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TIiIIRSDAX, JUNE 10, 1809.
PURITY OF ;SOUL.
To come somewhere near right in the ordinary
relations of life is the highest moral aspiration of
the great mass of men. If they keep clear of
open transgressions, if they do not sink into the
slough of filth and drunkenness, if they over
reach their neighbor only' by methods not reek
oned exactly disreputable, they think themselves
entitled to a quiet conscience. There aro, alas,
multitudes of professing Christian people who
allow themselves in various degrees of guilty con
formity to the world, who yield habitually to
the power of covetousness and the love of ease,
whose secret living 'is far below the plainest
standard of duty, who seem, almost as truly as
the class above described,' to fail utterly of un
derstanding the breadth of moral obligation and
the extent of the claim made by divine love and
divine law upon the soul.
I am jealous over you, says Paul to the Cor
inthians, for I have espoused you to one hus
band, that I may present you as a chaste virgin
to Christ. By thus crowding into one sentence
the three ideas of jealousy, espousal and virginal
chastity, he makes a powerful impression of the
exalted and delicate nature of Christian obliga
tion. True chastity, and true fidelity in these
intimate relations, involve a certain sensitiveness
to evil and a shrinking from its remotest ap
proaches. They would be, nothing less than com
pletely stainless. The thought of the smallest
blemish is intolerable. Indeed the very idea and
almost the possibility of unfaithfulness is shut
out of the life of the happily married. It is a
monster that lies quite beyond their calm and
untroubled horizon.
Such, too, is the proper, mental state of the
renewed soul toward the Saviour. Chaste fidel
ity is the true type of his experience. He must
aim at an inward delicaoy.of,. nature. His con
science must be healthfully and keenly , alive to
every form and degree 'of sin. He mist earn
from it as something shodking, polluting, dis:
graceful, as a stain upon his purity, as a, breach
of his holiest relations. The chaste, soul is intol
erant of the least stain. It would rather die than
be soiled. Life is not to be weighed against
honor and purity and fidelity. Therefore died
the martyrs when they might have lived by pro
nouncing words which, on the' lips of their own
persecutors, were a mere form. They would not
seem to tolerate a stain upon their fidelity to
Christ.
Chasteness of soul in our relations to Christ is
too little prized, too easily lost, too feebly longed
after. How many and deep are the stains upon
our bridal robes that should be so white and
clean 1 Conformity to the world, following after
its fashions and amusements, seeking its filthy
lucre, grovelling for its honors, pampering of
self, shrinking from the cross, putting human
methods and observances and dependences proud
ly in place of Christ, indulging in fears and
doubts instead of taking Him simply at His
word—it is in such ways that our minds, through
the subtlety of the serpent are beguiled and cor
rupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
And what soul breathes heavenward a per
petual prayer for this chasteness of spirit ? Who
is filled with inexpressible longings for this great
gift which only the Infinite Spirit, whose name
is Holy, can bestow upon fallen man ? Who
sees and feels that the only right view of evil is
that which shrinks from it as a deadly pollution
and abomination; which holds no parley with it;
which is jealous of its least approaches ? Who
echoes the beatitude of the Saviour as containing
the sum of all his hopes : " Blessed are the
pure in heart; for they shall see God "?
CENTRAL CHURCH, N. L.—We are pleased to
announce that the congregation of "Old Central,"
have commenced their new enterprise at the
north east corner of Franklin and Thompson Sts.
It is a source of congratulation that the old
building in Coates St. below 4th, is still to con
tinue as a church edifice. The Trustees have
sold it to the Zion (German) Reformed church,
for about $lB,OOO. This sale having been effected,
ground was broken for the new enterprise
about two weeks since; the cellar is now being
walled, and the work of building, we trust, will
be carried on, without interruption, to completion.
The good done by this church in other days, its
masterly struggles under adverse circumstances,
its necessary change to a new location, all com
mend it to the Christian liberality of our people,
which we hope and belieVe' it will receive.
—Dr. Win. Adams' eloquent and highly im
, portant address to the Old Sohool Assembly. veil
be found in full on our 2d page.
REMINISCENCES .OF THE itss.Einitiay.
The Joint Communion Service on Friday, May
28th, the day after the Reunion report had been
adopted in both„bodies, Vas not been remarked
upon as it deserves: , The, , vast Brick. Chureh in
which the ordinance. was observed, has Such his
toric associations,' has a pulpit of such honorable
repute for Evangelical truth and 'liberty' from
early times to thisdv„is so *Pay linked to the
past through the.,veneruble. : Dr.,Spring, now ,for
fifty-nine years•its:litistor, that scarcely any:other
place could have 'been so appropriate in that
,• .
branch of the Chinch. Stained-glass`ewinddws
and ~architectural splendor were not needed
to give a sacred, sweetness and a , holy hush
to the very air we breathed. Every part
of the" great edifice Was 'filled. Fifteen hun
dred persons, nearly 'all nomniunicants, scores'of
them standing, up, , stairs and down, must have
been inside.:, of theiwalls. Dr. Spring sat, with
the two Moderators—Fowler and Jacobus—on
the platform. With them were Dr. Shaw of
Rochester, Dr. Tailor of' Cincinnati, and Dr.
Anderson (0. S) of New Albany. Before them,
in the front rank of pews,:sat two men, whose
white locks were crowns of glory indeed : .men
walking 'in the land Of Beulah, catching in, heart
and countenance 'not a few.beams of - Celestialjoy
and beauty; but never perhaps, in their lives
gladder than now, as they unite in services which
prove that the old things of their own and their
brethren's lives are passing away; and all things
becoming new. If they 'cannot actually set their
feet in the promised laucl,,of . the Reunited
Church, Drs. Spring. and .Cox and !Skinner are
now upon the Pisgah Which overlooks it:
The services were simple.:; ;A:Meng the Elders,
eight in number, none could., fail' to notice the
gratified countenance of Robert Carter, whose
untiring efforts for Reunion seemed , crowned at
last, in this feast of love. 'pleading, tearful
voice, as, for, the honor of G9d atid,the interests
of Church and country, he has, continued to
,urge
this union .upon..his brethren, bave reminded us
of some Evangelical prophet of old, trembling
for the `'ark of God,' and saying : " For
i Zion's
sake will .r inot 'in.l'Peitere,' fot
lem's sake I will not icst, until the righteous
ness thereof, go forth as brightness, and the sal
tion thereof as a lamp that burneth." The
address of Dr. Shaw was especially'tender, as he
recalled the fact that Dr. Spring had not only
baptized him, but had also,admitted, him to the
Church. And here it should:be said,-that while
the tenderest sympathies prevailedi there was no
attempt to raise the feelings of the Assembly to
an unwonted height, in 'the near, and almost cer
tain prospect of Reunion. The •great fact under
lay all the ceremony, but it had apparently sunk
into the central depths of each one's conscious-
That sort' of excitement which may be
called frothy, was entirely absent. The'iwo As
semblies were meeting thus in Christian affec
tion, not less genuine; because tempered by
crioppoo - un, sobriety. And, if a shallow enthusi
asm was absent, it was also to be noted;'that no
one, as at the commu,nion,in St' Louis, felt con
strained to half-apologize for his presence at the
Lord's table with , his brethren, as if he feared
his standing would be compromised by such an
act. Three years have been sufficient not only
to banish such language, but, as we believe,,to
destroy such feelings ;throughout. the entiie
Church.
And so we held our communion, and felt we
were virtually inaugurating a new and great era
of our life , as a Church around our Lord's table.
Blessed• place; inestimable privilege; we think
there could have been no one who did•'not feel
himself nearer to Jesus than at any season of
fraternal communion before. A dove like Peace
came down upon the congregation, , The envy
and the vexation between Judah and Ephraim
had departed. It 'was a grand Amen' to the
Saviour's dying prayer. And is not the true
Pentecost to follow? Such hopes thrilled us as
the hour wore away, and as the tones of the
benediction at last fell upon the vast and awed
assembly.
THE RE UNION MOVEMENT AS AN EDECATO,H
Without doubt, these negotiations for Re
union have been pedagogic or educational. At
Cincinnati, in 1867, it will be remembered that
the Old School Assembly, by a merely . respecta
ble majority, sent the basis to their Presbyteries,
without a - recommendation. In .1868 .they sent
it, by a large majority, to the Presbyteries, re
commending` its passage. This action was con
pled. with atinanimous vote of preference for
something else. But in 1869, the opposition
was zeduced to nine votes. Dr. Atwater, the co
adjutor of Dr. Charles Hodge in the Princeton
Review, whose articles lave exceeded in bitter
news ,
those of Dr. Hodge, spoke and voted for
,the ~meakure. Rev. Thomas Lanrie, of New
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1869.
Jersey; seemed . to lead the opposition,which wo
fully missed ,the splendid array of professorial
acumen and dignity of last year. Mr. Laurie
had prepared a. pamphlet in the interest' f . high
6 •. •
orthodoxy, consisting, of extracts from "Ttings.of
the leading :heresiarchs of the New. School:
Barnes,lßerntin,. Duffield, &c., and from this,. as,
from an armory; . .he attempted to draw 'his wea
pone of attabk: But the' impatience which' had
; once been ininifeSted.onll4 floor to the' &fend
ers of kr. Barnes, , and,; the summary, pethods
once used to silence.. them, were now . actually
turned .against his' defamers. It wasp With the
utmost difficulty that the young champien of
high orthodoxy could 'get a hearing among . , its
older arid
,Orlee unscrupulous defenders. The
.Moderator ruled him outUf order. Rebert, Car
ter told him that' all- the'books he quOte'd from,'
but Mr. Barnes', were dead'. And actually, but
for Seirator Drake's appeal for free spectih, this
assailant of New Schoolism would haveheen put
down in the most approved Old School
, method,
by the Old' School Assembly. Every suceeeding.
Assembly since 1866, has proved that the rule of
such men was steadily passing away in that body.
,Their, power will , yet appear in the Presbyterial
.vote on Union which, is to come; but that it can
control the vote , of one third of the Prdebyteries
of the other branch, we cannot believe. It will
complete the picture if we add that the only
voices for the immediate consummation of Re
union by the Assemblies in New York; without
further reference to the Presbyteries, 'were heard
on the floor of the Old School.
The Preachers i Association of the' M. .E.
chiirCheti of NeW York and vicinity; One hnn
died, in, nuMber,.did. not let their first meeting
pass after tne.adoption of, the basis • by, the two
•Assemblies, 'without uttering their lively.sympa
thy in the movement. These resollitiOias of con',
gratulation leek' beyond the mere union of Pres
byterians,
,and eicpress the inspiring , sentiment
that " the time has fully come when ail evangeli
cal. Churches, forgetting the sad estrangements'
1 of the past, shbuld come nearer tog' her and,
united in heart aid in maintaining throughout
:tills land, a sound morality,. against Sabbath
desecration, intemperance, and all other forms 'of
vice, and a pure religion against ritualism and
Romanism." One of the speakers in the lively
dismission which, preceded the unanimous adop
tion of the, address, remarked that he liked the
action the Presbyterian Assemblies had -taken,
in that it would 'Speed the reunion 'of the Meth-
OdisM 'of the land. "`"Just as," interposed an;
other, ",a weddingstirs, , up, all the _young people
,that see it." A ; mest, apt.illustration of the. new
tendericy which will throb with irresistible ener
gy through all Christendom, if the existing ex-
PerimentS'in Re-unicin have a happy issue. The
word which , pronounces these two strong inde
pendent Churches oNE, will be heard all over'
Christendom as a. talisman.. A breath of con
scious Unity will stir the dissevered fragments of
'the Church.' ',. " We hope," says the address',
"the; day *near at hand, when the most friend
ly .relations: will be established and maintained
between the Presbyterian and . Methodist Episco
pal Churches.", '- Truly the marvel of the union of
Old and New School will, by and by, 20 clear out of
.
sight, in the greater and later marvel of a court
ship between the followers of Arminius and of
Calvin.
This venerable body has been holding its an
nual session in this city during the last week. A
brief sketch; of its history and proceedings
may not be unacceptable to our readers.
This branch of the Reformed church is from
Holland. The first church organized in New
York City was of this persuasion, and is now
known as the Collegiate Reformed Dutch church.
This church was established early in the 17th
century, about 240 years ago. The Low Dutch
language was used in preaching, until late in the
last. century. Since that, the English tongue has
been employed, except in churches composed of
those. who have lately emigrated from the mo
ther country. In consequence of the American
izing element, the name Dutch has lately been
eliminated from the title of this venerable
church. Yet, the name will adhere to : them, as
there is other way to distinguish them from
other branches of the Reformed church.
Call them what we may, we have a great re
spect and love for this portion of Zion. They
are small in number, having less than 500
churches and about that number of ministers.
But they have much power. Their ministry are
Well educated, and the people well indoctrinated.
Their form of government is Presbyterian, the
only difference between them and us consisting
TEiE OOETAGTON OF .RE.UNIOL
GENERAL SYNOD OF, THE REFORMED
(DUTCH) CHURCH.
in their having a limited liturgy, and electing
their elders and. deacons on the rotatory princi
ple. They are rigid/ Calvinists, yet preach" free
grace" with 'much ~ unction, and power, and of
late years, have.ekhibited considerable progres
siveness, as ',they have always evinced true spir
itual vitality. So !closely allied are they to the
great Presbyterian church of this country that
we look: for thOil tb join the family, some day, in
organic union. :But they are plucky and inde
pendent, and even. talk of absorbing all the
others, vhich would •be very much like Jonah
swallowing the whale. One, thing• is certain,,
they have . drawn more of our •ministers into
their service' than we have obtained from them
in return. Perhaps it is thus they-intend to ac
•compliih the union.
The meetings! of the Generil Synod, held in
the church coiner: of 7th and Spring Garden
streets, • have !been; very interesting. Among
other matters . Of ;imp'ortance which have been
diseissed are the adoption of a new Hymn and
Tune book, and 'the reconstruction of their Par
ticular synods'. -
On Saturday last among other delegates who
addiessed the Synod was the Rev. Dr. Stryker,
of the North* Broad' St. church, who was ap
pointed corresponding delegate to this venerable
body by the. General!Assembly of our Church.
His addiesi was' brief, and substantially as fol
lows : • •
Mr.' President, fcethers and brethren.—l bear
youthe'fraternal' 'congratulations, and affection
ate salutations' of the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian church; lately convened in the
church of the Covenant in New York city. We
are commonly known as the New School branch,
but the name is distasteful to us, as the name
Old School is to our brethren of the other
branch. The action taken by 'the two Assem
blies in their late session in relation to organic
union is well known to' you. We hope the de
sirable result will soon and satisfactorily be accom
plished, and -That the terms "new "'and' "old"
Will be forever' 'Consigned to the oblivion of the
pan. PerhaFs 1 May be the last delegate who
will address 'you as a representative from our
branch of the church.
Mr. President, it is delightful for a child to
return 'to'hls old home. Hdwever pleasant mar
be.'bis new relatiVes, he cannot ignore the old.
It is with no coininCon feeling I now stand in this
'Synod' to 'represent another body of Christians.
I cannot forget th'at for' over sixty years my
grandfather',' w ose name I bear, was a minister
in this . Venerable chnrch, that my father, mid-
Vray between three score and ten *and four score
years'of age, is yet among your pastors in active
service,' arid that for a full score of years it was
my privilege to, labor with you in the gospel. It
is, sir, With tender emotion I how look into your
once pleasant face, and recall the fact that as
classmates' we sat side by side at the feet of those
learned Garnaliels, Rev. Drs. Carmon, and Van
Vranken and McClelland, all now gone to their
rest..
But God in His Providence has called me to
another portion of the great. Gospel field, and I
have learned by experience that there is no es
sential difference between the body I am now
connected with', and 'that which I left. Our aims,
aspirations, hopes—our wishes, prayers, labors—
are they'not one
I will not. enlarge upon this fruitful and inter
esting theme. It would be impossible for me, if
it were expected, to make a lengthy and elaborate
speech. And it , is quite unnecessary. The his
tory of our church is too well known to you to
need any reference to it, and your record is un
derstood and respected by all intelligent people
in our connection.
Permit me to lay upon your table the Minutes
of our General Assembly convened in 1868, and
an abstract of the minutes of 1869 as reported in
the last two issues of the American Presbyterian,
one of the recognized organs of our church, pub
lished in this city. I also present, with them some
documents and reports, which will show you we
are 'not destitute of vitality. We claim to be not
only evangelical but:orthodox,
,and rejoice that
with harmony, and some degree of energy, we are
prosecuting the work God has assigned us to do.
linpressed with the magnitude of this work, the
commission of our Lord, the immense field open
ing before us, and the signs of the times, we hail
the cry for union. We behold the heathen com
ing to our shores from the East and the West,
and believe that as a united Presbyterian church
we can better accomplish our duty among the
seething masses of our large cities, as well as in
the sparsely populated parts of our land. And
if we cannot have your body and others of like
faith united with us organically, we bless. God
that there is a spirit of union prevalent, and that
the sacramental host in different battalions it may
Genesee Evangelist., No. 1;2,03.
Home & Foreign Miss. $2.00.
Address:-1334 Chestnut Street
be, but as one great army led by King Jesus, are
moving forward to meet and conquer our com
mon foe.
Dear brethren, the immortal dreamer in his
allegory represents his pilgrim in the House
called Beautiful after a delightful converse with
Discretion, Piety, Prudence and Charity lying
down to rest in a chamber looking out towards
the sun rising, and called "Peace." There his
sleep was sweet, and when he awoke be felt he
had been "nest door to Heaven." It is peace
with us. lam glad to know it is peace with my
dear old Reformed church. May this peace ever
continue ! And finally may you and I and all
whom ,we represent meet in the temple on high,
with, the Church triumphant, where our peace
will be perfect and eternal !
To,this address the President of Synod, Rev.
Dr:. Charles H. Stitt, very feelingly and appro
priately replied.:
PROM OUR ROCHESTER CORRESPONDENT.
In this city, Buffalo, and many other places,
some persons were so unwise as to adhere to the
plan of decorating the soldiers' graves on the
Sabbath. Of course, the great body of our
Christian people could not participate in the ser
vices, as they would have been glad to do on any
other day. In Utica they showed more wisdom,
and turned out on Saturday. We notice that
Rev. Dr. Vermilye and Rev. J. W. Whitfield
participated in the exercises; and an address was
delivered by that Christian jurist, Hort. W. J.
We,do not believe he would have hon
ored the occasion by his presence, if it had been
on Sundny.
This young Ladies' Literary Society, in con
nection with Houghton Seminary, at Clinton,
had its annual exercises on the evening of the
28th ultimo, which- were well attended, and did
great credit to all concerned. It is a prosperous
Society; in connection with a flourishing and
most excellent school. The number of graduates
this year is twelve, larger than ever before. The
addFeas at the cawing Commencement is to be
given by Prof. 'Upson. Of course, it will be a
good one.
The new church edifice is now so nearly fin
ished, that his to' be occupied to morrow. The
old building was burned in March, 1868, the
walls, alone left standing. The lectttre room has
been enlarged,,was built first, and has been oc
cupied since January by the Sabbath assembly.
It is so,constructed that it may be used as a part
of the audience room on extra occasions.
The church is very beautifully finished ; the
organ is one of the largest and finest of Hook's
manufacture ; and the chime of bells is soon to
be restored, larger and better than the old ones.
The congregation has shown much spirit and en
terprise in thus restoring and improving their
house of. worship. We hear also that Dr. Crow
ell, the new pastor, is giving great satisfaction,
and every thing promises well. The church still
retains its semi-liturgical service. •
We are pained to learn that REV. Du. Guam.,
of - Elmira, is more unwell again; so much so,
that the most eminent medical counsel has ad
vised and commanded entire rest for a season;
and he has been compelled to resign his charge,
that he, may have nothing to do but get well.
His warm friends, and their name is legion, will
devoutly hope and pray that such relaxation and
change may accomplish for him, for his family,
and for the church, that most desirable end. Dr.
Curtis is a man we cannot well spare; strong, con
scientious, judicious; a regular standard-bearer
in our church. We know not who can well fill
the place which he is thus sadly compelled to va
cate. But the best medical advisors in New York
assure him that he his no organic disease, and
may hope to be quite well again after a year or so
of complete rest.
—We hear also of the sudden death of the
win of Prof. EDWARD NORTH of Hamilton
Colle..e. She had been ill for months, but was
thought to be improving until a few hours be
fore her death. She has left the most undoubted
assurance of her preparation for the heavenly
country. She died in the peace which the Gos
pel gives, anffmany, will sympathize deeply with
the Professor and his family, in the inestimable
loss which they sustain.
—The house of Rev. S. W. Brace of Utica,
has been visited by burglars. They seem to have
carried off nothing valuable but the good man's
pantaloons.
The appointments for Commencement at
Hamilton College, on the 15th of July, are al
ready out. Kirk P. Crandall, of Babcock Hill,
takes the valedictory; John C. Fowler of Canas
tota'
the salutatory. The other honors seem to be
Well distributed. The graduating class numbers
forty-eight. Nearly thirty of them are expected
to "speak in public on the stage." We hope the
day will be cool, and the orations shut. Let the
young men reserve a part of their wisdom for
:übsequent use. •
-The Oration before the Alumni, at the com
ing Commencement, is to be given by Daniel
G-ooffvrin, Jr., Esq., of Chicago, class of 1852 ;
the -PCem by Rev. Edward Payscin Powell, of
Adrian, Mich , class of 1853. GENESEE.
Rechester, June sth, 1869
DECORATION DAY
THE BARRETT BROWNING-
ST. PETER'S CHURCH.
PASTORAL