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PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY A COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS FOB. THE METHODIST EPI COPAL CHURCH, SOUTH RUFUS T. HEFLIN, Editor.
RALE GH, T HuTTsdTa ObYbTTTTTs 59 .
VOL. IV NO. 43.
1 A JL 1
OKI G I N A L
For the X C. Ch. Advocate.
T!ic Kcvised Course of Stud".
Afer a very long delay the revised
, , , t.
course of study, for candidates fur Deacons
1-M t 1 1 .1 - 4 1 "I
and fjiiers, oruereu in me .nnuai jon
ference, has been given to the church.
Expectation was high. Let us see hoy it
has been met.
The old course of study, it wa f It and
acknowledged on all hands, was deficient.
The advance of literature sn l general in-
telligence demanded,- it was thought, a
higher standard. Hence the General Con
ference, which met at Nashville iti May.
1S58, authorized the adoption of a new
one a revised, b tter course. The Bish
ops were intrusted with this work. And
n'"w at the end of fifteen months and more
it comes t the light. Does it meet ex
pectation ? Is it what we need and must
have? I for one regret to answer
in the
iirg-itive, and to pronounce it a c"mpara
tv i f - :e
wlut better, it
tive failure. It is not a
equal ti the old one. We challenge coiii
p iris--n.
We have, i; this new course, besides
the Bible, a text-book "with reference to
Watson's Biblical and Theological Picfion-
i
arv with the Biblical Atla-, and Teachers' ;
Text-Book," a kind of Concordance, noth-
ing more besides these as Text-Books j
III" i , 111- UlUV IHC11.I .1 Jl,lllll'IH-, J.'rvi
,. tt t. i ;fl i t i
pbne. Hymn Book, ( larke s Preachers
. , t , T ... , ti t i !
Manual. atons Institutes, Ideological !
GMip und, English G rammer, Smith's
Elements of Iivinity, Watson's Life of
Wesley. Whately's Rhetoric, Rivers' Ele
moot of Moral Philosophy. Powel on Sue
c ssi"i, Huters Church History, Whate-I-y's
Logic in all fourteen works. Of
these, Wesley's Sermons, Watson's Insti
tutes, Watson's Life of Wes'ey, Whately's
Rhetoric, Powell on Succession, Rutcr s
Church History, River's Elements of Mor-
al Philosophy an 1 Whately's L"gic in
all einht are the only works in this se
ries that should, in our opinion, be adopted
ss texr-fooks for candidates for orders.
The Bible, Dis'-iplini an I Hymn Book
are nces-ary C"iiiri iti'on? and imi-t he us
ed every Jay, and th ref .re stu lied
II
the time, or tht
can.
lidate
the Tireaeher,
can never Jo any tiling will never be
above a dwarf. B -sides these, with Eng
lish Grammar ami Theological Compend,
a first rate w rk of the kind, Clarke's
Preachers Manual and Smith's Elements
of Diviuit-. , should be pat in the bands of
candidates for, not in, the ministry
should form a course of study for young
men preparing to eiter the ministry. A
committee should be appointed by each
Conference we have one appointed by
the North Caroliua Conference with au
thority to adopt a course of study and ex
amine candidates for admission as proba
tioners into the travelling connection.
We are not insensible, it may be proper
to add just here, thrt the minister should
be thoroughly conversant with the Disci
pline ; and he will be, text-book or not, if
a man ; nor are we insensible of the al
most inexhaustible mine of theology, pa
thos, beauty and sublimity in the Hymn
Book, the very b--st collection of hymns in
the world. But what preacher, that has
a soul for any of these and a memory an
inch long, will not in the course of a few
years have indcllibly written upon memo
ry's pages, a great many ff t ho very best
hyimis on all the cardinal doctrin-s of our
holy 'religion ? We think it therefore,
wh .Uy unnecessary to read the Discipline
an I Hymn Book as text-books, through
four y ars. And if it was not a reality
n w before our eyes, we would regard it
as a joke
Sow, there are fi'e important depart
ment of divinity au I knowledge, which if
not left whol y unnoticed, are cared for at
least, but incidentally, arid one not at al
We allude to Christian Perfection, Anti
iiomiaiiism, Baptism. Popery ami 3Iental
Philosophy. The following should have
be n, we believe, adopted, must be adopt
ed as text-books to make the course com
plete : Wesley or Fletcher's Christian Per
fection, Fletcher's Checks, Taylor or Sum
mers or llosser on Baptism, Ouseley or
Jones on Romanism and Uphani's Mental
Philosophy embracing the Will.' That
these would make the course too full we
do not believe. That they are essential to
make it what it ought to be we submit to
the intelligent who arc concerned. All
who enter the minis ry must master these
departments of theology and fields of know
ledge. And any one called of God to
preach wiih his heart in the work could
aud would easily master the entire course
of study with these works in it. He who ! the brethren whom he servs are as much
coul 1 not may not be called of God to the j bound in honesty to pay bis claim as they
work of the ministry, we are induced to are to pay their store-bills and taxes. So
think ; and he who would not, disregards we think. Even so hath the Lord or
bis call and shoul i be dropped as a drone. . dained that they which preach the gos el
We have thrown out the.-e views wi'h i should live of the gospel," is the law of
tho hope to call the attention of others to the New Testiment.
this subj .ct. The course of study involves ' presiding elders.
issu-'.s pi-or'ouu.l and far reaching. This is j The office of presiding elder is simply
one section of th j armory in which we : one of appointment by the bishop for ex
niaaufacture our shot and shell, aud ; ceutive purposes. A presiding elder's dia-
wlience we snatch our weapons. The objee-
lion that the faithful minister, witn a thirst
for knowledge, will study the works we
: have mentioned, and that therefore there
i is no need to adopt them as text-books,
K io -,i , ., . . . .
I lies with all its weight against any course
j stU(j
I "
PAUL.
For the N. C. Ch. Advocate.
Our Literary Men.
Who are they? An op'nion prevails
that "leisure and quietude are necessary
to make literary men" that the I fling,
surging, thinking, working, revolutioniz
ing characters have neither time nor taste
sufficient to become highly lift rury.
j It is a mistake, and youi judgment is at
. f iult if you think otherwise. Read, if
I you ph ase, the fancy articles of our Amcr
i icun periodicals, and testify whether you
,lave m,t bibed some of the spirit of the
i 1(JU"S1M.-- touring, pieasure-sceKing au
thors. 31 en with soft heads, living soft
lies. saving suft things, are sure to wr le
i
softly, however would-be-literary.
A
man rea.is i t wnar .- io mate Him sleep
1 (? 1 . ni , , . .
,9
No. To fire his mind aud wake his inmost
soul.
Head after our working men, no matter
where you find them, and you can easily
tell them yes, you will easily catch the
inspiration, and feel like laying aside your
kils and cane, to cong ier, not to icin,
.a p
yourself a fortune,
. ,
3Ien of every honest trade are literary,
, J J
out many never write because they are
modest, and leave this soft business of
writing for shady men to perform. We
should encourage men to be literary at the
saw. the anvil, the plow, at the merchant's
desk, and the farmer's sideboard. Wher
ever and whenever a man feels the inspi
ration of labor, let him scizo his pen and
; wrVe and he snail write history, philoso
phy, logic, rhetoric, divinity, such as
men mature in the sinks of vice, or issue
I from the study of the man of leisure.
Then who are our literary men ? The
men of hibor if not, they should be
Science finds her strongest devotees iu th j
humbler walks of life.
L. B.
SELE CT IONS.
BiiS:op otiis en CImrefi Polity.
i
We noticed, a few weeks since, a small j
volume from the pen of our senior bishop, !
on the" Polity and Usages of 3Iethod ism."
If we were certain that all who saould do
so would order it from our Depository, we
would not -tuote from its pages; but to
bring it " before the people," and to give
some light in these piping times of reform,
we will copy some extracts bearing upon
questions mooted in our days.
They will be read with interest from the
position of thou- author, and from his age j
and intimate acquaintance with the prac- i
tical workings of our system. Wo are i
afraid of visionary men of reformers, who ,
have spent but few years in our pastorate, j
who write theories which look well and j
rc-ad well, but must inevitably break down
in practice
3Iethorlisrn has been a great success, and
we should change any part of her work
ing machinery only after much care and
profound deliberation. How ften have
we need to remember th palpable truism,
" Change is not necessarily progress;" nor
on the other hand is it true that " Change
is necessary innovation."
But we did not take up the pen to write
an essay on church polity, and with our
b. st bow, we make way for our bishop :
MINISTERIAL SUPPORT.
He has left all for this work. Jlay be
h ; was a farmer, or tncchani?, or teacher, I
or merchant, or phj-sician, or lawyer no
matter what, he has dropped his secular
business and relinquished his worldly pros
pects to devote his life to the ministry. He
has done so 1, because he believed God
called him to it; 2, because the church
recognized that call, and encouraged him
at every step to proceed ; it hence follows
conclusively that the church is responsible
for his support while he remains at his
post. It is a small affair any how. Each
preacher's allowance is fixed by the peo
ple of his own charge through a committee
of estimation, whose report is reviewed by
the quarterly conference. So much for
house-rent, fuel and table expenses, added
to his quarterage, the aggregate is usually
not large enough to impoverish any com
munity. The contract is one-sided ; those
who pay it fix the sum themselves. Now,
when a minister is regularly appointed,
and his allowance is agreed on and settled,
j trict includes about t-velve pastoral char-
I ges, more or less, each of w hich he visits
four times a year to preach, administer
the ordinances, and hold quarterly confer
ence. He takes charge of all the elders
and deacons, the traveling and local preach
ers and exhorters in the district, and is re
quired to see that every part of the Discip
line is carried out: tliat the interests of the
missionary, Sabl ath-schi-ol, and tract
I causes are properly cared for. He pre
i sides in the appeal trial of excluded mem-
bers, and decides all questions of law in
quarterly conference. He also directs
young men to their course of studies, and
I examines the candidatet for orders; he re
ceives, employs, and changes preachers in
the interval of conference and absence of
the bishop; and such as are disorderly he
brings to account by committee, or reports
them to conference. He also is consulted
by the bishop as to the arrangement of the
work and appointment of the preachers to
it, tc. It will be readily seen how im
portant this office is to the great itinerant
system. If this part of the machinery be
removed, the whole is in confusion. An
! error in -'electing the officer is no argument
j against the office. The people might pre
i for a popular preacher on the district, but
j sound judgment, and executive skill, and
j administrative ability are much more im-
portant in a presiding elder than popular
: talent in the pulpit ; at least, this is the
j opinion of such as have most experience.
The office first appears on the 3Iinutes of
1785, when an elder's name stands at the
! head of each district, but without the prc
j fix "presiding'" till 1789, just seventy
j 3-earsago, since which period the Minutes
J ;n this respect have been uniform. A
usage of seventy-four years' standing is
j entitled to respectful consideration. It
j has, however. Ligher claims than age con
j fers off the score of utility. The cxperi
j nient has proved itself successful. No pru
j dential regulation in our church has done
so much to render oar itinerant ministry
! effective, except the general superinten
j dency, of the office of presiding elder.
! But recently there has been prejudice
j against it in ccrfaiu localities, chiefly," we
i presume, on the ground of its expense, i
The allowance of a presiding elder is esti-
, mated by a me. ting of stewards, composed '
of one from each circuit and station in the i
; district, elected for the purpose by the I
I Oi:l I'fiO' V frinf.IfTirc rrwrrn. (ii-,,! i rt.,l ln
..jw...--.. win- it iii.i..i v..-i.iitiy, n II I I II II
amount is apporioned among them. Some
brethren regard the elder's claim as a usc-
less burdi n, and ask, "Why should he su
persede our pastor, who preaches as well
as he can, four Sabbaths of the year ? Such
brethren, it seems, take it for granted that
the chief, if not only business of a presi
ding elder is to preach, which is only oue
of bis many duties. We should like them
to remember, also, that the same authority
that sent them their pastor appointed their
presiding elder to hold for them four quar-
terly meetings a year, and that they hae
no more right to repudiate the claim or
dispense wifh the services of one than of
the other. There are a few preachers and
members who thi k the office, if ever i"
i was needed, ceases to be so, and ought to
be abolished. When a traveling preacher
: takes this positirn, allow us to a'sk, is it
; because he tears to get into trouble, and
! does not care to have a presiding elder
' about to rein him up before a committee,
,; or to report him to conference? When a
J local preacher takes it, does he expect to
be tried, and would he prefer, in that
event, that the pastor who brought him
before a committee and suspended him,
should presi e on his trial proper iu quar
terly conference rather than the presiding
elder, who is disinterested and expert in
j questions of the sort ? Or if a member who
wants no presiding elder should be expcll-
ed aud take an appeal, would he wish the
pastor who passed sentence upon him to
preside over his appeal trial rather than
the presiding elder. 3Iay be be would
prefer all this to paying the nresiing el
der's claim. Well, if the office of presi
ding elder be done away, something ana
logous to it must be suls'ituted, or our
system will be crippled. And I give my
judgment in advance, that nothing can be
substituted equal to it in simplicity effici
ency, or economy. There are others who
desire the office retained but modified, so
as to avoid the expense. They wish each
presiding elder appoiuted to a pastoral
charge, and paid there like other stationed
preachers, but to retain his official relation
as chairman of the district. Here 1 would
ask those economists, would they be wil
ling to take the presiding elder for their
pastor an! support him, he giving one-half
or three-fouths of his time to the interests
of other charges? If not. why wish to
lay burden upon others? Upon the whole,
! I wish to record my opinion in favor of
retaining the office of presiding elder with
as little modification as may be. Long and
well-tried rules which have accomplished
much good should never be hastily aban
doned for uew and doubtful experiments.
We have as much need of presiding ele'ers
as we ever had.
LAY REPRESENTATION.
Obj'e tion Second. The members are
not allowed any representation in the con
ferences. This is, in fact, the most formidable ob
jection to the Jlethodist polity that can be
brought, and, as far as it is truthful, we
shall "own up," and try to harmonize con
flicting views, or, at least, to lessen need
less prejudice. vVe concede, first, that
the present representation of members is
indirect, more so than would be safisfatory
in civil affairs. As citizens you vote for
electors, and they elect a president, or, in
case of failure, the election goes to Con
gress, and in either case you are represen
ted. v cur rhuicb-uli'ii'i.veling pVpachers
are first approved by the lay members, as
we have fully explained, and, when re
ceived, become the t lectors to appoint del
egates from among themselves to Genera
Conference, were they feel that they act for
the members as much as for the preachers.
It is, therefore, not exactly correct to say,
the members are not allowed any represen
tation, though, as we said, it is only indi
rect. The members, however, act a more
prominent part in administering the rules
than in making them. We concede, sec
only, that if the members of our church re
ally desire a direct representation in the
confcrcncee, with all its expense, trouble,
and responsibility, they should have it.
As yet, however, there is no evidence that
such representation is generally desired by
them. We doubt whether one member in
fifty desires it, and cenainly not one in a
hundred Las ever akssd for it. In this
movement the preachers are in advance of
the members, asking ror them what they
have not asked for tLetnselves. If the
members generally eve;; do request it, the
General Conference will respond with fra
ternal kindness, as thej always have done.
But, thirdly, while we should not oppose a
reasonable and well grouuded lay repre
sentation, we are persuaded that such a
plan as has been suggested by some would
bring embarrassment instead of relief. It
is proposed to have as nany lay delegates
in General Conference as there are of cler
ical; that the lay meail ers shall be equal in
number to that of the liinisters in the an
nual conferences, and the number of lay
men in the bishop's council thall be equal
to that ot the presiding elder. lint here
u -e remembered, the General Confer-
once already numbers about. 2.'0 delegates ;
double the number, you have a delibera
tive body of 500. Then, initead of one
month to hold a session, we slall need two.
Large bodies move slowly. And whether
brethren of sufficient importance to be del
egates would like to leave their busines and
spend two months at once attending to
church affairs, is a question fr them to de
ci le. Some of our annua; conferences
contain 250, and many of t'aem over 150
preachers ; add as many laynen, protract
the sessions to two or three weeks, and
where will you find accommodation for
three, four, or five hundred men annually
for so long a time? The presiding elders
iu the eastern conferencas usuly range
from three to six, and in the western confer
ences from five to ten ; add as many lay
men to the bishop's council, with their lo
cal views and prejudices, and their want of
knowledge as to the work and the laborers,
and we reckon that making the appoint
ments will prove to be a tedious operation.
But we presume that many long years will
pass ere the church generally will ask for
such a representation as this movement
contemplates. And as to what would be
a safe and su'table plan of lay representa
tion, I acknowledge myself unprepared to
suggest, and would rather wait for time to
develop our wants, and the indications of
Providence for the best method of supply
ing them.
AN OLD LIE SHOWN UP.
Objection Third The bisJiops own all
the church property, and have an undue
influence in the government.
Own all the church property ! If that
were only true, wouldn't we be rich ?
Only six bishops among whom to divide
twenty million dollars' worth ! What a
pity that truth should upset the figures and
leave the objection without any foundation!
Some of our enemies have reiterated this
falsehood till they almost believe it true.
But now for the facts in the premises. I
have been called bishop twenty-three years,
and yet no house of worship or preacher's
house has ever been deeded to me ; nay,
more, 1 have never in that long period
been promoted to the office of trustee for
any one of your churches or parsonages; to
my knowledge. A few chapeh bear my
name, but that gives me neither title nor
trusteeship in them. Again : the Discip
line says, "Let nine trustees be appointed
for holding church property where proper
persons can be procured ; otherwise, seven
or five." In defining who are proper per
sons, it says, "No person shall be eligible
as a trustee to any of our houses, church
es, or schools who is not a regular member
of our church." Here the law of the
church requires nine, seven, or five trus
tees to hold the property for the general
good, and that they shall be regular mem
bers not bishops. The recorder's office
contains the proof that laymen, not bish
ops, hold your property in trust for your
benefit.
OUR PRESENT AND FUTURE.
The time was when Methodism was an
experiment ; the time is, when Methodism
is a "fixed fact,'' and a glorious fact, too.
At first, some of our enemies thought us
too insignificant to oppose. One said, "Let
the Methodists alone, and in a short time
a corn-crib will hold them all." But it
would require more cribs than Joseph built
in Egypt to bold us now. Then we were
a mere handful, but now we are spread in
to bands. "One shall become a thousand ,
and a little one a strong nation.
Then
we were poor, worshiping by courtesy in
private dwellings, school houses, and barns;
but the Lord has blessed us with means
to provide for ourselves comfortable chur
ches. At first we had no literary institu
tions ; but now we have all grades of them,
from the elementary school to the univer
sity, without stint. Then our literature
was quite limited, ; but now we are not
ashamed to compare catalogues with any
religious publishers in America. Several
leading denominations or churches of this
country, date back over two centuries,
wl ile the Methodist Episcopal Church is
only about i e enty-Sve years old, and yet,
numerically, we are perhaps the strongest
among them. Doctrinally, Methodism has
made a strong impression on Protestant
Christendom, moderating the rigid features
of other systems, and encouraging a mora
liberal orthodoxy. But the Lord has fa
vored us with one gift better than numbers,
wealth, learning, books, or orthodoxy.
He has sent us the Comforter to abide
with us forever. Methodism still operates
in demonstration of the Spirit and of pow
er. A few years since, croakers were in
solent, saying, in substance, "3Iethodism
has had its day, has accomplished its mis
sion, and is defunct." But our nett in
crease of 136,000 members last year, and j
the great revivals still in progress, show
that her enemies are false prophets, and
that her course is yet onward toward the
millennial glory. So far is Methodism
from having accomplished her mission, we
consider the work as but fairly begun, and
trust that her peaceful banners will soon
quietly wave over all Uie wirih. T-rc mo,
therefore, hold fast our profession. Yes,
brethren, hold on to your doctrine, especi
ally of general atonement, the witness of
the Spirit, and of full salvation. Hold on
to your Discipline. Hold on to your pe
culiar rules aud usages, to class-meeting
and love-feast, to congregational singing
and revival operations ; to the mourner's
tench, and to kneeling in prayer. Hold
on to itinerancy, and, as far as may be,
to the circuit system ; hold on to the pre
siding eldership and to general superinten
dency. In a word, hold on to everything
essential to the success of Methodism, for
it has saved millions now iu heaven, and
millions more in Europe and America who
are still heading for the world of light and
peace above. To God be all the glory in
Christ Jesus our Lord ! Amen.
Making Haste to Print.
"Making haste to be rich," the scrip
tures teach us, lead men "iDto a snare,"
and "many foolish and hurtful lusts."
Making haste to print, is a more modern
development of "total depravity." Liter
ature and Republicanism are both cursed
with the same calamity, viz : the rush of
the incapable for place, and paper-room,
and the indisposition to such noble public
services among those who are capable :
aud the unfortunate result is, that the of
fices and the papers are almost monopoliz
ed by demagogues and scribblers ; the go
vernment of the country, and the power of
the periodical press, are not in the hands
of the wisdom, the patriotism, the genius
and taste of the time. As in the political
case, so in the literary ; declension from
the stern principles of both literary and po
litical criticism and judgment, are well
nigh forced by the mere selfishness of the
majority-power.
A judge is elective, and must remember
this iu bis legal decisions. An editor is
either elective, or dependent for bread up
ou popular favor, and must remember these
things iu bis literary decisions. A pure
and elevated judiciary will never be attain
ed until it is made indepeudeut of popular
whim ; and the highest newspaper charac
ter, tone, and power, will never be realiz
ed until we have an independent press, en
dowed, or otherwise, for the same reason
that we have endowed universities and col
leges. Absolute editorial freedom from
all influences calculated to sway the judg
ment, whether from hope of reward, or
fear of condemnation, is indispensable to
the realization of the ideal newspaper. An
editor should never feel constrained to pub
lish anything which his judgment and
taste condemn, or decide to be valueless.
Half the newspaper columns of the land
are filled with such things.
The highest editorial capacity consists
in the knowledge of what ought not to be
published, ratber than iu the knowledge of
what ought to be thus honercd ; for the
latter is easy of determination. Mediocri
ty and ignorance, though blessed by prov
idence with a large and respected place in
this world, were surely n 4 intended to
usurp the places assigned 'O genius, and
learning, and taste. In the language of
the gifted writer of the paper on the "Rev.
Thomas Arnold, D D.," in the last Sou'h.
ern Quarterly Review, "mediocrity is tol
erable, even enjoyable, in some things,
while in others it i9 not to be endured.
Common men are great blessings in the
pulpit and elsewhere, but the press belongs
to the nobility of mind, and ordinary tal
ents ought to respect its dignity."
Men should make hasto to write, but
not to print. Writing is an important
part of personal culture, but printing is for
the culture of the public, and its end is
defeated if it is made the medium of com
municating the inanities and vulgarities
of those who have no culture themselves.
3Iany men print because they never reflect
upon the audience to which they speak.
They utter things through the press which
they, with all their hardihood, would not
have the courage to utter before a largo
and intelligent congregation ; forgetting
that through the press they speak to an au
dience of from thirty to fifty thousand, per
haps, including the highest intelligence
and refinement of the land And not on
ly do they speak to an august presence ;
they record their folly upon the bulletin
boards of the world If a man speak folly,
not many hear it, it will be forgotten, and
he may improve. But if he "write him-
self down an ass" in the public prints, wo
oe uuio mm. -
Nothing that is not valuable, in thought,
sentiment, or public interest, should ev-
or
er appear in a newspaper. Unimportant
things, which must be published, should
be in the fewest possibly words, that brev
ity may secure a reading, or, occupying
but little space, be out of the way.
JV. O.Christian Advocate.
Daniel
Webster's Confession of
Faith.
Dr. Smith, of Concord, X. II., has pub
lished the following letter of Dauiel H'eb
ster to Bev. Thomas Worcester, formerly
Salisbury, X. II., which is accompanied
with a confession of his religious faith, both
of which are in his own handwriting. We
have seen Mr. Webs'er's name in the rec
ords of the Church in Salisbury, enrolled
among its members, if we mistake notf
about the time the letter below bears date,
lie remained a member of that church un
til his death. The letter and confession
were Dever before published. They are
as follows :
Boscawen, August, 8, 1807.
Dear Sir : The other day we were con
versing respecting confessions of faith.
Some time ago I wrote d wu for my own
use a few propositions in the shape of ar
ticles, intending to exhibit a very short
summary of the doctrines of the Christian
religion as they impress my mind. I have
taken the liberty to enclose a copy for
your perusal. I am, sir, with respect,
yours. &c.
D. Webster.
I believe in the existance of Almighty
God, who created and governs tho whole
world. I am taught this by the works of
nature and the word of revelation.
I believe that God exists in three per
sons ; this I learn from revelation alone.
Nor is it any objection to this belief that
I cannot comprehend how oue can be three
or three one. 1 hold it my duty to believe,
not what 1 can comprehend or account for,
but what my maker teaches me.
1 believs the Scriptures of the Old and
New Testament to be the will and word
of God.
I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of
God. The miracles which he wrought es
tablish, in my mind, his personal authority,
and render it proper lor me to believe
whatever he asserts ; I believe therefore,
all his declaraions, as well when he de
clares himself the Son of God, as when he
declares any other proposition. And I be
lieve there is no other way of salvation
than through the merits of his atonement.
I believe things past, present, and to
come, are all equally present iu the mind
of the Deity ; that with him there is no suc
cession of time, nor of ideas ; that there
fore, the relative terms past, present and
future, as used among men, cannot with
strict propriety, be applied to Deity. I be
lieve in the doctrines of foreknowledge and
predestination, as thus expounded. I do
not believe in those doctrines, as imposing
any fatality or necessity on men's actions,
or any way infringing free agency.
I believe in the utter inability of any
human being to work out his own salvation
without the constant aids of all grace.
I believe in those great peculiarities of
the Christian religion a resurrection from
the dead and a day of judgment.
I believe in the universal Providence of
God ; and leave to Epicuras, and his more
unreasonable followers in modern times,
the inconsistency of believing that God
$1.50 a year, in advance.
j. . . i i i
made a world which he does not take the
trouble of governing.
Although I have great respect for some
other forms of worship, I believe the Con
gregational mode, on the whole, to be pre
ferable to any other.
I believe religion to be a matter not of
demonstration, but of faith. God requires
us to give credit to the truths which he re
vea's, not because we can prove them, but
because He declares them. When the
mind is 'reasonably convinced that the Bi-
-t Me is the word of God.the only remaining
uuiy is to receive its doctrines, with full
confidence of their truth, and practise
them with a pure heart.
I believe that the Bible is to be nndor-
j stood and received in the plain and obvi
ous meaning of its passages ; gincc lean
not persuade myself that a book intended
for the instruction and conversation of tho
whole world, should cover its true meaning
in such mystery and doubt, that nono but
critics and philosooher can discover it.
I believe that the experiments and sub
tleties of human wisdom are more likely to
obscuro than to enlighten the revealed will
of God, and that he is the most accom
plished Christian scholar who hath been
educated at the foot of Jesus, and iu the
College of Fishermen.
I believe that all true religion consists
in the heart and the affections, and that,
therefore all crcods aud confession aro
falible and uncertain evidences of evangeli
cal piety.
Finally, I believe that Christ has Im
posed on all his disciples a life of activo
j benevolence; that he who refrains onlv
irom what he thinks to be s nfu . hn rwr.
formed but a part, and a small part, of
i !,;8 juty . tuat ho js bnun(j tf d .
communicate, to 1 jvo his neighbor, to give
food and drink to his enemy, and to eu
dcavor, so far as in him lies, to pronioto
peace, truth, piefy and happiness in a
wicked and forlorn world, believing that
in the great day which is to come, thero
will bono other standard of merit, no oth
er criterion of character, than that which
is already established. "By their fruits yo
shall know them.
Dr. Sherloulr.
An Affecting Incident.
When Dr. Ilutton was Bishop of Dur
ham, (as we are told by his biographer,)
and a3 he was travelling over Dam, Wcos
1 -ydala and Inglcton, ho suddenly dismoun
ted ; and, having delivered his horse to a
servant, walked to a particular place, at
s nne distanco from the highway, where be
kneeled down, and continued some time iu
prayer. On his return, ona of his atten
dants took tho liberty of inquiring what
was his master's motive for sn singular
!. an act ; in answer to which the Bishop in
formed him that, when he was a poor boy,
without shoes or stockings, traversing thi
cold and bleak mountain on a fiosty day,
he remembered that he had disturbed a
red cow, then lying on that identical place,
in order to warm his feet t.nd legs on tho
spot.
The above anecdote, which bo beautiful
ly and touchingly illustrates the character
of the worthy Bishop, is taken from
Whittaker's History of Richmond
shire. "
D cs it net te.ich us two thirgs? First :
Thi.t wo ought never to be ashamed of
poor parents, and the mean and lowly cir
cumstances of our early days. It is a
much greater honor, to any man to have
raised himself by bis knowledge, his indus
try, and his goodness to the biggest posi
tion in society, than if ho had inherited
such position merely by the accident of his
birth or fortune.
Secondly : That when any little inci
dent occurrs to remind us of the lowliness
or privations of our former life, we ought
to make use of it as an outlet for our grat
itude to God, and as a motive for renewed
devotedness to His will and service, who
"rai-eth up the poor out of the dust, and
lifted up the beggar from the dunghill,"
that He may "set them among the prin
ces of his people.
Indian Summer.
There is a time, just when the frost
Prepares to pave old Wiuter'a away,
When Autumn is a reverie lost.
The mellow daytime dreams away:
When bummer comes, in musing mind.
To gaze once more on hill and dell.
To mark how many sheaves they bind,
And see if all are ripened well.
With balmy breath she whispers low.
The dying flowers look op and give -Their
sweetest incenso ere they go,
For her who made their beauties live.
She enters "neath the woodland's shade,
Her zephyrs lift the lingering leaf,
And bear it gently where are laid '
The loved and lost ones of its grief.
At last old Autumn, rising, takes
Again his t-ceptre and his throne,
With boisterous hand the tree he shakes.
Intent on gathering all his own.
Sweet Summer sighing flies the plain, '
And waitiug Autumn, gaunt aud grim,
Sees mifer Autumn hoard his grain
And smilte to think it's all for hiui.