ginner and *brae.
PITTSBURGH, DECEMBER 19, 1857
TERdiS..• $1.50, in advance; or in Club.
10 1.881 or, delivered at residences of Subtler'.
beret 'WM See Prospeetns,on Third Par.
.1; EN EliV A L S should be prOnapt; a little
while before the year expire., that we ma's
inek• full arrangements fora steady supply.
TITS RED WRAPPER , indicate' that we,
desire s renewal. If' hOweverg In the haste
ale wailing' this signal should be omitted" we
hope our friends will still not forget um.
REMITTANCES.—Send Payment by safe
hood., when convenient. Or" mend by neall,
enclosing with ordinary ooze" and 'troubling
nobody with a knowledge of what you are
d•Ding. Fora large amount' send a Draft" so
]urge notes. For one or two papere" mend Gold
or emelt notes.
.1 1 0 MANE CHANGE, Send portage stamp*,
DI better still, sand for rimers piping soy SS
or So verity onnibors, .for Thlrty.auro,
ft a ennork.
DIRECT all Lotter" amid Communications
to ELEV. DAVID McKINNEY. Pittsburgh.
"3. M. L.," and " Amraus," will both
appear; the first part of the former, probably,
in next week's issue. Wa must still ask
the indulgence of kind correspondents.
CALL ACOEPTED —Rev. Henry Kendall,
of East Bloomfield;N. Y., accepts the call
of the Third Presbyterian, church of this
city, and expects to enter upon the discharge
of pastoral duties with the beginning of the
new year.
REV. WILLIAM DICKEY.—This aged
minister died at his residence, Blooming.
burg, Ohio, on the sth inst. A correspond
ent of the Presbyterian of the Treat, says:
" His end was perfect peace. His age was
83 years, lacking one day."
The New Year.
The year 1857 has almost expired, and
with it will expire the subscription term of
many of our readers. With the renewal of
the year, we request a new engagement.
And we exceedingly need an increase to our
lists. By a little kind importunity, on the
part of friends, some subscribers, who could
not spare change, owing to the hard times,
in September and October, may now be in
duced to make their xemittances, and secure
to themselves and families excellent weekly
reading for 1858. Knowledge must decline
when the newspaper is permitted to cease
from its regular visits. Neither old papers,
books, nor tracts can keep the family even
with the events of the day; and no amount
of secular newspapers can supply the want
of the religions, either in facts, opinions, or
influence, on the most important of all in
terests.
An Appeal for_ the American Sunday
School Union.
The following APPEAL to the Sunday
Schools in the United States, is made in a
season of want. It is. signed by Dm. Board
man, Jones, Blaokwood, and Clarke, and by
forty six other ministers, of the Presbyterian
and sister Churches, in Philadelphia. And
the recommendation is concurred in by Drs,
Alt sander, Potts, Phillips, and _Krebs, and
by sixty.one other Evangelical ministera, in
New York.
If our own opinion should be desired by
aty, we give it most heartily in favor of an
effectual effort to relieve a noble and most
beneficial Christian Institution from its em
barrassmentsi and put it in the paned= of
full strength to carry on its great work.
It is known to the country that the
American Snnday School Union has become
involved in serious financial difficulties. A
formal arrangement, it is understood, has
been made with its creditors, under which
five years and six months will be allowed for
discharging its liabilities, in annual or semi
annual instalments.
The undersigned respectfully propose and
recommend, that the Sunday Schools of the
United States come to the relief of this val
uable institution. We feel that it has .a
strong claim upon the gratitude of the
country, and upon the sympathies of all
Evangelical Christians. It would be super
fluous to dilate upon its beneficial agency,
in providing a healthful and attractive liter
tore for the young; in supplying destitute
neighborhoods with Sunday School instruc
tion; in the gratuitous distribution of its
useful Libraries; and in bringing many
thousands of our population, of all ages,
sexes, and conditions, within the reach of
the Gospel. We speak, to these who know
its history, and we are content that the tree
shon.d be judged by its fruit. Now that
the Institution is in trouble, it appears to us
peculiarly proper and becoming, that the
Sunday-Schools of the country should gather
around it with prompt and generous aid. It
has conferred upon them large and lasting
benefits; they have it in their power to
make a suitable return, under circumstances
that cannot fail to insure a double blessing,
both to the givers and receiver.
The specific plan we have to propose is
this, viz : That the schools uniting in this
effort agree, as God may prosper them, to
contribute each at least one hundred dollars
annually, for five years, to assist in reliev
.
log the American Sunday School Union of
its pecuniary embarrassment. We be
lieve there are some hundreds, not to say
some thousands, of schools in connexion with
the Evangelical Churches of our country,
which could raise this sum without inconve
nience. But seho')ls which cannot contri
bute one hundred dollars are cordially in
vited to co-operate in this good work, fixing
their appropriation at such sum as may suit
their resources, and we advise that each
school forward its donation on, or about the
first day of May, annually.
It only remains for us to say, that the
American Sunday School Union has had no
agency, direct or indireot, in originating
this movement. It has been set on foot
without the cognizance of any of its Execu
tive officers; or a single member of its Board
of Managers. We wish'the fund to be raised
to have the character of a ruzi.wrix °mu
/NO, and we have thought that a schime of
relief, emanating from the bosom of a com
munity where this noble Institution is best
known and most highly appreciated, would be
likely to commend itself to the judgment and
syrn pathy of its friends throughout the Union.
This circular will be widely disseminated
through the weekly religious press. It is
extremely desirable that it should he acted
upon immediately. Wil!tilicii i pastors and
laymen, into whose hinds kmay fall; bring
the subject before the *wrap Soho& of
their respective Congregations, and, when
ever the plan is accepted, 'communicate the
fact to the Union with as little delay as possible?
Saving Faith.
What must Ido to be saved ? The
inspired Apostle's answer to this question is,
4 ‘l3elieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
thou shalt be saved I" MUltitudes have
heard these words; many hear them in the
ordinary preaching of the Gospel, and yet
they are not saved. They believe that
Christ was incarnate; wrought miracles;
was crucified; laid in the grave; r 0139 again,
and ascended to heaven; that he is a Say
iotti, an Almighty Saviour—they believe all
this, and yet they- are mot saved. They
live from season to season, admitting gener
ally the truths which are stated in Scrip
ture relative to their state, and the necessity
under which they exist as sinners, and they
have a persuasion, that if ever they be in
heaven, they must get there in some way
through the work of Christ; and yet they
feel, they know, that they are not saved.
They have not peace with God—peace of
conscience. They know nothing of recon
ciliation, and of the comfortable hope of the
Christian, whose soul has received the bless
ings which Christ died to purchase, and
which he has ascended to heaven to bestow.
Should these lines be read by any of this
class--any who know that they have no
I true peace with God; and who, with:cencein
of soul as to their state, may be induced to
put the question, " How, then, may we be
saved?" we reply, in the language of the
Apostle, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved." It is one thing,
however, to believe the truths which are
historically stated in the Scriptures about
Christ's life and death, and it is another
thing altogether, for the needy. Abner, con
vinced of his own sin and danger, to believe
on Christ for his own personal deliverance.
It is one thing for a man to hearken to a
lecture about a life-boat, and to have con
viction established in his mind as to the
'capacity of the boat to save men from
drowning, even in the fiercest tempest; and
it is another thing, altogether, for a man to
feel that he is in the boiling surges of the
ocean, with death reigning in varied forms
around him, and in this state, to obey the
call which he hears, and in obeying it, to
feelisivaself in the life-boat, and feel, that he
is saved. In the one case there was a gen
eral conviction, that the lifeboat would save
drowning men,, when in peril; and in the
other ease, there was the felt, the assured )
undoubted conviction of personal danger,
and hopeless of relief from any other' quer
tor, and believing that there was safety in
this quarter, the call was heard with glad
ness, the life-boat is entered, and the perish
ing sufferer is saved.
With many minds, a cause of difficulty
and confusion arises, from the fact that they
do not examine the various terms which are
used in setting forth the Gospel call; and
being accustomed to common expressions
about believing in Christ, they think that,
as they admit the truthfulness of the Scrip
ture narrative slf his life and death, they are
therefore believers; and still they feel that
they are not saved. Hence they are in mys
tery and confusion—some thinking that
Christ saves only those who have prepared
themselves for him to complete their salva
tion; others thinking that whatever Christ
may do for men in the matter of salvation,
they must themselves, by repentance, good
works, and deeds of charity, perfect the
work' of salvation, each in his own case.
Now, in minds where such confusion exists,
and where conscience is enlightened, it
is impossible that there ever can be "peace
in believing;" for repent, as they may, and
labor in performing deeds of charity as they
may, they will, in all these things, perceive
imperfection; and this will keep the soul
in deep waters, and spiritual distress. All
such persons confound their believing about
Christ with that act of the soul in which it
believingly rests on Christ for entire salva
tion, as he is offered in the Gospel: . They
believe about L Christ just as the man
at the lecture believes about the life
boat, and not as the man who saw that he
was lost—that there was no deliverance to
any extent, for him, from any quarter but
the one, namely, the lifeboat, and that this
deliverance was freely offered, and from the
character of the boat, it was 'a total deliver
ance from danger, and a sure salvation.
Now, the other metaphorical expressions
Of Scripture, if considered, would make this
matter plain. We have such terms as these :
receiving Christ; fleeing to Christ; trusting
in ; Ossining to Christ; looking to
Christ; leaning on Christ; eating his flesh
and drinking his blood; - putting on Christ;
and similar forms of utterance; all of which
present the Same idea in different aspects,
and with varied illustration& Thus, take the
term "fleeing to Christ," and the idea
presented is, that the sinner is in danger;
the avenger is pursuing him ; he feels that
he has no plea to satisfy, and no strength to
resist. On the right hand or on the left
there is no safety, and delay he dare not.
But there is a refuge. Christ is that refuge,
and he calls the soul to come' to him, and
tells him, that in coming to him he will not
be cast out. The believing soul hears this •
call, and regarding him faithful, and able,
and willing, who thus invites, flees to him as
the manslayer of old fled to the city of,ref
uge, and'is'saved. The soul would not thus
flee to Christ, if he were not seen to be able,
willing, and • faithful; for faith will never
be in exorcise where the soul doubts the tes
timony of the testifier; and hence the Apos
tle, with a view to confirm disciples, says to
the Thessalonians:`"Faithful is he that
oalleth you;" and with the same object, lie
tells the Hebrews that he is " a faithful
high priest," and that "he is faithful that
promised."
So, also, when Christ is presented under
the idea of a gift the person who enjoys
salvation from Christ, is said to have "re
ceived him," and , thus " believing" and
"receiving" are correlative' terms. =They
explain .
t each -other. We are told by the
hipcatle "that as many' , received
him, to tido gave heimwer (or the dignity,
or privilege,) to become the sons of God,
THE PRESBYTERIAN BANNER AND ADVOCATE.
I even to them that believe on his name."
Here we see, that he who " believes,"
1 " receives;" and, conversely, it is the' soul
that receives Christ, the gift of God to the
sinner for his salvation, who lbelieves on
him, and who, as surely as be receives the,
Saviour thus offered as the gift of God, is
raised to the dignity of being a son of God
an accepted son of a graoi'ous Father. See
then, how, in this metaphorical illustration,
the same principles are in operetion,, as, we
have already explained, in connexion with
the other expression. Christ is a gift;_the
gift of God to the needy. Now in order to
the reception of this gift, it is necessary that
the person to whom it is presented should
know his own need. When convinced on
this point, and thoroughly in earnest, he
cannot be at peace : until the want is sup
plied. Then does be see, that the gift
offered is suitable to his case. But, is the
person who makes the offer sincere and
faithful ? Or, to change the figure, does
the alarmed sinner see that Christ is offered
to be to him a fall and perfect Saviour,
including pardon, acceptance, strength,
watchfulness; in one word, an entire salva
tion ? Does he see that this gift, this Sav
iour, knows his worthlessness, his vileness,
'and yet is offered' to him, without merit as
he is, vile as' he' is T 'Then it'remains to be
determined, is the gift, is all this amount of
blessing held forth for acceptance by one
who is truly. faithful? The soul, satisfied
here, fully satisfied, is, prepared for accept
ing the precious casket* which contains Ec
many rich and precious jewels; and thus,
in accepting the offered gift, in laying hold
of Christ, has with him the enjoyment of all
his blessings. He then who receives Christ,
is saved.
Again; take the terms, " resting," " re
lying," "leaning" on Christ, and it will be
seen that there is only a change of the figure,
while the meaning is the same. The idea
of resting, suggests a foundation on which
we may repose with safety. Let the sinner
have'his eyes opened to see that he is on a
quicksand; let him feel that he is a sinking,
perishing sinner, with the weight of his sins
carrying him down, and he will look around
for safety; not on the quicksand, but on
a rock. So to the perishing sinner Christ
is revealed as a rock, a sure foundation WI.
•by God for sinners to lean•on, with an augur, atm that all who come shall be welcome:,
and that all who lean on him shall find ths4
this Rock shall never fail. Here, again, we
have consciousness of danger, knowledge(of
the way of escape, which way is proclainiied
to us by one who is faithful, and who waits
to deliver all who trust, or believingly rest
on the provision of God for safety.
We might multiply these illustrationv, did
space permit us; but we hasten to obs,;ervei
that the faith which we have here desci,ibed,
cannot belong to the category of works ; 'F for,
when a needy poor man receives a gilt, he
cannot, with propriety, be said to I have
gained it by works. When a man meta on
a foundation provided for him, he cannot
consistently be said to have done ore made
that which has kept him from falling;. The
Israelite who looked , to the brazen merpent,
felt that his healing came aliogethur from
(
Him who had appointed the means, and made
them effective; and so the sinner 7who has
looked to himself, to the Law, to reilientance,
reformation, and all refuges of hisi; own de
vising, and finds them unavailing,' when, by
.Divine grace, he is led to look, b g elievingly
and trustfully, to Christ, sees tkat all the
merit, all the glory or his deliverance,. be
longs to Him who has given I, l ,his Saviour,
that in him he might freely s'anjoy eternal
life. •i
These illustrations also shejw us that the
soul, in resting, leaningon, I or fleeing to
Christ, relies on him alone for salvation.
tiThe ease of the man and he life-boat, is
fully to the point. It is to it alone that he
has recourse. So also, the israelite in the
wilderness and the serpent.; It-is to it alone
that he looks, and so it is /with the soul in
coming to. Christ. To inlw alone does it
come; on him only does :IA lean, for in him
it is now persuaded, can. it find that pardon,
peace, and , blessing, with& it needs. To
adopt the language of the Westminster Cat-,
echism, the soul is convinced of its sin and
misery, it is enlightened in the knowledge ,
of Jesus Christ, and is persuaded and '
enabled to embrace him no he is freely offered,
in the Gospel.
It only remains for us to say, that he who
thus comes to Christ, who thus believes and
leans on him, reeeivas all that the Saviour
promises. Here is a point where many ,
stumble. They do not know; they , fear to
believe; they tremble lest they shonld he,
presumptuous in thinking that the Beli eve .
4 really pardoned, accepted, and saved t
And yet, this is just what God tells us.
This is just what the Gospel says. It is be
cause these things are so, that the Gospel is
a joyful sound. See how careful the Apos
tle was that his disciples should know what
their blessed privileges were. "He that
hath the Son, bath life;" and lest any of
them who were true followers of the Lord
should be like little children wholad a legal
right to a large property, and who did not
yet know the amount of their wealth and
the extent of their own portion, he says:
"These things have .I written, TO You WHO
BELIEVE, that ye may know that YE HA'V'E
ETERNALLITE !!" Such, and nothing less,
is the believer's present possession.
Saving faith is a grace wrought in the
souls ot all who are saved. Where this faith
exists, the soul has fled to 'Christ`; has em
braced Christ; is looking to him, leaning
on him; end in doing so, has eternal life.
The soul that thus looks and leans, contin
ues in this gracious state, and the end is the
enjoyment of the heavenly inheritance; for
to all to whom he gives grace, he will give
glory; and whom he thus calls he justifies,
and whom he justifies he glorifies.
A UNION.—The New School Presbytery
of Texas,.comprising five ministers, have
asked the Synod of Texas, Old Schaal, to be
received, con ditionally , :,111P1.prcsPecgvfly,
The request was granted, as we see stated
in an exchange.
.EASTERN SUMMARY.
BOSTON AND NEW ENGLAND.
A Brighter Day has appeared among bus
iness men ; Quite a large.numberof manu
factories
,are resuming,operationa through
out New England. There was 'a general
resumption of specie payments by the Banks
of this city, and throughtiiif 'New England
generally, except in Rhode Island, on Mon-
Dr. 'Mackay has been lecturing in` Ben
.ton, to. large and _appreciative 'audiences.
He has given to a literary friend, the orig
inal of the famous letter of
.Sidney Smith,
on Pennsylvania Repudiation. - At the time
of its publication, Dr. Mackay was editor of
the London Chronicle, in which it first ap
peared, and he preserved the manuscript as an
autograph.
' Professor Francis Bowen, of Cambridge
Itniversity, is to deliver, apourse of twelve
leptures before the Lowell Institute, on
"The Principal English' Philosophers and
Metaphysicians, from Be:eon : to Sir William
Hamilton."
The Unitarian Year Book, for 1858,
gives a hat of three hundred ministers be
longiCg to that denomination in the United
Stites, of whom thirty'sto not preach.,
The Seoretaries of the - American Board
of Foreign Missions, give notice that a pions
and skillful physician is greatly needed to
fill the place
,once occupied by Dr. Granty
among the Nestorians, sand also one to
labor in the flourishing Mission at Madeira,
Boutliern India. `
Our Religious Educrstiors Societies do not
meet with the encouragement which. they
should from the aura, nor do people
rightly consider the extent of the work they
have been, and are now doing- The per
vintage of Congregational ministers who
have been aided by the American Educa
tion Society, is as follows
In
,
Maine,,one-half ; Verinont and New getup
&Odra, two•fifths; Massachusetts, Connecticut,
rend Rhode Island, one•third ; Foreign Missions
vies, one-half; Rome Missionaries, one•third.
The encouragement offered by the Education
!Society, induced a , large proportion of these to
enter the ministry. ,
The same is true of the three hundred 'and
thirty-two young men'now in preparation to
preach the Gospel.
These young men receive eighty dollars per
annum. The appropriation last October exhausted
every cent in the Treasury of the Society. The Cen
tral Education Society hits been unable to give
what it had pledged to its beneficiaries the last
quarter, and the greatest apprehension is felt lest
"those in New England should find themselves de
prived of the small but essential aid which they
have hitherto received.
Oar own Presbyterian Board, if a similar
exhibit was made, would show an equally
gratifying result. Why, then, should it be
hindered in its approkriate work of uiding
candidates for the ministry
A small volume, priblished some time ago,
entitled YAHVEH CHRIST, by Gould &
Lincoln, has excited much interest in many
quarters. The author maintains that the
Hebreiv word, Jehovah, was formed by the
superstitious Jews giving it the wrong vowel
point; and that the , original word,' YALE
YEA signifies, not ths self. existing One, es
the word Jehovah does, but the Coming
One—The Deliverer ; - ;thus pointing, pro
phetically, to the promised `Messiah, and
that' the Jehovah of 'the Old Testament is
the Christ of the New. This position is
supported in a popular way, by much learn
ing and patient resent - eh, and is worthy the
attention of ministem, Sabbath School tench
'ers, and others, who .take an , interest in
Scriptural interpretation. If the position
can be established, it will help to confirm ,
an 'opinion, which has been advocated on
other evidence, reupecting the Person in
dicab3d by the term "Jehovah," in the 'Old
Testament.
The Yak Collega u ch ureic lately completed
its first century, when Prof. Fisher preached
two diecourses, giving Uri hiatory. It has
been favored with several revivals:' More
than six hundred and fifty of its pupils have
become ministers.
NEW YORK.
For some time the Banks have been quietly
paying out small. sums of specie, but on,last
Saturday there was a general Resumption of
Specie Payments. The amount of coin was
unprecedentedly large, reaching above $26,-
000,000. The Sul:o•Treasury was reduced
to 84,000,000. The large sum of 6oin was
felt to be onerous.
In the Dry Goods basins, scarcely any
thing is doing froth . first liande, except by
auction: ' . ,
The Receipts of I:cpcitsce are not , equal , te.ex
peetation. Western farmers seem unwilling to
Bell at the present low rates offered by East
ern buyers,:and refuse to '.'sell at all except
for cash, or for the very best first class paper
on short time. ,
Amults, rObberieap and crime are 'still
quite frequent Almost every day brings
to light some, - unsuspected. , den of iniquity,
reveals , some new villainy, or notes some out
rage.
There continues to be much Want and
Suffering among the poor. But the most
active efforts are made on the part . of bnth
public and private charity, to relieve the
deserving and to reform the fallen.
The Messrs. Heeker have been, for some
time, Distributi , ng about three thousand
pounds °flour daily to the really necessitous,
so far as their condition •could be learned.
For a wise discrimination is exercised by
these gentlemen in dispensing their bounty.
They are proprietors of that very High
Church paper, • the ,Churchman; their high
churatism, is not at all to Mir liking, but we
must commend their large•hearted and judi
cious benevolence.
The Executive CoMmittie of the Ameri
can, Industrial Association announces that
in consequence of a'temporary loan, it is now
prepared to send out suitable helps to , those
in need of servants in any part of the West,
without requiring the .pre-payment of fare.
Applications; are to be made to. the Rev ; D.
R: - Thomason, 67 Greenwich Street. '
Thnienieval of the liron. John
as District Attorney, because of the part he
took in opposition to the re.election of Mayor
Wood, by the President, has occasioned
much comment.
Dr. Mackay, the English poet, delivered
three lectures last week in Mozart Hall,
Broadway, to large audiences; on the , 44 na
tional conga of England, Ireland and Soot •
land." In the course of these lectures the
Doctor said that England had no military
songs worth the name; that Scotland had
but, one : ,
d Scots *ha hae Wallace bled;"
but that Samuel Lever's Irish military songs
were the best in . the language. To be an
English or American song writer, he consid
ered one of the greatest honors a man could
have. The Spanish and Italians have fine
languages, and much of the true poetic fire,
but it is smothered by despotism , ; while
song in its freedom can nourish only in free
. ,
countries.
It seems that the indefatigable /for
am Greeley, notwithstanding his engage
ments in polities, agriculture, and reforms
geneially, finds time to dip into the poets
and give his opinions, in his own way, con
cerning them. On Friday evening of last
week, he deliVered a lecture on f‘ Poets and
Poetry." In the piogress of the lecture hi
said
The Bock of Job is the simplest, grandest, as
well as oldest of pastoral poems. DSvid, the war
rior•king, bad bequethed to us psalms in which
were to he found a more fitting interpretation of
our aspirations and spiritist needs than in all the
religious poets of the in tervening Agee. He reigns
King of Psalmody till Time shall be no more.
With Mr. Greeley the favorite poets are
Milton,,Burns, Mrs. Hernans, Tennyson, and
the .Brownings.
The long contested ; Lemon Slave Case
bas at length been decided so far as the New
York Courts are competent.
The Supreme Court of New York have decided
(Judge ItoOsevelt dissenting,) that the'act of 1841,
by repealing the exceptions contained in. the act
of 1817, established the doctrine that no person
can be brought into this State or held as a slave;
and that every person brought into the State, no
matter for what"purpose or for however short a
time, becomes thereby free. The case, it is
petted, will be carried to the Supreme Court of
the United States.
The Committee of nine to take into con
sideration the various Open received on the
subject of the late Revision of die Scrip
tures by the Society, has been announced,
and is as follows: •
•
Rev. Dr. Storrs, Brooklyn, Congregational;
Rev. Dr. Spiagne, Albany, O. S. Presbyterian ;
Rev. Dr DeWitt, New York, Reformed Dutch ;
Rev. Bishop Janes, Methodist; Rev. Dr. William
Adams, N. S. Presbyterian; Rev. Dr. Bedell, New
York, Episcopal; Hon. Jno. McLean, Ohio, Meth
odist; Chas. Tracy,Haq., Episcopal; Hon. Waiter
Lowrie, 0. S. Presbyterian, who declined, and his
place is to be supplied
Hopes are now entertained that a - report
will be made, that will tend to harmonize
the views and respect the rights of,all eon-
erned
PHILADELPHIA
The Common Council has ordered the
District Attorney to commence legal pro
ceedings against the Board of Health,"
for obtaining money fraudulently from the
city treasury, and also against the contractor
for filling up the lot, at an exorhltant price, on
the corner of Broad and Prime Streets. A
determination is expressed to ferret out the
frauds that have 'been perpetrated, and
bring the offenders to punishment.
The corner-stone of the Institute for
training the Feeble-Minded, was laid by
,Bishop Potter, on the_Bth inst., at Media,
the county seat of Delaware County, about
fourteen miles from, the city, on the West
Chester Railroad. The buildings will be
extensive, having a front of two hundred
and sixty feet, the centre one hundred and
twenty-six feet by fifty-two, flanked by
wings one hundred feet by forty,
each, and surmounted by a dome. The,
style of architecture will be Italian.
This will be another of Philadelphia's noble
benefactions to the aid of human well being.
Well may she congratulate herself on her
Hospitals, her Insane Asylum, her House
of Refuge, and her Alinshouse. And the
present undertaking, when completed, will
remain another memento of her liberality
toward the unfortunate and the suffering..
The laying of this corner-stone was made
the Occasion for the formation of a Society
to bring the whole subject of idiocy promi
nently before the public, to discuss questions
of interest, and to mature modes of treat
ment for the different phases of imbecility;
an account of which, because of its great
importance to many, we take from the North
American and United States Gazette`:
The first meeting was held last Wednesday, the
celebrated Dr. Howe being preserit. Among the
participants were representatives of the Massa.
chustitts school for idiotic' and feeble'-minded
youth, at Boston; of a private institution of the
same character at Barre, Mass. • ; of the Syracuse
Asylum, New York; the Ohio ylum, at Opium-
bus, and the Pennsylvania Institution, of Phila
delphia.
As the result of the discussions, which were
purely practical, the following principles were
adopted :
1. Idiots may be made producers of at least as
much as they , consume.. ,
,
2. To Teach such a point, they must be placed,
at a suitable age, under judicious medical man
agement, in atemstitntion adapted to their pecu
liar condition.
8. Physical training is the basis of mental de
velopment and culture.
4. The results of training in institutions for
imbeciles in this country and Europe, prove that,
considering the starting point of idiots compared
with other classes of unfortunates, the suooess of
these institutions is at least equal in good results
with others.
'6. It is the duty of .Legislatures to provide
means for the erection and endowment of Insti
tutions of this purpose, as it is their duty to pro
vide common schools for the poor, , houses of
refuge for depraved. youth, prisons for malefac
tors, hospitals for the insane. asylums for the
blind, deaf mutes, &c. , .
The next meeting of the Association hi to, be
held fa New York City.
The Green Hill. Presbyterian Church
(New Behool,) has met with a loss in'the re
moval of its senior elder, Dr. Arnold
Naudain, to Dover, Delaware, on account
of impaired health. This church was or
ganized in 1846, with eight members, five
of whom were members of the Doctor's own
family., the communicants now number over
two hundred. At the request of the pastor,
Rev.' Mr. Street, the Dr. made a parting ad
dress to the congregation, recounting the
incidents of the past, and exhorting
, to
unanimity '
of counsel ,; and to the cultivation
of :carnasti and, self-,derliog piety in the
futuse.
Ecclesiastical.
Rev. J. P. Wigan, D. D.,late of Frank
tot, Kentucky, has accepted a unanimous
call from the First Presbyterian church,
Piqua, Ohio, and entered upon his pastoral
duties in his new relation. Correspond-
ents will please , address him accordingly.
Rev. A. McCuzspit's pastoral relation to
the church of Neshannock, was dissolved
by the Presbytery of Beaver on the 9th
inst.
Bev. T. P. JOHNSTON'S pastoral relation to
the church of Clarksville, was dissolved
by the Presbytery of Beaver on the 9th
inst.
Mr. ROBERT P. MOORE, a graduate of the
Western Theological Seminary, was li
censed to preach the Gospel by the Pres
bytery of Beaver on the 9th inst.
Rev. It. H. RICHARDSON has resigned the
charge of St. Peter's church, Roches
ter; N. Y., and it is said that he has ac
cepted a call from the church at Marengo,
Rev. T. W. ERWIN has been installed pastor
of the churches of Concord and Shiloh,
in Concord Presbytery, N. C.
Rev. DAVID MONFORT'S post .office address
is changed from Knightstown, Indiana,
to Greenfield, Indiana.
Rev. Jon= ROGZEB was installed pastor
of the churches of Frenchtown and King
wood by the Presbytery of Raritan at its
late meeting.
Rev. EDWIN ,Town was installed pastor of
the church - of Amwell by the Presbytery
of Raritan on, the 26th of November,
Board - of Education.
MERINOS PROM PINE RIDGE, MISSISSIPPI
, .
The present very severe pressure in the
Board of Education has created Much anx
iety among its Oficers, the students, and
Christian friends of the cause. The pre
vailing feeling. in the Board has been one
of, anxiety, mingled with faith and hope.
Whilst much is to be done to relieve the
wants of the students, and to meet the next
appropriations due to them, there is no
reason to distrust Providence, and to des
pond. As an evidence that there is good
ground for hope that God will cause the
necessary funds to be poured into the treas
ury of the Board, I am permitted to state
, that the sum of eleven hundred dollars has
this day been receivedirom the Presbyterian
church of Pine Ridge, Mississippi, through
the hands of S. 11. Lamdin, Esq. - This
.large 'amount, far exceeding any previous
contributiens, although they have always
been liberal, shows what Christian liberality
can accomplish in a time of exigency.
Let each chureh do something, and the
best it can, and all our difficulties will be
graciously overruled for good. God will ac
complish great, things for his Church.
",The , glory of Lebanon shall come unto
thee ; the firtree, the pine-tree, and the
box together, to beautify the place of my
sanctuary; and I will make the place of lay
feet glorious." Of all the adornments of
the Christian sanctuary, her ministers,
clothed with salvation, are the greatest.
Let the precious youth, who are in training
for the sacred office '
be encouraged in the
name Of their Lord! HOPE ON.
December 7, 1857.
Western Correspondence.
DR. MCKINNEY :—Rev. David Meant,
D. D. editor of the United Presbyterian of
the West, a thoroughly evangelical paper
devoted to the interests of the Associate
Reformed Presbyterian Church, has been
giving his readers a concise history, in chap
ters, weekly, of the Church of which he is
a member. These sketches of history have
an interest to, Christians generally of the
Presbyterian family, for a special bond of
union runs through all the different orders of
Churches, adopting the "form of sound
words," as maintained by the Westminster
. Assembly of Divines. The Doctor has just
reached that portion of his Church's history
connected with the change of relations ef.
feoted by, Rev. J. M.' Mason, D. D., of New
York. The subject of intercommunion
among Christians,' was at that time the chief
subject of diecussion in the Associate Re
formed Church, and Dr. Macdill gives us
in these sketches, what he conceives to have
been the position of his Church upon` that.
subject, and what he still regards as their
position.
I give below an extract or two from the
Doctor's articles defining position. He
says in the issue of November 28th, by way
of comment upon the article in the Confes-
sion of Faith upon communion. "'Saints
by profession,' are those who profess the
true religion. These are bound to maintain
a holy fellowship and communion among
themselves. It is their incumbent duty.
They are under a moral obligation to do so.
This holy fellowship and communion is to be
maintained, Ist. In the worship of God.
But administering and receiving the Lord's
Supper belong to the worship of God. 2d.
In such other spiritual services as tend to
their mutual edification. But the due °b
eet:vane° of the Lord's Supper, tends to the
edification of Christians, and this is a spirit
ual service. Therefore saints by profession
are bonnd to maintain a holy fellowship, and
communion in the use of this ordinance.,
3d. In relieving each other in outward
things. Therefore, saints by profession are
' bound to maintain a holy fellowship in this
respect also. And lest it should be supposed
that this holy fellowship and communion,
should exist only amongst such saints by
profession, as belong to the same ecclesiasti
cal organisation, it is added, ' which com
munion, as God offered' opportunity, is to
be extended to all those 'who in every, place
call on the name of the 'Lord Jesus.' Call
ing on the name of the Lord Jesus is a
Scriptural phrase, which describes a follower
of Christ, a saved sinner. Those call on
the name of the Lord Jesus who believe and
obey him." f
Having given the above explanation of
his undeislanding of the meaning of the'
Confession, upon the important queition
under discussion, the Doctor adds s "It is
not forgotten that some have contended'that
the words, which contanunion; relate only to
a part, and that the less spiritual , part of the
comma_ pion described in the preceding eon.
tepee. I confess I can have no respect for
any such subterfuge, for subterfuge it is,
though good men may have resorted to it
It represents the venerable Westminster
Divines, as defining with the utmost cub,'
the limits of the holy fellowship and Com
munion in outward things, and leaving their
readers to Ames ok,infer how far it may be
extended in the worship of God and other
spiritual services. It represents them as
attending to the tithing of mint, anise and
cumin, and neglecting the weightier matters
of the law.
"But we have said that this is not decisive
of the question. 'What Wite the . doctrine
of. the, Assoniate Reformed- Church on the
aubjeot of oommunion, at the time of her
organisation 1' It wertainly, does show what
she, in common with the Westminster As
seinbly;lelieves to bnithe Bible dnerine on
the aubjeet. But it dow not inform us what
regulations the Westminster Assembly might
on a change of circumstances', have thought
it expedient to adopt; or what regulations
the Associate Reformed Church, under her
circumstances, found it expedient to adopt?
To govern the application of the Bible doe.
trine to cases as they occur in practice."
The'above extracts will, we think, be set
ficient to set fairly before your readers the
position taken by this Church, upon this
important subject. let. They believe that
the Bible doctrine is, "that saints by pro
fusion are bound to maintain a holy fellow
ship and communion among ourselves," and
that this includes fellowship in the ordinance
-of. the Lord's Supper. To this the Bible
binds them, or as Dr. Macdill says, " they
are under a moral obligation to do so -" "it
is their incumbent duty." Here, b ey are
with us precisely. This is Old School Pres
byterian ground. There is with us, beyond
this, enly one other question—" ilho are
saints by profession?" tor with such, GA
the author of all " moral obligation," binds
us; makes it our "incumbent duty" to
"maintain fellowship and communion."
Now, there are certain Churches with
whose doctrine and practice we are well ac
quainted; so far acquainted that we acknowl
edge them to be Evangelical Churches. We
recognize the.members of such as " saints
by profession," and extend to such a cordial
invitation to the Lord's table—their Lord
and ours—their table and OUTS But, 2d.
We are informed that we cannot learn the
practice of the Associate Reformed Chu rc h
from the Bible rule as adopted in her Stand
ards. Theoretically she has stood upon Bible
grounds, but has not been able to apply
"the Bible doctrine to cases as they occur
in practice." We wish to state the case
fairly. We have no disposition to place a
construction Upon it which it will not boar
But if we have read Dr. Macdill aright—
and we were once in the same dilemma - our.
selves—the teaching is that circumstances
sometimes render it expedient for a Church
to adopt regulations which interfere with
the application of a Bible principle—a reg
ulation which ,prevents her discharging an
"incumbent duty," a " moral obligation."
Your readers are of course aware, that
the practice of the Associate Reformed
Church has been to "maintain fellowship
and communion " with saints, by profession,
only on "extraordinary 000asions;" or, io
other words, when it could not, without an
exhibition of unusual discourtesy, be avoided.
I mean nothing offensive by this language,
for' love the Associate Reformed Church.
Yet 'I ask if the above language does not
express the precise truth ? But why this
intercommunion only upon extraordinary
occasions ? The Doctor, in his 13th article,
informs us that the Church "saw many rea
sons why her members should feel them
selves bound to submit to every restriction
of their liberty which general edification
rendered necessary;" and be quotes the
Apostle's language " Let all things be done
to edifying." We do not wish to be hyper
critical, but it has for years troubled us to
see, how it, could be for the "general edifi
cation" of any Church, to refuse to do what
God had made it an "incumbent duty," a
" moral obligatioon " to perform. But as
Dr. , Mandill lately gave us •a hint as to se
verity in commenting upon what we once
practiced, we will say no more upon the
sabjeot at• present, further -than to express
our pleasure at the moat charitable spirit
manifested in these sketches of history, and
our belief that they will do good, and no
doubt contribute to the accomplishment of
the wish of the excellent author, that " there
should be more union and communion
among Christians."
The following notice recently appeared in
a Chicago paper
OPENING OF Sr. TAMES' OINVECH.—The new
parish church will be opened for public eervice
on Wednesday, December 16th, at o'clock, P.
M. The clergy of the North-Western Diocese,
and especially of. Illinois, are invited to be pres
ent, and bring their surplices with them.
Think of Paul inviting Mark, Luke, Bar
nabas, and Silas to meet him at Corinth, to
aid in opening "St. James'
_Church," en
joining it upon them, as a special duty, not
to forget their " surplices." Of course the
poor clergy who should forget the surplice,
can take no part in the exercises of the 16th.
The building used by Jubilee College,
the 'Episcopal Institution, and one of the
admit ()alleges in the State, of which the
good Bishop Chase was the founder, and for
years the 'President, was burned to the
ground on Friday, November 27th. The
students lost.all they had, except the clothes
they wore at the time. The furniture,
library, and cabinet, with the adjoining
chapel, were 'saved. This will be a 10 9 s
heavily' felt by the denomination in the
State.
The Illinois St. Andrews Society, held its
twelfth anniversary dinner at Chicago, on
Monday, November 80th. Many Scotch
men, and Americana descended from the
Scotch, were present, to unite in the services
of the occasion. One of the secular papers
of Chicago very justly observes, that "there
is no country in the world which produce,.
more genuine and loyal American citizens
thin Scotland; and yet there are few Faro
peens who preserve, with more laudable
pertinacity, their love of the land of their
birth, than the Scots. There are two things
which a son of Caledonia rarely, if ever, fer
gets—his faith, and the native hills of Auld
Scotia; and however situated, in whatever
country or clime, they universally commem
orate the natal day of their patron Saint,
Bt. Andrew!'" I hope the time will come
that Scotch Presbyterians, at least, will
adopt some' form of celebration which will
sound less Papal than a commemoration of
a natal day of a patron Saint. Scotch Pres
byterian ministers, and Doctors of Divinity
at that, are found prominent members of
the "St: Andrews" Society, in New York,
and with the rest, commemorate the Saint's
natal' day. Suppose they change the name
to St John linox. It would, I think, be
more Presbyterial, at least. But the good
mid saint, if he 'could make his voice to he
heard on earth, would say, nae, brethren,
do nae such thing. Among the prominent
dishes upon the table, in "Chicago, was
" Scotch Haggis,"
"The king 0' a' the puddin' race,"
with Lochfine herring, oatmeal cakes, Le.
The Yankees are likely to keep up their
character for cupidity, if the following is a
specimen : The Rev. Enoch F. Burr, pastor
of a Congregational church in Lynn, Conn.,
loaned to a Mr. Tear, of Chicago, a black
smith, and a member of the M. E. Church,
a .sum of money, which, at 20 per cent.,
amounted to three thousand three hundred
dollars, secured by a deed of trust on his
house and lot, valued at eight thousand dol
lars. The note became due a few wt eks
ago, and times being bard, could net be
met, and Mr. Tears asked for an extension,
which tho clergyman proposed to giant,
on condition that interest be paid him, at
the rate of 100 per cent. This being de
clined, 'he proposed to take 66f per 611 t
which was also resisted. Subsequently, as
ultimatum was offered at 46 per cent., to be
paid in gold, which would add at least 5
per aent.k r -,At last, Mr. 'rear offered 48 per
cent., which being refused, the oppressor
closed up the matter by selling the property,
bidding It in himself at less than half its