amitirait DlTsll.l3tErian. THURSDAY, JUNE, 17, 1869 REV. JOHN . VV. MEARS, D. D., Editor No. 1334 illiostniet Street, Philadelphia. TRW, EDITORIAL CIIMMITTEE Rev. Z. M Htimphrei, D.D., Pastor of Calvary Church. Rev. Herrick Johnson, D. D., Pastor of the First Church. Rev. Danl. March. D.D., Pastor of Clinton St. Church. Rev. Peter Stryker, DAD., Pastor of N. Broad St. Church. Rev. George F. Winnell, D.D., :Pastor of Green Rill Church. Rev. E. E. Adams, D.D., Prof. in Lincoln Vni versity. Rev. Samuel IV. Duffield, Special Cor respondent. Mr. Robert E. Thompson will continue to act as Editor of the News Department. Correspondents in every Presbytery and Synod will promptly furnish us with fresh items of news from their respective fields. say. Entering Switzerland by the Simplon, IL, Thoughts for the Summer, 'Ministers' Salaries, Josiah Bissell, Climate in Geological Periods, Rain and Hail Marks, page 2nd; Editor's Table, Christian Apologetics, the Cam bridge Concordance, Religious Intelligence, page 3rd; Bright Side of Earth, (Poetry,) Mr. Hammond's Letters, 11., Chat with Little Folks, That's my Father's Hand, Romanian in China, Temperance items, page 6th; The Chinaman in California, Anecdotes of Edwards, Literary ntelligence, page 7th. Jr Dr. Bushnell's long expected book, Wo men's Suffrage the Reform Against Nature, has just been published by Scribner. —The Established Church of Scotland is yielding to the popular movement towards volun taryism. Its late Assembly voted for the aboli tion of patronage by 193 to 88, and sent a peti tion to Parliament on the heels , of the vote, ask ing for the needed legislation. It was offered in the Commons on the evening of June Ist. OUR OWN WORK. Now that we have fairly inaugurated a denomi_ national work among the Freedmen, it becomes us to use all diligence in its prosecution ; care fully directing all the means at our command to the sustenance of our own missions; for the pro per conducting of which our own Committee of Home Missions are responsible. To this end, it must be evident to all, that Agents and others not having the proper authority from the Home Mission Committee, should be discouraged from all efforts to raise funds from our churches and congregations. With the cause on the schedule of benevolent operations, having its own time for presentation, it will be far less difficult to refuse irresponsible parties, who seek opportuni ties for presenting their claims for the Freed- Of these there are three sorts : Ist. the ad vocates of independent religious associations, known to be useful, and having a good record. For these, it is surely sufficient that the Church, with a full knowledge of their chaiacter and usefulness, has expressed its preference for its own plan of operating through its own constitu ted authorities. Besides, such associations are also denomina tional, and, it is fair to presume will not be un mindful of the opportunities afforded , them in this work of organizing churches of their own faith and form of government. Preferring the Presbyterian form of church organization above any other, and having now the opportunity to build for ourselves in the South, while wish ing our brethren who differ from us all success in every good enterprise they may undertake, we should unhesitatingly refuse to allow our sYM . 2 pathies and money to be drawn , aside from our own legitimate work. 2d. Advocates for local operations, such as the building of a school-house, the establish ment of a Manual Labor College, or similar in stitution. Surely if these are meritorious the special pleading for them may well be made to the Committee of Home Missions, who are in a position to judge of their claim, and ready to do what is right and proper in such directions. 3d. Colored men, frequently Ministers; for whom we feel deep sympathy, and whom it is very difficult to refuse the opportunity of ap pealing to our people. Some of these are agents for colored organizations, but so indif ferent is their success in collecting that they must absorb a very large percentage of their collections . in travelling expenses. Our school and Mission stations already oc cupied, will require no—inconsiderable sum for their support, while the duty of extending so beneficial an eriterprise is plain and pressing. A very large number ofColored Presbyterians at the South are without religious and educa tional privileges. Surely it becomes us to pro vide for these who will else be scattered, be fore lending our aid to propagate for other de nominations. Of the character and progress of the work undertaken by onr denomination we have the most encouraging accounts. Writing from Stevenson, Ala, one of our teachers says, " There are constant additions to the colored churches. Two of our Normal Class have united with the Church. I wish to try and elevate the Christian standard for these young ennverts. , I, love to think of the text, The tithes of ignorance God winked at.'," From Clinton, E. Tennessee, the teacher THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1869. writes: " On Friday afternoons we dispense with our usual lessons, and have all who can read, join the Testament class, and peruse the word of God, for the space of one hour. We com menced at the First chapter of Matthew and have regularly gone on until we have reached the 17th of St. John. One pleasing feature in this connection is the love these children have for the Bible. I never have occasion to tell them to bring their Testaments, for they are only too glad to see Friday come. After the reading we spend one hour in prayer. Many of the scholars who have been compelled to leave school in order to work, come on Friday afternoons to participate in the exercises. From New Market, Tenn., a Missionary writes, "I expect to complete the organization of a Presbyterian Church, at this place, on the second Sunday in June, at which time the Lord's Supper will be administered." Thus the good work goes on. There is a serious earnestness characterizing the letters of our teachers that is indicative of a spirit of true devotion., There is seldom a sensational item, and not often a •repetition of negro phrases, a practice whieh is not in good taste and which we are glad to see is being discouraged. * LAST` WORDS OF. THE ASSEMBLY. These .will:relate rather to the surroundings and 'extra Scdlesiastical, personal experiences of the mem bers'during their stay,.which are need ful to a complete view of the Assembly of .1869. It was thirteen years since the body met before, in New York City, and the change .within and without in that period was'equally marked. Then the Madison Square church, in which the body met, recently constructed, was-..far. ". up, town ;" now, meeting eleven blocks higher up, we find magnificent churclies, and palatial dwellings stretching fifteen or twenty blocks further.; then Central Park was a name which had scarcely been whispered; now it IS really one•of the won. ders of the world. Then we had not witnessed the final drawing of the lines between North and South; Drs. Ross and ,Boyd and their associ ates sat in that Assembly, and argued against the necessity of any action by the Assembly on the subject, and gave us abundant specimens of the new• style of Bible defence of Slavery by respec table Christians of the South, ;which, had we but known it, was the surest prophecy of the coming strife. Then we were :on the" eve of a great trial in Church and State ;. now,we have emerged front those trials, have been'blessed with great and alaiost continous revivals, have devel oped our church schemes to strength and success, and have taken our place among the leading de nominations ,of the land ; needing not so much the grace of endurance, as that of humility. Then on the eve of a sad division, we now find ourselves about to enter auspiciously and,honor ably upon the greatest of voluntary Church un ions since the. Reformation, thus to give a great impetus to the healing tendency which. is show ing itself everywhere among the ancient divis ions of Protestantism. In the great metropolis in which we met, and in the very heart 'Of Whose wealth we were en- . tertained, and with an every day succession of invitations to various scenes of interest, read from the clerk's desk, the difficulty was to choose among them. A joint entertainment was provi ded fdr the Assemblies and their friends at the Apollo Rooms, comprising a very spacious hall, retiring rooms, cloak rooms, refectory, &c., on 28th street and Broadway. It is computed that 1,800 persons were in attendance. Singing and addresses were among the matters of entertain ment, but the company seemed to enjoy itself most of all, at least until the great doors of the refectory were thrown open, and division .after division of the throng, several hundreds at a time, were admitted to the well oaded tables, which were supplied and re-supplied with every luxury, as fast as they were -cleared. It is in vain to attempt to tell who was there ;—perhaps it will be enough to specify a once famous gene ral who did not take Richmond, and whom the people' could not see to be deserving the Presi dency, and who is now engaged at a stunning salary, superintending the work on a " floating " battery, chiefly celebrated because all the stress of our late war did not get it afloat. The Rooms of the New York Historical So ciety, the most interesting of any similar institu tion on the Continent, were thrown open and spe cially lighted for the Assemblies on another even-. ing. The only difficulty in. the ease was that half-a-dozen evenings were really necessary to give the collection proper attention. In fact one feels,simply overwhelmed as he sees himself sur rounded by over a thousand relics of the most ancient civilization and religion of Egypt. The weight of forty centuries burdens the very air. Eyes, head and feet ache; perception is dazed, and thought itself is wearied out in the' attempt to appreciate these wonderful witnesses of the manners; religion, arts, amusements and wars of this extraordinary people. The mummied relics of their dead, the imple ments of their living ; their household utensils, their chess men and children's toys; their linen eloths, and papyrus rolls, their tools, their ropes, their earthenware, their necklaces and finger rings, their surgical instruments, their wearing apparel, their lamps and glass bottles, their moulds for casting, whips of task•masters, hoes foiwork ing clay in brick plating, specimens of bricks, mingled with straw, which from the inscriptions, are pronounced to be of the very age, and per haps the very workmanship of the oppressed Hebrews ; and rising above all the cases and smaller articles three enormous mummies of the sacred bull Apis, the only specimens in posses sion of any museum. Well preserved they were with their cloth and rope wrappings,—speaking witnesses of the degrading idolatry of this other wise highly civilized country—indications per haps of the spread of a sort of Darwinism in that early day; but bringing to the mind of the Christian the words of Paul : " Professing them selves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." Or this of Milton : After these appeared A crew, who under names of old renown, Osiris, Iris, Orus, and their train With monstrous shapes and sorceries, abused Fanatic Egypt and her priests, to seek Their wandering gods disguised in. brutish, forms Rather than human We turned from this truly wonderful collec tion promising ourselves another visit—some time. Many members visited, the "Five Points Mis sion.;" others made themselves acquainted with some part of the great field - of . City Missions, covered , by the exceedingly able and indefatiga ble administration of the good.brother; whom the" Metropolis called from our city, Rev. George J. Mingins •We met him at one of the lowest points of contact between vice and the Gospel—' the new refuge for the fallen in West Fourth St. , It was a profoundly moving sight to see those who were' rescued singing their songs of praise, and pouring out their ' cries from the lowest depths of broken hearts in behalf of .their wan dering sisters—and those who,, under the guid ance, of a faithful, fearless woman, came in later from the streets—flaunting in silks and feathers, and with the unabashed look's of those hardened , in iniquity. The lowest meeting point 'indeed ; but often the scene of the greatest . wonders of grace. Sixty per cent. of those. received into the refuge, Mr. Mingins tells us, are believed to have been really saved for this world, at any rate, and many for 'the next too. • But our last words must come to an, end. We should like to tell something, of the Chi but we suppose that it was not as an editor exactly that we got within its charthed circle and so 'we forbear. •We Could easily give a paragraph to a ride in the Park, *ought to a sudden and not very agreeable end hy a tremendous shower, in which two Editors got damp enough to keep their leaders from beiOg dry a six month ; and' after which one got lnto the Other's dry clothes which fitted him so well, that it might have been taken as ominous of a metempsychosis 'on a larger' scale. We would like to. speak too of the charm of simplicity which has not fled from some of the brownest of brown-stone fronts and some of- the homes, nearest to the great avenues. If we must say a last word, it shall be for the early hours, the simple manners, the godliness without aus terity that marked the domestic life of our host, whose business—as we saw a few days after wards in the list of the largest" dealers in New York-,amounted to one and a-half millions in the first four months of the year. OUR VOHANGES. The N. Y. Methodist, after speaking of the probable union of all the Presbyterian bodies in America, adds "Already some are lObking for ulterior and greater results. It'is thought that am:lie kind of organic connection may be estahlished among all the Presbyterian bodies of the world, and we may well ask, why should not this be possible ? What reason is there that religious bodies which are one in faith should view each other as foreign Churches only because the one is American and the other is English?' If an Amerioan Presby terian passes to hngland, or vice versa, why should he not have the satisfaction of remaining in the same, instead of passing over into, a, foreign com munion? Now, thel Old School Presbyterian Church has Preibyteries in India, 'China, and Brazil; why ;then might not one Presbyterian Church have Synods'and Presbyteries in 'A.meri ea, Scotland,•..England,, Holland, and other,conn, tries? It will be a happy day, for Protestant Christendom if such differences as now separate the Presbyterian bodies shall. be known only as differences of ' theological opinion; but not, as landmarks of ecclesiastical organization." The Morning Post is trying to whistle away its fears of what may happen to reckless, Mormon sympathizing paperi in this Presbyterian. State of Pennsylvania, when all the branches have united "We watch the events oecnrring in the 'relig ious world with interest. They all, seem to. point to a grand upheaval, and reconstruction. ~ What the result will be it is hard to say, but doubtless the survivors will be able to stand it. It is too late in the day for massacres and persecutions. Those unpleasant incidents of the Dark' Ages of Re-, ligion got rid of, the field is clear for the com batants, with the comfortino• e conviction for spee tators that, whoever wins, nobody will, be hurt.", The N. W. Fresbyterlan, which has contended against all of the previous ,plans cf Reunion, gives in its adhesion to the last; in , the ' -following' terms " It is with unfeigned pleasure that we con gratulate our readers upon the hopeful aspect of the Reunion negotiations. The NORTHWESTERN PRESBYTERIAN has stood opposed to theUnWise concession of the bases of union which unsafe leaders, of the movement have persistently en deavored to force _upon the Church. We have contended from the beginning for the simple standards, and have asserted our willingness to forward the movement upon a basis at once sim ple and safe. The result has proved that we represented the opinion of the Church. Not withstanding the misrepresentation of our posi tion, and the harsh criticism to which we have been subjected, we have lived to see these differ ent bases repudiated and the platform we have always advocated adopted by the almost unani mous voice of the Church. We expect now to see the united Church enter upon its work, un trammeled by any conditions, save those im posed upon all alike by our confession of faith and form of government. We are not required to give our assent to terms of union that will any way change or modify the historic position of the Church we love. Though many important ques tions remain to be settled, yet they are ques tions of administration, which we believe may be safely entrusted to the wisdom of the united Church. It is our earnest hdpe, and should be a subject of prayer by all the Church, that God will pour out abundantly the spirit of love, and of power, and of a sound ,mind.. 7 —that all ques tions of difference may be satisfactorily settled in the interest of truth and peace, and that another year may see our Church equipped for its work, and ready to go forward, strong in. its unity'in the truth, to: perform,its part in the evangelization of our land and of the world." The Bum . zgelfse.l correspondent, "1 1 . L. has been in 'Boston. He saw nothing there which more impressed .him, than the large suc cess of Rev. B. Dunn, who last year went from our body to take charge of an almost ex tinct 0 S., chUfch in " the huh:". He says: , " The success of our teetotal brother , the Rev'. J. B. Dunn; hi the Bech-strdet Presbyterian church; has even surpassed the' 'reports which had niched me; it sums up as follows: church. income , raised Trout $1,900 to $B,OOO, in a, year the membership , increased by one hundred and eighty, an empty honse now filled in the aisles with' camp-stools, incts3o,ooo raised' to sweep off an old debt in a day llThe man who has done this great. year's work is no geniu.s, but . is. terrible toiler,' loves to save souls, and has got hold of the Scotch-Irish element and the young men:" Another cOrrespondent, " K.," writes from Rome, in regard to the - extravagantexpenditures of the Pope upon works of art,,as follows . " To raise monuments to the decree of, the Im maculate Conception, and prepare great painti,ngs (great in the room they occupy) along sidelhe frescoes of Raffaelle, to illustrate the same event, constitutes a legitimate claim en 'the Govern mental treasury. But to provide needful educa tion for, the masses,.,and public. improvements in his degenerate domain, is not in his line of thio.s." Our excellent cotemporary - pf Cincinnati, The Hoyld, is a little prematurely discussing the query : "After Uniori, What ?" We give a large extract, h6wever, as exactly' in the, line of our views : , - " After reunion we, shall be in better position to consider how our common Piesbyte r rianism can make' progress in the develOpnient of its scrip tdral priiteipies, arid in the mote 'effeetive appli cation of 'its-scriptural forces. to. the great work of evangelization, and, of the, culture: of Biblical piety. In our separation each body hasbeert, re strained from such , wise progress, from fear lest it should be charg,eable, or charged, with unwise innovation. So has our Presbyterian polity been exposed to' the, imputation of rigidness, of blind' adhesion to,antiquated -forms, to the hurtful re pression of its vital, forces. This does not be long to true Presbyterianism. Our Form of Governnient, for exampleovisely provides for its own amendment, by the vote of a majority of the Presbyteries. Such •an instrument is likely to need amendment in the successive ages during which it is the acknowledged law of a Church. The Assemblies of 1868, foreseeing occasion for such changes, wisely appointed it Joint-Commit tee of ten (five from each branch, as then exist ing,) to propose any changes which, they may deem needful to, the first General Assembly of the united Church. No iadical changes are looked for. Doubtleas none such could find fa vor. But there is a prevalent feeling in both bodies that, improvements may be made. Per haps we ; shall ; find it poseible, to accomplish the most or what initprovement is needed in the ad ministration'ot our Church government without any change in its written constitutions The General Assemblies of the future, having the spirit of their. constituent, Presbyteries, may refrain from such exaggeration of control as has sometimes been unwisely attempted, and may en courage more autonomy, more' free movement in local work, on the part of 'the Presbyteries.. Our increased,, facilities for intercourse and intercom munication,• making the different parts of , the Church 'better known to each other, help fraternal confidence,,and diminish the desire to subject every local judicatory-and * agency to the rigid and'-minute dictation of a central power'. Pres byterial and Synodical agencies of local evangeli nation;, the management of, theelogieat semi naries by 13041d5. iiqmPW iYTC , §P.Rusiholg to the neighboring Synods br`.Presbyteries ; such loCal liberties as these are likelyth'be increasingly fa' vored in the united Church, for they have lately been visibly growing infavor with both branches. All wise and needful libnralization of policy may be found practicable as a mere matter of admin istration. If not so, then we look for deliberate and wise amendment 'nfq,h'n constitution. The reunited Church will keep its roots firm in its noble past; but will lift its green and ,blossoming branches up.to the light-and ,air of the glorious future. Freely and beautifully waving there, and beckOning'to them all heiveril3% influences, their fruit' *ill 'be- abinedant and wholesome' - Quite it curiosity , -1-nothinglessthan the' Con fesaion of Faith of The Indelrodndent--- , -may be" found' at the conclusion .Of a.leading article in the last tiumber, in which :AI takes considerable Credit to itself for having given what 'it eon sideis,the. facts in .regard , to thi stem progrdss and' aggressiveness' of :Parkeristh and Radicalism in Boston. The Indepeirdene§ creed. makes us Involuntarily put the question; whether , such Radicalism is not also making progress nearer home. Here it is The true religion consists in fidelity to one's own sacred convictions, whatever these may be. Any other religion, whether heterodox or ortho dox, is as false as the Father of Lies. FROM OUR ROCHESTER CORRESPONDENT. PRESBYTERY OF ONTARIO It held its semi-annual meeting at East Avon on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. The matter of chief interest, perhaps, in its business was the adoption of the Assembly's action on re union. It was not only unanimous, but adopted, by a standing vote, to make it as emphatic as possible. Four or five other Presbyteries of this region met at the same time, and we do not doubt that their action is the same, all for union, without a dissenting voice. Rev. J. W. Whiting, recently ordained by the Presbytery of Cayuga, as MisaiOnary to China, was received as a member of this Presbytery, where he naturally behings, as his residence is in Ulna; and "hereally goes fan this Presby tery to the heathen.' " INSTALLATION. On Thurs d ay, 10th instant, ,Rev. Lucius D. . ChaPin, form,rly'of Ann Arbor, Mich., was in stalled paStor .of the Independent Congregational chinch of East Blboinfiefd. A.n admirable ser mon was preached by Rev. Dr. Shaw of this city. The Right Hand of Fellowship was given in aer.y gond speech by Rev..F. B. Allen of Can andaigna. The charge to - the pastor was by Rev. A: L. Benton of Lima, and charge to the people by Rev. P. F. Sanborn of West Bloom field—the last two beinc , c members of Ontario Presbytery, to which Mr. Chapin also belongs. The services were - ll' , well sustained and inter esting. The congregation was large. The church is, strong, and the new pastor seems,to have won all hearts. His prospects of usefulness in that large and interesting field are all that one could well desirt. CENTRAL c Erun err, AVE lIRN We have before noticed the sale of the Con tra church 'chapel, the plans of the , con gregation'o for a new and commodious church 'edifice. In the meantime, nothing else offering that would answer their 'purpose, they ,have hired the Opera House on advantageous terms, 'and held their first service in the new place last Sabbath. The esteemed pastoT, Rev. Henry Fowler, preached an appropriate sermon on the occasion, comparing their present condition to' a sort of captivity. The church was organized seven years ago last January. Its first meetings were held in an upper room, which would seat only two hundred people. In less than eleven months they had 'built and dedicated a neat chapel, which would contain five hundred, and every pew not, reserved was rented on the first Sabbath of its occupation. On an average forty nine members a year have been added to the membership of 'the church. "Not the most sanguine of this eong,regation," said the pastor, anticipated the growth we have attained, or ventured to count on the moneys we have dis bursed or accumulated." CHURCH GROUPS. An interesting young artist of our city, Thos. H. Hopwood, is doing a very neat thing, in get ting pictures of our urches and their pastors, in what we should call a Church group. That of the Central church lies before us, as we write, a picture eight by ten inches. In the centre is a neat view of the church edifice; and then the heads of the four pastors, Drs. George S. Board man, Milo J. Htckok, Frank F. Ellinwood and Samuel M. Campbell, all good likenesses, are ranged round the building. A picture of the old. First church is gotten up in the same style, with its former pastors, Dr. Joseph Penney, Tryon Edwards, Malcom M. McLaren, Joseph 11 Mcilvaine, Calvin - Pease, Elias R. Beadle, and Rev. Maurice M. Wines. There should have been one more in this group, Rev. Comfort Wil liams, the first pastor; hut he died in 1825, and no likeness of him could be obtained. Dr. Bea dle 'was not settled over this church, but was called, accepted the call and preached six months for them, and so his face finds a place in the group. The Brick church group, St. Peter's, and others , are to be produced in the same style. SYRACUSE MISSION SCHOOLS There are five of them; with fourteen hundred scholars; four hundred in one school; all under the care of the . Young Men's Christian Associa tion. They meet morning and afternoon, and are doing a good work for the destitute and the lowly. Like efforts are made by the benevolent in other cities. , But other agencies are' also at work to undo all that' they can accomplish and more also. Our Commissioners of Excise in Rochester have just granted about six hundred licenses for our city. Other cities are enjoying, like favors—free rum and free ruin. We wish the Commissioners .could have seen what we saw in our ' own street yesterday, a mother trying to dtaw her own drunken son out of a fight. The !parties were all well dressed; seemed to belong to good society; and yet there wasa young man maddened with rum, trying to break another young man's head, the mother of the first frantically throwing herself between the combatants , and trying to separate them'. Rum plenty .to Joke. just, such scenes every, day, may now_be obtained at about six hiindred licensed establishment in our city, and at probably ,fotir hundred 'more selling without license. It 'needs some: mission 'schools to undo something 'of the mischief thus set loose iu all our. .eities. When will the tide be stayed ? AOCHESTEEI, 'Tune 12, 1869. GENESES. BLAoKwoop's MAGAznlzfor May, contains: George Eliot's New Poem, How Lisa Loved the King, the beginning of a newitale, entitled, A Year and a Day, a number of Cornelius O'Dowd's Lucubrations,. a careful review. of the late Con vent-Expnsure in ,' England, and other articles. Published as above. RevieWs" and Blackwood's are for sale by "Wm. B. Ziebei, Phila. Price $4 each a year. .Four Reviews and Blackwood, $l5.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers