The American Presbyterian. (Philadelphia) 1856-1869, September 09, 1869, Image 1

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New Series, Vol. VI, No. 36.
Strictly in Advance $2.50, Otherwise 4 J o h n
Postage 20 cts, to be paid where delivereu.
At the usual Monday meetings of ministers of
the two branches of the Presbyterian church in
this city, it was arranged to have a union prayer
meeting on the second Sabbath of September, the
day recommendedby the two,General Assemblies
to be observed as a day of fervent and united
prayer to Almighty God, that He would grant
unto us all " the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit bf knowledge and of the fear of the
Lord," and in the new relations now cbntempla
ted, enable us to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bonds of peace. ' ' •
Place of meeting, Calvary Presbyterian 'church,
at 4 o'clock, P. M. The pastOr of the thuireh viill
preside, and addresses be delivered by Minigters of
both branches. The ministers and members of
all our churches are cordially invited
,to be'
present. "
—Messrs. Earle & Sons whose picture gallery,
one of the brightest ornaments of Chestnut St.,
was burned out last week for the third tine, have
sent a check for five hundred dollars to the Widow
of Mr. A. H. Hopple, a fireman who was killed
while aiding in extinguishing the flames. A'
prompt and noble act *of sympathy and. recogni
tion.'
—A secret conference of German Roman Ca
tholic bishops,. preparatory to the. Ecumenical
Council, is now being held at Fulda, in Bavaria.
The liberal Roman Catholic professor, Dollinger,
with many.other professors of the same faith in
the various Universities of Germany, are known'
to be openly in favor of the assumption by the
German episcopacy, of a liberal, independent
stand before the Council, on all such temporal po
litical points as may come up before the assem 7
bled prelates. Enough is, already known of the
Fulda Conference to make it certain that the,
bishops take a stand against this position of the
great body of the German clergy, and. advocate
the necessity of an entire submission to the de
cisions of the council in all things, holding such
a course to be abs,olut,ely,necessary for and in
seperable from the maintenance of the Catholic
belief in the doctrine of the infallibility of, the
Holy Father, the Pope, when presiding in. a
General Council of the Church. So we are in
formed by a recent telegram'.
—We judge that the strong minded advocates
of women's rights have long ago lost the woman
ly faculty of blushing; and that, they count the
quality of modesty among the signs of weakness
belonging to the period of suppression and in
justice, which is to be done away by their chival
rous labors. Your thorough woman ' s rights
woman must discard those outward distinctions
which the refined and delicate sense requires the
different sexes to observe and the refinement and
delicacy are likely to go with them.
Spenser, in his legend of Sir Arteg,all, or of
Justice (Faerie Queene, Bk. V, Cantos 4 and 5)
describes the character of one of the amazons,
which may have existed in his time, under the
title of Radigund,, He draws a caricature of
the possible results of a revolt of woman in the
strong castle which she holds ; the war she makes
upon men, and the indignities to which she sub
jects
The knights the whioh by foroe or guile
She doth subdue. . . .
First she cloth them of warlike arms despoils
And cloth in women's weedes ; and then with threat
Doth them compell to works, to earn their meat,
To spin, to card, to sew; to wash, to wring;
No doth she give them other thing to eat,
But bread, and water, and like feeble , thing
Them to disable from revenge adventuring.
Such is the orueltie of womankyncl ,
When they have shaken off the shame-fast band,
With which wise nature did them strongly bind
T'obay the heasts of man's all-ruling hand,
That then all 'rule and reason they withstand • '
To purchase a licentious libertie.
Artegall, with Talus, the iron man with his
terrible iron flail, goes to attack this.monster,
and the knightly courtesy with which, he treats
her in combat, is craftily used to entrap and hold
him prisoner. Thus he remains until rescued
by the true woman-knight, the loyal and toying
wife, who undergoes many perils in accomplish-,
ing her task, but who shows superior judgment
and decision in dealing with her foe.
Her victory is complete. Without the help
of Artegall or the iron, man Talus, she slays
Itadigund and puts to flight her followers—
And changing all that form of commonweale
The libertY of woman did repeale,
Which they lad long usurPt ; and' them restoring
To men's subjection, did'tive justice deals:
In all which it seems to' be taught:that it is
woman's peculiar right to put doWn the false ad
vocates of women's rights. May the 'champion
soon appear. • ,; ' •
—Rev. J. Oswald Dyketi hasiscoepted the cal
of the Regent Square Church, London, late Dr
Hamilton's.
"'Weir 15juj69
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1869.
DAY OF PRAYER.
IT will be a happy inauguration of the season.
of activity in our churches to, spend a Sabbath
in united prayer for a blessing upon the two
branches of the Church, now contemplating an
early, Reunion. We trust that in a right ob
servance of the day, an impetus, powerful as it
is novel, will‘be gained for all our winter'swork.
New strength must come, in the new sense 9,f
near and fresh sympathies in our common work
for the Master. We shall ,calculate, upon, the
principle epressed in the closing, parts of our
Lord's intercessory prayer, that the world
be in asofter,,,niore impressible condition,, more
ready to. believe our message, and to join- our
ranks, seeing that the,•Lord has healed our,
divisions and reMoyed : great stumbling-blocks
from the way.. We shall feel that a greater
proportion of ; the practical working 'power of
the Church will ,be utilized, when so many'
needless expenditures of, men and, money and
zeal will, cease in the harmonizing of interests
now rival, and in the combining into efficient
wholes r of efforts that now, languish divided.
After all, mere organic union is, secondary.
What, , we• want is , greater, ,eiriciency i in ,every
branch of Christian work, and
,union will be
good, and, this, day of prayer will be good, as they
promote that efficiency in a needy age and a dy
ing,world.
Rut for the Union's sake, how much prayer is ,
neededl What wisdom from above must direct,
if jealousies are to be allayed, if justiCe is to be
done on all sides, and if, with the very best, of
intentions, real Christian prudence is, to mark
the settic,knent. of the, final questions ! And how
much we need an afflatus of the spirit of living
piety and of bold enterprise for Christ as we
'enter upon this Reunion ! How this great move
.
went should enlarge our hparts 1 With what
courage, what kindling hopes, what ardor, of
Christian effort and liberality should the whole
Church signalize thiS epoch in its history The
.feeblest organization should feel the spiritual
impulse, tingling to the remotest members and the
,least active and efficient should mark the era by
a new degree of devotion and of importunate`
prayer, that not a solitary church should fail
_to`',
taste the widespread, and plenteous spiritual
shower. Let us call, mightily upon God that
this year of Reunion may be one of
,unwonted
and universal blessing as best,to mark the, open
ing, and to be auspicious of the futnre, of the ,
new era of our history,
BYRON'S SINS AND 'SERVICES.
The life and works of Lord Byron have been
again brought into very painful prominence.
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe has published an'
article in The Atlantic Monthly containing reve
lations said to have been received from the late
Lady Byron, which purpose to be an explanation
of the reasons for which that lady left , her hus
band, after little more than a year of married life.
The gist of these statements is that Byron's con=
duct was as the sin of that Amnon, son of David,
whom Absalom slew at the sheep-shearing.
These statements have caused great controver
sy bOth as to fact and prudence. As to the lat
ter, it seems to be. a very general opinion, that
Mrs. Stowe has done wrong-in publishing these
things, even if they are true. Quite enough was
known of Lord Byron's life,—quite enough is
revealed in his writings in regard to it,—to ren
der any further disclosures needless, even for the
justification of Lady BYron. These censures
would have had much more force, however, did
they not come mainly from those-who, have done
all that in them lies to give a yet wider publicity
to Mrs. Stowe's statements. So generally have
these found place,in, the secular, papers,. that the
religious journals are not adding to the evil by
referring to them, while, by pointing out the
grave moral lessons of Byron's sin and his life,
they.may turn the current of public attention in.
a more, wholesome direction. •
:Yet we cannot abstain from a most earnesPpry
test against, the great search ; after evil in which
'our secular public journals seem, generally, to be
engaged r , As atpresent edited, they exceed any
thing in, our literature, except Butler's Hudibras,
in their picture of social,scoundrelism, filth, ras
cality:, and dishonesty of every sort. They are
the great teachers of cynicism, eating out the
heart of all, faith in goodness and integrity, and
poisoning the minds of old and young. There is
not a vile story that will not find its way into
three-fourths of our newspapers. Grant that the
things they publish are fact; still they are not
true. The paper that crams its columns with,
them is not a truthful and faithful report . of
what is going on in the world. The vicious
principle of selection that passes by the humani
ties and charities of life, and reports in detail, the
criminalities,,brutalities and scandals, and which
never misses the facts of the police reports, how
ever unimportant to , the public, cannot plead in
defence that these things are true. It is a question
of wholes, and, on the whole i life is not transacted
in the police courts. ,We commend to our jour
nals, the study of the Old Testament as a faithful
and boxiest report of thei doings of 'a state
of society, which , Was morally much lower:,
than • ourAiwn., 'That, Book judges severely,
portrap,evil -plainly,:but it I:never 'ignotes the',
faith, ' hope ,and -lbatity..that 'brighten' , up, :and:
outshine , darker_ Adai ts It " paints'• the
wrjxiltles,7, but,not t , the.wrinkles only, nor mainly;
It is true, because,it t is ,a selection Of. repra:
senta.tive.facts. t` .
We long for the'"Newspaper of the Futura',.",
which shall , wrika Over, its ; ' columns, and apply to
politrics 'an d- i tch enemies, as well as friends, the, •
grand, .791',4. of; the Apostle: "Whatsoever.,
things :are, honestp.whatsoeyer things-Tare just;•. ,
Wllatsoever things. are; pure, whatsoever .tliings
are olgocukreport; if there be any virtue, and if
there be anyyra,fse, l Minh on these things!' • '
,Thus much for the qu,estion of the Chris,
'tian prudence of Mrs. Stowe's -revelations: As to;
thaquestion of their,,truelt,,,we: shall , speak more
briefly.. fln view,. of ; Mrs.-Store's cliaraeter, we
have, no doubt;Lady Byron, did make, the state- ,
clients ascribed, to ;her. "Minor ; inaccuracies eau,
'not, detract from,,the credibility of 'her report
Further, we, ,fear that, the evidence of : an inci
dental and, collateral, character leaves little doubt •
of the, truth. of : Lady ;.13vron's statement,' and
'shows that she was not speaking under the influ
ence of monomania,. whinh (as some "urge) hall
growp up:m . ll4r in .the years of separation. It
seems pretty certain that the.same statement was •
made. to Dr., Ltishington, the eminent English
`Judge of ; the' :Court, of ArcheS,•within a month
after the'. separation. : His decease, a year or two,
ago leaves,us without :opportunity of appealingtcr
his ; authority... Much stronger evidence is fodnd
'in ".Mas fred "; and : ".Cain," where ;the sin With
which Byron: is now,charged,,is referred to.and
gloated , over,.anditt,defence otit is attempted or
'hinted. The, strange languag4 addressed- to his
sister. in a shotter rieenl confliiatthe belief.
'admirers, of course, will always .gire him th e
benefit of a. doubt,the doubt of his wife's sanity
'or veracity; but when the preSent turmoil of
discussion eeases, -.Mrs:; Stowe's article, however
unworthy ;of. her,:or.of !the subject, will be ac
cepted"by most :people, as.a. real contribution to
the history of English literature. . .
Lord Byron's admirers,• to whose partiality he
can appeal, are, not so nuinerous as they were.
The flood of English literary taste has flowed past
„ The greater poets, whom• he eclipsed in
his own day, now shine forth with their steadier,
star-like brilliancy; while his meteoric glare has
died away. A purer literary, taste has grown:up,
which passes by his gaudy but slovenly work,
manship, and sets store by the purer and chaster.
art. of Coleridge, tordsworth and Keats. Even
among , the young,••his admirers are more sober
and fewer. ;Sophomores , no longer spout him
with, the old,fervor. His name is less frequently
mentioned in the commons room and the debating,
club. The, newspapers. rarely quote him; the
magazines : rarely:review himr; the editions of his
works are-,fewer and least costly.
We rejoice in the change, but not in the be,
lief ; that his,, influence, while, it did last, was
'wholly evil-. .We rather, believe that he did
;good service to ,morality and Christianity in at
least one direction. He awakened literature and
society to the stern .realities of human ethics, to
an extent.never, before known,, and never to be
wholly forgotten., Till he wrote; and his thought,
permeated the world, there was a time, of light- -
ness and frivolity current in regard to moral ques.
tions, which enabled Men to keep troublesome
thoughts at arm's length., . ; There .are instances.
enough of this same folly in his own works, but
there are other, things .of a very different' charae
. ter. The whole tone'` of. all_ his works is one of
misery—the misery that follows sin. Such vivid
pictures.,of human remorse ;ate. found nowhere
else in literature. ;Every scoff •is; fierce with half
smothered•conviction; every laugh is of one who
laughs to hide his', woe, .not to express his joy.
Foolish young ; men once thought it fine-and
poetical to mimic :these things, without under
stan.ding them, but their true influence was. ex
erted on minds of quite another calibre. The
old, levity has ;largely passed out of literature;
men write with a consciousness, if not of " the•
exceeding sinfulness ,'.of, sin ; " then, at least; of
the misery, wretchedness„ and remorse, that fol
low it. This deepening earnestness with which
evil has been regarded, has done much to prepare
minds to welcome the. good., Whether .his :own:
horrible w life-long `F conviction of :sin".ever rose ,
to _a saving, OP nviption :of righteousness in Christ,
we know not. We would fain Share; the: hope
;that (we happen to know) was, felt for Ititkby
the devoted Moravian missionary; who attended
hislait'hours, and in whose arms he died. Re
cent accounts. of his life Show that his religious
views w i ere•of an orthodox type, High. Calvinist,
irk:fact, to . the, point of gloom and hopelessness.
His , belief was only of the head, and brought him
no spiritual comfort all through his life. Who
knosis of what . came to him- ere - his end ? -What
ever it was, he stands,for, all time as a witness
that God is not mocked, for they that sow the
wind:ihalt re 4 the' r whirlwind; '
THE',CIIIEBREN'S''RI6IITi 'IN 'THE
".“ sgßltioN.• •
Pastors 'cannot feel too` deeply the Urgent ne-'
ni. • • ,
cesstty forintereifing , the children in their regu
lai:"pfeaehiniservice's.. ..If it is at all possible,—
ari'ii Who Will daleri:thatit is impossible? the chil
dr4U must 14`aa:Ved!frOM the' distiessing ennui of
an
. 11 , 56 a half 'of services in, church, (fre
qu'tlit,TyffillOW,ing`arklhouraUd a half in the Sab
ba6.-,'scheiil)in which there 'nOthinc , for their
reptleas natures but solemnly to endure, with the
•
mo;t1 PioarPgct,' Of'Punishment at home if they
fail. This is'such a poOr.training into habits of
clira4,Oing' that the wonder is ,that so many
continue to practice a habit so ;inauspiciously
for]Ued,' It'ia a sic , nal proof of the power of di
vine grace over obgtacles raised by human, fool
ishness: let many pastors and preachers who
wish remedy the difficulty, are.quite at a loss,
and any method pursued with success by one pas
tcedeserv'eg to'be 'made known to others. We
haie-latdly 'heard' of one whose heart is deeply in
his *614:- and. Whose other' plans of usefulness
have 'much' praetical wisdom, who goes into the
Sabbath-sohOolt every morning, and promises the
child 66 that if they come to church and listen,
th - q-Will be 'sire . to hear Something which' will
interest them. Then; sothewhere in the 'midst of
tlib'diseourse, he pauses and addresses the' chil-'
dren, in fulfillment of his pronaise, sammarizing,
and simplifying the-subjectin hand for their es
pee* benefit,,,Thns-„having 'aroused afresh ;in
terest in all ulasses hiA, hearers, he goes on,
with.the discourse to the .end. TlAis will fie re-.
garded by many as a bold procedure and against
all ; the, canons of, rhetoric and pulpit digniV;
but a, candid recognition of the claims of ~a
class who 'form one third of our ceggregations in
numbers, a i nd whose importance as available.ma
terial is•greater even than their numbers.
e our readers are universally interested
in this matter
,;and we should be very glad to
publish suggestions, or accounts of actual modes
of attaining the great end of interesting the chil- .
dren in the regular services of the sanctuary.
Irregular methods, or speMal services, often called
children's church," are nOt, the objects contein
plated in these paragraphs.
VACATION .NOYES.
. ,
No' summer resort has been brought more
thoroughly before the 'public -, notice* this year
thai the Wilderness of Northern NeW—York:.
, Editioulafter editiOn of. Mr. Murray's book has
been 'bought and devoured' by eager tourists and
woulcVbispertsmen. And letter after letter in
the public journals has 'told:of disappointment
ex.perienc'ed in 'following' Mr. Murray's -lead. We
had already:made - ohr 'arrangements' to Visit the
Adironditcks, When thelbook referred - to fell into
our' hands. '‘Nre"had visited the region ‘more
than' once,and were fully prepared to make every
allowance for=rthe; exaggerations •of the volume.
We knew that-,the wilderness,,had , been some
•what inconveniently, thronged by tourists in for
mer years were DPW .PrePaTed tO,, find a
score of people,,where,hut for thp publication
of the' book, We Might' expect to 'find but one;.
•
and to, submit Ito son unusual inconveniences.
Hence, in returning,we are, able, to tell an,
prejudiCed story. We do itot know..M.r. Murray's
;tastes; but - ,if,y , ?,
, fond of facing public opinion,,
he has thr.'satisfaction of knowing that he has
been, summer the most unpopular man
, among his favorite lakes and mountains. ,
has certainly
,escaped, for ,the present, the woe of
him of Whom all men speak well.. Yet hun
dreds of pers,lns have l e , mp i rged from the • wilder
ness. with, new vigor in All their veins notwith
.standing the anathemas on their lips. No
f dmatterf trout
and,,
0 isappom ment in the o
and ii deey., could prevpnt ,.. thpse who, jaded by
brain-work or bypmpliance with the Conven
tionalisms ,of society, went into 4 camp, from -in
haling the pine-scented air, from being bronzed,
by the sun, and braced by, the breoe. This
;region is no'place for those who have passed into
the later stages i of consumption, as was pioved
,by some who visited it this summer, to return
I ngain—all that wailift - of them—in such rude
Coffins as tye. ptgers could, provide. But for
thre, who are; neriouqy morn fqr dyspeptics for
Genesee Evangelist, No. 1.216.
Home & Foreign Miss. $2.00.
Address:-1334 Chestnut Street
men and women who are " run-down ;" for some
even who are of delicate lungs, there is no finer
resort on the continent. One recovers lost tone
with wonderful promptness. The appetite be
comes, after a time, as sharp as that of a child.
You.can eat from a table of hemlock-bark, as at
home, you never could. from .your damask-veiled
mahogany. .You, wonder why such fish and
venison as you feast upon never find their way
to city markets, why Bridget could never pro
duce such cakes as a guide can bake in a com
mon skillet. At home a few delicate wafers of
rice-flour suffice for breakfast. In the wilder
ness you are still hungry, after eating two or
three ten-ineh plateaus of wheaten substance,
made savory by butter and the woody syrup.
Fish and venison were doubtless myths to many
who sought them this summer. The deer were
too badly "ftightened by the careless army of
inVdders, to expose,themselves much to the shin
ing..
new rifles so ready to be lifted against them.
The most anxious guide could not always secure
a buck for his party. But if any one has come
frOm a week's sojourn in camp without tasting a
trout fresh from the water, the fault is with his
guide. Guides will be indolent if, they can
safely avoid work, like other men. We saw one
camp, in which in old and well-known guide
allowed his employer to sleep on a few scattered
ferni,W4ile the fiirest offered its feathery plumes
to alt who would clip them. Spruce 'boughs
form a royal mattrass. Guides will have many
an excuse for not providing you with trout, if
they do not wish to take the trouble. In our
days of camp life, in July, we scarcely ever failed
to have trout upon our well-spread bark, when
we sat down to eat. Many of the fish we en
ticed ourselves from their lurking places, with
fly or minnow.
_.even, an indolent guide could prevent the
tourist from enjoying the . magnificent scenery of
the Adirondacis. The hills, the skies, the
waters, the shores and islands of this region
have never been tee extravagantly praised.
One's annoyances by insects are indeed suffi
cient to frighten the timid. We have never
&mid the musquitoes so abundant or so numerous
as they were this .year. Veils were found too
uncomfortable to be of use. A mixture of tar
and sweet oil afforded only a partial protection,
and a " , smudge" became a positive luxury. We
are, ' sure, that the Garden of Eden was not in
Northern New York, unless indeed musquitos
" came in" after the Fall. Nevertheless, we en
joyed our life in the woods, and would have
gladly prolonged it. We felt strong, with new
vigor each day. We are still loud in recom
mending " Dr. Adirondack" to our friends as
one of the best and most agreeable of physicians
for` , those who are content to put up with his
Next Summer, those who choose to visit this
charming region can do so, doubtless with com
parative comfort. The, disappointment of this
-keep from the woods those who have
no taste for them: If you love to get close to
moiler Nature, then when next Summer opens,
buy the " tourists' edition" of Mr. Murray's
hook, cut out the pages preceding the "Adven
tures," take the map from the pocket in the cor
ner, keep these for reference—burn the remain
der of, the book, and put yourself under the
directions of mine. host Martin. You will be a.
healthier and happier man. Z. M. H.
—ls there not something too much of attention
paid by,.'.Protestants to the Papal invitation to
attend .the coining llits not a fictitious
importance thus , been given to the effort to
galvanize 'perishing, power into temporary
life and activity? We confess our sympathies
do not flow in a very lively manner towards the
addresses, a meryable,and excellent specimen of
which we, publish in to-day's paper. Dr. Cum
ming of Lon`don, and Dr. D'Aubigne of Geneva
have also entered. into this, business of writing or
; preparing replies and counter -movements to the
Pope, and the British Branch of the Evangelical
Alliance, in response to br. D'Aubigne's Sugges
tion has very properly recommended to Protestant
Christendom to unite in prayer at the time of the
council, for Divine jnte;position, The best an
swer of Protestantism to this council will be, not
words, but such acts as the union of the two
branches of the Preshyterian Church. And it
is most likely that the acts of the council will
put, sharp weapons in the hands of American
Protestants, who are just now in need of fresh
proofs of ; thelMer ;
} incompatibility of Rome with
-the spirit of the ; ageand her deadly hostility to
free institutions - and an, open Bible. But is it
worth whilp, or ; exactly dignified for us to con
cern fnu•selvesas Christian organizations in the
slightest degree ; with this gathering, before it
-takes place.?