Images de page
PDF
ePub

among the Baptists. Speaking of the importance of baptism, ho says

"Some are diverted from the examination of this subject by considering it as a thing of small moment, and that time is better spent in schemes of general usefulness. That baptism is a thing of small moment, is an opinion that is not likely to have been suggested by the accounts of it in the scriptures. It is an ordinance that strikingly repre sents the truth that SAVES the soul; and is peremptorily enjoined on all who believe. But, were it the very least of all the commandments of Jesus, it demands attention and OBEDIE CE at the hazard of LIFE itself. Το Nothing that Christ has appointed can be innocently NEGLECTED. suppose that schemes of general usefulness ought to take place of the commandments of GOD, is a direct AFRRONT to the wisdom and power of Jehovah. Saul alleged that he had substantially obeyed the word of the Lord, though he had spared Agag the king of Amalek, and a part of the spoil for a burnt-offering; but the answer of the Prophet ought forever to deter from the exercise of a discretionary power with respect to the commandments of God. Hath the Lord as great a delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in OBEYING the voice of the Lord! Behold, TO OBEY is better than sacrifices; and, to hearken, than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry; because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”—Carson on Baptism, New York Baptist edition, page 6.

In our next we shall present some more extracts on the importance and design of baptism, from Baptist writers, equally as strong and DISCIPULUS. decisive.

MANUAL LABOR SYSTEM OF EDUCATION.

Respected Brother,

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

YOUR report, through Baptist and Pedobaptist channels, has long been familiar to me; as the founder of a new seet built up on long since exploded errors. My prejudices against you, founded on this report, forbade me from coming within the reach of real acquaintance with you; until a few weeks past, chance has thrown your "Christian System" in my way: and sickness has afforded me leisure for a partial perusal of it. Suffice it to say, my prejudices are corrected; and I am fully convinced that you are on the track of Apostles; and with them endeavoring to establish the church of our Lord Jesus Christ, upon the simple foundation of a living faith in Him.

I have been a Baptist; as well satisfied as any of my brethren, that the last shibboleth of my sect was at least "the most straitest" extant: and that all others must come, like the sheaves of Joseph's brethren, and bow down to mine. But when I fell at work to bring them down, I found that mine must tumble down among the rest, prostrate in the dust, before the exalted sheaf of the real Joseph-our brother and

friend. I found dishonor poured upon even my own favorite shibboleth-(which I had so fully demonstrated to be the only gospel oath of allegiance to Jesus-believer's baptism)-by the Apostle Paul; where he finds it in danger of being abused into a ground of division among the Corinthian janglers. I had arrived at the conclusion of the Apostle, that "other foundation can no man lay than that is laidwhich is Christ Jesus." I had publicly expressed and preached, and would have published (in the Banner & Pioneer, if Mr. Peck would have admitted my contribution,) my conviction that all believers ought to be one, in view of their mutual faith, and despite of their ignorance and errors. In other words, that all that believe Jesus to be a teacher come from God, to teach the way of holiness and salvation, and so feel their need of these, that they become his disciples "in hope of eternal life" that all such should be fellowshipped as members of this school of mutual instruction-the church; and there taught "all things whatsoever Jesus has commanded."

I was pleased, and thankful, to find you, in the treatise above mentioned, boldly and clearly advocating the same sentiments; and at the same time repudiating those gross errors of Arianism and Baptismal Regeneration, which have been so long and currently attributed to you. I was happy to find so powerful a pen and press engaged in the good cause of Christian union on Christian principle I was happy to find that the large body of Christians who are united under your name, are embodied on the simplicity o the gospel, and for an example of the right working of the mutual instruction" plan of learning the doctrine of Christ. And I determined to proffer to these dear brethren the advantages of an institution of useful and religious learning, which I have projected, and which I have or the last five years exclusively, and for my whole life principally, laboring to establish.

The cause of Christian union has presses and ministers devoted to it, with more or less singleness and intelligence; but as far as I know, it has no seminary of learning where candidates for the sacred ministry may ob'ain the literary and scientific weapons of their warfare without having put into their hands with these the poisoned arrows of sectarian bitterness, and the pride of polemical theology-without being put under obligation to wield these for the sect that has nourished and educated them.

All the provisions of literary and theological seminaries hitherto made for the poor, have been so planned as to lay the beneficiaries under a d bt-at least of gratitude-to those who assisted them; a debt which was construed into an obligation to use the weapons so obtained under the banners of their Alma Mater.

But the great difficulty has been, that the really poor-the orphan, and the poorer than orphan child of the drunkard and the debaucheehave not been provided for at all! A large class has thus been left for a street and grog-shop education during their minority, to be finished (by admittance through an expensive examination before our solemn judicatories) in penitentiaries and prisons.

In view of all these facts, I early resolved to use my life and fortune in establishing a manual labor school, the books of which should exhibit to the beneficiary the amount of his obligation to the institutionand which should afford him business for his support and the liquida

tion of his debts; and so divide his hours between profitable labor and study as to bring him to his maturity with a sound and well finished mind, in a sound body; accustomed to receive his support from his own hands; conscious of his freedom from those trammels which either benefits conferred or support to be afforded could impose.

I at first looked to the Missionary Society of my own denomination as the only feasible source of assistance; and the hills of Birmah, Greece, or the prairies of our own Indian wilds, as the location of my sample school. But the trammels I must here bear, and the contradic diction between my plans and those of the Board, induced me to excuse myself from their service, and turn my attention to Illinois, there hoping to find a location which I might find means of obtaining from government, sufficient for the profitable operation of such an institution as I wish to establish. After a couple of years delay 1 succeeded in reaching the banks of the Fox River, with my family and my little all. Here I found a location which proves to combine all the advantages which Nature could heap together. I purchased a claim of something more than a section (for $2500) and made an additional claim of unclaimed prairie of two or three sections more; of the whole of which the land pirates have robbed me, besides subjecting me to an expense of near 3000 dollars more in defending my claim. But my funds are exhausted; and I must borrow 1000 dollars to buy the gov ernment title to my land; and, before I can get my school into operation, I must expend 1000 dollars more in a suitable building, for which abundant materials are at hand in the limestone cliffs that skirt our beautiful river. The river at this point is capable of furnishing facilities for any amount of water power; by which we may secure manufacturing business for girls and younger students, and for such seasons as are unsuitable for agricultural operations.

Are there not many of your friends who would be glad to aid this institution could its claims be presented to them? How would a subscription in $100 shares take, the income of the establishment to be paid in annual dividends? I would become the purchaser of these shares as fast as possible, and consider them as a great favor-a temporary loan to enable me to carry into effect an enterprize to which my life has been devoted.

Are there not many of our brethren already in the ministry, and many more who are "coveting to prophesy," who would rejoice to find that they could obtain all needed assistance in obtaining a good education, and find a home and business to support them, (and their families if they have any,) while they are pursuing their studies?"To obtain full possession of all that could be desirable here, three or four large farms should he purchased by some of our brethren. Your brother in the labors and hope of the gospel, D. W. ELMORE.

REPLY TO MR. ELMORE.

BROTHER EI MORE:

My dear Sir-I AM glad to form even an epistolary acquaintance with a brother so deeply and cordially interested as you are in the benevolent scheme of furthering the great cause of education, and

[blocks in formation]

especially in that department so intimately associated with the progress and prosperity of the glorious gospel of our blessed God. We are all becoming more sensible of the necessity of a better system of Bible instruction and training in order to public usefulness. The combinalion of intellectual and moral culture, with a certain degree of physical labor, has long appeared a desideratum; and various schemes for accomplishing it have been devised and submitted to the test of experiment. The most flattering experiments have been made in Switzerland and Germany. In our own country not much has yet been done. The genius of our institutions and the peculiar character of our population render much of our reasonings from European institutions delusive and vain. Physical education we must have, else the majority of the highly educated in literature and science will continue to be learned invalids, mere green-house plants, unfit for the rugged business of a useful life. An institution of the manual labor kind, well conducted, would be a useful and benevolent scheme. But I have not yet seen one of this class well conducted. A select class might be found of similar habits, views, and intentions, and placed under a proper discipline, with effective teachers, who would work with them, and lecture in the fields on stones, and soils, and plants; or in the workshop on mechanical arts and manufactures, and by doubling the time usually expended in a regular system of book instruction, might acquire a most valuable education in learning virtuous habits and mechanical and handicraft skill, of much more value in after life than any diploma, however honorable and well deserved, obtained only on the ground of mere intellectual improvement.

Could you form such a class around you, either of minors or of adults, and set on foot such a system, you would no doubt accomplish a great and benevolent object, deserving of the labor of a life and of the gratitude of coming generations. I do hope you may succeed in such a benevolent enterprize. The experiment is worth making, and it is only by such efforts and trials that useful knowledge can be acquired.

It would be a good idea to collect a large manual labor school of fathers and mothers, and have them both scientifically and practically inducted into the art and mystery of domestic training. Your judicious remarks upon the subject of an asylum-a sort of social, literary, religious, and industrious association, have led me one step farther into the school of human improvement. I would, therefore, commend to your grave consideration the ineffable importance of having pupil fathers and pupil mothers, as well as pupil sons and daughters; pro vided only, there be any reasonable probability of finding teachers and professors for such an institution.

Industry, and manual labor, as one branch of it is good for body, soul, spirit, and estate; and in the midst of a generation of diplomated speculators, peculators, and depredators of all cas's and classes, sacred and profane, I am impressed with the conviction that a school of industry, economy, self-government, and domestic order, would be worthy

of a Lancaster or a Howard.

At present I have my hands full. I have more than enough. A system of education, based on the well established philosophy of man, as an animal, intellectual, and moral being a school for the developement of human nature according to the genius of a sound philosophy, and a scriptural morality, superadded to various other high and solemn duties and responsibilities, call for more than the energies of any one man. Still I feel it my duty to contribute my mite in the way of establishing, and carrying on to some measure of perfection, a system of education more in harmony with the nature, rela ions, and destiny of man, than most of the systems with which it has been my good fortune to become acquainted.

Your object is in some respects analogous; but so far as your plan of operation and details differ, I wish you all success in testing how far society may be improved by your benevolent and Christian instru. mentality. I have not had time sooner to notice your plan or your wishes; and although you solicited rather a private than a publie reply, I have thought it might be more profitable to the cause of education and human improvement to publish most of your communication; and since I have not time to enter into its merits, I have accompanied it with only a few extemporaneous remarks.

Wishing you all success in every benevolent undertaking, I am in one hope, yours ever, A. C.

REVIE W.

Ir will be remembered that 1 proposed a Beview of President Beecher's Essay on Baptism, provided only it might be submitted to the same readers on the pages of the Biblical Repository. That assurance never having been vouchsafed, and my imme diate readers not requiring much illumination on that subject, I have not as yet formally noticed that singular production. The following well-written Review from one of our brethren in the West, is, we judge, worthy of a place on the pages of the Harbinger, and may be of service to those who have been entangled by such a display of ingenious and sophistical reasonings as much of that which appears in Mr. Beecher's speculation on Jewish purification. A. C.

REVIEW.

BAPTISM.—THE IMPORT OF BAPTIDSO.-By the Reverend EDWARD BEECHER, President of Illinois College.

SUCH is the title of an article in the January number, 1840, of the American Biblical Repository; and emanating as it does from one of the

« PrécédentContinuer »