fruit inal Communitatinuz.
LETTER FROM THE RILLS. 111.
While nearly every leading town in the in
terior of our great State is occupied by some
denominational college, the two leading cities of
the Commonwealth are occupied by institutions of.
a more general character, which bear in common
the name " University of Pennsylvania."
The University of Pennsylvania in Philadel
phia, ranks in point of seniority, fourth among
our American Colleges,—Harvard, Yale and
New Brunswick taking the lead. Its Western
namesake, " The Western University of Penn
sylvania," at Pittsburgh, stands on the slope of
the bill up which Fifth Avenue leads. Though
much younger than our University, it has yet
been in existence for a good while. Some fif
teen years ago, Rev. Dr. Woods was called to
its Presidency. 'The institution, when he took
charge of it, had run down a good deal. Its
order was that of the proverbial "bear gar
den ;" respectable people would rather not have
their children pass it, much less attend its
classes. Dr. Woods is not one of the Goliaths of
earth, but there is a ‘ dealof work in him, and he
has made a pretty thorough change things.
I can imagine the long, dreary pull that . his
presidency was in those fifteen years. AEI insti
tation with little of a good name or of popular
esteem, situated in .a city unusually indifferent
to the ends for which it existed, was competing
with a dozen others for what - scanty patronage
there was, while those dozen could appeal to
selfish motives to which it could not. His fif
teen years have not been lost. All is not clear
yet, but the day is breaking. The public inter
est has been measurably awakened, as is evi
dent both from the assaults of foes and the kind
words of friends in the newspaper world. Smoky
Pittsburgh, which cares too touch for money and
"the main chance," to have a public park or a
promenade street, or a fine ball, actually begins
to feel some sort of pride in the institution. The
people who have learned to spend as well as to
gather, are awake to its existence. One man at
least in the Third Presbyterian Church does not
need to be thawed out of any frosty indifference
in the matter. Efforts are making to put the.
college on a better financial basis, and to awaken
public men to some sense of their responsibility
and their best interests.
The patronage enjoyed by the institution
shows a very fair increase. Last year all de
partments, Collegiate, Scientific, Commercial and
Preparatory, had an aggregate of 427 students.
The present year opens with promise of still
better things, and recent Additions to the work
ing force and apparatus are among the hopeful
On my way to Newcastle I was permitted to
be present soon after the Christmas term began.
The building, though as smoked as everything in
Pittsburgh is, I thought in many respects a fine
one, much more convenient indeed than the ven
erable edifices on Ninth street in our own city,
as being of course much more modern. The clas
ses ranged around the chairs were large and in
telligent-looking, and—l could say with Paul—
" I joyed beholding [their] order." My wel
come—when introduced by "J. S. T." as from
the University of Pennsylvania—was cordial in
the extreme. Dr. Woods,' whom I had met be
fore, evinced great interest in the movements
making in Philadelphia for new University ac
commodations, and in the details of the manage
ment of the older institution. I gathered front
his questions that some utilitarian or Puritan
Pittsburghers are much opposed to anything like
scholastic display, and would have the co'rnmence
meats held quietly in a church.without music, or
the grace of scholastic robes. He was especial
ly interested in the effort in progress to make our
University a centre of sound teaching on Protec
tion by endowing a chair of Social Science, and cal
ling Dr. M'llvaine of Princeton, to fill it. He had
hitherto used Prof. Latham Perry's Manual in
teaching on that subject, adding always such run
ning comments as would furnish a Protectionist an
tidote to the free trade notions, but after hearing
one of that gentleman's demagogic speeches to
the workingmen—in which taxes were denounced
as an outrage—he had decided to -employ some
other book.
In the scientific department we found a large
collection of fossils and other minerals, which had
just been secured, spread out on the tables before
arrangement in their cabinets. A college in this
mountain region, where nature has broken up her
strata to display her cabinets of wonders td man,
ought to be especially rich in this department.
On one table in a glass case, two large and ugly
rattle-snakes were lazily t*isting, themselves
about. One of them had almost interrupted a
recitation that morning by his noisy rage when
the professor moved his pencil too near the case.
On 'the whole we saw abundant reason' to con
gratulate Pittsburgh on the possession of " The
Western University of PennsylVania," and no
thing to make our own Alma Mater ashamed- of
such a younger sister and name-sake. Dr. Woods
has certainly not misspent those fifteen years of
.hard effort. His heaft, is clearly in the work, as,
..teas seen in his refusal of a tempting offer from
a, denominational institution near Chicago. H e
would have had much to gain personally by the
change, but what he had done would have per
haps come to nought, so he refused. May the
people of Pittsburgh abundantly appreciate and
reward the sacrifice.
In one point the Western University is far
ahead of our own. On the hills above Alleghe
ny it has secured—through the munificence, I
believe, of friends already referred to—a fine ob
servatory edifice with a collection of astronomi
cal instruments, which, if not yet complete, is a
worthy beginning, and is far ahead of our own.
To Prof. Langley I am indebted for an opportu
nity of examining these in detail, and although
not profoundly versed in the science, I was
interested to a degree that I would gladly impart
to your readers. But that for my next.
THE RELATION OF THE SABBATH
SCHOOL TO THE CHURCH.
A Select Committee of the Third Presbytery
of Philadelphia, consisting of Rev. Drs. Geo. F.
Wiswell, Daniel March, and John:W. Mears, re
ported the following paper to the Presbytery at
its session October 6, 1869. The Presbytery
thereupon adopted it, and directed that it be
printed and laid before its churches. Pastors
and Session 3 to whom the paper is sent with this
article marked, are requested to receive it as
coming from the Presbytery.
B. B. HOTCHKIN, Stated Clerk
The Committee on Sabbath Schools have given
a somewhat careful consideration to the subject
committed to them, and are prepared to report
that they find a growing interest in the whole
matter of Sabbath Schools; throughout the
churches of this Presbytery.
Though there may not have been any very
marked and glaring demonstration of this interest,
as in many parts of the great vineyard, yet there
is a thoughtful and conscientious regard, in all
the churches, for the advancement of the Sabbath
School cause upon the soundest .Christian basis.
With our present knowledge and experience,
were the work of organization to im commenced
anew, we should be decidedly in favor of keeping
the Sabbath School strictly within the sphere in
tended by its projectors. It was for the instruc
tion of such children as would otherwise be des
titute of all Christian training; not for the chil f
circa of the Church. It never proposed to relieve
the godly from, the duty of instructing their
children in the things of the Kingdom at home,
but it would gather the poor and outcast of this
world, and tell them of .a Saviour's love.
The question now, however, is not one of be
ginning, but low shall the Church best direct
and control this institution ? How shall the
Sabbath School be made to subserve the highest
welfare of religion? And the interests at stake
are far too important to be neglected. The force
is far too great to be undirected.
In the first' place, the Sabbath SchoOl must be
regarded as an 'institution of the Church. 'lt was
the outgrowth of the piety of the Church. It came
in to meet the pressing want of those who sought
the salvation of the poor—the outcast and the
perishing of this world. And as an institution
of the Church it is subordinate and under its
conttol. No organization within the Church,
can be either superior or foreign to it. And those
who have the spiritual oversight of the " flock of
God, which He hath purChased with His own
blood," are responsible for the care, culture and
efficiency of the Sabbath School. The: appoint
ment of teachers, and the choice and selection of
text books, and the whole , reading matter of the
Sabbath Schools, are subjects that should come
immediately under the control and direction of
our Church Sessions. Any other course is clear
ly un-Presbyterian and unsafe.
On another point your committee are clear,
viz.; that just in so far as the existence of the
Sabbath School is made the occasion of relieving
Christian parents and guardians of a sense of ob
ligation to train and educate their children at
home in doctrinal knowledge and practical Chris
tian duty, it is an injury rather than a blessing.
To far too great an extent we fear it has had
this effect. Quite contrary to its original intent,
it has diminished household training, and hence
to this extent has enervated the .piety of the
"household of faith." We should guard against
this by frequenst and careful instruction as to the
true sphere and purpose of the Sabbath. School,
and urging parents to the duty of training those
committed to them, in the " nurture and admoni
tion of the lord."
The Sabbath School must be kept close to the
heart of the Church. No other instrumentality
is so powerful and so vital as the Sabbath School
when the Church uses it as she ought. And the
Sabbath School will be efficient and productive
as it is the outgrowth of the spiritual life and fer
vor of the people of God. As a potent appliance
for the salvation of the world, it must not be for
eign to the sympathies and prayers, the watch
and care of the Church ; but daily must it feel
the warm throb and thrill of the great heart of
Zion beating close to its own, encouraging,
stimulating and strengthening all who are en
gaged in its labors of love. Too often do Chris
tian parents commit their children to the Sabbath
School teachers with the feeling which if ex
pressed in words would be, " Take this child
and nurse it for me and I will give time thy
wages," and afterward, so little interest do they
seem to have that they even refuse the wages.
Let Christian parents follow their children into
the Sabbath School. Let them know to whom
they are committed. Let them, by their frequent
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1869.
ON THE WING
presence, and words of cheer, make it known to
those thus engaged, that their hearts are enlisted
on their behalf.
It is unquestionable that the Sabbath School
should be amply furnished and sustained by the
liberality of the Church. In many of our
churches it has formerly been the practice, not
only to allow those who ; often through much
self-denial, instruct in the Sabbath School to pay
for its support; but it is rather expected that
this burden should fall upon them. In some of
the churches not a dollar is contributed from
year to year, for this most 'essential work. And
this tax often falls heavily upon those who,
having willing hearts, have but limited pecuniary
resources. All this is clearly wrong. The
Church is under the most solemn obligations to
see that the Sabbath. School has ample support.
The Church . should see to it that she keeps
fully abreast of the times in the instruction and
care of her children and all the young she can
bring made? he, influence. All modern appli
arms for makinc% e the Sabbath School attractive,
so far as they ore sensible and reasonable, should
be used. There are, and are likely to be, some
extravagances of Sabbath School reform and
progress (falselytso called) that our ministry and
eldership. intrusted with the supervision of so
great'an interest, should wisely avoid, sifting the
precious from the vile,. reaping the good but
throwing the bad away. The Sabbath School
may be run into a mere secular exhibition, and it
may be doubted whether, just now, there is not
a tendency to worldly conformity in this direc
tion. Your committee would simply call the at
tention of brethren to this drift of things, quite
assured that sound, discriminating judgment in
reference to all the b se matters will prevail, and
while we neglect no means by which the power
of the Sabbath School may be augmented—using
all appropriate helps—we shall avoid the extreme
of letting down the standard to meet the tastes of
the children of this world.
There is a single subject to which, though not
formally coming within the sphere of this report,
your committee will barely refer, viz., the use of
the Shorter Catechism as a text Book in all our
Sabbath Schools, some portion of the time of each
month. No better formula of Christian doctrine
can be recommended to give direction to young
minds in pursuit of scriptural truth. We com
mend its use.
Resolved, That it be urgently recommended to
those churches where the Sabbath School is not
under Sessional, control, to secure such amend
ment at the earliest period practicable.
Resolved, That it is the solemn duty of all the
churches to give the, Sabbath Schools their cor
dial sympathy qd all needed pecuniary support.
TROUBLE I THE MISSIONS TO THE
COLES.
From your issue of July let, just at hand,
I perceive that European prints have not given
you altogether correct views of the lamentable
.rupture in the Mission among the Coles of cen
tral India. The Mission was founded by dear
old Papa Qassner, of Berlin, and the laborers
he sent out,,whether of a "high grade of cul
ture and ability" or not, have the, seal of God's
rich blessing in a remarkable degree—having
gathered around them some twelve to fifteen
thousand hopeful converts—not all communi
cants, but professed adherents, having abjured
idolatry and heathen superstitions—since the
origin of the Mission, about 1846, I believe. -
Nor were these old Missionaries jealous of
younger laborers, but anxious to have them
come and share in the burdens, toils and joys of
their work. But, of course, they would., have
young "Missionaries placed on an equality 'with
themselves--not above them. And when the
Home Committee, or " Curatorium," sent out a
young man of no Indian or Missionary experience
whatever, clothed with full authority to upturn
and remodel the plans, policy and working
of the Mission, irrespective of the views, feel
ings and convictions of these old laborer 4 who
had borne the burden and heat of the day, what
wonder .there was . a " rupture." The act of the
" Curatorium" was an outrage—a rash violation
of the fundamental principles of true wisdom
and Christian courtesy. I think it would have
been wiser, and better every way, if the old Mis
sionaries had quietly and firmly remonstrated,
and then stood, firmly at their posts of duty, let
ting the obstinate "Curatorium" cut off all their
home funds and supplies, and casting themselves
and their work wholly on the Lord and the gen
erosity of His people; but all men have not
faith. It is not strange that these 'old toil-worn
Missionaries,lin such an emergency, looked
about for some strong society to help, to support.
them and their imptverished families; nor is it
strange that the Christian sympathies of Bishop
Miluian, and others like-minded, were moved to
extend the needed help.
In setting back the interests of the Mission,
retarding a glorious work, and furnishing, a
stumbling-block, or ground of reproach and tri
umph to infidels and worldlings, the rupture is
disastrous and wofnl in the extreme. But as I
view the case, and as all Christian men here in
India view it, so far as I am informed, the respon
sibility of all this mischief—of all the evil results
of the rupture—rests wholly with the " Curato
rium" and the young man they sent over with ar
bitrary power to " lord it over God's heritage,"
which , he had borne no part in gathering.
Let me not be understoond as justifying
Bishoplman, in so suddenly taking over, and
reordaining the old Missionaries. Generous
help, by voluntary contributions, to enable them
to tide over the difficulty, while still free to be
come reconciled to their " Curatorium," would
doubtless have been more magnanimous on the
Bishop's part. But all errors in the subsequent
details are trifling compared to the first astound
ing mistake of the " Curatorium." The act can
claim no precedent in the days of the Apostles,
or from that time to this, outside of 'Rome at
least, or no precedent but what has developed like
lamentable results. R. G. WILDER.
THE PARABLES.
Very few persons seem competent to give an
intelligent reason why Christ spake to the people
in parables. It seems to be commonly supposed
ghat. His design was merely to better enforce His
teachings upon their minds, by means of those
outward illustrations with which they, were
familiar. But is it not often the case that illus
trations lead the mind away from the truth, and
that we childishly are picking out the stories and
similes of , the writer or speaker, like plums from
a pudding, leaving the plainer and more nutritious
food behind ? What reader has not skimmed
good books to find out the smallest moiety of a
story, skipping all the edifying remainder?
We can bcst understand Christ's purpose by
remembering that He was the Word by whom
all things were made. He stands now in visible
fittn among the works of His own hands. With
every blade of grass. beneath His feet He was
familiar. He knew it before its existence, traced
its every line, rounded its every curve. He
stands now the artist in His gallery to explain
the purpose and meaning of His works to the
only one of them that was capable of 'compre
hending His purpose, and of entering into sym
pathy with Himself. He speaks to man, the
priest as well as the king of creation, whose' duty
it is to gather into one grand censer of thought
and word the praises of all creation, and to pre
sent them before the throne of God.
He bad made man in His own image, but - He
had also made other things "after their kind."
What was this "kind" which preceded created
things, which, in God's thought, all these things
came after ? Some have said: "These things
that we me around us, are not realities, but
there is a reality which underlies them. This
visible and phenomenal world reflects 'an unseen
world of spirits, in which all things are real, are
the very thought of God. The one world corres
ponds to the other both as wholes and in their
several parts. These are the hinds after which
God made all things, the ideas (Plato called
them) from which visible things are copied."
How far does Christ's teaching justify these
guesses? He certainly came to teach of an un
seen world of reality. He called it the kingdom
of heaven. He said that men who lived only in
and for these outward and seen things were mis
, led by them,—that they were blind leaders of
the blind. He certainly also spoke of things in
the unseen world which corresponded' to things
in the seen world. He talked of a water of life
to one who busied herself in drawing the earthly
water. He spoke of a bread 'of life to those who
followed Him because they did Rat of the loaves
and were filled He looked around among the
works of His hands to see which he should cho'ose
and select as representing the most apposite truth of
the unseen world; saying: " Whereunto shall I
liken the kingdom of heaven, and with what
comparison shall I compare it?" When He
found men's hearts closed to the truth conveyed
by these outward symbols, He exclaimed that it
were useless to speak to them of the naked reali
ties,—" If I have told you earthly things and ye
believed not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of
heavenly things ?"
Thus did He go to and fro among the works
of His creative power, recognizing the deep
meaning and divine purpose which underlay them
all, showing us in wondrous speech , how these
would, be open to us, if the kingdom of heaven
had come in its power 'within us. Under His
lightest word lay a deep philosophy; His words
are spirit and they are life.
And He pointed out also the truth, that
the occupations and business of men are provi
dentially ordained as signs of the same kingdom
of heaven; that the works el men like the
works of God, are spiritually significant. God
who has ordained man's wants and the means
of their supply, and has given the skill of the
workman and the craft of the artificer, has in
these also spoken, to every open ear, of the truths
that are eternal. The building of "houses, the
pruning of vines, the mending of garments, the
fulling of cloth, the dragging of nets, the plant
ing of trees, the searching after treasure, the
sowing of seed, the ingathering of the harvest,
the buying and. selling of the marketplace, all
these and all man's manifold labors are ordained
as signs and witnesses of the things that are un
seen and eternal.
And above all, He proclaims that the social
relations of life are thus anti-types of the eternal
relations which exist between the Godhead and
the creation, and within the Godhead itself.
Earthly sonship speaks of the E•ernal Son, and
of the sonship which we men share with that
Elder Brother. Earthly fatherhood speaks of a
Father in heaven who has a father's' heart for
us. Earthly brotherhood tells of a friend that
sticketh closer than a brother. Earthly com
munion of spirit with spirit tells of a cominuili m
with a Spirit that is divine. The earthly family
betokens another and wider, that is of God. The
earthly kingdom is the outward sign of the kinv
dotu of God, the kingdom of heaven. R. E. T.
GAMES, RACES AND FIGHTS.
THEIR SIGNIFICANCE.
John Brown, the devoted " friend" of "Rab,"
first saw this heroic animal in a fight
" A dog-fight I" shouted Bab, and he was off
and so was I, both of ns all but praying that it
might not be over before we got up.
And the genial author goes on to justify even
the love of witnessing a chance dog fight where
no human cruelty had caused it—but only the
native appetite of the animals. His justifica
tion is not so much because dogs like fighting, or
as Watts has it, because. they "delight to bark
and bite as because in the sharp exercise which
delights them, one sees " the three great cardi
nal virtues of dog or,.man—uourage, endurance
and skill—in intense action.','
But .whether any one agrees with this genial
writer or, not, no , one, I think, can dispute the
fact, that there, is in human nature a string
which vibrates with keen pleasure in the pres
ence of a doubtful contest. And still further,
the capacity to enjoy the view 9f a struggle be
tween oppOsina parties, is a good 'capacity, how
ever much it may be, abused. A good rifle may
do foul work in a bandit's hand, but it is a good
rifle still. And the contest-loving faculty may
do the bad work .of fostering gambling, as at
Baden-Baden--or of encouraging • bull-fights, as
in Spain and. Cuba—or nun-fights, as in ancient
Rome—or horse-racing, as in England and the
United States—but it is a good faculty which
is thus abused. The., love of contest gives tone
and vigor to all human pursuits.
Rising above the grosser exhibitiOns of this
tendency, we find. in the financial and business
struggles of men, the keenest joy, not in the suc
cessful result, but in the sharp struggle to win.
The same is true of intellectual contests and
rivalries. Those who strive inthe, intellectual race,
for victories in literature and science, have a
joy in the contest which is an abundant reward.
A wonderful, and no doubt healthy; interest
has gathered recently about a boat race on the
Thames. Uncounted, throngs witnessed the con
test, and millions waited to hear of the issue,
and, debated and discussed the whole affair. How
wonderful the interest in so trivial an event.
Four men from Harvard, were testing their
strength •with four from Oxford, and forty mil
lions of people were looking on with curious in
terest.
It was because of the innate love in human
nature for all such trials of strength.
But all the while so many millions of minds
were busy with this unimportant struggle be
tween two boats' crews, another struggle was
observed, perhaps, by millions of angels—a strug
gle not yet ended and of inconceivable import
ance.
While all these millions have fixed their eyes on
the Thames, there is feason to believe that millions
of angels, have been looking down on the United
States, and asking the question, not whether
four men from Harvard could out-row four men
from Oxford; but whether the Christianity of
America is mlicular enough to, win in the
race against the materialism—the infidelity—the
popery—of America.
Watching the greatest contest the world ever
saw, they have wondered how the race would
end, whether evangelical Christianity would
carry off the crown or fall behind in the course.
The contest, when the infant Church grappled
with the discouraged idolatry and the depravity
of the Roman empire, was not superior in inter
est or importance to this in which we are engaged.
Here we are set down in these days of telegraphs
and railways, and books and newspapers, and
ocean steamers, to grapple with the world which
is coming to us from the East and from the
West. Here on our own soil is a race for the
goal of supremacy. Here is going bn a contest
for Gospel institutions,- for quiet Sabbaths, for
Christian civilization, for moral control. And,
I believe, it is to those, who see it clearly, more
exciting and engrossing than any contest ever
seen on this world before.
But we do not see the whole significance of
the contest. loving nature wbich God has given us,
until we take in all the proportions, both in space
and time, of the great struggle with moral evil
which is going on in , the universe. Every man
was made to take part in this great contest—to
join with God—against the forces of evil. This
is the noblest development which this capacity
unfolds.
Here on this higher ground, side by side with
Christ, the Captain of our salvation, fight
ing.evil and winning, victories for God, it was
destned to give the love of contest freest play.
And wherever aro seen men taking keen in
terest, in debasing, ganfes and cruel sports, and
low contests, it is only a proof that they ought
to be arrayed in the ranks of moral contestants
in this great struggle against sin.
The poor bloated frequenters of the dog-pit
are only abliSing a faculty which might, if
rightly used, place them in the same ranks with
Michael and Gabriel, and all the mighty heroes
of the faith.
Estranged from God, all this love of base
games, and fights, 'and races,' is only the bad
action of one of the noblest faculties of human
nature. C. C. K.