711r,,,..... : :4 : ::_:ti1 . rtiitil..,...'-,,-;:.:.-rrsliti.tkx.i.((.11
New Series, Vol. V, No. JohuAWeir 15ju1y69
•
Strictly in Advance $2.50, Otherwise s3.'
City Delivery 20cts, to be paid at this Office.
gmatitan grobgtnian.
TIZEURBDA.Y;'N . OVEMBEIt 5; 1868.
ENLARGEMENT OF. THE EDITORIAL]
CORPS.
Among the messuyee designed to increase the el&
eleney and attractiveness of , our paper at this time,
our readers will welcome the new arrangement by
whioh a largeand distinguished corps of writers is added
to the Editorial Department. As the designation of these
brethren had met: the 'cordial aPproval of the Pa'stfirs'
Aesooiattion of this city, they will be known as •
TAE LIALTORIAL COII4IMME.
Their, contributions will be , generally accompanied
with'tli inhibit; of the writers. Their names are as
' • '
Re*, Z.i M. Pastor of Calvary
• Ria*.
Rev. 'Merrick, Johnson, D.D., Pastor of the First,
Church.
Rev. Danl. March. D3V., Dilator of Clinton St.
Church. • •
Bev. Peter ;Stryker, 88., Paator• of;. Broad
St. Church. •
Rev. George P. WisweU, D.D., Pastor of Green
Hill Church. • . •
Rev. E. E. Adams, D. D., Prof. In. pmieeln Uni
versity.
Rev. Samuel W. bullield, Special Cor
respondent.
Mr. _Hobert E. Thompson will continue to
eat as Editor of the Newft Department. •
Correspondents in every Presbytery and By
nod will promptly furnish' its 'with fresh item'' of
news from their respective, fields.
LETTER FROM AN ri OLD Scum,"
ELDEA.
To the Editor of the .4rtieriean Preebyorictip--
DEAR, SIR :—l . Telgret to:notice, in your issue
dated 29th, that you attribute the course taken in
Old School Presbyteries on the subject of Union
to the influence of "leaffeilf," to "narrowness of
views" and. " to 6 to the fear •of •openly recognizing
differences."
Being an Elder in an old ; School church, a
member of Presbytery of the strairest sect arid hav
ing been at every meetin g of our Church Judici
tories since the subject was disoussed in that,
thrice-blessed convention last NoVeraber in your
city, I am sure that I , cannot be niistaken as to
the'reasons that have led our Presbyteries so+
generally to favor Union on our standards alone.
There never probably has' been a time when
our Church was more independent of the • influ
ence of those, whom you count atr
The plan proposed by the . Joint.Coitunittetmas•
not made known until our last Assembly had met
and the discussion was necessarily delayed.' But
it was at once seen by many or the warmest friends
of Union that the committee had,made a mistake. .
Things had progressed so far r —such :confidence
had been inspired in your body that I believed,
in common with many others, (some of them mem
bers of the JOint Committee,) that the' higheat
proof we could give each other of entire confidence
was to do as Rev. Dr. Spring said .we ought to do,
"Unite, asking no questions.",,
There has been great progress of, thought in
the Old School Church as in all our churches. In
some respects, the body is not the same in this age
of Christian work, that it was in the day when -it
magnified the importance of- slight intellectual
differences. lam sure, if: you .appreciated the
facts rightly and knew us more, intimately, your
mind would be totally disabuse d of the, impres
sion that we are influenced by leaders arid by nar
rowness of view. God alone, • I.believe, is our
leader in this, and a great enlargement of stew,
prompts us to take you by the hand with the ut
most confidence and 'fraternal
,affeetion. ,We do
not fear to confide the United Church to Him
who has so blessed us whilst we were tiwo bands.
All questions as to rights of property are' set at
rest by, Union on our standards 3 at least that is
the opinion of many. )Ve longto be one r not for
the ascendency'of any party, but solely kocause
perfectlir convinced that it is wrong for us to con
tinue apart. W. S. G.,
of Brick Church, (O. Si,) 11 .Y:-
We are not surprised to reeeive'suoh a bete as
this. front au Old School layman, or from an of
flee-bearer in the• church of Gardiner. Spring. We
have always, and more and more lately, believed
in the existence of just such noble-minded, whole
souled, generous men,as the writer,of this note in
the other branch. Such an effusion 'of• kindly
feeling is not matter for cold oritioisiti^ but for
Warm and prompt response. As Ohristian men
we offer our hands and hearts to all such as W.
As an individual utterance, we would like
to see. the man cold or hard enough to gainsay
it. Wo are not surprised at its spirit; we are
only surprised at the representative and authori
tative character it assumes for the entire branch
of the writer's church., It assumes that these gen.
erous sentiments control and characterize that
braneh, and .that the:present movement for the
overthrow of the Joint Committee's Plan is the
working of those generous and confiding senti
ments towards us. , That plan did not come up
to the real ineasurc,ot this confidence. While
the committee were planning to meet the actual
state of things, it had outrun thorn:, 'and when
the Basis was announced, ' " it wits at once seen
by many of the warmest friends of union, that
they had made a mistake There Was [iced of
any conditions at all. 5 • ' '
All this is very surprising and jest the opp4l ,
site of tip impressions we got at garrishttrgilaat
May. TAIT, it was understood thronghouti that
Naw Yosx;loOtober 28th, 1868
the whole opposition to the Basis atAlbany came
from those who had no confidence in us and de
sired no union with us. All proposals to amend .
were from them, and were in the direction of,
greater caution. It was understood at •litarris`-
burg that the proposed striking oat of the k` urley;
clause" was a concession to the exclusives entirely:
Coming on the • basis ; of the standards was under 7.
stood not to be a:movement towards ; greater l lib,
erty, , but towards, indefiniteness at, the., most l
under which the exclusives could take sbetry,.,
and hope for relief 'from, the majority in, Übe
united body, who would, ,they
. thought,',.;go,for
higher;doctrinal views.. So far, :from any,!the
slightest, idea that the Albany delegation, atHar,
risburgi:were pleading; for ; a change in the inter
ests of liberty, when it • was asked whether the
Old,School .Assemb,liwould-would yield the Xtb.
Article in return for the concession of the,"Gurley
clause," Mr. Day proniptly answered that he
would not like to throw that firebrand into their,
body! And we have not heard, that it ~has been
anywhere in, the Old School Church frankly pro
posed to yield us that Xth Article. Such a pro ;
posal would indeed be a proof of affection and -1
confidence; it was . avoided last spring as a "fire=
brand." If it had not been for ,the' great ability
and respectability of the minority at Albany, it
strikes us, the majority would not have entertained:
the thought of abandoning -the Joint Committee.'s
Plan. They, were driveri,to this idea, of ;modifi-,
catkon i from fear of the power of the exelusive
Princeton and Allegheny minority to, defeat it;
and the, spectacle whieh we now witness all. over
the Old School,Chureh, whatever othernle,meats
may mingle in it, is the triumph of the illiberal
minority, partly tkrough,thei!,,own strength, but
more.through the timorous concessions of the lib
eral men in the body.
Twice the liberal men in the other branelt have
tried to carry through a Plau l pf,'llnion contain=
ing a liberal clause., The first failure was ov,er
ivhelming and decisive. , No one doubted that its
liberal tone killed it. the second plan was toned
down so as to make it more, acceptable , to the op
poAitien, though it still Contained distin'etiveloy
auctin,ktunartirtitras
vote Assembly and has been approved by,
every one of our Presbyteries that has voted upon'
it. .The opposition in the other branch was so
much diminished, that there •was good , ground.tb
hope for the success of the plan in the Presbyte
ries. But it was so vehement and came from
such respectable sources, that the majority changed
front on the eve of the struggle, .virtually aban
doned the plan which they feared would be beaten,
at all events, and it too has been'_ overthrown.,
What now is the fact that stares 'V. S. .G. P and.
all of us in the face Y That Such is the powerind
Prestige ofthe illiberal element in the other bianch,
that it is impossible at this time, to carry through
a Basis of Reunion containing a distinct:recogni
tion' of liberal principles, and that if yod' insert a
frank, liberal clause in a Plan of Union, its will'
he sure to defeat it. '
And bur branch is now to be put imider, pres
sure to come into a Reunion, in reliance upon the
confidence, good feeling and great enlargeMent
of view of. W. S. G. and his friends,< while they
are perfectly powerless to secure the embodiment
of their views in the terms of Reunion, but aue
beaten every time they try it, and while almost
the entire newspaper patronage of, their• church is
given to journals that devote themselves to their /
overthrow. We are no prophets and we •cannot
say that. our Church will not do it. But oar
opinion is that they had better wait. • ).•
Meanwhile, we appeal earnestly to just `shch
men in the other Branch as "W. S. G.," Whom
we recognize as our friends and`the friends bf the
true interests of the Presbyterian Church Vi this
country to avoid adding to a mere clamor for RE-
Union and the thoughtless precipitating fif the
measure, but to labor patiently to bring their
church into such a condition, that it will not e
shrink from frankly professing, with the , liundred
voices of its Presbyteries, those liberal arnl Cath
olic principles in which alone 'a healthful? happy
and permanent union can be laid. •
GUARANTEES.—The American Preskiterian
is much exercised with the fear that, in a reuni ,
ted church, the Standards " pure and simple'
will be used to destroy the wonted New School'
liberty., It therefore asks guarantees. *
Such inquiries and fear&can find place onli
where there is a conscious' aberration from the
" form of sound words." ,If the new church
shall be sound and faithful it certainly - not
tolerate departures from the truth. But .men
who sincerly ,receive and adopt the COnfession,
need cherish no apprehensions.: Such will he
pprfectly safe in the exercise of the liberty
-which as honest man can desire.
We' Oat the above from the •/V. 1. , -Probs,
teii. in. We have never • eorieelled the , fact f.that
we' dv.ridt i . stgree with all that iia' , Oont.4Vneal in' tie
tandtirds Church :In fact, 1.13.0
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY t NOVEMBER 5, 1868.
Western must be aware,' Dr. Hodge himself only
knows of one man in, the Old School.Ohnrch, who
does agree with the whole, so. thaf this "con
scious aberraiion " Must be very e#cuSiire in both
branches. But . while 'some . - think it best to
Inysie the manly policy of avowing, and tolera
ting such differences ;" 'others who perchance
think - theinselie' s''nuire "honest,".. bit - who are
i ' - Pt /, ft - c , • - 1.9 t._ 1• 1
'equally, conscious oi aoerrations,,,_
. nave luta- .
idrto 'pursied, the PoliCY of persec4lig , those
'irtiose iiiei•ences did not lie in preoiftly. the same
direition with 'their own. Their dhi,ll, is true,
is nearly over., Their castles and ungeons are
crumbling to decay. 'Yetwe should thin il best,'
in a 'plan of; Reunion - to include a n ginir" an' tee for
libeitY, if it were only in the nature' of giant
Great Heart's inscription on . the MaiblO stone at
the entranee ''ti::`Teobtiii i i 3 e Pastl4 be l iieath'the
lead o€ 'Giant Despair, Wb,oni he haiiit slain. '
' "1'44 is t h e:: lietta of him whose iii 'Ocolly . '
'' krlzaormer times: did pilgrims :terri ,=lt:4 , 1
.•
His Castle's dowp i and-Diffidenceils wife •
Brave Mr. Great Heart has bereft:4We -
-' , Who hereof dpubt.s; , if hat-but cast `eee •'- 4 1
'VP hiller lef4f.Y 149 s c ruples, gc44iifY."
.INSTALLATION AT , POTTSIILLE.
Reader?have`yoa eVer•been at •P'oittavllle? If
nit, we adVise yOui to viiiiitithat loealiitY' as soon as
pdrthit. But, ag Itl b winter
.
senson.is'appioaeiiiiii and you may prevented
for some time from making the joarney in per
son; stzPpose 'yon iiiir . Yotirself`nndeeonr `care for
wk . * moments, ;and with-your imagination take
the benefit of. our feet ned eyes: • i
rHere we are - at' the' eorner , of eallo4hill and
, .
Thirteenth streets: 'lf ?you ar 0 a paslbtrin Phila
delphia, or adyirhere• dloili the line ifieChe Reati
ing It.' R. i and have 'seourid from the 'donipany
your annual clerical' tieket,'-you ein,''hy'shoiving
this tieket, I obtains your passage 14' 'half the
usual rate: , What's eleVer thing this's iw Tor the
I tu
poor ministera;*lio, in thiSlage; are n tie' of them
fillyiittroportdd; not seven id the•large` 'd wealthy
churches. And iiihit *-a : oleier: 'thiii ' for the
gailwdy•Company, fof, by their' diri iminating
ililiez:alityi they sedure , die -syriapitt prayers
tote uiinietiy-T7'-'-'
There goes ihe last bell. Slowliwe creep' out
of 'the 'immense' depot—slowly wend our way
along through Pennsylvania Avenue, carefully
ay . bidin'g all the stray"children and goats, and
gracefully bowing to the flag-men who met-us ,
at every' crossing. In a_ few moments'we are
across the Sehuylkill, and flying along at a•lively'
pane over the fields'of the grand old KeYainne•
State. Thrbugh Norristown and Pottsto*ii and'
Reading we pass, just stopping long enoughlo
hear the hum 'of ' machinery, and notice the
church spires pointing eloquently' to heaven.
How -filth is 'thee foliage!—red, yellow, green;-- ,
hoiv suggestiVe this'varietyof color! The mo un
tains, the -valleye, the meadows—ho‘ we love, to
see them in their picturesque autumnal attire!
-Look, too; at that river; quietly meandering bej
tween the hills. As you-approach the coal iegions'
it iS's 4 small stream. Contd we stop awhile we would
find it contains no fish, and the cause for this ab
sence of the finny tribe is soon learned. ,They
are not fond of ..thd sulphur, rbich 'mingles
largely in the waters coining from •the mines,
And -here we learn another fact; in which :bosh
'the people and the fishes in and near. Philadelphia
are, nterested. The many little mountain streams!
which, below this point, flow into. the Schuylkill;
are quite largely impregnated with lime. This
compensates for the acid flowing from the mines,
and ftirnishes FairmountWater-works witha 'stater
in this respect,'as wholesome aS'eould , be desired.
But we must 'not tarry. The iron horse Tuna
away luStily, snorting and puffing, as he convey 4
ius up country." There is on this road a con
stant pup grade, so that one engine can bringdown
its long train of coal cars all loaded, as easily as
it can carry them back empty. (And here, in a
parenthesis, we propose a problem for our ydung;
readers to solve . : If one locomotive 'can bring
five hundred tons of coal from Pottsville, 'how
many hundred weight of orthodox theology.ean
it -carry thither ?) Winding around through 'the,
hills, occasionally passing through, a dark' tunnel '
at lenswe' come to'a to'Wirsituated amoarthd
h t
mountains. .''This is Pottsville. , It'cotitains some
15,000 , inhabitants, and within - a circuinferencei
the radiusof which is only about_ six miles, area
number of large villages and'hamlets, containing
in 'the aggregate twice 'as many • more peoplel
What a grand' place for Missionary labor! And
we Undeistand only two• Prdsbyterian churchei
:ate in the neighborhood.
Our dear old friend and classmate, Rev: J. •N . .
Schenck, meets 'us at the Pottsville' depot, aid
six)n we ni;e•siippei;6d ana sniegly enisenneed ,i in'an
leaerehairitt , hli'study, talking about our college
'days. `','Hein let us'aay, the Presbyterian OlitirCh
in:: { getAiral;•ancl the -Pottsville church•in particu
' ar,iihthliecinted a = riche prize .'this brother.
Educated in the College and Theological Semi
nary of 'the Reformed Dutch Church in New
Brunswick, he has been laboring without inter
mission in the ministry of that Church with
great acceptance and. success for some eighteen
years. For , over
. three years he was pastor of
the Second Reformed church of New Brunswick,
preaching to the Professors and students of the
College and Seminary, giving entire satisfaction,
not only by, his pulpit performances, but in all
his pastoral work. Profound regret was expressed
when he felt compelled to leave this important
and, responsible position which he had so well
filled, and undertake the pastorate on the corner
of Tenth and yilbert streets in Philadelphia:
Here, for about two years, amid peculiar trials,
he preached the Gospel of Christ, respected by
his Mirtist4riathrethren; and 'gradually winning
his way into the- hearts of, the, people. A man
cofir excellent mind, a good student; well posted in
the current events of the day, a pointed and Evan
gelical pregelvr, a devoted pastor, polite;
warmhearted, loving the little children, loving
his ,work, and loving. his Master, we hail him
with jeyas: a, co-presbyter, and trust God will
give him comfort and success in his ministry in
Pottsville, andfwe,do not doubt this will be the
case. Certainly, , the present, indications all be
teken good. -, •
, And now ahout the church to which he goes
es pastor? It may justly be regarded as one of
the 'most influential connected with the Third
PresbyterYof Philadelphia. Here, for a period
of twenty-five years, Rev, Dr. McCeol, the oldest
Man in the Presbytery, preached, and more-re
cently the . Rev. Isaac 'Riley, now pastor of the
Thirty-fourth St. 'Reformed 'church in New York
City, Officiated., 'There was in Pottsville, alio, an
Old School Presbyterian 'church. As the town
is largely made Ap`or German and Welsh people,
Wto' require preaching in their own language, it
Was thought adiieble to unite these two Pres.by
terian Churches. This, aecorditigly, was
.aone a
feW'months members of the Old School
church bringing their letters to the New School
charch, 42#Liti NeOi.Schopl church, then With-,
Out a Pastor, agreeing to call Rev. Mr. De Yerive,
pastor•of the Old School church. But Grid, in
his Providence, called this brother to another,
field of labor. After his departure, the mint
6f the - people were turned imniediately to Brother
Schenek; and with great unaminity the United
churches called' him to be 'their minister. He
accepted, and commenced hid work "there'in
August: .
And we are now in this city amid'-the' moun
tains for the purpose of installing him' in his
pastorate. Come with 'us to the sanCtuary. It
is , niaely . lighted up, and 'has an air of.'comfort.
:Ai goodly number of -people 'are in attendance.
The large' choir furnish us with excellent music.
Rev. Mr. Hotchkin, of Marple; presides; Rev.
Dr. March, of the Clinton St. church, preacheg
the Sermon; the pastor Hof the North Broad St.
church, delivers the charge to his beloved' friend;
and Rev. Mr. Moore,• of Westchester, addresses
the people. The exercises are, deeply interesting,
and they are so, not only because words of elo
quence and tenderness and truth are spoken, but
because the hearers are fully in sympathy with
those who address them. Those men and women
who sit here 'to-night are full of love for Jeaus.
Their hearts are (fired with deiotion. -"They are
anxious to 'drink in divine truth. They have 'a
zeal for the glory of •God 'in the salvaticin of
'souls. , They receive their :new pastor with con
fidence and affeetion, , and.we may add; they will
beta. little Proud of the pastor's' wife . when they
find• that "Jessie Glenn," the author of a volrime
'of delicious poetry, of "Cousin Paul,'? and •of
several other popular works, piesides , in the , par-
SOnage.
There 'is one, thing this church needs, a new
house .of worship. The old one is hardly what
Pottsville deManda its•style• of -architectere,
arid, moreover, now thati the 'other 'church has
'joined them, it-is lacking in capacity. There are
quite' a number of families-waiting for pews.
This will, soon be-remedied. One good brother
there, .regarding himself as the Lord's :steward,
*e Maderstand,:is talking, about furnishing an
eligible piece of ground, and some twenty others
are itching to 'put down their names-far a thou
sand dollars each for the erection of a new build
ing. Right, brethren! Give the Lord His
money; and He will 'pour it back haat your
pockets and hearts an hundred-fold. The great,
est:fools in the world are those stingy, people who
rob God. Just let us , hint here, don't ;put all
yeur . money into turrets and towers so that• you
cannot.iput . a
'parsonage along-side of it. You
have•haves good minister,•and if ;you want . --zte ''keet
'Min give''him a good home. %And 'when • yon
have done this thing, justcome and ltell'each of
our Philadelphia •oherches, -" Go Ltlichr and
'likewise li,~
Genesee Evangelist, No. 1172.
I Home & Foreign Miss. $2.00.
Address:--1334 Chestnut Street.
Before we leave Pottsville we must climb up
" Sharp Mountain." Taking the goat path wo
pull away until we reach the top. What a
alorious view we have:---Palo Alto, Port Caurbon,•
and other villages lie in the distance. At our
feet is Pottsville, with its blazing iron founderies.
Away on the hill sidesphere and there, are col
lieries, where thousands of men are engaged in
exhuming from•the bowels of the earth :the coal
we burn, and off in the distance, mountain rises
on mountain ; and between the undulations are
most beautiful and >fertile Valleys. What a
sight! 0 God, this is a grand world Thou Nast,
made. Would the inhabitants were all worthy
this inheritance! Would that- they could al;
look from these delectable mountains terrestrial,
to the celestial hills, and coveting less of earth,
"—read their title clear
To Mansions in the skies."
"We believe thatt the next General Assembly (N.
S.), will be authorized by three-fourths, or more
(Presbyteries), to unite on the basis without the
[Sniith and Gurley] amendments to the second ar
tiele."—Cineinruzei Christian Herald✓
" I,predict an unanimous vote for consolidation,
on the basis of the Westminster Standards, in both
Assemblies, next May."--T. L. C. in Evangelist.
"We do not. yet believe that terms of Union..
which are so-perfectly simple [a° the time-bonored
standards of the 'Church " ], and which call for
nailing Which has not been already publicly and
solemnly prOfessed by all the officers of either
Church, will be rejected."—The Presbyterian,
What are these brethren talking about ? What
is the exact thing that is meant meant by " the
standards pure and simple ?" The Report of
the Joint
,Committee says, in its leading arti
cle, " The Reunion shall be effected on the doer
&Ina/ and' ecclestaitical basis of our common
standards." Has . anybody proposed anythin;
else ? Is there any "fog" in this, that the 0. S.
Presbyteries 'should wish to vote themselves out
of it, into the "sunlight ?" Yet the impression .
is sought to be made, and 2 . 8 made in certain
quarters, that the overture on Re-union sub
mitted to the Presbyteries,' is a departure from
the standards, and, if approved, would consum
mate a union on some .other basis than the Con
fession and Catechism. It is 'implied in all this
that the Presbyteries, voting in favor of the prO
posed terms of re-union, are dissatisfied with the
old faith of the Church, and foisting some new
standards' upon the Presbyterian body. It it,
fairly charged in The _Presbyterian of Oct. 24th,
that such Presbyteries are "abandoning the old
finidations."
There is an assumption of orthodoxy in all this
that is'qUite refreshing in view of the distinct
language of the overture that Reunion shall be
effected on the doctrinal and ecclesiastical basis
of our common standards.
• Let it . be understood, therefore, that upon just
this basis, and rio other, is it proposed to unite the
two bodies. Nobody thinks 'of swinging away
from the faith of- the fathers: The plan proposed
by the Joint Committee dematids the standards
as a basis, and admits of nothing alse.
What is: the trouble, then'? What means this
hue and cry about the old Biundations ? Do the
0. S. Presbyteries; does Dr. Cuyler, want con
solidation on "The Book" pure and simple ? But
is the Tenth Article found in the , book Y
Hera' is the "fog" The Other Branch want
the conditions•and explanatists attached to the
Fit*, Article wiped ont. They de not mean that
ltnrother conditions shall be. They vote for the
old doctrinal! basis; pure and . simple. But
they; insist that the old ecclesiastical basis is • not
quite pure and simple enough. So they tiling-to
the TenthlArtiele.
- If an unanimous vote vote for consolidation is
given in the next Assembly. on these terms, we
shall be very much mistaken. We should deem
such a " conversion -anything but ",providen
tial." Even fpoin the:Standpoint of "a delight.
full love-feast," we cannot see how our Brooklyn
J:
seer caught such a vision.
star The National Baptist of the last few
weeks .has presented a much improved appear.
ance, joining the ranks of the quartos. The
new Editor, Rev. Dr. Noss, is well known to the
general Christian public as a former Secretary
and historian : of the U. S.. Christian Commis
sion, and has more 'recently been filling a chair
in the denominational - Univeriiity at Lewisburg,
Pa. We' have no doubt that he will discharge
the duties of, his new position with energy and
success, and in welcoming him to the editorial
ranks, we would express the hope that he may
tong be spared to odcuPy, his laborious but honor
able- and useful office.
On the 2nd of October, some person, now un
known, left $6.70 at this office in payment for a
inbacription. On the 20th ult., $3.50 were left,
and the name of the party paying was not oh
ttaried-:.` :These are probahlycity subsoriberaornd
tlie' afro' requested to' serails their names, if they
'ean ifintify date and payment.