TA" trtirriut.i..j..'rr..''A..p/frricznt.
New Series, Vol. V, No. 31.
$3 00 By Mail. $3 50 By Carrier. 1 .
50ets Additional after throe Months. I
gfmtritauttesgittialt.
THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1868.
A WORLD WITHOET k- MIRACLE.
A world under the goveinnient of merely natu
ral law is the ideal,,the Cosmos, of a large and
influential class of scientifte men in our day. In
a few words, itch as laws, forces, monads, devel—
opment, they pross to gibe you the keys of the
universe. Of eourse, to admit a miracle is ,to
yield their whole ground. They deny and mock ,
at, such a thing. They resolve:the gespel account
into myths. No weight of•evidence can convince
them of the fact that
,the lawtywhich they con
sider a part of the •very frame-work of nature,
have ever been violated or suspended. And it is be
lieved by some and feared by many, that the
vastly developed scientific 'spirit of the age has
diminished almost, to a nullity, the faith which
once was so readily accorded to miracles.
claimed that this is arationallstio age, and thetas!
science has dissipated the credit formerly Oen
to the absurdities of witchcraft, astrology and
alchemy, its cold, clear light has reached the
very penetralia of the Christian faith, and that
miracles, too, must share the fate of those super
stitions, which once were as devoutly cherished
in Christian countries, as the miracles themielves.
It is said that high authorities in the, ChurOli
itself have ceased rto ,lay such_ great stress„efk
formerly, upon miracles, as proofs of the divinity
of the Christian revelation 1 and that everything
points to the final, abafidenment of the belief in'
miracles by all but the uncultivated and the sup 7.-
stitions.
Can we get along without a miracle, as philos
ophers, as scientific men, as moralists? to say
nothing of Christian believera ? ! For a world'
without a miracle would be (1.) a world that nev
er was made We can readily conceive of m the
world being carried on, without a miracle, by the
operation of natural laws and forces.; benci'nlitti
ral laws or forces will account for the 'beginning
of nature, that is fex their own beginning. Nature
—the world—can! only .begin_to be by something
above nature, by miracle: The world's very com
mencement, therefore, is the greatest of miracles.
The transition from nothing to existence is infi
nite. The idea of .an infinite God is necessarily
involved in it. Philosophy cannot comprehend
it, and can give us no formula or rational state
ment of the transcendent reality. It is an abet,-
lute exercise of the divine Will, before law, with
out law, making law. And the only way in
which men can get rid of the miracle of creation,
is to deny creation itself, and boldly to claim that
the world is eternal and self-existent. There is
no resting place for philosophy, that denies all
miracles, this side of the atheistic conclusion of'
the eternity of' matter.
2. A world without a miracle is a world very
different from that which natural science itself
reveals. We refer especially to geology. Ac
cording to the teachings of that science`, there
have been, not one, but many beginnings to the
orders of beings inhabiting the earth. Geology
and Scripture agree in teaching that there was a
time when man did not, and could not, exist on
the earth, and that, therefore, this chief of races
must have had a specific beginning. Not only
just before man appeared, byt many times previ
ously was the earth /ohs wa-vohu, without form
and void, in a state of convulsion and chaos; de
structive of' animal life. "The earth's progress,"
says Dana, " has involved the occurrence, at
intervals, of revolutions or devastations. Some
of these devastations appear to have been nearly
or quite universal over the globe, while others,
have been only partial. But, whether universal
or nut, they have often out off short, not only
species, but genera, families and tribes ; and yet
the same genera, families, and tribes have had
new species afterwards. Life has been introdu
ced where it had been exterminated, as if the
system were not at the mercy of temporary ciatas
trophies, but owed its restoration and continued
progress to a power that was independent of all
canses of desolation and could even use desolation
as a means of progrese• In other words, this
distinguished geologist finds, in the very teachings
of his science, procift of the frequent interposition
of miraculous agency.
And even if the testimony for these vast de
structive revolutions should 'be rUled out asin
sufficient, or likely to be amended, by' futUre dis
coveries, as Lyell and a whole sehool of natural
i,ts would.demand, still there remains.the unques
tioned introduction, from time to tithe, of entire
ly new and independent races, coincident', with en
tirely different geological epoebs, the only ration
al e x pl an ation of which is, the renewed miracle
of creation. As to the unnatural , theorynf
Ddr
win, that all races, by an unbroken a and-ahtiost
15july 69
eir
infinitely prolonged process of development, have
been produced from extremely simple germs, its
acceptance by scientific men opposed to Christi
anity, is one of
,the most striking- proofs ever,
given of the excessive credulity of . unbelievers,
and of the absurd and monstrousi conclusions to
which a denial of the miracles of Scripture will
lead. If the theOry of great and nearly
sal catastrophes in the geologlerte the
••
globe be open to amendment, and : therefore ,to be,
accepted with reserAre , the 'theory of Darwin is ,
absolutely waiting for its first tangible'supports
in that history. The whole weight of evienee,
thus far,is tor mirieniens recommencement
of,
each-epoch of animal like and,geologicalitrminfor-,
'nation, and if the. altehnative of a miracle
Darwinisin, that is so much stronger reason for'
b'elieiring' in the `miracle`
3. A world witlidniu miracle . is a world' Without
free will. Whether we call,a miracle a viola,
tion or, a Suspension of the law of nature, or the.
interposition of a:law superior to 'those in • &inv . °
mon operation,, it is of the very essence' of kree
will,ifsuch a log exists at all, to a tlie •
very,
things. All the acts of, the free, will ,upon the
natural world are to produce .results different.
from those which 'would fdlinctiffennthe regular
operation of the laws of nature t,he'tietiOn"
of the will we overcome the inertia:prhigh is na
turd to our .physical system, suer give to liMbs;
members , and the whole body , motions . whielriaa -
turd laws would never produce:'' rßyfthe
sal law of gravitatien'bodies seek, the
lowest attainable spot. I interpose to .catch the
Wittig body and the . operation of, ,one;of :the
greatest •natural laws is , arrested. , I raise' the
stone from its' bed• and' dead it Whirliti thro i ngh
the air. Natural laws regulate its' fliht - bni
they are , all against ( its., Starting. thpae i
terferen,oes.of the free ,will with,nature are;ia. a i
sense, miraculous. What we call miraeleia differ
from them rather, in the exalted degree of inter
ferenee; irethe vast measure of iiMirty:
than in the kind. , Mirada* getl's free
exercised, in arresting - the 'ordinary course cif na-,
ture, 'in' ways' far above, the ability tirtAtipieheii-'
sion of men. His raisin the '!t A 111114414
ei o rnr,- oo , and"sron; aile. 04:
flowings j from that ; transcendent sonrce, of power,
the free intelligent will,, from which , the original
creation and,subsequent re-creations Of the world
and its inhabitants probeeded, 'and ‘rtif Which 'a`
veritable portion is connnitted t9,,.flis 'creatures.
It is only , by denying, as consistent infidel phi-,
losophers are doing, the very idea Of freedom in.
man and in God, and by consigning the whole
world to the sway or a'Senseless, unrelenting, uni
versal fatalism • it is' only when one makes the,
convenient scientific fiction 413444 Law a world
wide, and exclusiVe fact, that one gets rid•of the
possibility 'of a miracle.
A world without a beginning, a world without
providential interposition at its, great, geological
catastrophes, and a,world without free will in man
or God, is a' world without miracle. Eternity-of
matter, Darwinism, and fatalism:---these are the'
alternatives of a belief in the historical truth of
Christianity, which the unbelief of the ,age, is
placing broadly before us and saying: "Choose ye
this day whom ye will serve."
VICAWr MINISTERS AND: VACANT
CHURdIES..
The Third Presbytery of this city have rec'ent-'
ly adopted an elaborate paper, upon these diffi
cult topics, among which they include else licen
tiates. By the appointment of a Committee to
mediate between the unemployed men and ,the
vacant churches, by insisting upon, the responsi=
bility of both to the Presbytery and by assuming
a closer supervision of the whole subject, the
Presbytery propose to abate some of . the evils
connected with the present loose condition of
things. Their object is not merely to bring the
parties named into scriptural and Constitutional
subjection to the Presbytery, but aliO into more,
satisfactory and useful relations to one another,
so as to put an end, as far as possible, to the ex
traordinary phenomenon of a large:surplus of
unemployed ministers, existing simultaneously
with numerous and sometimes prolonged vacan
cies in the chUrches.
Whether their action was the wisest for the
purpose, or not, the Church owes them thanks
for boldly grappling with an evil of great' propor
tions; especially in our own blanch: There is
almost no legislation reported in , the' Digest to
guide in this matter. And we trust that every
Presbytery that has, not, as yet acted, *ill be
stirred up to such action by the example of the
Philadelphia Third. • •"
There are two points of impoltaneein this deli
cate question of the relations of vacant.churches
and ministets,—almost as t delicate as..those in-
Tolired in .courtship' and marriage—on' which
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1868.
Presbytery, did. not touch; they are i ,the,payment ,
of &applies, and the general subject of the'lettp-,
port cf the ministry. Neither of .thesi:cinestions
has been met by , the American Churches with
the thoroughnesss and conscientiousness ; which
the,subjecedemends. The pay of'ministers of
the gospel who are expected to live' tin' some deL
gree of'respectibility,lii so inadequate' t'd the . ne
cesstties of tholt caring, that ordinary prudoace
fPir own I ?.euee,., o 9MPelfi them
to hesitate in forming connectienscwitli ,fttrches
Eitetturits their-attentioti involtratirily; to ex'tia r
mbiisterifil telds'of Ether. And" bhiireliCk', with
their high, views of what constitutes ministerial
fitness, and low views of eompensation 2 necessari
ly remaini,VacAut;oand ought :to. remain, vacant
months And !even years; and no . mere enfOreelikehi
of the authority of Presbytery 'ean 'the
evil; A levelling up of salaries by sustentation
funds, and, a , general,mansp-building excitement
throughout the Church, must .take place, and
greatly! • diminish these embarrassment.* 'before
Presbytery can hope to accomplish any at:Kit:tent
reaaltsliy nieiliating between vacant miniiteri:and
vaca.nt ,cburcbes.,
The pay of Supplies ought to be put at a mini
muvit, of ten. dollars a 84rifton. °hitt:eh - 6i onght,
to he' stained - out, of ilieLmeanndss of attempting
teget occasional ; service, without pay. ,The
fingness Pfifkfaithl minister of Christ tc preach
the gospel wherever he , can getan opportunityl.
is 'no inthisnie 'of ihe chureh'Auty t6'°4hotalEe ll
r.) ^
ministers:' And if a'Prcebitery send, JrcntAltt . e ,
or, vac t9 .l l)Feaell
the body ,should feel ,bound , fto,,uset,alifprnper ,
meansito see him paid at the a,boveperVoni4 Itia=r
souable minintuni, rate. , lf it iia,'•Misilkona47
feeble Chiirch tO lie is sent, arranieMeas
, rt
shegicl be made ,with the Heine. Missionarpeozw
mittee, (Jr a Home:: fission Rand/ of `Presbyter
should the raised, to street these Beficietitiibs:
They hale no kight, to:send him at r)ste:
or charie.
•r 1 Joi
We. feel confident . tliat a liberal fmanpial,poli r ,
cy is necessary to give the*PresbyterWtolan , anii
gidat'measure 13iCcess'. , Atit,
a___ , e
THE 'HEBREW CHRISTIAN BROAERII‘OB.
'Xile,acciety which bears this OW any; has, its
head-quarters in New York city, not fof recent
origin, ;though it has attracted mere notice in its
more recent operations. It was organized of
Jews converted to Christianity during the Revi
val ; of 1857, and has been laboring for eleven
years with more or less success for theconversion
of the Jews of that city., It has 'published a
monthly periodical entitled The Israelite Indeed,
which 'is " devoted to the illustratiOn and de
fence of Itehrew Christianity." More recently
it has 'resolved at the request' of - some Jewish'
converts in Chicago, to establish, a - branch in
that city—which some one has called "the'Wes-,
tert(Sliburb of New York." •It is not impLoba-,
ble that in the course of times similar effort will
bes made amongst us. ,
The Jews of 'Philadelphia "icduld furnish an',
e4eeially pioniiSing field' for missionary labor,
because so largely under conservative influence.
The Reform Party who • reject. *all hopes of a
Messiah and of a 'national restorationtind•
proxiMate:to rationalistic view's in regard to the
.
Soripturea, have by no means the influence here
that, they'possess in most of .Our„great cities. The
late R. Leeser through the columns of, the Occi
dent exercised an especially beneficial' influence
in this respect
The Reform party, however, are "the.party of
movement" and their influence, fromi various
causes is manifestly on the rise: For one, thing;
it is computed that there are in this city l `9o,ooo
German Rationalists,,Whe are in no . connection
with any, religious organization:.These meet and
intermingle with the Jews—who are also for the ,
most part Germans—on terms of equality. So—
cial intercourse, clubs, balls,'and plaCes of pub
lie resort bring the two classes in contact, on the
ground of common regard for " the Fatherland,"
without doing, the Jews any spiritual• benefit.
These external influences tell only in one direc
t' on and in the course of a few decades of years, our
may beconie a`stronghold of Jewish unbelief city
rather than of Jewish conservatism. ,As.perse
„
eution has passed away, the fierce espritdu corps
that onceheld these children of Israel together
and shut ,out allexternal influences, has passed
away also; and the external influences to which
they 'are exposed among us are "only evil and
that ,continually.' ; '
Do our churches' owe nothing to these men,
who are, after the flesh, our Lord's brethren ?
.Can we see them drift into infidelityand put
forth no han'ikto save them:? Oar city lluts ever
heen hackward in this work, of !Jewish ,evangeli c
zation., , For awhile ReV,S.:BophOmme labored
in the service of the'llt.'P:lohUrch: aitibhg'
hrethren; but since he'jigned , the Q.
his services have been diverted to other fields.
At present, we- know only of Rev. L. Newmann
engaged in the work. He is employed by an
Episcopalian Society to go • from house to house
and has already. brought a goodly number to own
Jesus 'as the Messiah. But the first thing need
ed is to gather a' Jewish Christian congregation,
as in New York, and thus to give , the converts a
piregp and a standing in the eyes of their own
people. We trust that our churches wilispeedi
ly.awake to a sense .:of their , duty at hothe, and
with' this view we have Written. But should
lacy reader wish'to contribute to the' work already
undertaken mother cities,,he may have the op
portunity by calling on Rev..Areos,• Lewis; at
1018 Arch. street: • ; • •
'REUNION iTgms.
.
The TsTew York AlgangeUst,proposes to surren T
der [?] the parts ; of the First, or, doctrinal Arti
cle which are objected to iby the Old. School,
provided ,that the Tenth Article shall be stricken,
out .of the Terms, of,, . W:e,do not
believethat thp,swapping of articles, as , we hope
we may . , term it , without, offence, is proper; or
dignified method of adjusting this inaportantAmat
ter. Certainly, two great, .Churolies Call , better,
consPrAet,a p)atform on which they may, stand to
gether as ,Chup3h, than by, bargaining
that each , shall pat in so many planks or that
if one shonlkbe, asked to shorten one• of its
planks, the other' must take so many feet, from
one of its planks, or cast it out altogether., This
is 'tit'Spenily,,and we 'de 'not believe'that it is
the'puTpoae,Of 'either. Church so to act. . . .
If,there •be any xinestion as to ,what has been,
the :course of! the Church's judgment' in , the
past, we .respeetftilly snggest that the Tenth
Aiticle should stand eo determine Whz4, 'is to be
the law in the future.—The .I?resbyterigh:.
I should'Uot think it necessary' to make any
reply to the communication of , Dr. Reed, and
the leftei'or Dr. - Picks*, did not suppoSe'it
possible that my silence might be construed into
an'ini pitted ,admission ha i d" made an inac
curate statement in my articlein the Pie.sbyterigi
pf'4l4 27 1 th. There really rna confliet r
tieeii"Dr!"f[iCkok'S statement and, mine:' He
simply cibes "hot remember tole:ye mentioned
*Taylorisiit' On the -oi t her hand, my re
niembranee &Ifs 'inmitioning perfectly dis
tinct and decided:.:.
It is perhape; not difficult to account for the
fact, that' this 'reinark shoild have made a deeper.,
itapression, and found a more permanent lodg-
Merit in` my mind than 'in his. On his part, it
was but the PaiSing illustration of a general.
prinpipfe,
.to which he was attached, and. which
he esteemed' esdential to the organic union of
the two Churches; -on my . part, the principle
itself was regarded. as extemely objectionable as
a part of the Basig of Union, and the particular
illustration of it thdn given was to me, and is
to Old Sbhool men generally, particularly
tasteful, so that the mention of it in that con
nection was even startling, to my mind. The
impressi i on which it made was all the more deep,
because it was set, over against the,doctrine of
immediate imputation, which then, for the first
time, I heard designated as an Old School doc
trine.[!]
That the words " Taylorism " and " imputa
tionV were used by that good brother, is just
so far certain as it is certain that the sense of,
heating,is
,a trustworthy medium for the com
munication of sounds and their corresponding
ideas to the human mind; and that they were
used -in 'the connection and in the sense which
I have attributed to them, is uncertain only in
so . ' far is it may be affirmed that it is never
absolutely certain that one Man understands per
fePtiy what another man says, or meant to say.
_tut is Dr.' Hickok does " not choose to stand
responsible at represented inthe Presbyteria,n,"
I; of course, ,'have no wish to hold him respon
sible; only I hold,myself responsible for, the ac
ciiitiCy' of 'the statement there, made.—. Gen rye
Hill in 'The. Presbyterian.
I would like. to have this, [Xth] Article drop;
,
ped for the followinc , reasons :
Ist., It is not, in harmony with the fundamen:
tal principles of ecclesiastical associations. Pres
byteiies, like particular churches, are, co-ordi
nate associations, and are bound together by
mutual confidence. The members, therefore, of
each ought to pass from one to the other on
the gronnd of certificate, except where something
special` renders. the applicant, an object of' suspi-•
cion.
2d. It is incompatible, with the courtesy due
to ministers in passing from one Presbytery; to
another, .such as is. conceded even by worldly as
sociations.
3d. It will tend to produce evil surmising, and
lead to alienation and strife.
4th. It is an inherent,right • of all associations
to •go, back of a certificate, in cases .where there
is: something spebial to excite 'suspicion. But
this'ought not to be done, unless there is some
thing special to excite suspicion.
sth.'Such an arrangement, so far as my, know
ledge goes, is unknown in all other branches of
the Church of Christ.
6th. The dropping of this Article would allay
U fth i9' The l Basis : of Re union should be free from
every vestige 'of former distrust and strife.
Bth. The Presbytery which would examine
accordingzto this' Article, would place itself in
an' attitude of quperiority said "independence
:of, other Presbyteries, incompatible with. the, true
;doctrine of ministerial.parity, and of Presbiterial
equality
.. - This would, especially be' the case
6;e
_Nrangelist, No. 1158.
Illestors 0.50 R. Miss. *ZOO.
when"Address:-1334 Chestnut Street.
an eaami
Bth. The
,
be of no practicrtfinpe,ratively requiringloth. The two
to unite on terms bed, win &e found to
eqUality.—Dr. Eagleson
The Presbyterian Banner. Church ought.
A young linentiate, a gradualiern e
nary, was called to a church in the'6: a and
Presbytery of 'St. ; Paul. On examin..
Presbytery refused to receive him, or 1 7 t
call into his hands. ,Now we know not on ,„
points of doctrine he was considered unsouna
but we do know, that on the ground of doctrinal
unsoundness he was rejected, and that by a Pres
bytery whose leading;members are quite favorable
to the re=union. Within a few weeks afterwards
he was received, ordained, and installed by a
New School Presbytery,,and without any dissent,
of.which we have ever heard. Suppose the union
had already been au accomplished fact, would not
the old controversies have been, at once revived,
and all the old difficulties have • broken forth in a
renewed flame?.-`;Would Lane Seminary remain
quiet, and have her students rejected on account
of unsoundness, in the faith? Would the Pres
bytery of St. Paul have been content to have a
rejected candidate of ,theirs received without
.
question by another Presbytery in the same com
munion With themselves?—'°A Member of the
Asiembty,of 1838" in The Presby'terian.
'Some weeks ago you spoke of the majority in
the late ,General Assembly as, not' having the ad
vantage of good leadership. -In some respects,
this was perhaps true. , . . ;'But ; it is believed
the action of the.majority. was 7ery much , directed
by,a certain kind of leadership; it is credibly
reported that a caucus meeting was repeatedly
held, and that a .certain speech, indicating that
alf-amendments were to he laid on the table, was
in ic,cordauceiwith the views,of the caucus. It
is further nuderstood that the plan 'of holding
public . meetings all over the Church, and.of ob
taining, prompt affirmative votes by the Prebby
teries, thus rushing, re-union -through, was con
sidered e.x.pedient by the,brethren in caucus as
sembled... . . It deserves consideration whether
it is,wise to introduce into our Church proceed
ings and methods of inflnencing the minds of the
people of; God, which , are known among •as as
chieffy the methods, of, politicians, when they
wish f'tO carry an' pleetion t ".. Such% methods
seeinto be needless in our Presbyterian system.
-‘2l: Presbyter" in the Presbyterian;
[We are glad -to see such a denundiation of the
measures 'of 1837 from that side of 'the house.]
If the N . . S. Church' has really purged itself
of the doctrinal errors foi—which• Raines was
tried and condemned'by the '0: S.' Synod, which
errors were , the main cause of the 'divisiOn; why
do not the advocates of re-union try to show it ?
Why do they not try to show us 'either ' that
Barnes &-Co. lave recanted their errors, or that
they have been tried' and turned out of the
Church, and that those now holding such views
cannot be ordained or tolerated in the N. S.
Church ? '
They have notztonly not done this, but they
try'to goad us up to unite with 'the N. S., when
they know very well that these men have not're
canted their . errors; that they hold and, teach'
the-same doctrines yet; that the'very errors for
which Barnes was tried and condemned by our
fathers are not even at a discount in the N. S.
Church; they'go at par.—"E." in N. W. Pres.
There seems to have been a gradual change,
probably so gradual as scarcely to be noticed by
themselves, as to the ndoption of the Confession
of Faith by the New School: It seems pretty
certain that the great body of their ministers
really receive the standards in their integrity,
though there are evidently several mournful ex
ceritions, and these represented by the American
Presbyterian.—" Real Filend of Union" in the
1V: W. Pres.
But how they [the friends of Reunion who
have signed the Pittsburgh Circular] can expect
this paper to promote it does not appear. On the
other hand, it is hard to suppose that [the oppo
nents of Reunion who signed it] now desire to
advance the cause, which they were so lately, and
so strongly opposing--harder yet to believe, that
they have cajoled its friends into a method of do
ing it damage; for strategy—otherwise called
overreaching—does not belong to. fair Christian
men like these. Plain, common-sense, straight
forward people, are mystified by these good names
on such a paper. . . . For it declares the
signers to be friends of union with the New School,
yet with no intimation of any change in anybody,
since their open consent through that' protest [at
Albany] and otherwise, to the statements so often
made, and never disproved, of the New School
heresies—the statements, for example of Dr.
Hodge in the last Assembly marvellously clear
and so solemnly uttered, showing, while there
was none to answer him, that the New School al
lows doctrines to be held and taught by its.min
istry, which make "not only a different theology,
but a.different religion." How could'such men
put their names to‘such a paper? . . . What
can be, more idle 7 ,--not to call it a diiingenuous
trifling, with the greatest subjects—than to iisist
on "the standards, in their simple and obvious
sense, as the, basis, of union!' and declare it suffi
cient, with people concerning whom you are fully
persuaded,. nay, you kiiowperfectly, that many
of them, do take these standards in a different
sense, and the,whole.of them agree to allow others
, to do so? Do:the brethren hope that the New
School will fly.off on this, as some of them seem
disposed to do? Would to On& they may ! But
it is not easy, to see how candid men could" use
such: a method: This; therefhre, does not explain
the,,Oirettlar-:Mystified again.—Reth: ;Prof W.
'l,..Breckenrickei DD., in the West. Presbyterian.