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f- T ' : ' v ' ' ' T ...( . - A CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY A COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS FOR THE METHODIST ETL COPAL CHURCH, SOUTH -RUFU S T. HEFLIN, Edilor. VOL. V NO. 14. RALEIGH, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 18 GO $2 a year, in advance. Business Notice- The North Caujusa Christian Advocate, an orpin of tha CJeneral Conference, anJ of the North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Kpiscopal Churchy South, is published in Raleigh, every Tuesday morning. Subscription .- 52 a year, strictly in advance. Mvertisiug : Per square if ten lines or less, for first insertion, SI. For each subsequent insertion 25 cents. All the business of the Othce, including advertisins, is conducted strictly upon the cash system. ORIGINAL tor the N. C. t'h. Advocate The Extent of the Atonement. m THEORIES NOTICED. To those -who deny that Christ died for all men, the question is often presented then for whom did he die ? If the atonement was not made for all men, then for whom was it made ? If salva tion was not prov'ded for all, then for whom was it provided ? These questions have received a great variety of answers from writers who con tend for a limited atonement. Some of these an swers we propose to discuss in this article. Iu the " Great Supper,'' a little work written by Dr. Fairfield, and published by the Presbyterian" Board of Publication, and which r, ?y.tV o-f , be 1 ogat ed us Btuiuard work, among I resbyterians, this question is responded to by the author in the following order 1st. " Christ died for believers," p. 91. Taking this statement in connection with oth er parts of this work and to regard it in harmony with the great object and professed design of the author in its production, that is, to state and vin dicate the doctrine of a limited atonement, he must be regarded as intending to teach in this form of expression that Christ died only for be lievers. To this view of the extent of the atoning work of Christ, we urge the following objections. If Christ died only for believers, then he did not die for any one ; for naturally, all are unbe lievers. And if this theory of the extent of the atonement be true, they must forever remain un believers, fur they cauuot believe without the aid of divine grace, grace cannot reach them only through atonement, and the atonement not hav ing been made for them as unbelievers, its bene fits cannot reach them. 2d. If Christ died only for believers, then he did not die for infants, idiots and heathen, who cami' t believe, and of necessity they are lost, un less they can be saved without the death of Christ. This no one professes to believe, who believes in the doctrine of atouement. Hence this theory involves the soul-revolting, God-dishonoring doc trine of in fiint damnation. Who can believe it ? What soul does not turn with disgust and loath- ing fioui the thought? o i If Christ died only for believe aid not die for any who were then, or who are now, unbelievers. For men to become believers, then, they must believe a lie, and receive, as an artiele of faith, a positive urtruth. What rational man e;iu receive a theory that involves such revolting absurdity ? drh. If Christ died only f ir believers, the in tention and purpose to save by his death was lim ited by his tore-knowledge of man's faith, which fact the writer positively denies, ou page 57, and in paragraph lf of this book. How does the wri ter reconcile one part of his theory with the other when they come in positive conflict ? '1. 'ih". same writer states that those fir whom Chri-t sited his Mood are called his church. As I. . ivi-it..J- 1 write" believes m a limited atonement, it is lentlv his design to teach here, that Christ shed e his blood only for his church, and that his church 1 is composed only of believers. For in no oilier j w.iv e.m lie reconcile this with his former state- meat. To this theory of the extent of the atone- j liicut of Christ, we object. 1. jec:iii-e it excludes loom a U chance of s:d- Mti"ii, ail tho-e who were m iiiembers of the I church at the time that Christ died Christ died only for Iris church, all wh members of his church at the time of his death, have no chance for salvation. This is evideut unless tbi y can be saved in some other way, than through the atonement of Christ. What then becomes of the mdiioiis of souls then unborn, but A' ho have been brought with immortality since ''. i into being and invested -vccoidiiiii to this the- ory, tney must be lost. No provision was made for saivatiou. Christ shed n;s blood only lor his church, and they were not, and could not have been members of his church then, because they were not in existence. This theory, then, excludes from all hope of s t'vatioii a!! who have lived since the day ou which the atonement was made, and all wh j ever will live from this time to the final onsiinimaii'm of ail things. 2. Bur again, this theory makes salvation con ditional, which t!ie writir positively rejects as not being a doctrine of the go. pel. Now, the writer must either admit that Christ died for some who were not members of his church ; or, he makes the action.- of iirei in becoming members of Ills church, the governing principle in determining th-j question for whom he should die. This gives t man a power over the divine plans and purpo ses which we Arminiaiis never thought him to possess. Hither, then, sah'.itioii is conditional as we teach, and then the writer's system is not true, iu which he rejects conditional salvation, or his thrvvy, limiting the extent of the atonement to the members of the church, is not true. He may take cither horn of this dilemma, but hang ou oue or the other, he must. 8. The writer states, " That those whom Christ died to save, are those who actually ex perience his salvation,'' page 94. To this we would reply, that as a theory, it can not betrue. because it limits the benefits of Christ's death to those who had experienced salvation at the time of his death. This is evident from the fact that the number whom Christ purposed to save by his death, according to this theory was limited to those who had an experience of salva tion ; and as those who were not born could have no experience of salvation, it is evident his pur pose to save could not extend to them. 4. If this theory be true, no one has experi enced salvation since ; for there was no provision made for them. It follows, then, as a necessary consequence, that all who profess to experience salvation now are deceived. It cauuot be true that they experience what was never provided, and enjoy what was never given. This theory, then, strikes a death blow at the joys, hopes and prospects of the whole church of the present day; for their experience is deceptive, and their con sciousness of religious joy, is not to be relied upon. But a final objection to this theory, in any as pect of it, is involved the absurdity, that salvation must be cxjicrienced, professed and enjoyed be fore it is provided, as the reason for, and as the limit to its provision. Who can swallow such au absurdity as this ? We confess we cannot. Those may. who can. Such theories are too absurd to be rational, and that which is not rational cannot be Scriptural, for God the fountain of all reason, cannot act un reasonably, nor reveal that to rational man which is irrational. AKMINUS. Balcigh, N. C , March 25. lSG'J. For the X. C. Christian Advocate. Eidgeway Letters. No. 7. .1 Bishop for every Conference Josiah of Jlfajde Grove. Mr. Editor: In to-day's Advocate I find J' siah's rejoinder to my reply, to his artiele oj a " Bishop for every Conference." I did not intend writing anything more upon the subject, but I feel it my duty to rebuke the personalities iu the article of to-day's issue. The portion of the article to which I specially object, is the following : after noticing a remar'i of mine, he goes on to say : "Wei!, this is abcud what I should expect from a young man with an old head on his shoulders from a youth with the wisdom, experience and caution of age, from a boy with the prudence, judgement and love o' things venerable which naturally pertains to gray hairs." Throughout the entire article he indulges iu such expressions as, "young old man," sage' writer of fudge way .Letters " &c By the above. I surmose every bodv will un- stana the' write-. i 'a to auvurfs piuucucfc nu caution in cuangmg the established usuage of the church. That I have not the age aud experience ot some men, I admit, but that I am at the same time, fr.e to ex press my opinions 1 fully believe. Does he com plaiu that I was not bom earlier ; or that one bom so K'.e should dare join issue with the aged and experienced Josiah? If the former, it was a matter ovci which I had no control : if the latter, I shall dare to do so still. I conclude J siali to be au old man, not fim the wisdom aud logic of his a-tilcle, for it is sadly deficient in both ; but from the exceeding sensitiveness which be niuuifests at a reply from a young man. Such language as I have quoted above is unbecoming a niau of age and experience. Ts he oue of those j poor jealous creatures, you sometimes find who are j always attempting to keep yoeng men under their feet? I have seen such iu my hie. I respect honorable old ago but at the came nine old age I should respect itself. The Bible says : Parents j provoke not your children to wrath ! Old ac.e of- j ten serves to oblitc rate from the mind lese-ons learn- j eel in early life, or it might not be necessary for j me to call the attention of the aged and cross j Josiah, to the language of Pitt in reply to Wa!- : pole , " The atrocious crime of being a young ( man, which with so much spirit and decency the ; honorable gentleman has charged upou me, I shall neither attempt to palliate or deny : but content my-'" with wishing that I may be oat of those v . - follies cease with their youth, and nut of that number who are ignorant iu spite o. 1 I their experience." Whei. a man is compel'" ' o 5? personal itie: to weaken the force of an p 'C.Of.i'.- argument, h must be hard run indeed, t"i the spirit ai d per sonaiiiies of the arguiiic-o, I feel profound con- . tempt. I trust the church will never be wanting ; in young men of prudence, to guard her from tin . injuries she might receive from such rockiess old ; men as Josiah. ; A great adu is made about my expressions of opposition t-i controversy with huu. He must j have an oxeeJingly obtuse mind, if heeaiiuit see j how a man my be opposed to a thing iu the gen- j general, and yet iu favor of it iu particular iu- j stances, lie is very much incensed at my re- J murk, that the desire for ao increase of i.i.-hors, ' generally gre v out of a spi it of discontent .villi established usuage, or was a deveb pneuit. oi Y UJg Ann r can. Mil. I did l.o . say that J( ria't was ! moved iu his disposition by such motives as tl.ese. i So far as 1 know he may have been prompted j only by the holy desire of being Bishop i f the j Diocese of North Carolina But in oxpressii.g j hii.'.self as dissatitied with my remark, ami iieeus- b,g me (of) writing a libel against his constitu- . ror, it ! t;on, he goes on to advocate too j roprietv ot uis werenot ! content with established u.-uige and recites many instances in vvldch it resulted in good. Let me repeat the. quotation whLh he ma le for 1113- ben- I eiit : ' Oh, consistency ! thou art a Jewel 1 I am free to adn.it that iu the instances mentioned the : clniuge resulted in good; but in many others which : might be named they have resulted in harm. He ! alludes to my letter on "The Southern ' irculation i of Northern Periodicals;" and charges that in that article 1 advocated chaugeand v. a-therefore ineoli- ; sistetit, 1 am nut. 1 advocate change when there is si'Jhii nt reason to btlieve il w 'uld re sult iu good. I am opposed to experimenting : with church ususg.-s unieh already work well ; enough. I should judge from his illustrations, ; tliat iie would have us tinker on ti e government j of the church like (ieo. Steenson ou the Steam J 1 gine, until it is perfect. What would such ex- i periiiieutiug lead to in a it already tiuini for the oriuio of C) Keliyism and Bvt well enough alone, cw years ? V i at has Church ? What is tiie J'rotcstai.t Methodism? ' is an old maxiu, but lieverthless a good one. 1 etune now 10 the discussion. The question between us is this: Sliouid th. re be su li an in crease in the siiengih of the Episcopacy, as to give a Bishop for every Conference? This U the issue Josiah lakes the afurinatitc aud adduces the following arguments (? ) to prove the coriect- lless ot his position : 1. Many persons never saw a live Mithodist Bishop. 2. They are blessings, and therefore should bc increased. o They are, with the present arrangement, com pelled to travel so rapidly, as not to be able to acquaint themselves sufficiently with their work to do it well. Here they arc. These arc the tremendous rea sons given, for changing the whole poii y of Me thodism, for abrogating a system that has produc ed effects at which the world has stood amazed And for what ? For the aboption of a doubtful theory. Not simply making an experiment which if it did no good, could do no harm ; but taking a step from which we could not recede, a step that might ruin the church a measure that might crush all the energies of the Church aud blast her fondest hopes a plan that has elicited the oppo siti m cf the wisest heads of the Church, as well as my "old head." I reviewed these reasons in my last, aud I will notice them again. 1. The first reason given for the increase was, that many persons never saw a Bishop. To this 1 replied that they were none the worse off for that. Josiab-says, that they arc worse off or tho Bishops are not good wen, for if they were good men a person would be benefited by seeing them, and that I may hang on cither horn of the dil cnimcu I choose. I am compelled to hanff on neither. May not a Bishop be a good man and they not be benefited by seeing him. I ad mit that the fact that a blessing does not benefit may not always be a reason why it should not be couferred ; but my positioa then and now is the i same, that we do not need Uishops tor the pur- j pose ot the pastorate. It we wish to make them pastors of the people, we must have more than one for a Conference. The preachers and Pre siding Elder's are sufficient for all the purposes of the Pastorate. Beside; would the sight of a man after he is made Bishop, be more beneficial than before ? Is he not just as great aud good while a Circuit Preacher, as he would be after his elec tion to the Episcopacy ? Would it not do a man as much good to see Josiah now, (if he is a preacher,) as after his election to the Diocese? I think so. I do not think then, that for the mere purpose of giving the people an opportunity of seeing a live Methodist Bishop, we should revo lutionize the whole polity of the Church. We need them to appoint the pastors, but not to be pastors themselves. 2. The second reason given for the change pro posed, is, tb at tliey are blessings, and therefore sho-ld be increased. To this i replied, that the argument was based upon the assumed premise that all blessings confered benefits in proportion to their increase and by the illustrations of fire, food and water, showed that the premise was false and therefore the conclusion did not follow. In his'rejoinder, he says, he did notsay all blessings enteral boneim m proportion to tnetr incr ns. his argument is thus : iom-i blessings coufer benefits in proportion to their increase. Bishops are blessings ; therefore, Bisheips would confer benefits in proportion to their in crease. Now I ask if the argument is valid ? Josiah from his apparent acquaintence with the canons of logic must know that in the above syllogism there is an undistributed middle, and therefore the conclusion does not fullow. Many blessings may confer Lenefits proportionate with their in crease and at the same time Bishops may not do it. He assumes what remains to be Droved that Bishops are one of those blessings which con fer benefits in proportion to their increase. I ex pect to show before I conclude this letter, that they are just the contrary. 3. The third reason given was, that Bishops under the present arrangement did not have time to acquaint themselves sufficiently with their work to do it well. This I again deny. 1 do not see out tue appointments are made v :r ciously. If the bishop with a council 1 ing Eiders who understand all the w men, cannot make the appointment. ..or. think it l.ard'y possible that the work : be done to the satisfaction of Josiah. 'i 1. . U no reason why appointment cannot be properly made with the p.'escnt arrangement. Let Josiah show wh:re such great blunders have been made: I am not eogn z 11: of them. Now my objections to the change: . The destruction of the itinerancy, wh'c'i Josiah says I have never show, aud to which he gives the broadest denial. My arguincut is 'his: J he purposes f r which h? would have the change made, or at least one of them, couid not be met without you elect a Bishop for life, or a great number ofy ars, and that, therefore so far as the Bishop is. concerned, there is the direct and nosi tive destruction of the itinerancy. It would also be setting an example, which, in my opinion, would soon lead to a local itinerancy, if not an en tire disnuetion of the system. Josi ih tiiinlis dif ferently. Very well, I am entitled to my O. ifiion as well as he. '1. I believe it would have a corrupting tendency: therj woiill be a temptation to seek the oi'ti -e tor the honor it eonief vl. Jo.-iah says, the desire to oe a uisljup is not an unholy .-mini; ion. i that it is not wrong to desire iu be a great am aunnt good man, but the ambition to be a Bishop merely for the honor of the oiliee is unholv. .josiah knew 111V mea n i n ami slioii! 1 n..t li ii-e i,! not li.ive liiavou upon words. Cutler the inesi arrangement the temp- tation may exist to a limited extent ; uauer tiie system proposed it would exist to agrea'.er extent l iwia- tin; present pian, vve have ad the good u l I, I, SS of l'l the evil. Let us uot. therefore ndo.t another wuicii, wl bile it lias more o! evii, has m increase et good. 3. My third oV jection to the change was that it iner a-e the cxm-ssisos of the would !!:iteii.'!i v v church. Josiah cannot understand how it U economy to pay a man three iiii:urtd o.oisars to work one weeic, wiieti we couid get n;s labor lutv two Weeks for eiglneer hundred. 1 reply t lutt it is cheaper to pay a man three hundred dollars to elo a job and let him perform it in one Vo.k. than pay him cbjhreeii hundred and keep him at it all the year. 1 base my argument on the ground that wo on'y need his services to make the appointments, which is true. 4. My fourth objection to the change was that it wouid occasion more difficulty in the station ing room than now exists ; that the aniai k nowle with tl WuilM jeetion igC OI the Bisho oUJd coin font! set better ju.iguiciit oi the council and there e a hu ig jiiiy. Josiah asks if that ob elo.'s not bear against the present systun '! I answer, yes. to a ion. ted extent. I iu:er the plan which he prop: ses. it would exist ton much greater extent. Let us retain the plan that pre sents the least dl;.i..tilty. 1 am sorry i have been compelled to make this article so long, and hope in the funne to be abie to confine myself lo less sp;ice. l. 1'. LONG . For the N. C. Ch. Advocate. Union of Spirit and Hatter. While pausing over the vast and boundless fields of appearances acd objects, following and picping iu at their mysteries ; I could but admire, and feel a secret thirst in acrpaainting nryself with them blend in plastic conformation and harmoni ous dependences with their Primo-genitor. Spirit pervades the realms of immensity, stirred from its awful fountain it moves upon its primal inhabi tant, matter, which floats as a mere visionary speck in profuseness throughout the boundless regions of spaee. Spirit with omnific hand is now ready to write in flaming scrolls ; matter is spread out like one vast unfolded sheet of worlds. They unite, and the Universe breaks from its arcana of darkness into light, myriad worlds seek their pla ces in the heavens, the aurora and meteor course the vault of ether. Here is a uiiion of spirit awl matter, a creative, recuperative union. The life giving power pervades the utmost vast reces ses of animate and inanimate existences, building them into piles, where order, beauty, harmony, and grandeur prevail ; or crumbliug them into ruins, sometimes in powerful convulsions, or gen tle wastiugs. This planet of ours, once a molten sea, yielded to the tread of this giant, the moun tains shot up from its fiery interior heavenward, and hills, valleys, lake, and plains intervene. Again, in the spring-time of his journey, the earth, thawed from its icy arms by the genial rays of the sun, and quenched of its thirst by the gen- tie dewdrop and shower, burst forth in beaming vigor ; clothed in a foliage of green, and carpeted with flowers of manifold colors ; tribes of bird tune their vocal harps, the zephyr spring up from beyond the hill, and the rivers go bounding to the ocean CROCKET. Hyde Co., N. C. For th N. C. Christian Advocate. To the Kembf r! of the N. C Conference. Brethren i 011 are aware that at the last an nual session of th.-i " Educational Institute'' of the M. E. Church, South; held iu the city of f Atlanta, Ga., in ,ruly 1850, that body, auer due deliberation, e-omiitieu conditionally, upon the publication of a Journal, under their auspices and control, expressly intended to favor and fos ter the great educai.onij interest of our thurch,and to spread the benefits of popular science, and sanctifed learning among the intelligent masses of our people, while tiie endearing claims of a pious home, and a cheerful fireside should not be for gotten. Those condition having 'been fulfilled, the Educational Comim' 'e to whom w is entrusted the future inauage'.yent of the Journal, proceeded vigorously to theeiition of their work, secured the services ofaijX ant' experienced Editor, (Key. Jx ' er sume un-antie:pated j ""STTaeatiuliai lte- pository, aud LiuTlfTv ylentkly, which we hope will meet with your grateful approval. As its name imports, it will be issued ravidhlj, and will be executed on excellent paper, and with fiue type, by one of the best printers in the South. Each number will contain about OU P 'ges of read- j ing luaLter, much of which will be original aud j supplied by some of the ablest pens iu our con- ; nexion. I Bv a recent official act. designed to secure it 1 . . . . as wide a circulation its possible, the itiueraut Ministers of the several southern Conferences, have been constituted regui ir agents for the "Institute. I he subseution price of tiie j Journal is S2, pier annum, and each minister is ! authorized to retain lor his services, 5J cents on ; every subscription procured and forwarded to the : Society aud Treasurer, Green B. llaygooel, Esq., j at Atlanta, (.la. As this publication supplants , no other recognized organ of our church, and is . intended to be tin efficient auxiliary in promoting the great cause of education, as Weil in our Com mon, as- in our High Schools and Colleges, and -', in subordination to the claims of religion, and . the autl.oiiiy- of Heaven, we cannot but hope that ; oar brethren of the. Noith Carolina Ceifeicnee, , aud those of her sister Conferences,. South, wiii . cheerfully give their best efforts to advance and ; sustain so laudable a work. While decided in its religious tenets, the ' lleq;eisi:ory" aud '-Monthly'' will never, v.e trust, forgot the christian courtesy and brotherly kindness, e!u3 to nil suler denomination, or fail to ijyor same gi tiieir praise-worthv oliorrs to iironi.'ie tiie rial interests which it espouses, jutie-or-ilcv. J. Bi:.kciy Smith ..as beeu coiisti r'ut for the iriaic, and white niiectiiig ' r public du;ies wib gladly g.ve a proiui- .oo to .he claims o. the Jouri.ai." gia lute no oth uelit i'rt'i. U'. ti. j. i rice of Auburu, Aia., has been, snice the inauguration oi' the enterpnzo, aud stiii rciuuius, In coticiusioii, first. uuiiKicr oi th ers as vm re know iiiii, a cony iiauii general itilov," us !'or t;ie work. ,". we have sent the i" ' to .--itch pi'Oach ,ili gladly traus y gentleman who reel . and on th') v-c i..s name tiiid M.a' eiy, Wiii a-jee i" tuo 'tg. ti'"V tea ms o urec.i j. lit'y H i iy yours, . Lu. t'om. x oi N. C. y A i eie JL . -I. .5 -t 5.J. L ii U l- it. isav be i'eineiiir.;Oi under tuis eajiiioii api vocaug iihe ur.icle li ca iy suiue tint an article e.iled lasi fail ill tiie Ad s otiui-c J. l'.oiu t.ia iave-te- iu-i. a l:.,i'i. oi lUc i. Lui-.' icieicu to is iu t! bounds ul in v c.ivait, auu as 1 haw received sevCi it, it u.ay be ' iu the g.av ueu ai it iti veii Li v, -f yqinry w:;n regard to ley LO ivo my viev.s oi it '1 he re is a bodv of eb vated low lauds, uot iairy Swaiops, su"e:ca;i'g from M'l'.se river across the ticaei of Jbay Wit to beer i'amiico river, ihose lands y;c from lo to o 5 cdics uvin Ncwbern, an i arc. peiieti a; lei with navigable stream-, the Nense, i5.iv aiid Pi.uiiiiu mcrs, and Smith s aud 'I rent cie: is, 'in Cravcii, Emd S-uth, ! and oilier creeks, in iioauibrt county. The soil ! is from a few inches to 'j and h lu l deep and I some aiiiriu that, iii places, it is: lo ieit ueep. It -is gciie-raily, I know, tor i have examine i it in a : gieai many places many lu.ies apart, livm 12 to ; Mi inches, it is unek.iaid wu-u led mail clay, j about the saine tliiekiiess, 1 mean J' or Lis inch ! is, and uuiier ibis, blue mai i nay oi (no very lirsc oi Jel' iiOt.iit tile sain .: iheckoes , a. id then, iii a g.'eal many plu.-vs e.-iaeiiU-.-o, sin d i.iarl, in various stage.-, of uecompees.tuia. jo ;, e l. it is believed tln.t marl iiinvi 1 c- .lie wiioie area. some ioJ,i.Ke .-.civs at least. i l:l is very neb a id tiie i-.iari ee.y. esj vc.aiiy tue b;lie, v.uld leiLjioio u.iiioSc an y l.iLici .ii tiie ..-,.;i:.e. lu a i'oi'd, tue Cll. :j Ul L.ivs'C itiitu. is .'in .--v.auia sui.wa- 01 sed and tiieii- cUU'abiiii y, we liuuk, never, iiiere are hundreds of acres, iu difieivnt puris of them, both in Cravaii aud Beaufort, now in cultivation and the yield is from b to 20 bbis. per acre. I have been informed by several persons that one gentleman measured off one acre, 20 bbls. and a fraction; another gentleman 17 bbls. and a frac tion. 1 am satisfied, and I think that 1 speak advisedly, that the medium best quality Will pro duce, unclcr good cultivation, from 10 to 12 bbls. per acre. These lands are easily drained and cleared it is believed that 82 to 3,50 per acic will drain them, ami that they will pay for clearing the first y ear. I will not vouch for this. But I know that they are drained at a small expense com pared with their fertility and with some other lands far up the country not intrinsically worth, perhaps, half so much. They are cleared without g rub bing and are tilled two and three years witho ut the plow. Corn stuck iu the mellow soil with a stick, and chopped out two or three times with a hoe grows luxuriously and yields from 5 to 10 bbls. I saw with my own eyes one field cleared and tilled thus, (it was its first year) off of oue acre of vrhich, I am satisfied, 10 bbls cou Id have been gathered. Iu fine, it is the lest body of land, take it all in all, I tli ink. that I have ever seen; and I have traversed this State pretty thoroughly from the ocean to the Tennessee line and have been in fifteen other States. These lands are .well timbered with gum, and poplar, aud in places, with cypress aud birch ; grasses and reeds abound ia different sections. The range for cattle especially is better than in any other part of the State. Grazing mieht be made a good business. The health, what of that ? Ou the Neu se here at Cherryville and viciuity, 30 miles from Newbern, it is as healthy, in my opinion, as any part of the State East of the mountains, except the sea-shore. The river is from 5 to 8 miles wide, the water salt and breeze refreshing. Fish and oysters abound. On Bay River, in places, and other sections, I am assured, it is quite healthy. A number of farmers have set tied ou their lauels in the midst of the swamp and assure me that, so far, they have had good health. We have farmers here from Hyde, Tyrrell, Currituck, B.-rtie. Cho.van Perquimans, Washington, Pitt, Green, &c, and from Mississippi and Louisanna. The health of course, varies in different neigh borhoods. These lands sell remarkably low compared with their intrinsic value. Some 25,000 acre3 have changed hands in the last twelve months at from 83 75 per acre to 87 50. 4, 5 and G, have been the prevailing prices. Now 7 50, 8 and 10 per acre are aiked aud readily obtained. A few small bodies, from one to three or four hun dred acres can be bought at 5 per acre. But prices are advancing. Some of these la'uds, I am satisfied, will pro duce fine whec t and tobacco. T have thus briefly given a description, in part 7 w.r. -i Vs " o" -V ti-1--. But let those who want to leave the State and all who wish to open farms of the first quality come aud see. 1 will take pleasure in giving to my friends I further information by letter. My address is Buy River. 0. P. JONES- Cherryville, March 23, 18G0. For the N. C. C. Advocate. The Washington City Church. Washington, D. 0., March 21, 18G0. Dear Brother : The success and perils of the Methodist E. Church South iu this city are matters of great aud intense auxiety to me, par ticularly at this time, it is .veil known to you as well as te tue public generally, that I have beeu eagerly engaged for the last four years ex erting myself Li a most extraordinary manner, to sustinu Southern Methodism in Wasningtou City j aiiu to place our thurchhere upon a sure aud firm basis. iVr the last two years I have been trying to convince our people that the reputation of the whole Church demanded that we should have here, at tiie Metropolis of the I'uion, a re presentative church iu e very way worthy of our great and influential christian organization. Our southern friends at this point aud tho.-e who vi sit here occasionally, concur with me in this opin ion, and we all agree that the interest of the Church requires that such a church should be erected hero without delay. To delay the work will be but to damage our cause, and our future prospects, ami I may add. our reputation too, as a church. The friends of the church in this community, as well as the muubeis, have watch d with eager t.nxiety my dibits, and conic daily o enquire of the success of lny appeals to the 'huivii in the Southern Stales, they all say, oth members and friends, that my proposition j thj C liir'erenec.i was feasible, and should have .oniincuJed iuclt to the preachers: and that my he pivaciiers and laymen, were must, reasonable auu iibe ai. and that n they re dly desired that the Methodist JE. Church South hould have a locat ' hnliiln! ion ami a nnmr- at the ccderai Capiiol, they cheerfully respond fa' v uld most certainly aud orably to said appeals, .1 It becomes my duly to 1 iii-.i: ill llicuds Of .he Chur uri'ied .-li and of the ci (and for this re: terpi m iu which I am oh j iiave become so the last two months,) anxious and restless wit hi hat a number of our good and influential south ern friends in this eity tire L coining lukewarm and suspicious, owing, they say, to the slow pro ;re.is that 1 am making, and the seeming indif icreiice that pervades the public southern Metho list mind, respecting the success of the work. f hey come to our church and bring their fami lies, and contribute to its support because they are southern n.eu, aud thiuk our church ought co be sustained here. 1 hey pertinently say to me, that '-if your own people do not sympathize with you, if they do uot help you, i "they fail to , respond to sueli appeals as you have made, why . should 1 go out of my way to give you my in fluence aud support? lam naturally inclined to go to another church." They further say, ; -that by this time, you should have received at least two thousand responses to your last proposi . tiou to the preachers and laymen, and as you tell me you have only received two hundred and six j ty. Th is dont look like success, tho re can "t be '. much culhusiasm in the south in behalf of S out h , em Mcihodisiii, and in favor of your eontempla- ted representative Metropolitan Church a tlesi ' deratum, in my judgment essential to your pros--, penty and usefulness iu this city, and to your rep i utatioa as a church abroad." This feeling, dear I brother, is beginning to prevallamougour friends here and if something is not speed y done to ar j rest it to turn back the tide, we h 11 suffer iu J no small degree, you may rely upon it. Just at . this point too, our enemies step in and use the ! unfavorable omens against us, with terrible tf- feet. No oue will fail to see how such potent arguments may be used to our prejudice under j such circumstances. Now I cannot give up this work. It is of too j much importance to the Chinch, and to the rep I utation of the great Southern 31 ethodist family j to which I belong, and to which 1 am so tender 1 ly endeared, the" ties of which can never be bro ! kcu until death steps iii and severs tho connec tion ; and therefore, 1 once more earnestly aud importunately call upou every friend of the church, to come forward at once and do some thing, however little, for the cause. Let us erect the church this year it can be done it must be done. A number of our lay brethren have visited us this year, and after hearing all the facts, aud having viewed the ground, they tell me enthusiastically, "send out an agent to the South, and we will help you our people must help you we must build the church without de lay here is my mite, and I will work for the cause when I go back home." Now in oonelusiou, I propose to every preach er belongiug to our church, that if they will at once, collect 25 cents from each member (some will give more, cheerfully) belonging to their charge, (or from one-half of them) and send the amount to me, I will give each one (preacher) a copy of the General Conference Engraving just as soon as it is finished, which will be, under the blessing of God, the first of September next. This Engraving, when finished, will bc oue of the moat attractive and beautiful engravings in the ici rld, and every Methodist of course will want one. If the preacher cannot give this mat ter his attention and will turn it over to some ac tive layman or sister belonging to his charge, and if such an one will perform the duty, they shall receive the engraving. If the sum be reasona bly large, I will give two copies of the engraving instead of one. A donation of 25 cents from each member will be equivalent to a donation of 10 to the pastor, the value of the engraving be ing S10 per copy. Permit me to urge upon every one who may receive this circular letter, to attend promptly to its claims, and let me have a favorable response at an early day. May God put it into the heart of every lover of the church to give something iu response to this appeal ! Amen. Y'ours, most truly, WILLIAM T. SMITIISON. P. S. I still renew my propositiem to send any one who will remit me 5, three copies of the "Methodist Pulpit South," postage free. Al low me to say to one and all, consider well this subject, much is involved iu it. I have told our frleuels in this community, aud our enemies too, that the southern people .Methodist people Wire the most riatilotii. and liberal lieonle in the i i i world Ktroiwlv :irlnr lied ol'if rliorcli of their choice, aim unwavering iu their devotion to Southern Methodism, for the reason that it was the only true aud genuine Methodism in Aineri- ca. Will you not make these assurances good ? Think of the damage that would be done our . whole church should you fail to aid me in this great aud necessary voi k. Oh! this work must .j.,. Iv'- Ae: i t eio-I iild v u.- -a.':d oiiiv.e, "where is your soutiieru patriotism now V as it would be said, should and liberality the work fail. I am laboring iu behalf of this great and impor tant work, just as Doctor Sehon and others arc laboring in behalf of 1 he great missionary work. The two great enterprises bear a similar relation to the great Southern Methodist family, and the whole church should feel alike interested iuboih. Will not all give me a helping hand and be glad? 1 am sure ihey will. W. T. S. MISCELLANEOUS. The Consequence Proved. Apart from local and temporary considerations the following extract from Wesley's Works, vol vi. p. 1 10, is pertinent and useful at the presi n time. 1. Mr. Toplady, a young, bold man, lately published a pamphlet, an extract from which was soon after printed, concluding with these follow- l ing words : "The sum oi' all is this: One in twenty, sup pose, of mankind, are elected; nineteen in twenty are reprobated. The elect shall be saved, do what they will: The reprobate shall be damned, elo what they can." 2. A great outcry has been raised on that ac couut,as though this was not a fair statemeutofthe case; aud it has been vehenieutly affirmed, that no such consequence follows from the doctrine of absolute predestiuatiou. 1 calmly affirm it is a fair state of the ease ; this consequence tlocs naturally aud necessarily follow from the doctrine of absolute predestina tion, a s hero stated and defended by bold Mr. Augustus Toplady. Indeed I have not leisure to consider the mat ter at large : I can only m .ke a few strictures, and leave the young man lo be corrected by one that is fuil his match, Mr. Thomas Olivers. 3. When lov e is" predicted of (lod, it implies, (1.) His everlasting will, purpose, and determi nation to save his people." Mr. Tip!adifs Trait, chap. 1.) 1 appeal to all men, whether it is not a natural consequence, even of this, that "all these shall be saved, do what they will." You may say, " O, but lin y will only do what is good." Be it so: cl the consequence stands " Election signifies that sovereign, uncoiidit on id, immutable, act of God, whereby he selected some to be eternally saved.." Liimutuile, uiirmi ddiona'. .' From hence then it undeniably foi .ows, ' these shall be saved, do what they will.'' Predestination, as relating to the elect, is that irreversible act of the L'iviue will, whciehy God determined to deliver a eertaiu number of men from hell:" Erjn, therefore, u ceriaiii number shall infallibly be saved, do what they will. Who can deny the cout-equcuee I " Not oue of the t h.ci can per oh, :itt they mu-t all necisariiy bc saved." (Chap. ''.) 1 therefore ail tiie en rt ; shall be saved, eio what I ' - f they will, uiii. ss you woui.t say, it is ilu; propo sition itself, rattier than a coucq.ie:.cj from it. 4. So much ibr I he i'oiuier pint of the ques tion. : Let us now consider ilic lat'ev : " Hatred ascribed to God implies a resolution not to have n.erey on such and such men. o ' Esau have i hated,' tin t is, i did from ail eter nity determine not to have mercy on him.'' (Chap. 1.) la other words, i by my dire decree did seal His lix'd, Uliulleiable doom; Coosigii'd his tiiiboi ii soul to hell, Auddaiun'd him from his mother's womb. Vv'cli, theu, dees it not fullow, by unavoidable conqucncc, that such and such men, poor hated Esau iu particular, "shall be damned, do what they can ; ' ' Reprobation denotes God's eternal prctcritiou of some men, and bis predestination of them to destruction." And is it possible for them, by i anything they can do, lo prevent that destruction ? y .'.. '.. bo ... ....ii i - i lou suv, ".NO. JC iouows, tney -snail oe j il.n.iii.wl do ivleit tbev can." 1 leeiestiiiaiioo, us n iciiiv.t i y iaiu .. that immutable act d" God s will, wl.eieby he ; hath determined to leave some men to perish." J Aud can they avoid it by anything they do ? , You affirm they cannot. Again, therefore, it fob j lows, these " shall be damned, do what they can." ! I!.. 1 ...... , .1 Hi.-, rnT.Vn.nlii u "We assert, there is a predestiuatiou of ar tieular persons to death, which death they shall inevitably undergo;" tint is, "they shall be damned, do what they can." "The non-elect were predestinated to eteraal death." (Chap. 2.) Ergo, therefore, "They uhall be damned, do what they can." " The condemnation of the reprobate is neces sary and inevitable." Surely I need add no more on this head. You see that, "The reprobate shall be damned, do what they can," is the whole burden of the song. 5. Take only two precious sentences more, which include the whole question : " We assert, that the number of the elect, and also of the reprobate, is so fixed anil determinate, that neither can be augmented or diminished;" (Chap. 4,) and, "that the decrees of election aud reprobation are immediate and irreversible." From each of L.ese assertions, the whole con sequence follows, clear us the noonday sun, Therefore, " The elect shall be saved, do what they will ; the reprobate shall bc damned, do what they can." 0. 1 add a word, with regard to another branch of this kind, charitable doctrine. Mr. Toplady says, "God has a positive will to destroy the reprobate for their sins." (Chap. 1 ) Fur their tin ! How can that be? 1 positive ly assert, that (on this scheme) they have no sins at all. 1 ueyr never had ; tney can nave none For it cannot bc a sin in a spark to rise, or iu a ! stone to fall. And the spark or the stone is uot more necessarily determined either to rise or to fall, than the mail is to sin, to commit a rape, or adultery or murder. For "God did before all time, determine and direct to some end, every person or thing, to which he hus given, or is J'' to give, being.'' Go 1 himself did 'nredestina them to fill up the measure of their iniquities i such wah his sovereign, irrcssistiblo decree, bc . fore thej foundation of the world. To fill meuxurof their iniijuilir; that i, to commit ev cry act hich they committed. So "God decreed the Jewjt to be the crucifiers of Christ, and Juda j to betrajr him." Chap. 4. Whose fault w.n it ! then ? lYou plainly say, it was not his fault, but f God's. I For what was Judas or ten thousand rcp- tobates liewides ? Could they resist his decree I No inorJ than they could pull the sua out of tho it of heaven. And would r xJ punish IiruiallK! mem wan everlasting destruction, tor uo p...i.. ! the eun ,out of the firmament? He might a well : do it foij this, as for their not doing what on Ihu j supposition was equally impossible, "Bttt they I are are banished for their inipeniteuey, mn, and j unbelief'." Say vnb-liif ami impmiMiry, but ! not For "God had predestinated, them t- t vui.iri.- V; i.i iu.; 'Uw, -i .'. -Uvf. ' i positively ordained them tJ coutinue in their ! blindness and hardness of heart." Therefore their not repenting and believing was no more a sin, than their not pulling the sun from heaven. 7. Indeed, Mr. T. himself owns, "The fins of the reprobate were not the cause of their being passed by ; but merely and entirely the sovercigu w.li and determinating pleasure of God.' "O but their sin was the cans.- of their damna tion, though not id" their pretention ;" Hut is God determined they should live and die in their sins, that he might afterward dainu them! V.is ever anything like this? Yes, I have road something like it: When Tibcrim had determin ed to destroy Sejanus and all his family, lis it was unlawful to put a virgin to death, what could bo done w ith his daughter, a child of nine year old .' Why, the hangman was ordered first to deflower, and then to strangle her ! Yet, even go 1 Tibe. rius did not order her to be strangled boctii'-o i she had been deflowered !" If so, it ha 1 b-eu a parallel' case ; it had been just what is lu re afCi in ed of the Most High. S. O ic word more: "I will obviate," siiys Mr. T., "a fallacious objection, How is reprol a ion rccouciliable with the doctrine of a future judg ment? I There needs no pain: to rceou ilc ihe.e A pnuu! Indeed there does: iro.v piui i than all the men upon earth, or all the ih vil- in hell, will ever bo able to take. But go .,i : "Ju the l.i-l due Christ will miss feiilcncou I the no elect, (I,) Not for having done wh it thy cot i I not lie livine : but, (2.) For their wilful igii'iaiK-o if hiii'-s: l-'JA For their ob-tinatc unbelu f ; (I) Fo r Heir omis-iioii of nioial du!y; abd ( . ) For the He v done w having ibis the it ; he lir repeated iniquities and transgressions. ill condemn them, ( 1.) ".M'l l t ii.iviu- nt they could not help." I say. Yen; for ,J . . i . "i i- .... i f .. limed against liod to iiieir uvea nm y could not help, lie bad bluif ! decreed uid determined tin y shod d coin mini mi- penitent GI. , "For th ir ' 'bul ignorance nliii- il.i'iu't.'' No: their iiriioratte,: of (el. mil the things of God. was not w diul. wa not in us ually owing to their own will .But to the fovereign ni l of God ; his will, not theirs, was the primary cause i f their continuing iu that iguorai tv. 'I "For t!ieir obstinate unbelief." N ; lio.re.m il be tenned obstinate, wheu they tii virba l .1 po.-i-I i'ity of removing it? when God absolu'i ly decrc. 1 b. fore Hiev vere born, that they i-hould bve at"' . I i . .i f . i rem i-l. ror ineir onns-n u n onu ihat is. for not loving God ami their n ig'.- ou"r; which is tho sum of I he moral hiv. Was it hen i iieigld Ivcr in their power t love bid a i I Uuir r: No; no more tiiiu lo tctn i beaveii eir hand. Had not t bul hin 'If nii.ilte.-a-reed that they should not cilbi r I ve God i": Tiny, therefore, they a e o u .Vn.n d for icy could never help. (.') '!'"' I'm if with tl bly d or ma what t pcated iniquities and transgressions. An I was if their power to help these I w ei " tln-v not i .i ... i . .i.r. ..r .!.- predesjinred thereto beforo the fotuii'.'i! ton of lln world n liow then can tho judgo of nil tue cirtli - consign them to everlasting lire, for what wi.it ii ... . . i i i o effect I is own act and deed ? lap t'.ou, I man li irvbend. then, this is no fallacious objec it a solid and weighty one; and defy 4ny ing. who asserts the unconditional ite."! ! of reprfibatioti or pretention, (just tl.o came in ef fect,) fo reconcile this w.th the scriptural ilitctnim of a fdture judgment. I say Hguii, 1 defy nnv 1 man uit larth to tlmw, how on this sc! cine, Go l ' can ''fudge tho world in righteousiie" t .' Pursuing1 the Wind. llovl' afiWtine was the remark of that wmld'H idol, Theodore Hook, when, for thel i:.t time, lie joined one of those guy, festive parlies w hich L; had i frequently euliveDeu PT ais wit, nu-J wa.i J surrounded by friends, not one of whom ivcr aw i him iiraiii ! Seeing his own figure reflected in a 1 mirror, he suddenly exel iimed, "1 cc I look an I am, done up in purse, in mind, and in b'xly, too, I at last I" So is every attempt to obtain Imppiiust witnot t a sure foundation of religious princ'iilc -ut pursuing tho wind, or bhootiug without ja j Curcnlio Remedy, following receipt for prom in; Thd un. from the ravage of tho curculio, is faid by the N. Y To Observer to be a sovereign remedy : tine pound of whale oil soap, and four oun ces'ofJ fiouT of sulphur. Mix thoroughly, and e in twelve gallons of water. dissol To one half peck of quick lime a l l four ga!- Ions o f water, and stir well lot ether. Whin fully Settled, pour off this transpan nt lime wutir, aud acjld it to the soap and sulphur niiitgrc. Adlto tho same, four jrallobs of tuVrubl' stroni; tobacco water. Aptly this mixture, when thus inrorpirated with n garden syringo to your plum or oilier fruit trees, so that the foliage shall be well drenched If no rains succeed for three weeks, one oppllc i tiou v ill be sufficient. Should frtqucut rnimoe- i cur, the mixturo should be again applied until I the stone of the fruit becomes hardened, when the season of the curculio's ravages is past. Garibaldi Sold Wordi. Gakbaldi, lately addroslng Hie Mu lcuU of the University of I'avia, thus spok-j of the cau.-1 of his, country's ruin : " In the mid-t of Italy, a' its very heart, there is a caucer called pi-jry : i iuipos ture called popery. Yen, young tiiuu, v -dill I... formidable ciiemv: the more foimidab; because it exists among the ignorant clashes, who.- s it rul a by falsehood ! becausa it is f-actib-giousiv id with tho cloak cf religion. Its simle h the siLile of Satan. This enemy, y. un jtne U pries! with few exceptions. 7 V m
North Carolina Christian Advocate (Greensboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 10, 1860, edition 1
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