(111c . .7AAurrir4u '',•ricsbpirrimi
New Series, Vol. V, No. 28.
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3ntiritait
THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1868
THE RECREATION.
The Summer Vacation is fairly upon us. If
in anything different from others, it has probably
begun earlier and will' continue longer than usu
al. The transition from almost wintry coldness
and snows in May, to sultry heat in early June,
has hastened- the usual summer exodus. The
disposition to take long vacations and to cut short
the hours and seasons of labor seems to he spread
ing. Within the lifetime of most persons the
hours of a regular day's work have shrunk from
twelve towards eight. Within the past fortnight
a law of Congress, making eight hours a working
day for all engaged in thepublic works, has re
ceived the signature of the President; thus
giving new strength to wird is called the Eight
hour Movement. Day-schools are closed from
the middle of June to the middle of Septeniber.
City churches are shut, or opened but a small
part of the time, during the same protracted sea
son. All sorts of business languish. ,
Now, we are not going to complain of this.
After all, a long vacation is got by few, by less
than one in five hundred, we should judge, of the
adult population. If we were disposed to criti
cise these few, we would say that. it would -be
better if busy men distributed their leisure more
equally through the whole year. We Ameri
cans go to extremes both of work and of relaxation.
Better not come so near killing ourselves with
work in work-time, even 'if we can't get quite so
much play-time at once.
There is, however, arealevil in 'the gross mis
use we make of our play-time. Long deferred
by the severe demands of business, we really are
too inexperienced in the right mode of using lei
sure when it comes. There is too little of real
comfort and refreshment in it. There is none of
that otium cunt dignitate, that elegant, refined,
picturesque ease in our lives, that temperance, in
playing which a temperance in work would -give-.
us. There is no vacation of the follies 'and ex
cesses of fashionable life. The late hours, the
balls, the indecent dances and costumes, the card
playing and drinking, and the demoralizing ex
citements of the winter, flourish with increased
vigor at the watering places and summer resorts.
Renewal of exhausted bodily powers and re-esta
blishment of health are vainly sought, indeed are
not pretended to be sought, where all physical
laws are so persistently violated. • The drain
upon health is continued, in new but equally ex
haustive modes, under the delusive name of re
creation.
Sincere followers of Jesus will be kept from
such follies and excesses, Their consciences
warn them that they have no right thus to worse
than waste their chances for restoring the powers
of body and mind, of nerve and brain and mus
cle, which God gave them for his own glory, and
which they have solemnly consecrated to the ser
vice of His Son. They have come abroad to ad
mire His wonderful works, to drink in health
from his exhaustless fountains in the ocean surf,
or the mountain air, or the fragrant breath of the
pine grove. They have come for rest. Ten or
eleven months, forty odd weeks, have they la
bored and done all their work, and now they
want a sort of Sabbath—a week of weeks in the
midst of the year. They wish their spiritual life
to share in the refreshment of the season, in
stead of being ignored and stifled by unwonted
and excessive worldliness. They by no means
expect such an evil and injurious result as the
suspension of their daily communion with God,
in prayer and the reading of his word. On the
contrary, they seek new tokens of his presence,
now illustrations of his attributes, new forms of
experience. They cleave to his people and fre
quent his ordinances, and by the sweet consis-
tency of their demeanor and the reality of their
enjoyment amid the excesses of a vain world,
they do as much service for their Master as when
at the lieight of their work in the lanes and
alleys of the wicked city.
Our ideal of recreation is first, peace—a pause
in the ceaseless pressure upon nerve and brain—
a break in the endless'series of duties, lapping
over and crowding on each other and trying, half
a dozen at a time, to preempt the same day or
hour. Can anything be more soothing or deli
cious to an overworked man, than to have hour
Ater hour of absolute leisure roll by, which he
may fill up according to the fancies of the - mo
ment, or in indulging some pet dispo.sition long
trussed and deferred, or in turning lotus eater
fur a time if he has a mind to?
With half-dropt eyelids still '
To watch the long bright river drawing slowly
Ins waters from the purple hill.
To hear the dewy echoes calling;
Only to hear and see the far-off sparkling brine,
Only to hear were sweet, stretched out beneath the
pine.
Again, recreation to us, is largely the' restful
flow of thought either in reading or re-reading
uninterruptedly and at length some congenial au
thor, inspired or uninspired, upon closer acquain
tance with whom we have long set our heart.
Now we fly eagerly to that fine review article, a
few appetizing glances at which were all we could
snatch before. Now we take deep draiights at
the Pierian springs.. Isaiah and Job and Paul
divide the unasked hours perhaps with Shak
speare, or Macaulay, or Bancroft, or Fronde, or
with Mrs. Oliphant, or Owen Meredith, or with
some author clothed Ark foreign,garb of ancient or
modern texture. Or, if there is any better en
tertainment than book company, it is- that' of
friends in careless, happy intercourse, following
out with them some train of thought and argil
meat which were rudely broken off by more, seri
es duties weeks ago ; or perhaps even in actually
becoming acquainted with those strangers in a
busy man's hOusehold,—his wife and children.
Again, recreation is novelty—new sights and
scenes replacing the too familiar and common,
place objects of life. •More than all, perhaps, it is
acquaintance with nature in some hitherto un
known, attractive and inspiring form. But no
thing can be more false or absurd than the no
tion that , recreation is got by a simple reiteration
of the stale round of worldly gayeties and exces
ses. That is little better than going on a tread-
mill and paying heavily for the privilege. A
thousand pities that so many utterly waste what,
well used, would repair waste, and so turn a jubilee
of rest with God and nature into a carnival of
dissipation and worldliness.
PROP. SHEDD'S SPEECH AT ALBANY.
In our,last paper we very briefly adverted to
the speech reported to have been made by the
Rev. Dr. Shedd, Professor in the Union Theo
logical Seminary, New York, before the Old
School General,Assembly at Albaey, on the sub ,
feet of.Reunioni .T4lextract -which :.we,-made
from his "speech as 'reptfttecT is aiTolloivs:•
r. • .
"The doctrinal positions of. Barnes, Berrien, and
Duffield are exceptional in the New, School
Church. It is expected, of course, that these di
vines will be ministers in the united Church, but
their cases will be quietly left to time and the
march of events."
The position of Dr. Shedd; the' fact that he is
connected with one of the three Theological
Seminaries supposed to be connected with, and
to represent the New School Church; and the
fact that this position was in no way adverted to,
in the Old School Assembly, as not expressing the
Sentiments of that body, seem to make the ex
tract worthy of a somewhat more particular no
tice than we then gave it.
The Rev. Wm. G. T. Shedd, D.D., is a Profes
sor in the Union Theological Seminary, in New
York, an institution which, if not founded and
sustained by the New School Branch of the
Churph—as it was not—is yet largely sustained
by that denomination. Its Professors are mostly
connected with that church. Its students are
largely from New School Churches. A large
majority of them are licensed by New School
Preibyteries, The New School Synods in the
vicinity are requested to appoint committees to
attend the examinations in the Seminary, and the
committees are expected to make reports of such
examinations to their respective bodies. A very
large part of the funds iu the endowment of the
Seminary, and for the support of the Professors
and students, have been contributed by members
of the New SchoOl churches.
Dr. Shedd was at one time a Professor in the
Theological Seminary at Andover, and at another
in the Auburn Seminary. More recently he was
a colleague with the Rev.-Dr. Gardiner Spring,
in the Brick Church in New York, a church con
nected with an Old School Presbytery. It was,
we believe, when Dr. Shedd sustained that, rela
tion, that he became a member of the Old School
Presbytery which he represented in the Assem
bly at Albany. From that collegiate relation he
was transferred to his present position.
Sustaining this position,•and these relations, it
pleased him to make the remarks ih the General
Assembly to which we have adverted.
These were then . all living men. They were,
in no manner, on trial befbre that Assenibly, and
were in no manner under its jurisdiction, or res
ponsible to it. Their sentiments were not pro
perly before it as a matter of discussion. Their
names had not been introduce&into the proposed
articles of union. They were each in good
standing in their. Presbyteries, and were recorded
as others were, without dishonor, on-the. Minutes
of the General Assembly of the other branch of
the church.
The manner in which they are referred to, is
John &Weir 16july 68
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1865
worthy of more than a passing notice. , They
are referred to as "exceptional" in the New
School. They are evidently barely toleiated.
They are, in like manner, to be tolerated in the
United Church, until " time and the march of
events" shall relieve the United Church of them
as a burden. Their death would be looked for
ward to as 'a relief, as accomplishing in the United
Church, a result which would be desirable—
their removal,-but which it would not be, good
policy to attempt to accomplish in amfother
way. in the future, however, no personelibbi
ing their sentiments are to find a place ~fit the
Presbyterian Church.
Of the three gentlemen named by Prof. Shedd
in the quotation we have made from his speech,
all have been Moderators of the Generil'As
tia:
sembly; one, of the Assembly before, , ,
sion in the church ; one fifteen. years 40, the
division ; and one in 1862. One of the gentle
men referred. to was charged with heresy by
members of his 'own Presbytery, and *4B .
•
quitted by his presbytery ; another was ch4ged
with heresy by one in no way connectid with
his Presbytery, and was acquitted of the: charge
by'a Very decided majority of the AsSerality' 'of
the d United Church" before the division. One,
of the gentleinen referred to, now deceased; the
Rev. Dr. Duffield, drew up that form
,of sound
doctrine forming part of the Protest . of the mi
nority in 1837„nnd afterwards adopted by the,A.u
burn Convention,—the well-known paper called
"The TrUe Doctrines,"—the very bails, oft,the
views of the New School Church,; and Which
has been declared at Albany on high authority,
to embrace " all the fundamentals of:thew Galvin-.
istic•system." One of the surviviitg.geritlethen,
referred to .by Dr. ,Shedd, has:been::aiD.'ireotor.in
the Seminary of which he, is a Professfir, l for ,
more than twenty years, and during alLtthat time
until the present, xtot an.intimation tor his 11111. , ,
soundness in , the faith has been publicly,,nor as,
far as' known, privately hintectuat, by any , di
rnctor or 'pi•Ofes6or la the Serninar'y:
Now we by no means intend to dehY that nr.'
Shedd has a flight to defend,his,o,w,n.pan,
l awe a;e ti all proper titlieS; itikitt.
sentiments*were'triown at the time of his•election
to the profeSsoAhip, his holding hiipreseneotrice;'
though in a seminary in no way connected with
the Old School Church, is not, to be .construed
at all as .a relinquishment of that right.. Nor do
we intend to maintain that the 'published and
avowed sentiments of the AentleMen referred to
are to be regarded as screened, in any way, from
any proper public examination by any 'persons
whatever. Their views are of course thrown
before the world with this understanding.
It is not, therefore; with reference to that
point that the remarks of Dr. Shedd have any
special significance at the present time. It is
only with reference to the delicacy under the re
lations of Dr. Shedd, and to the bearing of his
remarks as interpreting the proposed Doctrinal
Basis of re-,union, that they have any particular
importance. -The former of these is a private
matter, with -which the' public have no special
concern ; the latter is a point` with which all
who are - to act on the question of re-union have.
The fair interpretation of Dr..Shedirs
marks is, that the sentiments of those gentlemen
are not to to be 'permanently tolerated in the
United Church. Personally' they are to remain
in the, Church until " time and the march of
events" shall do their work ; that is, until they
shall' die off; but in the mean time with this
stigma—this reproach—this special indulgence
that they are merely tolerated, and, that with
their ,removal, the opinions referred to are to
die out forever. No man, afterwards, holding
these sentiments is to be libensed or ordained,
no man is to be allowed to hold or defend these
opinions. That is, the sentiments declared not
to be inconsistent with the Standards, in one case
even by the Presbytery of Carlisle, and in an
other by a very decided majority of the General
Assembly of the as 'yet undivided church at
Pittsburg; and the sentiments in the paper
called " The True Doctrines" are never after the
union to be allowed in the church. In other
words, the First Article in the proposed terms of
union will be interpreted in this manner, when
these
,men die, forever. The church, when it
can act freely,—which it is supposed it cannot
now, is to act on this principle, and to act on it
evermore, and the ultimate accomplishment of
this is to constitute the idea of purity and unity
in the church. •
We of course know not how far the views of
Dr. Shedd may or may not represent the views
of the Old School, portion of the Presbyterian
Church, but so far as appears, his remarks were
received with approbation by the body,* and the
*We are informed on excellent (0. S.) authority,
that the, speech of Dr. Shedd was among the most
effective . for the Basis, of any delivered at Albany.
fact that they did not misrepresent the body may
perhaps be inferred from the circumstance, that
be was appointed on the committee to express
the views of the Assembly in answer to the
Protest of the minority, and that his name ap
pears first among the signers of that document.
"The Old School might want the Gurley clause
and the New School might want the Xth article
of the Basis out, but it was a body' having many
members,• though each had not the same offce.
Aisk us to cut off the right hand, and we will ask
You to cut off. the left foot."—Ree. H. B. Smith,- D.
D., at the Philada. Reunion Meeting, June 29th.
The minority on the Re-union question of the
otherbranch,'assisted by some of the majority,
are laboring to draw off the attention of PresbY
teries'in both branches from the Joint Commit
tee's Basis of Reunion, adopted and recommen
ded to the 'Presbyteries by both Assemblies.
They are working with might and main to propa
gate the sentiment that Re-iMion on that Rasis;
particularly the doctrinal part of it, s,not desire
i,
ble, and while not professing to desire to defeat
the Joint Committee's and Assemblies! plan, they
seek to draw from the Presbyteries an approval
and a vote of preference for the Eagleson Amend
ment,by which all the explanatory clauses, com
mencing with " the historic or Reformed sense"
are, left out of the first article. In short, they
wish Presbyteries to vote not only on the Basis
as actually sent dovin, but also upon that whieh
the. Deputation from,Albany to Harrisburg de
sired our. Assembly, to join with-theirs in.making
the Basis, but which our Assembly could not at
that time do, whether it Would or no: They
wish to consider that done; which was not done,
and thus practically to annul the, rules ,which
prevented-it. • i
Our opinion, of the' matter, whieh we have been
asked to , favor, is, that the work of the Joint
Committee, as adopted unanimonsly, or by a large,
majority in both Assemblies,. had better be let
alone. The Assembly has not conferred upon,
this minority or their ,friends any.authority in
theniatier. It is the mere intermeddling, of a
self4mstitnted committee ad Interim, ,who are
not suited with what was done in-a 'regular way.'
Roth of the Assemblies took specific. action, the
several parts of which are intimately related to
each other. -Our Assembly•adopted the entire
paper'of the Joint Committee and a Report of a
Special Committee explaining the Basis "of Re
union as it stands. That Special Report was be
fore the Assembly at Albany, previous to their
voting on the Basis, so that they knew in what
light we regarded the terms. The Albany As
sembly adopted the Terms of the Basis, and in
the Answer to the Protest. of the Minority, they
showed to us and the world, how they understood
them. Now all these papers are inseparable
from the simple act of adoption of the terms as
they stand. Any alteration in these terms vitiates
the other action, and frustrates the object happily
attained by them, of mutual understanding.
Does this ad Interim, committee accord with the
understanding thus obtained ? Then why dis
turb that series of measures, reached and wrought
out as a result of the earnest discussion of the
subject in the proper place and time ? DO they
think these terms and eXplanations on which
three-fourths of one Assembly and all of another
•
agreed, to be unsatisfactory? Then they must
be considered to have exhausted all legitimate
efforts to amend them through the representa
tions of their associates or themselves on the
floor of the Assembly. They can vote against
the Basis in their own Presbyteries if they choose,
and that is OE they are fairly entitled to do.
It is claimed that our own body, so far as it
remained at Harrisburg, was fitvorable to the al
teration of the Basis as proposed by the Albany
delegation, but on what ground we do not know.
No vote whatever was taken to test the sense of
the body on the question. The only two •points
developed were (1) that there was a decided ma
joriry of those present in favor of reconsidering
the matter. How that majority would have
voted upon the main question, we challenge any
one to affirm. (2) That in an Assembly which
had lost about ninety of its members, the num
ber which voted against reconsideration was just
about the same as that which dissented from the
tenth article when the body was full.
Many other serious -objections lie against
the proposal. No time is really gained
by it. The Presbyteries cannot 'originate and
vote upon an overture for the General Assembly
merely to put on record as a, law of the Church.
It will have no force, even if unanimously passed
by the Presbyteries, beyond a recommendation
which the Assembly must regularly send down
to the Presbyteries again for their adoption, in
order to make it a valid enactment. The Pres
byterian Form of Government does not contem
plate such crude leoislation. Have this minority
grown so eager for Re-union that they canna
tolerate the slowness of regular processes even in
Genesee Evangelist, No. 1155.
I Ministers $2.50 H. Miss. *2.00
Address :-1334 Chestnut Street
such a grave matter as Re-union ? Why this
headlong haste on the part of men, who but now
were representatively, if not personally, shedding
tears at the prospect of Re-union as a calamity?
Last of all, there is no proposition, express or
implied, in this plan, to abandon the tenth (or
examination) article. The simple Confession
suffices these brethren as a doctrinal basis; but
the Form of Government will not answer as a
standard of Discipline. Thus, the last N. W.
Presbyterian has an editorial in favor of the
amended basis, and by its side another , and longer
article, 'headed " The Right of Examination,"
contending earnestly' for , the universality of the
practice
- We need scarcely caution our Presbyteries to
have nothing tollo;with the movement.
On the first of the iciipth, the ",cornet-stone of
the new building for thip, most recent of our
Philadelphia Church'organizations, was laid, with
the usual ceremonies. The building will occupy
the lot at the `cbrner of Frankford Road and
Vienna Street, in a populous and growing section
in the north-easterp portion - of our city ; It will
be remembered that ,the organization of the
°lunch . was effected last winter, when a 'colony of
two hundred members of ,the First Church, Ken
sington, led by, the Pastor, Rev: Wm.' T. Eva,
went out to found the new church, which al
ready has had an increase of twenty-five per cent,
in the hall where services at present are con
ducte,d.
The services in connection with the laying of
the corner-stone consisted of addressee
,by Rev.
Mr: Barnes, Dr.,March, Dr. Stryker, Rev. R.H.
Allen, and ReV. l Dr.'Wi6vell, all of which were
of great interest and, interspersed with admirable
music from the choir, and with praYer,'kept the
crowd through two full hours under the broiling
sun,' with the mercury nmong , the nineties in the
shade. No political object could have prOved so
attractive under such trying circumstances. Be
fore the corner-stone was laid ? a :eery successful
appeal oarak.gia4t) to, the, company, for assistance,
by Mr. Allen and the pastor, resulting in sub
'scriptions and collections to the amount: of nearly
$2,400, which was more than enough for the
immediate necessities of the building committee.
The, ceremony of 'laying the stone was performed
by the pastor, and piayer was offered by Rev.
John McLeod.
Atrilie conclusion of the services, a handsome
and bounteous collation was, served to the clergy
and invited guests, at his residence, by William
Bumm, Esq., former treasurer of the city, and a
warm promoter of the enterprise. This part was
highly relished at the close of the hot afternoon,
and was enjoyed by a large number of our minis
ters. Bethesda Church commences its building
with indications of financial elasticity, and with
social detnonstrations of a peculiarly happy char;
actor. Those who do so well for themselves will
not lack sympathy or aid from others when they
need it. And we are sure that our people need
only to be acquainted with the promising charac
ter of the field occupied by'the church and of
the elements constituting the church itself, in
order to feel the fullest confidence in the enter
'rise a 3 a safe and most worthy investment. A
full account of the exercises will be found on
another page.
Y. M. C. 'A.—The International Convention
of Young Men's Christian Associations met at
Detroit, Mich., June 24th. H. Thane'Miller, of
Cincinnati,, was unanimously re-elected. President.
The addresses of welcome on behalf of the city
and churches were delivered by Mayor Wheaton
and Rev. Dr. Duffield, the latter of whom—as
our readers know—was struck with paralysis
while ,speaking and died a few days, after. The
sessions were mostly occupied with profitable dis
cussions as to the needs and methods of work.
The Executive ComMittee were continued ano
ther year; the formation of Women's. Associa
tions was recommended; the establishment of
religious dailies was suggested; tobacco and tem
perance were left to individual conscience. Re
solutions of, sympathy with Tyng and Stuart were
wisely reported adversely and dropped. Arrange
ments were made to establish Associations on the
line of the Pacific R. R. Portland was fixed on
as next place of meeting, and unfinished' business
was legt, to the Executive Uommittee.
The report of the:Executive Committee states
that ten local conventions have been held during
the last year, against five the year previous.
Four associations own the buildings they occupy;
seven have building funds amounting in all to
$625,000; ninety have libraries embracing over
60,000 volumes, valued at *lOO,OOO. The pre
sent membership is estimated at over 70,000.
The Committee• recommend that membership in
Evangelical Churches be required previous to
admission to ac.ive membership in the Associa
tion.
BETHESDA CHURCH.