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od of youth. He then pronounces in chap. xii. the noble precept which crowns the entire production, and brings his self-imposed task to an end: "Remember thy Creator even in thy youth; before the unhappy days arrive, or the years approach, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."

The work closes with a description of the latter end of man, in which is depicted, in faithful colors and with a master hand, the gradual approach of old age and finally of death. On reaching the grave, he suggests (v. 7) the consoling thought of an after life to be spent in the presence of the Deity.

"Then shall the dust of the body return to the earth which it sprang from:

The spirit itself shall ascend, to dwell with its Giver on high."

Such is the object and such are the contents of that precious fragment of sacred oriental philosophy, the book of Ecclesiastes, through the whole of which is shadowed forth the sentiment contained in the concluding words, "Fear God, and keep his commandments."

ARTICLE IX.

STATE OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Presbyterianism. A Review of the Leading Measures of the General Assembly of 1837. By a Member of the New York Bar. New York: John S. Taylor, 1838. pp. 47.

By the Editor.

THE publication of this unpretending pamphlet stands connected with events of painful interest and of high and momentous bearing. It claims the attention of the friends of religion and of religious liberty on several accounts. It is not the production of a heated partizan, whose own acts and positions before the public imposed upon him the necessity of a public defence. The author had nothing at stake in the controversy of which he treats. He is neither a minister nor an elder, but an intelligent lawyer, of good reputation, and a private mem

ber of the church. His mind, therefore, may be supposed to have been unbiassed by any personal or private interest in the questions at issue; and this, we think, is apparent from the candor and fairness which marks his discussion. He sketches with accuracy and clearness the origin and organization of the Presbyterian church and the prominent events in its history, which have led on to the existing controversy, and examines the great principles involved in it, with the freedom and directness of one whose only aim is to illustrate the true interests of both parties and the rights and duties of each. This he has accomplished with singular ability and in a manner to interest and instruct the candid reader.

*

It is not, however, principally, the candor and talent exhibited in this production, which have given it the importance we attach to it at the present time. Had it been issued a few months earlier, or a few days later, than the date of its actual publication, it might have failed to accomplish the important and striking results which it seems already to have produced. It appeared at the very moment when a lucid and attractive discussion of the principal points embraced in it was especially needed to harmonize the views and concentrate the action of that portion of the church, who considered themselves as oppressed and injured by what they regarded the unconstitutional acts of the General Assembly of 1837. Had this been the result of contrivance, or of suggestion, by the leading men of that portion of the church who have availed themselves of the principles maintained in this publication, we should have regarded it with less admiration. But, assured as we are, that, while others, personally interested in the controversy, of both parties, were urging their conflicting views before the public, our author, unadvised by either, was pursuing his investigations, and while they were yet speaking, was unconsciously answering and refuting the positions of some, and confirming those of others, we are constrained to contemplate it as an agency especially excited and controlled by Him who seeth not as man seeth. It is this strikingly seasonable appearance of the publication before us, and its peculiar adaptation to meet and affect the crisis which was approaching, that has induced us to select it from the numerous documents, essays and opinions which have a bearing upon the existing controversies in the Presby

* About the 25th of April, 1838.

It

terian church, and to place the title of it at the head of this article. Whatever may be its merits in other respects, it seems to have been the pivot on which the action of the church, in the constitution of its late General Assembly, has turned. laid down in a condensed and popular form the most important of the constitutional and equitable principles, on which a large portion of the church have already taken their position and asserted their rights.

The result of the position here referred to was the organization, in Philadelphia, on the eighteenth of May last, of two bodies, each claiming to be "The General Assembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States of America." The majority of the members of each body will doubtless be sustained in their measures by the Presbyteries whose commissions they bore. Which of them will be sustained in law, remains to be decided by the civil tribunals, to which the parties have made their appeal, as we trust, in the fear of Him by whom princes reign and judges decree justice. But whatever may be ultimately decided to be the legal rights of the parties, the church is in fact divided.

This result we had for some months anticipated, with unfeigned reluctance and regret. We deprecated it as an evil and a reproach to be prevented, if possible. It was at length, however, rendered unavoidable, excepting by the surrender of rights and privileges, by a large portion of the church, which it seemed plainly their duty to maintain. We now contemplate it as one of those mysterious events in the Providence of God, by which he often confounds the wisdom of the wise, and makes his power and goodness known by means the most improbable to human appearance.

To us, the very reverse of the present position of the Presbyterian church would have seemed to be the attitude in which she ought to have stood forth, to exert the most benign and efficient influence on the advancement of the cause of Christ among men. Her constituent members and her ministry, from the commencement of her history in this country, have been among the most enlightened of our citizens. As a body they have been the friends of education, the warm and zealous patrons, not only of common schools, but of the higher seminaries of learning both classical and professional. Through their efficiency, with the blessing of God, the church has grown with the growth of the country, both in character and numbers,

until she has extended, with more or less effect, the enlightening, the elevating and saving influence of her ministrations over many millions of our population. Among the several denominations of American Christians, there was none which seemed to possess so many and so great facilities of usefulness. The total number of her communicants, as reported in the Minutes of the General Assembly of 1837, was 220,557, and the number of her ministers and licentiates, 2,420; and there probably does not exist on the face of the earth a denomination of Christians equally numerous and extended, among whom there prevails a greater uniformity of doctrinal belief. The differences which exist in this respect, excepting a few individual instances, are all of minor importance, and such as had ever been regarded, in this and in other denominations, as quite consistent with the preservation of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Differences equally great, and in some cases the same, have prevailed in the Presbyterian church from her beginning, and have been tolerated through the whole progress of her history, excepting the period of her lamented division, from 1741 to 1758, at the close of which, by mutual concessions, the two Synods were happily united," though "there is not the least reason to believe that the members of either party really entertained essentially different opinions, on any important points, when they effected a union in 1758, from those which they entertained at the date of their schism in 1741.”* There was,

therefore, no sufficient reason for the existing division of the church, on the ground of differences of doctrinal belief, and no sufficient reason now exists, on this account, for the continuance of this division.

Eighteen months ago this noble and delightful communion was ONE. She had arisen from small beginnings in the infancy of the country, and had held on her way, with occasional interruptions, and through many trials for a century and a half. Many of her little ones, which had risen up in rapid succession, in the new settlements, had become thousands. The sphere of her direct ministrations, mingled with those of other denoininations, had been extended over four fifths of the nation, and many of her ministers and members were foremost among American Christians, in their individual and associated efforts to promote those great objects of catholic christian benevolence, which have been prosecuted, with manifold blessings on our country

* See Miller's Letters to Presbyterians, p. 11.

and the world, by the American Bible, Tract, Sunday School, Education, Home and Foreign Missionary and other benevolent societies.

While she was thus watering others, and associating her influences with those of Christians of all other names, in the promotion of knowledge and religion, her own numbers were greatly multiplied by the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon many of her congregations. Her character and influence, with the exception of those internal conflicts which had begun to disturb and pervert the action of some of her judicatories, were admired and emulated by other denominations. Had she preserved her integrity and continued to cherish and exhibit the evangelical and catholic spirit, which had marked her proceedings in former years, she might have maintained in perpetuity, an influence for good on the cause of universal philanthropy, unequalled by that of any other single denomination of Christians. This was perceived and acknowledged by her most intelligent friends; and a great majority of her members, no doubt, on both sides of the existing division, deeply felt both the importance and the responsibility of preserving the unity of the church entire and unbroken. But the accuser of the brethren had entered her judicatories. Whisperings and surmises against prominent individuals were spread among her members. Newspapers, which had been established for the purpose of circulating religious intelligence among the people, became the vehicles of attack upon personal character. Excitement and alarm were thus produced, and prosecutions for alleged heresy followed in their train; parties were formed, and the higher and lower judicatories were, in several instances, arrayed against each other.

In this state of things the prevailing plans of promoting religious benevolence by Voluntary Societies were supposed to be favorable to the increase and prosperity of one of the parties. These, therefore, were assailed by the other party, as dangerous and inexpedient, and organizations were suggested and adopted by several judicatories, to counteract the influence of Voluntary Societies, and to prosecute the various objects of christian benevolence in a manner better suited to promote the interests and increase of the party adopting these organizations. One of these," the Board of Missions of the General Assembly," was at length, in 1828, allowed the sanction of the highest judicatory of the church. Subsequently a similar organiza

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