Presbyterian banner & advocate. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 1855-1860, October 31, 1857, Image 2
Nana Alibtrate. PITTEIBURIOI,' tIOTOBER'3I,-185V, $1.190, In advancs; or in Clubs 91.201 or, dolivared at remittances of Subsoris *ors, 111.75. flee PrOtlferMirofirk Third Pail, le ES RAW LT. S should ha' Inoifipt; a ii whits before ths year expiroo, that we stay *aka fall furrangemaents for a steady supply. WIZ RED ; WRAPPER isoUcatos that wo dein* a rational. If, however, in the hart; nufliing, this Aiwa 'Monad ba onlitod, we hope owl.. friends will still notforget ,„ RKIIIITTANCICS.—Send payment by safe wings, whoa convenient. Or, eend by mall, iiltilosbig with oirdinaryUare, and troubling embody with a knowledge or what you 'sirs Going. Per a large amount, wad a Draft, or large notes. Porous or two papers,send Gold or small notes. TO MABEE CHANGE, fond portage stamps, Or bettor still, send for =ore` rimers; or Seeonty numbers, or $1 for Thlrtiotbree anuaborli. DIRECT all Lottoto mod Commounteattoni to REV. DAVID *KINNEY. Pitt burgh, Po. AMERICAN ,TRACT SOCIETY.—See our Eastern Buinmary. SYNOD OF Ouro.—Our brethren had a delightful meeting at Wooster. We spent with them a very pleasant day. A report of their proceedings was promised to us. SYNOD OE WHEELING.—This is one of the substantial portions of the Presbyterian Church. A friend who attended the late meeting, speaks of it in glowing terms. We shall look for a full statement, authori tatively, of its transactions. MINUTES OF SYNOD OF PITTSBURGIC.- Persons desiring pamphlet copies will ;please send their orders immediately. We wish to know how many copies we must print. The price will be 25 cents for one copy, andßi cents each for any cgdditional copies wanted for the 'purchaser, or for his congregation. There are several very interesting docu ments; which should be extensively circu lated, and preserved. 'Change of Day. The Governor of Pennsylvania has ap pointed the last Thursday (26th) of 'Novem ber as a;day of Thanksgiving; and : it is pro bable that the Governor,of ,Ohio .. will . , nomi nate the same day, or the Thursday previous (19th). ' It hence 'becomes indispensable to changeihe day appointed for the . Convention called by the Synods of Allegheny, Ohio, Wheeling, and. Pittsburgh. The Committee of Arrangements, hence authorize us to name the evening of the First Tuesday in December, as the'time for the' assembling of the Convention Notices of English Literature. We give, this week,,,the ',first of a series of Notices of the Literature of Great Britain,. We know that there 'are a portion of our readers to whom it will afford no great inter at; but to many` them it we tritsi, be both instructive anitentertnining. is' becoming in us to adapt our sheet to the advanced, as well as to beginners , in-,knowl edge. We'mast do so- to "help; all 3 onward. We cannot think that Presbyterians will be willing to have their denominational journals inferior or Inadequate. They wish ,to be well informed of what is going on in 'the Social, Literary' and Religious world. • The improvement, however, will 'cost us money. To prepare such articles, 'requires a cultivated mind and great labor; and time, and talents must be compensated, when thus summoned to bist r ruct the' public. We trait that an increasing subscription list will enable us to sustain our work. , Tp*sgliring. Governor. Pollock, of Pennsylvania, in a, very judicious and , chaste Proclamation, ap points Thursday, the 26th ,of,. November, as a day of. Thanksgiving. S ome would sug= goat rather that.a.day of National fasting be observed; Aid Providenee doei call us to deep humi cation ': We sbould fast and pray, un der hiiafflictivehand. But we are still in the enjoyment ,of blessings immense, and should bestill a most grateful people; and our gratitude should be expressed with ardor., The American Bible Society : andAts Emen- dations. It will be remembered,that, some months ago, we gave our views at considerable length myth.) work of the American 'Bible Society in - 'revising` the 'English translation of the Bible We approved of a large part of the results of the Society's labors, but thought that in two respects it:had gone too far, and should'retnice its' steps; that is, it should restore the text in instanced ithere alterations in the seise had been made, and also' restore the headings, or`,tables of content's, to the chapters.'' In this we have reason to Velieve that, we, expressed a very common sentiment in our Church, and Made a most reasonable request.- We were henee very sorry to see, recently, `a'letter frOm Yermilie which 'ha's been 'e'atensivelyipublished, maintaining and ate-w -ing to make :permanent all the alterations. We regretted , it especially as Dr. V. is a member of the Society's Committee; and be cause he endeavored to stir up sectarian prejudices, and to excite odium against the Old School , Presbyterian Church. j't is x true= Wet Old School !Presbyterians *obi express their`sentiments, 'and'etrong . - 13 , manifest their ,desire for conserving the English Bible in its integrity. This; however, ai Dr. Van Rensseiaer 'most ably . lhovre in a recent artielein the Presbytrian, was•to be expected of their known conserra, tism, their ardent love to the Bible,. their' intelligence as scholars and Christians, and their large interest in and contlibutions to the Society. It was then in very bad, taste, An AS...olljust, to ascribe their earnestness to unworthy motives, or to unholy princiPles. Letters such salthat to which we allude, will not deter them from a full discharge'of what' they regard as, a bitty. They will rather speak the more, as they may estimate the necessity the greater.' But we trust that Dr. Verintlye, who' professes to speak only for will be found - among the Directors, solitary • ' solitary and alone in the leetiW•l4l4 t he has expressed. E=llolE===iM!!l Quarterly Notices of English Literature. I propose,.D. V., in addition to my usual weekly letter, to send you, agreeably to your request, quarterly notices of English Liter ature. Such notices must necessarily be brief, andtherefore impeded. But in the sense of a kind of literary photograph of current thought, as embodied in books, they mai:l trust, be found useful and inter eating. I wish to avoid the aspect n _of ed ear dissertations, to Shun the . heaviness Of formal lectures, and to chat, as it were, fa. miliarly with ministers, students, and the general body of your many and intelligent readers. ' Too much, therefore, will not be expected from these papers in the way of fullness, written, as they are, at considerable intervals. Omissions also will necessarily be made. The press is too prolific even for a complete nomenclature to be given of its literary progeny; and, therefore, AS I CAN, and doing the best I can, and hoping by practice to become more au fait in this new line of writing, I confidently claim both the indulgence and attention of my American Presbyterian cousins. • Let . me begin with our S.RRIALS. Some of, these are weekly, others monthly, others quarterly. Some of the weeklies—like "Cassel's Illustrated History of England," and, his "Arts Exhibition at Manchester," or like a new series just begun of an "Illus trated History of the Bengal Massacre 'and 'Mutiny," just started, or like "Reynold's Miscellany,'' the " London Journal," the " Family Herald," the . "Leisure Hour," and the "Sinday at' Home,"—are issued, not only in numbers each week, but are sent out in monthly parts. The same is true of ,"Dickens' Household Werds," as alao of the'" Christian Treasury." The last men tioned, maintaining its usual excellence, as to variety, pungency, and spirituality, is publishediat Edinburgh. PICTORIAL illus tration, except in the ease of the "Treas.. ury," "Household Words," and "Chambers' Journal," is common to all the Serials I have mentioned. The truth is that WOOD EN.- Ein.AviNG has attained to a perfection and acicuracy,,sucht as in its early use, was never dreamt of. Go into the ; aub.editor's room of any of the: publications which I have mentioned. Look at the blocks as carved by the cunning hand of Gilbert, and other eminent engraVers, and then you will confess that in itself it is a beautiful specimen of art, altogether independent of the invention and 'genius displayed in'the grouping of the figiares. Then, it is not to be forgotten that these wood engravings are well paid for. .A. l few days ago, I signed,l as Chairman for the day, of the Tract Society Committee, orders for paym=ent for a series of such en- gravings. The eost,' of the main illustration which you see on the, first page of the " Leisure Hour," or of the " Sunday at Home," is £4 or $2O, and so on, in propor tion to the size of the other smaller illustra tions found in each number. . BIM Bat how ' is, it,, you ask, that these illustrated Serials, which' are sold at only a penny per •number, pay? The writers, as well as the engravers, are well 'paid. Thus the "Leisure Hour,"'and the "Sunday at'llome," pay respectively fifteen shillings and thirteen shillings per, page. In "Dick. ens' Household Words" and "Chambers' Journal," the remuneration is, I think, higher still. How then do' the periodicals pay? The answer is, by,a multiplied circu lation, and juskin proportion to that circa. ,latioe. , Thus the "London . Jeurnal" issues- ievery , week several• hundreds of thousands . of copies. The property in it was sold the other-day for a very large sum, many thou sands, besidei a' life annuity of X7OO 'per annum settled on and Bemired to the original proprietor. It was purchased by the owner of the "Illustrated London NeWs a weekly which, has a 'very large. capital , invested, which pays its writers, artists, 'and pictorial correspondents, sent abroad to every . scene of stirring interest, in a princely manner. It sells at sixpence per', week ; while .a re cently started rival, the "Illustrated-Times," almost its equal in , spirit and enterprise asks only two and a!half pence, and is doing well. War times suit this class of weeklies ad mirably, in the financial , sense' of the ,term. People like to have pictorial sketches of 'lndian strongholds, and battle pieces. A royal.progress, either here or on the cond. nent,.also helps them well, as does the Arts lEihibition at Manchester, cr any extraordi nary.accident or disaster. The expense is great of all the §erials, but those I have named. all pay the prop Ti e tors; perhaps I err in saying so,, , and, T would be glad to be,found milittdie'n.i as t 0,,” Rey 'yield's Miscellany," a vile panderer to yieeV by its licentious 'tales, .for,ysars, past. lam .satisfied that its ciroulationvis.mach- ished of late;; and it<welso very pleaeieg to be able to say that while , "the , -" London Journal" is still objectionablC,Yet.that its moral tone, as well as the real solid. interest and ipformation,of its contents aa'coetrasted With trash, has greatly improved:. ~ Therfact is that periodicals of that class have been, in spite of themselves, craned up to a Miller platform by the influence °o'f tipare . litera ture, now going rapidly apd.extepsively into circulation. . , Not that Christ is `openly confessed, save by a fewliterary journals: There are poems Which appear in "household Words" and in "Chambers' Journal,". now and then, that "Saver of hint, 'but thei aro few arid far be- tween, and .the allusions are mot veryintelli gible. As for the former, its literary ability is very great- Dickens himself writes very little for it, but he ; regularly edits it. Mr.. Saba,,, who wrote articles , descriptive of a 'personal visitto Russia, last yaar; is a writer - of 'rare and graphic pewer: . In reference to "Chambers'," it still preserves its high util itarian standard. Its practical negation of Christianity all along has been its grand' -defect If the author of "The Vestiges" bed as is said, one of its proprietors, and its editor, clarinet sai,that he is, ) . we need )q!..1 owti not Wonder if the Chambers' school of lifer NUMBER I. [BY OUR LONDON CORUESPONDENT.] THE PRESBYTERIAN BANNER Ali I) ADVOCATE. ateurs expect to work out the regeneration of society, without Christianity or Divine revelation. The utilitarian school in English literature, as, well as in English politics, seem to be philanthropists and patriots of' that cold blooded order. In "Chambers' Journal," papers styled "The War Trail," have appeared for some time, from the graphic pen of Captain Mayne Reid, the son of an Irish Presbyterian min ister, who , distinguished himself in the Mexican war. He came to this country in' 1.848, intending 'to proceed to — the help Hungary just at the time when Georgey betrayed his ccuntry for Russian gold. Set tling down in London, Reid has 'become a noted writer. His " Rifle Rangers" and "Scalp Hunters" have their scenes in Mex ico, while his Christmas Books for boys are full of stirring adventures, coupled with a rare knowledge of the zoology and botany of the various regions into which he conducts his young readers. Passing by an enumeration of the contents of our weeklies, I refer now to the Monthlies and Quarterlies. Of the former, I have be• fore 'me, denominational publications. I. "The Evangelical. Magazine," the organ of the Congregationalists. Doctor Morrison, of Chelsea, is disabled for editorial duties by bad health and advancing years. Mr. Stoughton, of. Kensington, superintends it, and is an occasional contributor. He seems to have given it an increased literary excel lence, although in that respect the "Evan gelical" had, for several years, made a great start ,onward. Its old Puritan theology is retained without the prosiness of the past, and a greater variety is infused. Thus the number for October commences as usual, with one of a series of " Biograph ical Notices of Men of the Past," giving us "Vigilantiui and his Times," a Christian Presbyter, of St. Jerome's days, but de nounced by the latter, as afterwards by Rome, as a heretic. He raised an earnest protest against image and angel worship, against anonasecism, celibacy, and pilgrimages. I have no doubt this article is from the pen of the editor, who, as a series of lectures re cently publi'shed as delivered in the Congre gational Library shows, has been latterly paying great attention to the History of the anti-Nicene period of Church History. Then we have as a contribution to the IL department of each number, "Biographies and Obituaries of Eminent Christian 4," in which the life of a valuable country minister, lately deceased, is sketched. Then come 111. Essays: "The Fathers—Their Experi ences and Oar Experiences!' By "the fathers," do not understand the "Fathers" of the Church, ecclesiastically so named, but the , godly of the olden time; "our fathers trusted in thee," &c. IV. Aphorisms, No. XVll.—Five Minutes with the Old Di vines. V. Extracts from New Publications; one from Ruskin, the well known Arebmol ogist (and shall I add, poetical architect,) and the other from a book, which I am glad to be able to name to your readers as worthy of trans-Atlantic:circulation, "Laws from Heaven for Life upon Earth!' The other departments of the "Evangelical" I need not, allude to. The "Baptist Magazine" (the profits given to widows of Baptist ministers,) arranges its contents 'much like the last mentioned Monthly. As a day of Humiliation and Fisting is just about to be observed here, a leading article on "Fasting" comes oppor tunely. The question is discussed, "How far Fasting is a Christian duty at all ?" After-noticing the prevalence of the practice among the Jews and ancient heathen nations, and as a custom which has received the sanction of, the Greek, the Roman, the An glican and Puritan Churches, and deprecating the idea of meritorious bodily mortification, and , "the commanding to abstain from meats," as being good in itself, the writer comes to the following conclusions:-- - That fasting is no where commanded and enjoined in Scripture; • that the direct sanction of Scripture is given to fasting in the instances where abstinence from food is the natural result and expression of some great sorrow, when any difficult or arduous duty, or mo mentous crisis awaits us, and while we are led by the secret influences of the Spirit to special acts and exercises of devotion. Fur ther, it is never spoken of, "except ,as an adjunct and accessory to prayer." It may, indeed, it is added, have a beneficial, moral and physical influence of itself, in the result of mortifying the body, and keeping temper and appetite in subjection. Paul seems to have used it thus; but this usage is rather a moral discipline than a religious ordinance, so that in the latter sense it is strictly true that fasting -is never disconnected from prayer. To intensify devotion then, we may imitate the practice of a Wesley, a Hall, a Faller, in stated seasons for fasting and ;prayer, and like them, may reap great spirit ' ual benefit. , • And so, under• intense spiritual feeling abstinence is easy, or when sin is to be'confessed and deplored. "Partial absti nence" might prover helpful when total is injurious. Wise and weighty are the words of Dr. John'Brown, of Edinburgh, with which the article concludes:" Fasting, in connexion, with religion, is plainly instrumental—a means. in, order to an end. * * I am afraid these , seasons are more unfrequent than they might be. It appears to me that fasting, in our Lord's sense of the term, is just equal to observing a season of extraordinary devo tion, with'which abstinence from food was connected, as at once the means and ex pression of devotion." As a matter of course, the "Baptist Maga- on the great increase of cost of cotton, tree zine" takes, advantage of seine difference of ing as the writer expresses it, "the intimate viewi as to the effects of Infant Baptism, be- connexion between the growth of our cotton tweetk certain ministers of the Free Church manufacture and the extension of slavery in who haVe lately written on the subject, in the United States," and pointing out India order to, laugh at the theory itself Not l as a new field of supply,)—artieles on all long ago, it re-echoed the cry from the Bap- these topics, together with a notice of Ber tists on your aide of the waters, as to the a 1 anger's Songs; a paper on the Indian Mu leged.disuse and neglect of Infant baptism. tiny; and an. "Epilogue on Books," fill up among American Presbyterians. Still, its ; the allotted, and not limited space of the tone, in general, is not bitter. I "British Quarterly." Any,ont"Presbyterian Messenger", is a The, ‘ "Westmigster Review." has, always Third periodical which is a great favorite be-1 been identified with Soiiinianism and semi. yond our own boundaries, and is not quite mknown in the United States. The num ber for October has a second and concluding article on " Oratorios," which, perhaps, might be republished in your columns, with advantage. Beside's, there is a second bio graphical notice of the late Rev. Dr. Alex ander, of Princeton. .;You may rely on it, that Old School and Princeton Theology has no warmer adherents than English Presby terians. There is; inthe " Messenger," a re markable paper on the East India Mutiny, and - the" Opium trade; not so much indicating that the . vile traffic is one of the provok ing causes Of the judgment now upon us, as showing how the occupation of the opium ' growing districts by the insurgents will diminish the produce, and that by provi dential events, there seems an opening for gradually but surely giving up the -growing of opium; and if proper pressure be after wards exercised, of getting rid of the trade altogether. This article, I have no doubt, is written by a Liverpool merchant, with oriental and Chinese experience, and well qualified to deal with the question. The " Eclectic " was once edited by John 'Foster, afterwards by Josiah Conder and Dr. Price. The present editor, I know not; but recently, in reviewing Conder's life, he uttered some melancholy words as to the neglect of periodical literature, of the " Eclectic " class, by the wealthier Dissent. ers. Their patronage to it is limited. It does not pay. This is to be regretted. It has been always conducted ably. Seholar ship and refinement always are prominent,' and although it defended Mr. Lynch's rash' apologists, yet I would not set it down as having decided syMpathies with Negative Theology. "The Eclectic," in an article on "Na ture ar.d Art in the Cure of Disease," gives its reasons for thinking that Homeopathy, both in theory and practice, is nothing bat a delusion. In an interesting paper on'" Mod ern Judaism," it sa3s, truly, that "the Syn agogue continues to exist, but Judaism dues not live." Of George Gilfillan's " Chris tianity and our Era," it' says, with equal truth and severity, that it is "exaggerated, morbid, and therefore mischievous." A more conceited writer is not to be found any where. Turning to the Quarter lies; the "British Quarterly Review," for October, edited by Dr. Vaughan, President of the Lancashire IndepAdent College, is rich in papers of superior value. To the classical reader, the article on 46 Statius and ilia Age"—treating, as it does, of a quasi-epic poet in the degen erate age which succeeded the Augustan, and of one who "went on writing Epics as if he lived in the days of Homer," (very infe rior Epics, too,) and the first with whose name the public recitation is associated— will interest a select class of readers. No mall but a first class scholar, and familiar with the first-class models of- Latin poetry, could have written this article. "The Ethics of Revealed Theology," bears marks of the editor's hand. The ob jections made on the ground of injustice, cruelty, deceit, &c., apparently sanctioned in the Old Testament, are here dealt with. A preliminary maxim laid down is, "No man can be a believer in the Theology of the Bible, who is not a believer in the ethics of the Bible." The writer then proceeds to show " what the ethics of the Bible really are, and how it comes to pass that men who err with regard to revealed morality, must, of necessity, err in regard to revealed theol ogy." Thin, with regard to the impreca tory-passages in Scripture, it is said, boldly and honestly, "the indignation is an avowed religiouS indignation, and can not be mor ally wrong without being theologically wrong." The idea of some modern writers, that the authors of the Psalms were only partially inspired, is earnestly deprecated. And as I have felt strongly myself, as Dr. Duff, and men of that stamp, are now ex pressing themselves in reference to the hor rid butcheries in India, and their authors, it is added:."lt is vain, it is sheer imbecility to'reply,, it is written, ' bless and curse not,' for it is also written, 'he beareth not the sword in vain,' and that, - in a judicial sense, at least, there are occasions, when it is as truly humane, aye, and as truly religions, to curse, as to bless. And who is to say, that the cases to which the imprecatory Psalms refer, were not all of them as bad ar; the case of Doeg, and some of them even worse. Do we not feel bound to assume, under any view of the matter, that the wickedness thus denounced must have been of the most sig nal and most monstrous description!' After all, it is not hard to see, how the puling sen timentality of " peace" newspapers and ad vooates, and the pretence that the Old-Tes tament "starriness is inconsistent with New Testament meekness and mercy, would de throne Justice herself, uproot the fences of Law, aye, and even charge the Almighty with vindictiveness in his awful judgments on men here, and his dread retributions in eternity. This sentimentalism is little bet ter than masked infidelity. Its sympathies always go with the man to be executed for murder, not with the murdered—with the bloody and barbarous heathen, and not with the Avenging Sword. Thus the "Morning Star," (a penny London morning paper,) apologizes for Indian massacre, by calling it " Sepoy avengement 1" Electricity, in connexion with a notice of IC Andrew. Crosse, the Electrician ;" Politics, in prospect of a new Reform Bill; African Discoveries, with Dr. Barth's new Book of Travels; the " Cotton Dearth," (dwelling Infidelity. It indulges in subtle attacks on plenary inspiration; and Puritan theology is its abomination. Mr. Martineau, brother of Miss Martineau, the writer, (who has now got beyond the " half-way house" of Unita. rianism,) is one of its leading contributors. The London bonk.sellers who publish the Westminster," Messrs. Chapman & Hall, are the media of that particular school which shakes off the trammels of orthodoxy, and disports itself on the edge of a precipice. Daring specula ion, and intellectual pride, find here room and verge enough for their manifestatien. It has a very pungent article on " Political Priests," with express refer ence to Dr. Mcllale and the Mayo Election Committee's Minutes of Evidence. In another article, the case of Christiani ty vs. Heathenism, is thus scoffingly and falsely put : " We knew, from modern po lice reports, and other unequivocal proofs, that London is not one whit better than were either Athens or Rome. Those who think that it is, very greatly deceive themselves Man is man; the same passions and temp tations exist under every dispensation. Christianity has not changed man. Per haps it was not even intended it should do so." Could any thing be more treacherous and false than this ! London is as wicked as was Athens or Rome, just so tar, and no farther, than Christianity has not had influ ence. Where its blessed truth falls on the multitudes, it enlightens and purifies; and ac cording to its grand design (no ".perhaps" here) it has changed multitudes in Lon don into earnest, loving followers of the Spotless One. Again, the " Westminster " says that the doctrine of justification by faith is not found in the early Christian writings. "It is beheld as a meteoric light in the Epistles of Paul, and immediately goes out." And so adds the Reviewer: " The Natural and obvious inference would be, that either in the Pauline writings them selves, this so•called foundation-doctrine is of the nature of argument and illustration nor intended as a revelation of spiritual truth, or that the authority of that Apostle was not so great with the Primitive Church as with the Church of the Reformation." We see the animus here of deadly hatred to Pauline teaching, going so far as to make his powerful reasoning what Unitarians long ago called "false and inconclusive," and even to tell us that in the early Church's opinion be was not regarded as an inspired writer. I have omitted to notice in their proper place, " Blackwood," and "Frazer's" Maga zine& In an article, " Our Hagiology,-' while the Protestant view is taken as totbe ly ing or equivocal character of Romish Lives of the Saints, and all the miracles are rejected, advantage is taken by "Blackwood," to throw, light on the real facts connected with the early history of Ireland as " the Island of Saints," and of the labors of Columba and the monks of lona. "Blackwood" publishes tales or novels, as it used to do, in Chapters. "Beloobee Traits," throws much interesting light an the character and life of a Mohammedan people in Central Asia. The " Syrian Route" treats of the Euphra tes river route to India, as suggested by Chesney, and declares that "the obstacles to the Euphrates,vallty scheme, arising from laxity of kovernment and the wandering tribes, are "mirage dangers which would vanish on approach." In "Frazer," a Manchester man gives us an article on the Alta Exhibition in his own city, and deals se verely with the grossness of some of the old Masters. Music, English Civilization, the Drama, Art, and History, all have pa pers devoted to them. It was once my privilege to sit at the feet of a distinguished Professor of Metaphysics and Moral Philosophy, who wrs wont to sly to his students, "Gentlemen, get ac quainted with the names , of books " He knew the suggestiveness of names, and how new thoughts would spring up in connexion with the titles of books, old or modern, even if for the present the contents could not be examined. And so in these Quarterly no tices, I feel that while it is impossible to write reviews of new books, or even give ex tracts, yet that a fair idea may be conveyed to your readers of the drift of English thought, and opinion by the names of cur rent books, adding occasionally , a few words of commentary. Of Biotraphy, Fiction, and Poetry, I may mention, that of the first in connexion with the second, the recent publication of the " Life of Charlotte Bronte," by Mrs. Cashell, a young lady of rare genius, strug gli og threugh great difficulties, and of mascu line poser of thought and delineation ; and also the issues of a cheap edition of her best work, " Jane Eyre," as well as of " Poems" by herself and sister, have excited quite a sensation. The Quarterlies, one or two of them, have bad papers on Charlotte Bronte and her works. Then as to Fiction, Trac tirianism is trying to use it for its own purposes. Thus we have "Abbey Lands, A Tale," issued from that notorious manu factory of cunning falsehood, the Masters of London, and its object is to popularize the old idea that earthly misfortunes haunt the families of those whose property is de. rived from the spoliation of Church lands at the time of the English Reforms- , Alexander Smith, of Glasgow, a man of mark in POETRY, already known by his Life Drama," ere while a brewer's clerk, I and now a Librarian in Glasgow University, has published a new work, " City Poems," which are highly praised. So, likewise, there are poems by McCarthy, a young Irishman, and a joint volume by Wilber force (son of the late Archdeacon,) and Blanchard, which redeem the age from the accusation of being quite prosaic. And what think you of CONVICT LIT- ERA'TURE ? I have before me the paper ,f a Chaplain of a London Penitentiary, in which he narrates what MS. productions flow from the pens of imprisoned ones. Here is a glimpse of them : Poems on aznatovariety of subjects, grave and comic. Many, Essays, moral and didatic, including a legend, entitled, Dyspepsia Diabali." Several. Autobiographies. Very numerous. Reform of prisons, etc. Several. Inhumanity of the Cellular System of Prison Discipline. Several. Excellency of the System Several. Plans for Improving Public Morals. Several. Sermons preached in a Prison, etc.; original. By a prisoner. Several. A Treatise on Indigestion. By a Surgeon. The Book'of Common Prayer Reformed. By a Clergyman ;' and a Metrical Version of Job, By the same. Etc., etc., etc. It is to be observed bow many educated but fallen men are writers here. BA re is,a ..specirnen of stanzas addressed ., to his wife, by one who was not a swindler or a thief, but, inflated with vanity and fond of society, neglected his business, got embar rassed, and committed the crime that made hid) an exile "Kind Heaven to thee in mercy sent One gleam of short lived joy, 'When thy fair face in rapture bent O'er thy beloved boy. 'Tomas but a gleam ; for oh ! how soon He into stillness pass'd, And o',r thy reft and lonely home A deeper gloom was cast! "Yet 'mid the errors, mad and wild, That grieved thy gentle heart, On me thy face bath ever smiled; To pardon—was thy part. And now, when round the wanderer lone Despair's black vapors roll, Thy love with brighter light bath shone To cheer his stricken soul. 4. If mortal prayer for others' weal Availeth aught on high, Thy cherisb'd name, whene'r I kneel, Is wafted to the sky. Him who bath wreck'd thy spirit's peace. Thou ne'er again may'st see; But night and day, I'll never cease To think, my love of thee." In THEOLOGY, Doctor Pusey appears in "The Councils of the Church" from the Council of Jerusalem A. D. 51, to the Council of Constantinople, A. D. 381; and also in a second work, "The Real Presence of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Doctrine of the English Church, with a vindication of the Reception by the wicked, and of the Adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ." The last work is all that Dennison, or even the Papists could desire An "Anglo• Continental Association for mak ing known upon the Continent the princi ples of the English March, exists." Its first two publications are Bishop Cosin's work on the Doctrine and Discipline of the English Church, translated into German, and, Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the words of Holy Scripture " If the High Church men can persuade the Continental Papists that their via media is best, by suck means as these, it will be a marvellous result in deed I They have also published a "Life of Bishop Armstrong, late of Grahamstown, Cape of Good Hope, with an introduction by the Bishop of Oxford." Dr. Armstrong was after Samuel of Oxford's heart and school. But a true Evangelical and a Prot estant takes his place now. Then we have Armstrong's Sermons on the Festivals, Church, Penitentiaries, Tracts for the Chris tian seasons. Doctor Wordlow's Systematic neology, his cherished work for forty years, is now published. This forms the staple of his Lectures to students, and to the very last, underwent revision. The "Literary Church men," a strait laced semi•Puseyite journal, in noticing it, on the whole favorably, refers to Wordlow's deference to the Assembly's Catechism, and marvels that be did not fol low its compilers in their professed belief of ancient creeds, and of a Catholic Church. " Scripture Characters," by Dr, Candlish; " Occasional Discourses," by Dr. Cumming; Tholuek's Hours of Divot on, and flab. baugh's Heavenly Recognition, I just men tion. I conclude this, vain attempt to embrace all that I desired to touch upon, by refer ence-to a curious book in the Department of PROPHECY, "Echoes from Egypt, or the Type of Anti-Chiist," by Mr. Grove, an English Clergyman. It investigates the "Number of the Beast." " Laternos," and all the rest of the usual interpretations, must - give way before Amenophis, Baalze phon, and Beelzebub. Here is a consider able amount of. learning brought to bear on the foolish theory that Egypt is the Babylon of the Apocalypse. J. W. Ecclesiastical. Mr. T. B. VA'N EMAN was ordained by the Presbytery of Ohio, on the 20th of Oct., and installed in the church of Maple Creek, Pa. Sermon by Rev. S. Finley, charge to pastor by Rev. Wm. Smith, D. D., and charge to the people by Rev. W. D. Howard, D.D. Rev. S. C. JENNINGS was installed pastor of the Valley church, by a committee of the Presbytery of Ohio, or. the 12th inst. Rev. C. V. .Mcliaig presided and preach ed the sermon; Rev. A. B. Brown, D D , late President of Jefferson College, gave the charge to the pastor and people. Mr. Jennings still retains his relation, and gives part of his services to the church of Sharon. Rev. J. B. Ross, of Charlotte, Va., has re ceived and accepted a call to the Presby terian church in Frederick City, Maryland. His correspondents will address him ac cordingly, Rev. Dr. ElAmara, a prominent minister in the New School connexion, transferred his relation to the Old School, at the late meeting of the Presbytery of Baltimore. Rev. SAMUEL BROWN'S pastoral relation to the churches of Windy Cove and Leban on, was dissolved by the . PreFbytery of Lexington, on the 3d of September. Rev. R. W. MARQUIS' pastoral relation to the churches of Linton and Evan's Creek, was dissolved by the Presbytery of Co shocton, on the 6th inst. Mr. RUTHERFORD DOUGLASS, a lieentiate of the Presbytery of Louisville, has been invited to take charge of the church of Pisgah, in Woodford County, Ky. Mr. J. MORTON SCOTT has received a call to become pastor of the church , at Win chester, Ky., to which he has been preaching for several months past. Rev. Dr. JEPTHA HARRISON'S pastoral re lation to the First Presbyterian church of 13 uilington, lowa, has been dissolved at his own request. Rev. JOSEPH R WILSot , r, D. 1.) , of Staun ton, Va , has accepted a call to the First Presbyterian church of August, Ga., and, expects to enter upon his pastoral duties there on the Ist of January next. Revival. Th ere has been an oc,asiori of deep eat and hopeful conversion, amon , z, the tr,`. ored people of Lynchhurgh, (Va. ,) and e neighborhood. The Courier sa 3 sof it "One of the effects of the great rent,,] among colored people, has been the est.,. lishment of a regular system of prayer IV( ;. ings for their bent 6t. 2ilettiogs are every night during the week at the factories, the proprietors of which have h f kind enough to place those edietef-s disposal of the colored br th:cn. erk, els of the several factories prcside ov(-r meetings, and the most absolute god e , n. duet is exhibited " New School Movements The Synod of Vir2inia has, by a v, t:. thirty to three, resolved to witLdraw fp. a the General Assembl3 North, and uniN.rs the General Synod inaugaratt d 1 )3 0 , late Convention at Richmond, and whio to be organized at Knoxville, Tenn , in next This vote shows more u 0aT,.1 01 , ; in the Synod than what was anticipated H: some of the New School journals. Synod of Pittsburgh The late 'meting of this body, in .)l , ,a n gahela City, was one of unusual pleat-up: a l ,;, interest. In a three dais' session, ti.. was a large amount of importont bu , inf• E well transacted. There were no judimd cases; no personalities in (It hate ; ins t 6 interfere with cl.rdial Christian br, ih. erhood. Some account of the procct dir. 2s may be expected next week. A LARGE AUDIENCE —On the rep eEt Fast Day in England, for India, RIC Mr, Spurgeon preached, in the Crystal P a l,„ , to an audience of Deafly twenty-tour th., ; . sand people. !ter the Preebytertan Kanner and Advocate The Evangelical Alliance, GLASGOW, Oct 8, 1837, MY DEAR FRIEND :—I wrote to 30 e g detailed aleount of the " " uf tb e Conference, from Berlin [rho coulleuu l . cation was not received.] In this letter. [ propose to give you a "sketch" of some of the leading men in the Cocerenee The presiding officer of the assembly, and who exercised a controling and diteciiki influence over all its deliberarinos and a.c, ings, was Pastor Kuntze, of Berlin. 'l le pastor is a fine specimen of the manly man. He is tall and portly, with a e trance that expresses a great deal of mmiol ity, and an equal amount of determitilvo: some might call it stubbornness. He always present in the Conference, and L e generally had his own way. He is b u r, any means, a great man, but a wan of lent mind well cultivated ; arid, with,d, cidedly an Evangelical minister, in the midst of the Formalism of Germany. A far greater man than the Pastor, and one of the greatest, if not hituselt the ;low est and best of all the German delegation, was the Rev Dr. Krurnaracher, of Potsdam, where the King mostly resides. Ile is the Court Chaplain. He is, I think. one of the master-minds of Germany You see, it; him ' an old man, with all the fire end energy of youth about him. His clear. His voice has wunderful vu.une sand depth in it; it comes upon you Ike j tant rumbling thunder —deep, r o triiii, sonorous; I listened to him witl inou•e delight, although I understood but little , / , what he said; his voice and gestures %etc so singular, and so inpre•sive. He is a large man, with a very walked face lie talks with every feature of his ei ULU nal e Kruturnacher's salutation and welcome la+ duct(' a most favorable impression upon the Conference, especially as it was most trappi y , and eloquently translated by Rev 31: ' Cairns, of Berwick. Professor Jacopi, of Halle, is the =kir: of a great man He was a student, aria i believe a favorite one, of the celebrated Ne i ander. Like Neander, he is a hare/ student. 1 The effect of intense application is seer IC his sharp features and attenuat-d traale. His mind is uf a high order, and heing a close student, his atteinments, of course, are great. He is not Neander, and beret will be; .yet still be is a very superior win i --promising to be one of Gerwauy's great lights. There were present other Germans, ni.n of murk, whose force of intellect was sd‘i to be very great—such men as Pialat n Kapff, and Dr. Noll, and Dr. Nitzseh, ned others like them, who are doing the grot Fatherland valuable service. Every one in our own country has beard of Merle D' Aubigne, the author of the lbs. tory of the Great Reformation. I was aLS - ions to see the man whose el. qutnee thrown so wondrous a fascinatioo around etc dry details of history. Dr D' A übi.me lea venerable old wan, tall almost as Dr. Ihr roD, and very commanding in his api.e-P twee; old age, however, is beginning to 't••• slit its right and power over him. Grit old man, whose heart is lull of kiadtess and. love liar all the world, and whose hod is full of mighty thoughts for the redia p • tiun and elevation uf our race, thou wllt soon pass away. It will be a deligh fui te miniscence to me hereafter, that I have seen and heard the great historian most distin• guithed in this, that he loves God Genera is honored by being the home of D' Auttigue• France was ably represented in this Con ference. Dr. Graudpierre. ' of Paris. is a very distinguished man. As a speaker, I have heard few wen to excel him He teid one of the ablest papers presented to d'e , Conference, ou the state of Protestaiiiim is France. He and Dr Fisch, both o f are strong men of decided piet) ; in ti'=ti Sandi?, the cause of sound and Eva.iwA"` religion in France, will be well cared tor _ One of the strongest men from 61 , ": Britain, in this Conference, was Rev. 3 1 r- Cairns, of Berwick. lie is a clear-lean d. warm hearted Scotchman, who did the c,in."' of God good service iu this meeting. comparatively a young man, but one of traordinary promise You have beard of the Fon. and Ito'. Baptist Noel. He belongs, by birth, to English aristocracy, and was at (De time 3 minister in the English Church, with eri.rY prospect of rilitig to em m m eminence art ICC clergynit n. Fur conscien c e sake, l•c 12 , <<•` up all, left the Establishment and heeler e dissenter. He carried with him a clear lead and a godly bears, by Divine grace 11l i. an honor tv God's Church every ahem -`€) better man ' nor more hunide Chriztiai s w there than Baptist Noel. • The ar,st thuronyh, business rw , ." ,, the Conference was Sir Culling Eli dley. t ic is an Euglish nobleman of very great weehlr , and of very decided religious chm arer lie is after Mr kind of George H Sio:t. r of Philadelphia, without, h o wever, the strength of iniud of Mr. Stuart er remarkable business tact. He is very for the cause of God, and freely uses Lu abundant means and hie personal effort i°