North Carolina Newspapers

' ft - rr.iuis Tt . .'n'.-nA Aiv i" -,.,-i- auur.iu iu .!.. to Miiwen- M- yl F. I J ?-J E?l feJ kl I I Mr! . .S I IUM &1 Cv:B ,'' 4T ?f --1 tS .W-MJ Li. fel !KJ ;1 II, . I IK I. v i . Ir B MS is Mir: il.lvn"'' . . . t rB - i. I ? .nt.lcXr.vlu.,r,. tUeS.C. Co i lp,.rill i""-ent free ... chare. TO all it!ior iiiiu'' r.satflaio per year, io ad i ill tli" traiolla s; - far - i !- GUI; -iSVK.N ' sJ Lo-t 1'reacllers in me r,!.y muli..iieu to rceiit ai-.li-! to us. Office Con. Dawson Ac IIarc.f.tt pt RATKS or ADVERTISING: BLACK A RE1D, Editors, Piiii.isnKits, and Proprietor. Tlio ITaith. once delivered to the Saints. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: 2.00 Pi-: it An.ni m, in Ai.van.-k. ubli-shcd in m 3fntmsts ti p- lodi?m in Hottft Carolina, t.l:--. li. i'octm. in; i;r.rs i.i: l.yn'.. . ,ii in iii- Vol. XXIII. Raleigh, N. C, Wednesday, Nov. 13th, 1878. jNumber 44. Sim ilia si if ibus. born ? It is to be What is it to be 'brought forth' tary transgression, became personally I corrupt which inherent corruption is re- ate and mode of be- ! proilnced in their offspring in fatal obe- l Mi- IV. il ' . tr.m.; . ,- SLlUflilUI. -!' - HI. I ill ' ' Mall tin--.' lali' OoWvr- 1. 1 ,r.i;n il a rtViT. All, I '. ui'- l ii.. r i '. ...,1 i'i.-l -.r.i-- . IV i 1 i.l larks -.iun ity hlli-j" t:-t if 'pit-'- hopes. It-ii .iloi-j; tne liw i j; ut'rou- trot?- its in ?.e iven tiniii iliiW: at .iav i.y il-iy. iniiv ; u the silviT 'v. r ... ':n u:Il v. 1 , rt-.-iv-v l..u l arc in i"l --in-.lt--il .-Ii All I "Ii-- -d -:-.i si r i ii- in i rivt-r. -i'- ..f r-'-r ir al. '-ay nae. - a . :u:iiiiliN lii.'0.-y- n sea- mi:i motion out of one init into another. W ith this ih iin tuui t there is no absunlity in pivlieMiny; birth of Deity; 1.r ail well a-rnv that he bnmjihi himself forth thus, vriien he moved up out of his own eternity an.i too.l forth in all the jthm.U-ui- ami sparkling glory of creation iix.r.i which his eternal power ami (iodhe.ul are clearly seen.' This was the first hirtli ur breaking forth from the womb ol eternity into the wonderful materialities ami activities of time. His secoml or new birth' occurred .ludea. This, in the invstery of is dience to the law of generation, Similia xiniUibus. I make this affirmation not of my own suggestion, nor yet upon the authority of ancient, or modem wor thies, nor upon the deductions of logic merely these are not the 'adamantine' foundations upon which I stand; but the wordofOod, which liveth and abideth forever. Men, great men men measur ing talents with Alexander Hamilton, Jonathan Edwards, or even Richard from its dominion over us, to 'put off the old man,' to 'mortify the deeds of the body, to 'p.it on the new man, to 'put on Christ,' to change our lives, thoughts, purposes, volitions, and to do many wonderful works in the name and strength of Christ who is in us. It is not the province of the Spirit to do these things for us as you think. It is His, to beget a new, holy, efiieient nature within us. It is our 1o believe, think, purpose and choose for ourselves. 'I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.' Now thai, this holy, efficient nature, begotten in me, is so of lift u -. . i ' I'll I'll,- o.r l- -- loa' :a ilu- t.aln.y aa- it ur-ill-t vi.il ma'-.-.- tan"; - ara Wu!n' anil ay. ;,.r" tl.al il..!l.'.ay: u 1- :ia a nil- ol n.i til-' -,cr tnau tin- lri-ut !? i, ., ....... n.t v '.. f ' oar tiii.l .v .!::, ; '.at 1 1 Ml tne I rui'f..t . .1-. au i inn-!-! Tli,- r.uii4 a il Ugat, 1.,1-v liv .I'l l '.ii- silt-lit utuht. . -i ink ii. i.i m i.-r tue ilay '.oooioe iv.. .'.li.i lor Hi- U aveuly U..1.1-' r. r as e lis-.ea. lu-ar -h'V si-ii- .:; - a!' . .r Ultl .-a til s li.il'iniil.i. s: Ev,. , ui . :in:iii-r l.i--.i.i.!.'"- ' v - ... L.-11- i... .a Uear' lu tlua.l. .. in.. in-; ' - ' sin i I"!-: .It'll' s'l il! tlv.t i'i r ity . r the excellency and glory nf i;s j furnish me a foothold, here 1 mean to and in its fitness for tin- aeeom- nature lesult- plishment of the Divine purpose whiel was a visible expression ol" hinisclt, as far exoels the first as the birth of the 'Spirit' in man excels, in its nature and results, the birth of the 'flesh.' In re generation man is saved. In regenera tion Cod is saved! I mean this. Vl 1 : 1 .-a - N ti ln. . V' - mi.. A ! n I .' A a i S..T-..H . . i . t.: la 111.' V.'.'. r ! I' J -o .... ::s s!m l K strnl; - .ii;- irara t llowrn, r'sli.-r-.i-'i.-l l DiVli.i! lioili's: t mj. -.nil i..r.'v.T s'ay, :ll i ..u iiii;-.iH away. 1. -:i.!o:i ; at'.-ri u iVorll. t o m m u n i c a t c d . . 1. i !" M I'i'v ;!:X-.' t il-1 t sl. M!;j':i;.l ' ,'t '.v. .1 til I' ". :i be a1. i- j ' 'AI1, i 5 -outativ with .'Hi iii.-i-ur. I iik.-iv t' E. .r the Advocate. T E. A. YATE. . : h i 11' ! A t t Watson, may oppose their reasoning . i .ti. .fii f ,....., mr i.rnaiint m ni in in's. 1 mi-. i. i. hi i i coi' i ioi a teil into my Hie 1U AJL i u ii in in in iiiuvtr Hit- 'linn iii o ' 4 but while the word of Cod remains tu j and being as to enter into my personali ty or s lfhood, 1 am a new creature, 'born again.' 1 am born out o"the kingdom of darkness into the, marvellous light and liberty (mark t he word 'liber ty') of the children of Cod' out of the death of sin into the life of rightcous :iess -out of the sinful flesh into the Holy Spirit. If I am the child of God, then, God is i:i me and 1 in him. Hav ing such an efficient power in me, I can, if I will, 'keep under my body' this ever ! sinful flesh, and bring it into subjection. stand. 'That which is born ot ttie l.es.'i is flesh,' 'The flesh' is sinful. Every individual born of 'sinful flesh is a am I'ul individual, i. e., a sinner. Every sinner must be 'born again,' or ncv.T See the kingdom of God.' That the rlesh" is sinful is incidentally affirmed . .-. n 11 1 1 ...1 I.. 7 uom. " ' . i am uuciaics, num. i . -, , As the visible body of Christ was the that no good ttung dwell in nis nt, vehicle through which God fully mani- land in v. 17 charges his utter inability f...t.v,1 lilmlf in the reueneration. so I do the trood which he would (other- - - r-- . . . . . ,i n i , vise do) to the account of sm which j J bis is condemning 'sin intnene.su. .welt in him, i. o., in his flesh as he ex- j Xow if the flesh in the christian, as in pains. Xow that Paul here uses the ! Adam, i not sinful in its nature and te ni 'flesh' in the sense of corrupt, in- ; tendencies, why does the word of rod in ical, sinful, human nature, (man,) is j s.. constantly warn them against it? char from these words : 'So, then, they j And what d-.es Paul mean when he says, tint are in the flesh caunot please God.' j -1 keep under my body ?' What does To be 'in the flesh' here signifies, wid r ie mean when he speaks of mortifying s-iv heiv-v v.ur theory i" wh:u i c 'iic-iv rive IKi'll ! poii ,! . ti t - v. ill' ai'ucie .-ii hi. which I consider and wiiieh oiiht not I1-1-- through our njfr'cial iii:;i :i thi-v do iiuina repre niein'i.er of our 'otiferenee, ueii a .el'lv a- shall in .- ,iii,!,.rvaii the evil r.-suh ir .'.u siieh error, not to lose to review c. but to give Bible doctrine si .11, resei-v- article. some which is 1 do not 1 i'. tins artic i . i... the t ii-' -ii i ' ill It t . li-hiTig injr -iicli ,,u coml'laiu 7 . . jive a u- a '(. ..t" t':i. term 'l true thev have n.,t, and it is well that thev have not attempted to do I-..-, is ii.ain '.'in -Ye mast be horn again. l-eview !'-r :1 .llt'in -,-., ,'imt the I-at hers have not an il'jt-.cul definition en -ration, etc. It is r The lid to the visible creation was the body through which he faintly appeared at the first, or in the genesis. As 'like produces like,' we infer that the creation which was the bo.ly in which God appeared in the genesis, is a unit. God the Creator being une. When any particular part of the unit is lost the whole is spoiled, mined, totally unfit for the purpose for which it wa formed. It must be le eenerated or destroyed. This (destruc tion) we infer would have been the fate of the whole creation which had already begun to fall to pieces, if God had not condescended to be born again in Christ, and in him who ...is himself 'to gather together all things, both which are in heaven and which are on earth.' Thus by the body of Christ assumed in the regeneration, he saves the body ot crea tion assumed in the genesis. Leaving these speculation, let us return to facts, great truths allinued in the unimpeacha ble word of God, and cotilirined in the unmistakable experience of a? men, and, therefore, much more 'adamantine' than the proposition, 'Infants are neither just nor unjust and are therefore noth ing before the law' and more 'funda mental' than the vague and contradic-ton-nliilosotihies of fallible men. 'That -'j i i which is born of the flesh is flesh. Ni.-.. lelll .Ctc'oi itn-'th2il. Th-i whi.-h is 1 jt. M It Wlli'ii i j i a-il tint spirit is spirit. kn i.wii jiist win- Ii , born of the not :l early the control of the carnal mind. 'The flesi' is the 'carnal mind,' and the rea son of man's inability to please God lies in tie fact that the flesh is 'enmity agavast God,' whi. i is the same as to say, 'man is the enemy of God.' Of the regenerate the Apostle affirm : 'But e ai- not in the flesh, but in the spirit, cviduitly signifying that they wcio no longtr under the control of the carnal mind but under that of the Spirit of whon. thev were born, by whom they were bd as the sons of God, of whose divine nature they became partakers in the 'mw birth;' for tint which i I jrn r.t. ;u mirit. 'Y'e are in the Ol mi; li'iin Ir- l spirit, fso be that the spirit of God dwell i i you.' Let it be observed here that it s not enough to be born of the. spirit and 'receive power to become the sons of 'Jod, but this power which re sides in the new nature must bo kept dwellim; in us. Keep yonrsolvob in tho I t l,o- of fmd Keen the spirit dwelling the il-'sh through the spirit? Simply, wlia the 'l' itjirrt .I,.,-,!., i.l in tne do U whether e:ict!y b- the tl :'... a ' ni of ( ek) tho ties !l 1 It is our le.rd meant by It is commonly un- ,.,1-0 of f i";cn-ctteniti, to roen-'rato: but as cannot know exac the true sens... or not, or this stu-e is even if it ae -.lie, so it is impossible to li'ir, an thticif definition of i : . ved to ueigiiine me suppose no one will deny that 'hrist here refers to the natural birth o'man ami intends to teach that the na'ureof the child of man can not be other than t, all this b what in a-,irlh emi H the ogians have ...npted to do so. Such an at--.voc.M be undertaking to set visi- ,:!- t.. the undetiiied operation of . ii -.. ...i lit; or to ten jusi w ueie iiis ot the atmosphere set in the wind which 'bloweth 1 ')!! ;e hiVlllll- t i invisible a , ; ua lu lotion 7v here it listeth, where thev ebb, ihat which is we all plainly fere nt form that of man. That which is born of man is man. Similia simiUbtis, like from like. Now if 'an evil tree cannot produce good fruit,' neither indifferent fruit, such as is neither good nor bad; if tlvl we must 'cither make the tree good and his fiuit good, or else make tho tree v.,-ri and his fruit corruiit' it fol- lows : If the nature of man be eorrujti in the parent, which is the tree, it must be corrupt in the child which is the fruit. If man in the adult stands in the relation of a sinner, he must so stand in the person of the infant. hatever may be the nature, relation, condition or color of the parent, such must be the child's. The offspring is the heir. If the parent be God or man, spirit or flesh, noble or ignoble, rich or poor, bond or free, corrupt or pure, redeemed or unredeemed, so must the heir be. These are 'adamantine and fundamental facts in lair not propositions Lt which prevails as far as the philosophical speculation, but facts in i i... l.on Wn fntr. natural, civil and moral facts which shall stand forever, firm and far Ki.ii.ml tlu destructive touch of 'doubt ful disputations and babblings' of meta physics or 'science, falsely so called.' Only one thing remains to be done to 1. 1'., vo satisfactorily to every reasonable mind that infants are corrupt, in bon dage to sin, enemines to God, sinners subjects of the law of sin and death, and bound to scmain in these conditions anu relations until they cease to be at all, or be 'made free by the faw ot the fpnu f life in Christ Jesus, in regeneration, thus becoming partakers of the div ine nature, (that which is born of the Spirit is spirit,) a new life-power, enabling them to maintain themselves m the liberty wherewith Christ has made them free;' and that one thing is, to how that these facts (corruption, bondage, in your learts by faith; for such is and ever mr.s be the power of the flesh to lead man astray from God, and bring him into -aptivity to the law ot sm which i i t hi members, that if he keep not the sprit of God dwelling in him he will low the 'power' to maintain his divine, son-hip, and fall back into his .oi if tn'.itral man. the child oi iiiii.ii ...... of the flesh, exposed to dsath; 'for if ye live alter ti e flesh ye shall dio.' If human nature, ns it naturally exist,is the innocent nothing which you mike it, or the pure and holy something which Bro. Bagwell makes it, why is it that it constantly ami forever leads to leath ? Is lot death the wages of sin . . , i ii,Ai If so, then, r it not most cvmem. iiw oiii to flow, ami just But when it is said, Mill ..f the il.-sh is flesh,' ee that, this is but a dif- ,,f tlm technical statement of irreat tact ..flnonnn knowledge has been aide to penetrate nature's fathomless .nhyss, vi.., 'like produces like.' 'I he ti. in-hon, must be, and is, of the nature of the thing bearing. The term genesis was UM-l by Aristotle to denote 'motion from a state of mm-exi-teiice to a state of actual existence.' It was used by the i v v ... ,tn the oriirinatin-r period l.A.V. iv -i. - : vi process?) in which -od created thiii-s which do appear of things which were not.' As 'like produces like,' so -rentioii in it- .o ik-ms part and visible exjues.-ioii of God i. ;,.,...! ,:,tiif..stimr his attributes as well as his being. n hen the divine -,..i.iir became defaced-from the world a ...,,.vatln or new birth became nec- .eetsarv in order to a visible manifesta ..f Il.-itv. This was consummated ; (Moi-t the only begotten but p-iirf'tdhj, th-.t sin is inherent in, and insepauible from, the tl'sh, that is, the disobedient AJamic nature, and must be 'mortified,' 'condemned' and 'kept under' by the po ver of the spirit that is in us, or we must die and not live. 'For i ' y- live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the spirit, do mortify the deeds of the boay, ye shall live.' Thus, it seems to me, the word of God establishes the fact that man, as born of man, which is the same as to say 'flesh .JU K,.ri. nf rlesh. is sinful. And this establishes the fact that infants which are born of the flesh are constituted of sinful elements and arc therefore sinful individuals of the sinful genus homo. That is to say, they are sinners. 1 o say that an infant is not a sinner simply because it has never transgressed, is to say that the lion's whelp is not a car nivorous be.ut, because it has never eaten flesh. But it is in the nature of the whelp to feed on flesh, therefore he must be regarded and treated just as his pro lmv been. So it is in the ts.i.v. - nature of the child to choose evil.feed on forbidden fruit, and so, too, he mst be regarded and dealt with in law just as his father before him has been. The whelp stands before men in the relation f carnivorous beast. The infant Why ? I stands before the law in the relation oi a sinner. Because of its relation it must be treated as a moral agent having moral character. If the parent stand in the relation of a moral agent, so must the child. Men do not spare young snakes because they have never d,.ne I l.ii-iii hv ! Jiecause ot tne veno i XI ni7, ----- , ... .1 II 1 UIC lioei LV will the death to vhich the flesh evermore m.Jtw nature that is m them, hut now (;ibuml;im.e of eight chapters of Romans, in the light of all other revelation, you will come back to the conclusion that the condition of man as there described is the natural and necessary condition of Humanity ha born of Adam : and that this must con tinue to he its condition in every indi vidual, great or small, until the individu al is 'made free from the law of sin and death' by 'the law of the spirit of life in Christ .lesus.' This is regeneration ; and ttiit freedom is the property of the regenerate only. Whom Christ has made free 'is free indeed,' but none other. Now the term ptdi.ggr-nesiit, in the sense of which our Lord is supposed to have used the words 'gtnethe anothen, born airain" denotes restoration to a former condition, status, rank, etc. If this lie the true sense, then, regeneration, what ever else it may imply, signifies the re storation of man to the rank and status, of a true moral agent from which he fell. Thus restored he is 'not in the flesh' not the servant of sin, but the Lord's freeman. Now, but never before, he can do as he would. He irould 'please God,' and he can. 'In the flesh' lie coidd not, because he was bound by 'the law of sin in his members' to do the 'will of the flesh.' bis master. Now that lie is 'in the spirit,' he can. because he is free, not. only to choose whom he will serve, but also to serve, whom lie chooses. But this frer.doiii which is the gift of the spiiit cannot be trans mitted to the chihl w hich is engender ed of the flesh. It is not of man but of God. Jno. '.i : Io. This slavery lies at the bottom of all that is meant Jy ;orig inal sin," the 'condemnation w bicfi came upon all by the offence of one; and this libeity lies at the bottom of all thai is meant by 'the gift b grace which is by one man. lesus Christ." Tie? privilege to trrceire' the; 'abundance of grace,' is given to all, but the liberty and power to 'o his iril are given only in those who 'receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness. The conclusion is, that no man is free indeed a true moral agent except him who by regeneration has been re- stord to that rank and status. I hen, it iiwaoacitv excuses ii -i moral obliga tion, all the unregeiii.-rate must be ex cased for not lilensinsr God, because they cannot, not being free agents. But adults are voluntary transgres sors,' you say. So they are, but they, if unregeiieiate, cannot be otherwise. Still they arc guilty because they ought to be free ;it is thei; sin not to be. 1 Abundance of jrrace has been them, but they have refused or neglect ed to 'receive' it. So, also, are infants the subjects of moral obligation, not because they are, but because tncy oiight to be, moral agents. They ought to be what Adam wax, but they are. what Adam is. 'But it is no fault of theirs,' you will say. True, but the r.iM rloit m ehihi horn of a slave is not a slave hv his own fault, but by the fnpMi nf Ian-, hrinos him no relief. Ills only hope of freedom is in redemption lie must buy his freedom, or another must buy it for him. or. else lie must remain a hive under law. Infants 'arc bought with a price," (thanks be unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ,) and they shall be free, living or dying, unless living they despise the liberty offered and receive not the contact with that with which they must come in contact, when the child has teeth, they." ("the irrapes,) " trill hurt." Let us come down a little into th the Information, the distinguished his torian, as he says himself, "not pre tending to approve his position." Here is what the great Reformer says, l... ..foiled to reform himself in this ,.rticnlarL"Butasti.e word of God j 4th paragraph of the No. '2 just quoted is mighty to change the heart of a from. Having had the child into hea wicked man, who is not less deaf, nor j ven for which he and I are mutually i,.i..ii,.istl,i., H infant, so tho pray- agreed it is fitted, blessed assurance ..' r ti.. Mnircl. to which" (I sup- ! ("I'. V. and I are unquestionably good ' k rl. nmvpri.1 "all thiiiirs i Uiii versalists, touching infant jUtJ 111- " -" i' are possible, change the little child, by the faith it pleases God to place in his heart," (italics I'm responsible for), "and thus purifies and renews it." If I did not see some things with my own eyes, or hear them with my own ears, or were not told them by some respon sible person who hfd either seen or j heard them, I would not believe them. Such a position as this just quoted, w hich the great Historian represents the ,t Reformer as holding, is equally ii.. .. T .n iIlai- !..-- cause ii. would come as reasonaoie as um. uc, .v., cording to Mr. Wesley, used to say, that he "never had any covctousncss in him, not only in his converted state, but ever since he was born." Adds Mr. W. "But if so, I would not scruple to say, he was the ouly man born of a woman, (except Him that was of God, as well as man) who had not, who wa born without it." Or such a position, let me further say, is just on a par with Sl'il'E. I Week. i 1 Mu 3 lluw.: 6 Mo. 1 Yba 'I f 1 00l 2 00 8 00 4 1KI 5 00 no is 00 $3 00 I 6 00' 7 oo ! S 00 li BO, I w oo ; 33 00! ( 700 f IS 00 IW is oo. I 'jooo ; IS 00 I SO 04.; 1 45 0i 25 00. 0'' 50 M IA00-. WOO; 7 0 an is oo-! no IS 001 14U0V 3M 1 Square, 2 Squarea, 3 Squares 4 Squares. v, col mn U Col'mri 1 Column Advertisements will be cbangort onee erery three mo ltlis without additional ofcarge. Fer Tery otk. er change there will bo au extra charge of twenty Oitmninch. Twenty fire per cent, is added te the above rat.s for tneclal notices In the Loral col umn Terms, rash in adrance, nnlees etherwler (.greed njiou Tue above rates are cheaper lhai those of any other paper in the seuth ot Hie aerae character and circulation. of the e fulness of enmity against God, etc.,) are true of fallen Adam; for since the fall the 'flesh' i .i t ,.s now and forever. Now in Adam has Dcen one " lmuvniu- i- -r . .! , .i,,-. .it il! i.li , . ,,i ,i;k- ..,f o. whom 'we man represented in the parent. Inour ' '' V , t . li-st -is well as search for trnth it matters not whether 'I.! 1 '.;, our.ihvsical as well as we begin with onrselves, or go backto Will '..'' - J .mr spiritual life, liberty, property, pow .... .....f ..11 thin .". ' ' ..i.i t'l.nt ,, righteous law of ways and everywhere many . . , ' . ,.. .1.., wi. the likeness ot als. hut one flesh, one blood, one nature t .od uemau'i in... ....... . ... f ii ,i roe,iitor no lonuer appears in the The question before us is one of blood, flesh, nature. Is the nroL'env, tnc pioei u iv-... o . " i.. 1... snbiected to endless corrupt 7 '1. V' . i .h.nth This, we infer, bad, or indifferent; holy, sinful or blank narKuesr, ...i v ... . , t v....,,. the end of man who without character .' vvoni'i iirtvi. u... - i l,.st bis Maker's likeness, if God in his footsteps of the wise, Wire kindness and disannullab'.e pur- great rose to be seen in the visible world, had 0t,.onn,l in awful condescension to be 'born again.' 'What an :tbm Wha'. if 1 nature of Adam Is the nature of man, good, (rod "born again - '.ity !' d y I hear you do sav that our God id born twice? bay has been begotten am That he should have been boni twice, i- l 1 tlinti in first in nature, iigiu.au v'. , Christ personally and spiritually, is not m0,-e incredible than, that man, created jn his likeness, should have first his natural, then his spiritual hirth. 9 Vnll,iiviny in the the good atKl the the latchet ot wliose sliose, i also, 'am not worthy to unloose, i ai- firm that the 'flesh,' meaning hereby, man s begotten of Adam, is corrupt, unholy, sinful, and that every individu al constituted of sinful elements is, in the very nature and necessity of things, a sinful individual, i. e., a sinner a sinner not hv voluntary transgression, it t.iiv he but by inheritance, by element- , new liberty, new life, al constitution, by generation, concep tion and birth, being born of 'corrupti ble sw!d, i- . parents who by vylun- leads its devotees is the wages of 'sin in the flesh?' Do you deny that sr.i dwells in flesh ? Let me ask yon why it was that tlie righteousness required by the law never could be fulfilled by those who were 'under the law ?' What answer can you give but this, 'because of sin' 'in the ileh ?' Why was it that God sent his S .n iuto the world m tho likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, l. e., concerning sin ? What did Christ, in his mission to earth, have to do with sin ? Was it nut 'to condemn sin in the flesh ?' To what end ? To this end, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us ? In whom ? 'In us who walk not, after the flesh, but -ff,.r fl.n Snirit'- tie. who are born of the spirit and are living under his con trol but not us who are born only of the flesh and living m.der the control of the rtnvl.lv mind.' He came 'to condonm sin in the llcsh.' How ? By 'lifting' the human nature (man) entirely out of the state of depravity in which he found it ? No ; tor while this is true of his own humanity which was not 'en gendered of the offspring of Adam, still as to all other it remain!" tine now as ever, 'that which is born of the flesh is flesh'.' How then? By taking away its power, dethroning and compelling it to take the place of a conquercl tyrant, that grace might reign tinto eternal life. This is done in regeneration. 'That which is born of the spirit is spirit. The child of God partakes of his nature In the strength of this new natttrc he iB able to subdue the flesh. Sin is not annihilated, not expelled from the flesh, but 'condemned in' it. Regeneration is not the cleansing of the flesh from all unrighteousness, not the 'destruction of the flesh' in the sense that sin no longer cleaves to it, not the conversion of the flesh from its inherent sinful nature to the pure, holy nature of the Spirit ; hut it is that incomprehensible operation or genesis of the spirit by which the divine nature is begotten and born in ns, and by which we become 'new creatures.' The new natttrc thus begotten in us is a holy, living, intelligent power, giving us strength and new da we know their nature to De venomous; By the law, 'that which is born of the flesh is flesh.' But they have done no harm they are 'nothing before the law' that rewards according to deeds. True, but the poison is in them and they must be killed lest they do harm toien they acquire, the capacitg. Now I hold that this la w is just au.t applies to man as well as beast. Why should it be deem ed unjust in God to treat the offspring of Adam just as he treats Adam, while it is deemed just in man to treat the offspring of the serpent just as he treats the serpent ? Besides this, if infants are iir.iocjut becau.se of incapacity, so are adults. You cannot escape this conclusion; for moral agency is not predicable of man as born of the llesh, either in infancy or age. True. God created him a moral agent and that is what he ought to he, but is not. The obligations of a moral agent, are ui-o.i him because he ought to be, ami mis no For the Advocate. THE MORAL STATES OF CHIL DREN. excuse knowledge. Possessed ot these divine powers we, ourselves also, are able 'to cor demn sin in our flesh,' to put it down for not being, what God made him. It is his sin that ne is not. much. He was free. It was his duty to main tain his freedom. The obligation to do so was upon him, but he sinned. "By sinning he lost his freedom or moral agency, but not his responsibility ; tor it isnot to be supposed that sin can release i r...-m hie nlili (rations as a moral 11 1111 lioiiv ...... " O asrent. or furnish him an excuse for sin nine npon the pica that his freedom is lost, when it was his duty to maintain that freedom. The voluntary forfeiture of his freedom by selling Iiimself under .... ..1... . l.,.. . lr.olh into sin mine crime nun uiuiib11" v.i. the world and all our woe ? He went in to slavery voluntarily. But how to get out of it he finds not. Rom. 7 : 18. This ie-the state into which he. fell and here he begat his children How, where, when can a slave give freedom to his children? Every child of Adam born of the flish,so has lived to show him self has shown -himself to be a slave, in bondage, to sin, not subject to the law of God, without moral power to please God, not free to act according to the dictates of an enlightened conscience and the consent of a judgement convinc ed of moral obligation to serve God, but a slave bound to serve sin. Now I 1 deem it proper for me, in this con nection, to say I do not believe in bap tlm.inl rnrancration. water I mean, of course, whether adult or infant. That I regard as loose dogma, not sound doctrine. Somewhat in keeping with that of an unbroken line of succession from the Apostles; from I'eter the rock. special keeper of the keys; or from John the Baptist, who ate "locusts and wild honey," and immersed, say some, Jordan. In regard to adults "Ihiptisiu is a sacrament, wherein Christ hath or dained the washing with water, to be a sii'ii and seal of regeneration by Lis Spirit." It is an outward sign and seal of an inward and spiritual grace, otherwise expressed. There may be the former the sign and seal in the case of an adult, without the latter the in ward and spiritual grace, being ex perienced by him. 1 believe we may be regenerated In. (in the act of), hut not by baptism. The inward and spir itual grace may be experienced in the very act of baptism by water being per formed. No one can question this and lay claim to being a man of sense. Such, however, depends upon how the candidate is exercised. Spiritual re generation neither necessarily accom panies water baptism, r.or does it, as results, in verv many instances, in im mediate and later after life, give ample proof. While, as I am bound to concede, and do readily, an infant may be saved without water baptism, I do neverthe less sav, and would say it with emi-iia- is. on Scriptural authority, that a pa rent neglects a plain, positive duty, to his child, leaving out, if such a thing can be done, the God-ward side of it, in his neglecting to have his infant child solemnly ( I cull most special attention to solemnly) dedicated to Almighty God in baptism I cannot begin to endorse Martin T.iirlier. as. I suppose, Collect IV ieiJ L his ccnsubstantiation dogma, a son ot refinement of the Roman Catholic tran- substantiatiou one. "Credat Judaeus Apella" either. Pardon me, and indulge me a little longer, if you please, as I am so anxious to get my good Bro. Yates straight up and all right on the Infant Salvation subject. He will ph ase lot me call his atten tion to the special consideration of what Iraeiiaens, the pupil of J'olycarp, m. old martyr, (Bro. Y. doubtless remem bers his, P.'s, almost dying words when called upon and urged to renounce the blessed Christ to save his life,) the companion of St. John, says. (It would spoil it not to quote all.) "Speaking of Christ's incarnation," lrana-us says: "Therefore as He was master, lie has also the age of a master. Not disdain ing, or going above human nature, nor breaking in His own person the law which He had set for mankind, but sanctifying every several age by the .wwr..! I i;l-,.,,oss it has te Him. For He came to save all persons by Himself all, 1 say, who by Him are regenerated unto (iod infants, and little ones, and chil dren, and youth, and older persons." 1 regard this, according to the under scoring, as highly important historical testimony for my position Infant Re generation. I like to have Mr. Wesley on my side, and Bro. Yatss too; or rather I do very much like to be on their side, if they will let me. I submit it to Bro. Y. Have I Mr. W. on my side, or, vice versa, rather ? Hold! till I am through here. "It is certain," says Mr. W., "our church," (the established church of England), supposes, that all who arc baptized in their infancy, are at the same time bom again," regenerated doesn t it mean this ? "and it is allowed that the whole office for the baptism of infant proceeds upon this supposition. Nor is it an objection ot any weight against this, that we cannot comprehend how this work can he wrought in infants For neither can we comprehend how it is wrought in a person of riper years." "It is certain that onr church sup poses, .fcc, and it is allowed that, fec," says the great and glorious Wesley. And it is certain, say I, if I can read and understand what 1 read, that our Church the Methodist Episcopal Church, South supposes, &c, and it is allowed by our church that, Arc, look above a little. Hold! I do not, in what I have just quoted, mcaii to contradict myseif, nor have I. I am understood, I trust, in relation to Baptismal Regcn- lult or infant. I'll not re- sal va tion); fitted as a sinner (please Bro. . allow this italicized word, it sounds ug ly, 1 acknowledge) saved by grace; having had it in heaven, "where," he very properly says, "there is nothing that constitutes the inclination, he merely supposes it to be "compelled to come back from the dead and live again in this world," in which event "the in clination could not be removed, only by the processes of regeneration when it came to have anything upon which the forces of regeneration could act; be je.., in eoiitac Willi rillir. WHICH -IVLfUb-b ic.hi teeth."' I l.iird no sort of obiection to this ...w, in,;, .ii which be has made from ni.tU- illustrate tlie inclin 1 i.v-niv., " tion of the child, having served its in fantile probation, toward temptation. But he will surely allow me, as a mat ter of pure justice, and in strict fairness to our Creator, to vehemently protest against its being used to the extent that the child, "in the very nature of things, sins inevitably." What ! Does he mean that the child knowingly and wilfully violates God's law inevitably necessarily ? This is making, if not God, Adam re sponsible for the sins of the child, not i.i ..lol.l if the child sin in the sense Bro. Y. states. The Scriptural illu trations citod will not bear any such meaning or any such application. "As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not mii anv more to use this mo verb ill Israel." for that terrible fall which Adam received, let us, for truth'! sake, concede to man the Godlike faculty of freedom of will, at least, which Adiun.the federal head. had before and after his fall. I have certainly tried to represent Bro. Y. correctly and fairly, ami to ar gue, ae -oidingto w hat I consider, a le gitimate interpretation of his state ments. If I have in aught misrepre sented hi ni, he, I think, knows mo too well to suppose that I have done so in the capacity and spirit of a logical trickster. I never subject what 1 be lieve to be truth to logical trickery. I have indulged here and there in a lit tle pleasant humor, which is somewhat constitutional ami somewhat cultiva ted. Let any one of adiscriminating mind carefully read Bro. Y. and then read what 1 have said in reply, and judgo for himself whether or not I have ta ken him according to his jiositionx his position, I say. M.C.TlHtMAH. Lexington, N. C, Oct. 12th, 1S7S. LETTER WRITTEN BY JOHN WESLEY REV. December 10, 1777. You do net at all understand my maimer of life. Though I am always in haste, never in a hurry, because 1 never undertake any more work than 1 can go through with cr.-Ct calmness of spirit. It is true I travel four or five thousand miles in a year: but 1 generally travel alone in my carriage, and consc- piently am as retired ten hours in a lay as if I was in a wilderness, Un other days I never spend less than thioe (frequently ten or twelve) in the day alone. So there are few persons in tho kingdom who spend so many hours se cluded from all company, let 1 had time to visit the sick and the poor; and I must do it if I believe the Bible, if I believe these arc the marks whereby the Shepherd of Israel will know an 1 judge the purpose of j His sheep at the great day; therefore, illustratinir that the child or the man "inevitably," (necessarily), in the very nature of things, sins wilfully and knowine-lv violates my laws. Truly, says )r. Adam Clarke. "It is a prover bial expression for The children suffer for the offences of their parents." In his comment on Jeremiah 31: 29. '10, in which Jeremiah says "sour grape;" and "every one shall die for his own m iouitv," Dr. C. says, "No child shall suffer divine punitioii tor the sin oi nis father; only so far as he acts in the same w ay can he be said to bear the sins n.: i " Vow I submit it. If ill ills, 1 1.1 1 v:i 1 1.-. 1 when there is time and opportunity for it, who can doubt this is the matter of absolute duty? When I was at Ox ford and lived almost like a hermit. I saw not how any busy man could bo saved; I scarce thought it possible for a man to retain the Christian spirit.amidst the; noise and bustle of the world. God taught me better by my own experience; I had ten time.' more busineps in Ameri ca (that's, at intervals,) than ever 1 had in my life; but it was no lundrancH to silence ot spirit. Mr. Bochm was chaplain to Prince George of Denmark, secretary to him I i : . I ... . . . he sins inevitably, ntcessaru?, aim is and tvueeti Aline, principal iiiu..a6w punished for it, he is punished for what almost all the public charities m the ' ... i r I 1 1 . . i t 1 .1 : .,,.,hfiriiue is not properly Ins own, out lor .mum kingdom, aim empioveu is num...... sin ; that is to say, he is punished un.le- private charities. An intimate frieud, servedlv and unjustly by a just God .' knowing this, said to him wneu uiey No, no , such cannot be. were alone: "Sir, are you not Hurt uy Knowing Bro. Yates as I so well do, that amazing hurry of business.' 1 nave 1 would not begin to suppose that he iu- st!er, yoIl m your ollice.surrouimeu wnu people.lisfcningte one dictating to anotfc er.and at the same time writ ing to a third; could you retain a sense of the presence of God?" He answered: "All that com pany and all that business no more hin dered or lessened my communion with God, than if I had been all ahmc in n chureh.knceliiig, before the communion table." Was it not the same case with him to whom Gregory Lopez said, "(io and he an hermit in Mexico?" I am sorry you should be content with lower degrees of usefulness andheliness than you arc called to!But I cannot help it;so I submit; and am still yours in sincere all'ection. Jons Wksi.ry. eratioii, a. peat. I do not mean even so much as to intimate that the church, of which I am proud, in God, to be a member, means, by her Baptismal Service, to af fix her seal to the dogma of Baptismal Regeneration; but I do mean to say, unqualifiedly, that she endorses, in that service, Infant Regeneration. If I am wrong, I do most cordially wish that some clever brother would take it upon himself to convert mc from the honest error of my way. Mess. Editors: If I had Bro. " .'s pri vate ear for a while, I would take the . . , . .it i.. liberty, as 1 feel assured ne vvouni, m the goodness of his large-hearted nature, allow it to speak a good-humored word. touching his beautiful geological and astronomical illustration of the "simply tilting," I heg to say somersault, "of the human soul, by Adam's knowledge of evil, away from the plane of Adam's holiness, and towards a world cuised by Adam's sin, and therefore necessari ly a world ot temptation; anu mus giv ing tends such a conclusion. But be it specially marked, 1 am combating his assertion, his position, as I reluctantly understand it, not what 1 may and do iustlv suppose to he his intention. The J . a. i most satisfactory reason have l to uc licve that he as cordially hates Calvin ismthis particular feature of it necessitarian as he does "wicked de nominational strife," if he has not very materially chauged his base of thought and opinion. But that dire, portentous "inevitably." which he uses just before i jl... .l.itiititiiill of sin, according io mc m.u w.... sin, frees the adult child, or the man; because one is not responsible for what he inevitably docs, or is compelled to do, or ex necessitate rei does, as my honored brother, of such superior logi cal, philosophical, metaphysical acu men, so very well knows. 1 shall simplv, for the pre-enl, con tent myself with turning the formid able battery of that grand old Epic Poet who mav serve as a suitable month-piece for Divine Inspiration against him, if he means the opposite, ;.. ..x i.,o- that, bv that "simple till ... i.:..i. i... liimnin soul, by Adams llllliai w.v, knowledge of evil, away from the i.inne of Adam's holiness, and towards world cursed by Adam's sin. ami therefore iieceBsaniv a world of temp tation ; and thus giving H an inclina tion towards temptation," the soul, "in the very nature of things sins inevit ably." He will at once '. ecogni.c, and with good grace, surrender, to the il lustrious hero and poet immortal : t .nmle him iust and right, Sufficient to iAa' stood, though-ee to Sotfrec, what proof could thev have iven sincere . Of true allegiance, constant iaith or Whenonlv what they need' ntwt do appeared, Vot what they vonid.' What prm-c could they receive . T-dcs and vain, of fr&idntn both t'es- 1 .1 Mad c p'issire, both had served mh S1TY, i?-;ti.'A,.t least impulse or shadow of 0J ' i. V," ? , , as authors to themselves J. 11- ' vs. -V- j--- j 1 1 "..ot thev indue, and what they , forinedlAcc, andVcc they Till tlSr themselves: I ek v-ivilsr .'..'.ll.uv; ... m t. r . t mi-.ito flic limn it an inciinauo?i toioa,rua oeuynu.- 'pheir nature, aim :'f ("italics just preceding, mine) ; decree, . .,,,,, ordaiiiM J, v :-flw.t fnrth-lwa: ' ."""'"" ',' ,.,,v(.s or wnzeh. says ne t'j - -j i Their itciow; uh-j in..- illustration:" :The fathers j dained their tail. ,c"l'1""- . ... ! .. . v.i...V ofl-siu'iiiir nrc ....r . uie oik i i no ii 1 1 . iir in; ii n -- --i have eaten sou. b'"i ' . ,... m- even, scripturally 'si mid l til I al.' and the chil- i ... i ...t . . .i. ...... u..t mi pi lire : .nm twCtinnos ho. "tho teeth como in I speaking, eonM-l-toly WOMAN'S MISSIONARY SOCIE TIES . Let them be organized in every con gregation wherever at all practica ble. It is one of the very best means for promoting the interest of the mis sionary cause. When ladies take hold of a matter of this kind, they mean work and do it. Encourage and assist them by all lawful means, and in every way that is proper and right. Our denomination is not np to the meas ure of its ability, nor even that of its duty, in regard to sending the gospel to the "regions beyond." We believe firmly iu the truth of Max Mailer's utterance: "A non-missionary Church munt die." It is so. It must die. It is only a question of time. It must die. And both ex perience and observation tell ns a Church prospers best when it does most for the spread of the gospel. There is .rood reason to hail the organization of h ... . -. : j:.:..- the "Woman s .viissionaiy nutmu.-. n an omen of better day? to ear Church. Let such societies increase and multiply. St Zouis Advocate. I-r is stated in an exchange that a mail wbo could not pray publicly, on ac count of an impediment, built a neat bouse of worship, at.an expense ol fl,- (KK.I to eompcnsiiir; " -- ' . -a,.- 1 ll.nl , 1. nilll si i v . . . . . . . hope others similarly amicieu win um low his noble example. To this we add i scene in a (Quarterly toincn-mu, i. Tim ''nirii.iv" upon mere injmn.i. t.vj ni.estion was up, the money counnti 1 . t n iill lnfi.T and apporiioncii, ..... remained. One brother proposed that those present pay the amount, ns it was just live dollars each. To this an other brother objected on account of nnfairnes. Said he " superintended the Stndav-sehool, often led the prayer meeting, and ought not to be required to pav as much as the others." A brother responded by paying the ex trii rive dollars and saying.' I can tpray, l williiiif Io make it good iu omersaultcd by i paym --w" -"mm