: .■ ■■< . - i ■ ■ i ' 1 iN'ew Series, ‘Vol. Y, iNio. 22. $S QO By Mail. $3 50 : ?y j Carrier., >, 50ct» Additional sifter, three MontUsi ili s i THURSDAY;- MAY 028,1868. ; the Bible ,j* text tfooK; Considering its high, claims .as‘ ; the: only in,-< spired-book apdas .the , only infallible,ruleof faith and practice', authority upon’the,mbs tn important q'uedtibnS Of man’s nature, destiny add relations to "God, thfe Eibld .iS very little studied by .people. - It . lsread, andi;eyered al most udiyersaJly) but -in, comparison * with’. the: amount ,df -study:gding > on, it ds ' studied almost 1 ndi^'il 1 'ill- ! A good‘‘deal"iS!'¥4id 'Of Sunday^- 1, tfyis respect.. unquestiona bly;-important ; but wW is hajf, an> hour a week upon >the Bible, under i instructors who must snatch time for preparation frdih the spare mo ments of a busy life, in comparison with five, six; eigjit, and morehoujs a day for five days of the’ week;, of the severest, mental application, under teachers whose work is their profession,and their, living? Wheire aineng real studies is the Bible ? Only in professional schools. ''TbC- Bible is studied, as Blacks tone in 1aw,,.0r Wood iUj medicine. The training schools of ,the people, know almost nothing of it. ■ • r We have become so accustomed to this omis sion that toe think very little qf it; yet it seems'to us a, very great mistake. 'Mohammedans and heathens with their Bibles , for their only text books, each do better. And should the instruc tion of our youth be strictly confined to the Bi ble, with all that wiiuld' be' lost' by , excluding' some of the modern, apd purely scientific elements, of culture, what a mighty i instrument of educe-, , tion, In the-best sense ofrthe word; would rem4inl It is nothing less tlhku God'S'dfvk for the 1 ; ruorpl end spiritual ! tjhe iaeei' 'The' ; study of,its original , langmtgeg.jsrpujd , give.,play; for the philological element; to wiuoh the ,high r , est place in pedagogic slpparatui has soUorig bCen conceded. Indtrtieti6n,'hi,niddy.branches' Wdpld- be *sss i anoient manners ) .ftnd ern travel add discovery!; ia»ejent, history, i and 1 geography, ethnography; zoology l And bo6any ; in studying the first would be oalled to the entire circle pf jnaturai' soience in its most-modern aspects., And-aside; from matters incidental to-the explanation of the text, the text itself oontains th'e only authentic l primitive history of man'kihdatid have, the precedence in all historical tre^ti^es f and pur suits ; moreover, it gives, history of the world from the only true point of vieiW—that of Redemption. It gives the -key; to l the under standing of all history lh the Prison , and work of Christ, thus informing the student p.£ the most important -facts, and,, twiningihis-/judgment,to, proper views of the -essence 6f«alP history; View ed as literature, not 1 only' ft the ‘English transla tion of the Scriptures a model ,ofj pure Anglo- Saxon style—the frequent perusal of, which, Coleridge held, would preserve %»riter from vul garity—but the illustrations of the highest forms of rhetoric are so numerous and, so admirable .in the Bible, that we. know not hoto any one’s'edu cation in this branch oould.be considered in any material point defective; who had bein trained in literary matters exclusively under its influence. Nowhere 1 in literature are examples to be found of that effectiveness’of style which consists in- honorably and self-designingly,subjecting it, : to the purpose of conveying the writer’s idea intel ligibly and forcibly to the simplest mind, and yet nowhere are there loftier flights of imagination, grander descriptions of nature, more vivid and overwhelming appeals to the unsophisticated pas sions of men. Nowhere such,a treasure of pro verbs’, similitudes and parables. How should it be otherwise, when the authors' lips were touched ’ with coalß from the heavenly altar, and their iminds and hearts bathed, with the effulgence of an; [inspiration- richer than earthly genius ? and.when, among them was He who spake as never man 1 spake? i vi . ■ And if this 'Biblicijl school retained i't,s. pupils to riper years, their expanding minds, would only begin to be reader id l appreciate ,the ■ profounder aspects bf their grekt ! text 'book the higher protlenis of criticism, .fobchilig, the internal structure and, authorship of the : various books, the mutual relations of the members of a series of writings over two thoiftand years, that extradrdinary progress'amid unity of the revelation; the establishment of, the claims of the book against every . soft, opposi tion; the ,divine truth and .universality of the Christian' religion amid the conflicting narrow creeds and inventions of men; the moral ruin of man and his Redemption by- Jesus Christ; to whatever,'length in the study qf Theology, the student might have time .or: inclination, tO:go;< these are problems worthy of his loftiest powers' ■ ■' ■ ■ ■' i- 'r F J I ■ I T'l: /.- tl I ind fitted in the highest* measure,to, expand and train them. We know ndt why: an education' properly conducted ! on • such a basWinightndt; with far greater 1 propriety, be called ''complete, r... .1 li.a ifiti i,. :. w >,i li. » than one whiph pas run the jroutjjis flf. , curriculum , o!ff classicali jheathenisn), ,and profane, naturalism’ and .fleoulaiu/soiencej'which now-figure in , bhr l -Colldge inf which'thestfid 1 'rfeligibnof CWistendbin aril unknown, iL . M tTne.'- ' ' | IVV 1 and honorably m the varippsb.ufjngss, po t c.ial{ do mestic ahdj {political , iofj life, Ithan, : are those no Wyoming underithe ofcher“methodv/So,' our 'sobs should betas''plants ! ih their ydufh, anldbtir daughters as ‘coVner-stones, polish ed after the similitpdb of a palace, p..; r jQf.course,..we »re npt, in indulging .this suppfc ' sition, : to her understood as asking' for. the over throw of out 'presfernt I 'System of' edh'featidn', ahct ' for the substitution of the Bible Inplace of it all. Bjut, just, nqw when ( |the lor,recon-, structihgi our systerir is in, progress; ■ and - whenim-, ■ i to'gUtW control ftPout education- ■ al’ appafathsjHrlffcfc they hiVe 1 ihfbu^h 1 1 natural friensi of'a trjily, nght^a’, ’wholesome education should putina claim j for,, i the recognition the ®ib\b as a distinct brandli *of study, worthy 'of 1 a -pla'cO pafalleP with any l of | the new studies Whfdh' hrb 1 nbw* 1 b%ing into (Jistipot schools worthy,tp,r,\in througlj, the'epfirp-Cpllpge; course j|, worthy, of> /its separate; Professor; •• and ■ 'Lecturer! , and 1 of its distitfct set 6f prizfes/honors 'and 1 titKaV 1 'lt is a pity we cSdnot 1 have enough agreement amqpg deppminatjops ;to, fecure 1 nqf u qi}ly<,tb i q v reading,,hu<()tihe study qfj tlj&Biblflinr.qqr Com, , mod Sdhoola.l *>We have-heardlof School l Prihfcipal iu’this dity trifh a'''M” td ,J his nhine.^hji 0 ■ ooiiiii'ed'hiih l seif. ! ex^ldsiv‘e!ly, ! in "his school rekd ; •'itnT.oui si.,mlKvjum ri.W’iiiimi-» oui uo'.iq j ■■ - pngs of the Bible, to Proyerbs r fs^jppi)kyqpnji^ , bqftkv..)W«>hquldrrUulyth»ttoo,igladi.to£ih»WaeWr r -.A,aieijcBnJ>ydU#bi soundly inddctrrriatedintthqheav- 1 ’ ediy tJ wlsd(M l of'ihoBe precbpto, ifin no other'part .of the Bible. But, as we tlie' ■ present, have in the Common School's', itUTh iohni'attention to. qur rhigher ■ Institutions' f u tW-by should - not some l of i out* wealthy mep, whose munificent) ■ nations to colleges id this country is.oneof ;the - best signs of the times- give their* .jnexti twenty,) or fifty, or one'hundred thousand-dollars towards a professorship or-school of the sacred books of* Christendom 1 ? If the.study be,not made'obliga tory, to a? College, as itshould be,,then let every. proper, -means 'be employed :to. lead, our youth* to apply themselves to this branch, apd,to:. create audidiffusesuch a sentiment !n the com munity that it shall be consideredi a .necessary part of-every * finished man's training l tphave a! fair acquaintance with the'sources of the religion of the civilized world and of the great, questions growing out of them.. .The trifling attempts which are now, being-made in this direction, are scarcely to be named'in view df the new develop ments of scientific unbelief breaking forth on every hand. EDITORIAL , CORRESPONDENCE. ! ! FtARRiSBURGj'May 21' 1868 . ' The members' of th’e Greheral Assembly are rallying in force. Some 240 had replied to the letters of the Chairman of the Committee of Ar rangements' and had: places .assigned/ them, yes-: terdayi Thb efforts of Mr.;Robinson to arrange for the accommodation of the members, have been indefatigable and eminen ly ; successful. With a membership in his church of but 200, he has undertaken, ahftonrndaaiieil! Esteryi Seihft4ary'la J thd,dther atAlbany behpye by , °l°gy- ,pi.i to pnntinw lon 9--[iul.“ There htaohg I'the'ftiH!‘tWo'bbhdi'e Contes ’ from fhr • 1 n’es&t/; whjle the,• P,acific t k^ope, sendg; and. teaching ElderS'inVunusuabnumbepbr,! : the Committee; swarming iwitfrxoomtsisiioners, and elW^h 1 olclodH, fjhds' the ’aihple? hh’d dlehadt .t>jti ift tr»o Mif nr » siro -nv9‘.» alienee 1 roo;n<, of ( aimreb. .welt t fiHed> y with) members' 'ofbihC'-h'ody-'and ( Wfth, Dr. ( Nelson in the'pulpit, [Kansas; / and Dri; &k>inner,of; New Ybrk*— [West,- and 1 'the’ Centte4—the 'thibfceife'j'knd'fhe 1 .thcj jchprch.; ,The voice add burly frsme of con , tnlStS"s ! troiigly i with the 'delicate > dtlerpnees v Jigjit,’,frail, [form of Dr: Skinner,:n'The^preliimpaey,‘services are ■prOtnptly-'a'n'cl '.heartily dcrne,'dnd ! —'tut, lopg—rleayes, tbp.: codr/ gregatiob in'iitHe'.veryidncomtnonCenditidn of' hpbger for tdo're. The dikttogfijjphihgfea tureof jour,body as thdi advocate; of - SfcripturiJ liberty "Within th'e’bO'dddS of a gennine 'Ualvip [ ism P,T.« S might-; . have been said liavthe way -of [warning, . agkinst hllobltfg that ’ ] yras.'Wely’li'vifedJ at. .Dufcijt^p'twnk' 1 of: the&rmer i klea l Wafctnbt''oisly due* tobliritiltife, 1 bdl 'every ( dispositioh io pntj our brethren.of|.tbc other branch id -full posses sion of : the fsotß'ia regard to-the- doctrinal post: tion and spirit of. pur body.. • ■-1 - ‘ i The election l o£ moderator 1 'very -quietly done.. I)r. ( Patterson,..of-, Chicago,, nominated Dr. Stearns; Dr; Prentisswas nominated by an other, and . Dr. Tuttle, of Wabash College, by another. Dr. Prentiss promptly requested. the Assembly to 1 excuse him, ’which was done, and in a few minutes :the roll was called, and. the count showed 127 votes Stearns, and 70 for President Tuttle. Dr. Stearns is well known as one of the most 'of 1 GKristian gentlemen as ’well as most thoroughly athomein the word ing and history of tile Presbyterian Church. Dr. Stillman, of Buffalo, also -well- 1 d'riquainted with the details'of Prfesbyterial ‘business, and Rfev. 1 ' T'. ,: Ralßton Smith^D.D‘|, l, of 'New Ycfrk were'elec 1 - ted 1 'tdmjiorkTy : *in all, or about $50.00 in advance bf last year; f . 1 But these 'Committees ' all - represeit the; work of the Church as inthesam line' of progress which has so encouraged the 1 earts of. the brethren,in recent years. The numjjer of Home Missionaries is not far fr0m,50.0. Progress is reported among ' the G-ermans: * Thef Commit tee seem, prepared for dehnite* work, among the , Freedui.en, where the doorps wide open,and vhere they seem, satisfied .the joint work of Education and ‘Evangelisation can be effectively carriep on under the Home Missionary'plansof the (ene rah Assembly. 5 There is' Very great* incyeais in the.number pf.candidates in pharge,of Ei uca tipn.;CiOmmittee,“and.a;iprospect;of: a furthaim< tb'relieve'the churches ■ of all special 1 lappealpJsjr'.'th^e'xlJfent.o^,their, appropriations.,to :needy enterprises.,! ni-.> m ■in,.i . ■ -.r, 6f Niw 1 York,"Secretary of .the Permanent; tippimittee on.,EoEeign| Missions,; jread; the I Report'of/ tfaat'ComiilUtee, 1 which' as' havb jinSld.Vjis ~not up to, this 1 expectations ,excited ,byi; those-of- recent, years.;; The figures; ’have'dlifesid^appeare'd'in 1 our columns/ ' .report was concluded, the : Assembly resettled itself for the' introduction 'of 'the, topic of, session, and , of, the ,theHeport qf,the,Joint, 'Committee on. Reunion., iPresented'’ and doubtless 1 ! written' by Rev. Wm: ) Adams ) ,l ’fl.]3{,‘ S'resident of the Committee,' it en /joyed-such hjghadvanteges of form and-delivery {as rapely fajl to the lot of a Cpmrpitted’s^epdrt. , Wjth iqlearj .ringing, rqusjcal voicq ;, with;win •liing modulation,;: with/ perfect-ease' and compos- 1 : vpre{' themelliriupus iandi animated’with .the. highest .Christian: sentirl 'rpebts;,' fell' oti' tbfe loir aB 1 h"tai{e • litepai , y!an;d'’spir-' ,ituaV,yntt!rla¥nrnent jj al|>eii( l some felt - that; jjjjder' this-glow: of the style;Berionsi defects in thei plan' 'were extenuated, and that the 1 almost entranced Hearers would-, peed,,to be,. reduced, to a eooler |-mobdibefoTe they could/'exercise-a proper degree i of prudence in judging of its true worth and expedieney. ■ ■ ■ : - : As'the dignified, handsome, and gracefully .venerable Chairman passed from, his, long,and, eloquent /introductory argument,-which elicited frequent subdued demonstration of applause, to . the specific .terms of Reunion, there was a: gene ral stir among the members as •if about to hear the unfolding of a great secret, and. to reach the core of theimatter. .Quite a lively though brief burst of applause'grefeted the concluding senten ces. of the doctrinal article. A similar, rather more inten’se, 'but brief outburst was heard at the reading of the last artiole. The closing argu- ment,inexplanation and defense of the . terms, was also well received y even - an apt quotation from Scripture being warmly, a pplaudedj, and the well elaborated peroration, full of the 'finest rhe toric and *. the noblest Christian anticipations, swept; over the Assembly like * a strong, sweet zephyr over 1 a great, well-toued lyre. After the applause subsided thp, Doxology was sungiby the whole ibody. ■ ■ Dr. Patterson 1 then arose and came forward, and with characteristic modesty, after unanimous consent 'given; read his dissent from various points of the action of the Committee. His com paratively brief /but, weighty paper, prepared at the disadvantage of not having seen the elabor ate argumentative report of the. Joint Commit tee until last evening, was heard; with profound attention, and also received' with applause and referred to the .Special. Committee., There was ho attempt on Dr/ Patterson’s part to do more than c'edrly to state his posifion and leading, ar guments. ■ He reserved his fire for a later stage in the discussion. - There is very little doubt that the' movement for a;more cautious policy than would be indica ted'by the unqualified acceptatice of the majori ty report of the Joint Committee is strong enough in the persons’of its advocates and in numbers, to make the Assembly pause and perhaps adjourn final action for another year. At the conclusion of the reading of Dr. Patterson'S paper the As sembly adjourned. ’The American Presbyterian says that Horace Bush nell is ; blind ; and walks on crutches. —Ambassador ( Unvoersalist.) - The American Presbyterian says that the Church Union must have, been blind when it quoted our item (credited by us to.the Advance) in regard to the Cincinnati City Missionary, and then asked :if we meant Dr. Bushnell of Hart ford:—the Horace Bushnell zaP j also that the Ambassador had better walk on crutches than lean, on-such a broken reed as the Church Union, in the matter of.news items. .1 '.li V ■>(" I !U I ' FeidX’F, May -22 d. Genesee -Evangelist. ISTo. 1149. | Ministers $2.50 H. Miss. $2.00. 1 Addressl334 Chestnut Street. THE AMERICAN RAILWAY LITERARY UNION. ; This new organization, composed of some of the leading railroad and news-men of'the ' country—as Messrs. Wells & Fargo, Daniel Drew, ; fthd Edward P. Smith (the latter formerly of the 1 American News Co.) of New York, J. Y. Far wefl.of ’Chicago, Rev, Yates Hickey and others, has for its object the laudable purpose of sub stituting pure and wholesome reading matter for ‘the trash mdwiso-widely peddled among travellers Snd ! exposed [ wnews i&atids. v They design so far >as prahtiodßlFtb 1 secuie“ the right'of selling news papers, Sc.'J'on tlie bars, add to’ give the travel ing public ‘ the opjoriunity of purchasing reli- literature, newspapers, tracts and books if ,they, wish, thopgb by; pp.;gieans toexclude the Tegular; issues of the respectable press. They also propose to, establish news stands in, our cities, .where similar literature ’ may be obtained. ’ We •axe 'sincerely thankful that’this enterprise 1 is fidr jly 'dnminen'ced and‘is m'Such dhle and experienced ihahds. 4fte J f kll' the pest way fit keep chaff out of tfiemeasureistofill it with grain. Laws .against immoral publicatkmsare necessary, but •good, effectively written, substitutes for the, trash, ‘properly distributed,-wijl. have more effect, than laws;.: -It is hightime something of the kind were: done,-rand'we are impatient to see the So biety'S plane in actual operation.'Mr, J. A. Qar •diner is the Superintendent' for Philadelphia. !His office is'at 615 Chestnut St. v.:-- :-:m '-r-il tU:. . - CiTY STFNbIAY ScHO'oiis.—The Anniversary 'of the North Broad St. Sunday School, held on .Tuesday evening of last. week, was. a .most bril liant and successful affairs The: capacious edi- . fice was thronged in every part." The floral deco rations were' of the richest, and most lavish char acter;/ «The children, under the direction of Mr. T.'S.’ Rawrings, sang great, enthusiasm. and There wcre admirable: addresses ■Ry Dr.. Ifiswtoni'tli^'paStbr, ! '(Dk Stlfylcbr,) Mos. •Potter,, Esq, j jmd ,(jf em. Cfxegory j hut the peculiar feature of the* evening was the presentation off offering's. Each class, through one of its ,mem -bers, came forward; .with a boquet of flowers, to which the Chosen' name' of the class, the name of ithe teacher, and the amount' contributed through theyear was , attached j together with the name Jof the person for whom the boquet was designed !ak-ajgift by the class. •Many other gifts, books, -photographs, wax flowers, even silver ware from .the scholars to the teachers, to the former pas tor; (Dr;; Adams,) to the present pastor, (Dr. Stry 'kerj) and' their families and 1 other persons were •also,, presented., The services were prolonged , 'toia'late hour. Seven teachersahcf scholars had 'died during the year. The, contribuiions which dre above $4OO, -go mainly to the Sunday School Union; A Syrian girl is supported at Beirut Calvary School celebrated its 15th. Anniversary, ‘on last Sabbath afternoon. The membership’ is ,437. Average attendance, 318.. .. Contributions for the year, $258; for the last quarter $l4O. jTwo female scholara are supported in Bulgaria and Syria by two of the classes. Nine , scholars . ! had- united with- the church. Addresses were * ( delivered by Drs. Humphrey and, March. —The 53d- Anniversary of the School of the Pirst, ' church, was celebrated at the same time. A his tory.of, the school from, the commencement was „ read : Addresses were made .by Mr. Barnes, Df.i Stryker, and' Dr. Johnson. ' . The Methodist Generat, Conference, in session at Chicago, has, voted to Admit Southern Mission Conferences to equal rights in Confer ence, ThV “ mission conference” was a device , invented by politic managers some years ago, in order to extend the Church among our American citizens of African descent, and organize their preachers into annual conferences, but de prive' them of all vote in National Conference,— in a word to make them territories and not States. The institution is by. this action abolished . and the delegates from the South—white and colored—have taken their seats, with the rest. Conference also adopted a rule making the use of tobacco an insurmountable, disqualification in candidates for the ministry,' and decided to elect no new bishops. In answer to a resolution of the African M. K. Conference, in session at Washington, a special committee of; fifteen was appointed to discuss the propriety;and ppssibili- j ty of the union of the two Chur,fehes- The subject :of the establishment of a new Presbyterian church in Wilmington, Del., was to be brought before the people of the Central, Church last Sabbath. A congregational meeting will probably be held to take action. u There is that scattereth and yet.inereaseth.’ , ,