1 Harbinger, April 1, '64. WORDS FROM THE WORK-TABLE. mortality dawned upon them in sudden splendour--the mercy-seat was visible where the guilty and defiled might find pardon and purity under the wings of the holiest and so the slaves became free, and passed as sons into the household of God. They were delivered from their old haunts, and habits, and fears, and went along the highway of truth and holiness towards the country of promise. With regard to the inversions, omissions, aud anachronisms of the Evangelists which Renan hinted in our opening extract we have no difficulty. They only exist in his own imagination. He is a long way behind in accurate Biblical information. Dr. Strauss, his great authority, labored in that field with the industry of a Hercules, and with the sneering malignity of a devil. I do not remember that even once, in the whole of his immense book, there was a gleam of spiritual life, or a single inspiration of the moral grandeur of Jesus the Christ. But from Neander and Tho luck down to Ebrard, a succession of erudite men have torn his book into rags by the most thorough refutation. Indeed by the time that any diseased German production becomes popular in France or England, it has gone to the trunk-maker's in Germany. We wear their castaway clothes for a season, un 127 til either the fashion changes, or the garments will no longer hide our own nakedness. The caldron filled with hell-broth has long been boiling in Germany, and surely a succession of strange monsters has arisen with the infernal smoke. But though deformed, gibing, and rancorous they none of them have strength, or stamina, or long life, and when they fail in finding antagonists on better ground, they fall upon each other with hearty good-will and perish in internecine war. With another glance at the opening extract we finish this chapter. If Napoleon the Destroyer had been marked out for ages in prophecy, and had come into the world in a superhuman manner, proving his mission of retribution by various astounding miracles, resembling in character the work which lay before him-if after his death four old soldiers of the Empire had been selected by the Spirit of God as the qualified men to record his life and triumphs, then not only would we have graphic history, but we would have it truthful and accurate. Wagram or Marengo would be in their proper places, according to the plan and object of each writer, and there would be no omissions of anything required by the glory of the hero or the service of humanity. WORDS FROM THE WORK-TABLE.-No. XVII. "Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same. By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed. They are destroyed from morning to evening; they perish for ever without any regarding it. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? They die even without wisdom" (Job iv. 8, 9, 20, 21.) A MUTE preacher, a silent sermon, | yet heightening her loveliness, as the obyet a most eloquent teacher of those who gaze and ponder- a poem, a masterly allegory, a vision of human life! Such is Noel Paton's picture, "The Pursuit of Pleasure." This picture of pictures is thus described : ject of vain pursuit is often increased in attractiveness by its indistinctness. From her radiant head falls a flood of golden hair, contributing by its dishevelled lightness "Pleasure-selfish, unholy Pleasure-is personified by a very beautiful nude female figure, floating along on dusky moth wings. Her head, crowned with poppies, the symbol of forgetfulness, is surrounded with a weird will-o'-the-wisp halo, which yet leaves her features in a half-shadow, beautiful, yet vaguely mysterious and portentous. Her person is partly veiled by a film of gauze, slightly concealing, to the buoyancy of the figure. She glides before, beckoning, yet ever eluding, a pursuing crowd, irresistibly attracted by her fascinating beauty and insinuating glance. Preceding her are two Genii, blowing bubbles and strewing flowers. But what do we faintly trace on the brink of the preci pice overhanging the eternal sea to which the votaries of the syren are rushing, blinded by her dazzling loveliness? There are her flowers withered, the trail of the serpent, and consuming fitful tongues of flame. The flowers by the wayside are neglected, 128 WORDS FROM THE WORK-TABLE. and there is the ominous, half-legible, partlyburied inscription-'Gloria Mundi.' At the very moment the pursuers seem to seize that treacherous figure, they fall death-stricken. One fair girl has just sunk unheeded, though in the van of the crowd, clasping the delusive flowers to her bosom, and striving in vain to screen the fruit of her And still that great throng, of all ages, both sexes, every station. typifying human nature in every formpress on, trampling on each other and the Bible, frenzied by excitement, maddened illicit love. by wine, drowning the voice of Reason by Bacchanal cymbal, the tambourine of the dance, martial trumpet, or the horn of the chase; inciting each other by lust, or rushing on in unsympathising ambition or sel fish greed. To each follower the phantom wears a different aspect-fame, power, wealth, renown, forgetfulness, escape from labor and duty- these are but different phases of the same object. Some of the youngest are in the first rank, only suc cessful in more surely meeting their doom. There is the genius, the painter, the poet, casting the laurel wreath from his pale brow, and dying with broken heart and streaming eyes, reproaching the phantom that has betrayed him. There is the mailed knight, besmeared with foemen's blood, who though bearing aloft a captured standard and with ungauntleted hands and sword sheathed from victory, still presses forward insatiate. There is the Bacchanal with bloated face reeling along, supported by his nymphs. There is the loathsome tattered miser, hugging his money bags, yet still pressing onward for more wealth. There is the harlot, borne by a gaudily dressed gallant and jester. There are lovers madly passionate, and there the exhausted laborer, the king, the noble, the cardinal and the doge, in their robes; ty. rant and parasite, the earnest and frivolous, the proud man of talent and the foolish heir of riches, young and active, old and decrepid, rich and poor, are there. But the sun has set for that struggling crowd, black storm broods over them, and above all dimly looms the gigantic winged form of the Angel of Wrath, who with the book of doom open before him, holds over their devoted heads the momentarily sus pended sword of Destiny. Yet his broad black pinions leave one bright particular star in the sky unobscured, as if the only symbol of hope and immortality." And now, reader, what of the reality? Is your pursuit pleasure? I mean, not that fulness of joy and everlasting pleasure which are in the presence of God; but selfish, unsanctified pleasure. Are you with the pursuing crowd? If so, Harbinger, April 1, '64. know that she lures to the pit and escape is impossible, save by turning back 'ere you fall among the crushed and broken ones already prostrate. The picture here described is graphically descriptive of life, and the heart not given to Christ has a place with those who 66 Sigh and weep, And even groan and pray, and curse and cry, And fight to clutch the tempting sorceress, Who draws them on, yet still eludes their grasp." If not numbered with those who prefer the love of God to the pleasures of sin, we move on as part of that mighty wave of humanity which, "Since we first ate her fruit in Paradise, And those who have given their hearts At this point the picture reads us a deep lesson it shews the commencement, the progress, the end of undue indulgence even in that which, if rightly directed, proves earth's choicest blessing. We see love, not well regulated, degenerated into sensuality and wantonness. We behold the careworn castaway, with despair in her countenance and anguish in her heart-sin-stricken and desponding still pressing on, seeking pleasure, but finding only the wages of sin-death. Here we would ask the young of both sexes to stand upon the watch-tower to guard well the avenues to evil - not to be led away by pleasure that is only momentary, but to seek the substantial and the enduring. Let us, even us who have put on Christ, beware of this syren, pleasure! And let it not be forgotten, that as in this picture, so in the reality, "The end is near; LOUISE. Harbinger, April 1, '64. DIALOGUE. DIALOGUE BETWEEN AN OLD AND YOUNG PREACHER. FIFTH INTERVIEW. Young Preacher. And do you admit such to be Christians who are sincerely engaged in obedience to all God's commandments but one, which is immersion, of which as a duty they are in ignorance, and in error involuntary, through the cunning craftiness and sophistry of their teachers? Do you admit such into communion and into the church? Old Preacher.-I certainly do admit them to be good men, but whether such can be members of Christ's church, of his family, or of the body of Christ, requires stronger faith than the Scriptures warrant, for they declare that in (en) one spirit we are all baptized into one body-baptized into Christ Jesus. This plainly implies that no unbaptized person was a member of the church, according to the order of Heaven, in the time of the Apostles. No alien is called a citizen until he has taken the oath of allegiance. He may be a good man, but he is not recognized as a citizen. His ignorance of his duty to take the oath of allegiance may palliate his conduct in neglecting it, but does not entitle him to citizenship. He may think another plan, not prescribed by the government, may do as well, but this alters not the case; he may have been taught, and may honestly think, that the oath is unnecessary, because a man may be as honest, good, and true withont it as with it, yet this does not entitle him to citizenship-he is still an alien. A man may be a good man, yet in error, but not such error as leads to ungodliness or to wilful disobedience. It may be said, that for any to neglect baptism is inexcusable ignorance, because they have the Scriptures, which plainly teach this truth. This objection arises from our own ignorance of human nature, the power of education, and of prepossession. The commission to the apostles was in as plain language as could be well used. They had the prophecies, which plainly taught that the Gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, and that they should be saved -yet their prepossessions prevailed against these glaring truths. I say not these things to excuse ignorance, but to K 129 engage the too uncharitable and selfconfident to search the Scriptures and their own hearts. How many thousands lived in error and ignorance of some duties even in apostolic times. "Thou seest, brother," said the elders at Jerusalem to Paul, "how many thousands there are of the Jews who believe; and they are all zealous of the law" (Acts xxi. 20.) These believing Jews still attended to the law of circumcision, to sacrificing, to the ceremonies and to the traditions of the fathers; yet they were not unchristianized by the church; they still continued together in fellowship-(how God-like, to bear with the errors of the weak in such matters!) Yet these Judaizing believers were tolerated by the Apostles until they were for compelling the Gentiles to live as did the Jews-that they must be circumcised and keep the whole law of Moses, or they could not be saved. Then the Apostles, with the church at Jerusalem in conference, interposed their authority in favor of Gentile liberty. Many of the sects now are, like the Judaizers of old, shaping their religion after the model of Moses trying to unite Law and Gospel, or blending them together in a confused system. Many honest believers, on account of its plausibility, tenaciously and conscientiously adhere to it as the truth. They are to be pitied, rather than blamed, but never derided or insulted for their errors. They are humble believers, and are laboring to please their God. We should labor in love, in the meekness of wisdom and plain truth, to convince them. Such arguments alone can prevail, and bring them into the knowledge and acknowledgment of the truth as it is in Jesus. Had such a course, connected with a humble, holy life, been pursued by us from the beginning, what incalculable good would have followed. The prejudices of the sects would have been uprooted to a great degree, and the truth received in the love of it by thousands. Instead of healing the wounds inflicted, we are too often fretting them to a gangrene. Let us hold forth the truth in the spirit of it that he who believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned. This will bring their doubt ing minds to a solemn pause, and cause them to cease from the perversion of simple truth to support a rotten foundation. It will be seen hereafter that the controversies and debates of this age have injured the real, vital interests of Christianity, and are substituting a carnal, cold morality for a spiritual and fervent religion. Arguments, however good, have but little effect on minds long indoctrinated in error - long pre judiced against the truth. Those prejudices must be softened and removed before good will follow. A holy devoted life to Christianity and brotherly love only effect this. I will now, after this digression, proceed to answer your other queries. Do you admit such into communion? Do you receive them into the church? Communion is the equal and common enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of the church. There are certain terms prescribed by every community by which an alien may be inducted into it and become a member of it. An alien is required to take the oath of allegiance; then, and not before, he is recognized as a citizen and entitled to all the privileges of the government. The church of Christ requires baptism as the term of induction into it. The believing alien, when baptized, is acknowledged a fellow-citizen of the commonwealth of Israel, and has a right to all the privileges of the church. Baptism answers to the oath of allegiance, and thence it has long been called a sacrament or oath. Now the oath of allegiance does not change the heart of the alien, for he might have been as good a man before as after the oath; but it entitled him to citizenship, and gave him a legal right to all the privileges of citizens, which he had not before. So baptism does not change the heart, but it inducts the believer into the body or church of Christ, in which he has the communion of the Holy Ghost, and the communion of saints in every act of divine worship, counsel, and government. From this representation it would appear to be improper to receive any unbaptized person into the church and consequently into its peculiar privileges. They cannot legally exercise any office in the Lord's house, because they have not entered it. They can take no part in the government for the same reason. Harbinger, April 1, '64. In Christendom, has not the true worship of God been greatly corrupted, and idolatry substituted in its place? Has not the spiritual house, or temple of God, been almost destroyed by the apostacy, by a desecration of its sacred ordinances and despoiled treasures? What shall we do? There are thousands who believe, and are honestly engaged in what they deem the service of God, and yet they are swept down by the tide of human tradition, ignorance of duty, and of error. Contemptuously to expose their aberrations, is to rivet these prejudices in their favor and to weaken the power of truth. We object not to the exposition of error, but to the improper manner in which it is too frequently done. In the same course many of us once walked in all good conscience toward God. We well re- | member the effects of contemptuous, sarcastic arguments against us by our opposers. Similar means, we judge, will produce similar effects in others. By this we have been taught their improprieties. But when we became convinced of our error, we forsook it, and sacrificed all for truth. So will every Christian, for a Christian is an honest man. I will propose a course, though acknowledged to be clogged with difficulties, yet it is believed that time and truth will remove them, and happily unite the flock scattered in the dark and cloudy day. 1. Let us hold up the Bible alone, believe what it says, and do what it enjoins. Against this doctrine there are but few who will object. It is too plain to admit of opposition by honest Christians, whose hold of human institutions is greatly relaxed in this age, and has become so feeble that they are almost persuaded to let them go. 2. Even should any be reluctant to give up their human creed, reject them not on this account, provided that they take the Bible for their directory in faith and practice. They may have a dozen creeds, if they do not impose them on others as authoritative. 3. Let them be kindly and affectionately treated in brotherly love. An alien may live among the citizens of any country, his conduct may be irreproachable and good, and he may be esteemed and beloved by all good men, yet there are privileges from which the Harbinger, April 1, '64. RETIREMENT OF A. CAMPBELL. law of the land debars him he is debarred from holding office under government and from the privilege of choosing representatives. This is good policy, for if such were admitted to these privileges, any government might pass into the hands of aliens. So of the church of Christ, the citizens of Zion. They may love aliens as good men, and treat them with due respect, yet they cannot constitutionally admit them into the Lord's house as members of the church -they cannot admit them to participate in its government or offices, for reasons before stated. 131 Why should we be accused of uncharitableness by the popular sects, when they themselves do the same things to the Quakers? The popular sects admit there are good men among the Quakers, but will not admit them as members of their churches, because they refuse to be baptized. They surely cannot blame us for acting on the same principle. All substitutes for baptism we deny, and hold the abettors of them equally unbaptized as are the Quakers themselves. (To be continued.) REVIEWS, NOTES ON PASSING EVENTS, CORRESPONDENCE, &c. RETIREMENT OF A. CAMPBELL. so announced my purpose in the last December number. But after beginning this current January number for 1864 I find myself, from many considerations, which it is not necessary to detail, constrained to abandon the purpose, and to discontinue my responsible relation as publisher. The care and labor and anxiety are too much for my years, and it is best that I should transfer them to other hands. This I have done. I Do not address you, dear readers, to bid you a final farewell, yet I feel that this is, in some sort, at least, a semi-valedictory. I have been for forty one long, laborious, anxious years a hard-working editor. I have not only written much and endured much contradiction of sinners, but in travels, in speaking, in thinking, in feeling, and in suffering for the interests of our noble cause, I may say with the great Apostle, my life has, in no small degree, su. perabounded." I feel the demands of mul- The Harbinger henceforth will be contiplied years for some respite from the wide ducted and published by my long and welland varied calls of my responsible position. approved associate and co-laborer in many It seems not unreasonable that I should works, Professor W. K. Pendleton. I need ask some younger shoulders to take at least not say that I have the fullest confidence in some of my burthen. The care and concern his fidelity and ability. He has been my of an editor's life are known to but few who co-editor for twenty years, and it is needhave not stood in that relation. I feel less for me to say anything in commendahave for several years been feeling them a tion of his scholarship, his enlarged Chrisburthen that was oppressive to me. Still tian knowledge, his sound judgment, his it seemed hard to break the bonds and de- great prudence, his temperate disposition, clare myself free. Habit, a sense of duty, his firmness and fixedness of principle, his the devoted partiality of many and many life-long devotion to the broadest and most an old fellow-laborer and friend, the still permanent interests of our cause, and his repeated calls from without, seemed to for- high moral courage in proclaiming and debid that I should claim the exemptions of fending the principles of apostolic Christiage, or relax in the toil into which life-long anity. He has been my reliable counsellor toil had so deeply and apparently inextri in much of the labor of my life, and my cably plunged me. But, brethren, you constant and unswerving co-operant in all know the infirmity of the flesh, despite the the great interests of the cause for which willingness of the spirit, and will bear with we plead. It is with peculiar gratification me and be generous, when I ask for some that I find him thus prepared and willing remission in my accustomed service. I to go on with a work from which I feel that wish to be free from worldly cares to cut it is time for me to retire; and it is my myself loose from relations for which I feel earnest prayer that a generous and confida growing distaste, and, indeed, a constant- ing brotherhood will hold up his hands and ly increasing repugnance, and to give my-give him courage and confidence to perseself, head and heart, only to such exercises vere to the end. as befit my years and declining powers. I thought, at the close of the last year, that I would hold out for one more volume, and For myself I have many thanks to return to friends many and dear, who have so long stood by me, and shall still feel inclined to |