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March 3, 1909. T! "THE CONFESSION OF FAITH." Some time ago a Baptist minister asked the writer to send him a copy of The Confession of Faith. The request was complied with, and the following letter was received, "Dear Brother B., The book received and I am delighted with its form and contents. I do not see how it can be so good without being a little hotter. I shall ereatlv eniov reading and studying it. It is a good and great Confession. Those who have it in their minds and hearts are' great?a great people. Thank you so much for sending me the book, and for such a small consideration. God bless you! "Sincerely, R. E. P." The writer knows this good brother to be a man who has read almost every book, worth reading, that he could lay hands on. He is a man, figuratively speaking, who reads on his knees. He mingles with the common people and. lives in the woods, but for all this he is a great man, broad minded and Christ-spirited. We are not surprised that a Baptist minister should be delighted with The Confession, and less surprised that this man should be. The thing that surprises us is that some socalled Presbyterians advocate changing this Confession; as wo go about, surprised that so many Presbyterians have never read it. Observe, he says that he is "delighted with its form and contents." There is a suggestion and hint to us in this statement; viz, we Presbyterians will experience the same pleasure, if we secure a copy and use it. It is simply an "eye opener." The Confession of Faith will never cease to be interesting uo avsii^ ao i cau tut; diuic. as we read the compliment he pays us we experience a deep sense of humility and a deeper sense of shame. He says, "It is a great Confession, and. the people that believe it are a great people." When we think of the greatness of the Confession we ought to bo greater than we are. The fault is not in the book, but lies in Ignorance respecting the book. He regards rightly the cost of the bock a "small consideration," and yet there are people who are so inconsiderate of their soul's interest as not to even own a copy of the finest commentary ever made on the Bible. Many think, and think foolishly, that this book is out of date, but it Is not so, for multitudes are reading it. Any Presbyterian who has to confess that he, or she has never read this book ought to hang his head in shame; for all the Presbyteria^ism in the world, worth the name, is ombodied in it. We believe there are, at least three books that will be in use when the last day conies; namely, the Bible, Confession of Faith and Immortal Pilgrims' Progress. Many may remidiate The Con fession of Faith while the heathen rage against creeds, but the time will come wnen men will, in their religious confusion confounded, ask, "To whom shall we go?" Then they will be only too glad to lay hands upon an almost inspired exposition of the Scriptures. The writer never saw the Confession, he regrets to say, until he was a man, HE PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU I LUZIANNI High Quality, Low Price?I SK ^ ||^1ANN( , believe 1 fee on ^ ? / I H THE REILY-TAYLOR C never saw a Shorter Catechism until he was nearly grown, but since that time they have been a constant companion. It was the beautiful consistency that a rank infidel saw in it that wrung from his lips the reluctant confession that it was the only thing that moved him God-ward. It does not require a very strong intellect to see the wisdom of God displayed in the silence both in the Bible and Confession upon the subject of the universal salvation of all infants. Alas! some people try to be wiser Than God. The poorest business a man ever eugugea in is an attempt to derenil God's character?to justify him. President McKinley was true to his convictions when he said that the Presbyterians ought not to change that book, which in his judgment was the clearest exposition of divine truth. We would kindly suggest that those who want a change in the Confession withdraw from the orthodox body, and fix up one to suit themselves, but just let us alone; for in the end they will have to do It. The Confession will have a multitude of friends, and if needs be lYifll'tvrO ha Inner oo *V*rv Olivia t- *",AU ? ? u?.v.u, >.a iuiid u J Hie U1UIC IS Willi US. "The word of the Lord abldeth forever." E. C. B. UP THIS WAY.By Dr. L. P. Bowen. An exile loves to be in touch with kindred souls through the columns of the delightful Presbyterian of the South. The other day we shook hands with a fellow-wanderer, our nearest ministerial neighbor. Rev. S. R. Wasson, of Princess ' Ann, Md., pastor of another of the original Makemie churches, and I noticed in his other hand a copy of aforesaid Presbyterian. Both of us were breathing the Southern breezes. Will the solid array of editors let the writer say that he has never read a more admirable salutatory than that which illuminated these pages at the start?clear cut, conservative, wholesome? We have been curious to locate the draftsman, worthy of either one or of all. Some of us were somewhat loath to see the good 'Southwestern printed In smaller type, hut we felt the merger safe. What a power the united papers ought to be 'TH. 25 SB L COFFEE I )ouble Strength, Fine Flavor * VIRGINIA TESTIMONY Ml io not hesitate to say that we M Luzianne to be the best cof- % he market, and we doubt if M equal." W ff, Andrews 6c Thomas, ^ Wholesale Grpcers, Roanoke, Va. ^ b. can ' ' 25 cts. O., New Orleans, U. S. A. ?and an anchor. If your Confession of Faith is to be tampered with?any mutilations or addenda contemplated?suppose you get that Salutatory inserted! ^ We are expecting happily to have your Dr. Hillhouse, of Vicksburg, visit us and occupy the old reliable pulpit, the mother-church of both Assemblies, on the last Sabbath of this month. Another Southern zephyr. We will also stand together by the imposing Makemie Monument on Holden's Creek, Va. There In its picturesque solitude, dressed in Genevan gown, the Bible in one hand and the other raised in benediction, the statue faces his first and favorite charge at Rehoboth, ten miles away, the spot w litre ne landed on the Pocomoke in 1683?the entire monument very handsome and very impressive. Last year this, my native county, was carried for local option by over 2,000 majority?the most decisive vote we have heard of anywhere?and the law is well enforced. One of Mr. Wright's effective climaxes was his declaration that since prohibition went into operation, eighteen months ago, "the scream of a woman from the black fiends bad not been heard in Georgia." Our only criticism upon the worthy crusades in these latitudes was of a little too much enthusiasm and activity on the part of good ministers in manipulating the campaigns?nolitienitv ov?iinii leading processions, etc., and thereby alienating parishioners and dividing congregations. A minister in Missouri who had failed for awhile to distinguish between Gospel temperance and ballot'box ' temperance, said to me afterwards?"i lost more influence for Christ than I gained for temperance." There It is In a nutshell, and there your Salutatory comes in. It is puzzling how excellent clearheaded people fail to differentiate be iwtu'n me puipit and the huskings?between what is to be rendered to Caesar and to God?between the commissioned' Gospeler and the politician. Even the Southern Presbyterian church, built squarely upon these logical distinctions, finds some of her disciples now and then a little muddled. The long-time concubinage of church and state dies bard. May your flag never be furled!