Presbyterian banner & advocate. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 1855-1860, July 25, 1857, Image 1

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    PRESBYTERIAN BANTER At:ADVOCATE.
Presbyterian Banner, Vol. V 1 pr 0. 44.
Presbyterian Advocate. Vol. XIX, N o . 39.1
DAVID McKINNEY, Editor and Proprietor.
TERNS.--IN ADVANCE.
Original V) ottrß.
"And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter."—Luke
7,111;
Jesus turned and looked on Peter—
() that overwhelming gaze!
Simon, " Satan" fain "would have thee,"
flat thy Saviour for thee prays.
Thou bast yielded to temptation,
Satan strongly did assail ;
But that glance from Him who prayeth
That thy faith shall never fail—
Yes, that glance of love and pity
(Did reproach there mingle too ?)
Brings the Saviour's words before thee,
And thy broken vows to view.
Thoughts of love, thus unrequited,
Causeth grief which many know;
Well the solitude thou seekest,
That thy bitter tears may flow.
'T is repentance not repented,
'T is a cry thy Saviour hears;
Simon, Simon, Jesus loves thee,
Wipe away those bitter tears.
Thou oanst answer when he tries thee,
Simon, " Simon, lovest thou one ?"
"Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,"
Truly I appeal to thee.
Lent o , when tempted to forsake thee,
Gently draw us by thine eye;
May it warn, reprove, direct us,
(Glorious beacon from the sky!)
And allure us onward, upward,
'Where all faith is lost, in sight—
'Where no sore temptation draws us
From the path of life and light.
For the Presbyterian Banner and Advocate.
Infant Baptism.—No. 6.
The Lord Jesus, long before his death,
had authorized his Apostles both to preach
and baptize. But their instructions limited
them to "the lost sheep of the house of
Israel." After his resurrection, he assigned
them the world as their field. "Go," says
he, "teach alt nations, baptising them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to ob•
serve all things whatsoever I have command
you."—Matt. xxviii : 19, 20. This last
command of Christ, instead of excluding
little children, seems to be worded with a
special design to make room for them. The
reader will please to observe, that the word
teach occurs twine in the passage: "Go,
teach all nations," and' "teaching them to
observe all things," &e. In the original,
there is no such tautology, as the two words
are quite different, and differ in their sig
nifications. The first word, rendered teach,
is matheteusate, from matheteuo, to disciple,
to secure as , scholars, to initiate into a school
as learnerg'Arto the real meaning of the
word, all Baptist writers of eminence are so
well agreed with us, that it may be oonsid
ered as settled. Dr. Carson says, "It is
well known that the word corresponding to
teach, in the first instance in which it occurs
in this passage, signifies, to disciple, or snake
scholars." p. 169. Mr. Campbell, also,
founder of the numerous sect called by his
name, makes the same admission, and adds,
that "no man can be said to be, discipled,
of converted, till he is immersed."—Chu.
Baptist, p. 630. The command of the Sav
iour may therefore be paraphrased, thus :
"Go disciple, or enroll as scholars, all
nations, by baptizing them," &c.; " instruct
ing them in the observance of all the things
which I have commanded you." Now, it
must be admitted that children of two years
old are capable of learning in the school of
Christ. They may therefore; with propriety,
be enrolled therein, as scholars; and their
parents may assume the obligation to instruct
them, at that early period. The Baptists
can hardly deny this, though they allege
that infants of a few days old can, in no
sense, be accounted scholars. It is easy to
show that this objection has no force.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INFANTS.
It is not uncommon for a father to secure,
in some literary institution, a scholarship for
his infant child, before it is able to talk. He
pays down the required sum, and receives
an authenticated document, by which the
officers of the institution are bound to in
struct the child in various branches of learn
ing, whenever its capacities shall be suffi
ciently developed. And where is the ab
surdity of making a provision of this kind?
Are not such parents counted wise and prov
ident ? And is it less wise to secure for a
young immortal, a scholarship in the school
of Christ, and to engage his instructors at
the earliest period ? Yet this is precisely
what is done when a parent gives up his
infant child to God, in baptism. He solemn
ly binds himself to bring up his child in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is
true, the Baptist brethren pursue a very
different course; they leave their children
out of the school of Christ till they make a
credible profession of faith, and then intro
duce them. This is as though our primary
schools should refuse admission to pupils,
till they have made a great proficiency in
learning!
"But how can a little child be called a
disciple ?" I answer, that the word means
simply a scholar or learner. It occurs 282
times in the New Testament, and always in
the same radical sense. It is applied to
believers in Christ in common with othere,
because they are professed learners while
they live.
We now see that the command to baptize
all nations, is not at all inconsistent with the
previous declaration of Christ, that ,little
children belong to the kingdom of heaven.
And the Baptist brethren are guilty of add
ing to the commission, when they make him
to say, " Gu, disciple the adult part of all
nations, baptizing them and none others.
OIROVMSTANCES IN WHICH THE COMMAND
WAS GIVEN.
Besides; look at the circumstances in
which the Apostles received the command.
As Jews, they were familiar with the prac
tice of admitting proselytes by circumcision.
They knew that when a Gentile was re
ceived into the Jewish Church, his children
also were admitted, and were subjected to
the same religious rites with himself. If
Christ had commanded them to disciple all
nations, circumcising them, they woulticon
fessedly have understood him as inchiding
.. ...rte
children with their parents. It is just as
clear that the command to disciple all na
tions, baptizing them, would be taken by
the Apostles as equally comprehensive.
The commission, therefore, in the circum-
stances. in which it was given, and taken in
connexion with the previous instructions of
Christ, was equivalent to au express com
mand to baptize children.
PETER'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMIS-
The keys of the kingdom of heaven en
trusted to the Apostles, were first employed
on the day of Pentecost. They then opened
the Gospel dispensation, and made known
the terms of admission to Christ's visible
kingdom. If children, hitherto embraced
in that kingdom, were to be excluded, that
was the very time to make the announce
ment. And surely, if the Apostles had
been Baptists, they would have embraced
the opportunity to declare, in emphatic
terms, that little children were thenceforth
forever cast out of the kingdom of the Sav
iour. But instead of this, ,the Apostle
Peter, in his first exhortation to Christian
baptism, includes children with their parents.
"Repent," says he, "and be baptized, every
one of you, in the name of Christ, for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is
unto you, and to your children."—Acts ii :
38, 39. Why did the Apostle make this
particular mention of the children of those
whom be addressed, if he designed to ex
clude them from baptism ? Certainly no
Baptist minister would name children
such a connexion, unless for the purpose of
ridiculing infant sprinkling.
Bat what is that promise of which Peter
speaks, and how would. he be understood by
his audience? We must bear in mind that
they were exclusively Jews and Jewish pros
elytes, to whom he spoke. The "Parthians,
Nedes, Elamites," and others named as
present, were no other than foreign Jews
who had revisited Jerusalem ; and it was at
the house of Cornelius, seven years later,
that the first Gentiles were admitted to bap
tism. And what would those Jews under
stand by the promise to them and their chit
dr en ? Undoubtedly they would recur to
the great promise made to Abraham, in
which Jehovah declared that he would be
a God to him.and to his seed after him.—
Gen xvii : 5. This promise was continu
ally on their tongues; and in view of enter
ing the Christian Church, the question
would naturally arise in their minds, whether
it was now revoked, and their children cast
out. Peter, being himself a Jew, is aware
of their scruples, and satisfies them at once.
He tells them that the promise is still to
them and their children, and on this ground
urges them to repent and be baptized.. But
on the supposition that he meant to exclude
their children from baptism, his language is
quite inexplicable:
-• Y.ll
SOPHISTICAL ARGIIMEIIT OF THE BAPTISTS.
The Baptist brethren dwell much on the
passage, "He-that believeth and is baptized,
shall be saved;` but he that believeth not,
shall be damned."—Mark xvi : 16. On
this they reason as follows : Infants cannot
believe, therefore infants must net be bap
tized. Their error in this matter is two-fold.
Ist. They understand the passage as intend
ed to define who shall be baptized; where
as the sole object in view is to inform us
who shall, and who shall not be saved. 2d.
If they can prove by this passage that in
fants cannot be baptized, because tbey can
not believe; by precisely the same reasoning
they can prove that infants cannot be saved,
especially as the concluding mods are, g' he
that believeth not shall be damned." So,
when the Apostle says, " whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord, shall be
saved," if we adopt the Baptist principle of
interpretation, we must conclude that in
fants are -excluded from salvation, because
they cannot call on the name of the Lord.
The truth is, these and many other pas
sages are intended to define the terms of
salvation fdr adults, and have no bearing
whatever on the case of infants.
OR, LETTERS TO A FRIEND ON TEE DOCTRINES AND
DITTIES OR THE BIBLE.
Letter XXVI.-- The Agent in Regeneration.
Born of the Spirit.—John iii : 8.
Of his own will begat he us.—James i: 18.
M DEAR FRIEND :-I promised to speak,
in this letter, of the Agent in Regeneration.
This part of the subject has been, in a
measure, anticipated; and hence, it will not
be needful to dwell long upon it. Jesus
Christ speaks of the regenerated man, as one
born of the Spirit—John iii : 8 ; and James
says: Of his own will begat he us. He be
gat us. The Agent is divine. Thus the
regenerated are born of God; and we are
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works.-*- - --1. John v : 1; Eph. ii :
8-10. Creation is a wonderful instance of
Divine power; no less so is regeneration, and
hence it is called a new creation; and the
power displayed in it is compared to that by
which Christ was raised from the dead.
Thus Paul, to the. Ephesians : The eyes of
your understanding being enlightened, that
ye may know what is the hope of his calling,
and what the riches of the glory of his in
heritance in the saints, and what the ex
ceeding greatness of his power to us•ward
who believe, according to the working of
his mighty power, which he wrought in
Christ ) when he raised him from the dead.—
Eph. i : 15-23.
In different places this work is as ascribed
to each of the persons of the Trinity; and
often to the Divine Being, without , regard
to the distinction of persons in the Godhead.
Thus, in the second chapter of Ephesians :
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, even when we
were dead in sins, bath quickened us to
gether with Christ, (by 'grace ye are saved,)
and bath raised 'us up together, and made
us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus.—Eph. ii: 1-10. To the Jews, Moses
said : The Lord bath not given you a heart
to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear,
unto this day. They were not regenerated.
But this is promised. And the Lord thy God
will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of
thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all
thine heart, , and with all thy soul, that thou
mayest live.—Dent. xxix : 4, and xxx : 6.
And in Jer. xxxi : 31-34, the Lord prom
. ises : I will put my law in their inward
"ONE THING IS NEEDFUL:" "ONE THING HAVE I DESIRED OF THE LORD:" "THIS ONE THING I DO."
lON
gi THE PROMISE."
Religion;
Ii;IO3ANNI WkitOMMltt OOP
FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JULY 25. 1857.
, parts, and write it in their hearts; and I ,
will be their God, and they shall be my peo
ple. And still more clearly iu Ez. xxxvi:
25-27: A new heart also will I give you,
and a new spirit will 1 put within yon: and
I will take away the stony heart out of your
flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my Spirit within you, and
cause you to walk iu my statutes, and ye
shall keep my judgments, and do them. in
accordance with these promises, the Prophet
cries: Who bath believed our report?
and to whom is the arm of the Lord reveal
ed ?;--/sa. liii : 1. And Paul asks: Who
maketh thee to differ from another ? and
what bast thou that thou didst not receive ?.
—l. Cor. iv: 7. • So, it is said of Lydia,
Whose heart the Lord opened.—Acts xvi :
14. Paul plants, Apollos waters, but tied
gives the increase.--1. Cor. iii : 6. Jesus
is exalted to give repentance.—Acts v : 30
—32. Not by might, nor by , power, but by
my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts —Zech.
iv : 6. Being born again, is being
,born, of
the Spirit, as we see in John iii ;7; 8. So ,
to be born again, is to be born of God; for
whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world.-1. John v: 4. And you, being.
dead, in your sins and the•uncircumeisiou,of
your flesh, hath he quickened together with'
him, having forgiven you all trespasses.—
Col. ii : 13. For God, who commanded the
light to shine out of darkness, bath shined
in our hearts, to give the light of the knowl
edge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.-2. Cor. iv : 6. For ye were some
time darkness, but now are ye light in the
Lord: walk as children of light.—Eph. v : •
8 Bat ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, .a holy natipn, a peculiar people;
that ye should show forth the praises of him
who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light.-1. Pet. ii : 9.
In the scheme of redemption, each of the
Persons in the Holy Trinity has his appro
priate work. The Father plans, the Son
purchases, the Spirit applies. It is the
office-work of the Spirit to make the applica
tion of redemption ; this he does in regene
ration, or effectual calling. Thus "we are
made partakers of the redemption purchased
by Christ . by the effectual application of it to
us by his Holy Spirit; and the Spirit applieth
to us the redemption purchased by Christ,
by working faith in us, and thereby uniting
us to Christ in effectual calling."—Short.
Cat., Ques. 29, 30 By his work, Christ
purchased the Spirit to make this applica
tion to his people—purchased their redemp
tion, and the Spirit to apply it; and he
promised to send the Spirit to make this ap
plication. There is a connexion between
the work of Christ and the work of the
Spirit; the Spirit is both a purchased and
a promised gift; and because of the deprav
ity of our natures and the blindness of our
minds, the work of the Spirit is as needful
las the work of Christ. This is seen in the
necessity of regeneration, as that point, has
been presented : and also in the nature of
regeneration, as that 'has, been exhibited.
Hence I dwell so long, and with so much
repetition, on both the necessity:And the
nature of this change. If Christ must die,
to purchase redemption, the Spirit must
also- be given to apply its benefits. As
necessary as was the work of Christ, just so
necessary is the work of the Spirit; for
without the Spirit there is no spiritual life ;
without.the Spirit, there is no spiritual per
ception of Divine things, and no capacity of
such perception; Without the Spirit there
is no disposition to come to Christ for salva
tion, and no ability of will to any spiritual
good; and hence, without the Spirit all: are
lost; without the Spirit, you are lost, and
• all are lost ! Yes, lost !! So Jesus Christ
promised to send the Spirit, as in John,
chapter xvi, to reprove or convince of sin,
and of righteousness, and of judgment; to
take of the things of Christ and show them
unto us ; to enlighten the mind and to guide
into all truth, and to dwell in the heart and
fit the soul for heaven.—John 'xiv : 15-18;
and xvi : 7-15. This promise he fulfils.,
He sends the Spirit; and the Spirit con
vinces of sin, and renews the heart; by a
direct and supernatural influence on the soul
he opens the eyes of the mind; infuses life;
implants a principle of holiness; imparts
spiritual perception; renews and liberates
the will, and purifies and elevates the affec;
tions. It is his work and not man's act. Of
his own will begat he us; as Paul writes to
the Corinthians : And such were some of
you; but ye are washed, but ye are sancti
fied, but ye are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God,-
1. Cor. vi: 11. And to Titus : According
to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost; which be shed on us abundantly,
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.—Titus
iii : 4-6. Read the texts referred to in
L.N.D
this letter • also Eph. i. and ii. ; and Hymns
57.7 79, and 87. YOURS, TRULY.
Few ministers, I believe, go to the treas
urer of the congregation to collect their ad
'pend, though certain that it will be cheer
fully and readily paid without reluctance.
The reason is obvious. It .is the only part
of their association with their people which
bears the appearance of selfishness. The
acts originating in the relations of God's
ordination, with the outgoing of affection
which accompanies them, are profaned in
any attempt to estimate their market value.
As well try to pay for the wife's love in mo
ney, or for the tender watching of a mother
over her suffering child, as for the labors of
a faithful pastor for the people of his charge.
He visits them in sickness, administers the
consolations of the Gospel in their bereave
, ments, beseeches them with a breaking
heart to be reconciled to God from the pul
pit, administers the elements with words of
cheer and hope at the communion table,
prays for their salvation with groanings
which cannot be uttered, and even by their
dying beds his voice is heard, directing
them to the fountain of eternal life. In
these labors his motive must be the love of
the Gospel. bet an idea prevail that he is
working for money, and his influence is de
stroyed; or let a thought of pecuniary re
ward enter his own mind, in connexion with
his work, and he will be deeply humbled.
The prevailing element of the Gospel, and
one leading feature which more. than any
other commends it to the consciences of
men, is its disinterestedness. It is' alike
the prestige of the minister's success and
his glary; better for, him to , die than i that
any man should make that glorying void.
11. Cor: ix 1.5.--Pres.' Herald
Delicacy.
From our Lomita Correopcmdent.
Visit to Birrningharno 7 -Its • Characteristics—The
Episcopalians ancepr. Millar—The 'Congrega
tionalists and John .4tigell James—The Baptists ,
and Wesleyans—Piskaterianissa and the opening
of a New Church—A, Working Mini4er and Pea
pie—Fine Fruits—=The ..16;w8 and Morniona--
George Dawson, theAgeturer, and his . Church"
—The Unitarians:Biri*ngheint and ihe Past—
.
Dr. Newman and' the Oratorians--Popish Bishop
and Clergy—lafidelay and its Apostles--Ozford
and Cambridge—Celibacy and Fellowships—The
Lambeth Meeting—goWnoil on Edueation=The
Comet—The Scene in ilyde Park, and the Army.
LornioN, June 26;1857.
During the present week, I have been at
BIRMIBGIIAM ANit AT NANCHEiI'EIt. I re
serve an account ofjhe .Exhibition ,at the
latter, till. my nextA On my old principle
of carrying my Amloan' readers witl:crne, ' .
wherever I go, I a ' 11! . .Vieseni4Imm WWII
some of the , scenes an .incident 4 43.
ncidentearinpitkr)
elusion.
ilrlirmingharrgif the very heart of Eng--
.$1..1 .
land, and. - contains a. population of about •
250,000 souls. It i not in the coal or iron
districts, though Wei - elle close at hand. It
is one great work:shrill, whose customers are
foundin every part ofthe wide world. It deals
largely in guns and pistols, and thus it is a
vast armory.. It is cunning and skillful in
the manufacture of matches and jewelry of
every description: It is famed for its elec
trotype plate, as well'as for`exquisite:Papier
Mache work." Andras for its, steel pens,
they are known and-used, all the world over.
As to matters of: religion; Birmingham
abounds in Episcopl'Oburches,' their nurh
ber being forty ;. and the Church' of England
here exercises a great and potent. influence
for good, .nearly all- its -clergy being Evan-.
gelical, and some ofthem eminent for their
. , , .
ability, eloquence and, activity. Among
these, the Rector of -se, Martin's, the Rev. -
Dr. Millar, is prominent. He has acquired
great moral power over working men, by -
open-air preaching„. and -by deep interest,
taken in their secular.as well, as their spirit
ttal welfare. He.
,bids_ fa 141
fair to become
Evangelical Bishop, era, l lOng, if 'Lord,' -
merston continues to -pursue his.: present,
popular policy in, the: disposal of Ohureh ,
patronage... Dr. Millar, preached one of
the Exeter Hall Lord's-day" evening ser
mons, on Sabbath week; and his enuncia
tion of the 'doctrine' of i:egerierationt was all •
that true Protestants could desire, while his
appeals. to .the unconverted were most sol-:
em n.
The Congregationalists at Birmingham,
are not very numerous. 'ln reality, there is
but one large congregation, and it is that
under the pastorate of 'the Rev. J. A.
James, whose name, as the author of "The
Anxious Inquirer," is now known, .wherever
English religions literature circulates. His
ministry began in Bitthingham fifty.two
years ago, when heiras tiventy years' of age.
The jubilee of his , Ordimitiou•was .celebrated
in 1854,: on which occasion laid ; the
foundation of a now:ehmelio E4glutstont a
Wealthy subirb of - the He has now a
colleague in the pastorate, but he still
preaches once on the Lord'aday, with re
markable power, and his eye is' scarcely ,
dimmed, and'his strength is but little abated.
Few men in England,. have lived to better
purpose, or shall, at the great day, - be sur
rounded by 'so many spiritual children, as
John Angell JaMes.
The Independents in the town and sub
urbs, number thirteen congregations.
The Baptists have eleven places of wor
ship in Birmingham ; the Calvinists, two;
the Catholic Apostolic (birch, (Irvingites,)
one; Lady Huntingdon's Connexion, one;
the Plymouth Brethren, two; the Unita
rians, five; the Wesleyans, (including old
connexion and new connexion, Methodist
Association, Primitive Methodists, and Re
formers,). number six congregations. The
Presbyterian Church in = England has three
congregations in Birmingham, (one of these
at • Livcthwick, in the suburbs,) and one
chiefly attended by Scotchmen
• settling in
Birmingham, and their families. It was in
connexion with the opening sermons of a
new church , here, that:my visit to Birming
ham was made. A young and energetic
minister from Scotland, with a comparative
ly small but united band, have succeeded in
erecting a commodious church in a`populous
district, in which spiritual destitution pre
vails, and already are bringing large num
bers of children into their Sabbath School.
It was also a pleasing sight to observe, seat
ed before the pulpit, a number of working
men and their wives, brought out of a state
of heathen indifference, by the zealous ex
ertions of male and female missionaries who
statedly visit the district, to listen to the
Gospel of Christ.
The Jews have a synagogue in Birming
ham; the Mormonites have various chapels,
lecture rooms, ,and " presidents," and a
"pastor of the , district," all busy among the
ignorant and superstitious on behalf of that
vile imposture, which finds most of its dipes
on this side of the Atlantic, and whose
crimes we hope to hear, ere long, have been
chastised by the righteous exercise of the
strong arm of.justice, put forth by the Gov
,ernment at Washington.
xi Mr, George Dawson, A.M., (of whom,
,as.
a literary lecturer, I formerly gave a sketch,)*
holds forth in Birmingham: eachliord'S-day,'
in. what is called, " The Church a the
Saviour," but where the Saviour's Deity and
atoning sacrifice are, set aside, and the sane
tity of the Lord's-day not only outraged by.
the advocacy of Sunday - sports, but also 'by
evening readings from English history, and
lectures, ana_.comments thereon, often .with,,,i
sarcastic or humorous, passages, .which elicit
from the audience, loud laughter ! In truth,
Mr. Dawson is one of the "free lanteii" -- of
mo d ern s o ni n i ar d ni n , and if old 'Joseph
Priestley, once the Unitarian apostle, as well
as the scientific lecturer of Birmingham,were
here, he would find one more advanced than
himself in the field. Stick men . alWays find
admirers among the young and the eclec
tic." The Unitarians are very rich at Bir- '
minghain. 'Mr. Dawson receives a salary of
£5OO, per. annum—writes. for a ,local news
paper,und is well paid; hesides - which he
delivers lectures in London and elsewhere.
Birmingham has some remarkable historic -
and biographical remembrances associated
with it. Near it, at Camp Hill, was fought .
a battle .between .the towns-people, on the
Puritan side, and Prince .Rupert and the.
Cavaliers, in 1643. Here the, shocker .
an
earthquake has been twice experienced; in
1772 rand 1852, Here' the first copper penny
of the realm, as a legal tender, was coined
in 1797. It is the large rimmed.pennynow.,
current, weighing exactly one ounce, and is
a ready popular test of Iveighed.ccinmOdities.
The first charter for a market at Binning
ham, in existence, bears date 1136, in the
reign of Henry The increase of the
.population has been very great. At the
Restoration of Charles 11., the population
was 5,000; in the year 1700, it amounted
to 15,000; in 1801, to 75,000; , while now,
it reaches to a quarter of a million.
And yet; after all, to one coming direct from
London, how small it appears, as compared
with s our mammoth metropolis, which con-.
tains more people than all the large towns
of the empire put together.
~
I shall not dwell on the various Education
al, Literaryi and Scietitifie Societies of Bir
mingham, or on its town. Hall, antithe mag
nificent organ., :King Edward's Grammar
School is a,noble hulloing for noble:purposes,
and arrests, afonce, amid many other objects
'at *rest, the eye edthe stranger. ,
4 0n; Weld or two, I 'must 'add,;„ abotit.Rot:
manism here. It, is now determined that
Dr. Newman. shall resign -the Presidency of
the Dublin Catholic, University," which,
in truth,. is 144l 44
ikely to prove a failure. He is
to return to his books at Birmingham, and re- -
smite his duties as "Superior of the Oratory of
'St. Philip Neri." There is a Romish Bishop,
Dr: Ullathorne, who some, years ago formally
endorsed the lying miracle of La Salette,
in France, the vile authors ef which are.nOw
being prosecuted by the Frpnch legal tribtt
nals.' There is, near Birmingham, the Rom
ish College of St. Mary's Oseoto. The
Romish
,party have twenty, .churches besides
a Cathedral, and of these, it is worthy, of
notice, as showing Newman's influence and ' 1
activity, 'eight are connected with the order
of the Oratorians. Great efforts are being
made to entrap children—amusements and
sports are, provided for them, and doubtless
some success is achieved amongst ignorant
and nominal Protestants. Still, while Wise
man is boasting of • seven new churches
opened in London during' twelve months,
land,while a general activity prevails, and a
larmincrease of chapels and priests is taking
liiace, My firm conviction is, tbat the masses
are not inclined to Popery, and that, besides
the ariatocnity, who, in decreasing numbers,
go' over, the congregations consist mainly
I and almost entirely of Irish Romanists who
have settled in the English towns, and of
their children.
' Infidelity has its apostles in Birmingham.
Thereis a large-body of Town Missionaries,
who' do a good and.a , great work.
This somewhat lengthened sketch of Bir
ming,ham will, I trust, find its apology in
the , peep which it furnishes of the interior
life of one of our most important towns.
The UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD has been -
conferring - degrees on distinguished per
sons; among whom' was Dr. Livingston, who
was recoived with itnmerise enthusiasm `by
the, .students.,. It was at such an annual
gathering that Chalmers received, many
years ago, the degree of Doctor of Laws.'
I, The 'resident Fellows of CAmmironz hive
been (at` easme of mma ngknown
their hard :fate thiough: the imlumns of the
Times. They complain of the Statute
whinh.provides that if they enter into, the
bonds of. matrimony, they ,must resign, thpir
fellowship& It is, thus that numbers of
them, having no Other resource in the way
of income, not well •fltted for the work and
office of the ministry, or without patronage
in the Church, live and die celibates. Lam
acquainted with a,Fellow, still a Junior,
between whom an a young lady of great
worth, exists an " engagement." But he
has no private income, and waits, perhaps in
vain, for an opportunity of obtaining a Col
lege,living. These, are real ,hardships; but
still the, question arises, if fellowships were
,to be retained • after . marriage, would not
those endowments, which were intended to
revrard , and crown the , youths who have
struggled ,up to litmiry_and leientific emi
nence be vastly narrowed by the ebange of
statute: in the sweep of the benefits' they
bestow ? And would not this lead slowly
but surely to-nepotism,' and all itn evils?
Panels has an amusing piece of rhyme,
"YE .MOST. FLEASANTE DREAME
OF CCELEIIS, YE CAMBRIDGE- FEL
LOWE." The Said "Fellowe " is lying
,
asleep in broad day, under a shading lime.
tree, du the banks of the Cam. He dreams
of a fair creature,
" Wha in an ancient ,Rectorye house,
Is keepynge their Crewe love vow."
"She has no fortune save herselv,"
And from "the long . engagement," she
grows pale and thin
', And he has nought but his Fellowshippe,
And•not marry on that he mays
For gin he marries, his Fellowshippe
He loses forever and, aye."
But then comes a change o'er the spirit of
his dieam
Ho! Fellow°, why, starteth thou now in, thy
sleepe?.,
Is ye gadde-flye styngynge thy nose?
Not, see ; for he smyleth ; and gadde-fiyes' stynges•
Are productive' of cradle woes.
'T is a pleasaunte faneye that haunts his dream ;
Ye' Felimes ' their prayer bath been hearde,
And Heads of Batmen, and Vioe.thanoellere
In judgements goode have. coneurred.
It bath been decreed°, that ye Fellowes may wed,
And settle in College walls '
•
`And wake ye echoes of clOistered lyfe,
their lyttel ohYldrens' squalls.
And Ceelobs seeth that brawn-haired girl,
No longer wan and dree ;
Bat bictomme, and Blythe, and debonaire,
Converted to laystress C.
He seeth her seated . in easye ohaire--
A eimbeame amid ye gloome--
Braydynge a lyttle babye its oappe,
All within:the College room.
He. seith her walkynge in College courtes,
Admyred of :all spectators;
With her olyve branehes buddynge around?,
Or atuck in Perambulators.
Ye Trinitye Feßowe giveth a starts;
Too bright° the vision cloth seem !
And Coelebs waketh, to bachelor life,
And Ands his marriage .a dreams.
*.4 Ye," in all this_ poetry, stands for the.
Such day dreams are, doubt not, in
dulged in by many a 'Cambridge and Oxford
Fellow, to be as rudely dissolved. Never
theless, the arguments are &rind residence
and fellowship coupled , with matrimony.
Men must take the bitter with the sweet;
and'science and learning are_ somewhat 'ex
acting as to man's social sacrifices, even
while wreathing his bro'vrwith their chap
lets of honor. ' - •
The recent Mn 'n Az LAwanitrri to,
which I alluded in„my last letter, has at.
very general attention throughout
the country. A Birmingham paper, writes
thus with regard to it
A scene was witnessed there a few days ago,
which every good Englishman will recall with de
light,, and :which the future historian will net
venture to overloOk. Here a deputation from the
Evangelical Alliance were received by the Ara.:
bishop of ,Canterbury, supported by several bish.:
ops, and surrounded by several Dissenting minis
ters The Primate of England opened his halls
to some of the leading representatives of English
Nonconformists.. The chief .minister of the Es
tablished Church took Counsel with Dissenting
Ministers. Methodist; Baptist, and Independent
ministers were ,mingled with llignitaries of• the
Anglican* Chiirolt. This most interesting and re
markable assembly was rendered doubly impres
sive by the, objectpr which' it came together,. by
the cause on behalf of which it met. It was'a
meeting "of repieeentatives' of many Protestant
,phnrches . ' I fpatheranee of the Protestantism
common to them.. It came together in recognition
of a . society forined for that very "object--an ob.
jeotrdear
men • an object : earpestly kept in view by the
Lord Protector. To tiring the reformed Churches
everywhere together ; , to establish a fraternal
union bet Ween English , and, Continental Protest
antism ; to unite all the Proteitant Churches in
a firm league; and thus, without impairing their
liberty, to secure to them something of the
strength which its unity bestows upon the Roman
Church, was the , desire which lay nearest to the
heart of Cromwell, and was the end which be
most` trennouslY endeavored'io accotnplish. This
object brought together the Lambeth meeting.
Thp work of the Puritan Prcitector has, just two
hundred years after death withdrew him from
the proSecution of it, been taken up by the An
glican Primate. The chief minister of the 80..
lish Church bas opened his 'halls to the represen
tatives of English Nonconforinity, to welcome,
with honor, the representatives of foreign Prot
estantism. Such an assembly has no parallel or
precedent in English history. There is a delight
ful novelty about it.
I ought to mention that Mr; Chalmers,
one of our own London ministers was also
present, so that Presbyterianism was not
unrepresented there. The late Primate, Dr.
Howley, has, ere now, entertained Dr.
Cooke, of Belfast.
A COUNCIL ON EDUCATION, of an in
teresting character, has been held in the
metropolis this week, and las been attended
by representatives from all parts of the
country. Prince Albert presided, and de-'
livered one of those sensible addresses for
which he has beeome remarkable. The
, question of education for the masses is
making, no doubt, enormous advances;
and State Aid, in the form, of grants
from the. Committee of the Privy. Coun
cil, have 'this week been voted to a
very large 'amount. They already exceed
half a million r sterling annually, and are
rapidly increasing. The Voluntaries refuse
all such aid, and, have institutes and train
ing schools of their own. They protest
against the extravagance and waste (as they
think,) of these money grants, which they
hold in a large degree to be a premium on
indolence or avarice. Nevertheless, it appears
tO, me that dust like your own State School
Funds, thi . gpverpment aid,, rightly 'regale-
Ind; did, inasisting honest local efforcmay be
most useful.. , One month of war would waste,
more than, a year's grants of money i for
teaching the ignorant and the perishing.
Of the advance of education in England,
the following statement by Prince „Albert
gives sterling evidence
You may well be proud; gentle Men, of the re
sults hitherto achieved:by your moral efforts, and
may point to the past, that since the beginning of
the century, while the population has doubled
itself, the number of schools; both 'public and
private, has been multiplied 14 times. Ia 1801
there were in England and Wales—of public
schools, 2876; of private schools, 487 making
a total of 8868. In 1851 (the year of the census)
there were in England and Walis—of, public
schools, 15,518; of private' schools, ,30;524;
makingn, total,of 46,042; giving instruction in
all to 2,144,878 scholars, of whom 1,422,982 be
long to public schools, and 721,396 to the 'pri
vate schools. The rate of iprogress is farther il
lustrated by statistics, which show thikt in 1818
the proportion of day scholaiiio the populatibn,
was 1 in 17 ; 1833,1. in. -1.1 ; and - in:1851, 1• in 8
(hear, hear.) These are, great results, although
I hope they may only be received as' instalments
of what has yet to be done.
But the dark aide of the picture remains.
The demand for labor, andsthe assistance of
his, children being, part, of the. artizan's and
working man's "productive poweri" and cap
ital, it comes to pass that of two million of
children attending school, only six hundred
thousand are above' the age of nine. This
is what awakens,anaiety. Education before
nine is too imperfect ever to raise a man or
woman to the dignity of knoWledge. Be
sides this, there are 2,200,000 children'not
at school, Whose absence cannot be traced
to- employment, or other legitimate causes.
The. Prince Consort, accordingly appeals;
through his coadjutors,,to the parents them
selves. The following is excellent, and
gives a fair idea of the benevolent and re
ligions spirit of the man
Ton will have to work, then, upon the Minds
and.hearts of the parents, to place before them
the irreparable mischief which they inflict upon
those who 'ire entrusted to their care, by keep.
lug them from the light of knowledge-'—to bring
home to their conviction that it is their duty to
exert themselves for their children's education,
bearing in mind at the same' time that it is not
only their , most sacred: duty, lint also their high
est privilege. linlesi they work 'With yell,
.your
work, our work, will be vain ; but you will not
fail, I feel sure, in obtaining their co-operation,.
if you remind them of their duty to their God
and Creator (hear," hear.) Our HeavenlyPather,
in his boundless goodness, has so made, his crea
tures, that they should be happy; and in,his
wisdom has fitted his means to his ends, giving to
all, of them different ; qualities ,and. faculties, in
using and developing which, they fulfil their, des.
tiny; t and running their unit:inn course according
to .his, prescription, they find that happiness
which-he has intended ,, for them (cheers.) Man
alone is born into this , World; With theulties far
nobler than the other creatures reflecting the
image of Him who has willed tha t should be
beings on earth to know and worship him, and
endowed with the power of self-determina tion,
having reason given, him for his ;guide. Hecan
develop his faculties, and obtain that happiness
which is offered 'to hint on earth, to be completed
hereafter in ; entire union with him ' through: the
mercy of Christ. Bit he can also leave these
faculties unimnroved,' and miss his mission on
earth. ; will then sink to the level of the
loWer animals, forfeit happiness, and, separate
from his God, whore he did not kno*hoW to find.
Gentlemen, 14 say 'that man has . no right to do
this. Helms no ,right to throw off the , task which
is laid iition him` for his happiness. It is his du
ty-to fulfil his mission to the utmost of hbinow
er ; but it is our duty, the duty of those Whom
Providence has removed from this awful struggle,
and phieedinsond this fearful danger, Manfully,
unceasingly, and untiringly; to aid by sd v i ss,
as
sistance, and example, the great bulk of the
people, who, without such aid, must shiest in
evitably suceumb, to the , difrictiltY of it,heir task.
They will not cast from them any
,siding hand,
and -the Almighty will blesithelabori of those
Rho yrerk
,hie pa.usu. (Loud ; applause.)
The COMZT has riot;appeared arthe pre-
Idieted timeizothes it titirned-up'the.eirth.
At= 3 4 1 44 Pn•Alle :1454.1 of . , June ) , a bright,
Philadelphia, 11.1 South Tenth Street, below Chestnut
By Mail, or at the Office, $1.50 pez . Year, t SEE PROSPECTUS
Delivered in the City, 1.75 !`
WHOLE NO. 252
luminous band of variegated hues, was ob
served to shoot across the heavens, from
East to West Prayers to avert the crash
had been put up to all the saints on the
nights of the. 12th and 13th inst., in all
the churches of the island.
The WEATHER here is all that could be
desired; and indeed the Summer heat is
far above what is customary in England.
The prospects of harvest are bright, and a
`beneficent God is about, we trust, to crown
the,year with his goodness.
This day, THE QUEEN, accompanied by
a vast military cortege, with her nobles and
Cominoners, and in the presence of multi
tudes, publicly bestowed the. Victoria Cross,
the reward for valor, on officers and men
who distinguished themselves in the Crimea
Ahydeeirtraorclinaq acts pf „bravery. The
'Dillie - Of Cambridge has publicly declared
that every officer henceforth must study his
profession, so that with English " pluck,"
endurance and physical strength, combined
with knowledge—if 'war is to come again—
we shall have an army ready, above all in
our land that ever took the field. Who can
tell but, ere long, suddenly another crisis in
Europe may come 2 J. W.
lads aul) Oitanings.
LET all seen enjoyments lead yon to the
unseen Fountain whence they flow.
VERY, few men, properly speaking, live
at preeent, but are providing to live at an
other time.
Ch.rE rose upon a bush, though but a lit
tle one, `and though not yet blown, proves
that which bears it to be a true rose tree.
THEE is a vile audacity which knows
fear only from a bodily cause; none from
they "awe of shame.
Ir is not the outward profession of the
truth, 'hut ^ the inward power of it, that is
useful unto the `world, or to the souls of
men.
LIGHT AND LITE —When une was about
to construct a light-house he was asked what
was his, object. "My object," said he, "is
to give light and save life."
QUEER TASTE.—A. number of members
of a Methodist congregation in Indianapolis,
have 'withdrawn from it because the old
fashion of seating males and females on sep
arate seats has been abandoned.
YOURSELF AND OTHERS.—I have known
some men possessed of good. qualities which
were very serviceable to others, but use
less to themselves ; like a sundial on the
front of a house to inform the neighbors
and paseengers, bat riot the owner within.
HEAT, gotten by .degrees, with motion and
exercise, is .more natural, and stays longer
by
,one than what is gotten all at once by
coming to the fire. Goods acquired by in
dustry, prove commonly more lasting than
lands by descent.—Fuller.
GRATITUDE
My soul, in pleasing wonder lost,
Thy various•love surveys;
Where shall my grateful lips begin?
Or where conclude thy praise?
BE SOCIAL.—When I am assailed with
heavy tribulations, I rush out among my
pigs rather than remain alone by myself.
The human. heart is like a millstone in a
mill ;"when:you put wheat under it, it turns
and• bruises the wheat to flour; if, you put
no wheat in it, it a till grinds on; but then
it is itself it grinds, and wears away.—
Luther.
Hoßamm.--Some years ago, as a party
were drinking in a public house, at a village
near Dundee, two of them agreed to make
trial who should invent the uewest and
most profane oaths. While one of them
was just , opening his mouth to make the
dreadful attempt, his jaws were suddenly
arrested, so that he was unable to close his
mouth or speak a word. He was carried to
the Infirmary, where he died the next day.
SMOKING AND FIRES.—& group of boys
on the Sabbath struck up their matches for
lc . " smoke," in the midst of shavings, be
tween two unfinished buildings; a fire started
.up, and before it was checked it carried
dosvn a fine square of buildings. at an im
mense loss to the owners. What was, done
about it ? Nothing—why should there be ?
Respectable men, pious men smoke. Fires
are common, and great sinners must be ban
died liefore we meddle with little ones.
THE FEELING PREAOICEE.—He that can
tell,men what God bath done for his soul,
is the likeliest to bring their souls to God;
hardly can he speak to the heart, that speaks
not from it. Before the cook crows to oth
ers, he claps his wings, and rouses up him
self. How can a frozen-hearted preacher
warm his hearers' hearts, and enkindle them
with the love of God ? But he whom the
love of Christ constrains, his lively recom
mendations >of Christ, and speeches of
love, shall sweetly constrain others to love
him. Above all loves, it is most true of
this, that none can speak sensibly of it but
those that have felt it.
HINTS TO MmusTEßs.—Expect much,
and much will be given. Souls are perish
ing every day; and our own entrance into
eternity cannot be far distant. Let us, like
Mary, do what're can, and no doubt God
will bless it, and reward us openly.
Seek 'to be lamb.like; without this, all
your efforts' to do good to others will be as
sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
,Get much, of the hidden life in your own.
soul;
,soon it will make life spread around.
Never forget that the end of a sermon ,
i the salvation of the peoPle.
" Cleave to the Lord;" not to man, but to'
the Lord.
,Do not, fear the face of man. Remem
her how small his anger will appear in ,
eternity.
0, fight hard against sin and the devil,
The devil , never sleeps; be ye also active,
for good.
But an inch of time remains, and the
eternal ages roll on forever; but an inch on.
which we stand and preach the way of sal
vatien to the perishing world.
It is not great talents God blesses, so
much as: great likeness to Jesus. A holy
minister is,an, awful weapon in the hand of
God.-41Whsytte.
=El=