®te fwstotewi
]STew Series, "Vol. V, No. 15.
$3 00 By Mail. $3 50 By Carrier. 1
50cts Additional after three Months, i
fmmtait Jnslnjtoteit.
THURSDAY, APRIL. 9, 1868.
THE WONDERFUL WEEK.
There is something in the crowded action, the
«üblime teachings; the ihtense passions and.broad
developments oftdivine and human character,;the
great transactionsahd unspeakable interests invol
ved in the last week of the life of Christ, prior to his.,
resurrection,.that overwhelms contemplation. The
sacred writer’s treat this brief period with a fulb
ness whioh shows how high it' stood in their .in
spired estimate. Matthew; Mark, and'John, each
devote about one-third, and Luke nearly one-fifth
of their entire space to this, whioh constitutes but
the three hundredth part of the entire ministry of'
Christ. In Robinson’s Greek Harmony It occu
pies 52 out of 177 pages of text., From 1 the time
when our Saviour descended the' trow of Olivet
amid the plaudits., of the multitude, on what is
now commemorated .as' Pafm Sunday, to his-re
surrection morning, one-week afterward, we have,
a succession of scents so memorable, that-the
only possible good-reason for any part of
Church refusing to celebrate “Holy Week”! is
the insufficiency ofiany; week, or any lifetime, or
anything short of eternity for a proper contemp
lation and celebration of the bathe.. It beeins bc "
liitling to these events to confine the 'lively rp-
eullection of them to any particular period-of the
year, especially if the observance of a “ Holy
Week ” is'to have the effect of making -the fifty
nne remaining weeks of the year the' more secu
lar and common. And'it is those only, who ( try
! > bring their whole lives under the-sanctifying
and elevating power of these events, who Will de
rive real benefit from a season set apart for Special
meditation upon them. •
It is the Week of the world’s greatest enlight
::;ent upon the most solemn truths of religion.-
Christ’s prophetio activity arid dignity rise to
their highest pitch. Hand-in-hand with the
most unrelenting exposure of the hypocrisy, of
false teachers, goes the wondrous unfolding of
the truth by the Great Teacher himself. He
overthrows their arguments, exposes their devi
ces to cntaugle him, and makes of their plots an
occasion for the fullest revelation of his own ■ di
vine resources, of the glorious provision which
unbelief was rejecting, and of the awful fate re
jecters of the Gospel were preparing for them
selves. Then, as his public ministry, which .be
gan with the beatitudes, draws to a close, his v.ery
love and tenderness change into wrath against
the guilty, incorrigible Pharisees; woes take the
1 dace of blessings, and with words such’ as never
prophet uttered, and which shake every unseared
conscience to its centre, ho turns frqm.the*temple
and leaves it and its' hardened votaries to their
Limiting himself now to tbp'cirele of Lis fol-!-
lowers, lie tells tticm what that fate is l n:
the midst of profound peace,*hfi foretells the most
devastating war; points to the -atagaifieent'
(duple, glittering in all the freshness of Herod’s
costly restoration, and prophesms a complete de
-truetimi; which the Jews themselves fulfilled
against the express_fijglejs. of the Homan conque
ror, and which Josephus, an-
minutely records. But stretching far beyond
the interval of forty years, hip, prophetic glance
takes iu the whole history of time, and in a won
drous symbol,no shows us the progress of his king-,
loin, his own glorious coming had the end of the
world, as.an .enlargement of, the <story of.tho end
"f Jerusalem itself. Then-comes the i personal,
application of the great truth tbits taught, in thrSe
of our Lord’s most solemn.,'pungent parables, ad
dressed severally to his ministry, to the church
mid to individual members according - to. theiiy
several endowments; all crowned by a full and spe
cific account of the Great Day for which all other
days.were iniide, with its final dispensation of re.
wards and punishments and its assignpaent of the
good and tho;evj\ to, their over lasting fatoL Come,
yc blessed! Depart ye cursed i oNever ‘Wcre ;
words uttered “by human lipt "hive;'so
thrilled fhe children of men,' ’/ ’ t
Another phases of .QjiriSt’s prophetic activity
' i t remained, the most inward, tender, spiritual of
nil,—in which, with matchless-words; he Opens'
Us heart of hearts/to liif chosen'twelve, 'consoling
i heir grief, quickening spiritual faculties,
i -veuliug the depths pf his qoudescension and:in
tumu-y with them, addihg promises ofvju&'tdld
tidiness; above all, the promrsfe of the Pdi’aclc'te,
; > be more to them than even lie had been, apd..
y"t, while lie spake, he seemed himself to'be.snb
’ ’uing into that Holy Ageut, whose.’ influences
i: pon the human Spirit are as sweet- and gentle as;
■. ll dew. Bift iio f as he bond’s in his liafohlcss
;i| urc(Siory prayer, we behold the eyep-distiuyt.
y'' r =oi;ali'y pfpur. Great High P(ie@t,ibeginuing
on earth that office which, at the right hand of
the Father, he ever liveth to execute for us.
It was the Week of the most awful self-develop
ment of sin. Against the Holy and Just One, the
sinless Lamb of God, raged all the world’s worst
passions. The grossest injustice was heaped
upon the Most Just. The life of the Most True
was.falsely sworn awjay,. Ignominy, scorn, con
tempt, mockery were visited by the vilest upon
the gentlest, noblest and most courteous of men-;
scourging, laceration, and a lingering death of
torture were;decTe’ed to one whose life was but a
succession of matchless, miraculous,works for the
good of men. He that was anointed to preach
the gospel to the poor, to bind up the broken
hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and
to proclaim 1 the'acceptable year of the Lord p-4)
to think that he" should be. betrayed, aiid slain : by.
the ; vilest of deaths, and that a robber and mur
derer should be preferred in his stead ‘by accla
mation! . Can a more.overwhelming proof of the
world’s wickedness; of the heinousness, obsti
pfpy and intensity of;sin be possible?’, Thjelyery
teachers and guides :of the. chosen people lead in
this unparalleled drime. Friends forsake -Him',
his apostles fly; one denies him, another betrays
him. Sworn enemies and fiercely hostile peoples
are reconciled by their common interest ’in* this
business. .Jews join, hands with. their Gentile
oppressors and accuse Chrisfbefore Pilate of-that
very sedition against Rome with which their own
hearts were fully and the utter absence of 'which
in Christ made them his enemies. And the es
tranged Pilate and Herod become, friends,- asriri
their hour and the power of darkness, they fri
volously pass, to and fro between them the KiDg
of kings and Lord of lords in the disguise of a
culprit: "iAnd Pilate mastse’ ! ’co'iisdioas that the
stain upon his soul iji deepened, as he washes
his hands of guilt, while the Jews pronounce their
own awful doom when they take his blood upon
themselves and their children. The crime reaches,
its climax in the cold blood and the recklessness'
of consequences with it is committed.;
It is the world’s (jrreat Week of Redemption. It
was in the divine arrangement, and perhaps in
that higher nature of thing!n which grace is in
cluded, that as the world’s sin reached its climax;
it should find its cure. As the infinite goodness
draws near in the form of a free pardon, it must
needs rouse- the* fiercest opposition of that which
it comes to abolish.. It must’ meet and 'conquer
sin in its mightiest possible,, demonstration, or
it cannot be a sure conquest at all. Only in a
fierce encounter, with sj!n .can divine' the
form of a .sacrifice!; nothing but sin in its direst
ihhnifestation could drive the. nails and . plunge
the spear into such a vietim. It is when sin hears
from the cross on which s it has wreaked itself, the
cry “ Father forgive'tb'dm',’’’that its madness is
broken.
The agony in the garden, the bitter cup from
which the sufferer prayed almost in a burst, of
despair to be delivered, the great drops of sweat,
as it were blood, the nature which/ though linked
with infinity, sauk'almost crushed by the .burden,
the .cry of desertion on the Cross, all teach the un
fathomable depth and intensity of these’sufferings,
and remove“then) utterly from that class which
many a .weak martyr, child or wouuto; has borne'
with unshaken 'calmness. They were for the, sins
of the world. Taking upoa himself the , burden
of' millions of sinners, the guilt of a whole race, he
might well feel that he must sink under the fear
ful load. It was suffering, says Mr. Barnes,—com
menting oh the’words,,. “My God why,'hast thou
forsaken me,’’ — 11 endured by him that was duato'
,«*; and suffering by which alone we canbc saved'
frptu eternal,death.” ; .
file did not draw back. The Father did .nob
take away the cup on* which hung the possibility
of .our hidvution. .He did noted shine, upon him
as to mitigate his- sufferings on the cross, and so
diminish the value of his sufferings as showing
the euormnty of sin and tho depth of the;; divine
indignation against it.. ‘-It is fihishbcl,”' gtdped
out the dying Saviour. ; Time’s greatjwork was
done. . The hidden sun began to shirie; the' veil
qf fh'e temple was rent in' twain/ and ' the rocky,
’caverns of the dead were-thrown open to the light,;
land life reanimated..their .decaying inmates, in
token of: the glorious resurrection with ivhich
, thik week was to eliiSjß and all,its wondrous wqrbf
to be, crowned and consummated.' For this great
etebual result of one'short week, what joy, what
gratitude, wliat adoration should wo feel more
.than human powers can express ! t
I ,ii v
0 blessed .Well,of Love, 0 Flower of Grace, a >
0 Glorious Morning Star ! 0 Lamp of Light, 1
Most lovely image of Tii ! y Father’s Face,’ «
Eternal King’of Glory, Lore! of Might,
i Merit Lamb of God before all worlds, behight,
. flow can we Thee requite for afi.this-good? ,
; Or what can prize that Thy most precious blood ?
With all Thy heart, with all Thy soul and mind
' Thou mU3t Him love and all behests embrace-
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1868.
All other loves with which the world doth blind
Weak fancies and stir up affeotions base,
Thou must denounce and utterly displace
And give thyself unto. Him full and free.
That fuR and freely gave Himself to thee.
Tin: miurmra citsc. ;
To the Pastors and Elders of our Weaker' -
Churches
Dear .Brother It is not . strange that in
some of our weaker churches, wither financially
or nuinericaily, (and in some weak.,;‘we are,
sorry to say) the question is started; whether it
is worth while to contribute to' the -Publicatitin
work. If your church pßt's itself in thatril&k,'
let me say, thatiwe greatly desire and hope that
it will be 1 one Of our’ helpers jahd, co workers.
Without arguing the matter, .(which is not need
ful) let me state a few -facts.
! 1. The. total amount of iinoney received from
churches varying in; strength from moderate to
very small, is a considerable part; of the Commit
tee’s means for doingjiis.good work.
2. Of the collections, -a gooi■'number Yevery
year, are from Churches we should not feel dis
posed to press—the very, young, q-j very feeble, or
foreign born, (as Ilollknji and German.) ' ;
3. Frequently the contributions of ’churches
from which we scarce look for anything/are larger
than those from churches deemed; strong arid
able to give largely. . ;
4. The fidelity to duty with which these weaker
churches sustain the, publication pommmittee in.
its efforts to do good, is a strong/moral support;
encouraging, cheering,'and sustaining, as welhas
setting a good example tp others.; r .
5. Even the children from our Sabbath-schools;
(and'in churches nbt;rieh) often give; mote to aid
others through; this pliannel, than. some .larger
churches. • ■ " " ” ••
6. Nothing more weakens a church than tp*
tell it. that it is toa poor to give’-through our
recognized and appointed’ chanh®s of j benevo
lence.- /. ; v .l_ .. ~
'■ l si God’s blessing" on a- Him-HI ’its'
success, and His blessing is not regulated by,the
amount given, so much as by theheart of. the
giver: Forsuecgsswewant the gifts of the poor
as well as of . the rich, and. both fertilized by love
and prayer. .
Let us have the co-operation of yourself and,
ypur people. For information with regard to the.
work to.be done by our Committee, we refer you
to pur Annual Report ,;and the Presbyterian
Monthly, which we will ’send : you• if yon have
them’n’cJt already.." 1 ’ ■
Yours truly, and Fraternally,
JoH'tv W. Dulles;. *
Secretary Presbyterian Pub-. Committee.
: To the officers of our stronger churches it is
ncedless t'o say that we hope to have them as our
co-workers, since the suggestions addressed <to/
feebler churches apply d fortiori to the stronger.
There is a great work before us, a work thnb.we
cannot afford to neglect; Let- Us seek to dp r Tt.i' f
REV. DR. STRYKER.'
An esteemed, minister of our Church/in,/New
York writes us as follows: r -i :--f -
Wfe'bongratulate the North Brp’ad'/St - . Church
of Philadelphia upon having! Secured the pastoral
services' of 'ReV. IDr.'Stryftef'of this city. Dr.
S.'/ihas been iii/the mih/istry for. 20 years, qjid,in
all; that time has .been ;nwith out interruption, l
prosecuting'his life work. Hellas been pastor'
of the 3l(k St. licfurmed. Church, (formerly;
Broome St.,)-for the fast 12 years, and his ,: siiel
,ee'S3' there may be' inferred from 'the fact that he
: has received about 500 persons into his church
| upon confession-during that tithe. He is a faith
ful worker in all fields of ministerial labor. . "His
efforts in Um temperance cause have jjeen con.-
.slant and influential. lii the S'ahba’Stusohool—in,,
the the prayewaiid locture rootn —■
as a. pastor diligently looking aftef all the inter-'
ests of his. flock but few have excelled: him. ■ In.
all benevolent operations of the church he. lias
:taken an active part./ arid, douh.tles.svraised more
money from his people for these than any other
person,couldhave done. '' He has built a'hewand
beautjfui church edifice since he came here and
dlea-red.it of every; dollar of debt through'his
personal effort. ' ' ' . .
He has greatly endeared him: elf to his people
and ministerial brethren,'and they part with him’
with the deepest regret. A kiud sympathizing
man—a genial warm-hearted companion*—a re
fined cultured gehtleinam—a cheerful', joyous
Christian —-an earnest Bible preacher and faith
ful, loving pastor, he goes to your city to bring
these qualities into a newsee’neof activity. Our
warmest sympathies and prayerego with him, aha
we trust. that he will be received—we are sure;
that he will be —with true Philadelphia hbspj
tality and eo operation, hot only by bis church,:
hut by the; brethren-and pastors. " T. S. n
“CANDOR,” AND THE N. W. PRESBTTR-
Mr. Editor -I forward to. you the following
letter from a member of tbe-Presbytery of Chica
go. (N. S.), to the North- Western Presbyterian,
together with the remarkable answer of the .edi
tor, to which I invite the earnest attention of
yohr readers. This, ansjver assumes an extraor
dinary importannee the light of three or four
facts: A
1. The editor of the Ne/r/Ji- Western. Presbyte
rian is a clearsighted many who-can hardly be
ignorant of the sentiments and feelings that pre
vail in his own .branch of the Church on the
subject of reunion.' • ■ • •so
2. He has informed me. that his . answer to
“ Candor ’’ lias been-approved by the leading men
of the Old School ChilrcHj'including Hodge,
of Princeton, and that his positions on this sub
ject: are sustained by the Professors ! ih, the Semi
nhries of Allegheny and Danville. j •
3. I have the authority of Mr, Erskine for the
statement that no Old School paper, not eyeh tho
Cinbiunafi,,jPjesZ(y<er,'which so earnestly advo-..
cates re-union,' has expressed one word of dissent’
from the views which he lifts given respectingfthe
construction to be put upon the Philadelphia,
platform arid the use to be made* of it: in case of
re-union,'" ..,'Z * 1 '
4. Mr. Erskine regards the explanatory elause;
whieh'was proposed kjjy’PiV Gurley as ah/adHi-.
tiori. lp the doq'rinal, basis pf the Philadelphia
Convention, and accepted l by-the Joint Commit
tee hi;‘its"late meeting, as leavingpthe door,, 'open
for, file enforcementfif ,the views,which he-has ex
pressed in Ms reply tb “Condor:** and in this
judgment many Jof ,us feel, constrained to agpge,
with him. I&heowonld hesitate about endorsing
Dr.- GurleyVameridihent, it would bfe only because
he thinks,it liable qnd,likely ,to be construed: in:,
different ways, so us to lead--to future difficulty;
arid conflict. I ‘. '(, / V
I am aware that, them are, those in .bo61)
brancbfes‘'ofthe i Gbnroi?/ i Vb I '6''s'trbirglytffe'jgrbve :
of all efforts .to bring, about a lli.orough under
standing of each obher'p position between the par
ties in’the negotratibtis‘qu the subject, of rc : union."
But I am 'wiliiiig to,incur the displeasure of any
class of brethren* on ; either side, who would have
serious' misapprehensions' created or perpetuated
for.the Sake of union.. We all desire-union if. it
can be "effected cordially and without sacrificing
Of impairing the large and guards
ed liberty-in point of doctrinal sentiment-and ec
clesiastical administration, which is the' distinc
tive glory of our Chufch., Jf Old and New School
men can heartily unite abclstand’-side by side on
a clearly-defined ecclesiastical platform, broad
enough, for, both, we say; Amen. But if we are
asked to “ feq6utice' u VbWe-ivhit of op-former lib
erty, we must decline, at all hazards, and east the
responsibility of continued disunion upon tliosc
who would. 11 entangle 'jus again with the yoke- of
bondage.”
[The'exigeacies of our space compel us/to;pub
lisli the letter and article in question in another
place- They will be'found oh our Fifth page.]
. AFFAIRS’ AX if HE . CAPITAL.. *
; April Gth,;;iS63. *.
.ybg joipeachipent trial.haltpd on Saturday at
another important stagd 1 W its'-progress. The
T managers concluded the indentation bf their
' testimoUy in chief, jyibtf the exception of a few
points noted, an dab e defence were given until
“Thursday nexfj'to prepare their case. In making
application for this-farther delay, Mr. Curtis',
/Stated that they'wotild lufye but little; ofql testi
’ moiiy to offer, but. that, they intended ' to present
a large mass of documentary evidence which had
not yet been arr^ngbd.. .. hlr. Curtis assured the
Senate that, delay would be saved if: this 1 indul
gefi'Ce was'granteM t-o thb-mV . -
5 The management of the case.i has so far been
aimost entirely in the hands of Gen. Butler, who
has been opposed on the part of the President by
Messrs. Stauberry and Evarts. The essential
points in the case were abundantly sustained by
the President’s admissions, and by the cemfied.
documents presented to thO; Senate. -The testi
mony of witnesses required bpf little.time, being
coufiped principally to ..the attempt of General
Thomas to take possession of the War Office, to
the interviews of the President with officers in
charge of this military department, and to the
President’s public speeches. The readiness dis
played by Gen. Butler in questioning his witnes
ses and in me'eting all the • objections' of the
'counsel' is, truly marvellous. , Mr:
Stanberry has been, qqije willfug to gjye up the
■task! of contesting bis moves to the less passion
ate and excitable Mr. Evarts. Both these gen
.tlemen seemed .somewhat wearied on Saturday,
awhile Gen. Butler remains apparently as fresh,
■ nonchalant J ahd eourtepus’as on the first' day.
Genesee Evangelist. TSTo. 1142.
RIAN.
Yours,
11. W. 'P.
j Ministers $2.50 H. Miss. $2.00
1 Address:—l334 Chestnut Street.
He is a most irritating antagonist, is very sarcas
tic but at the same time conventional and parlia
mentary in his language, always alert and un
wearied, imperturablo under every attack and
ready to give blow for blow, never elated by suc
cess nor depressed by any defeat, se fertile in ex
pedients that when driven from what seems the
last, he surprises you with the impression that he
has just begun, and that all that has preceded is
mere by-play. He is Just the man for a long
trial. Some have-accused him of bein" undif
. o o
nified'in his examination of the reporters who
had taken the President’s speeches; hut it must
be remembered that he had to deal with a sub
ject that was undignified. Truly enough, such
expressions sounded out of place before the Chief
Justice arid the Senate of the United States;
but thchumiliafing thought was that they were
the utterances of the President of the United
States. The vulgarity and _ blasphemy of the
speech at St. Louis alone ought to be regarded
as constituting a “ high crime and misdemeanor”
for one in 'such an office.
The resistancemto law has been amply proved,
and the recognition of that law by the President
himself has • beseg clearly, shown. The Chief
Clerk of the State Department testified to a
change in the Wording of commissions signed by
the President after the passage of the Tenure of
Office act. Before that time the commissions read,
“ to lipid office during the pleasure of the Presi
dent •” since that time they have been made out
“ to' hold office /subject to the conditions _ pre
scribed by law.”, , ;
In his answer to the first artiele‘ the President
Says that he suspended Mr. .Stanton under the
ponstitution, and at his own pleas,ure, but in his
letter to the Secretary : of the Treasury announ
cing the suspension, he. says that it was done un
der the provisionsoof.the Tenure of Office act.
It is diffieult to imagine that the learned ’counsel
of the President, _can so, argue that admitted facts
shallibe.resolved into myths,or that resistance to
law shaH apt cd^ltitute 1 crime. ,
Some fear has been expresspd that because Mr.
Stanton was appointed by Mr. Lincoln his re
moval by .President Johnson was not covered by
the law. It will be remembered, (and no doubt
this will be brought out in the rebutting, testi
mony if the above claim is set up) that on the
day after Mr. Lincoln’s assassination Mr. Stanton
by authority of, Mr. Johnson issued an Official
Bulletin announcing that Mr. Johnson had as
sumed the duties' and office of President, and
giving the public' information of some of the pro-1
ceedings of the Cabinet Council that day. Among
thesfe proceedingshe says : “ the. President for
mally announced that he desired to retain the
present Secretaries of’ the Departments as his
Cabinet and that.they go on and discharge their
respective duties in' the same manner as before
the deplorable efent that had changed the head
of the Government,”
The rights of the Chief Justice have occupied
inuch, lime during the week!, One concession to
his claims lias been made in giving him the de
cision of incidental questions subject to an appeal
to the Senate by : one of the Senators. This may
do no harm in this trial since the Chief Justice,
now that his right in the case is admitted seems
inclined to waive it and appeals directly to the
Senate, and as there are many Senators through
whom the managers could effect an appeal—but
as a precedent it- certainly does not seem right
thus to tie the hands of the managers and give
so much power to the Chief Justice.
The friends of the President 'are very mueli
elated by the rulings of the Chief Justice and by
the knowledge which they claim to possess, that
six Republican Senators are sure to vote against
impeachment. There is probably no foundation
for this latter story but every difference of opin
ion among the Ilspubiicans is hailed as a divi
sion and as security for the President’s acquittal.
It has been made " manifest by the trial that
while the Democrats sit as partisans acting in con
cert.on every incidental and legal point, the Re
publican Senators are determined to give a fair
trial in which the accused shall have every ad
vantage to which he is entitled. ' Acting as fair
men they are found to have diverse views upon
questions of law" and evidence. A conviction
from such men will command the assent of the
nation.
• Legislative.business is quite suspended during
the trial. The House decided to adjourn each
day to attend the trial.' For a day or two the
members' came,/in with an imposing procession,
but this has dwindled day by day until the last
of the week, when “ the House of Representatives”
being announced with all formality by the Ser
gcant-at-Arms, the entrance of fifteen or twenty
men looked ridiculous. 1 There-is now not a quo
rum of the House in the; city.
Generals Grant and Butler have settled their
differences through the intervention, of mutual
friends. Most unlike in temperament and in
genius yet engaged in the same good cause, there
lias been no good reason for the continuance of
the bitter feud that sprang up at the close of the
war, and it is a cause for congratulation that they
have had magnanimity enough to end it. , >
Fenwick.