SUMMARY OF NEWS. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.-Advices from Europe are to the 24th inst. GREAT BRITAIN.-The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated in the House of Commons on the 18th, that a convention settling the Egyptian financial question had been signed by the Powers concerned. It provides for a loan of £9,000,000, which is internationally guaranteed by the Powers, who are responsible jointly and severally in the sum of £375.000 yearly. The sinking fund debt will be the first charge on the Egyptian revenues. The interest on the coupon bonds will be reduced to 5 per cent., and British Suez Canal shares to 21⁄2 per cent. The Powers will have financial control of the Suez Canal for two years, the management to be in charge of an international board. Foreigners will be subject to taxation. Subsequently it was announced that the agreement would be presented to the House for its judgment on the 26th, or at latest on the 30th. On the 23rd, Sir Stafford Northcote demanded that the discussion of this subject should be postponed till after the Easter recess, but Gladstone refused to assent, declaring that the condition of Egyptian finances would not admit of delay. Opposition was withdrawn, and the 26th was fixed for the discussion. On the 20th, an Under Foreign Secretary said in the Honse of Commons that the Government recognized the right of France to search for contraband of war all neutral vessels bound for China. The Duke of Richmond, the largest owner of rented property in London, has issued an order reducing his rents 10 per cent. IRELAND.-The Chamber of Commerce of Limerick has voted to present an address of welcome to the Prince and Princess of Wales on their prospective visit to Ireland. C. S. Parnell, in a speech at a banquet in London on the 17th, advised the encouragement of Irish manufactures; and said that if Irish men and women every. where would use the excellent products of Irish toil when practicable, to the exclusion of all other products, the material prosperity of Ireland would be more quickly developed, her financial independence would be secured, and political independence would follow. FRANCE.-The Chamber of Deputies has decided, by a vote of 314 to 177, to devote the proceeds of taxation to balancing the budget, rejecting proposals to use those proceeds for other purposes. The Senate has adopted the budget for 1885 as passed by the Chamber of Deputies. Premier Ferry assured the Senate that the Government desired to uphold the Concordat, and he begged the Senate to accept the reductions made by the Chamber of Deputies in the appropriations for public worship, in order to avoid a conflict between the two Chambers. GERMANY.-The 88th birth-day of the Emperor was celebrated in Berlin on the 22d with much enthusiasm. By an explosion of fire-damp in a colliery at Camphausen, in Rhenish Prussia, on the 18th, 217 miners were imprisoned. Up to the evening of the next day, 51 had been rescued, and 137 bodies of those killed had been recovered. Advices from the Samoan Islands state that the Ger resisting any further advance of the Russians toward India. It is asserted that all the native rulers are similarly disposed. The Russian Minister at London has assured Earl Granville that the Russians will not Occupy Penjdeh, one of the points on the disputed frontier of Afghanistan, if the Afghans evacuate it | pending a decision by the Commissioners as to the boundary line. The Indian budget submitted to Parliament in London on the 18th, shows that for the fiscal year ending Third month 31st, 1884, there was a surplus of over $5,000,000; for that ending with the 31st inst. there will be a deficit of $2,500,000; and for the coming year the estimated surplus will be $2,500,000. EGYPT.-Several engagements have occurred between the British forces collected near Suakim and the Arabs under Osman Digna. On the 19th and 20th, a "reconnoissance in force" was made from Suakim toward Hasheen, where the Arabs were found to be massing in large numbers, and on both days fighting took place. Part of the British troops occupied an advanced position and formed an entrenched camp. While engaged in this work, on the 22d, they were surprised by a rush of Arabs who had been concealed in the defiles, and a desperate conflict ensued; but finally the Arabs were repulsed with heavy loss. The whole British force began to move towards Tamai on the 23d. Gen. Wolseley has evacuated Korti, and is withdrawing his troops towards Dongola. The heat is intense, and there is much sickness. DOMESTIC.-On the morning of the 23rd, the temperature was below the freezing point, as far south as Mobile. The highest temperature reported was 650 at Key West; the lowest 11° below zero in Michigan. Snow fell on the 22d at Danville, Va., and in adjacent parts of North Carolina, to the depth of ten inches. A heavy frost is reported in Mississippi. Louisiana and Texas on the night of the 22d, doing great damage to early vegetables and fruits. The morning of the 21st is said to have been the coldest known in New York in this month since 1872, the temperature at 6 A. M. being 50. The Delaware river at Easton, Pa., was entirely frozen over, for the first time this year. The canals were also closed by ice. The night of the 20th, on the top of Mount Washington, is said to have been "terrific beyond description." The wind had a velocity of 100 to 140 miles per hour, and the spirit thermometer marked 480 below zero. The President has nominated and the Senate confirmed Edward J. Phelps of Vt. as Minister to Eng. land; George H. Pendleton of Ohio, to Germany; Robert McLane of Md. to France; and Henry R. Jackson of Ga. to Mexico; also Joseph S. Miller of W. Va. for Commissioner of Internal Revenue; John C. Black of Ill., Commissioner of Pensions; Martin V. B. Montgomery of Mich., Commissioner of Patents; J.D.C. Atkins of Tenn., Commissioner of Indian Affairs; Malcolm Hay of Pa., First Assistant Postmaster General; and several other officers of different depart ments Edward D. Clark of Miss. was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of the Interior on the 17th, but died on the 23d, and the President then nominated Henry L. Muldrow of Miss. for the position. man flag has been hoisted at Apia, on account of the ALKETHREPTA native king having broken the contract made with the German Consul. The Consul notified the British and American Consuls of this act. The Reichstag, on the 23d, passed finally the bill providing for the subsidizing of steamship companies. INDIA. The Earl of Dufferin, Viceroy of India, has received from the Governments of both Hyderabad and Scinde, assurances of their willingness to join in For Friends' Review. Since the publication of two articles in Friends' Review on The Truth as it is in Jesus," many evidences of a cordial approval of their sentiments have reached the writer; as well as most earnest testimonies,. on every hand, to the great need there is at this time of a wider dissemination of true Scriptural teaching in regard to Christian sanctification, which those essays were intended to present. Among these are letters from influential Friends, especially in the West, whose personal character, as well-instructed and earnest advocates of the cause of Christ, and also their prominent position in His Church, give a recognized authority to their judgment. On the other hand, our friend Wm. P. Smith, of Iowa, expresses very courteously in a recent communication to Friends' Review his dissent from some of the arguments and conclusions of those essays, and doubtless gives utterance to the opinions of other sincere and earnest Christian workers, who have accepted as Scriptural doctrine the modern teaching in regard to an instantaneous "eradication of all tendencies to evil," and the immediate and complete "destruction of the body of sin;" and have been led to believe that these views of sanctification were in accord with those held and taught by our early Friends. POETRY.-The Sure Foundation-Middle Life-Richard Cobden.. 559 SUMMARY OF NEWS It is in no spirit of controversy that I shall endeavor lovingly to reply to his enquiries, by showing that the very passages of Scripture to which he refers prove, beyond a doubt, the correctness of the positions taken in the articles on "The Truth as it is in Jesus." The point at issue, it will be remembered, was this: An American critic, in arraigning Theodore Monod's doctrinal teachings, had said that the Apostle Paul taught that the "Body of sin was destroyed, not simply overmastered and rendered powerless by the stronger Man who now dwells in the heart," &c., &c., &c. The answer was that this was not the teaching of the Apostle, although the King James translation of his Epistle to the Romans thus erroneously interprets him. The word Katargèthe, which he there used, was shown to mean exactly "rendered useless or "powerless"-"made of none effect"-neutralized-not "destroyed;" and to be similarly rendered almost uniformly in the New Testament. Now let us look at the two passages in Paul's Epistles to the Corinthians, quoted by our friend, where this verb, katargeoo, is rendered "done away," an expression which he conceives to be the practical equivalent of "destroyed," and so he argues for the "destruction of the body of sin," as the Apostle's true meaning in Romans. 1 At the outset of this examination, I would plead that no one should think such investigations to be tedious, or useless, when reverently conducted. An able English writer, Dr. Goulbourn, truly says: "Holy Scripture is the expression of the mind of the Holy Spirit. He therefore who sifts a Greek or Hebrew phrase, occurring in the Old or New Testament, with a view of ascertaining its fine shades of meaning, is investigating the sublimest of all subjects; he is exploring, so far as man may explore, the thoughts of Almighty God." I will not, therefore, further urge the great preponderance of authority in the translation of the Greek verb in other places, nor show, as would be easy to do, that "done away" does not at all mean a final destruction, because in the examination of disputed points of Scriptural doctrine all transla tions are useless, save so far as they indicate the opinions of eminent Christian scholars. No one would think for a moment of erecting a system of theology upon any human interpretation of the written word of the Lord. The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Divine Oracles, has the gift of tongues in His keeping, and He always uses the word that conveys His real meaning. This we are all, I trust, seeking to arrive at and to accept, rather than the teachings of any man "whose breath is in his nostrils." "Thus saith the Lord," is the only authority that His Church has any right to recognize, or His servants any right to obey. Take, then, the two passages referred to. The first is found in I Corinthians xiii. 10, where Paul is speaking of our present limited vision, and as a necessary conse quence, our partial teaching, at the best. He says: to the "more excellent glory" of His own personal manifestation in His dear Son: "But if the ministration of Death, written and engraven on stones, be glorious, which glory was to be done away," &c., &c. (Katargoumenon), rendered in the Revised Version, "is passing away." Surely no Bible student can plead that the word means destroyed in this place. Our Lord and Saviour said that He "came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it." The evident meaning is perfectly consistent with the uniformly correct use of the Greek verb, Katargeoo, by the Apostle Paul, that with the fuller manifestation of God's purposes, in the New Covenant, the Old Dispensation of the Law had been rendered of none effect, supplanted, not destroyed: the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus having made God's children free from the law of sin and death. Passing now to the concluding question of Brother Smith, "Is it not the teaching of the Scriptures that Christ was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil ?" I would answer: Most unquestionably. The word used here in the original text will be found to be a very different one, for though another Apostle is writing now, yet the Holy Spirit is still inspiring the message, and He uses the word that expresses His real meaning. The "work of of the Devil" is to destroy the soul; and if we were left to ourselves, in our helpless and tallen condition, he would speedily accomplish that work with us all. His work again is to ruin the world, and to retard the advancement of Christ's kingdom within it; and we read that the world, left to itself, lies in the arms of the wicked one. But Christ was manifested that He might destroy (lusé) the works of the Devil; and He is doing it most effectually and surely. He does not destroy the world in order to redeem it, but He is gradually permeating it with His own sweet life and love, as it is willing to receive Him, and is winning it over to Himself by His Gospel of peace and salvation. And this blessed work will go on, until all those who sit in darkness will see a great "For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away." (Katargëthësētai.) The Apostle most certainly does not here mean to say that when the truth shall be more fully revealed to our enlarged vision, the portion of that eternal truth which hitherto the Lord has been pleased to manifest to us will be destroyed. He evidently is explaining that it will be superseded, of necessity-light, and the kingdoms of this world will become lost and swallowed up in the larger revelation; and yet all comprehended in it, as a perfectly consistent and essential part of the glorious whole. So with prophecy-our methods of stating that truth, as it had been only partially unfolded to us; they will be rendered useless"—"made of none effect" (Katargethēsētar)—because of our enlarged apprehension-not destroyed. The "part," both of the vision and of the prophecy, will ever be found to occupy a vital and important position in the vast cycle of God's infinite and unchanging Truth; now progressively unveiled to us, as we are able to bear it, and one day to be more completely revealed, when we shall see as we are seen, and know even as we are known. Exactly so, also, with the other passage quoted from II Corinthians iii. 7. The Apostle is speaking of the Law of God, written by His own hand on tables of stone, and delivered by Himself to Moses on Mt. Sinai; and yet which was then giving place the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. So with each soul in whom that light shines and who accepts His glad tidings of deliverance and peace : "Sin shall not have dominion over it." The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made it free from the law of sin and death." The "work of the Devil" is destroyed in that soul (luse), for it is redeemed and delivered by a stronger than he; and abiding in Christ it is preserved from the enemy's power. * Let the Apostle John speak for himself as to his meaning: "And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not. * To this end was the Son of God manifested that He might destroy (lusé) the works of the Devil." I John iii. 5, 6, 8. It would have been impossible for our brother to have quoted three passages of Holy Scripture more directly in accord with " The truth as it is in Jesus." The question at issue is a mo. mentous one. The difference between the teachings of the Holy Scriptures on this vital doctrine of Christian sanctification, and some extreme dog. mas that are prevailing in certain quarters, is all the difference between truth and error; between a delusive theory which leads to disappointment and too often to a fatal reaction, and that blessed experience which many of the righteous in all ages have rejoiced in, and which our Early Friends abundantly testified to,-of a holy, humble abiding in the Lord Jesus, who kept them from falling," and who of God was made unto them wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and complete redemption. 66 I rejoice, however, in believing that, with His truly redeemed followers all apparent divergencies are reconciled in Him, and that many who may be imperfect or defective in the definition of their theology are yet seeking to abide in Him, and so really know in large measure that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made them free from the law of sin and death." To all such-whether they agree with me in these earnest views of the truth as it is in Jesus, or not-my heart goes out in unfeigned and fervent love and in prayer for a blessing on their word and work, so far as these are in harmony with that truth; and I would close with a heartfelt acceptance of the Apostle's salutation: "Grace be with all them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." New York, Third mo. 23d, 1885. THOMAS KIMBER. For Friends' Review. WAS WATER BAPTISM TOLERATED AMONG EARLY FRIENDS? On account of some allusions to this subject in the extracts cited, a few weeks ago, from the evidence in the case under litigation last year in Canada, a new examination of the proofs in the matter has been made, with the aid of one whose research in regard to it has been exhaustive. The most plausible assertions have been borrowed from the late Robert Barclay's work on "The Inner Life," &c. Mention is therein made of Humphrey Wooldrigg, a minister, who, in 1658, baptized a woman who "declared that she was moved of the Lord" to desire it. George Fox, while disapproving of this action, saw the honest weakness of Wooldrigg, who "did such a thing once, and no more," and passed it by; and afterwards Wooldrigg wrote a book against the Baptists. That, at so early a period (George Fox only began to preach in public about 1647) there was not a considerable diversity of views on such a subject among the members of the newly gathered Society, is extremely remarkable. The only other apparent instance of it, also referred to in R. Barclay's book, occurs in a letter to Margaret Fox, dated Ninth month, 20, 1660, found in the Swarthmore Correspondence. In this a vague anonymous rumor is mentioned, that in Somerset shire "some baptise." Approval or "toleration" of this on the part of the body is not suggested; and there is no proof that a single meeting of Friends, or any one of their recognized ministers or accredited members, ever deliberately assented to the propriety or allowance of water baptism among Friends. Charity towards those of other denominations, not convinced of the truth as held by Friends, they rightly exercised. This is clearly expressed by Barclay and others; although some such expressions have been wrongly used, by partial citation, to give an appearance of indulgence, on their part, of liberty of judgment about ordinances within the Society. It may be broadly and strongly affirmed, that no such diversity of opinion, no tolerance or allowance of water baptism or the "supper" as ordinances, existed, ever or anywhere, amongst early Friends. John Crook having been quoted as approving such a tolerance, in the evidence above referred to, we have made a careful examination of the passage mentioned. It will be found in volume XIII of Friends' Library, page 280. There is reproduced J. Crook's publication, thus entitled: "Truth's Principles: or those things about Doctrine and Worship which are most surely believed and received amongst the people of God called Quakers." Throughout the whole of this document, its author, then in his eighty-first year, speaks definitely in the name of the whole Society of Friends, whose unity, upon doctrine and worship, was then complete. When he refers, therefore, to any that believe otherwise, of whom he says, we judge them not," it is altogether clear that those are, meant who are not members with Friends. To confirm this, it need only be recalled that of the twenty-four paragraphs of which this essay on "Truth's Principles" consists, besides a brief preamble and an equally brief conclusion, every one commences with the words, or their equivalents, "We believe; we being the accepted members of the Society of Friends. The following is the greater and most important part of the paragraph from which a few words only were taken, by themselves, in the printed evidence before mentioned: 66 " com • We believe there is one baptism necessary unto salvation. Eph. iv. 5. Christ, the substance, being come, the shadows flee away. And yet, wherever any believe they are manded now by the same Spirit that commanded the believers to be baptised in the days past, either for the furtherance of the gospel, or trial of their faith, we judge them not; but this obedience is very rare to be found; and we could heartily desire, that all would consider seriously, whether literal sayings, observed only by outward reading, hearing by the ear, or inward impulses upon the heart by the Divine Power, are the motives unto obedience in this kind. And if honesty and uprightness of heart may be heard, we believe and know, the many dead souls everywhere, notwithstanding their baptisms, will be so many witnesses against them, by their grovelling upon the earth, as so many slain and killed men by the letter; while the Spirit's quickenings have not been in the true baptism into death. For we find by daily experience, that most men and women live like Pharaoh's lean kine, only to eat up the fat, and to envy those that are not so lean-souled as themselves." From The [London] Christian. GEORGE MULLER'S NEW REPORT. The forty-fifth annual report of Mr. George Müller's many-sided work has reached us. No brief sketch can give any idea of its value. The first ten pages are devoted to a condensed statement of the writer's recent missionary tour of 21,000 miles, through India, in the seventy ninth year of his life, thus consummating a desire which had been latent for nearly half a century. Referring to the support of the institution during the same period, Mr. Müller says: "That it still exists, and is now in its fifty-first year, we most heartily praise God. As for every day's supply we continue to be dependent on Him, and are only able to carry on the work as He is pleased in answer to prayer and faith to supply us with means, it becomes us to acknowledge gratefully His kindness in having upheld this institution during another year, and for so long a period. Also, for preserving our extensive buildings from fire and other great calamities. Above all, we praise Him for the great amount of spiritual blessing which He has graciously vouchsafed to rest on the various departments of the work in hand." This spiritual blessing we find extends to the eighty-four schools of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, the missionary work, the circulation of religious books, pamphlets, and tracts, and the 2,160 orphans under his care. Devout recognition is also recorded of the amount of physical and mental strength with which in his seventy-ninth year he is blest. Since the founding of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad in 1834, God has been pleased to send £1,012,770 simply as the result of prayer and faith, and by these means 95,143 children or grown-up persons have been taught in the 84 schools, entirely supported by the funds of the institution, besides the tens of thousands who have been benefited in the schools which are assisted by its funds. There are now in the 84 schools, 5947 pupils. There have been eirculated in various languages, 189,359 Bibles, 647,775 New Testaments, 20,275 Psalms, and 205,084 other portions of the Holy Scriptures. In addition to this there have been circulated 80,219,334 pamphlets and tracts. From the earliest days of the institution, missionaries have also been assisted by its funds, and for very many years a considerable number of them. On this object alone the sum £196,633 has been expended. No less modation of 2050 orphans at a time, and 110 helpers. "As to the spiritual result of these operations, we have the fullest reason to believe," says Mr. Müller, "that tens of thousands of souls have been blessed, but the day of the Lord alone will fully make manifest all the good which through His wondrous condescension has been accomplished during the last fifty years by means of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution." The methed adopted by the writer of the report is first to give a few specimens of the manner in which the Lord has provided the necessary funds for the past year for the orphans and all the institutions, and secondly to furnish some facts of interest concerning the objects of the institutions. "As this report, however, is intended for the spiritual benefit of the reader, so, as God shall help me, the whole will be interspersed with practical remarks as either the subjects or dates may lead to them, although these remarks may not be immediately connected with giving an account of our stewardship." And then follows the marvellous narrative of how God has sent the money in answer to prayer during the past twelve months, for the support of more than 2000 orphan children, and for the other institution. As usual, from all parts of the world has it come. The little notes accompanying the donations are as touching and beautiful as ever. Mr. Müller's "comments" are as good as a Bible-reading, and the careful and prayerful perusal of the entire report is truly a means of grace. One very valuable statement by Mr. Müller we must not omit. "April 2, from Yorkshire, £200. This kind donor whom God has raised up for the institution, within the last eight years, has helped us again and again in a similar manner in time of our need, without knowing it. I say, without knowing about it, for we never make known our wants. The reason why we refrain from this is not because we consider it sinful to let our Chris. tian friends know that we are without means for the work of the Lord, but because from the beginning the Orphan Institution had for its especial object to strengthen the faith of Christians, and to encourage them increasingly to give themselves to prayer in all their necessities. We desire also to show to an unbelieving and sceptical age how much, even in the nineteenth century, can be accomplished by prayer and faith. On this account I never speak about the state of the funds except in the yearly Reports, and all my fellow-laborers are requested to refrain from doing so when we are in need, in order that the hand of God in sending to us help simply in answer to prayer may be clearly seen.' " On page 24, Mr. Müller writes: "This morning the sum of £256 came in, but the expenses of the day were so great that the last sovereign was called for and we had nothing left at all. The next day (Dec. 8) £140 came in, but all was called for again, and thus up to Dec. 12 we were continually without any balance in hand though help ed day by day. |