•
PRESBYTERIAIN BANNER
ADVOCAT
origin D1M11141014 Vo No. 0. "ONE THING IS NEEDFUL:" "ONE THING HAVE I DESIRED OF THE LORD:" "THIS ONE THING I DO."
origin Adirosateg Vol. XIX, .asßro .I WHOLE N
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From our London Correspondent.
Doctor Davidson and the Lancashire College—P
'
Observe, now, what light this distinction - Halley, the new Principal of the Indepervi
between the two words throws, upon certain lege, London—The two Assemblies P'
• texts. In Acts xvi : 32, we read that the I have said regeneration is instantaneous. • —46"l7.trus Case ilf°de"'
Evangelwal and the e'
Church—lts Revel , -
. Apostles spake the word to the jailer, "and It may be called: the infusion of. spiritual .
to all that were in his house," (oaks) life, or the imparting of a,capacity of spirit- Freedom of
r That is, to all within his premises, in- ual perception to the mind, or the opening Moderato
r,
fia • eluding the inmates of the prison.- After- of the darkened eyes of the understanding; i SP^'
wards the jailer "brought them into his for by nature we are delta, and we cannot
house," (oikos ;) into his family apartments. live till. made alive by
. the. Spirit; by
Again :. In 1. Cara , xvi 15, we are told that ture we are blind, and we - dennot'i.-
" The! house (oikia) of Stephanas" had ually till the Spirit opens" our
addicted themselves to the ministry of, the us night.; and 'this hefi'
•. lit
Sainti." Here notice,: that this " gi house" It is his work •by -
of Stephanas differs from.that "household" soul. We or"
. of his, which Paul baptized. It was the .we are '
We' are now prepared to meet au objets- oak,-
.the . attendants,' or tholervants of Ste- w
tion often used by the Baptists with an air planes, who devoted themselves to the sr
of triumph. Why is it, say they, that
vice of the Saints; butt was his of!-
in
•
't the accounts of great numbers baptized at children, who were baptized h- Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, at Same-
CHRIST'S CONFUTATION''' .
VC ria, at Corinth, and other places, we hear
The Sadducees
nothing of the baptism of any but believing
Moms, but r 0"
adults ? I answer, First, Pedobaptist min-
rection
• OV( inters, whenever" it falls to their lot to bap-. -
tine many adults on one occasion, defer
I the baptism of their faniilies to. wino'
,al more suitable- occasion, JUit
, ties seem to have done:- Tho
; I believing Corinthians s 4
families .at another
was baptize , •
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MeKINNEY, Editor and Proprietor.
II ADVANCE.
*ginal ottrg,
The Grave.
BY J. Q. A. 13131,LIVAN
!! the Grove I thou 'rt very drear
who sings thee this,
the circle of my friends,
ny n. form I miss.
than friends I miss, and more
fight on earth I've found—
dear, long since lima laid
•
thy narrow bound.
the church-yard, 'midst the trees,
stone church hard by,
bath returned to dust,
to the sky.
why shouldst thou seem so drear?
by thee is given;
thou art the gate through which
:d ones pass to heaven.
may not fear thee, Grave;
I may not fear
• God upon that day,
my doom will hear.
in open on my sight,
oe be mine forever;
tr and my father, too,
d from me never.
1857.
Presbyterian Banner and Advocate.
Baptism—No. 4.
last Number, we insisted on the
fact, that of the seven individual
recorded in the Acts of the Apos
der than four stand in connexion
baptism of whole families. Lest
' , ould complain that we have lim
:amination to a single book of the
iment, we will very cheerfully
inquiry to the inspired Epistles.
contained in these writings hay
taring on the case, is the follow-
I : 14-17,- 41 1 thank God that I bap
of you but Criepue and Gable leet
say that I baptized in mine own name.
ized also the household of Btepharms;
mow notwhether I baptized any other.
sent me not to baptize, but to preach
1/
we have already taken into the
being mentioned in the Acts of
As to Gains we do not learn
any family proper. Stephanas
first fruits of Aehaia," and of
~lever. There is no record of his
but here is a special one of the
of his family. We must, there
to our former list just one mdivid
one family s making, in all the
Int, eight individual and five
urns, recorded as taking place
instituted the ordinance, and
mien to his disciples. Two of
were certainly without families,
others we have no specific infor
that point. On the whole then,
't record goes, the rule still holds
te Apostles never baptized the
sad of a family, without admit
)le family to that ordinance.
Baptist brethren demand of us
that in all the five families there
tie child As well might they
that there were little children
Israelites when they "were all.
Moses, in the cloud and in
The two cases are sufficiently. ,
It is enough to say that in the
- of things, among five ordina
some small children will always
and it is not credible that it
therwise. From the last census
States, it appears that two in
of the white population were
tars of age. At this rate, and
to families at six persons each,
parents, they would contain
individuals under the age of
Same time we should not for
-vn countries, and in ancient
were numerous, and bore a
•oportion to the adult popula-
ate r'
mu '
EXAMPLE A SAFE GUIDE.
kth of the modern Baptists bold
hat, " Was it even proved that in
baptized, it would be a baptism
rom the commission."—Carson,
o great is his horror of infant
that he would still oppose it,
were shown ever so clearly to
practiced by the Apostles them
)r our part we are content to fol.
iootateps of those inspired men,
mplioitly to their construction of
commission.
MIL BAPTISMS AT CORINTH'.
e there only one or two families
at Corinth ? We think there were,
this is implied in the language
le Apostle : " And I baptized also
of Stephanas; besides, I know•
I baptized any other." 1 may
to quote the words of the origi
explicit : Ebaptisa de kai ton
'tans b loipon ouk oida ei tina
.sa. It is hardly possible to con
di sense of the latter clause of
Ice in a literal English version.
. translators have rendered loipon
tord besides. But in the French
it is more accurately rendered, as to
(Au REsTE.) The word evidently
the baptized family of Stephanas,
'in the previous clause. In this
verse may be paraphrased thus :
also baptized the house of Ste
, as to the rest of the baptized families,
not aware of having baptized any
❑ from the context that the Cor
'ere divided into parties, each of
',red to a particular teacher, in
to all others. Things having
it so unhappily, the Apostle was
he had himself baptized so few of
, there was lees pretest for repre
him as the head, of a party. "I
)d that I baptized none of you,"
addressing the adult members of
:eh " I baptized none of you but
and Gains. Many other adults
Seed been baptized at Corinth, but
himself. It was true that he had
tized the family of his friend Ste
but they tenoned no exception to
ious assertion, since they were too .
young to take any part in the strife, and
therefore were not comprehended in his
censures. And even here, be had limited
himself to a single family. Though many
families had been baptized at Corinth, he
had baptized but one. For Christ had not
sent him to baptize, but to render the more
important and difficult service of preaching
the Gospel. Such appears to be the drift
of the Apostle's remarks; and if his lan
guage implies that many other adults besides
Crispus and Gains were baptized at Corinth,
it equally implies that other families were
baptized besides that of Stephanas.
FAMILIES NUT ALWAYS BAPTIZED WITS
THEIR Trr.
We are nowt prepared to meet an objec
tion often used by the Baptists with an air
of triumph. Why is it, say they, that in
the accounts of great numbers baptized at
Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, at Sama
ria, at Corinth, and other places, we hear
nothing of the baptism of any butbelieving
adults ? I answer,
First, Pedobaptist min
isters, whenever itfalls to their lot to bap
tize many adults on one occasion, defer
the baptism of their families to another
more suitable occasion. Just so the Apos
tles seem to have done. They baptized the
believing Corinthians at one time, and their
families •at another. Crispus, for instance;
was baptized by Pauly and his household by
another hand. So the baptism of Stephan
as, and that of his family, must have taken
place on separate occasions. And such
cases were probably of very frequent occur
rence. Secondly, had it not been for the
party strife existing at Corinth, we should
never have heard of any baptisms there but
those of believers. The disputes in that
church called forth the censures of the
Apostle in an Epistle. In that Epistle 'he
incidentally mentions one family baptism,
and gives an intimation of many more.
If eircumstinces •had elicited any details of
the baptisms at Jerusalem, after . the day of
Pentecost, we should no doubt have learned
that family baptisms followed those'of be
lieving,adultsi as •at Corinth, and in as great
numbers. And if the proposition of these
baptisms, to those of individuals, , was as
great, as would appear from the , few:cases
specially recorded, we may presume that
from fifteen to eighteen hundred family
baptisms ensued upon the addition to the
Church of the three thousand Pentecostal
converts. The same remarks will apply:to
Samaria and other cities.
Bat not only have the doings of. the
Apostles given testimony to the fact that
they baptized little children, but their
words prove that they meant to tell us so.
And the fault is not theirs if no evidence
of it appears in our English version. Every
linguist knows, that in most languages there
are words expressing distinctions, for which
there may not be words exactly corresponding
in other langtinges. Precisely such is' 'the'
case with the two Greek words, oikos and
oikia. Our translators have rendered these
words, indiscriminately, housho/d and house;
though they differ from each other as a part
from the whole: The one is a masculine, and
the other a feminine noun. When used in a
literal sense, aikor means a house, the dwell
ing of a family ; and oikia signifies the whole
premises, including out-houses. When they
are used figuratively, to signify persons, oikos
means a man's proper family, excluding ser
vants and and attendants; and oikia denotes
a whole household, including servants and
attendants. For this distinction we have
the authority of Aristotle, as quoted by Mr.
C. Taylor, (Apost. Bapt., pp. 41.)
" Oikos, when it signifies persons, most
usually means the children of a family. Here
are a few examples, taken from the Septua
gint :
Gen. miv : 30.—" I shall be destroyed,
I and myhonse ;" (oikos.) There were in
fants in Jacob's family at the time.
Num. xviii : 31.—" Ye shall eat it in
every piece,ye and your households,
(oikos,) for it is your reward for your ser
vices." Their children ate of the offerings
at three years old.—See 2. Chron. xxi : 15,
16.
Dent. xxv : 9.—" So shall it be done unto
that man that will not build up his brother's
house," (oikot.)
1. Sam. ii 33.—" And all tin increase
of thine house, (oikos,) shall die in the
flower of their age. Here, again, infant
children are meant.
The New Testament writers, also, used
the word to signify children of all ages,
thus:
Heb. xi : 7.—Noah "prepared an ark to
the saving of his house," (oikos.) Here ser
vants are excluded.
1. Tim. iii: 4.—" One that ruleth well his.
own house, (oikos,) having his children in
subjection.' Verse 12—" Ruling their
children and their own houses (oikos) well."
Such is the word used by the sacred writ
ers in connexion with five family baptisms.
" Crisps, the chief ruler of the Synagogue,
believed on the Lord, with all his house,"
(oikos.) A truly remarkable instance of
a father and all his chileyen receiving bap
tism, as believers. Cornelius had ohldren.
Said the angel to him, "Send men to Jop
pa, and call for Simon, whose surname is
Peter; who shall tell thee words by which
thou and all thy house (oikos) shall be
saved."—Adts xi : 13, 14. To the trem
bling jailer, Paul said, believe on the Laid
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and
thine house," (oikos',) and he was baptized,
he and all his, straightway." Says the same
Apostle, k g 4 .l baptized also the household
(oikos,) of Stephanas," meaning the chil
dren of Stephanaa. Of Lydia, we read,
"She was baptized, and her household,"
(oikos.) In all these cases, the word used
by the Apostles is one whieh.every Grecian
would take to mean _children. That the
people of those ages did so understand the
word, we have the most ample evidence.
The first translation of the New Testament
ever made, was the Peshito Syriac, pub
fished only , a few years after the Apostolic
age. That version, instead of saying, "Ly
dia was baptised, and her household," says,
" She was baptized, and the children ofher
house."
Oncie, Household.
This word, as we said, when used meta
phorically, to signify persons, means a house
hold, including servants and attendants. We
give an example :
Philip. iv : 22.-0 All the saints salute
you, chiefly they that are of Ca3sar's house
hold," (oikia.) It is a certain historical
fact, that , not Qne of Nero's family, at that
time ) . profaned Christianity ) though some
PUBLICATION OFFICE, GAZETTE BUILDING, FIFTH STREET, ABOVE SMITHFIELD, PITTSBURGH, PA.
FOR THE WEEK ENDING. SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1557.
of his attendants, or servants did.—See also
John viii : 35.
Observe, now, what light this distinction
between the two words throws, upon certain
texts. In Acts avi : 32, we read that the
Apostles spake the word to the jailer, "and
to all that were in his house," (oikia )
That is, to all within his premises, in
cluding the inmates of .the prison.- After
wards the jailer " brought them into his
house," (oikos ;) into his family apartments.
Again : In 1. Cora xvi : 15, we are told that
"The. house (oikia) of Stephanas" had
" addicted themselves to the ministry of the
Saints." Here notice, that this " house"
of Stephanas differs from that "household"
of his, which Paul baptized. It was the
oslcia, the attendanta,•or the lervants of Ste
pilau's, who devoted themselves to the ser
vice of the Saints ; but it was his oikos, his
children, who were baptized by Paul.
CHRIST'S CONFUTATION , OF THE SADDIICEES,
The Sadducees received the writings of
Moses, but rejected the doctrine of a resur
rection from the dead. Very likely they de
manded an " explicit warrant "—a "'Thus
saith the Lord, the dead shall arise." But
even had Moses stated the doctrine in those
very words, that would hardly have silenced
their cavillings ; for Paul has since`declared,
in so many words, that the dead shall rise,
and yet there is a body of professed Chris
tians who deny, or explain away his- mean
ing. To those ancient skeptics; Christ ad
duced a spcies of evidence, more difficult to
evade than any a explicit warrant" what
ever.
The Lord, addressing , Moses, said, "I
am the God of Abraham,: and the God of
Isme r and the God of Jacob." "He is
not," said the : Saviour, "the God of the
dead, but of the living." This inferential
proof, in the judgment of the great Teacher,
was conclusive: When, therefore our
Baptist brethren require us to produce a
" Thus saith• the Lord, thou shall baptize
infants," we may, justly reply, that even`had
the sacred writer used the linguage they
prescribe, there is no great probability that
theitobjections would: have been obviated.
Even now, when we press them, with the
testimony .of Justin, Martyr, Irenaeus and
Origen, respecting the baptism of little
children and infants, their answer• is, that
" these terms. are used indiscriminately for
minors, whether they be twenty days, or
twenty years old." That "it happens that
we hear of an infant • who was hanged for
killingids tutor; and •of the last- will and
testament of the little infant (infantulus)
Adald, aged eighteen." On the whole,
therefore, we-may be •satisfied and thankful
that. the Apostles, in this case, have, made
use of language less ambiguous than that•
demanded by our brethren. Whenever
these inspired men tell us of the baptism, of
a believing head of a family, they never fail
,to.tell iv of the baptism of-=his whole family:
For eight individualbaptisms particularized,
they mention no fewer than five family bap
tisms. Still , further, to designate these
families, they employ a word which in their
day would naturally be, understood to mean
children; and whiek was actually so under
stood in the age following. Is it, then, un
fair to presume that those who disregard. all
this evidence, would hardly be persuaded by
an "explicit warrant," or even a sign from
I heaven ? L. N. D.
P. S. If any one thinks them is not
sufficient evidence that the family of Crispus
was baptized, we have no objection to drop
it from our Het, as it is the only believing
family of the 'live mentioned in the records
tor the Presbyterian Banner and Advocate.
Religion:
OR, LETTERS TO A FRIEND ' ON THE DOCTRINES AND
DUTIES OF THE BIBLE.
Letter 11IL—Regeneration.
The eyes of your understanding being enlight
ened.—Ern. i; 18.
MY DEAR FRIEND : —As
, to the nature of
regeneration, the answer to the question,
" What is effectual calling?" gives you a
correct notion of it :—" Effectual calling is
the work of God's Spirit, whreby, convinc
ing us of our sin and. misery, enlightening
our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and
renewing our wills, he doth persuade and en
able to embrace Jesus Christ, freely of
fered to us in the Gospel."—Short. Cat.,
Quest. 31. Here is the work of God's
Spirit; here is the conviction of sin and
misery; here is enlightening the mind in
the knowledge of Christ; here'is the renew
ing of the will; here is persuading and ena
bling to embrace Jesus Christ, freely
offered in the Gospel. So our Confession of
Faith teaches : " All those whom God bath
predestinated unto life, and those only', he is
pleased, in his appointed and accepted time,
effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit,
out of that state of sin and death, in which '
they are •by nature, to 'grace and salvation
by Jesus Christ; edlightening their minds,
spiritually and savingly, to understand the
things of God; taking away their heart of
stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh;
renewing their wills, and by his almighty
power, determining them to that which is
good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus
Christ; yet so as they come most freely,
being made willing by his grace. This ef
fectual call is by God's free and special
grace alone, not from any *thing at all fore
seen in man, who is altogether passive there
in until, being quickened and renewed , by
the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to an
swer this call, and embrace the grace offered
and conveyed in it Faith, Chap. x.,
Sec. 1 and 2.
I have spoken of regeneration as a change
in our moral nature, and es the implantation
of a principle of holiness in the heart. It
may also be considered as a Divine illumina
tion, or the impartation of spiritual sight,
or a capacity to see spiritually. Sin blinds
the mind; the understanding is darkened by
it.—lsa.. xlii : 7; Acts xxvi : 18; Eph. is
18, and iv : 18. In regeneration, the eyes
of the mind are opened; the understanding
is enlightened; the blindness is removed,
and we see. We see God as he is, or have
right views of him ; we see ourselves as we
are ; we see Jesus Christ in his beauty and
loveliness, and we embrace him, and love
bitn. And this illumination is effected,, net
barely by the truth jresented to the mind,
but by a direct and supernatural influence of
the Spirit upon`the soul, quickening and en
lightening the mind and understanding; so
that it is no unusual thing for those who are
thus enlightened, to say that they see the
Bible, and religious things generally, in an
entirely different light; texts which they
hadleid or head a hundred dam ) seem
entirely hew; and all this because the Spirit
has given sight to theirl,dark minds, and
opened their eyes to behold wondrous things
out of God's law.—Ps. exit : 18.
I have said regeneration is instantaneous.
It may be called the infusion of spiritual
life, or the imparting of a, capacity of spirit.
ual perception to the mind, or the opening
of the darkened eyes of the understanding;
for by nature we are dead, and we cannot
live till made alive by the Spirit; by na
ture we are blind, and we' cannot see spirit
ually till the Spirit openi our - eyes and gives
us night; and this he doesin regeneration.
It is his work •by a direct influence on the
soul. We are dead, the Spirit gives us life;
we are blind, he gives us sight; and then
we live and see. We have new and clear
views of Divine things ; t Vi4new and blear
er views 'are the first effee ,
and this , spiritual inogled:e. is shvAngq it
tr inseparable from: it, - as , the truth thus
seen is embraced ;' and the. Saviour, thus ap
prehended, is received' and trusted in, and
rested on for salvation. - Thus Paul was sent
unto the Gentiles, to open' their eyes, and to
turn them from darkness to light, and from
the power of Satan unto. God.—Acts xxvi :
16-18: Bat on this point, you may read
the 6th chapter of 'Ile: 1 • A. Alexander's
Thoughts'on Religions Experience—a work
which every one should read, especially in
these days of false and superficial experi
ence, and spurious conversions. All I wish
to say just now is this, that in regeneration
there is a spiritual illumination—a capacity
of spiritual perception- is imparted to the
soul—the understanding-is enlightened ;in
other words, the, mind is . "enlightened in
the knowledge of Christ," and ina,desavingly
acquainted with him.—Short: Cat., Ores. 31.
In regeneration, the will is. renewed: . By
nature, 'our wills are in 1%, ndage to our cor
ruptions ; they are controlled by the de
praved state of our affections ; ; the pure and
holy motives of the Gospel have • little or
no influence; and we haie "no ability of
will to any spiritual good:"—Con. Faith,
Chap. 9, Sec. S. But ivhen oursatures are
changed; our wills are tietitee ; and as our
understandings are enlightened so that we
see things in their true light and, yalue, so
we can freely choose that ;iahich is good, and
holy, and pure. Before, called'evil good,
and good evil; but nowt we see things ac
cording to their true nature, and' our , willeP
now incline after the things of God: We
are slaves no more, but Lord's freemen,
and we rejoice in the liheity of the sous of
God. And as there issAireet influence of
the Spirit in enlightening 'the , mind, Bois
there also in renewing; he , will; when he
enlightens the mind mews the will;
by his almighty power,he' d'etermines it to
that which is good, andtilleatually draws it
to Jesus Christ. Befdieit: the expressive
language of Luther, thee- yrk spsei4editze . , . no ,r;
it is free.—gon.. Faith,reliap; x, See. L
In regeneistion, , the law. is put within us,
or written in the heart; and the writing of
the law in the heart implies giving a knowl
edge of the law; I do not meanlhat a di
rect revelation is made to the soul, or that
the study of the. Bible, is rendered unneces
sary, or the means of grace useless; but that
our conscience, our natural sense of right
and wrong is quickened, and we have a
readier apprehension of what is good and
evil; we see as we did not before, what the
law requires and whatitforbids; we see the
nature and the extent of the laW, and have
a correct and quick sense of duty. And
writing the law in the heart also implies
conformity to the Maw: As we have seen,
we have by nature' no conformity to the
law-; but when 'we are renewed, and the
law:i
s written in our hearts, a conformity to
the law is imparted to us; our souls are
brought into harmony with it. We are in-
dined to obey it, and we regulate our lives
by it. Hence, in writing the law in our
hearts, the Spirit gives us a love for the law,
and enables us to delight in it. The law
being written in the heart, we know it; we
are conformed to .it; we 'love it, and keep
it. Not that we obey it perfectly, but we
make it our rule,' and repent of our depart
ures from it; and look to Christ for the
pardon of all our failures, for he is the
end of the law for righteousness• to every
one that believeth.—Rom. x : 4.
Again, in regeneration a-likeness to God
and Christ is impressed upon the soul. Man
was originally created in the image of God,
and he is renewed in the same image.. The
image of God in which man was created,
was- mainly his moral image; and in what
this image consisted, we learn from what
Paul says of our new creation : it was in
knowledge, righteousness, and holiness :
" Lie not one to another, seeing thatye have
put off the old man with his deeds, and
have put on the new man, which is re
newed in knowledge after the image :.of'
him that created him."—Col. iu : 9, 10.
Again : "That ye put off concerning the for
mer coversation, the old man, which is cor
rupt-according to the deceitful lusts, and be
renewed in the spirit of your. minds ; and
that ye put on the. new man, which, after
God, is created in righteousness and true
holiness."—Eph. iv:-20-24. Here we see
that the old man, the depraved nature, is
corrupt; the new man, the renewed nature,
is after the image of the Creator, in knowl
edge, righteousness, and true holiness. In
these respects, regeneration restores the lost
image of God- to the soul. Knowledge, is
restored in that spiritual illumination before
spoken of: righteousness and holiness in
the renovation of our nature; in the renewal
of the will; the implantation of a principle
of holiness and rectitude, and the writing of
the law upon the heart. The law is a reflec
tion of the Divine character, and the writing
of this law upon our hearts, stamps the Di
vine image there; so: that in regeneration
we are created anew in the image of God,
in some measure like Adam before the fall.
The outlines of the , Divine image is engra
ven on our souls; and we ought, day by day,
to become more and more conformed to the
Divine likeness—ehanged into the same Im
age from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus.-2. Cor. iii: 18;
Phil. ii : 5. Read -2. Cor. 2d, 3d, 4th and
sth chaps.; Phil. let, 2d, 3d and 4th chaps.,
and Hymns 286, 200, and 219.
Yotius, TRULL
CAUTION.—We cannot judge what men
are, by what they have been formerly; nor
what they will do, by what they, have done :
age and experience may make men wiser
and better• They that had sold Joseph, yet
"would not abandon Benjamin : the worst may
MOO in 011ie,
From our London Correspondent.
Doctor Davidson and the Lancashire College—Dr.
Halley, the new Principe/ of the Independent Col
lege, London—The two Assemblies at Edinburgh
—Monstrous Case of Moderate. Tyranny—The
Evangelical and the Establishment—The Free
Church—lts Revenue—Election of Professors--
Freedom of Choice and • Brotherly Love—The
Moderator and Ez-Moderator—PolitiesPrance,
Spain, Austria, and Hungary—The Birth-Day '
and the Derby-Day—Preaching to the Masses in
Exeter Hall—The Tractarians Rebuked in the
House of Peers—Episcopal Spurgeoniwn—Mr.
Spurgeon and the Fashion—The Weather, the
Crops, and Connerce—Maynooth Debate and Di
vision—Dowry to the Princess Royal—King of
Prussia and England—May Meetings—Hon.
Neal Dow at Exeter. Hall.'
LONDON, May 29, 1857.
The Committee of the Lancashire Col
lege will ,soon be called to decide on the
tilo,l6olsiiiseanftis tvlews - On
rnpfiliifiort tad British Stanilara," cOn
ducted by Dr. Campbell, has been exhorting
them to do.their duty fearlessly, and quotes
at length from an article of great ability in
an Episcopal Quarterly, in which Dr. David
son's views are discussed.. The writer does
not argue in the spirit of a partizan; and he
seems to come to a very just conclusion, that
while Dr.• Davidson is a well-read man, his
judgment is by no means to be trusted; and
that his see-saw system, (now' leaning to
Rationalism and now to Orthodoxy—while
yet denying the inspiration of the part of
the Pentateuch, giving the go-by to the
ordinary ideas about the authorship of Ee
clesiastes, and holding pretty plainly that
the. Bible is only inspired as to religious truth,
sot historical statements,) is most danger
ous. Were a Presbyterian Synod to inves
tigate such a question, one would expect a
verdict suited to the claims of unwavering
and systematic theology. Whether the
Committee will act out what is understood
to be the opinion of the majority, or content
themselves with leaving things as they were
—merely giving a caution, and thus shaking
the confidence of the old Evangelical Dis
senters, as well as putting young men in
peril—remains to be seen.
The REV. DE. HALLEY, of Manchester,
has consented to become the principal of New
College, London. He isa sound and able man.
His work on Baptism vs. the Baptists, is of
superior merit. But he holds therein rather
latitudinarian views as to the indiscriminate
baptism of children. .Doctor Lyndsay Alex
ander, of Edinburgh, after Mr. Stoughton,
of London, had refused the Chair, was
offered the post ; but he remains with his
people. A fine, new chapel is being erected
for him. He is a man - of literary tastes and
habiU, and writes frequently in the British,
Quarterly, of which, Dr. Vaughan,Presi
dent of the
Lancashire College, is the
Editor.
capital is at this moment
the seat of Two GENERAL ASSEMBLIES.
That of the Established Church still retains
the appendage of a Lord Commissioner, and
of State Breakfasts, Levees, and • Evening
Parties, given by Lord and Lady. Belhaven,
at Holyrood Palace. But the glory is gone,
as compared with the olden time, when
before the Disruption, freedom was in the
presence of Cmsar's representative, asserting
her birthright, and-when a Welsh, not
afraid of consequences, turned his back on
the Lord Commissioner, rather than allow
the State to trample on the blood-bought
liberties of the Church of the Covenant.
The Scottish Establishment Assembly is
never attended by, the common people,
or
the middle-classes. You enter the Assem
bly Hall at the top of the High Street, and
find a body of clergy, elders, and lawyers
and perhaps the ease of a isputed settle
ment is before them, and the old, impenitent
Moderatism of Church polity resists, as long
as it can, the more Evangelical party, who
wish to make the best of Lord Aberdeen's
Act, with its partial concessions to popular
feeling.
The strength of Moderation/ may be
judged of by a decision come to by the
General Assembly, (by a small majority,)
reversing a decision of a Presbytery who
had refdsed to ordain a Mr. Ferguson over
a parish. This gentleman, according to the
testimony of various witnesses, was in the
habit of swearing, throwing somersaults,
and sometimes imitating the squeaking of a
pig ! One woman, who criticized his ser
mons, which were " high flown," or, as a
Gallic witness 80, " far and away," was
threatened by the reverend gentleman to
the extent that " he would knock her teeth
down her throat if she made such observa
tions !" He seems to have made up for his
other deficiencies by a hearty hatred of the
Free Church, saying "they were a devilish
set, both ministers and people." A parish
minister stated that he heard these words
uttered, and yet (therefore ?) Moderationt
carried the day by seventy to sixty-four
votes, and this presentee is to be settled
." with all convenient speed, according to the
rules of the Church ! ! !"
Still, let us do justice. The Establish
ment has a large body of earnest ministers,
both in towns and country parishes. I trust
they are an increasing number. They have
their Foreign Missions, Home, Colonial, and
School Schemes, all systematically sustained
by annual collections, and probably stimula
ted into greater activity by the amazing and
far superior liberality of the disestablished
Free Church of Sootland.
The FREE Cannon, since the Disruption,
has raised, for its various objects, about three
millions and seven hundred thousand pounds
sterling. Her Sustentation Fund,-the sheet
anchor of the noble ship, still is vigorous.
The £l5O per annum, in addition to a
manse for each minister, has not yet' been
reached, but every year gives a nearer ap
proximation.
I shall be able to notice the proceedings
more fully when they have made farther
progress. Meantime, I may mention that
the Free Church Assembly has been occu
pied at some length, this week, with a de
bate as to the parties best fitted to fill the
Chair of. Exegetical Theology at Edinburgh,
and the Chairs at Glasgow which had not
been previously occupied. The Rev. Robert
Rainy, assistant to Dr. Gordon in the Free
High Church of Edinburgh, was proposed,
by Doctor Candlish, for the first mentioned
of the Chairs, backed by the recommenda
tion of Principal Cunningham, and the other
Professors. The peculiarity of the ease
was that Mr. Rainy preterred to remain in
the High Church pulpit. The, issue was
the defeat of Dr. Candlish's motion, and the
election of Profeisor Uneaten, Of Abintleen.
Ai to thS oat* Chi& of APolOgetkis
the contest lay between Dr. David Brown,
author of a notable book against pre-mil
lennialism, and Dr. Hetherington, author of
a . well known "History of the Church of
Scotland." The latter was elected by a ma.
joritY. Dr. Brown was ,, appointed, after;'
wards, Professor of Theology at Aberdeen.
Thus each party in trust has found his
proper sphere. The happy consummation of
leaving none disappointed, and the warm
support given by Dr. Candlish= to the elec
tion of Dr. Brown, , whoin he had opposed in
reference to Glasgow, had .a :most: powerful
effect, and the conclusion of an excitingg ,
and long protracted debate, was an unmixed
triumph of hallowed hiiitherly love.
Dr. Julius Wood, of Dunifilea, is tha
Free Church Moderaton' Dr:- Di'Crte
preachedthe opening sermon, andst its close
akt,a,noble tribute to the memory of Hugh
Miller. Being now, however, .a-minister , of
the English Presbyterian Church,;n cense,
quence , of his election' to the' Church 'His ,
tory Chair in London, -bey was not-compe
tent to constitute the Assembly. This was
done by Doetoz , Henderson, of Glasgow;
who paid a fit tzibute to Doctor M'Crie r and
proposed the excellent Dr. Wood, in language
which met with a unanimous response.-
Turning now to Politics, we have news
from CHINA of great suffering among the
population at Canton, from the high price.of
rice. Nothing will be done by the British
until the arrival , of the Plenipotentiary,
Lord Elgin. The Emperor is said to have
imposed a tax on opium at Shanghai.
As to INDIA, there had been a tendency
in one regiment to insurrection, in conse
quence of some superstitions objection to
the paper in which , the ball cartridges, were
made, which , they thought, contained the fat
of beasts, which their religion holds sacred.
The regiment has been broken up, and a
ringleader executed.
FRANCE has a succession of Roysl Visi
tors, a inclining themselves ; " ' as a syco
phant , said the other day . , to ,the Emperor.
The King of Bavaria is in Paris just now.
The Grand Duke Constantine had previous
ly left for the South of France, and then
Prince Napoleon, who dislikes Russia, and
clings to the English Alliance, came >back
from Berlin, whither he had gone on a visit
to the King of Prussia.
In SPAIN, O'Donnel and Narrrrez. are
daily engaged in the Cortes, in violent re
crionnations. The Queen is as immoral as
ever. Her infamous 'mother has had all
her forfeited property restored, and Jesuit
ism is triumphant.
AstoPßusslA AND 4 SWITZERLAND ) the
quarrel is at last definitely settled; the
former 'renouncing all claim to sovereignty
over Neufchatel, and not insistingon peen
niary compeitiation.
The EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA is in Hun
gary., and issues an extensive amnesty, re
storing property and liberty taken away by
Court Martials, after, and during the war , of
1848, and authorizing exiles to return.
Kossuth is still shutout. Hungary will not
be satisfied. Her Protestant Church is still ,
in bonds. The Magyar language is still
discouraged, and .a petition from nobles,
bishops,. and proprietors, five hundred in
number, asking for constitutional rights to
be restored, and other 'favors, was putl aside*
with a few reproving words. Centralization
is the rigid system of Austria. She too is
under the' influence of the Jesuits.
The QUEEN'S 13110 H-DAY was celebrated,
with much enthusiasm this week. Next
came what Lord Palmerston calls our "Isth
mian demos," or, as the, Times describes it,
"The Metropolitan Pic-Nic," namely, the
Derby-Day on the race-course, at Epsom.
Such a collection of all ranks is no where
else seen. The worst are sure to be there;
great evil is the result. By the results of
this race many betting men are ruined
yet. the Globe tries to defend such ocenes.
Manly sports, like cricket and' , boat-races, are
valuable, but let us have, done with the race
course.
PREAOHENO TO THE MASSES Win, ere
long, be the order of the day. The Trade
dans complain that Ecclesiastical " Spur
geonism" is creeping into the -Church , of
England., Lord Dungannon, a High Church .
Peer, iomplained: last night, in the House ,of
Peers, that Exeter Hall, an " unconse
crated" building, had been opened for pub
lic worship, and that bishops And clergymen
were to preach there each Sunday uvening.
He wished to know, from the .Bishop of
London -whether this was not contrary , , to
law..iVhereupon the Bishop rose, and
coolly replied, that the-affair-was -perfectly
legal., being in accordance with Lord Shafts
bury's Act, " for the greater liberty of roll-,
gious worship," paseeda few years ago. [This,
Act had the bitter opposition-of the Bishop of
Oiford at the time.] Furthermore, he avow
his deep conviction that the preaching to
the masses was a great and good work; and
sat down amid cheers. Next rose Lord
Kinnaird, an Evangelical Scotch Peer, who
stated his delight in seeing four thousand
people in Exeter Hall, and marking their
devout joining in the Litany, (the only
part of the Liturgy used,) and their inter
est in the sermon of the Bishop of Carlisle.
And last of all, got up the venerable Arch
bishop of Canterbury, indorsed: the new.
movement-most heartily, and said it would
be a lasting reproach , to the Church of Eng
land, if she could not accommodateherself,
to the necessities of the age. So the result
is, that the• Tractarians " gained ta-loss " by
their= movement, and that Evangelism re-,
ceives a fresh and glorious impetus.
Mr. Spurgeon may be well regarded as in
directly the cause of this-movement, in-eon
nexion with the letters in the Times, some
weeks ago about bad preaching in the
Chwoh.. ; That gentleman holds on his: way
with amazing. power. Numbers of the No
bility now repair every Lord's-day morning,
to Surrey Gardens. Last Sabbath; also, it is
said, there were present between sixty and
seventy members of Parliament.
Tin WEATHER la now most seasonable.
and delightful. The people of Ireland Were
almost deprived of a seed-time for their oats
and potatoes, by . continuous rains in .A.pril ;
but at length fair weather came, and a seed
time came, which, though late, yet has been
followed by sunshine and showers; that have
covered the land with promise.
In London and its suburbs, flowers and
gardening receive great attention. Nothing
is more pleasing than to see the beautiful
binches of roses and other'flowers sold ;for a
trifle in the crowded , and dilitY city.' Then
Philadelphia, .111 South Tenth Street, below Chestnut
By Nall, or at the Oiliee, SI.N per Year, I SEE PROSPECTUS.
Delivered is the City, 1.75 " "
the market gardeners are awaiting th e
abundance of early vegetables, many of
which are sold in the open streets, and their
vast consumption by the poor of the;people,
conttibules powerfully to the general` health.
TRADE AND COMMERCE are ivoiiderfnlly
flourishing in many of their , brsuoliiii, and
the imports- and exports increase,-.every
quarter; but the high price of money, while
it checks spemilationi is 'a sirioturembarrass.
ment; and a constant drain to the Continent
and the Bast, keeps the precious metal); so
scarce as to , compel . a very high interest to
be demanded 'by the Bank of England;
Nevertheless, war has ceased, prospects of
harvest are good, and'-with-' unnuniterCd
blessing and privileges,' tempond and `4spir
ituali., there is oatiseeft* the deepest thank
fulness.
The MA:YNOOTH - QUESTION has been
brought,- by Mr. Spooner, before the new
Parliament, which rejected, his motion by a
majority of 25. The division was rather a
surprise, and was taken early in the. even
ing. The Conservative leaders took care
to be absent. This is their _ usual mode on
this question. But it shows .that
Protestantism is nothing better than a sham.
Mr. Spooner's honest seal doernot make up
for other qualities needed by a leader, in a
cause so difficult as this.
The Parliament has been occupied with
the DOVILY TO THE PRINCESS ROYAL, who,
ere long, will be married to the young
Prince' of Prussia. By an almost maul
mons vote, it was agreed that the dowry
should be £40,000, in one sum, and an an
nuity of £B,OOO for life. These are: large
sums, but nothing compared with the
wealth of the country, or with the demands
of one half year , of that terrible waster,
Wan. This excellent young lady is (D. V)
to be the future Queen of Prussia, and her
intended husband is a youth , of , great prom
ise. If this:Royalmarnage prove as happy
as that of Prince Albert and Queen Victo
ria, and as , favorable to the &use of domes
tic, and consequently national virtue, there
will - be abundant reason to rejoice. It is
pleasing to see the two great Protestant na
tions of the Old World thus more and more
closely allied. The- time may come, when
despotism, backed and urged on by Popery—
driven to a last desperate onset •on 'Liberty
and Truth—shall need the joint-resistance
of Prussia and England, to repel,the insur
gent wave.
The Kr or PaIISSIA has given a very
hearty reception to the Deputation of the
English Evangelical Alliance, at Berlin;
He welcomed 'them-a' fortnight ago, at his
palaie, in the most affectionate manner, and
kept his Court, waitin . g dinner fora whole
heur;in order to recerte their address, and
to converse with them. He takes the deepest
personal interest in the meeting of the Alli
ance, which, by his invitation, is to take
place in September next. At
the same time, I do think that too much
may be expected, as to results. As I have
indicated in former letters; real religious
freedom is looked on with suspicion by the
earnest Lutheran party, very much as tolera
tion was looked on by the Puritans of Eng
land and the Puritan Fathers of America.
Among the Annual May Meetings not for-
Merly, noticed, I might mention 3 iu general
terms, the CHURCH PASTORAL ATD SOCIE
TY,- designed to provide Curates, and supple
ment the income of small livings in populous
places, which, (as contrasted, with Tn CU
RATE'S AID Soormv, a High. Church Soci
ety with , a . similar object,) is decidedly
Evangelical in its character, and the
means of 'great usefulness.
I may also notice the Anniversary of the
PROTESTANT ALLIANCE, which embraces
all Protestant Evangelical Churahes, and has
kindred associations throughout. the King
dom. The good accomplished by Lectures
and. Schools,. is very great,ft and decided ,
cases of conversion are:reported. A healthy
hatred of Popish error, is essential, to a free
nation's' life, and Cardinal Wiseman fears
the, influence of the Protestant Alliance,
both at home and abroad.. The Nunnery
Question, Romish Refonmitories, exposure
of attempts to'palm off lying:English Histo
ries, got up , by Roinish schoolmasters, as
well as , to seize on the orphans of Protes
tant parents, are constantly attended to.
Both in Spain and Tuscany, victims of Pop
ish tyranny have been released; and Lord
Clarendon, our Foreign •Minister, ads on
the; remonstrance of the Alliance.. Dr.
Tyng,.of New York, spoke ably at the An
nual Meeting.
The HONORABLE NEAL Dow made his
the
'present
in Exeter Hall, twice during the
'present week, and was received by the
Mends of 'the Total Abstinence movement
with , great enthusinsta. I, was:present dur
ing a part of the time. Mr. Dow speaks
very effectively. At the same time, the mass
of the middle and upper classes are quite
unprepared to sanction the prohibition / by
law '
•of the sale of intoxicating drinks. To
decrease the number of ;public houses and'
'beer-shops, is possible-and most desirable.
The facilities are fearfully great, and drink
ing customs•very disastrous in their effect:
But I am firmly convinced that. (until by
the spread of the Gospel leaven, and of a
Scriptural' education, accompanied by an
abundant outpouring of the Spirit,) the na
tion itself is not willing to have a Liquor Law
like that of Maine. A Parliament attempt
ing to impose the yoke of restraint, would
proveke a terrible reaction of license and
drunkenness. Besides many real Christians
believe that vinous countries are temperate,
and that the use 'of malt liquor in the fam
ily is lawful; and; moreover, they too often
find that some of the leaders of the probibi
tion movement in this country seem.to ignore
the Gospel aa the grand- Panacea for every
social malady. J. W.
&num says : " The grand error of life is,
we look too far; we scale the heavens; we
dig down to the centre of the earth for sys
tems, and we forget ourselves. Truth lies
before us; it is in the highway path, and
the ploughman treads on it with clouted
shoes."
WHAT Christ . proanred at the expense of
hiellabora, =frump and death, we are in
vited to come and receive, "without money
and without , price."
ALL our restrin this world is from trust
in God.
0. U4B