GEES EE . EVANGELIST. 77 -Whole N 6. 741.
' otitg.
Selected for the American Presbyterian,
I TRUST IN THEE.
As feeble as the bruised reed,
Infirm to will and do,
Oft working out the ungrateful deed
'Twere better to eschew:
Bow were the sinking soul displayed
Could it not orrto thee,
' , Father, what time I am afraid
Then will I trust in thee."
When hope is faint, and faith is weak,
And hare the - spirit
And I a strong assortlice seek
That thou art grapious still,
I rest upon thy promiee-word,
To thine oin heart I flog
1$ Father, what time I am afraid,
Then will I trust in thee."
When mortal ; paleness marks my cheek,
And dimness veils my eye,
- And hoping Only in thy grace,
lls uukOWn to'.(110;
If entering bn that vale of shade,
No sun nor star I see,
„ Father, what time I am afraid,
Then trust in Thee."
For.the Americas' :Presbyterian.
• INFLUENCE.
'Par in the distant years some deed of beauty,
Bath struck the key-note of a bold refrain,
And many a noble act and high-souled duty.
Led on the lofty strain.
lay in the distant years some thought onme
; learning,
Along the hist'ry of this world's great life
And quivering down from heart to heart its beaming
With glory still is rife. •
Oh blest the power such deeds of heavenly meetness
To pour adown the track of Coming days
And blest the thoughts that Ml in living sweetness
Upon lire's common ways.
And glad the gathering, when our time is ended,
Of all the influence that one life bath oast;
The monis that through such earnest words have tended
Upward to heaven.at last.
4tovotsiontbinet.
THE CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA.
The following letters from Rev. W. A. Ben
ton, and his wife, Mrs. L. G. Benton, Mission
aries of the American Board, at Mk Lebanon,
in the very heart of the present disturbances,
have Jut' been received by• Mr. George W.
Mears, the Corresponding Searetary of Western
Church, S. S. Missionary. Society, and promptly
placed in our hands for publication. They will
be found equal in interest to anything as yet
published, en the painful subjeci. Mrs. Benton
holds the pen of a ready wiiter :
Shatndun, Mt. Lebanon, lane 6, 1860.
DEAR BROTREE. IN OnßisT:—The existing
►ostilities between the brazes and. Christians of
Mount Lebanon, commenced on Tuesday of last
week.at Bait Miri and several other points, almost
simultaneously in the Metn district, at the north
of our Station. It was fearfully sublime, and in
expreastbly 'painful befoxa,mernino- se' , lteheld so
r►any - villages * hmilets, and isolated houses in
flames; and, to hear the reports of their , guns, and
the *ild-voices of the assailants re-echoing around,
us at the midnight hour. In the course of forty
eight hours/about one IWndred different places
were reduced' to ashes, and the sad work of war
and conflagration is still raging upon the moun.
Monday, June 11..—.-After I had written the
above, having been called to go down to Beirut, I
suggested to Mrs. Benton to write an account of
the war, to 'accompany this letter. Her cote
lannication is enclosed. It is a painful circum
stance to state that a great misunderstanding has
arisen between the Pasha of Beirut, and all the
consuls ihere, on thesquestien of his duty and
office at once to interfere and terminate this mu
tual animosity and carnage of •the contending ,
parties. This he declines to do, and the consuls
have of course reported the fact to their respective
governments
It is said that Hasbeiyeh and Basbeiyeh are
taken, plundered and burned, with a lose,of 61)0.
killed to the Christians. I hope this reporUblhot
true. The Christians at Beirut, Dataao4, Alep
,portuud !Premien are inner etriPltnd danger.
The duilfraggi W
filbriatians in the Druze
vil
lages,are still burning. Last night Aindara, two
hours at the east, was set on fire. The Christiana
are gathering at Zahleh, and at the north of us,
in considerable force, 20 or 80 thousands or more.
The Druzes are gathering at and from the south,
and Hoarse. And what the state and issues of
the existing hostilities will be, it is impossible to
tell. Our comfort and confidence is the blessed
will of Providence. •
Our position here istitical and providential.
Our Consul at Beirut has warned us, as in duty
bound, that he can no longer protect us on the
mountain, and has suggested Ant we had better
come down. A strong order has issued from the
Pasha to the Governor that we should be guarded
and not molested, or annoyed in the least, by the
contending parties. Pe do not apprehend any
personal danger, and Mir presence at such a time,
is felt to be a great protection and comfort to all
the people of Bhamdun, especially to all these
who love the gospel at this station.' It is said, in
deed, that our presence has saved the village.
And it is not our duty at present to leave, as we
think.
The Convention of all the Ambassadors except
the Turkish, at Bt. Petersburgh, to consider the
contemplated policy of Russia, concerning the con
dition of the Christians in the Turkish Empire;
the state of Minis in this mountain, and in so
many other places of the Empire, indicate the pos
sibility o f a o uta ge, which, whatever it may be,
the Lord will direoCor overrule for the advance
4neaLt .pie substautiaLinteresto of His eternal
intelem.s 1 we know that
" Jes
it
4 410 411;4;
. !011
___ h * sun
Doth hli sothreselieiourneys run."
We know that . His kingdom is „near at hand,
and the people or government that does not.serve
Him, must perish from under beam . •
The new translation of the referencb and pocket
Testaments in Arabic, is just completed; and is now
in the hands of the binders. The issue is 5000
and 8000 copies respectively. But, the state of
Syria now puts a stop to all our schools, and most
of our missionary operations, in this •part of the
mountain. While the awful judgments of the Lord
are prevailing, our prayer is, that the people and
ourselves also may learn righteousness, and know
and fear His 'name.
Lebanon is without a government, noniinally.
It is divided into two districts, by the Damascus
road. The northern division has a Christian, and
the southern division a Druze Governor ami Coun
cil of twelve judges. But these two divisions,
apart from these authorities, are in, actual
hostili
ties. And the Pasha does not come with his
army to separate their'. It is- our place to know
that the Lord reigns.
Excuse these hasty sketches of_tlie. prevailing
anarchy around.- Pray for your missionaries., 'Mad
for Mount Lebanon; and believe um j
,Ever yours in Christian love,
WILLIAM A. BENTON.
DEAR, CHRISTIAN Iltrztrps :—We take up our
pen to give you some faint description of the awful
visitation which„„ as. come upon this:Tour,. guilty
huff; The old inimosities,feuds and hates'-be
tween the Druzes and Chriatians have now broken_
out in. a most fearful war, sending horror, blood
shed and devastation over this beautiful, this
goodly Lebanon. ,
On Tuesday, May 28th, the hostilities com
menced; a battle was fought On the White. Back
mountain, about four hours from here, between a
party of Zahlehans and Drnzes. There was a se
vere loss on both sides; the high priest of the
Druses was killed: That same awful night, the
fires of the tionibatants were lighted' at Beitmiri,
and all the little villages around that place, and
in, the Metn district . at the No'ith; we counted
ten, and soon after twelve Tillages burning at
once, and sending up the most fearful flames to
heaien. No eye, slept that night; we expected
every moment that: we might be attacked. The
dreadfaLnightwore away, the morning dawned,
and cur mountain heights were enveloped in a
denseclond of black pine smoke. We sat. down
ia the=study-for morning -devotions, and the cry
of "the Drums - are upon us," rang in. our ears. -
Mr. Dotal* rushed out, and was met by hundrede
of women and children running to our house for
safety. Be-asked where they were; some said
one thing and some another, and he walked -up
through the village to meet -the dreaded foe, and'
if possible mediate between them. He looked all
'round and saw no one, or any appearance of dan
ger. The accidental discharge of a gun, and the
screams of the women had -caused a false alarni.
Mr. Benton now felt it was ,his duty to take' the
direction of affairs. He divided the men of the
village into companies, and stationed them at dif
ferent points to watch, telling them if they saw
any one approach to give himmotiee, and he would
meet the foe first of all. We raised the Ameri
can flag over our house, and told all, that in case
of -an attack upon the 'village, the women were to
come to our house and the men stand their ground.
We then sent word to Sheikh Yusif, the Druze
governor of this village, and told him of our posi
tion, a-ad. - Week pleasure Adaptirova of all;
and advised the peopleofilhatudtm - and Bhuttum
to Oring their valuables to our house, and took his
most solemn oath that he could and would protect
Bhaindun; said that Mr. 13enton was his own bro
ther, called him Sheikh Benton Abel el Melik—
the name of his house: , it is wonderful the
Lord; hasgiven us the 'hearts and. corifidence of
these wild Druies.
Beveral times during that never-to-be-forgotten
day, the poor panie-strieken people were about to
flee and start for Beirut, and but for us they would
have gone, and they would have been slaughtered
on the road, as the war vrasT,raging All the way,
and the. neighboring Druze wawa vould have
eon* and plundered and burned our village.
Towards night a Kowass from the Amerieun
Consul at Beirut arrived to inquire after us; they
thought Bhamdun was.burned and knew not whet
had become of. us. Also Sheikh Nebhan, the
brother of Sheikh Yusif, arrived, and he is here
still. We do not feel du/ttan are by- auy weans
out of daigsl, , ,kut . t . here are many indications that
,Blitiedim outai l liAtiA fearful stow.. We
suppose that more than a hintdrekrilluges have
been burned, and, to the -horror of ailvtko foreign
residents in Syria, it is plain the Turkislialktho
rides are favoring the Druze side, and themselal
helping on the butchery of the Christians.
Near Sidon, there has been a massacre of the
Christians, and but for the appearance of the Eng
lish war steamer, which threatened to destroy. the
city, we fear the Muslems would have arisen and
slaughtered the whole Christian population.
Nearly all day yesterday we heard the guns of
the contending parties. A severe battle was
fought at the 'Met; at the north of us, and we
hear that the Drum loss is, great in killed and
Werinded. Such is our position that we hear the
Wine side of the .queation. Bhamdun stands
neutral, and under the Drum protection, being
one of their principal stations; the commander of
their force is here. Rastnaia, a large Christian
village nearlere, which had taken up arms against
the Druzes, one hundred and sixty of her young
men being gone to the war, was forced to surren
der; day before yesterday, they gave up their arms
and their crop of silk, the cocoons being in their
houses, upon condition that they should be pro
tected. After the whole contract Ives complete,
the fired upon the people, and Completely
plundered the whole village. While this awful
scene was going on, Mr. Portalas, a French gentle
man who hula factory near that place, rode int?
the midst, and told'Al"the villagers to follow him,.
and he took them all to his'actory. „ ,Some of‘the
women had nothing on save their under-clothes.
He is still feeding them •at his own house. All
the gentlemen of the factories , in this part of Le
banon have actettiViabliS part in protecting the
worneriAdVildren in their factories.
''O' ow dreadful to think of thousands of houses
now laid in ashes, and 'their poor owners wander
ing in the hot sun with no houses, and we fear
nothing tu eat; save the green-wheat and mulber
ries which now cover this mounkain. A party of
Drums, whom the Christians liad burned, out,
were passing through Bhamdun, and put up here
for the night; they slept on the ground, , and the
kind people here carried them some food. One
poor, little sick boy cried, fg Carry me to our house,
mother;" the poor mother, with tears, replied,
"Our house is in ashes, my son."
t •
A number of infants left behind by the poor,
fleeing jiotbers, have been picked up, we' learn,
and are taken cars of by'the Druze Sheikhs. One
Bluundun. woman, living: in one of the villages
which was destroyed, had three little children; her
Mount Lebanon,
Bhamdun. June Bth, 1860.
-ftIRIOELPWA,' :,.r . ftt,i‘,.!llA'ir . - i1,:',....ifULY . :20,' 4800.
husband was in the battle, and she caught up two
and ran, lead i ng her babe in the cradle; a Druze
was seen to take the cradle out of the house and
then set it on fire; we know not what has become
of the poor babe. The Druzes, are hear, are pre-
paring to attack Shasbeiah; 'they will make terri
ble, havers there if•they.conquer.
The, Christiana at fear the Moslems
• , .
will rise upon them and kill them without mercy;
indeed no place:feels safe but Beirut and that on
Account of the ships of war in the harbor, is safe.
We have long been fearing and dreading these
awful days. If there had been a grain, of energy
in the government, all this might have been easily
prevented. We do hope and pray that the Chris
tian world will call the Turkish government to an
account for this, and no longer propup e and patch
up suet; a rotten administration.
, There, has:, bein atwit& seena t at Dier el
but all is quiet there now. Ido not-inow
the particulars enough to describe it; you will
doubtless see reports of that place.
Things - look threatening again between the
Russians and the Sultan. Is it not near the time
when the . - Pope and the false. Prophet 'will go
down ?
Zahleh is full of people; all the villagers in this
part of , the mountain have fled:there., It is said
that they, have from seven to eight thousand armed
men. The Drums, we hope, will not venture to
attack that • place. We :have been hoping every
day td see the Turkish troops come up into the
mountain and put a stop to these terrible conflicts,
but the Pasha appears to take side with the
Druzes, and seen ;the - Work go'on.
The Lord will, out of all' this, bring his own
glory, and we trust the Christians will repent, and
the Drnzes also will yet learn righteou.sness.
Our friends in Zahlehnre increasing; we had
hoped to visit that .
.place again, but now all such
labors are stopped' till the war ceases.
The Romish Bishops and priests have had
much influence in getting up this war, by exciting
the Christians against the Drums. The Bishop's
mansion at Beit Miri is burned, and all the con
vents in this vicinity. Oh may they never again
be rebuilt
-to snbserve the kingdom of Satan. We
are looking for letters from our friendt i in Phila
delphia. 'We ask your continued Verest and
prayers for us and.the poor, dark patple of this
upper district of the goodly mountain.
Your affectionate sister in Christ,
L. G. BENToN.
INFLUENCE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL.
The following striking passage is extraefid from
-that admirable little work entitled, "Saint Paul:
Five Discourses. By Adolph Monad. Translated
from the French, by Rev. J. H. Myers, D. D."
It sets forth in an impressive manner .something
of the influence of the great Apostle in moulding
the heart and life ofsubsequent generations:
"I asked just now, Without:-Saint Pauli
• world, how much wont the worldtoss
ask now, without Saint Paul in the Bee; and
how much would your soul be a loser ? _Drop out
of your New Testament the hundred pages at the
top of which you read the'nanae of Paul—surely,
I shall not go so farls triefErm that there no longer
remains in -your Bible that which can save you.
Nothing but Jesus Christ alone is necessary for
our salvation; and in order to know Jesus Christ,
so little is required: a word from his mouth, a
word, from one of His disciples, a w6plinthe Old
Testament,--what do I say?--a bare name, and •
that name ,spoken in an obscure promise; with
stammering i tongue, to the ear of the first man, a
long time before anything was written—before a
Bible was known in the world. But a little bread
and water suificea to keep us alive; and yet we
gather with thanksgiving , both that substantial
food
which God gives - us in the flesh of animals,
and those delicious fruits which he hangs upon the
trees to• refresh our parched pilate, and that blood
of the grape which he commands the vine to pro
duce abundantly to " rejoice,the heart of , marij
We could, also save our souls without Saint Paul
in the Bible. Yes; but of what
_solid food, of
what delightful refreshments, of what healthful
virtue 'should wrbedeprived,'by lasing those-bin
dred pages ! Where could you have learnt so well
to know thaWiew and yet simple method of justi
fication by faith without works, if Saint Paul had
not written the first four chapters of his *sae to
the Romans ? Where the inestimable, supreme,
and incomparable worth of .charity before God and
before - men, if-SaintPaul had not written that
.
dear and precious thirteenth chapter , in his first
epistle to-the Corinthians ? Where'the Christian
&eq.-of domestic life, and the plane of Jesus
Christ.between the husband and the wife, between
parents and children, between masters and servants,
pan' had not written the fifth chapter of
his 'epistle . to the Ephesians ? Where the potent
efricacyach one of the helps which God puts
within ourlreach for the holy warfare, if Saint
Paul bad noihminted - the they of the soldier of
Jesus Christ irike•Bixth chapter of .the same
epistle? Where ambition conceded to Chris
tian holinelkif Saint Paul had not written the last I
chapter of burtfirli epistle to the Thessalonians?
Where the law holding us in bondage to sin,
without Romans 7 ? Where the rejection of the
Jews having become the calling of the Gentiles,
without Romans 11 ? Where the germ of real
strength, Without 2d Corinthians 12 ? Where the
deep meaning •of Moses, without Galatians 4 ? '
Where the relation of faith to works, without
Ephesians 2 ? Where all .that remains, without
all that remains ? If you are. not the most • un
gniteful of men, or the most unbelieving, rise up
IA confess, that among all the mortals that have
passed beneath the vault of heaven, there is not
ono to whom you t owe more than to him—to whom
you owe so mite as to Saint Paul.
"This is tru pecting ourselves. But extend
your view a e farther,--on the right, on the
left, blare ybu, behind' you. See these hundred
pagestivinslated into two hundred languages, forcing
theuranie testimony—l•do.noto say from the Eng
'lishman, the German, the Italian, the Spaniard,
the Greek, the Russian—but from the inhabitant,
of Asia, even in the depths of Siberia ; but from
the inhabitant of America, even amid the icy fields
of 'Labrador; but from the inhabitant of Africa,
even on the desert plains of Bassooto; but from
every. Christian heart that lives among the millions
of baptized persons who cover the earth; nay, more,
extorting it even from those who are Christians
but in name, if they only possess, netwithatanding,
their want' of faith, intelligence'enough to compre
hend that in sowing those, principles of eternal
life, .to which alone 1 have just called yout atten
tion, Saint Paul has sowed broadcast in the world
all the, germs Of culture, of education, of justice,
of liberty, of civilization. And then, after under
standing the -contemporary epoch, trace back the
path of centuries, and measure, if, yon can, the
part which Saint Paul. has had in all the good
which has been accomplished in, the Christian
world;—the part which he had in the religions
awakening of our days, he who has been always
consulted first in all the religious awakenings among
the nations, that are the olfitring of the entiles;—.
the
. part which he had in the Reformation, he
having awakened, in the libiary of Erfurt, that
Luther,who was soon to waken the church.;-the
partivhich he had in the faithfulnesaof The Vau-
17 ;
I I
4
doffs and the poor peep of Lyons, he having given
his name to that nett n of the Eastern Church,
of •which they appear ~ be descendants;—the part
which he had in the loiters of Columban, Boniface,
Patrick, Cyril, and Methodius, and of all the mis
sionaries of Europe for they had only to follow his
example and to e . out his work;—the part
which he had in t conversion and development,
of the Fathers of !e church, he having been the
friend of Barnett old Clement of Rome, the
favorite master of ithinasius and. Chrysastom,—
until you reach th4etglemn moment in which his
head falls at the gate; ofßome,—that moment
which would have ereged• so vast a void in hu
manity,-if the, lettersOf our apostle—his fourteen
short letters, eagerly sought for and scattered far
and near—had not come in immediately to com
plete the great influence, of his living word-by the
yet greater influence of thia written word. But, if
you desire to forget`iibthing!'you should follow
him also into the obtio*Sagteon advance of whicit
we are walkititg;.leu:lfijust" endeavor to appreciate
the salatarikiltidlide,' -gttming every day in dept
and iti cxt* *oh js z yet reserved for him among
&tee generations, Oak uritilthe entire fulfilment
of the. prophecies whieh he rote himself, And till
the return of him whiim .hal loved, so mneh, and
longed for so arlently Alit the-obligation of the
world to Saint Patill-ttitat which it has owed, that
which it shall owe to him,—pious pastors, zealous
missionaries, emineni; Christians, useful books,
charitable foundationiiexamples of faith, of cha
rity, of purity ) of holir —who shall estimate it?
—who shall attempt yen to estimate it? it be
longs to the entire hfitaa,n family to rise up, and
, g , its
to confess that, am
factors which it deli to proclaim from : age to
en 'ell the names of its bene
factors
is not one which it proclaims with so
much agreement, gratitude, and Jove, as the-name
of the .apostle Paul."
THE FRENCH :ROMANISTS. OF
, ,
CH AGO.
-- -
According to the i Bowing account in the
Bostolt Recorder, not I of. Father Chiniquy's
Ir tio
people are, satisfied wit Abe ecclesiastical affilia
tion into which he i :"`..ente,red; .. Nuirihers of
. Sll,
them are open to evanif' 3 uences other
sources. . ' 's
The collision between Father Chiniquy and the
Romish Bishop, in, whf the new movement be
gan, originated in Chicago, though the most con
siderable part of the wprir.-is now at, St. Ann's
and at Kankakee. But: Perhaps no part of the
field is more importantAn the view of its being
susceptible of cultivatioi. There is in Chicago a
population of about telithousand who use the
French language, inchffling Canttiot Fritneh,
ii,
Swiss, and others. An i ,- . these are vii wally one
people, with common n "'anal sympathies. And
this whole field is free Or Protestant cultivation.
The past collisions with .the Irish bishop have
wholly disaffected them and repelled them from,
the Romish hierarchy. There is not now a single
Romish priest among them. And the more in
telligent, and the leading minds among them say
that they will attend ,Protestaiit worship as soon
as .a church can be proinred for them. When
Father Chiniquy contended with the bishop, one
hundred and twenty-fivetamilies openly espoused
his cause, apd now fiftyfiimilies are decided and
i ffuto
intelligent Prottitops. ''Between forty and fifty
persona liatie bee,it , .. ti . ?, convOivitauno . :
them siticelist January 41, ' ',‘ ', ;N -
When Father Chiniquy connected himself with
the Presbyterians, the act was premature, so far
as these people at Chicago were concerned. They
knew little of Presbyterians, or ,of any ether
Protestant sect, and so knew - not what was in
volved in the transfer. They were- afraid lest it
should be a change from one popery to another.
Hence there was a revulsion against Presbyte
rianism, though not a break with Father Chiniqny
—who still takes aninterest in ihent, andin melt
ters in general has theiNconfidence. They are
under the more partici:di& care of Rev. Mr. Beau
bien, a young minister of French Canadian origin,
and a recent graduate ofilangor Seminary. They
have . chosen to adopt an independent fibrin of
church government, and so for the present to have
organic connections with no sect. We do not un
derstandthat their organization has taken a very,
specific form. But ;their preacher is decidedly
evangelical. They meet for Sabbath worship in a
school-house a part of the day,- and a part of it in
Dr. Rice's church. Their Sabbath-School is un
der the care of Dr. Rogue,- a dentist, who, speaks
French with ease, and who in generally an effect
ive helper in the work; ' ;The ladies regularly sus
lain a - female.prayer-meelitig.
But they do not enjoy the whole labor of their
minister. Besides that he is snow abroad for - the
purpose of ,collecting aid to build a meeting
house, much of his time ii needed to be spent in.
the other Canadian settlements—for he is a very
important helper of Father Chiniquy in St. Ann's
- and Kankakee. And then the settlement at
Ottawa,fitnestill others, standin similar relations
to,-that in Chicagc.in regardto Presbyterianism:—
preferring to be independent. And these, espe
cially, look to him for guidance. These in
Ottawa are made up in part of the descendants of
the famous Oberlin.
What is needed in Cbieago is a hem of wdr
ship. For : this, they,nre seeking to raise, $2,000
abroad, and expect to raise the rest among them
selves. Our Congregational brethren in Chicago
endorse their application to the Christian public.
J3ut they are not in a condition to give them
glitqh material likirl-alfertia7e so Vanyinfant
enterprises on their hands, and time soexpensive
infants, that their utmost resources: t are in mg:nisi
tion. We think that there are few calls for , aid
to new institutions . at the West,' nu:de:deserving
to be-heard thaw t.l r= .
. ,
__A
ItEIitAINS 'OF OffAN- IN CA .
V 4
FLINT "lINTVIS-.` ' ' -
Attention has lately been attracted to the inte
resting discoveries of human bones in the snuill. caves
with those of extinct animals; but it is important
that hasty conclusions should mot be drawn respect
ing the contemporaneousness of maa With those
animals: and Sir Charles Lyell has already noticed
the very pertinent fact that the human skulls are
of the Caucasian variety, belonging, therefore, to
one of those races which now inhabit Europe, like
the woman whose body wa‘4lo4t!d with a coin of
Caransius, in the Paviland cave. The conclusion
that because theirbon ere deposited in the
I s
.musteame cave, men and 'exti et animals . must have
lived at the same period, as, unnecessary
,as it
dan one who
is unreasonable; an hoe observed
'the process by which caverns and fissures in some
parts of the world are :fill' d with red-cave earth (
similar to that which mabe found in many of
i
our own limestone forma ons, will cease to feel
surprised at tint mixture of : bones of extinct mam
malia with those of man. ' -
'lt is evident that - if theie hones of animals had
been first enclosed in th‘llaithAdtieli-‘formed -a
.superficial :coating of anyliniestone rock, anA hu
man remains had happen in after ages to be
buried in the same earth, he bursting of a lake,
or some other accident, ght have brought upon
it' a body of water which, sinking into" anddisin
tegrating the substance. f that earth, (for the
effect, has not been tha of a constant flows of
water wearing by attritio the edges of rolled sub
stances,) would shift it fr units original position,
and by depositing the b pes of animals and of
men irregularly in some cave would give them the
appearance of having been t ontemporaneorts. They
may bescontemporaneous ie the cuse, but not so
as to the period when;both were on the surface of
this earth • and the same remark appliei to 'flints
and other objects cut in. 11141'16nd "by.men. - -
In the bare limeitone mountains of Egypt are
many examples of caves filled with :red - earth,
whicb i -exposed to view by the fall of the cliffs,
afford good illustrations of the manner in which
the earth, once, on the surface, has been washed,
and is still sinkininto those caves, even in a
country so little visited by...rains; and it is till§
red earth which tinges the stalagmitie deposits so
generally found within, them. It is true those
eaves" (like .many of our own) captain neither the
bones of extinct animals nor of men—the Egyp
tians not having had the habit, common in Euilipe,
of living, or burying bodies, on heights—but the
process of 'the gradual washing of the red earth
from the surface into the caves is the same, and
I have often seen the residue on the fissures above
them left there by a recent storm.
Again, the fact of flint knives and chippings,
in France, being fotind iminediately on the' chalk
-rock, is.-'exactly what we might expect. These
were, originally an 4theourface,, and, haying been
:first washed off that surface, were necessarily de-
limited in the, lowest position upon the rock; and
the fossil remains, above which.. they had been,
placed hy man, were then carried down,lind depa
sited over the flints, some few of these whickhad
heen left behind becoming mixed with them.
But any length of time may have elapsed between
the original enclosurrof the bone§ in the earth,
and the placing of the flints on its then unmoved
surface; and they only became coeval as' to the
period , when they were both deposited in their
present position.
I offer no theory; I j nage merely from analogous
facts, which any one can witness; and the conclu
aims to be obtained from them are, that the ani
mals-are of a primitive age long antecedent to the
creation of man, and that the human bones found
with them are of a comparatively recent period.
GAILDNEIt WILKINSON.
Athenteum.
THE SPRFAD Or PROTESTANTISM IN
TURKEY. "
Fifty years ago, it would not have been safe, re
apprehend; for a Christian missionary from any
foreign country to go into. Turkey for the, purpose
of spreading his religious opinions. The old fires
of MahonitriedanfanittioiSni had still a,good deal
(f life in them, and requited only to be stirred a
little to* cause thim to burst forth with something
of their pristine Vigor. Even less than forty-years
ego, when our excellent American missionaries
first went to * that, country, they did, not deem it
prudent to speak to a Turk, or any other believer
in the Koran, on thasubject of Christianity, be
cause they knew that conversion Would-immedi
ately be followed with death. At that time death
was the penalty for apostacy from the religion of
the Arabian impostor. Our, missionaries pursued
a wiser course. Insteicrof approaching the Turks,
they turned their attention to the nominal Chris
tians in the Turkish empire. Time has shown
that this was the true course. Although they met
with much Opposition from the hierarchies of the
several ==oriental churches at the outset, and for a
long time, yet they have lived to see their labors
crowned with with great success. Among the mil
lions of the adherents ,of a greatly corrupted Chris
tianity in the East, they found a wide and impor
tact field for their evangelical and evangelistic (if
we may - so speak)' efforts. There are six branches
of what, may be called the'Orientk Church, viz.:
The Greek, Armenian, Nestorian, Syrian, , Coptie,
ArktkAbrakiima.— rkke i ck,„in,-
delef, the earlier American missionaries had little
tir nothing to do. It is only of late that anything
has been attempted for the Christian Copts in
Egypt. As to the Abyssinians, the missionaries
who have labored among them have been Germans
or German Swiss--
_ln addition to the six Eastern
Churches, or bran - Cies of the Eastern Ohio* we
must add the Roman Catholics, or members of the
Latin Church,,if,we would include all the
tian bodies or Churches in the TUrkish Empire.
With them, our. American missionaries have had
but little to do.
We may remark, in passing, that - if there be
37;000,000 of people in the Ottoman or Turkish
Empire as there probably are we may safely say
that 17,000 , 000 are nominal Christians. Of these
about 10,000,000 are in Turkey in Europe, and
7,000,100 in Asia arid Africa. Of these 17,000,000
ot Christians, it is estimated by the Russian Go
vernment, which is likely to know as well as any
one, that 12,000,000 belong to the Greek Church.
The remaining 5,000,000 belong to the Armenian,
Nestorian, Syrian, Coptic, Abyssinian and Roman
Catholic churches. Of these the Armenians are
the most numerous and next to the members of
the Greek communion have the most influence in
the Turkish capital and some of the other pfinci
pal cities.
It is amono. the Armenian Christians that our
missionaries have had the greatest success. More
than fifty Protestant congregations and churches
have been gathered from among these people in
Turkey in Europe and Asia Minor. There has
been, much success also among the Nestorians, who
live in the eastern- portion of the Turkish empire
and on the western side of the Persian kingdom.
Nor has success been entirely wanting in regard
to their efforts to spread the pure gospel among
the followers of the Greek church and the Syrian.
All these seven churches (includieg the Romanists)
in the east, have hierarchies which they boast are
connected with the Apostles (some with one and
some with another) by an uninterrupted Succes
sion; and have about equally departed from the
primitive and true Gospel.
The- history of modern missions does not -con
tain a more interesting chapter than _thatwhich
relates to the labors of the Armenian missionaries
in Turkey. The confidence of the Ottoman go
vernment, his been won, and the door has been
opened in all directions for their labors. Recently
„they_have hake-broken krekind, p4tion of the
Empire - tea Valley of the;Diknaik,l'
mainly 'as yet-in the Provence of - Bulgaria. In
this new mission, our Methodist brethren' are
taking part, having sent two or three excellent
ministers, and are proposing to increase their
number.
.It is an extremely interesting fact, that through
the efforts of England, (by her late.eicellent am
bassador, Sir Stratford de Redeliffe,) and other
Christian powers, not only has; toleration been se
cured by acts of the government,. but even reli
gious liberty for all. It will require time and a
better government than thee:of the weak Abdul
Medjid, the present Sultafito make-the •laws re
spected in the distant parts of the empire; but they
are, enforced in and.near,Constantinople. And it
is cheering to learn that thousands of copies of
-the Sacred Scriptures* e now sold every year at
that city to Turks, who Manifest a spirit of inquiry
that is now in "the Miliommedan world. And if
we were asked to otile any one thing as the most
remarkable among 'the "signs of the times," we
should without hesitation say: It is to see a. con
verts/ Turk openly preaching the Gospel in the
Turkish capital;
But the Turkisligovernment is weak and almost
powerless. Theo oat flagrant abuses are constantly
perpetrated in :the' distant provinces—as, for in
stance, in Syria_ at this inoment, where a most
deadly:internecine war is going on in Mount Le
banon. Turkey has completely failed to do what
she promised it the treaty of Paris, in April, 185 Q,
namely, thaqlie_would protect the "Christian po r
pulation" their rights, civil' and religious.
It is on this ageount that Prince Gortschakoff has
recently cald7ttie attention of the great powers
that werepTrt ies to the treaty just referred to, to
the wrong And indignities which the Christians
of Turkey arcenduring, in a document of singular
moderation era, force. -No action has yet been
taken by thtfireat pOwers—not even in the way
of inquiry kit& the facts of the case, nor willthere
be until it it seen what the Turkish government
will do; for it has promised to institute inpiry,
and correct the evils complained of. For this pur
pose the Vizier is now making a tour of investi
gation in the Northern provinces of European
Turkey. Whatever may come from these efforts
on the part of the Sultan, nothing is more certain
than that the Great Powers of Europe will not'let
this matter rest.
The Turkish Government must and will be re
pired to protect all the " Christian population"
in their religious as well as their civarights. But
what is to become of Turkey? We know not. We
are, 'nevertheless. ' oonfident that nothing but the
diffusion of the Gospel, both among the down
trodden and superstitious Christi ins, and among
the Turks themselves can save that Empire •from
utter dissolution.
Should the Turkish government go down, we
much fear that Russia would further aggrandize
herself by greatly'extending her boundary south
ward; Austria may get a portion, and France will
be likely to receive Syria and Egypt. ,
But whilst the Ottoman empire endures, and
the door remains - open to the gospel, how impor
tant is it that everythino , should be done that can
be, to disseminate widely the word of God among
all classes. It is the reading and the hearing of
the gospel that can save men; and it is only by
the influence of true . Christianity that such nations
as the Turks can be civilized and"saved from de
struction.
ORDINATION OF THE HINDOO
A Boston correspondent of the Press & Pribune,
of Chicaf,o, who is by no means unfriendly to Uni
tarianism, writes as follows in respect to the Brah
min convert, who has been, for two years, paraded
before the - Churches and public assemblies of that
denomination in this country. •
" Gangooly, the young Hindoo, who has been in
this country two yeara for education, was ordained
in Bev. Edward E. Hale's church, Sabbath the
10th. He has since sailed forlltigland on his
way to India. I thibk he is a failure. He is very
shrewd, cunning even, but wholly untrained-and
unregenerate: He was "baptized'Philip, but has
never taken the, name: Jugut Cbunder (moon of
the world) he prefers to. write himself. A. Brah
min does not lose caste until he recognizes baptism
by using his baptismal name, so that Jugut can
return with his $1,500 and his two years of ovation
to the enibra"ce of his old faith Übe chooses. My
own decided opinion is that he will do this, for he
never had strength of character sufficient to resist
much trial, and the little which he bad has not been
helped by his two years of egotism and flattery.
Grave divines have tolerated in him things for
which 4. boy of twelve would be flogged, and have
seriously Ordained him to the work of a missionary.
The shoals of sentimental young ladies whom he
has drawn .after Ain have alone been enough to
Spoil a stronger character. at * *
His last hours in Boston were spent in going
from one to another of the infatuated damsels who
have been at various times engaged.to marry him.
Oingooly publicly stated that he-has_read but
eleven books since coming to America. He. has
.. been allowed to travel about - the country to be
petted and flattered and spoiled by the curious; lie
injudicious and the sentimental. On the same
plan he is allowed to exhibit in England on his
. ! ..y Lack - --Wir,tintyljunge. in •n
-tions from his
,publie announcement that in two
or three years we may expect to see, J. C. G., in
this country again. And still more from his pro
gramme, which is to take a house apart from the
deveted missionary who sent him out here, and
set up as a high-caste missionary. And strange
to say, his impertinent and godless notion of his
position, and his gross ingratitude, are winked at
by many though even these more than fear that
be will turn , up in India'as a Brahmin lecturer on
American saints and Solomons rather than a teach
er of Christianity. It is not his fault that he is
a heathen. It is a great mistake to treat him as
more than a Christian, because be is a heathen.
He should have had the strictest discipline of study
and. private life, both that he might be trained for
a wcirk, and that he need not.look back to. America
as a place of pleasure only, and hanker for it. He
has not been trained. He has been indulged in
the most dangerous-of pleasures, that of popular
applause and flattery, and he will speedily become
homesick for the applause of a curious and unwise
sentiment."
THE ERA OF PRAYER.
It must be manifest to every careful observer
of what is passing in the religious world, that it
is entering what may be called a new phase, if we
may so speak. It is -entering on what may with
propriety be called AN. ERA OF PRAYER.
It is well nigh three years since the institution
of the daily prayer meetings took place—that of
Fulton street being, we believe, the first. There
must have been a great preparation in the minds
of Christians throughout the world for the esta
blishment of such meetings; else it is not possible
to account for the readiness with which the pro
positiOn 'to hold. them was received, not only in
this country, but in every part of- Christendom
where there is any spiritual fife in the churches.
And where it has not been deemed best to „hold
literally a daily prayer meeting, in very many
cases these meetings have been very greatly in
creased in number and frequency, so, that we can
not doubt that there has been a far larger amount
of earnest, united prayer on the part of true Chris
tiana,than in any former period of the history of
the church, at least iremodern times.
'We were very much struck with the fact re
perted at the late meeting of the synod of the
Waldenses, that during the last winter no less
than -forty.'-four prayer-meetings-were maintained
iu,their valleys. There was one in each village,
and in chief hamlet even. And every one who
has ever visited the mountain abodes of these poor
people, must know, far better than others, how
very different it must have been during some por
tions of the winter, to go any considerable distance
from their villages and hamlets, on account of the
roads, or paths rather, being rendered almost im
passable by 'the 'snow. Ten years ago it would
have been• impossible to hold such meetings, on
account of the low staikof religious feeling and
interest among that pear e. Not that there were
no Christians of zeal and prayer among them, but
because the number was small. And at the
meeting of the synod to which we have just re
ferred, 'it was interesting to see that the duty of
earnest, continued, united prayer was the subject
which was most dwelt on and enforced by Dr.
BEVEL and the other able and devout men in that
body: How very encouraging is this fact!
' Meetings for daily prayer have been established
in Many of the cities of Great Britain and Ireland,
as well as in our own, and have been maintained
for months, and in some instances, for more than
two years, without much fluctuation or flagging.
We attended .the Sansom street noon-day prayer
meeting a few days` ago,, when in Philadelphia,
and` wire delighted , to s'ee= it so` vrelnittended.
Our Fulton street daily prayer meeting is well
attended—remarkably. so, considering that this is
the season when many of our_citizens betake
.them
selves to the country.
In many cases, special prayer meetings are held
once a week, in central places; which possess great
interest. This is so in Paris, and many- other
places on the continent, as well as in the-British
Isles and our country.
In no place; however, have these meetings been
more interesting than at the mission stations
throughout the world. In the large cities- of
India, where there , are Cluistian missionaries;
English, American, or Orertnan, and &considera
ble English population connected with the military
VOL. IV.—NO. 48.—Whole No. 213.
The World
HIAN
or civil service, these meetings have been well
attended and eminently useful. Probably in no
place in the eastern hemisphere have they been
more so than in Calcutta.
In Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, the Cape
of Good Hope, in Liheria, and in the West India
islands, these meetings have sprung up, and in
many places have been well sustained.
About a year ago a few missionaries, mostly if
not exclusively Americans, in the upper part of
India, resolved to set apart the second week in.
January as a season of special prayer, and invited
Christians of: this country, and of other lands
also, 'to join with them an the observance of this
period: The proposition was joyfully accepted,
and in Europe, in this country, in Australia, and
other distant lands, as well as in India, the ap
pointed week was observed as a season for special
prayer by many thousands. In Calcutta, so
interesting were the daily meetings for prayer,
that it was determined to extend them into a
second'week. ' - -
We are pleased to she that the General Assem
blies of the Presbyterian church, the General
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church,
and other ecclesiastical bodies, have recommended
that the second week of January next be observed
in the same way. We have no doubt that it will
be so observed very extensively throughout the
Christian world.
In conducting these meetings it has been found
essential to observe a few rules.-1. They must
be short. 2. The prayers should be short, direct,
and simple. 3. Brief and pertinent remarks
should be interspersed. 4. The hymns sung
should be truly devotional, and not long. 6. No
remarks on controverted or sectarian subjects, or
subjects foreign to the object of the meeting,
should be allowed. 6. Those who preside should
be men of prudence and experience, and all rash
and injudicious expressions in exhortation and
prayer should bei discouriged.
We have said that an Bra of Prayer has com
menced; may we not hope that an era of, great
success for the gospel is at hand, or rather is now
opening on the world ? May we not believe that
in answer to the prayers of God's people, all the
nations of the earth will speedily be opened to the
Gospel? Do we not now see the barriers that a
few years hindered the spread of the sacred scrip
tures and the preaching of the - goapel, giving way
in several directions? Look at Italy for instance,
where the door is wonderfully opening for the dis
tribution of the Bible in states, in which, a few
years ago, men and women were imprisoned for
reading the word of God, in their own houses to
their friends and neighbors! See how China and
Japan. are 'opening to Christianity, at the command
of Him who knows how to make even the wrath
of man to praise him." Certainly a brighter day
is coming for Christianity and humanity.
NO PAY NO PRP,AOR
An attempt has been made to disparage Mr.
Lincoln because he received pay for a public lec
ture given in this city, instead of tavelling from
Chicago and back and lecturing et his own cost.
Mr. Greeley having been called out upon the sub
ject, states with characteristiakollexy-that-herims—
tried both ways, and-is7ititiell ed that to lecture for
...pay-isrnitieli more comfortable than to bear ones
own expenses for the sake of enlightening or
benefiting other people. Mr. Greeley is quite in
the ri ht of it. There is a lesson here for churches.
DS?•l3.'i `i I r; rl 0 ! erßeriiooo
churches for which not even their expenses arc
proffered them. It sttikes us that the rule of
equity and propriety here is very simple, and ought
always to be observed.
SOME ONE MUST PRAY.
A man of learning and talent; but an unbelie
ver, was travelling in Manilla on a scientific expe
dition. He was escorted by a native, and, as they
were about to start, the native, with the refined
politeness which characterizes the Orientals, re
quested the white stranger to pray to his God.
This was probably the only thing he could have
been asked to do without being able to comply;
and on his declining, the native said,
"Well, some GO' must be prayed to, so you
will excuse me if I pray to-mine."
"Full many a shaft at random sent,
Finds mark the archer never meant."
So it was in this ease. The unbeliever was re
buked by s heathen, and the man of science who
had-gone there in quest of natural curiosities, re
turned, having found the "pearl of great price!'
His next visit is to: be as a missionary to preach
Christ.
SUDDEN DEATH.
On - e of our eithanges wonders why the Episco
pal Litany should include a petition against "sud
den death." The explanation is not difficult.
That petition is a relic of the times when " sacra
mental theology" had usurped the place of evan
gelical ; when priestly absolution and extreme
unction were the orthodox .preacriptiens for a
peaceful and safe death; or, earlier still, when
nothing was thought worthy of more frequent
mention than "the care of the Church to distri
bute the encharist to all dying persons that were
capable of receiving it." Was not sudden death
properly an object of dread r if it had power to
step between the soul "ready to perish,"and the
sacraments which were necessary to its salvation
—or at least to its assurance of salvation? Was
it not meet that the Church' should seek to avert
so fearful a doom from her members, by the daily
supplications of the Litany? And now, when
the reason of the prayer has passed away, is it not
well to perplex devotion by the prayer without
the reason, just to exemplify the advantages of
"liturgical worship?"
Religions Herald.
SIR CHARLES NAPIER'S ESTIMATE OF
MILITARY GLORY.
Nineteen long letters from Lord Ellenborough !
He has made me Governor of &bide, with ad
ditional pay; and he has ordered the captured guns
to be cast into a triumphal column, with our name.
I wish .he would let me go back to my wife, and
girls, it would be more to me than pay, glory and
honors. This is glory! is it? Yes. Nine princes
have surrendered their swords to me on the field
of battle, and their kingdoms have been conquered
by me, and attached to my own country. Well,
all the glory that can be desired is. mine, and I
care so little for it, that, the moment I can, all
shall be resigned, to live quietly with my wife and
girls; no honor or riches repays me for absence
from them. Otherwise this sort of life is no life to
me ; is agreeable, only as it may enable me to do
good to these poor people. Oh! if I can do any good
thing to serve them where so'much blood has been
abed in accursed , war, I shall be happy. May I
never see another shot fired! Horrid, horrid war!
Yet, how it wins upon and hardens one when in
command. No young man can resist the tempta
tions, I defy him; but thirty and sixty are diffeK
ent.—The Life and Opinions of General Sir
Charles Jas. Napier.
"HE WENT AWAY • SORROwmuL."
The sorrow experienced was connected with
going away from Christ. No one was ever made
sorrowful by coming to Christ. Sooner shall the
traveller, whose eyes have rested for days on the
barren, burning sands of the desert, be made sor
rowful by reaching the oasis with its refreshing
waters, its green herbage, its oleanders and olives;
sooner shall he who has been long an exile in
foreign lands, be made sorrowful by approaching
his native shores, and by crossing the threshold
of his home to find all. his heart-treasure safe, than
a guilty, wandering, outcast, condemned sinner
shall be made sorrowful by coming to Christ.
N. Y. Independent.