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TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS. PER IST ISTUIvI. VOLUME XLI., NO. 4. (Driqhd |!octi|. ON IIEAKING V SEMI-UENTENNIAL SKIOION 12TII DKCKMBF.R, 1*77. Fifty years of hopes and fears. Fit*/ ye >rs of watching, weeping. Fifty ye: rs of prayers and tears. Fifty yr' of sowing, reaping! oh ! how long how long ago, since they celled thee “the boy preacher.” Sir-ee, when, in life's morning glow. Mod did send thee, forth, a teacher Of iii blessed g 'pel truth Tbou, by word -and actions, showing. Though, thou in thy verdant youth, y r thy St *♦. that *ru!h wast knowing. Thy ? '-i t hair of sunny brown— Round thy neck in clusters curling; On thy iir, youth’ silken down When thoi; v ast the flag unfurling. That same flag, that to this day, \V !tii unwearied /.aal thou’rt waviug, Now, thy head w’.th years is grey. The battle and the breeze that’s braving. With the lire of ardent youth, Thou donned, nil!, thy proven armor. To contend for God’s own truth. With zeal, with ago that grows the warmer. Hug old the Lainb! Boh dd tho Lamb! With undiu.inished power, still, crying Wuile trusting, that most precious Name i.e even gasped, by thee, in dying. Go on for a little while Longer, proclaim tho cro's’s story; 77- l a, re-*t from thy care and *oi!^. 77m ,i, t ru er tire pearl-gates of glory. Then draw near the Great white Throne, 1 <i bio ti wa hod robes, all white and shining. Thy Lord n i l haii thee, as his own. At his right hand thy place assigning. On thy head he’ll place a crown. With thousand thousand stars resplendent, Tho saved by thee—then down, AViih thousand saints on Him attendant. Thoul’t bow before his feet, and cry, "Glory, forever and fore , or. To Him who rules and reigns on high !” Of glory, and of grace the giver. ■rv c&santzamk .. Contributions. SUGGESTIONS FOlt PRESERVING THE PC KIT V A.\l I SITV OK EPISCOPAL SETHOOISK. The unparalleled success of Methodism here has been the wonder oi all. In a little over one hundred years, it has numbered its convert- by millions. This result has been due to its doctrines, its usages, and its itine rancy; to the inspired zeal of its preachers, and the holy liviug of its members. Its doc trines, usages, an ! itinerancy have demon strated their scriptural authority and won derful adaptation to the whole work of evan gelism ; ihe zeal and purity of its ministry and lai'y have attested that, from the begin ning, it has had the divine sanction. .1 edged by its converts to the cross of Christ —their numbers, their station in life, their conse oration to Got, their devotedness to Christ and the Church their love for souls, their mi-si mar,' tire, and their zeal to preach the gospel to the poor and bear the glad tidings of salvation “into the regions beyond' I —it. has proved Us heavenly birth, its apostolic mi-sion, it a peutecostal power, and its right to be considered the most efficient organized means ordained ot God for the conversion of §ottlJtertf Cferisllii IMiwafe* Let thereby an Ecumenical Conference — using the word Ecumenical for distinction sake—composed of an equal number of del egates from the respective General Confer ences, to be presided over by the Bishops of the respective General Conferences who shall be, ex officio, members of the Ecumenical Conference- Let the Ecumenical Conference have origi nal jurisdiction over all questions affecting our Articles of Religion, General Superin tendency, Itinerancy, and General Kules. Let it have no power to revoke, alter, or change, our Articles of Religion. And be fore any change can be made in our General Superintendency, Itinerancy, and General Rules, such change must originate in, and pass, the Ecumenical Conference by a two thir fa vote, and afterwards be confirmed by ail the General Conferences. Let the General Conferences be held, the same year, quadrennially; and let the Ecu menical Conference be held quadrennially the year before the sessions of the General Conferences. Let the Ecumenical Conference have ex clusive jurisdiction over all Foreign Mis sions ; and let it assess the sums to be raised for Foreign Missions upon the Geneial Con ferences. Let the Board of Foreign Missions, elected by the Ecumenical Conference, beot an equal number from the respective General Con ferences. Let the secretary, or secretaries, of For eign Missions be elected by the Ecumenical Conference quadrennially ; and let the sec retaries be ex officio, members of the Board, Let there be but one Book Concern, wilh as many Branches, or Depositories, as the Ecumenical Conference may determine, there being, at least, one Branch, or Depos itory, for each General Conference ; and let the Ecumenical Conference have exclusive jurisdiction over the Book Concern and its Branches. Let the Book Editor, and the Agent, or Agents of the Publishing House, and those of its Branches, be elected quadrennially by the Ecumenical Conference; and let the Book Editor, and the Agents of the Book Concern be, ex officio, members of the Pub lishing House Board. Let the Board of, the Publishing House, and the Boards of the respective Branches, be elected quadrennially by the Ecumenical Conference. Let the Board of the Publishing House be composed of an equal number from the re spective General C inferences Let the Boards of the respective Branches be taken from the respective General Con ferences in which the said Branches are lo cated. I, tno book be published by the Book Concern, or its Branches, with the imprima tur of the Ecumenical Conference, unless it has been approved by the Board of the Book Concern. Let the profits of the Book Concern and its Branches be appropriated as the Ecumen ical Conference, by a two-thirds vote, may direct. Let there be but one Hymn Book for all, said Hymn Book to be prepared and adopted by a commission appointed by the Ecumeni PUBLISHED BY J. W. BURKE & COMPANY, FOR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH. FILLS IN PROSE AND POETRY.—So “ Liberal Views.” The world has had its various ages—the golden—the iron, and the brazen. What shall we term this in respect of religion and theology. It. seems to be an amalgam of all the others, with the brazen element predomi nating. It is the composite, or pudding stone age. It is the India rubber age of free thought and latitudinarianism. “Free con science and thinkers’ rights” is the motto now. “ Liberal Views!” How this caption at the head of a religious article captivates the eye! 1 confess I rather like it I like freedom— freedom in capitals. It’s a capi tal idea freedom from oppression aud tyranny. How the nations have fought for it! Our pilgrim and puritan fathers ( fought and bad for it. The angels in Hea ven fought for it, according to Milton. Adam and Eve wanted more of it. Israel wanted jnore of it in the wilderness, when they worshipped the golden calf. Free dom of thought and conscience! Luther and John Knox suffered for it. The martyrs died for it, and “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” And now we reap the harvest. Glorious liberty! It is the heritage of the present age. How the world revek in it! We have its saturnalia —its jubilee—its grand culmination upon us. “Westward the star of liberty makes its way.” All hail freedom of thought! We take off our hat and say—“all hail, glorious godlike reason, and sublime science! Avaunt —to the rear—faith and the Old Fashioned Bible! li-etieat ye hosts of the Lord, and the noble army of patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, and your Master the Captain of our salvation and the Teacher sent from God, as He is vainly called 1 Away with Him 1 Bring forth not “the royal diadem” to crown Him Lord—but the crown of thorns, and the reed, and the mock robe3, and the cross; —is not this the carpenter’s son ? Is He “the way — the truth—and the life?” Fie upon it! Doctrines of Christ! what are they but dog mas and fables ? Fundamental truths ? Bah— intolc-rubie —fundamental trash! Orthodoxy? Is that “the faith once delivered to the saints?” let it be delivered to the winds— the waves—the flames! Lift up your heads ye everlasting doora, and iet free thought, aud philosophy, and reason, come in! Be thou exalted ch science, and be thou en throned oh philosophy, and be thou deified oh reason! and speak thou unto ns, oh great oracle! and heed not those who persecute thee, saying—“Reason run mad—sacrile gious and profane!” Say and keep saying— “l do swear by the Lord Jesus Christ—by His groans—by His tears of agony —by the wounds in His side that it is impossible,” that they have gone to hell. “That kind of a heaven, with such a demoniac head, is a kind of heaven I do not want.” Lift up your heads ye scientists, on the one hand, and deny the existence of a spirit ual God, and of a spiritual immaterial soul, because forsooth by the scalpel, and the crucible, and electrode, and chemical analy sis, you have never found the subtle essence; and you rationalists, on the other hand, scout the doctrine of a material —-local hel!—give it a name, but no local habitation —let it have only a name — ”stat umbra nominis Let MACON, GEORGIA, TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1878. prospect ot damnation for the wicked is an alarming one, and they clutch at any straw that gives them a hope of escape from it. ’ How can he write so! Who’s afraid? Hell’? a chimera —a myth—a parable—a fable ! It anybody doubts it read Math. xiii. 36, 42: 47, 50: and Math. v. 21, 30. True, Christ was preaching a sermon but he told fables in sermons, and here he interprets fables by fable s, of course, and not by matters of fact. It is folly to be afraid of fables. As for me \ am not afraid, for “I do swear” —I am on the side of the biggest Canon, (cannon) as Napo leon said of Providence and the biggest armies. I am for Paul —for Jesus Christ, oh no —I mean I am for free thought, Farrar, and Frothingham. lam for progress and science and “the march of intellect”—for “Liberal Views”—“Free conscience and thinker’s rights”—for expansion and India rubber. Hitherto my theology has found expression in this sentiment —“we are the circumcision who worship God, rejoice in Jesus Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh”—in Paul, Peter, Apollos, or anybody else’s flesh; but now if you please, I am with all heretical sinners falsely so called; lam for “the world and the flesh,” and against hell, and the devil. lam now “rectus in curia,” and let it be written of on the docket of the Church “ retraxit /” And now if ybu would know in further on this subject; Mr. Editor, —here they are in verse — THERE’S NO HELL. BY W. P. R. What’s the matter in Westminster? Orthodox’s doom and knell! Canon Farrar's turned against her— Hark his thunders roll and swell! 4 Canon must surely convince her — There’s no hell. Hark the echo—fear and wonder ! Beecher’s cannon-shoLs must tell; Beecher never makes a blunder, Brooklyn loves the powder well; There's no sulphur in his thunder— There’s no hell. Let flie little guns surrender ! Who can those great guns excel ? Orthodoxy! who’ll defend her— Who will ring her tocsin-hell ? For despite all aid you lend her — There’s no hell. Preachers, talk no more of battle— Yield the ground—no more rebel! With your email arms’ idle rattle, You can ne’er the foe repel; Cease your preaching and your tattle Of a hell! Idle dogma!—wise men know it. Though the priest may ring it out; Progress and free thought will blow it, "Higher than a kite”—no doubt! Yes we know it—blow it—blow it! Hell’s burnt out! Oh ye Churches—cease your braying— Founding sin as with a mall! There’s no use of preaching—praying. There’s no hell for sin at all ; Oh believe the gospel—saying •Heaven’s for all!” Shout ye long deluded sinners ! Scout all laws and all police ! Sinners are the only winners— Let all fears of judgment cease ! Plunge in crime ye young beginners— All is peace! Sing ye sinners of the nation ! C.itthroat?, robbers, debauchees. Ghouls of human incarnation, Burn and kill—do what you please ! | JleaUacgf, UvsnenGnHi- -....H some learned men to prepare anew revi -visionof the Bible, which, divided into chap ters and verses, is called the Bishop’s Bible. In thirty years it was printed in as many editions. Kinq; James’, or the English Bible, now in coin mo i use, was decided upon at the Hamp ton Court Conference in ]i>o:> and printed in 1611. The 47 learned men who made the revision, had before them all the former translations, as well as the original Hebrew and Greek, from which to make the revision. The main design was to have a Bible without “ note or comment, and to correct the or thography to correspond with the improve ment of the language. The Bible we have cost not only the life of the Son of God, but the life-long toil of many of the greatest minds the world ever pro duced, and cost the lives of many not men tianed in this brief history. How then should we apprecia’e the Bible in the English lan guage—our present version ? New nan, Ca. W. A. Parks. FOUR CATECHISMS, AND FOUR BOOKS of ixsmiiruK. Thisis an age of book making. The Church in this respect is doing but little for the per manent enlightment of either her ministry or membership. Our Sunday-school method of instruction is not satisfactory. Our the ology costs more than the masses of the peo ple are able to purchase—Wesley’s Sermons; Clark’s, Benson’s, and Summers' Commen taries, Watson’s Institutes, Watson’s Dic tionary, Fletcher’s works, etc. Our young preachers have not the means to buy, nor the time to read so many books ; and besides all this, no man can obtain from our stand ard writings a clear and well defined idea of the real doctrines of the Methodist Church, as believed and preached by the men of tiiought of this day. Mr. Wesley was to the Christian Church what Moses was to the Abrahamic Church. Mo3cs led the people where they could see the promised inheri tance; Mr. Wesley saw, and in doctrine and spirit entered in, but if he had attempted to c.-rry his Societies fully over into Meth odism, they would have remodeled the old Ojilvinistic calf, and all gone back to Egypt, oil'd left Mr. Wesley to possess the goodly laud alone. The great distinctive doctrines of Methodism are now clearly taught, and understood, by the more enlightened part of the ministry. The universality of the Atone ment, the possibility of the salvation of all m .n, the conscious freedom of the soul, and personal holiness, are our great distinctive doctrines. It is true these fundamental doc trines are taught in our standards, but much obscured by the old leaven of Geneva—origi nal am, effectual calling, and imputed right eousness, etc. We want four catechisms, setting forth in a simple, but clear light, our doctrines.— There esn be no permanent instruction of children without catechisms. We have good catechisms, but we want a properly digested series. Then the pastor of the Church could instruct the children of his charge. For instance: A is a member of the Church, of catechism No. 1,- B. is a member of the Church, of catechism No. 2, etc. If such a series of catechisms were | ' v >>[, gmfgafae Chnrch, private families, affliction; and finally, in the agonies of death he was not disappointed. We found him calm, recollected, peaceful. He commissioned the writer to bear to his brethren the last messages of his undying affection: “ When my name is called, tell the brethren I thought of them and prayed for them.” On ihe 17th of October he became worse, and it was evident that the catastrophe had at last come. He was ready, and in the midst of his family and friends tell asleep in Jesus. The beautiful lines of Sir Walter Scott describe the character of this good man : Far may we search before we find A heart so manly and so kind ; But not around his honored urn, Do friends alone, and kindred, mourn; The thousand eyes his care has dried Pour at his name a bitter tide: And frequent falls the grateful dew For benefits the world ne’er knew. If mortal charity dare claim The Almighty’s attributed name— Then write above his mouldering clay “ The widow's shield, the orphan’s stay.” [We have deeply regretted that, by some accident, this memoir failed to reach us in connection with the rest of the report of the Committee.—Ed.] OUR PASTOR. I do not propose, in thiß short article, to discuss the many duties connected with the pastorate, but would speak rather of the ob ligations resting upon the members of each charge. Success depends upon uuity of action. Where this element is lacking there is al ways more or less friction, and little Chris tian progress. Each member of the Church militant- must, in order to maintain an un impeachable character, colabor with his pas tor in the great work of saving souls. Deity demands, on the part of every convert, visi bilily. A demonstrative Christianity, whose exhibit is good works, is the demand of the nineteen!h century, and is the only true y/angelist. The great work to which the Church is called requires all her zeal, ener gy, ability. Prosperity at home, spiritual vigor, and an aggressive spirit, are essential to life abroad. The power of the Church as an evangelistJs measured by these, and her inefficiency may always be traced to their absence. The relationships that exist in the Church, and the reciprocal duties evolved therefrom are by Diviue appointment. The individual that ignores these severs his connection with God'B Church, comes in distinct an tagonism with the gospel of Christ, and for feits his privilege as a disciple. The heralds of the Cross are human. Our pastor needs the sympathy, prayers, love, and support of his entire charge. If these are withheld, his hands droop, his usefulness is circumscribed, and the enemy prevails. “Be ye fed and be ye clothed" constitutes no part of the Christian religion, but is char scteristic of antichrist. Our pastor must be supported. The Divine Legislator declares this truth when He asserts “the laborer is worthy of his hire.” Deity measures the capacity of all his creatures, and the standard to which each individual must attain, or suf fer loss, is the limit of pergonal ability. Out- CONSECRATION. Illustrated from the Bible. Verses by Francis Rid ley Haver gal. BY A. L. HYDE. Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee. But none of these things move me; neither count I my life dear unto my self. so tbat I might finish my course with Joy.—Acts xx. 24. Take my moments and my days. Let them flow in ceaseless praise. In holiness and righteousness be fore Him all the days of our life.— Luke i. 75. Take roy bands, and let them move At the impulse of thy love. Let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to givo to him that needeth.—itphesians iv. 28. Take my feet, and let them be Swift and “beautiful” for Thee. How beautiful upon tho moun tains are the feet of him tbat bring eth good tidings, that publisheth peace.—lsaiah lii. 7. Take my voice, and let me sing Always, only, for my King. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, sing ing and making melody in your heart unto the Lord.—Eph. v. 19. Take my lips, and let them be Filled with messages from Thee. By Him, therefore, let, us offer the sacrifice of praise to God contin ually—that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.—Heb. xiii. 16. Take my Bilver and my gold; Not a mite would I withhold. But all tho silver and gold are consecrated unto the Lord, they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. —Joshua vi. 19. Take my intellect, and use Every power as Thou shalt choose. Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy sou), and with all thy mind.—Matt, xx. 37. Take my will, and make it Thine; It shall be no longer mine. Not my will, hut Thine he done. —Luke xxii, 42. Take my heart, it is Thy own; It shall be Thy royal throne. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.—Eph. iii. 17. Take my love, my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store. Whom having not seen ye loye.— I. Pet. i. 8. We loved Him because He first loved us.—John iv. 19. Take myself, and I will he Ever, only, all for Thee And the very God of peace sanc tify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.— I Thess. v. 23. —Christian at Work. Condensed from National Sunday-school Teacher. INTERNATIONAL LESSONS. February 3,1878 —Jehoshaphat Reproved. 2 Chron. xix: 1-9. Golden Text. —“ There is no iniquity with the Lord our Cod, nor respect of per sons, nor taking of gifts.” — 7. Topic.—“ Thus shall ye do, in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.” Home Readings. —Monday,Deut. i: 1-17— The Judgmentis God’s; Tuesday, Cos), iii: 1- 17—Do all in Jesus’ Name ; Wednesday, 1 Cor. x: 1-31—Do all to God’s Glory; Thursday, Rom. 14: 1-23—We Live unto the Lord ; Friday, 1 Pet. iv: 1-19—That God may he Glorified ; Saturday, 2 Cor. v: 1-17 —Live unto Christ;Sunday, Eph. ii: 1-22 Created unto Good Work. Time. —B. C. 897. Place. —Jerusalem, and kingdom of Jndah. Rulers.—Jehosh aphat, king of Judah; Ahaziah, king of Is rael. NOTES AND COMMENTS. The King Reproved (1-3). —There are, I , r ° five years—no young lady ~aic us to go’ will dupiic.il.e it ? One F. M. KENNEDY, D. D., Editor J. W. BURKE, Assistant Editor A. G. HAYGOOD, D. Editorial Correspondent WHOLE NUMBER 2086. sential part of, oor lesson. We now look at the reproof that these facts brought upon the king. 1. We note the time when it was ad ministered. It was when the king returned to his house in peace. By that, two things are probably meant: Ist. That he returned unharmed, and, 2d, that the Syrian king did not take advantage of his victory to pursue him. It was when he was coming back from the signal defeat that the two kings had suf fered lhat Jehu met him. Jehoshaphat then must have been suffering no ordinary humil iation. Very probably he was pondering over all the facts, and very likely, too, he was realizing his error. It was when he was in such a state of mind that Jehu appeared before him. 2. We call attention to the fearlessness of the reproof. It was probably the father oi Jehu whom Asa put into a pris • on because of his faithfulness in rebuking him. xvi: 7-10. And, therefore, Jehu must have known that it was dangerous to reprove a king, even though he was a true servant of the Lord. 3. Next mark its character. “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord ? It is only a cer tain kind of help and a certain kind of love that is here reprobated. The Scriptures nowhere condemn, and, indeed, everywhere commend those who help even the ungodly, when they are in trouble and need help. The good Samaritan did not stop to enquire whether the man whom he succored was a good man or a bad one. But helping them in distress is a very different thing from aid ing them to be more prosperous and, so, strengthening them in their evil doing. 4. Next is the sentence. “Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.” If Jehoshaphat had had any doubts of the oc casion of his defeat, that explanation of it dispelled them. The Lord had fought against him. But it wbb not only an explanation of his defeat, but, also, a hint of coming pun ishment, of which the invasion of Moah was the first realization. 6. Lastly note the com mendation. “Nevertheless there are good things found in thee." God is tender as well as severe. He will insert the probe no deeper than is actually uecessary. When he wounds, if we are only contrite of spirit, we will feel the balm immediately applied. And that fact shows that Jehoshaphat hud meek ly received the reproof. Ifhe had been in a hard and rebellious mood, those graciouß and comforting words would never have been spoken. And another thing that this shows is the fact that God keeps a fair re cord of our deeds, even according to human ways of thinking. We obtain credit with him for all tbat we do that is right, and it is not overshadowed, or blotted out, by tbat which we do that is wrong. We do little enough that is good, but all that we do ac complish is always placed to our credit. And it was high commendation for Jehoshaphat when the prophet could say that he had taken the groves out of the land, and had prepared his heart to seek the Lord. The People Reclaimed (4.) —After this rebuke, he set himself to work more sedu lously than ever to establish the kingdom in the hand of the Lord. That fact shows the excellency of his spirit. He tried to make up for his error abroad by greater effort at home. He became an evangelist, and “went out again through the people, from Baereheba to Mount Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord God of their fathers.” From the expression, “he went out again," it is inferred that he went out with the same commission of instruction which had gone throngh the land once before. Addressing Himself to this taßk thus thoroughly and zealously, we are not surprised at the result —he “brought them back unto the Lord God of their fathers.” The Judiciary Reformed (5-9). —In his next act, we have additional evididence that Jehoaaphat was not a man of piety merely, but was a man of breadth and of statesman ship as well. He saw that if he would have an upright people, he must have an upright judiciaiy. It is poor encouragement for men to be honest whan knavery receives a pre the hands of justice. The fountains Fwice must be pure. The courts in Ju ; ft.it have been quite corrupt. Aside the charge given by judges, worship Ji-