Presbyterian banner & advocate. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 1855-1860, March 13, 1858, Image 2

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    Namur ault
PITTSBUW, /14,49 H A 30,856.
r 4
ITI4ILMS•=i 4 III. S O, in advance; or in Club*
g i.:66; or, delivotred at residences of Subseria
lure, $1.76. Btu Prospectus, on Third Page.
• 1 1 : 1 aN s lo **.fi 14,03111Pil a PP!? •
while before the year expires, that we musky
maks fun surrangeasetatoo for a steady•supoly.
POD RED WRAPPER, indleateMbat re
dostroVraOstnti ` lfs' owe sr~ ? its`tlis"hae
*f ailing, this signal soboialilbi Mitittedg*
hops our trisnola will still hot forget us.
heeds, when convenient. Or, send by
oncioshog with otittatet.y.t aro, toad troubling,
skohody,with a knowledge of whout.you Ara
Por a large ereeent; amid a Draft. or
la rge notes. Por one or twol papers, Mita field
or 'mail liotom• • • ' ' •
PO MOLDED MADGE, Sand postage stanaps,
er bettsF. , still, send for nears papsrs; soy pA
o r Sooossty sasuribers, or ail , for ThirtYathraU
numbers.
OIREO!I all tethers hhd Coardwanicutions
to WA*. fikAviD"sweicusrarr: pititebetgh,
PRXSIITTEBIANISM IN WISCONSIN.—See
on euytfuurth page.an excellent lettsr, pre
venting this subject in connexion with,gen
eral education. - ' '
Firdl7:Xo:timi,*The•
Catalogae 185 S; presents th‘e names
of one hundred and eleven scholar, -
Samuel H.-Shepley, is the Principal.,
erEFFERSON CormidE.—The' Board of
Trustees *met in tle PrayOr on
WedneWday, ..the 31st day of March,insi.,
at 10 o'clock At: The members re
queatea'to boilitnictiatin - their 'attendance.
`Secretary of the Board.
Cane u4lerg, ;Maroll 801,
=ill
THE ., YOTING DINWSPHRISTIAN ABSOCIA
TIAN OF At:LEGlOY'held their first . Anni-.
versary on the eyenin 6 9f, the 4th inst. This
1 ,
Society, commenced with 16, members; there
are now 2f5.. A fiery assemblage of
citizens were present and,united , the
ligiorts'eifraiseS. l "The ißepOrt'imas "read by
the President, Mi. Kirk. -- Reir:Dr.,Thinglas
and Rev 31r. Ends' ley delivered itdcir4sesl
Convention- of = Elders r of: the , Synod of.
North Carolina.
According to:previdits notice, 'about sixiy .
Riiiing 'Mikis of this 'Sped, met bi'the
*Am.& of:Greensboro', : on the evening of
the 24th ult. v Dr:, Payne, - - of 14exingto#,.
presided, and the opening. address was made,
by A. W. Venable,,Esq. A report art . d react
lutions;'denderningthe State of.the 'Church,
$ $ r
and the duties ,and:reipensibilities of xthe
Eldership / =were adopted; which .will soon'
be published. , • -
.15ay Pia3;er-Neaiing tittshui
meeting pf. this kind was commenced'
in the Central (formerly the Fifth,) - Pres
byterian chnich, of this city, on last Mon
day, with the most cheering 'proipects.
least, three hundred
,people,;ef the various
Evangelical • denominationsi, were present,
and the• dayifollewing, certainly one hun
dred More. r: "
• • .i, • -
The exercises are conducted, each day,
by some two ministers, 'of different
,
inatiotii", :Who select'tlie Hymns or Palma,'
make brief addresses, 'and 'call - en persons,.
Mostly laymen, te lead in, yrayei. ; It is
expeeted that: no one l of ,these services will
occupy more thin , five minutes. meet-,
ing • aistiiibles'‘at half past "11 &chick A. M';
and continues one hour. Such an attend
am of ,busipess men, meehanies,, labpiers,
and ladies,. at such, an lour, and for such 'a,
purpose . , ' is 7 unparallided in 4 the history of
this city: - -
Jesus of Nazareth is evidently passing by;
and th'eltriumphe ofgrace are being aehitived,
in e.lato6 e'verl ehnrih: ' A d.elightful spirit`
of Chriatian'aireatitin prevails among de=
nominations taking, part jn this good.'work.
Ebue Refug9.
=I
'This tlnstitution, gat. Philndelphia, : sends .
out its 44pert. ' There has
been quite an increase of = inmates- the, jest
year. The nneibern' on January et, ;'
whites, three„hundred and fourteen;' colored,.
one 'hundred and , -seven
An' in
crease of room is urgnntly. neednd.
annual expense of aupporting each
inmate 14;,le..fige'y .$95 colore4l $87;50. ,
This Taatitutioa was the third in order, in
the United States ; thoae at:Bastori iodNeir
Yorlehaiiag-"praaedelicii. tirefre are,-,
• = u
is elevau,Stat'as,Veqyl;efolaa.Sohciols, eoa
taiaing three thousand five huid i red tap:late?,
=an aunual 4 eap,epse of
$350,000;0 Tharefitave4 beeit thtis - tedaeited;
tweet five `` thoiisaiia . Sri ' ithi-• of iithoralimi.
•,
eaty,:five per °out. are, rataine,d!'in tae
reporta,asihaTing,heart beuefitTi.
An immense amount of good is-thus aa-'
oomph:ahp , d , i fit4 ( th9 , .lugeitaity of the heneir-.
Went, is still, on, the, stretch for improve
meats.
Our Axtiele ft& Atidfitiilie Succession
•
Is rather too big the aUbjeet: is of
greet importance, andlit • ,cannot . ;
gentlyKtriated in a few sentenoes.,
regirde&a, Ministry so imphrtantj'ae te'cali`
teach tliena, ate 'them
with his spititT . thr ministry is his asce#,.
sion gift,"fithe `edifying of his• ellurch;,
if the Apostles ordained PreabyterCin every
city, and if tiielei4Otion'is, to comMit'thci'
ministry of the Void,,to, ,'faithful men wlio:
ehall be, able , to teabh4 °there, and to lily
hands snddenlY on no Maifitlthen becomes
kuini that we are and liiieithie minis
try; and not only to'know itbucto'Make it
appear; and we are not,. by our silence,.an,a
our neglect. o magnify our oifiee, , WI permit
any man-to despise us.
Apostolical, succession is not to be , railed'
et. Let it'beihnderstoodJ . us claim
in the true ` sense Godly Mieieters• of the
Word,
duly ordaieed - ore the iii!jeiniseesaorii.
The proper questions are, Who May Ordaie?
and, Tam, shall they ordain ? .Presbyters,
we maintain are' thes Ordainare and' A.
called of ,God,;_re tits; l Tnise a e' s to' lie set
apart to the sacred °Enc.
Phratt.
There are few sub Sects on whitish "a large
class of minds are more beclouded;than the
one which we have prefixed to this article.
Vagueness of conception and - rashness 'of as-c
sertion are not confined, to tbe.divtitants on
one aide of the question. There are those who
dogmatize so vehemently in their reasonings
on belialtuf an Apostolic Succession in the
Christian ministry, as to afford fair ground
,for L beneving,. that in their estimation, the
'partici have such succession as they
,eenteutl.fer, are.pesseesed of .all that is. vat,
uable in Christianity; and yet these men are
constrained to see that •the clergy who pos
sess the Alleged blessing are not' a whit more -
holy,'more 'orthedni doctrine, or more
sucoessful in the conversion of sinners, than
those.whom they denouncehati intruders into.
the fold of Christ, or whom they hand over,
in their (charity, , to the ma - covenanted ;ma
dies of God. On the other hand, there are
partieiwho, knowing that Papists and ,
seyitetiare ignorant of the Gospel, and oppose
the truth as it is in'Jesis are as defiant in
their rejection of Apostolical Succession as
the others .are in their assertion of it ;and
this rejection is often made in such a ,
nan-,
1 lair tii'feCOil thei'otiii
11113
As often managed, the controversy is as
interminable is it •is- unedifying. 'Very
much of this confusion arises from the face
that:the' parties forget to define their terms, ,
and words are 'therefore used in one sense ,
by one party, and irt . .unother sense by the
other party, and hence it is impossible but
that the , controversy; 'should be 'Pretracted
and unfruitful. That profound Metaphysi-,,
elan' and' acute reasoner, ha; :wisely-
observedin the third book of : his Essay on.
;the Hutson Understanding,' "If men would`'
tell , what ideas: they make their Wordi'stand
for, 'there could not be half that obscurity or
wrangling in' the search or support Of truth
that there We .shall- : remember' this
.dioturn of the.Philasopher,, in; hat follows
10' first'object shalt be to lay `liown a" ew;
prin elides' Which are of importance
in, connexion with the iolfice otthe Qhristian
4ninistrY-, ,
the • Office of was
instituteci v hy:phrist 'the . .lceneitt of his
Cluir9h, so it is his prerogative , to, prepare,,
by,the :bestowal of , the needful gifts, and
graces,: those whom he= would` have to labor
in the sacred' Hence it comes to:
pao,,tha&under• the guidance of the Holy .,
`gplrit,,, some men are inclined, to the work
of Ahe Christian Ministry. They are ttheiiee ;
led to dedicate themselves to- its' dutieA--
to encounter,its toils; and to bear itp uoder
the {pri v ations., iliscOaragements which
incident to such a service. •
2. On the other hand,- the people of
Christ, the Church throughout all itis mem
bership; are made to feel the 'need Of teaah
log 'and edificatien., The goli Spirit not
only prepares teachers for the Church, hut
he leads:the Church to. desiderate the bles.
King of teaching and pastoral care.
But farther it helm; V''to those who
are in office, ,as the teachers and rulers in
Christ's house, 'to make.lris' of • the gifts of
those who desire to become fellow-laborers
with then' in' the household of faith; and •
when;parties thus recognized as qtalified
are•cbosen to spheres..of ..duty by the mem
lers of the Church, it,belongs to the rulers
of Zion to 'designate, and formally ordain
to the work of 'the Minietiy,Oose whom 'the
people
may daire haye oar them ; in the
Lord; or, on the general call of the Chin!'
arid, the world for help, to ordain and send -
forth ministers. • " •
There are inipertint, Principles' in tliee
propositions. If, for instance„ the 'Hay
haveprepared a man -for the work
the ministry; it would -follow that one -evi
dello(' 'of his Divined's:Bing would' appear -in '
the fact, that some portion of the flock of
Chriat would be led by`the Spirit ;to .recog
,nize the value of-his gifts, and seek,to ; enjoy
this ineinistrations. So Mad, if any section'
the Church he la by the Spirit to' eeel('tO
enjoy the giftd of one who is sant`by'the
great Shepherd as en under shepherd,; it
must be presumed that, ordinarily, # such a
person ivoirld satisfy - those whelioldrule
tili.e .r ,Church of Christ, lhat,he was l endOwed
with the needful gifts and rgraces, and both
he and the people Who - ilesired his minii
tratitnis; 'would recognize the' order which ,
thegreat Head ''Of the Chureh had instituted
for entering , the ministerial 'office, and ; for
forming thepastoral relation.
-These things being se,
,suppolia ths ques
tion Were addressed to'C Christian people—
to the members, of any of our congreoations—
would it be orderly and rig ht,you to. take
t. ,
re s PT) Fith9g , Y,9 ll "dires.-or A
-student !from : a-Theological .College, and
such a-person to 'inter 'on , the - work. of .
"baptizing among you it'of dhipenalfig the v
lord'i' Supper, and 'of perforMing the
othe c i:olkiees of the Christian ministry ;
with
outrany forrnal e designationAo -effice-?,
have no.doubtimttliat the-answer :would be
in'the negative, and that the ordination - of
any one would` be
,insisted on, who himself
dewed or ; by others was desired to be en.
(trusted mitt' the;functions of a Gospel ,
dater.
=M=
tint,'by whom is" , suoh'a person to 'be or- -
dained? Why, by those who' have already
been tor4airked. This is in accerdande w i ith
;the, Presbyterian Standards.- It is no prin.
viple , of Presbyterianism •that men
.may
the ministerial 'office; or that ftiror
daiired:U)en may ordain, and o rderly
~i)esig n ation to preach and dispense,thescal
ing- ordinances 'of.xeligion. If,. then, men
are to be ordained,' and indicted.into office ,
by" ,those who were preiiouely" ordained,
where did the order commence ? Surely
the Presbyterian Church recognizes the fast
that there has been:a continuous succession
in, and preservation of, !the ministry, since
its institution by the Lor d Jeits Christ.
That the Lord's Supper' has been observed
frbm age to age, until the present time, is ,1
undoubted, and so it is With the ministry. ..
If 4,pukCiilar section ,0 4 the,C):LUrchTlirere
seleitak it might be, difficult to find there . a
distinnt and;upiinfultionahle recoTd • of, the
number . of times when the Eucharist wee
Apostolic „Succession.
.14
ik'. .1k 04kk k 4,ki 41 1 TE
dispensed, or of the actual dates when inelX
were formally : invested with ministerial
tins, but, that the Lord's Supper was eel. '
ebrated, and that ministers were ordained,
can be•shown - by a-general reference' to the'
facts of the; Church's history.
Do we, then, concede the claims of the
Papiet,
, or of the Puseyite, who, holds t,hat
the valiiiiWok a service depends on the fact
that the officiator is one of an unbroken chain
c9ming i down from . the Apostles and, down ,
chain influence hisqeseendifet
Certainly not. : -If -it he -thee-fact that the
validity of ministerial services depends on a
traceab7e connexion, man
. hy" man, of the
officiating minister with the Apostles, in an
unbroken chain, then the man who does not
know every link of this chainwho does not
'carry. about with him a genealogy of his
ecclesiastical pedigree, and give irrefragable
proof that there never has been any flaw,
any, irregularity in the descent—that link
by link the, chain is 14d:woken and entire--
the man who cannot do this, must feel hiin
selfte be aoknave and a wheat;'and the man
lap' holds shch a connexion to be essential
Ito valid ministration in the, Church, is a
weakling and a foollif he hear a sermon, re
' ceive dommunion; orattend.on any other niin
istration of ;any perion, no matter what his
rank, whose connexion with - the Apostles he
has not first indubitably. proved. It is, how
ever,the Papist-and the ,Puseyite, who de.
claim most loudly for such a'connexion with
antiquity`; and we are fully satisfied that
there are manyof the Reformed faith 'who
adopt a wrong method, in dealing:with them.
Let them be brought up to the fountairrand
brigib: of the sacred office, and there ascer
tain what Christ and his Apostles really, did
institute, .and, ihat they desired should .de
scend,, from , age to age, in the Chureh'smin
istry,l,l - • • ' • •:. .
We:apprehend 'that': the following points
v4ll'embi'aee that which essential in this
connexion:'' We do not helieve that anyone
who assents to the Bible will hold that, 11%
godly men,,prpflietes or such like, mere;in
trodueed by The Apostles :into the ministry,
or•that the deaign of the Apostles - ever was
that , such men should at any tune hold a
ministerial commission. Nor'do we believe
that men who were ignorant of the Apostle.s'
doctrines, or who:knowing them, 'Opposed
them, veuld luiire teen ordained by thein to
the sacred' office. Nor did the Apostfee
tend' that those who succeeded them sh6uld
at any, time ordain, or, commission, as minis
tem, those who added tdor rejected the doe
trinewd Ged'i Word.' =Still hither, it,-was
not the object of the Apostles have Im
moral men kept in the membership of the
Church in their day, or that any persons
should receive a commission from them to
retain in - the Church eta -as walked unwor
thily, .
of the name of Jesus. The persons
thus qualified, and only such, were invested
with:office Apostolic,action ,or authority.
Theiefore, to bell minister. of •Jest's Christ,
a real bona fide successor of the Apostles
I. A man - must possess ptirity,of chario
ter,llatnelessness of life, and zeal for the ser.
vide ',of :the Lord jesu'a' Christ.
2." 'He must knOw contend ` lor the
doctrines of the Gospel; he must, defend
them against all adveriaries. He must con
tend-for the intSgrity of , the Divine Woid
against all who would iiiitilatn'Oradd to it.
, ,
3. He must love.and carry out the discip
line in the Church which Li clearly indicated
in the'Holy Scriptures ; ; and, possessing all
these qualifications, ,
4. He must be ordained by the office
hearers of .the Church to the work.
" Every 'Apostolic Miniiiter had these four
finalifications, and whether it be in the first
eentury,,in the ninth, : or in the ninetet nth,
the men who ,want any of them are so far
deficient - in being successors of. the Apostles.
The' Lord` `'Jesus' Christi. as Head of ' the
Church, never gave authority to hii Apostles,
'or to any body of men, to designate to a
ministry Which he could or' would approve
those_who prep.& heresy or Who fill men's
minds with , superstition, instead of giving
, them the simple, truthful message - of his
Word As it is with 'doctrine; it is' with
discipline. The minister who has the true
Apostolic succession, has the doctrines of the
Apostles, and carries out in his ministry the
discipline which Christ enjoined and , com
manded to be maintained in his honsehold.
,If, then, any.man should lay claim to the
possession 'of an Apostolic, descent, and, in
proof thereof should refer to the fact that he
had been Ordained. by inen who had also been
; ordained by, others. preceding them in office;
such a man Would.. commit . the mistake: of
pitting , a," ' for the whole 'To' be , in
Apostolic ininieter;he,must not only show
that he receivedan order, "but; that he had in
possession that,wliich app,ointmentlo his
function he was ordered to prpolaim or per
forao A trumpet 'that cannot sound;a
SO that holds'no water, and a bottle having
no healing medicine, are all uselesB • and so:it
is with men who. hirve nothing to, certify_ to
the Apostolicity , of their descent, but merely
that they have hid a' ceremony performed
over theni; awhich has been performed froin
t age to; age in the phthitian Church.,
In accordancit • with these., principles, it
would follow that if lever error or -heresy
AliBuld arise in the Church, and esPecially in
the ministry of the Chuich, the duty of
mediately haying recourse to,the chnrter< of
the.Chnichis obvious with a view to easier
taro the character of
, the defection' arid the
neoeisitYof, r i eforn. Thus i l e s ias in doe
trinal matters.iri the days - of ;Athanasius, in
.the days'of Augustine, and later still, in the
Reformation of the sixteenth century. There
was then much corruptionboth in doctrine and
diricipline trror and immorality abounded.
Offices andrsystems not in accordance with
the Word of .God, bad been. allowed to
prevail. " Bat Grid's Book was opened,
and in view of its teaching, the errors of
ages were rejected, discipline was re-estab;
belied, the object of tbe Gospel ministry was'
defined,. and the, ministry was continued , for.
the attainment of 'the ends for whirch it had
'been instituted by Christ
Does any one say thie this mikeri' de.'
pendent on the Church of Rome for the
ministry 7 runt as that Church is apostate, we, , z
therefore, receive our piers 'from the apes
tacy ? Two things here require to be noted.
It iafreelytrantod that there was much and
flagrant errer in the Churches of Europe be=
fore the days of Luther; and that error was
progressive. But as a Church,, the Papacy
deiermineffite character arid formally
sealed its rebellion against- the Church's
llead_by,„the ,procedure of the „Council of
relit ^
, entany .erro V reliattrircira age: , to age
been_taught_ by Theologians , and Doctors,
just as errors are now taught by some indi
viduals• in reformed communions. There
was no doubt a difference in the character of
these dirors, but it was only when that Coun
cil met and aseumed all the abominations of
centuries, and enthroned them as the, faith of
the Romish Church, that its apostacy was
fairly and formally ratified. In the commu
nion of the European Churches, there still
had been a Divine seed. There was more or
less of opposition against error either in Ire-,
land, or the. West of Scotland, or Bohemia,,
or Saioy, or the South - of France; and this
opposition respected the usurped claims of
the upper clergy,' as well as the unscriptural
doctrines,which,the theologians and school-,
men had taught `Contrary to primitive truth.
With more or less vigor, this life existed un
til the great awakening in Germany, in
Britain, in Switzerland and in France when
reform was achieved in doctrine, in discip.
line, and , in order ; and not until after all
this had been accomplished was the Council
of Trent assembled, and the apostacy of
Rome, completed, ratified, sealed,, and made
final. That is, before the Council, of Trent
had commuted Rome's apostacy,. God's true
people, in obedienCe to his command, and
his providence, had come out' of her.
The second point is this : we see no more
difficulty in recognizing the transmission of
the order of the ministry in Churches, which'
are infected' with Corruption during the age.
of Mediaavat darkneSs than we do in recog
nizing the continuance of the priesthood`,
Israel, notwithstanding their errors, and .de
fections, until. the advent of the Messiah,
and +is being rejected by 'them. •;`
The assumptions of =Rome over the nation
,al Churches of Germany, France, or Britain,
never deprived these'Chirches• of, the right
to reform; purging out any - errors into which
they had fallen. And whether the reform
had to `d'o with doctrine, with 'discipline, or,
with the elergy,,or with all of them together,
then as these , things did not belong to Rome,
were not instituted originally by Rome i but
by the Lord Jesus Christ, it was the duty of
these Churches to hearken to Christ, sPeak
ing in his Word to make up any defect which
existed, and to east .aside every addition
which had been made to Apostolic simplicity,
and to retain in the j Church all that, and
only that,'wh.ich Christ and his Apostles had
ordained.
Thus it is obvious that nots from Rome
apostate, but from Christ the Head, did the
Reformed Churches have their doctrine, their
discipline, and the order of their ministry.
If Rome bad never taken from, nor 'added
to that which Christ instituted in word' and
order, then there . would be neither shame
nor disgrace in having an ecclesiastical con
nexion with her • but since the Word was
given, discipline instituted; and 'the ministry
appointed, all for the• Church and continuing
in the Church, for many years before Rome
began her work of wrono. doing • then
when any section of the, ChUrch merely
rejects Rome's innovations, and retains that
which the Lord gave, surely it is absurd and
inconelusive to-say ;that we are dependent
for our ministry On the authority of an apos
tate Church.
These principles being , established, our
readers will see that between Presbyterians
and Episcopalians, the only question would
be, not' "Should men be ordained r but
"Who should ordain ?" It would belong to
the,Presbyterian to show that ordination by
Presbyters was valid and nrderly, and this
being done, the• Presbyterian has established
for himself and` foi his Church, as valid an
Apostolioal succession as any. Church can
possess,"so far as-mere order is concerned,
while he points to the Scriptures and to the
Confession of theChnrch, to the discipline
which is carried'out In practice, and to the
lives of, the„ ministry , to show that the
whole question, , in his case, is established on
most valid grounds.
The subject is extensive; and we have only
been able to hint at the proper line of dis
mission. •
Weatern;lheological.Seminary.
This Institutionprosecutes its beneficent
labors with "great ardor, and little noise. Its
term, .now drawing toward a close, has been
one of the most prosperous. - The number
of students has been greater than at any
'previous sessien. The attendance has been
gocid. Prsors and Professors pupils hive enjoyed
excellent healthy Some thirty poring me!,
&shied to the= .Master's service, approved,
and licensed - for the Work, 'will' go -forth,
bleisings to the chinches and in the
extension of the kingdom.
. ; There are now ,conneeted with the Semi
nary, resident' missionary, one j: resident
licentiate, one; senior class, thirty; middle
class,' twenty-nine , junior class, thirty 7 three
total, ninety-four..., •
The closing,_exeroises of the year ; will
-commence with examinations, on.• Monday,
April" 26th, and. close with addresses on,
Wednesday eveoing„ April 28th. ' • '
The next term will open on Monday Sep
tember 13th: •
American Sunday School Union.
We learn," upon reliable authority, that
the Managera of, the American Sunday
School Union, have determined upon'a total
abandonment of the Collecting Agency Sys
tem, as such, as soon after the first of May as
may be consistent with their obligations to
;those now in' COmmission. This action, as
we understand, wail not prompted by any
.dissatisfaction • with those employed in. this
Service, lint •in a 'Conviction that there is- € 1 a'
I:note - exec:Um:4A , " `t,6 raise l moneY for
nevolent purposes. The Union has never
employed a large corps of Collecting Agents,
and it remains to be seen Whether there is'
sufficient liberality in the people to sustain
'this Institution 'in this conitiiendableattem'pt
to save , all unnecessary expense, in the prose
cution of its benevolent work.
It is also understood, and we rejoice to
announce it, that the Managers 'propose to
pay, with the aid of a few.friends, the entire
loss arising „from the recent defalcation g and
tliat a .attecial• subseriiitiott forzikivpiiipose
is now nearly complete. The Iloard em
braces many valuable Christian men, in
whose integrity we have the utmost confi
dence, and whose devotion to the. 'cause of
the Redeemer is equal to that of any others.
The Institution merits the cordial support
of the. Christian public. The recent defal
cation of a trusted officer, will but lead to
greater vigilence and zeal.
Revivals.
Przzsnumm.--Seventeen. persons were
added to the Second church, last Sabbath,
on examination. Three of them received
baptism. There is mueh interest in both
the First and Second churches.
JEFFERSON COLLEGE, , CANONSBURG, PA.
—We'learn that there is a good degree of
seriousness 'among the students of Jefferson
College. Parents who have sons there, and
the friends of Zion, will not fail to make that
Institution the subject of earnest prayers,
that the hOpes now entertained of a glorious
work of - grace may be realized. There 'rife
a large number of young men who ought to
be consecrated to the cause of Christ.
WASHINGTON, PA.—We, have been fur
nished with some facts relative to the revival
in•this place. We present a few of them.
The work commenced on the day of fasting
and prayer, appointed by the Pittaburgh
ConventiOn. Christians first manifested the
reviving influence. Soon, some forty of the
unconverted were led to attend meetings for
inquiry, while other awakened persons sought
private instruction. : Drs. Scott, Alriel, and
Wines, of the College, joined, heartily with
the pastor, Lana other brethren aided occa
sionally. The daily prayer-meeting in Col
lege was a.scene of great interest. It was
attended by fully half the students, and
conducted by thetpselves. On the 28th ult.,
twentrfivi new communicants took seats at
the Lord's table, of whom five received bap
dna. Sin of the new - members were stu
dents of the College, and four were pupils
in the Female- Seminary. Others belonging
to these Institutions purpose to unite with
the churches of their friends at home.
Some of the inquirers are still in darkness.
4 2
They are hoped for on another occasion.
The day of prayer for Colleges was observed
with deep interest,' and was a solemn part of
preparation for' 'the Sabbath's* duties and
privilege& The observance of the day, two
years ago, was followed by a powerful revival,
-resulting in the addition of seventy young
disciples at one time.
. ,
NEW BRIGHTON, PA.—Tuirty.bikht were
received into the church in this place on last
Sabbath, and in addition to these there are
thirty. inquirers. • • '
PRESBYTERY OF REDSTONE, WEST NEW
.
tON.- 7 -Filleen have been lately added to the
cburch in this .place, ,and, a correspondent
says
There are evidences of more feeling on
the subject of religion' 'than' has been' seen
in this village and vicinity for many years;
and this interest is increasing."
NEW CASTLE, PA.—Over fifty inquirer&
MEricza, PA.—The Lord continues to
bless this church. Already seventy,severi
have been received and'some twenty more
seem prepared to make a profession of faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Three month's
ago, this church' had , only one young • man
among its members; noir'the ' young men
have a prayer meeting of 'thirty-two mem
. .
bora, all of miliOntmill priq in public.
PIITLER, PA.—See letter in another col-
LEESEURG, PA—See letter of Rev. David
Waggoner
CLARION 'PRESBYTERY, PA.—ROIT. J.
Montgomery informs us that there is a special
interest on the subject of religion, in almost
all the churches in this Presbytery. To
those of his own pastoral chime, sixtyfive
persons have been added on profession
,of
their faith in Christ, and quite a number
more are expected at the next communion.
And,3 also, twenty-six members have been
added to the church of Bethesda;• twenty to
that of Perry. To that of Leatherwood,
thirty-nine, of whom fourteen were heads of
families, and six `received' the ordinance of
baptism; to that of Licking, sixty, of whom
-twenty were heads of families, and eleven
received baptism.
LEXINGTON, o.—Sell letter of ReV. Jame s
Anderson . for some interesting information.
N.EW COMBERLAND, VA.—This church,
under care of Rev. Smith F. Grier, has re
oeived thirty-seven additional Members to
Communion. The . service Wa s held on the
28th ult., Dr. Marshall, of Chic. Presbytery,
assisting.:
MUNCIE, N . D.; ; .u.ARLING-
Ton .11+11•.—The Presbytevan of the West
notes revivals in these churches.
Doi:maw - I,IA hr.....;.-Fourteen persons
were , added to the church'this place, at
the late coma:ln:don.
MENDOTA, ILL.—Rev. J. S. Henderson
writes:
We are having a great blessing from the
Lord. • God has visited us, revived his work,
and converted many Souls but it ie too soon
to number Israel."
MALDEN, ILL.—Rev. J. C. Barr writes
to Iv, that his little• church, organized last
September by fourteen persons, has been in
creased already by thirteen additions'. It is
of immense importance that churches shall
be organized, and shall be aided in• obtaining
a building and •pastor, in the new and rapidly
settli t fig parts of our country. We have
been losing thciusands by delay-
ST. LOUIS, M4s.—The St; LOisis Preiby
teriet'a informs it,s'renders, - work irf
grace in the city is unabated. The Metho
dist and Baptist churches have had large
accessions.;" In the Presbyterian churches a
work is going on which exceeds anything en
joyed N. years.
ALEXANDER COLLEGE, DUBUQUE, lOWA.
—The choice of Rev. V. D. Reed, of Lan
singburg, N. Y., to the Presidency of.this
Institution, we hear spoken of with much
approbation.
EoelesiastieaL
Rev. Tom DALE'S Post Office address is
changed from Lexington, 111., to Selma,
M'Lean County, Illinois.
Rev. HITEE NEWELL'S Post Office address
is changed from West Point, lowa, to
Primrose, Lee County, lowa. -
Rev. JAMES COULTER'S Post Office address
is changed from Evansburg, Pa., to West
Greenwood, Crawford County, Pa.
Rev. JAMES SMITH, D.D., having received
and accepted the appointment of Mis
sionary Agent for the Synod of Missis
sippi, has entered upon his work, and
resigned his agency' for the American
Sunday School Union. Be may be ad
dressed, care of Rev. Dr. Palmer, New
Orleans.
Rev. WM. C. APPMEETERS, on account of
ill health, has resigned the charge of the
church in Carrolton, Ky. He may be ad
dressed at Keene, Jessamine County, Ky.,
for the present.
Rev. J. M. ALEXANDER has been compelled,
by ill health, to decline the call of the
church • in. Palestine, 111. That church
desires to secure a successor as soon as
possible.
Rey. SAMUEL F. COLT, late Principal of
Susquehanna Collegiate Institute, has ac
cepted the call from the church at Potts
ville, Pa.
Rev. J. W. PHARR, Jr.'s Post Office ad
dress is changed from Taylorsville, N. C.,
to Coddle Creek, Cabarras Co., N. C.
Rev. S. B. HALL has removed to the vicin
ity of Port Gibson, Mississippi, and de
sires his correspondents to address him at
that place.
EASTERN SUMMARY.
BOSTON AND NEW ENGLAND.
Among other changes caused by the
Financial Pressure of the last few months,
, is a manifest depreciation in the market
value of real estate. As an evidence of
this, a property sold some time ago, situated
in one of the most commercial districts of
the city, for $40,000, changed hands the
other day at a reduction of $B,OOO. Men'
of large means have become afraid to make
investments to any extent, even in real es
tate,. except at very low rates.
The subject of Temperance begins to re
civets attention once more, from the popular
mind. It is reported that several gentle
men of high standing in the legal profes
sion, have lately become staunch advecates
of total abstinence, and of the most effec
tive means for removing altogether the evils
of inteniperance. A correspondent of the
New York Times roguishly intimates that a.
vacant judgeship or two, and the fact that
Gov. Banks is "a thorough temperance man,
not in the least likely to appoint any one
whose breath may be tainted in the smallest
degree with the fumes of alcohol, has not a
little to do with this newly awakened seal
on the, part of some of these disciples of
Coke and Blackstone.
The Roman Catholics are not idle as to
the interests of their Church. in this city.
Many of its members are exhibiting a large
liberality toward its churches and schools.
They are , erecting a 'large church edifice, to
be named in honor of the latest Popish
dogma, the church, of the " Immanulate
Conception," on one of the most eligible
sites in the city. A college and library are
to be connected with the same edifice. `
Among the petitions now before the State
legislature, is one from the President and
Fellows of Harvard College, asking an act
of Assembly permitting them to commit =the
management of the Divinity School to
Trustees, _ to, he appointed by the Supreme
Court of the State!
- At the commencement of Mr. Finney's
labors in Boston, for the Winter, it was un
derstood that his great object would not be
the dissemination of his peculiar views with
regard to Prefectionisna, but to present Christ
and his salvation to sinful men. But it appears
that those who imagined they could secure
what was Sound and goodin his labors, without
- giving additional currency to his errors, are
likely to be disappointed. One of the
- methods' is for his friends and admirers, by
means of persons attracted to his meetings
from a distance, to send out tracts into
. the
-neighboring churches, containing his pecu
liar views. One - of these is a tract styled
" The Sealing of the Spirit," whose very
appearance is well adapted to excite suspi
°ions, for it bears no name of author, prin
ter, or publisher. In it the terms by which
"Perfectionism," according to,the Oberlin
School, is usually presented, are wielded, but
. 'the doctrine itself is covertly taught. The
real author, is said to be the Rev. Mr. lin-
Iderwood, now of New Jersey. The pre
priety of the' course pursued by those who
'didnot unite with others in soliciting the
presence and efforts of Mr, Finney will,
most probably . , be manifested in the-end.
The Religions Interest seems
,on the in
;crease throughout all the churches. Pro
fessing Christians have been aroused, the
careless are becoming thoughtful, and many
are being gathered into the churches who
have been for years ? if not their whole life
time, neglecters of the sanctuary.
The morning prayer-meeting in the Old
South church, .is well attended, and the
happiest.results seem to be flowing from it.
There is much prayer in public and private,
and the prayers of God's people in other
places, are earnestly solicited. May we not
hope that a happier day is dawning upon
this city, where in past times the power of
the Gospel of Christ was most signally
displayed ?
On the evening of the last Thursday of
February, a Unioa Meeting was held in the
- Central•church; services having been held
the"-triorning each of the se** 1
churches. Prayer was offered by the Rev.
Dr. Blagden, and remarks were made 1;: /
Rev. Dr. Adams, and Rev. Mr. Dexter.
Mr. Tarbox, Secretary of the Amerieae
Education Society, made a statement, hor s
which the following facts are taken. Th ere
are in New England fourteen colleges, e on .
taining two thousand five hundred und er _
graduates, of whom one thousand tit hu ll ,
dred are natives of New England, and th e
remainder from all sections of the country.
The whole number of colleges in the United
States is one hundred and twenty.tw e,
though many of them are of a very low
grade. The whole number of students i e
them is thirteen thousand six hundred, a
much larger estimate than the one that h as
been going the rounds of the pape rs f er
some weeks. The facilities of Mr. Tarbox.
for forming a correct computation are very
favorable, so that his statement, in this p ar .
ticular, may be received as the nearest p os .
Bible approximation to the truth. The nu m .
ber of professors of religion in the N ew
England colleges at present, is six hundred
and. twenty-two, a larger proportion than for
some years past, about half of whom e ap
be considered candidates for the ministi.
' The churches are slow to arrive at riel:
conclusions with regard to the interest the?
should feel for the young men in all our
colleges. The temptations to which they
are exposed are many, and the future of the
Church and the country, under God, is
in their hands.
Even the Unitarians are beginning t o
feel the necessity for more activity and
greater diligence in the promotion of religion.
Several Union Conference meetings have
been held in the churches of the city and
vicinity. Bit the Unitarian organ, the
Christian Register, is anxious that it should
be known that there is no great amount of
ardent zeal in this, and therefore assures its
readers that there is nothing " Spurgeonis.
tic" in the meetings.
The School-Houses of this State now
amount to four thousand, and are supposed
to be worth about $3,000,000.
The difficulties between The Students of
Yale College and the Firemen have been
quieted, and the former have pledged a
purse of $375 to the family of Mr. Miles,
the fireman shot by a student at the time of
the affray.
NEW YORK.
The Stock Market continues to improve,
and a large amount of business of this kind
is transacted. The Auction Sales are very
large, while the importations of foreign Dry
Goods have been unusually small. Indeed,
the foreign trade has undergone a great de
crease. The late advices of low markets in
Europe, tend to keep the prices of prc-ris
ions low.
The City Government had been so badly
conducted for some time, that all its differ
ent departments had become wonderfully
deranged.. Every day brings to light some
new fraud practised upon the tax-payers,
especially, in the street department.
The. Democracy of the city is widely di
vided on the subject of the policy of the
Administration, with respect to Kansas.
We have already noticed the large and en
thusiastic 'meeting of Democrats, headed by
George Bancroft, against the Lecompton
tlonatitution.
Last week, two meetings were held by
Democrats friendly to that measure—one on
Tuesday, and the other on Thursday eve
ning. At, the latter, addresses were made
by the Hon. JOhn A. Di; Hon. John Van
Buren, and Hon. John Cochran, in vindi
catkin of the President, and urging his
,friends to rally to his support.
A 'tribute has been paid to American
Skill, by the proprietors of the London
Times who have employed the Messrs. Hoe,
to construct, a monster printing press for
that great journal.
The .Medical colleges of New York are
beginning to attract more attention than for
merly, in, all parts of the country. The
Eighth Annual:Commencement of the iNew
York Medical College was held on the 2d
inst., when the degree of M. D. was con
ferred on thirty-three young men. Physi
cians of the regular practice continue to
guard most zealously their professional rep
utation and esprit du corps. Evidence of
this was given at the Academy of Medicine,
on the evening of the 3d instant, when a
most exciting session was held. The cause
was this. Some few years ago, Dr. Mc-
Clintock resigned a Professorship in a Med
ical College, in Philadelphia, and engaged
in the preparation of various patent medi
cines, thus forfeiting, according to the eth-
Pies of the Faculty, his standing as a regular
Physician. But the new business not prov
ing as remunerative as was expected, the
Doctor applied for an appointment to take
charge of Blockley Hospital, in that city,
and was successful, greatly to the mortifica
tion' of the Philadelphia County Medical
Society. Bit it seems that Dr. D. Mere
sdith Reese, a well known and skillful Phys
ician
.of New York, had given a letter of
recommendation to Dr. McClintock, as a
- suitable person for the post. This was re
ported to the New York Society, and the
discussion upon the course to be pursued
withr, respect to Dr. Reese, was warm and
long continued. At length, by a vote of 34
to 16, a resolution was passed, expressing
regret that one of its Fellows had recora
.
nuended to a place of high professional re
sponsibility, an individual who had forfeited
his rank in the profession. Dr. Reese con
sidered this to be a censure upon himself.
A Pleasure Voyage up th e Mediterranean ,
in the steamer En-icson, has been proposed,
and it is probable that a company sufficiently
large to warrant the undertaking, will be
made up. The cost for the round trip will
be $750. The vessel will leave this port oa
the first of May, and will stop for a given
number of days at Gibraltar, Malta, Alex
andria, Jaffa, Athens, Naples, and Constan
tinople.
A Painful Accident occurred in the Pre
ina7 School, of the Sixteenth Ward, on the