011 V lIIVICM3II New Series, Vol. Ar_ I . sjuly 6 9 m & Strictly In Advance $2.50, OtherwiTi,;a,-,i,-,J. Weir • No Extra Charge for City Delivery. . anuritait ttsblittrialt. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 s 1868. THE AMERICAN PREYTERIAN FOR 1 sir ,ll 9'. The same line of policY hich has given character to this paper during its his cry, will be maintained for the future. It will aim, first and chiefly, to be a beans of diffusing the fullest and earliest intelligence of all matters of interest in the progress of Christ's kingdom, , especially as relating to our own branch of the Church. It will endeavor, by the earnest and fearless discus sion of current topics - in theology, in' morals, and' in ecclesiastical and national polity, to promote the in= terestsof truth, to enlighten and enliven the public conscience, and to secure the progress of Revivals of Religion, the Temperance Reformation, the Obser vance of the Sabbath, the Development of the Latent Energies of the Church, Purity `of Morals, the' Dis couragement of Social' ExCesses and of Pernicious Amasements, the Maintenance of the Everlasting Prin ciples of Justice, and of the Gospel -Law of Love in the National Policy, and the Perpetuation and thor ough Evangelization or this Republic, as one of the leading Agencies for the Social Elevation, Enfran chisement and Salvation of the Race. It will seek to maintain, without narrow partisan ship, but with earnest conviction, the generous and safe principles of Doctrinal Liberty, which have gained a recognized place, within the limits of the Presbyte rian body, through the energetic labors and the en-, durance of the so-called New School branch. 17 e. shall gladly welcome and cordially support a Reunion which promises to conserve and strengthen this princi &pie. At the same time, everymovement contemplat ing a change in the organic relations of our body, will, hereafter as heretofore, be scrutinized as to its bear ing upon this important question, under the conviction, that to put upon the entire Presbyterian Church of America the stamp of doctrinal exclusiveness and nar rowness at this day, would be a deplorable backward , step, crippling its usefulness and lowering it from its high position among the agencies of our Christian civilization, as well as needlessly furnishing additional facilities to infidelity to stir up prejudices against the Church and truth of God. 03,11n,3, , S3dikroali , os :411 (oL ;FA 4:4 Among the measures designed to increase the effi ciency and attractiveness of our paper at this time, our readers will welcome the new arrangement by which a large aan disinguished corpse writers is add ed to the Editorial Depart. As the designation of these 4pret hren has: mat tha-aartlial. ipirsatal. of thellasieVe' Association of this city, they will be known as TIME EDITORIAL COMMITTEE. Their contributions will be generally accompanied with the initials of the writer. Their names are as Rev. 7. M. Mumphrey, D.D., Pastor of Calvary Church. Rev. Herrick Johnson, P.D., Pastor or the First Church. It ew. Danl. March. P.D., Pastor of Clinton St. Church. Rev. Peter Stryker, D.D., Pastor of N. Broad St. Church. UPS , . George F. Whine D.D., Pastor of Green Hill Church. Mr. Robert E. Thompson will continue to act as Editor of the News Department. These brethren will be aided by a corps of numer ous contributors in every part of the Church, and in other lands, embracing such names as Rev. Albert Barnes, Rev. R. W. Patterson, D. D., Chicago ; Rev. C. P. Wing, D.D., Carlisle ; Rev. E. H. Gillett, D. D., Harlem, N. Y.; Rev. Chas. P. Bush, Rochester ; Rev. Ambrose Wight, Michigan; Rev. F. A.. Chase, Lyons, lowa ; Rev. A, M. Stewart, Pacific Coast; Rev. Henry H. Jessup, D.D., Beirut, Syria; Rev. Justus Doolittle, Tientsin, China; Rev. It. G. Wilder, Rola poor, India; Rev. J. B. Bittenger, Sewickleyville; Rev. J. S. Travelll, Allegheny City ; George W. Mears, Esq.; J. Ewing Mears, M. D.; H. P. M. Bir'kinbine ; Mrs. Dr. Brainerd; Mrs. Col. Sangster (M. E. M.) and others yet to be named. TERMS. As delivery will now be by the mails exclusively, the terms of the AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN will be, uniform both in and out of the city, that is STRICTLY IN ADVANCE Two Dollars and Fifty eentai a Year. If not in advanoo : Tunita pOLLAILS wily- City Subscribers will hereafter receive their papers by the Le4ler Ca;Tiers, at five cents per quarter iii advance, or rasa by calling at the Post Office. CLUB. 9 Ten or more Subscribers to one address, $2.35 each Thirty or more " 2.20 a - Fifty or more 44 44 .2.00 t 4 ' One hundred or more " " 1.80 " ser The attention of Congregations is especially invited to this last offer. ger Club subscriptions must start from the 'sanie • . slate and be paid in adiance.' gar Old Subscribers may join Clubs by paying up to the time of the formation of the club at the old, rates, and then commence their new year with the club. PREM.I.III3IB FOR NEW ,SIDIELSCRIBERS. A cash prewium of One Aollarott every new sub scribers, or - For two new subscriberfl 1 .40 P, one addi tional copy of the paper free. For a club of ten newl subscribers and $23.50, five additional copies free. • For a olub of thirty new subscribers and $66, fourteen' additional copies free.. For a club of fifty new subscribers and $lOO, seventeen additional copies free.' • • For a olub of one hundred subscribers and $lBO, twenty additional copies free. Address, JOHN W. DINAH% 1834 Chestnut St., ' THE VICTORY OF FAITH. The pride of intellect is perhaps the most se rious opponent of faith in the experience of man. But it is far from the only one. Sensuality,ava rice, ambition, the fear of man and every form of selfishness contend against the principle of spirit ual life, and rebel against its claims to supremacy. The carnal mind is not and cannot be, subject to the law of. God. There is "another law.", in our members, warring against the law of, the, mind, and bringing us, into captivity to thelaw ;sin . , which is in our,, members., But consciousness testifies to the unworthiness of this carnal law to sway the life. The inward man delights in 'the law of God and submits to the laW of. sin Witli an instinetive protest, which, sometimes, even'be, fore conversion, becomes an agonized cry for. re lief. "0 wretched man that I am', whotihali'de: liver me from t,he body of this death ?" Not So with that pride of intellect whiCh especially exalts itself against spiritual truth. Its very essence is a sense of its own sufficiency. It vaunts itself as the glory of human nature, and. claims , as its right, jurisdiction over 'every faculty and every branch of human knowledge. It is necessary therefore that the faith.principle obtain its right of supremacy by actual conflict with foes of the most diverse character; but the crisis of the battle is with those who impugn its own existence, and who would theorize add phil osophize God and his witnesses in the soul and in histOrY, oat of the.world. It must "cast down imaginationS (margin 'reasonings) and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity = every thought to the obedience of Christ." Faith's victory , is gained when all the powers'of the soul recognize , and submit to the supremacy of spiritual objects; when the rebellion of the pride of reason,'"pride of selrrightetusness, and the exaltation of sense,,is put' down; when men actually cease walking after the flesh` and walk after the Spirit ; when men are brought to regard immortality and eter nity as sufficiently momentous to command . their best energies; when the divine. Redeemer shall appear as the most lovely and. desirable of all ob jects, It can only , •4e after*, great'atrn in-- volving a radical change in man's . natural condi tion; called conversion, that faith can obtain the mastery. It requires the subjection of the whole man, the active powers, the plan and purpose of the whole life. It calls for loyalty and sacrifice. It bids us take up our cross, 'deny ourselves and fol!ow Christ. , It is a great conflict_ Sensuality, pride of in tellect and pride of character are deeply entrench ed in fallen human nature, and have the ' advan tage of holding the positions which must be taken. So tnfeebled is the faith-power in this catastro phe of humanity, that it is scarcely more than conscious of its own rights. But it becomes for midable by the divine impulse which animates it. It lives, and fights, and conquers, by divine aid. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God. It is not an outward or ganization, which by force, compels the homage of men, and by outward penalties and violence at tempts to retain - y. That can only gain external victories and an outward allegiance. Faith's ob jective point is the inner man; faith's victory is over the life' purposes. It is the implanting of a new and ruling principle in the soul. It is ac complished, not 'by might nor by power, but by, the Spirit of the. Lora of hosts. Faith has had its line of victories in the world from the beginning. From the beginning the lives of men have been made sublime by its power. Men have, believed in God, not ,only ,as devils do, with ,tie trembling, ,but as,, children, with filial reverence, affection and joy; as the most necessary object of their experience, the satisfaC tion of their profoundest wantS. They have be that the worlds, were framed by the word of God. They have kept up through all time the service 7 of sacrifices, witnessing theinward need and hope of an offering for sin. Enoch's anct Noah's faith made them singular: in an utterly corrupt ram and saved them, one by translation, • the other by that great work of faith, the building of the ark, from the fate of their cotemporaries. Abram, by a great act of faith ? becoming a pilgrim and a strangerin the 'earth, founded the line 'of the faithful, set apart a country and a peopleas witnesses for God in the world, and brought to the altar of sacrifice his son whom he,loved, a• type for all time of the offering of the only-beg,otten Son, that whosoever believeth' in I3•im might not,perish, but have ever lasting life. The grand career pf Moses was the direct fruit of the victory, of faith, which led him to refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, to choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the 'pleasures of sin for a season, and to esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Sere-.and there science has had its • martyrs, but faith has had its peoples, enduring Martyrdom PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, . 1868. and exile through generations, and outlasting their proudest oppressors. Science has caught glimp sesof new continents; faith has colonized them with, new, races in the interest of a living Chris tianity.. Science writes histories; the victories of faith in the livei of men and the policies 'of nations are the only really valuable - material of hi6t 01 7. , And when the Word; was made flesh and dwelt among us; when spiritual influences. received snohteinforcements as the' crucifixion of ChristOr sic,its resurrection from the'dead" and itts ascension to the right.hand of God, and gift, of the „Holy! Spirit; when. such a great transaction in the spiritual mo rld as the Atonement wastet &core men, then was the final triumph of tie faith-twin 6iple'4ei• all foes and' rivals made' suie.: 'the personal. God is enlisted in , its hehalfi the.,;cap tai,4 of our salvation, leads ,us; to victory. PASTOR 8 AND PEOPLE. THE ' THE HOUR: -DUTY . OF The keynote of success, under divine grace,'in his own tninistry, bad been a c'ooperating, workinrchiiroh:. No plenrof inability was to be accepted. Every Inem ber had an assigned share of responsibility, add: a place of labor in the. vineyard should be sought. wi l d found.—The venerable Dr. Wiener at, the ;ate meetitig of the &plod of Geneva: . .Withont doubt, many pastors are just' at this time, anxiously scrutinizing the tokens of spir itual life in their flocks, and shaping their :plans of work somewhat in accordance. with them' In= dividual Christians cannot be too sensible 6f the degree in which they, by their spiritual condition, influence, their paAor; how much he is-depen dent,,upon, them for the life, the: springylthe hopeful energy 'of his labors, in add out of the pulpit.\ .Have d'sense, Christian reader; of your iesponsihility,iin this respect, just now. Bright en the fires of devetion in secret, :net only -for your., own sake, but. for your pastor's likewise. Let him feel that you are praying for him ;Piet hini be able to reckon on you, as, hy extga: pie, , your conversation, your rest,di ?less o work and hear hardnes s in the Master's service, an efficient co-worker , with him. At this seaso n ire fleet 'hose frivolity, neglect of th'eprayer.me, a Cold support to the pastor's efforts and It gene: ral worldliness and indifference may do 'infinite mischief, and not leave you altogether guiltless of the loss Of souls. Be at your posts. Close up theranks. Have a heart for duty. If you have never done anything for Christ, do it now. It is full time to begin. The church's business, the world's necessities call upon you to break up your reserve ; to testify, openly for Jesus in your daily life and conversation; to meet the enormous pressure of worldliness, sensuality and unbelief, by an aggressive, uncompromising, wide-awake personal Christianity. , Pastors, do not wait too long, or watch too' cautiously, or-depend too much upon the spiritual symptoms of your people. Reasonable regard must, indeed, be had to them; and flesh and blood must fail if left alone in this great work. But you are the spiritual leaders ; see that you hold the advance. Sometimes daring is the best prudense. Degend on God; derive your inspi ration from coMmunion with Him, with his truth and his promises. According to your faith, not in his people, but.in Him, be it unto you. Guard the purity of your motives. And if you thirst for souls] if, you feel a tender sympathy for the perishing, if horror has taken hold on you be cause of the wicked that , forsake God's law, - if' you burn fbr the honor' of the Redeemer; then lay aside all your nice essays and your pulpit fetlers artificial method and coldness, and all mere attempts• to .entertain and gratify your hearers, and pour out your soul in living appeals. Be assured that they will not go astray. The same influence that has'prepared you to utter them, has been working to piepare others to re ceive them. Follow your, own best impulses at. such a time. You may, at times, go far ahead of your people, like:the British cavalry general at the battle of . Balaclava, who at the moment of contact with • the enemy's line was fifty yards ,in of his own men ;, but like those men, your people will be found• following close be: hind you. se— The recent outrages in 'Camilla, Georgia, belong tO.the Memphis and New Orleans class of riots; 'being simply an expression of the 'old rebel and pro-slavery malignity, encouraged by the for bearance of the North and .by , the open sympa. thies of the Democratic party. at seems that two Republican candidates for office, intending to speak upon 'the issues Of the campaign, were first driven from Americus by threats of assassination, and when on the'road to• Camilla, 'on the 19th of September, with the intention , of addressing the people there, they, with their escort of seventy five freedmen, were assailed with a cross-fire. from the men concealed on both sides of the road, the candidates, Messrs. Pierce and _Murphy were badly wounded, the freedmen, driven in every direction, were hunted down by their pur suers, who kept up the pursuit accompanied by bloodhounds; far into the- night, until probably fifty of the 14.kdrnen were killed and wounded. Of the attaela4, party, only two were wounded. Such. is in substance the report of Major 0. H. Howard of the Preedmen's bureau, who is sta tioned at Albany, Ga. Major Howard says the freedmen of that place and neighborhood have with difficulty been restrained from arming en masse and taking vengeance for the outrage, WA he calls a massacre. Only his most urgent persuasions;, restrained them. Yet even while telling them that the offenders should be pun ished and their lives protected, he says he felt no assurance that his promise would be fulfilled. He adds• that it will be useless for him to attempt much, longer without military aid to block the way to further bloodshed. 'Such' facts need no comment. They are no Matter of surprise to the loyal people of the North. It is impossible that they, should be different so • long as the late rebels and slave-masters have any hOpe that the coming change in the Admin istration Will result in restoring rebel suprema cy, and that by a policy of assassination and in timidation in their own. States, they can con tritiute to such a result. In the blindness of their passion, they fail to see how every such murderous deed reacts upon the North, repels quilt thinking people from the idea of trusting power into such hands, and more "end more ac customs them, whatever may have been their prejudices hitherto, to the policy of equal suf frage, and to the elevation of the loyal of what ever 'complexion, over the whitest and proudest of unrepentant rebels. Only a few days before this outbreak, the late- Provisional Governor grown, who went " with his State into the re bellion, but who, since the war, has substituted his Country for his State, wrote as follows : "I am fully satisfied that the election of Grant " and Colfax is the .only security left the country " against oppression and wrong, attended by scenes of carnage more revolting than - any '.through which we have,passed from 1860 to the "present time." TRE WATER STREET REFORMATION." One is daily met with the inquiry, " What do you think of the movement in Water Street?" The 'simple facts are well known to every reader of the daily news. Three places are occupied, in that most hopeless locality, with daily prayer meetings, conducted and controlled, in the main, by the missionaries who labor there. John Allen's dance house is no more. It no longer invites the sailor to its bar, or to the worse revels and dissipations in the inner room. Drunken carousals, and ribald jests and oaths, have given place to the voice of prayer and song. This is wonderful, and to a certain extent un, expected, at, least to the Christian public. It is 'Possible that Mr. Dyer expected this result, when he singled out John Allen as the "Wickedest Man in New York," and opened the 'chambers of wick edness to, the gaze, of the people, but it is not pro bable: It may be that he is as much suprised as the most unbelieving. I attended the meeting there one day of ihis week. The two rooms were comfortably full. I was disappointed, not in the numbers present, but in the character and ap pearance of the people. It looked like any ordi nary prayer meeting held in a less unusual place: It is wonderful, that a prayer meeting could be held there, so orderly and quiet. It more closely resembled a Methodist prayer meeting • under some special interest. Many• both of the better and worse class, evidently came to gratify curios ity. They came, and looked in a moment, note,d, - • the surroundings, and passed on. It is certainly a foot-hold in the enemy's territory, .a point gained. Enough'has been said about John Allen. rbelieve• no one thinks him a converted man, al. thhuol he has taken some very, important steps towardsa better life. May God give him "a new heart and a right spirit." Kit Burns' " Sports man's Hall" is also , occupied as a place of prayer for one hour in each day. Aside from this, it is not in any way changed from its accustomed uses. The same pictures hang upon his walls; he as usual, dispenses liquid poison' from his bar; and rata and dogs yet hold their wonted supremacy in the dog-pit: But for one hour of the day, the leave.ri of the Gospel is poured in; ; the Word of Go' dis read in the very dog-pit, and the sacred songs of Zion rise beneath that roof, which has for years looked dowh upon the most. degrading and brutaliiing sports. The front of the build ing is respeetable, and the drinking room is not unlike others of its class; but when you, wind your way through the narrow and crooked hall, that leads to an outer building, which is the arena of brutality, a creeping sensation comes upon you Genesee Ev l- angelist, No. 1167. Home & Foreign Bliss. $2.00. t Address :-1334 Chestnut Street as if penetrating some unknown abyss. I confess to a shrinking back, even though I knew that Christian men had possession for this one hour. Yes, a quiet, well-ordered Meeting was being held there. The room was full, and many who seemed most of all to need prayer, were standing in the doorway. But they could hear and see, and who can tell whether the Spirit of God will not soon draw them within the door, and compel them to ask, "Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?" Doubtless many are now hearing for the first time the words of life; and!perhaps some wanderer, seared And callous with life-long dissipation and godlessness will be reclaimed. The net is lowered where 'there are enough to be gathered in; the arrows of truth are hurled from the bow, where there is a multitude to be pricked in their hearts. To return to the question, "What do you think of the movement in Water Street?" I confess it seems a great mystery. The very locality wears an aspect of wonderment; the people stand on the side-walks and look; they come to the door and look, as if expecting to see something new. Small groups of people here and there talk over the matter, just as you will see when some start ling accident has occurred. It seems to me like en ering a wedge into a very hard and impracti cable knot. Repeated blows may drive it home to the very heart, cleaving asunder the tough and tenacious wood, or the wedge may rebound, leav ing the cleft to close up again. Sceptics will say you have opened these places with money. Let it be so. Why not Use money for God's cause, as well as for Satan's ? Why not hire a place for prayer, as well as for drinking or gambling? Only a few weeks ago,' money could not have opened these places. Let us praise God for what he has done, and ask him to do still more. The whole church is interested in the problem now being solved in Water St. The door is open. Has the church enough power and faith to carry the gospel for sinners into the very midst of sinners.? Can she wrestle successfully, with debauchery, lust, and intem perance, in their eta-oaf : chola'? I believe she can. May God give her wisdom and. Strength for her appointed work. A skillful general converges his fire upon one point; and now, if ever, Christian people should converge their prayers and sympa thies upon this movement. "What do you think ofit?" Just what Gamaliel thought of the. stronger movement under the lead of the Apostles in his day : "If this work be of men, it will come to nought; but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it." T. S. B. Our cotemporary, The Presbyterian, has dis covered that the flippant manner in which it at tempted at first to dismiss our argument upon the possible sacramentarian tendencies of our stan dards will not avail. It has now gone to the other extreme, and doubtless thinks to overwhelm us by three and-a-half of its heaviest and longest columns--about seven, feet of reading matter. For a random shot or two, it has substituted siege ar tillery. At'another time we may answer more at length, but for the present we wish merely to point out the shots that have gone wide of the mark. We must express our surprise at its assertion that we ourselves have confessed Zwinglianism as our personal belief; in our first article. We did no such a thing, and certainly did not mean to. Our position was that the current, popular view of the sacraments in both branches was Zwinglian, i. e., that the Sacraments are commemorative and symbolic, nothing more. Our purpose was to show (1.) that many of those who profess to hold to the Confession, " pure and simple," and who therefore are bound to embrace its views on the Sacraments, being Zwinglians, do not do so, and therefore are in need of the liberal principle of subscription which the Joint Committees on Re union embodied in the second article of the Ba sis; (2.) furthermore, that by reason of the pe culiar language used by the franari of our Con fession,.on the subject of the Sacraments, a close and slavish adherence to all parts of that docu ment, might, at some future time, encourage the movements of ultra high-church men amongst us, who, it is well known, are as bats, who like to fasten to the more obscure and.complicated parts of a structure in which they have taken.refuge. Had The Presbyterian designed to Answer our article, " pure and simple," it would have spared about a column of its own reply;, but let it only discover what it thinks a heresy, it will be as pleased as a raw geologist over a " pliocene " hu man skull, and it must needs expatiate. Hence its seven feet of reply—sesquipecialia verba as, by a little accommodation, we may call them. SW Rev. J. B. Bonar has remigned the pas torate of our;f.hurch in Montreal.
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