The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-27

spreading poison, and result in the contami-
nation of the whole synod. Still another advo-
Gated the exclusion of the presbytery from the
watch and care of the synod, hoping thus
effectually to free it from evolves in sleeps
clothing" The dissolution of the presbytery
was finally agreed upon, its members being
ordered within six months to seek admission
into other presbyteries failing in which they
were declared to be ipso .fdcto cut off from
the communion of the Presbyterian Church.
The members of the presbytery which it was
thus attempted to dissolve appealed to the
General Assembly of 1856, which met at Pitts
burg. week was devoted to hearing the ap-
peals of the presbytery and of Mr.. Barnes, and
both were sustained the latter by a vote of one
hundred and thirty-four to ninety-six. His
suspension from the exercise of his pastoral
duties W as reversed by vote of one hundred
and forty five to seventy-eight, and he again
appeared in his pulpit, to the great rejoicing of
his people, having triumphantly sustained and
finally overcome persecution for his religious
views which lasted through six. years. Mr..
Barnes himself paid the following high tribute
to the noble manner in which he was sustained
throughout this trying ordeal by his congrega-
tion. He said:-
ing all the efforts made from without, to crush a
young man, and to divide the congregation it never
none among US attempted to make division In
every new phase of the now almost forgotten strug-
Church at large, the entire congregation stood by
me until the great result was reached which gave
For thirty-seven years he remained in the
pulpit of the Washington Square Presbyterian
Church OF this city, discharging his pastoral
duties with great acceptance and working un-
ceasiDgly at his great literary tasks. But in Oc-
tober, 1867, he was forced by the increasing in
firmities of age, and especially by the PARTIAL
failure of his eyesight, TO abandon the regular
discharge of his pastoral duties, in which he was
succeeded by the Rev. Herrick johnson, D. D.
His connection with the congregation which he
had served so long and so faithfully was not
severed however, and he occasionally appeared
in his old pulpit as well as in the pulpits of
other city churches. On Sunday morning, De-
cember 49, less than week before his death,
he preached to his old congregation, and on the
afternoon of the same day his last sermon was
delivered, his congregation on this occasion
being the inmates of the House of Refuge.
The later years of his life were not signalized
by such stormy scenes as marked his early
career, but they were none the less industriously
employed. In addition to his ''Notes on the
New Testament" he published q similar COM
mentary on portions of the Old Testament, in
cuding the books of Job, the Psalmsy Isaiah,
and Daniel, ten volumes of sermons and miscel-
laneous discourses, and other works. among
which were IA Life of st. Paul, " Evidences of
Christianity" and 'Scriptural Views of
Slavery" The just fame which he earned as
commentator and pulpit orator caused the
degree of Doctor of Divinity to be rendered him
by several Institutions, English as well as Ame-
rican, but with characteristic modesty and on
conscientious grounds he Invariably declined
the honor Happily, his years were so far pro-
longed that he was permitted to witness the
reunion of the Church whose disruption had
been so intimately associated with the great
persecution he had undergone in his early life,
and this grand. .consulntnatien gave him un-
fegned joy.
There has seldom been in the Christian pulpit
a man whose life displayed more true nobility,
whose labors resulted in greater good to his
fellow-men whose influence was more earnestly
and effectually exerted on the side of truth in
all its forms and phases. For he did not re-
| strict his indomitable energies and his varied
| scholarly requirements to any one field of
labor but was found as Jealous and as efficient
in the advocacy of temperance. of justice to the
! oppressed, and of maintaining by the strong
right arm of the nation those political princi-
Piles which were bequeathed to us by our fore
! fathers, as in the mere discharge of his duties
| as pastor of single church. We cannot better
bring this sketch of his life to a close than by
! quoting the following extract from a letter
written by him to friend, on the SEVENTEEN
anniversary of his birth, December /, 1865
81 have great desire to live / am not tired OF
| life, nor disgHsted with the world, discouraged
disheartened in regard to the future. | believe
that there are glorious things in prospect for our
earth, and that it will be greater thing to live
the next half century than It has been live in the
one that is past, and where we have had something
| to do. You have the advantage OF me in another
| respect. You have the use of your eyes. i have
not, and obliged to write this letter by the aid
of machine, and this j can use but lttle preach
a ttle but have no charge, and am a practical
| farmer-wth farm of one acre. | remem Der the
scenes of other years to which you refer They are
gone, and cannot be recalled. There are brighter
scenes and even happier lands, and there will bt
prolonged and unbroken frindships beyond the
grave-that grave which is but littlebefore u.s."
The funeral of Mr.. Barnes will take place OF
tomorrow afternoon, at l O'Clock, from th,
church on Washington Square, the interment tC
take nlace at laurel Fill Cemetery.