(_1w....:k,,.nicic . *4ti,1,..._.. - -,.'-c H .Jcsb:_ ltrian
11=1
New Series, Voi. VI, No. 3 John NWeir
Strictly in Advance $2.50, Otherwise $3. 1
Postage 20cts, to be
,paid where delivered.
—Temperance men in New York Stato are
moving for a law which will .put it in the power
of every township or ward to choose whether- it
will tolerate
, or prohibit liquor-selling. Is not
this a substantial object, which might properly
concentrate the energies of friends of the cause
every where ? Why not undertake an agitation
for this end in Pennsylvania ?
—The scandal of - 'Mormonism is unabated:.
The nation quietly and meekly tolerates this open"
affront to the whole spirit: 'of its domestic and ci
vil institutions. We. have been lulled• by 'the
vague prospect of a spontaneous tbreaking tip of
the foul community, into unconcern., Meanwhile
it grows stronger every day; and .writers and
tourists of low moral organtiation are familiar
izing the public mind with...the enormity: The
absurd Mr. Train has been assuring the MormOns
that they are an oppressed and • down-trodden
people; and he urges thein. to Iffy to arms.
rious results have flo.we& from sillier beginnings
than this. Can we remain quietlanylinger with
out blame ?
—Pine street church has.a good , reputation for
sociability, and there isAo;liltilihnod that it, wilt
diminish under present,„ eircunciOnees., „ Dr.
Allen the pastor, s6metimest i megst his , people at
the door as they , come in, rind • Igeleemes the,new ;
comers personally. Last SAbath.le Admitted a,
person to membership, who doclaxed thokhc: had
been first mpressed by, these „l'ciendly✓. demon-,
strations of the pastor; one , of the,pows, there :
is a hymnbook „upon, whleh the ioNsroer )9,4,
placed in gilt letters, •not; his name as is costom
ary but the inscription, " Strangers are, wel-,
come," That inscription htts done,good service,
haying been the means of bringitig four persons,'
into the church since the beginning of Dr:
Allen's pastorate. , „ ,
—The New York Tribune takes ; the ; New gag-.
land people to task for
,butilding such slight struc
tures for worship, that , fifty-aevon of them were'
blown down or serionslyjniqed: by the gale of
September Bth. It, calls them " sham churches: 7 —
triumphs of timber and paint:—, notexactly appro
priate offerings to the glory of :flint who ruleth
the storm." It says: "There are churches in
England situated in the most exposed situations
on the coast, which have withstood the gales of
eight centuries, and which, thongh somewhat di
lapidated, are in no danger of blciaring over. nut.
then they were built to stand any thing in the
way of wind—built, of hone 7 st, tone and of honest
_, ,
mortar. Compare these With the absurd, pretan•
tious, conglomerate and concrete structures whi'ch'
disfigure half the towns and villages' Of our .
Country."
GOD IN SPEECH. ,
Has God indeed spoken to maw? Has He
used this clearest, highest; most familiar method
of making Himself known to men ?, - Has He
gone further, and to save that spoken word from
b3eoming a mere tradition, the uncertain prop
erty of a race or nation only, has he caused it to
be embodied in the written language of men ?
Surely instead of being called, upon to prove , the
divinity of the Scriptures, we may use it as at
least one of the proofief the divinity or our re
ligion, that it dependi upon and is represented by
a book, which claims to be inspired, through and
through. The book commends the religion. -A God
who avoided these clear methods of communi
cating with man, and who only made Himself
known to the inner spirit, would he a God of but
half of our complex natures. He might be
vaguely felt, as no doubt He has been by many'
a
devout heathen. He might be imperfectly con
ceived and uncertainly spoken, written, and
philosophized of, by the unassisted faculties of
man. Above all, the corruptions of each one's
nature would sadly mar, if not quite reverse or
suppress the divine lunge thus faintly cast upon
the spirit.
But blessed be the spoken and the written
Word I In its clear light, the dim, distorted
image of God becomes distinct, luminous and
truthful. It becomes true, not only to indi
viduals, but to the whole race. It is raised above
the changeful notions, the varying civilizations,
and the diverse nationalities .Of the race. It
speaks to the eye, to the understanding, and to
the heart. The true religion must, be a book,
religion. All religions which have had a serious
hold upon the intelligent ideas of men have been
book-religions---Jadaism, Mohamedanism,
Bud-
Parseeism, : Christianity:„ .Goa reveals
himself; it is part of His , infinite nature and per
fections to do so. A God Who is-anything to, man
must be a self-revealk God. ,
_The God of w the
Christian reveals Himself as Tas Noun, wi d ths
act of Incarnation is described at.rhe.Wrd'nuscle
flesh. Bo divine does Christisnity xualo the very
idea of speech, that it enthrones it amid the-in
effable glories 'of the 7GOdhead. It more than
answers the needs of man .in . a revelittion"; it
shows that those needs. have their origin and,
counterpart in the divine nature. . What man
needs is given by God in the Ohriitiati revelation,
not more because Mai needs lilts a speaking
,be
ing; -than; because God, in a certain exaltedi'yet
strictly true sense; is a speaking Being:.
NEW ILLUSTRATION' OF , EXCLISIVISIL .
MD.ttring the iterrible. years of :our - - civil war,
and whilel.our •nuirvellousE. S.= Christian „Com
missibni Was-Aleveloping the unionist ',sentiment
and: resources of our. Evangelical eiturcliek,' some
names` of Worth kndiwork in the service of Ohrifit
wee brought , ,into a new prominence before the
Christian public. ,The ovcrsight of large:fields
of , Christian: effort, , the rousiogr cif ~ Home (Hs.:
tricti tovAholepiritual and'• sanitary need or the
soldiers, 'and the wise financial management of a
business! tlepending on such preen:ions income,
yet= demaiidingsuch immediate ontlay,--all these
called formien-of marked ability,/ and , when , these
were found, comtninded:theit apiece jn the honor
and esteem of the Christian public. , it Ourbminer
and more exeluslie Presbyterian .churches were
well repres,entedi.in) the iwcirk,4anit with tt , mark ad,
effect of theindelves,i and , their churches.! - , ...kii
igentttold usiloncti- that; without ”ilie "askingJOf
any questiOns,"a Th.P., Brother delegate':could be
discovered when called on to.lead united - deva
tions in , the'or AMil3r, at head 'quarters.' , , Some
o d
fragment/74- Mitt was;•sure to be ol m ial e d.. w itw
judiciOto from t from the - Union ElynlorßoOk Ttil
tr
singing, ' while almost invariably the- Pauline
chapter which contains "If meat iniake - MY
brother to offend;" &o., , wai read. After' adfeise
visits,-however, there was no =perceptible differ:-
ence between them and othei' folki. `the' Spirit`
and work of Christ so . wron,ght - • witliiM 'them,'
that-they were drawn into closer sympathy with
brethren Ots 1 other names. Closed. communion
,tableti became a seeret" offeitbel to them; heart
and voice learned to"uniteliith theofree slain:ir-el
expressly and distinctively Chriitian songs - of the'
meilispensation.• Sine° those days', there has
been no peace in most of these bodies. The
chairman of the Commission himself has been
" cast out of The 'synagogue" for confessing
,Christ in the words-of praise, dear in-niillions'of
' Christian hearts. Dr RohertPatt6rson, the
agent on the. Pacific Coast" is gone, to. the Old ,
School Church. `Others of Miner note -have
either- withdrawn, - or -are their own
churches, butin-either case;' la:te their conversion
tolnoaderand'inere Catholic •views, from their
experience of the work 'of. the , thristian Oom
mission; .•
One of the principal General Agents in charge
of the Field Work during thclast - yeariUt the,
war, was Rev. J. R. Miller, who had the over
sight, of the labor among the troops in the
Shenandoah • Valley L--a plain;: ' , unpretending,
straightforward young man'of real ability, then
looking forward to the ministry of the U.'P.'
Church. Many of his friends were astonished
to find that his attachment to :his own Church
was strong enough to take him . back to her sere
vice when the war blOsed, After a tiMe, he was
settled over•the church at New Wilmington, Pa.,
where the existence of a small-U. P. college has
collected some few of the ministry. The church
was a good deal run down when he went thither,
but by the sterling qualities which characterized
his work in the army and his devotion tutis
Maiter's service, he wais soon able-to bring it up
to a high, grade of strength and efficiency. His
services were highly appieciated by his people,
but not so highly by his ministerial associates on
the spot. They had' the exclusive's instinctive
shrinking 'from a mad so 'widely known as a
co-laborer with all who love the Lord. More
than one petty trap and vexation were put in
his way ; more than one gentle reminder did he
receive:that the Catholic spirit of his old work was
not the spirit which would make him-serviceable
in his new field. By some years of instruction—
vre thank them for their services—they taught
him that his'place was elsewhere, and he accePt
ed.their teaching.
On a recent Sabbath he announced to his Peo
ple.that at the stated meeting of the Presbytery
of Mercer; during the coming week, he would
apply for s dissolution of the pastoral relation,
and that on the following- Sabbath he; would'
preach's farewell sermon, setting forth the 've
gans for which he could not conscientiously re
main longer in7the -U. P. Churah. - Presbytery
met on Wednesday, and Mr. Miller was released
from his charge, and 'a certificate was giien
him to connect with some sister _Presbyteriau
Church. When it was known that he wished
to preach a farewell sermon •on the following
Sabbath, their complacency vanished. It was
ljan7o
PHILADELPHIA, TIqURSDAY,, SEPTEMBER. 23, 1869.,
not. desirable that. Mr.. Miller's people should
know anything mere of the reasons of his
withdrawal... , ,',(PeaSibly some of Whig .easoti,s
might have been unpleasantly persenal , ) On
motion: of, a clergyman, ,connected, , '!with the
college, and with tat ,fhtir :dissecting votes in, a
Presbytery!of forty members, it was'ordered that
the pulpit:be occupied on the following' Sabbath
by_.ihe;minister vacauk
tine of 'the; for in the 'negative, we are glad to
learn,. was' - Rev,-..;11. °bed! Audley Brower D.;
President of the CollegvAnd Moderator f_of ;the
lest U r , P. Assembly.., Even Dr. 13rowne, ha not
sound in the view of some of these ;brethren,
andis- not; likely to escape the same.,..measeless
system„ of ".nagging"..which has ended Mr,
Miller's connection with that body.
Incorrect, statements in some of : or. cotern
poraries have given , the apologists of these pro,-
eee.4laga a bae4 l 9; ~W.e.give the bare theta, :ae4
leave . the. Christian. ,public to judge upon this
glaring, instatkce ,?f bigotry and disconrtesy. We
to,tilm.Prgsbyteriacclinrch-,
and : have,good
,reasop to-believe that t rbbt coming
will be the signal for the same change on the
part ,;;of
,Rthers., „Many , ministers hope fo r a
changelfor,be„hetter in the. denomination, and
are lingering there ipAbat i lppe. Some of them,
preposea Ijnion,,O l orwentio,n f of ministers, elders,
and tifte!nl?p,r,s from ; the.
to y.teeE d irl. ;geyember, I ntake 4
(remonstration, justT lefOrg. _the reeeting of, the
Assemblies- ~p,thers,.-,likel . Mr. have
ceaased. to .hopeforianything but disintegratio,
DEMOCRACY
rNY:A.,last Week !sp_tike of the letter of -,Geri.:
Rosecrans to. ,the Yeadets of the Ohio' Democracy;
as, a : proof that theAtart of the American poi
ple was, 13 ourtdi on the great moral -..principleaf iit
volved in our :national policy; and that/party
subser,viencrwo,vdd. never:, carry thenuis
beyond. the plain boundaties of rightrand t justice.l
The leaders of the pally, to *hi& t Gen.eßese;
crane : :belongs have .pressed *tbcWanciriftees !of
principle on- temperance, .on.. slaveryi-ow. equal
rights, And finally-en the. common Sahli , ofthe
nation to its creditors, farther' than any.othera
and there are, signs that they have-reached their
utmost limits in this „direction; they have got
down to; the quick; and the exasperated moral;
sense; of their owcpeople will endure it no longer:
~,Itemarkablet s igns a moral vitality have late
:l7,Appeared in. the Democratic party of this city.-
The leaders of the party, among whom Alderman
N9Ntallin_, has been principal—had nominated
their. owrk ticket for city officers„ now soon to be
voted on, in the usual way. The obsequioua
mappes;were expeeted, as , usual, to ratify the do-
Ings,ef these. vile plotters and wire-pullers. The
nonainatiens were even worse than common, but that ,
Was not expected, to - affect thuvote or to.d?turb
,
the party organization. The result has proved
just the reverse, The moral .sentiment of ;the
party has' been strong enough, hopeful enough,
and active- enough , to overthrow the entire city
ticket, and this week it has astounded every one
with the announcement of 'the voluntary with
drawal of-the old nominees, and the presentation
of one "of' the very beat and strongest 'tickets,
numbering some of Mit:most honored and incor-'
ruptible citizens, that has ever been offered to our
voters. And -William MeM.ullin and his Fourth
Ward associates have no alternative but to vote
and scuffle for 'men who will assuredly punish
them for their 'offences if they get the oppor
tunity, or to abandon the Democratic party.
..Meanwhile, the Republican leaders, whose ,
work for the party has been growing, worse every
year, have this year presented a ticket so bad;
that,it ought -to have aroused instant reprobation
from those Who were expected to •carry it. In
stead of this, the party has been speechless and
motionless, as if bound hand and, foot by its cor-'
rupt and insolent leaders. The Union Leagne?! l
to which we might naturally look as a tallying
point for the better sentiment of the party, did
nothing.. Yes, we 'believe it did put some blue
paint and gilding upOn the.ornamental iron work
of the roof of 'its building. But the dirty•nomi
nations of the party it did not attempt to bright-•
en. And so stands 'the case to-day. •
Under-the'circtngtances,•need any one doubt
what will become of party . distinctions -at'the
coming elections, with-those who feel conscien
tiously bound to vote for capable' and honest men
for office? Does any Republican leader 'delude
himself , with the idea that, in a local election, he
can bind honest men to' vote dishonest men into
office over their heads,•by such a wisp of straw
as a- party tie,when thel other party offer them
men of ,eitablished character and unsullied
name? It is not to be thought of. The local
Republicaniticiet-is•doinned. - The men who are
On it mighi,is well:resign, for they cannot get
into, office, There :is only one way Of .success
open, to'them; and that is by persuading Alderman
McMullin: rand; This, set to vote for them:, rße
spectable knell in the Republican partylive long
ago Washed thekehands of the wldle ticket. Per
haps they will now , Tally of sfifficient , foree
public sentiment to compel an entire- thauforma
tion.after the amasingmpectacle of reforut - among
the ;Democrats. ISauhis,alSommong the piophets:
Eras:le concentrated , in.himielf 'all the - prophetic
'haracter :and virtue? -Riavo all the:prophets be.
come Sauls ? Can Democracy reform itself - add
must , - R,Upublicanism die nuclei' the tcut.se , dis
.l,
honest leaders? ,
GREENWICH STREET CitAPEL:
•A'part the old roof of the chapel building
of thit;'interesting enterprise was taken off in a
severe biow sfwitich Visited the abut:ltern 'section
of 'Our city I.st July. Other damage — wad . done
tO thi".bitildineand -it wad cTetei;thiiied i r t
t thoronih repair r aid fit iEbettei tor . PdiPoses of
public WorShip"thfin"beibici' Tlii hati tiow'been
tiadomplished, and,onlaSt - Sabliatt eVening;special
services were 'field 'to corms emorite th event:' A
large`coOgregation was in attendance.:
gda3cwere coniriienced'- " Flee 'as
bird;" by a Child'' of 'apparently' bii i t.'eighi, - ,earS
old; of remarkable voell' power and
cutler!. The past:6'olov: W. Etittou, readjhe
Seriptures, led' ih made a
,briera
d,
dregs of 'welcome Revfplias. spoke of
the iowei of the sabred asie'Ci6ii i ons - of the lions&
of• God. Mears ':enebUtitgeit the people-in'
their work, and n i ssure&them 'of' the'-erriP l athies
d Christ' s'people vili6 cannot but regard 'Church ;
it.'great ? groWing and Wicked city
as an enterpise Orthe 'greatest r in'Onient; and pro-
phesied 7 the tithe when this struggling' mission
would` be a powerful chnicli r tlieiniOtlier Of othez l
Ain't-blies and the nurse Of gileitbhiricteisf. 2
Ailed,'" as pastor' 'of ) :Eine street chth.ch, gave
some fatherly counsel to the people, arguing With
peculiar earneith'es'sand• foice"tliat the enterprise
Must; succeed; shOwing how the people, by
earnestnesiii'itierifibe; union, activity and libbral:
sty could' and mist make it a success He re : .
ferred to the 'prayers of that devoted but now de
parted friend of the enterprise—Randolph Sailer,
Esq., whose' draped portrait was Suspended in
the;' pulpit recess- 2 --as a guarantee of the
pei-ity of the underiaking. ' A Collection was
taked up' and the congregation was 'dismissed.
The rocuirls greatly, improved: lt hnsa bright,
cheerful appeaianie. We 'trust it may have'a more
pfosperous career ' even than in the past: Fifty
persons on profesSidn hive joined' since the mis
sion was cOnnmeneed. It is situated in 'in 4x
cellent neighborhood 'for growth and Usefulness
and - deserves-the cordial synipathy and' support of
our people. It is one of the only four PTesby
teriari churches' in the old diStrict of South-
--Hon. R Joy Morris, American Minister at
Constantinople, has been elected President of
the English and American BibleuSociety-of that
- • • - •
7 ,-13y the death of Lord_Stanley.; of Alderly,
allfahomedan Peer wjlt_acquiru . alitle to a seat
in the House of Lords. The late Lord's:Adest
son was. an , attacke to the Embassy at Constana
nople,'and whilst•residing in the East ; embraced
the faith of. Islamism.,
—The Tfe#6:rnPresbyteriirk(o,S,) , has a let
ter from Rev. Jas. V. MacMillan of Burkesville;
from which-we make.an extract : ,
tc My early prejudices against the New School
were intense—chiefly from the.faCt of the schism
having run through and for a while divided the
congregation'of which my parents were Mem
bers. Soon howevcr,•When I found so many en
emies to Presbyterianism beam" to wonder why
those holding the same Confession, of Faith
could not consolidate their forces against a com
mon-enemy. AS Soon as the subject was intro
duced into our General Assembly I at once sent
and obtained "all the Doctrinal .Tracts of the
New School .Publication Committee; that imight
learn something more of their doctrines..l - soon.
satisfied Myself' of their general orthodoky and
became an huMble advocate for Re-union. You
are -well aware that our New-School brethren in
dignantly deny .any proclivitiei'towaidn Armini
anism or,Pelagianism _, as has
,sometimes been
charged on them. If any tincture of Armini
anism or Pelagianisin has ever emanated, from
-okaial soirees in 'their Chureh, I have been too
stupid'. to Bed it. I Takefor instance, 'TraCt 'No: 2,,
entitled, The - Perseverance .of the: Saints ; tract
No. 7, A Brief View, of the Presbyterian Histo
ry and Doctrine ;, tract No. 12, The Sovereignty,
of . - Ood : tract No. 13, ,Presbyterianism :
,Its
Affinities. lam Willing n'haiard whatever of
standing I have in the ministry on the proposi:
tion that those and also other .of 'their 'pets—
each and all contain as clear and-orthodox state-,
Monts of the,Dootrines of Grace as taught in our.
Confession of Faith as any that - are published by.
our own Board:" '
Genesee Evangelist, No. 1218.
I Home & Foreign Miss. $2.00.
Ad4ress:-1334 Chestnut Street
THE LAST CARD' OF THE WHISKEY
RING-MURDER.
Often evil is .allowed to develope.to great pro.
portions, and to thrust itself upon the public in
some act of startling violence before the indiffer
ent are rowed' to its true nature. Men are often
in igaovance of-the power of the evil principle
withiti themselves, until they fall into some (Toss
sip. The keepers of the vineyard, in the parable,
did not prove the full intensity of their covetous
ness, hatred and rebellion, until they said, " This
is the - heir; come, let us kill him, and let us
seize oo ,his inheritance." And the desperate
depravity of the human heart could only be. fully
manifested, by putting a Divine person within the
"rach,of its passions. They denied the Holy One
and the Just, and .desired a murderer to be
granted to thena4
„and killed the Prince of
Our city has been the scene of the culmination
or a deep and desperate purpose to rob the go
vcrximant of p„ large part of its. lawful and just
tfrat and j
revenues. The peOplo,havo long been aware of
the ili'oWerjaf ) , L efiios . tiOn, - ,of the whiskey interest
to, the - payment of its taxes. They know, or have
some faint idea of, the enormous degree to which
all ihe 'commoner methods of fraud have been
berried, in, evading the whiskey-tax. They know
/f• - ' ;
spmethin , ; of,the bribery, the perjury ' corruption,
In . .1 timidation, colluston, compounding; and
•
prgniqmi*:that .. .,have . been.going on in these de
iiiftnients'A-14},Inpss. < Tffey know that this
atrocious iiseahty has been shown an effrontery
of .the most nnpir i elleled character. They have
fr'ia ender a lbitairadministratiOn an uneasy
sense of.the measureless depthand height of this
corruPtion. They ,had good reason to fear, that
under tbe ,great temptatiOns which could be of
fered. by the whiskeyti interest, the public service
Was rotten to the haek-bone.
Congress reduCed. the tax. The inducements
telfraud - Were lessened. A new administration
came in, upon a platform of declared honest pur
poses to the debtors and creditors of the govern
ment. the work of the honest masses of
the country With, ay sincere *termination to
_carry. out these principles, the administration re
constructed it's revenue service, and"set itself un
flinchingly to the - work of collecting its just dues.
It enncinntered' thoie who had grown insolent and
tionfident with their long career of successful
fraud. Although the tax had been reduced to
one-fourth of its original amount, they were just
as fixed in their purpose to evade it as ever. But
the - charaptni2cif the officials had' changed. There
was 'a new spirit "animating the wheels. They
went Straight forward, and they turned not when
they, went. 'The once potent means of bribery
and corruption ceased to act with their old cer
tainty But was this gigantic combination, this
. .
potent whiskey ring that had aspired to run the
entire national government in its interest, and to
dictate,the. nomination of the highest officers,
thus to be,Toiled? Having shown its skill in all
the arts of fraud by Withholdino• from the public
treasury from One to twnhundred millions; having
excelled and 'dviarfed all other depredators upon
the public • treasury, must they indeed succumb,
and must honesty and justice at last get the upper
hand?
•
One ,ineorruptible.offi eial of this city they beat
within' an inch of his life. But he rose from his
bed and quietly, 7311m - tea his duties. Personal
violeiice had not driven him, from the service.
There was great danger that, with such officials,
, •.
under such an administratiOn, the whiskey ring
wonld'be compelled to, pay its honest dues. Did
the public, much as it knew or inspected, have
any conception of the intensity and malignity of
the purpose of the ring never to do any such
thing ? It would sooner commit murder than do
it; and murder it did deliberately, and with
plan, attempt upon the 'person of the undaunted
official, and he now lies gasping upon his bed,
trembling betiveen life and death, unable to tell his
own story—the last victim' and monument of the
revolt, of the power, against all law, human
and divine.
Far be it frOM us to assert that all liquor deal
ers are fraridulint "and murderers. But this we
do hold—that the business "has proved itself in
curably and drftadfully demoralizing; that those
who devote themselves to it are in peril. of being
swamped in a covetousness of the moat intense
and unscrithilbus type—of being drowned in de
structiOn'ana perdition; that as a class they are
.
thd most. flagrant transgressors of the revenue
laws, and the most formidable hinderances to a
policy of hohestY, that, the - government has to.
dial with, and that after practisinc , every known.
species of scoun'dyelism, and pushing it to ex
tremes unbeard' of before, they have revealed the.
full force of their.dishonest purpose by the crime
of 'MURDER I
It, remains' to be - seen whether they. are pew
erful enough to shield their bloody agents from
the legal consequences of their crimes.