats ,pertubedly while this strictly constitutional but anomalous pro ceeding goes on. It pauses fitfully .when we pause, and goes for Ward when we go for ward; and the very question of the na tional'posperity depends upen our actions here and now. I say the very pulse of the nation 'beats here, and beating fitfully, requires us to still it by bringing the respondent to justice— from which God send him a good deliverance if he sl deserve—at the earliest hour consistent with the preservation of his rights." He closed with the hope:, "that no man anywhere hereafter may say that the charges upon which we have arraigned Andrew Johnson at this bar are either frivolous, unsubstantial or of .none effect; since five gentlemen oft-he highest respectability, skill, and legal .acumen as counsel have told us that the articles of Impeachnient were so grave and so snbstantial. that it would lake them forty days even to write an answer to them."' The impression is very strong here that the President, will adopt every expedient to protract the trial, and that failing in these he will attempt to avoid conviethiii 'by filing his resignation,with the Secretary of State. Some , of the Denweratic papers are urging this, and with a kind. of grim malice, after the New Hampshire election, recom mendinc, an appeal to the people. Probably that would be e the best thing he could do, but he is not in ale way of d iing the•best thing. A painful rumor ran through the city. Satur day evening that. Thad. Stevens was dead. He is very feeble so that such a rumor gains easy cred ence. He is working with all his strength, sits with the Reconstruction Committee, is carried in his chair from his house to the Capitol every day, watches the •progressvf Legislature and the Im peachment, knowing full well that his work here is nearly end . • Gen..Thonias telegraphs here of, rebel disturb ances in Tennessee in aid of the President.; rebel Gen. Noseby has been scheming near Washing ton ; but Secretary Stanton is still in office, and General Grant in consultation with .him every day; and' the little impeachment revolution wilt not reach any vast proportions. • , • Wa4hingto 91,- March. 16th, 1868 FEN WICK
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