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jsiralj}tni Christian MACON. GA., JANUARY sth., 1866. ONE MORE YEAR. Anew year is just before us. Not only is it opening before us but also for us, that it may further the good purposes of God in our behalf and thus advance us into near er communion with Himself. Providence has no better servant than Time. Always watchful orer its schemes, faithful to its aims, and- reverent toward its spirit, Time is ever busy in giving some new demonstra tion of its infinite wisdom, some fresh to kens of its tenderness. In fulfilling this gracious office, Time has brought us another year, and hence, we may feel assured that it designs to offer us instances of God’s love and proofs of his mercy never before pre sented to our hearts. If it is certain that Time is God's servant, we may rest satisfied that it will do God’s work. Whatever else may fail, it will not fail to enlarge our views of truth and broaden the foundations of humble, grateful, obedient trust, if we listen to its teachings and walk meekly un der its guidance. The year renews itself. It comple'es its benificent course and starts again on tue game ministry. It never wearies in well doing, never lags or loiters in its prescribed path, never forgets whereunto it is called. January and July are just what they have always been. So are alt the months. They perform their tasks and return to them again at their appointed season. Thus should it be with Christian men. The mute religion in thiß orderly procedure of nature Should not be as an idle pageant, or even a sacramental show to the senses, but a liv ing power to engage our earnest sympathies, that, entering into its spirit, we may do likewise. At this auspicious period, we should renew ourselves. Faith should re assure itself by looking deeper into the promises*of God and finding ground for fuller joy. Hope should picture a blight er future because of the past. Prayer Bhould quicken its breathings. Hungering more, thirsting more, panting more, for the fulness of God, we shdhld enter upon the year as men renewed in the inner life. Oar views of duty thus enlarging, our plans of usefulness extending, our whole capacity to do and suffer becoming greater, we fulfill the purpose of our redeemed being, which is constant, thorough, progressive growth in the image of Christ our Lord. The new year opens anxiously to all hearts. Circumstances are such as to puzz’e our sa gacity and try our ccurage. Difficulties that we have never encountered before, are sternly confronting us, and the stoutest souls feel misgivings, as they calculate the accumulated contingencies of the future. Never in previous history, have we had so many uncertainties. Old experiences are obsolete, for we are in anew world, with cares and duties and trials hitherto un known. Like pioneers, we are called to find anew path, to build anew system of civilization, to construct an original plan of life and enterprise. But if the task is diffi cult, it is not impossible. Providence has given it to our hearls and hands, and in so doing, he has signified his confidence in our ability to execute the trust. God intends to help us. The means of help are strange ly multiplying; the spirit to work and suff er is awaking in our people; and the best sign of the times is, that amid so many dis couragements, we are struggling heroically to shape our affairs into conformity with the declared will of Providence. We have done much and we can do more. We have wrestled long and hard; we can Wrestle longer and harder. Our shoulders are being fitted to their burdens and our feet, once torn and bleeding, are pressing firmly the flinty road, they have been or dained to tread. The spectacle now pre sented by the Sou*h, —a whol6 people crush ed in all save their manhood and that man hood more illustrious than ever, —this spectacle is too sublime for envy to detract from its grandeur, or malignity to darken its lustre. There it stands, —from the Po ‘tomac to the Gulf and from the Atlantic to the Rio Grande, —there it stands, a silent testimony to the grace of God in the stead fast will and uncomplaining meekness of a vast community, dtelying upon Providence and using the means left in our grasp,—be lieving more in Christ and less in ourselves, —we may rest in the assurance that hindrances will turn to helpers, and all ob stacles further our progress. Let us enter, then, upon anew epoch. The old is dead. Let it die in our hearts If we seek God’s strength, we can make a new year. But to do this, we must make ourselves new men. If we have new pur poses and aims, the year will indeed be new and all things new with its blessed advent. Advertising. For the present, we must depend very considerably, upon advertising patronage. We call upon all business men, in every city and town, to which we go, to help us In this matter. We want advertisements from the North Bind South, the East and West. The adver tisers will receive benefit; but, we frankly confess, the subscribers will receive as much; for the prosperous merchant and man of business will be aiding us, in giving a pa per to the public at a price that places it within reach of almost every poor family in the country. This we hold to be one of the most laudable undertakings we have ever engaged in ; and we feel no hesitancy in calling for help. Will the preachers be pleased to bring this subject bes ore their members, who are engaged in business, and get us what help they can in advertisements. THE METHODIST ECONOMY. THE CHANGES PR P )SED —DI CUSSION OP PRIN CIPLE3. We purpose wiiting a series of articles, respecting the changes proposed in the economy o e Methodism. , “ Tnere are two methods of treating the subject. One is, for the wiiter to draw on his experience—or what he believes to be his experience—and observation, and un der a strong bias.to his own opinions, to look here only for reasons for or against changes. The experience of any one man is of too narrow scope to make it reliable. Experience, too, is contradictory. Oar di verse experiences can find no comnym platform, where opinion? will harmonize Observation wears colored glasses—each man’s perhaps, of ad fferent hue—and we cannot always see the clear truth through them. Nothing is more apt to lead to the logical fallacy of non causa pro causa—at tributing undeniable laet3 to the wrong cause—than thus drawing upon limited in dividual observation for the reasons for general and widespread revolutions or changes of opinion in Church or State.— These are invariably—we may say, necessa rily—the result of agencies, that no one man in many places, nor even all men, in brief periods of time, can have observed. We therefore reject this method of treating the subject m hand. Another and better method is to recur to first principles; for when men can be brought to agree as to principles, if they honestly seefc the same end, they will draw together as to policy. We suppose, what ever difference of opinion there may be among Methodists, as to our future policy, the end sought is the same—the growth of the Church for the glory of God. It is some times intimated that the advocates of change are worldly m'uded, somewhat fal len from grace, pandering to a degenerate age and a corrupt world We hope no controversialist in these columns will so much as hint such a c lumny. It would be unworthy any brother, who has sense enough to write a respectable article. The Church and its M aster are dear to us all, and we are all seeking its good and His glory—honestly too, we will venture to as sert. If we can agree upon principles, we may not differ much as to p olicies. There fore we prefer to recur to first principles in treating the subject in hand. We hope to be heard patiently and to the end, through ' several articles, before sentence be passed upon our opinions. The controversy—if such it be—now opening, has reference to the ministry and the church; and one of its prominent phases is, tfier lation the M.nistry sustains to the Church, and more particularly, to a church or congregation. To get at the bot tom of this question, we must fi st learn what are the functions of the ministry. The minister’s work is : 1, aggressive; 2, conservative. It is aggressive in it3 nature. The min ister’s first commission is, “go into all the world and preach the gospel.” He is to attack and extirpate sin, in every form. He is to seek to do this every where, in “every creature.” It is not enough that he preach here and there, at widely separa ted localities where all things are favorable. He must cover the whole field—leave no barren deserts stretching out between cul tivated regions—no dark spots outsider the illuminated circle. He must not wait till hearers gather around him—but must seek the wandering sheep and “bring them in” from highways and hedges. Methodism did not originata in an effort to send the gospel where it was not preach ed ; but, in the very midst of a church, it grew out of the attempt of its awakened ministry to do this very work of covering the entire field. It sought the outcasts under the very shadow of the temple, and mvited them to its courts; and to this day, Wesleyan Methodism in England does not aspire to the full dignity of the Mother Church, but counts itself rather an adjuvant in its labors. But Methodism also went “into the regions beyond.” Thus was it transplanted to Arherica; and it has ever existed here, notwithstanding its changed relations, encumbered—3hall we not say ? by much of that machinery with which it began its movements, a society in the Church of England—not as a Church itself. On this continent Methodism found many people, but few preachers. Its message was new to multitudes. It raised up a min istry from the people; and they have per formed the aggressive work of the church, more generally, we believe all men con cede, it not more thoroughly than any oth er church. It has preached over, if not through, the land. It has trod every where upon the heels of the pioneer. It has scat tered the seed of the kingdom far and wide. It has opened the way for other churches, and perhaps for a half century or more no preacher of another name has raised a con gregation h\xl within the circuit or mission of some Methodist preacher, who has been ahead SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. of him. Had Methodism held, as by right of discovery or preemption, all the terri tory it has been first to evangelise, there would now be scarce another church in the land. Had its work been as thorough as it has been extensive, it would be disturb ed by no such questions, as are now agi tated in its communion. We need not dwell here. Methodism is aggressive. This is its peculiarity —this has been jts glory. "As to its thoroughness—as to its covering the whole field where ag gression is drmanded, this is a question tor the future. We pass o% to consider 2. The conservative function of the min istry. The ground gained shouM be held. Aggression attacks sin and takes rebr-1 sin ners captive". They must now be turned into willing su'j cts; and for this there must be law, order, organization, discip line. It brings together the timber and the stones, and now these must be built in to the temple of the Lord— '‘edified" is the strikingly figurative word used by the scrip tures, in describing the future work of the ministry. Aggrcs ive work seeks the lost sheep and brings them into the fold ; con servative work ‘ feeds thefl ck”—or again, translating more literally, ( and coining an Ersgli-h word out of the Greek sense) shep herdizes or pastorates the fl >ck ; —her.ee the evangelist, who has brought the “goed news,” and gathered the fl ck, becomes to it, or must be followed by, the pastor. It is sometimes fashionable to extol the £ preacher’s labors and to decry those of the pastor, as though they were diverse. Now, we shall do neither. This contrast or com parison of preaching with pastoral work, grows out of the false notion that evangel izing is the principal function of the minis try, while edifying the church is a secon dary function. But we must find the place assigned to each function in the New Tes tament ; for to this arbiter all must come at last. Evangelism must go before edifying. It is first in the order of time, but not of importance. The “preacher”—in the sense used by those whose views we now arraign —the aggressive function—was represen ted in the primitive church by the “apos tles and evangelists,” who left no succes sors under those designations. “E ders, pasiors and teachers” or “bishops” repre senied those who now perform pastoral functions. In early days, there were none to be “edified” or “f and,” till the work of the apostles and evangelists was done. They must find congregations. They did it. Their novel and wonderful message, “turning the world upside down,” did it.— Just so it was among the outcasts to whom Methodism first preached—just so, in the wilds of America. But it is not every preacher, now a days, who can do this. The message is are familiar with it, and gospel-hardened ; and in most places but few, except “the flock” itself, wait on the ministry. Dues any one believe that half the people in our land hear two ser mons a year? We do cot; and if not, it is because they will not—for the preacher is within reach of well-nigh all. He has h's church—his pulpit, but they stay away. Then the preacher must perform pastoral work in the pu'pit es well as out of it—that is, must ‘ feed the flock,” in his ministra tions there, or else he overlooks the great er part of his hearers, and wastes his strength upon a little handful out of the vast world of sinners, who do not come within the sound of his voice. So the preacher is a pastor—preaching is one form of pastoral work. If he does not “edify” the church, he is pronounced unfit for the ministry. Why then should we laud preaphing and deprecate pastoral labors, when much preaching in this day is pasto ral—not aggressive. A good preacher has one of the best elements of a good pastor— he can feed the fl ick from the pulpit. He, too, can make aggression upon the world from the pulpit, if it will come within his reach. But what if it does not ? Must he leave feeding the flock, and go out evangelizing, making aggression, or must he continue to edify the church and leave the world to itself ? The latter he cannot do. He is sent to “every creature.” The former he cannot do; for the flock must be fed—the church be edified. How can thex>ne minister perform suc cessfully both functions of the ministry— “evangelizV every where, go into all the waste places—cover the entire field—find hearers where there are no congregations spontaneously assembling—fill every dark corner with light? How shall he do all this and, at the same time feed the flock—edify the Church? Lot us turn to the apostoli cal pattern, and answer this momentous question in another number. STATISTICS, M. E. CHURCH, (NORTH.) The General Minutes of this Church, ac cording to the Advocate & Journal for the past year, give the number of members 929,250 —being an increase daring the year of 939 memoer3. The number of deaths reported is 13,116; of baptisms, 39 150, adults, and, 32 891 children t of travel ing preachers, there are 6 014 294 supernumerary, and 867 superannuated, making a total of 7 175, which is an in crease of 354. The 100 vl chers number. 8,493, an increase of 288. Tne report of Church property, we think, must be defec tive somewhere. The Minutes for 1864 re- ported an increase of 585 churches during that year. For 1865, the number reported is 10 041, an advance of only 26, which is very far below the fact. The parsonages number 3 143, an increase of 194. Tne to tal value of this Church property is estima ted at $31,147 233 which is $4 263 157 more than last year. Os this increase $2,968 992 is set down to the additional value of the churches, which would ind cate a much greater addition to their number than is reported. The benevolent contributions show a large advance in every department, in the aggregate cont-id:rably more than one-fifth. For conference claimants was ra'sed $93,149 ; for the Missionary Society, $602,064; for Sunday School Union, $19,- 068 ; for Tract Society, $22 322 ; for A me* riean B ble Society, slOl 743. In the San day School department there is an increase of 795 schools, 5.224 officers and teachers, and 72 024 scholars, but a falling off in the number of volumes in the libraries. CENTENARY OF METHODIBM The M. E. Church, North, is making ex tensive arrangements lor celebrating the Centennial of Methodism -of its introduc tion on this continent. The General Cen tenary Committee, recently held a special meeting in New York, and adopted the tol loving outline for contribu\ions to “C n nectional ” objects. Resolved, I. That if any contributors desire to specify the precise objects of their Centenary subscriptions in whole or in part, it shall be open to them to name the so lowing objects, namely : (1) The Centenary Educational Fund. (2) The Garrett Biblical School at Evanston. (3) The Methodist General Biblical Institute at Concord, to be removed to the vicinity of Bos ton. (4) A Biblical Institute in the Eastern Middle States. (5) A Biblical Institute in Cincinnati or vicin ity. (6) A Biblical Institute on the Pacific coast. But contributions to these three last objects (4, 5, and 6) shall be retained and managed by the Centenary Educational Board till assured that enough has been actually raised from other sources to make the aggregate amount, includ ing the connectional contributions to those re spective objects, not less than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in each case. The erection ofCentenary Missionary build ings for the Mission House at New York. (8) The Irish Connectional Fund. , (9) The Biblical School at. Bremen, Germany. (10) The Chartered Fund. (Such sums as contributors may desire to appropriate in that way to the support of worn out preachers, their widows and orphans.) 2 That all the unspecified funds raised through out the Church, and also all sums specifically contributed for the “Centenary Educational Fund, ” be placed in the hands of a Board, to be appointed as provided in a subsequent resolu tion, to be called the Centenary Connectional Edacational Board of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 3. That the said Board shall securely invest the entire principal funds, and shall appropriate the interest only from time to time at their discre tion, to the following purposes, and none other, namely: a. To aid young men preparing for the foreign missionary work of the Methodist Episcopal Church. b. To aid young men preparing for the minis try of the Methodist' Episcopal Church. These two objects to be reached through the Mission ary Society, the bishops, and such educational societies of the Church as may be approved by the Board. c. To the aid of the two Biblical ar Theologi cal Schools now in existence, and of such others as may, with the approval of the General Con ference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, hereafter be established. and. To the aid of universities, colleges, or acad emies now existing under the patronage of the Church, or which may hereafter be established. Provided , 1. That no appropriation shall be made by the Board at any time for building purposes, either for Biblical schools, or for uni versities, colleges, or academies 2. That no university, college, or academy not now in existence shall be aided by the Board, unless the Board shall first have been consulted, and shall have approved of the establishment and organization of such institution. The religious character of the proposed cele bration was emphasized as its great and prim ary feature. To provide for some degree of uni formity in these services, the General Committee made two designations, presuming that addition al services and the details of these will be or dered by the pastors and local committees. Resolved , 1. That the first Sabbath of Jan uary, 1866, be observed as a day of religious service for the especial purpose of asking God’s blessing upon the centenary year. 2. That the last Sunday of October be obser ved as a day of religious services, and that the Central Committee prepare and publish a pro c'amation and programme in reference to the ob servance of the day. The Advocate and Journal says farther: The action and expressions of the General Committee, and of the members of the Central Committee, are all indicative of the most en couraging anticipations of the centenary move ment. The work is designed to permeate the whole of our Church organization. While our Church officiaries and chief members will be ex pected to direct the work, and do the most of it, the arrangements contemplate the active co-op eration of the children through the Sunday ashools, and of the ladies by special associations of their own. The prevailing conviction seemed to be that the pecuniary contributions will be of unprecedented liberality, so that instead of the aggregate sum of two millions of dollars, which has been named as the minimum to be raised, twice that, amount should be expected, and the least sum that the members of our Zion will lay down, at once a thank-offering for past mercies and an earnest act of consecration of treasures for the promotion of Christ’s kingdom. We hear of proposed subscriptions to the cente nary funds which, when announced, will by their magnitude, surprise and gladden the whole Church. We confidently expect that the year of our centenary will be more glorious to the Church than any that has preceded it in all our annals. Collinsworth INSTITUTE.—This institu tion offers to the publio admirable facili ties for a good scholastic training. We commend its advertisement to notice. THE ADVOCATE IN ALABAMA. We had hoped to get an offer before the Montgomery and Mobile Conferences, that would have induced them to adopt this pa per as their organ. Both Conferences re solved to sustain the Advocate; but they both seek their organ in New Orleans. When the Georgia Conference appoint ed a committee to consider the condition of the Advocate, it soon became ap arent, that some strenuous effort must be made in ils behalf. It was still going forward with a very sm all subscription list and must be publii-hed now at a dead loss, or wait until the mails were re-established. But the Conference thought it ought not to be suspended. J. W. Burke & Cos., had made proposals to the S. C. Conference to bear the present loss and publish the paper con-, tinuously, on certain conditions. The S. C. Conference referred the question to its Delegates to the General Conference. Bat the Georgia'Conference committee felt that the delay was haz lrdous. Before that body niert the means of the paper weuld be ex hausted. They therefore called up these proposals, amended them, and asked J. W. Burke & Cos., to accept them, and carry on the paper. This was agreed to by that film ; aud the Florida Conference—like wise interested in the paper—readily con sented to the terms made. Among the conditions is one that other Conferences may be invited to hold an interest in the paper, similar to that held by. the Confer ences originally owning it. The benefit to be derived from this interest, was a share in the prefits of the paper, after the sub scription list had reached a certain definite number,., at which it was believed the publishers would be remunerated for their outlay. Besides this, the preachers of all the Conferences adopting this paper as their organ, were to receive a copy without charge for their services as its agents, as those of the three patron’zing Conference now do. We made every possible effort, by mail, express end telegraph, to get these propo sitions to the Conferences in Alabama, and to make this offer to them But we failed, and thereby lost the official relation to these Conferences; but, we trust, not their good will and patronsg . We are persuaded, that if the brethren in Alabama will speak a good word for the Advocate and endeavor to get us subscribers we shall get many a ore in that State. The same may be said of Mississippi. That Conference met be fore the arrangement was made, or a simi lar offer would have been made to that body. It may be set down to contracted views, but we must assert our belief, that the probability ip, there will be too many pa pers in our Church to allow either one of them to become what a newspaper should be. We have had much experience in newspaper publishing ; and we are unwill ing to pledge such a paper, in form, style and quality, a? those now issued from Northern presses, with fewer than ten thou sand subscribers. This number we strike for, before tlYs year closes. We trust every preacher, who wants to see a first class pa per in our church, will exert himself to help us get that number. That number reached, we shall have a profit to divide with the patronizing Conferences. REJUVENATING. This week the old Advocate renews its youth. Its old friends will, beyond doubt, be glad to see it. We hopefully anticipate their approval, and, as a result, a wide extension of patronage by additions to our subscription list, and by a liberal share of advertising. Let us, too, congratulate our subscribers, that now at last—after many broken pledges in past life to that effect—the Advocate of this week compels them to “turn over a new leaf,”—or they will find it impossible to profit by all its instructions. May the profit grow with every added page ! That department of the Advocate devoted most especially to secular matters The Mirror of ihe Times— will be in competent hands, and we hope, by indefatigable in dustry and research and extensive corres pondence, to give our readers the best ab stract of news, reports of the markets, gen eral intelligence and miscellany to be found in any paper in this Southern land. And yet we must again say, that patron age is necessary, or we cannot do all we have promised. Will a generous publio give us this patronage ? Mr C. Canning.,— lt is gratifying to us, and wdl doubtless be so to his many friends in the South Carolina Conference and else where, to be able to state that this gentle man, so long connected with the Advocate, again Us charge of its typographical dea partment. This assures our readers a hand some sheet. — - Winnsboro’ Female Institute, (S. C.,) is under the control of Riv. A. G. Stacy, A. M., Principal, with several accomplished in structors assisting. It is intended that th institution shall rank with the best Female Colleges. See advertisement. Look out for a Cross mark. —Those who find a mark (thu-i X) upon their paper are notified thereby that their subscription for three months is nearly expired. We hope they will renew again, for we are unwilling to lose a single subscriber. nov3o-4w