Smyrna times., 1859-08-18
co K RESI- UNDENCE
hritteMIOr tile Smyrna Times.
0apDatn School Extension Encoprae cd

"" iu''nee comments Of encoura cement to
"Saooath School Extension" until after the
report to the next Quarterly Conference. but
'.' eo'FesPohdents illusions, IN his article
"n'c" appeared IN your issue OF the 4th inst.,-
oelng so uagentemanly, aud apparently SO sis.
GUIDED by depraved nature, corrupt sec,aran
views AID influenced by ambitious men of
"u'h'0o" growth, whose i'm has been. and still
CONTINUES to mount the pinnacle of fame, there
20 DO the bright guiding stur for all with whom.
as religious body, they are connected, greatly
!" 'ne detriment Of the cause which we were
suVocatlng,-ma ke it incumbent upon US to
take slight notice of his article, in order, if
possible, to prevent the disastrous consequences
which might arise frc IN such views and feelings
as are therein expressed.
Now. MIR. Editor, he refers TO statements
connected with the Sabbath School. and its ex
e'Si0"' as though the Community might be
impressed with doubt aud himself mistake ::
under such conviction, certificate from the
secretary y'counterslgned by the Superintendent
and acknowledged by Notary Public, would
nave been sufficient and more consistent with
the spirit of true Christian. The charge lie
makes of the Quarterly Conference being inn
peached induces the belief, as your correspoD
dent admits, that he must have been mystified
-and this mist fearfuly has grown into dark
cloud, raging and bursting forth in it's fury
(overShadowlng what should have been a more
clear and bright conception). emanatng, as il
does, from a spirit Of sectarIan avarice which
principally oveEthrows more RAPID progress OF
the cause of Christ and HIS church. Your
correspondent, for the moment shook off the
mist, certainly. when he SAID the contemptuous
way in which alusion made To the Meeting
House be passed as entirely beneath notice
for, no doubt, he discovered the originality of
the thought, and OF as being Only self susra n.
ing. We have not been able to tiau the lug
gestons your correspondent aludes tu, for
revision of the rules and regulations of Iht
Sabbath School; therefore, we feel convIc-
ii1n that he, under the garh Of great philau.
thropist, to protect two self sacrificing ladies
(whom, we contend, are as bile to support and
sustain themselves as your correspondent
wishes merely to induce continuation of the
arduous duty they have undertaken to result
possibly as slated in previous article. Your
correspondent certainly mistakes his own or
ganization when he says the machinery of the
church is complicated (unless the machinery is
composed of uaworthy members) Tho world.
wide fame which John Wesley possessed for
system of church government purely method.
cal, consequently simple and PLAIN. is a sufi-
cient argument to overthrow all bastard notions
Of a complicated one. The great and glorious
mission of the Church he founded is spreading
its golden seed throughout the land, and it's
harvests are reaped most abundantly IN the un.
cultivated soils OF the vineyard, greatly to the
praise Of the seedsmen-and Its primo pies of
duty would not be sacrificed but for the cupid
tds of some OF its worldly members and, from
the tenor of your correspondence article, when
he says he might be more ProftabLy and bet
ter employed" (meanIng Of cnurse) than to
correct aud protect the Association with which
he Is connected from supposed wrongs and alse
impressions, we are induced to question the
improbabllty at least of his not beng within
the verge of that class of men alluded to.
1t is TO be hoped your correspondent, before !!
firing again prematurely, will consult "friends' |
who have the interest Of the whole Church and |
the cause OF Christ at heart. rather than The
advancement y their position as governors
and rulers Of their Association. How happy
would it be if God had raised up these supposed
-" friends" to conserve and render them mighty
TO frame system, with purpose grander than
all purposes of fself.advancemenr, all dreams of
philanlhropy-gran with the greatness Of Di.
vine mercy, IN the salvation OF a rdce-lust,
that they may stand forth 10 the embod eot of
all moral power, Gods mighty instrumentality
TO work out the communIty's evangelical re
demption-lhe grand Mount flung up, over
which the ApocliypIic Angel, with the ever.
lasting Gospel Of peace to men and glory TO
God in the highest, should spring tor the love
Of Christ aud for Gods great glory! Without
the Bible and such love, there Is before Us no
dazzling and linitess future; without these,
We are at sea upon stormy waters, and our
eYange, cal ties are as fretted cables when the
bark drives towards the breakers; without
these, NE can readily believe the social ele-
ns e-:,Il, positive, enthusiastic, extra.
Vagsnt-of our community may be moulded
and hardened into The most mons rous develop.
nents. Mediate for moment upon the Anglo
Saxon instincts and intellect: the elements
with which superstition has to do, are rather
moral than mental. Man comes TO his religion
Dltener through his passions than his intsllect
II the old Hebrew race, fresh from the miracles
If the Red Sea and the Nile, and overshado wed
by the very Theophany OF Sinai. could turn
from that communion with revealed {
God, to worship an idol--if the old Latin race,
with its literature and arts, and poetry and eo.