EV. 17A1TI1) MICINNEY,
1.._
El
DI
Artsbittriacit e '::lan . 'ittf+'
414' /
VOL. XII. NO. 15
had but ono day to prepare two services for
the coming Sabbath, which is at least five
days too few 'f,•r a young man; yet he was
quarrelled with for refusing to neglect his
own people, hire a horse at his own ex
pense, ride several miles in rough weather,
and spend nearly a whole day in the fruit
less business of eulogising a dead man
whom be bad never seen or heard of while
living. This state of things exists in the
West, wherever you find New-England peo
ple, not that it argues against New-Eng
land, but that a New• England custom has
been degraded and abused.
There are cases in which it is right to
preach funeral sermons, properly so called;
but they are comparatively few. It is no
doubt proper, when a good man or woman
dies, to hold up the character of the de
parted for encouragement and imitation;
to honor a wicked man with such a service
is to prostitute the pulpit. It fosters a
foolish vanity; and not only so, but it is
nearly certain, by the approving language,
or at least by the studied silence of the
preacher, to produce the impression that
death and eternity are by no means so ter
rible to the wicked as they are sometimes
represented to be. If we could preach at
the funerals of the wicked such sermons as
that which Jeremiah delivered concerning
the death and burial of Jehoiakim, son of
Josiah, the force of this objection would be
removed.
It is clearly the duty of every minister
of Christ to embrace every fit opportunity
of preaching the Gospel.; and whenever he
finds an audience willing to hear, he ought
to be willing to declare the unsearchable
riches of Christ. But against the absurd
custom which - requires him, on pain of
suffering in his reputation, to turn aside
from his regular duties and preach a special
sermon at the funeral of every one, good or
bad, who dies within the bounds of his
parish, in which he is expected to cover up
the vices and extol the imaginary virtues
of the deceased, and give tacit countenance
to the lie that, after All, it is well with the
wicked—against this, it becomes every
right-minded man to set his face like a
flint.
No ecclesiastical event of general inter
est has transpired in this Presbytery lately,
except the ordination and installation of
Mr. Fred. R. Wotring, as pastor of the
church at Portage City. This brother is a
native of Washington County, Pa., and a
graduate of the Western Seminary. He
has begun his labors at Portage with ac
ceptance and every promise of usefulness.
OBSEIWATOR.
Far the Presbyterian Banner
Chaplain's Farewell.
One of the most interesting, and cer
tainly one of the most picturesque as
semblies, I have ever seen, was one
that I attended yesterday. It was con
vened without notice, and without drum
call—improvised at noon-day, for a spe
cial occasion. Yet was- large, solemn,
and deeply affecting. I accidentally saw
the gathering, near the headquarters of the
11th, and joined the crowd that bordered
the inner audience which composed - the
meeting proper.
The Rev. M. Torrance, Chaplain of the
11th Pennsylvania Reserves, who has
served the regiment for fourteen months,
has felt it his duty, in view of his age and
the approaching inclemencies of the Win
ter season, to withdraw from a post which
involves so much 'hardship and exposure.
This course was approved by the medical
officers to whom it was officially submitted.
His resignation was returned from Corps
Headquarters, approved, and he was honor
ably discharged from the United States
service.
When the documents arrived, his regi
ment was out on a three days' tour of
picket duty. He wished to speak a fare
well word to the men of his charge. He
went to the picket line and visited them, as
he found them, from post to post. And
just as he was ready to leave the regiment,
the men, having been relieved, were seen
coming across the fields to their camp. He
must embrace the opportunity of speaking
a few words to them while together. They
were halted by the colonel's cabin. He
began; other hearers gathered around, and
formed a large assembly of officers and men,
of various regiments.
The'aged Chaplain, erect in form, ani
mated in gesture and look, with his flowing
gray hair and beard, and, pilgrim-like,
with his hat in his hand and his boots and
spurs on ready for the start, was addressing
the assembly. The principal part of the
regiment, which had just come in from the
woods, constituted the most picturesque
feature =of the meeting, standing in close
lines, with knapsacks, canteens, shelter
tents and all their accouterments upon
them, they stood, leaning on their guns,
listening, with their young yet deeply
bronzed faces turned respectfully and ten
derly toward their venerable pastor, whom
they were now hearing for the last time.
The address was brief, of course ; for
the judicious Chaplain will not keep•men
so loaded and weary, standing long before
him. It embraced a rapid retrospection of
the scenes of peril, of daring, of fatigue,
and of pain, in which they bad been joint
participants; it contained affecting allusions
to their comrades who had been enfeebled
by disease, or maimed or slain by the mis
siles of the foe; and it concluded with
counsels to fidelity in the service of God
and our beloved country, and an affection
ate Farewell.
The Chaplain's words were received by
the Regiment, both officers and men, in a
manner that gave evidence of the mutual
interest and attachment subsisting between
him and them. And as the officer, in
charge of the picket, in a subdued tone gave
the naval orders, it was evident, as they
faced about and marched to their quarters,
that these brave young men parted with
their venerable Chaplain with sorrow.
I was going, in conclusion of this article,
to add my testimony to his worth and fidel
ity. But it is superfluous. For fourteen
months we have been intimately associated.
The contiguity of our regiments; the same
ness of our views of religious truth and
ministerial duty; our previous acquaint
ance and, perhaps, nay, probably, our Sex
agenarian sympathies, have facilitated this
intimacy in the camp and on the march
at the bivouac fire, amid Winter's cold, and`
beneath the shade of trees, in Summer's
heat; among the sick in hospitals and the
wounded and dying on battle-fields, wo
have been together; and our conversation
has, with reciprocal interest, been of our
charges, our duties, our Pennsylvania homes,
'our country, our Braviouri and our' future
PITTSBURGH, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1863. WHOLE NO. 587
home in heaven. I shall miss my fellow
servant of Christ very much. I am left,
alone in this field of religious toil, among
the bravo and honored Reserves, the only
Chaplain in the Brigade, nay, in the two
Brigades of the Division which are here in
the front. What wonder, that I should
feel lonely in this wilderness of men, the
oldest of them all, and the only one direct
ly and officially engaged in the great work
or promoting their religious improvement,
and their eternal welfare.
J. F. MCLAREN,
Chaplain 10th Penn'a. Reserves
For the Presbyterian Banner
Rev. Dr. Pressly's Address on Close Com
munion.
A Professor has a right to teach his theo
logical students without being reviewed,
provided he does not interfere with 'the
rights of other Christians, and.prevent the
prayer of the Lord Jesus from being ful
filled, " that they all may be one" (John
xvii :21). If he labor with a multiplicity
of words, in poor reasoning and by a wrong
application of the Scriptures, to induce
young men, in their future ministry, to ex
clude from the LORD'S table true Chris
tians, then, such members of the " house
hold of faith" have a right to complain. If
mountain labor bring forth but , a little
thing, to go through the land to divide the
Church, it is right to stop it.
The amiable Editor of the United Vres
byterian, in publishing the lecture, calls
the subject of it, the " vexed question of
comm Union." It must be very vexatious for
a good man to write and practice contrary to
the spirit and usage of the Apostles—con
trary to the practice of early Christians,
until the time of the Novatians and Dona
tists, who were schismatics and `errorists of
no creditable character. It is truly a large
undertaking for a United Presbyterian to
keep Presbyterians disunited, and in so
doing, attempt to undermine the teachings
of the Helvetic, Belgic, Boheemic, Saxon,
French, and nearly all the Reformed Con
fessions of Faith and usage. It is both in
consistent and very vexatious for a lecturer
to attempt to explain away the obvious
meaning of his own Confession—the 26th
Chapter of the Westminster Confession,
adopted by all Presbyterian denominations.
He ought to be a great man that would un
dertake to oppose the teachings of Irina3us,
Cyprian, Augustine, and others among the
" Fathers "—Calvin, Melaucthon, Bucer,
Peter Martyr, John. Knox, and others
among the " Reformers "—James Usher,
Richard Vines and Dr. Edmond Stanton,
and others among the Westminster Assem
bly of divines; and almost all the good and
great men of those and subsequent times—
such as Dr. Manton, Boston, Howe, Baxter;
Owen, Bates, and a host of others.
It may be; as the editor predicts, that
" United Presbyterians wilt feel them
selves fortified in their convictions by read
ing this address." But it is difficult ,Or
`good men and "Women, when the fire of
Christian love begins to barn, to stay" for
tified." Love leaps the barriers, that there
may "be one fold and one Shepherd"
(John x :16). In short, we find the most
intelligent and pious of the people con
vinced of what some of their ministers
have acknowledged, that sectarian commu
nion was not sustained by the Scriptures
or by their own Confession of Faith, though
it was by their testimonies; and these
bound them. It is vexatious to have the
" Confession " giving one direction, and
the " Testimony" the opposite.
The Christian spirit of union, without
the sacrifice of truth, now manifested
among various Presbyterian churches of
Great Britain, and the same tendency in
this country, makes it difficult for a small
denomination to remain " fortified" in ex
clusive principles; especially when a com
mon calamity like war draws all true Chris
tians in good standing into the most inti
mate union and cooperation. It is a sad
thing, at this day, when pre-millennial
events are taking place, to have to refute
the sentiments of those who continue to
secede from the sacred union which Christ
has established, and withhold the sign and
seal of fellowship from members of his
body. The principle or plan advocated by
the lecturer, would exclude from the Lord's
table the Apostles Paul, James and John—
the saints, Mary, Dorcas and Phebe, if
they were to come from heaven, unless they
would sing Rouse's Version, or adopt the
" Testimony."
Mr. Editor, (if you will,) I shall point
out in a future number of your paper, some
ten or fifteen mistakes, or inconsistencies,
in the "Address to the Students," which
has become an address to the public. As
close communion is the sore place in our
neighboring ecclesiastical body, I shall touch
it kindly and briefly. CYPRIAN.
The Christian's Vicissitudes Wisely Ordered.
God does not send trouble or sickness,
or poverty, merely to fret and annoy his
children—to render them unhappy and dis
contented. No • but forasmuch as our na
tures are sinful, and must be sanctified—
forasmuch as we are wilful, and must be
brought to obedience—forasmuch as every
remnant of the evil principle must be re
moved ere we can enter the kingdom of
heaven—God tries his children, not by a
steady course of prosperity, nor by a long
continued and uniform adversity, but by
transition from the one to the other. Be
knows that the grace which might be suf
ficient for the day of sunshine, will not
bear us up amid darkness and tempest—
that the virtues which appear in the Chris
tian when all is serene and tranquil, might
be crushed and deadened amid reverses and
disappointments. And as it is his rurpOse
to strengthen the Christian character—to
develop it more and more, until it is fitted
for his own immediate presence—he makes
the believer's path one of varied experi
ence—of joy and sorrow—of health and
sickness—of prosperity and adveLs_ity. But
then, new grace is imparted for"Tvery new
form of trial, and new traits of character
ootue into view in these rapid transitions
of life. For as the gold or the diamond,
unsubjected to the crucible and to other
agencies, might have continued to shine
with steady 'beauty and brilliancy, but not
with the peculiar beauty effected by chemi
cal changes; so, in Christian life, many a
beautiful trait of character would have re
mained undiscovered throughout unbroken
prosperity, or long-continued adversity.
There might have been always the reality
of religion, but not that peculiar manifes
tation which is, produced in the transition
'from the one to the Wien—A* to ,Save.
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE.
American Thanksgiving Day—Dinner and Speeches
—Mr. Adams on the Reasons for Thanksgiving—
Arr. Spence at Glasgow—Dr. Massie ••back again"
—His Address and Narrative at Glasgow—Cob
den at ROckdale—Denmark , and GerMany—Ru
more of War—A General Election and its Prob
able Issues—High Church Bigotry—Nonconform
ist Political Tactics—Matters Miscellaneous—New.
Books and the London Publishing Trade—Death
of Lord Elgin.
LO. DON, Nov. 28, 1863
THANKSGIVING DAY as appointed by the
President of the United States for. the 26th
instant, led some Southern sympathizers to,
sneer, and to express' their astonishment
that at such a critical period, when disas
ters might come, the President, so long be
forehand, should have designated a special
day. Besides, it was said- that such disas
ters had come, and, the prospects were so
dark, what special grounds„wene there for
thanksgiving. The Daily . Megrapla
an article on the subject on• , the 25th, to
the foregoing effect. It asked': ,
" Is it for the pastor foi the present that"
President Lincoln desires his- countrymen
to join him in thanksgiving t The ; coun
try which once excited the envy of Europe
must now be content to receive the assur
ance of her sympathetic pity. ; Sad is the
change—not, indeed, without 'indic,ations
of a better day to come ' but-mortrnfully pa;
thetic while it lasts. The fairest valleys
of the land have been laid waste by war ;,
the tramp of armies has crushed the grow
ing crops; the best and purest blood of
people has been shed in a wild' adds riffle
quarrel. From thousands upon 'thousands
of homes loved faces are missing; .fathers
and brothers will never return !to the old
farmstead in Vermont, or to the old plan
tation in Virginia. There hal been an ab
solute prodigality of valour; an extrava
gance of heroism ; but to what ,end ? At
this hour, the so-called " rebellion " seems
no nearer its termination than it did two
years since; and even were the Northern
armies to drive their antagonists from the
field, they would have to hold the , South by
purely military tenure, whilst fresh diffi
culties would present themselves on the
very morrow of the conquest. At such a
time as this, when even martial victory is
still trembling in the balance, and when
any day may bring the news of a crushing
disaster the Federal arms, it :seems a
strange confidence which inspired Mr. Lin
coin's proclamation."
THE HON. FRANCIS ADAMS has, in his
usual calm and quiet way, delivered an ad-'
dress at a great gathering of Northern
Americans and English friends. The meet
ing, which took the form of a dinner, was
held in Saint James' Hall, and the Hon.
Mr. Walker presided on the occasion, and
introduced the speakers in snecession.
Previously to the dinner, a most appropri
ate prayer was offered by Mr. Sella, a col
ored minister from South' Carolina. After
this the Thanksgiving Proclamation was
read; next a national hymn, composed for
the occasion, aafollows
We Meet, the Sons of Freedom's Sink
Unchanged, where'er we roam,
While gather round Their household fires
The happy bands of home ;
And while across the far blue wave
Their prayers go up to God,
We pledge the faith our fathers gave,
The land by Freemen trod !
The heroes of our Native Land
Their sacred trust still hold,
The . freedom from a mighty band
Wrenched by the men of old.
That lesson to the broad earth given
We pledge beyond the sea—
The land from dark oppression riven,
A blessing on the free !
The toasts were as follows : The Presi
dent, The Queen, The Day, The Union,
The Emincipation Proclamation,
The Ar
my and Navy, Washington, The Press, and
The Ladies. That of " Washington" was
followed up by the words : 14 The Man with
out a Peer. We follow his farewell advice,
never to surrender the Union." Responses
were made to the various sentiments, by
Mr. Adams, Mr. George Thompson, Judge
Winter, Hon. T. H. Morse, Capt. Mayne
Reed (who served in the Mexican war, is
a well known author, and the son of an
Irish Presbyterian minister,) and Captain
Howlley. But it was Mr. Adams' speech
which was specially weighty and import
ant. He met the objections to a day of
Thanksgiving, with judicious and well put
argument, and gave a series of reasons jus
tifying the President's Proclamation and
invitation. The -conclusion of his speech
was a recapitulation of the causes of
Thanksgiving, as indicated in the previous
portion of his address
" When it came simply to emancipation,
the people throughout the United States
were utterly incredulous that there could
be devised any plan of effecting it which
would not lead to bloodshed and ruin
throughout the whole country which they
occupied. It was the great argument
against doing anything. It was said to be
impossible to hope for any issue that would
not involve the destruction of all classes of
society within its reach. Now the great
and crowning act of the Administration of
President, Lincoln is, that in two distinct
measures he has 'opened a way for a practi
cal result which , we had always supposed
could not be found. The Proclamation,
and the enlistment of the negroes as sol
diers, are the two great instruments by
which emancipation without revolution will
be carried out. And here we are now, at
the end of two and a half years, having
made slow but regular progress in this
movement, until it has taken -shape dis
tinctly before us, so that we can foresee the
ultimate issue. Have we not in all this,
something to be thankful for ? Have we
not a right to meet together, under the Call
of our President, and looking back to our
difficulties, to bless God that they are di
minished to the extent we now see them ?"
AT A UNION EMANCIPATION MUTING
at Greenwich, near London, Mr. Washing
ton Wilks animadverted with severity on a
recent speech addressed to his constituents
by Alderman Solomons, M.P. for that bor
ough, which was Southern in its bearings.
Mr. S. is a Jew, and Mr. Wilke said, that
of all men, the Hebrew should be most dis
posed to sympathize with the negro, and to
withhold all countenance from his oppres
sor. I have an impression that Alderman
Solomons has invested in the Confederate
Loan.
Mn.. SPENCER of Liverpool, has been try
ing to counteract the effdet of Mr. Beech
er's eloquence, by a public address at Glas
gow. There are plenty of Tories there, al
though the Liberals largely predominate.
Spence is alike, clever and unscrupulous.
Here is a specimen of his talk:,
"It has been asserted that this war- wan
carried on by the North in order to free
the slaves ? Ni,w, it was true there was a
small band in the North of fanatical men
who bad made this subject a passion, and
who, to gratify that selfish passion, were
not only hounding on this bloodshed, but
were ready' to exterminate men of their
own race and to level every restraint of law
and humanity - in order to carry out their
ends. But these men were a mere handful
of the twenty-one millions of the North.
The great majority, regarded the negro with
aversion, and maintained the war, some for
the sake of Southern trade, some because
they feared that separation now would lead
to other divisions in the future; but by far
the greatest number because, under the per
nicious moral effects of the Union, boastful
ambition had become the leading charac
teristic of the •Federal mind, and as their
idea ,Agigreatness was the,
.groes idea of
greatness in size, they shrink from this re
duction of dominion: Could there be any
possible doubt 'on 'that point? Mr. Lin
.
coin now wielded despotic power over what
were called the free States. If his objects
were to free the slaves, would he not pro
ceed with those that were within his reach.
He had all -the slaves in Delaware, Mary
land, Missouri, Kentucky, absolutely in
his phwer. Why did he not free them ?
They were told the constitution stood- in
the way; that was a miserable excuse. The
constitution might be laughed at when
Lincoln wanted to imprison men, but it
must be respected when he wished to .free
them. :He held that the first result of
Northern success would be a war with this
country, which would be most disastrous to
ourselves. The independence of the South
appeared to him to be essential to the well
being of the whole American people, and
the prolonged continuance of the war would
be fraught with great- evil."
Tur DIL. MASSEY having recently
returned to England, is now giving an ac
count of his reception in various parts of
the United States. At a meeting of the
Glasgow Union and Emancipation Society,
he referred to his interview with Presi
dent Lincoln. He believed him to be an
honest and earnest friend of the negro, and
to be resolved, as far as his administration
could effect it, that slavery shall be abol
ished in the United States. He described
his visit to Yale College at its " Commence
ment " celebration, and after mentioning
other places, including Boston, he added :
"Whatever had been said by such papers
as the New-York Herald, and such writers.
as Dr. Mackay, " Manhattan," or any of
the emissaries of error, he assures them
that the people of America desired more
to have the confidence and approval of the
people of this country than to have any ex
pression of approval from the people of any
other country in the world. He went into
New-Brunswick, and when the people
there asked him to preach or speak, he said
he would give them an account of his
American mission. There was a good
lame congregation, td they peased resolu
tions approving of his mission, and de
claring their desire that nothing in the
shape of war should ever occur between
the United States and Great Britain. He
returned to Buffalo a second titne, and ad
dressed an audience of 2,500, in the
largest church in that town, and they were
delightedlo hear a message from England
of sympathy for the black and encourage_
went to the North to pursue their noble
struggle. At Gloversville he met one
hundred clergymen, who, so far, set .aside
their own meeting to hear him. They had
met to observe the Lord's Supper, and had
appointed one of their own number to preach
- a sermon before the sacrament. But they
gave him half an hour before that service.
At the end of that time he was requested
to go on, and after he had spoken for twen
ty minutes more, he came down. The gen
tleman who was to preach rose and said
that they had had preparation for the Lord's
Supper in the address which had been de
livered, of fraternal sympathy between
them and the Christians of other lands,
and, therefore, moved that the sermon
should be dispensed with. The motion
was - cordially agreed to, as well as another,
that he should preside at the Lord's table.
He presided, and never saw so many min
isters so deeply affected—weeping pre
vailed amongst them. The gentleman who
was to preach rose at the conclusion of Di
vine service and said : ' Mr. Chairman,l
declare myself a convert. I was before
this day one of those who were determined
when the day came, that we should take
vengeance upon England for her Alabamas
her Floridas, and her rams, but now I see
I was doing injustice to my brethren there,
and I rejoice in the opportunity of making
this acknowledgment.' He visited other
places, and at length, by invitation, attend
ed a special meeting of the Union League
Club at New-York—a meeting which con
sisted of about one hundred and fifty of
the choicest men of that city. After he
had given an outline of his journey, and
had told them how his mind was affected
by what he had seen, the Chairman called
on. Dr. A. Smith to address the meeting.
After he bad done so, he turned to Dr. Mas
sie and said, 6 You see here representatives
of all the professions in this city, and in
the highest ranks of these professions.
You see here merchants, men eminent and
wealthy. I tell you in their name that we
are prepared to spend every farthing we
possess, we are prepared to go so far as that
our dwellings shall be desolate, our count
ing-houses shall be emptied, and the grass
shall grow upon our streets until the re
bellion is subdued and slavery is buried in
the same grave.' The Chairman, a calm
and dispassionate man, imbued, however,
with warm and generous sentiments, rose
in the midst of the speech and at the close
of that sentence, and proposed that they
should give three cheers. They all rose
and cheered,
,as loudly as the voice could
cheer, that sentiment of Dr. Smith. His
firm conviction was that the enlightened
people—and he' included the working
classes—the educated people of the North
were resolved that they would Make every
sacrifice, not merely to subdue this rebel
lion, but to bury the system of slavery in
the same grave.
Dr. Massie described the great change
that had passed on public opinion as to
slavery, referring particularly to the city
of Washington, where, after an address,
the minister-of the place said, " Had you
delivered that address a year ago, you and
all the meeting would have been mobbed,
and the church gutted." He believed that
every disaster had been to the advantage of
the anti-slavery cause. Mr. Charles Sum
ner had said to him that he feared more
their' successes than their defeats. Their
atieemes were fikoly to make the pimple
ready to say, Let us patch it up now.'
Their defeats were a prolongation of the
war, and gave the people reason to put the
question to themselves, " Why is God
fighting against us ? why is he delaying the
day of peace ? It is because of slavery.
Therefore let us abolish slavery." He
praised the conduct of the colored people
during the riots in New-York, and thought
that the negroes would fight bravely, and
make excellent soldiers. Colored people
in the North were ilLused by some in' the
North, especially by Irish laborers. The
prejudice against them had declined since
the riots. He thought it would be an un
wise thing to bring the negroes North.
The climate did not agree with them. The
South was rather the place for them, and
the work they were doing there waSA work
which would be best for themselves and the
country.
A vote of thanks was passed to Dr.
Massie, and he was requested to give
greater publicity to his remarks at an early
day.
MESSRS. COBDEN AND BRIGHT have
been discoursing at Rochdale, to a vast
audience, chiefly working people. Mr.
Cobden lamented that the present Parlia
ment had done nothing toward a new Re
form Bill. The new Parliament would
have to be endowed with new principles at
a general election. It was true that there
was some political apatite at present, and
he must confess that the people of England
attended, just now, to the proceedings of
other countries, rather than their own.
America, Poland, Italy, were thus re
garded.
Referring to the America war, he said
that both last year and now, he did not be
lieve that it would end in the independence
of the South. He considered that igno
rance v/as the cause of an opposite opinion,
and that both the upper classes and a por
tion of the Press were very ignorant on
this question. He never believed that there
would be two nations on the American
Continent. The war on the part of the
South was to establish an empire of which
slavery should be the corner-atone.' ".,God
pardon those who in the year of grace
would establish such an empire."
DENMARK AND GERMANY are at this
moment in an attitude of alarming antag
onism. Prince Frederick of Aug,usten
berg asserts his hereditary right to that
portion of the Danish monarchy known as
Schleswig Holstein. And yet his father
had formally renounced all such rights, and
engaged with his family to take up his
residence beyond the limits of the domin
ions of the Danish King, and also " not in
any way to counteract the resolutions of the
King in arrangements of the succession to
all the lands now under His Majesty's
sceptre, or to the eventual organization of
his monarchy. And yet, as the population
of Schleswig is largely German; as Prus
sia wants a seaboard; as the Hamburghers,
the Hanoverians, and the Prussians, all are
eager and inflamed, arid even the Liberal
Deputies at Berlin are - hWatime reconciled
to the Bismare Ministry, in order that
Schleswig may be invaded and the Pre
tender helped—who can toll but war may
ensue. The leading Powers will endeavour
to assuage the tempest, and it is possible
that the new King of Denmark may con
sent to give up part of the disputed terri
tory.
A DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT is
likely to take place next Spring. Lord
Palmerston has it in his power to take such
a step, and it is his best policy to do so, in
order to prevent the Conservatives coming
into power. But there are questions which
he must face, that have hitherto been ta
booed. Such are Parliamentary Reform,
and ecclesiastical questions also. The Non
conformists are likely to take a very de
cided stand in reference. to Church Rates,
and to withhold their votes from every
" Liberal " (so-called) candidate, who re
fuses to pledge himself to their entire abo
lition. It is even thought that the Volun
taries would be gainers by a change of Gov
ernment—the Whigs, and even the Radi
cals, being far more liberal out of office,
and are ready to force a Tory Government
to make concessions which they would not
grant themselves. The insolence shown to
Nonconformists is certainly " too bad," in
many quarters, and the clergy of the
Church of England are, as a class, very
scornful. "If," says the Christian, World,
" such Churchmen as the Bishop of Ox
ford will be so infatuated as to place bad
cottages, beer-houses, and Dissent' on the
same footing—the latter being the worst of
the three hindrances to the progress of re
ligion; and if railway people will lower
their fares for people attending the Church
Congress at Manchester, and refuse to do
the same for those attending the Congre
gational Union at Liverpool, Churchmen
-must expect that Dissenters will resent con
duct so manifestly unfair, and employ what
ever means they consider best to prevent
its indefinite repetition. Certain it is that
ecclesiastical rather than purely political
questions will give pith and pungency to
the husting speeches at the .General Elec
tion, come when it may; unless, indeed,
some new and all-absorbing, topic should in
the meantime arise."
MATTERS MISCELLANEOUS may be thus
grouped toaeth i er :
A London Committee bas been farmed
for the Hungarians, suffering from famine.
Sir MosesMonteflore has left for Moroc
co, to plead for the cessation of cruelties
inflicted on the Jews.
A legacy of £40,000 has been left to Mr.
D'lsraeli by a lady, (not a relative,) an ad.
wirer of his career.
A new comet has been seen by Mr. Hind,
the Astronomer, with an orbit presenting
no similarity to any previous one. Its
present distance from the earth is 68,000,-
000 of miles, and is slowly increasing.
A great 600-pounder gun was tried with
success last week. It weighs over twenty
two tons. .A shell with a bursting charge
of 40 lbs. may be readily fired from it—the
largest charge hitherto used in a shell be.
ing, we believe, no more than 8 lbs. •
Lord Clarence Paget, Secretary to the
Admiralty, excuses the bombardment of
the town of Kagosima, in Japan. If there
had not been a gale of wind blowing at the
time, the forts only would have been de
stroyed. The storm which raged prevented
an accurate aim.
A. - man, known as the " Yarmouth Gi
ant," died last week in his 43d year. His
father was 6 feet 6 inches high; his moth
er 6 feet. An ancestor on the mother's
side, was said to have been that famous
warder of Henry VIII., who stood 8 feet 4
inches in Night. Born of such Patago
nian parents, the boys averaged 6 feet 5
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PROPRIETOR AND PUBLISHER.
inches, and the girls, of Amazonian devel
opments, averaged &feet 31 inches. Rob
ert Hales was the flower of the flock ' • he
stood 7 feet 6 inches, and weighed 452
pounds.
The narrative of the discovery of the
source of the Nile, and of the travels in
Equatorial Africa by Captains Grant and
Speke, will be published in December,
Speke is an Englishman, Gant a native of
Elgin, in the North of Scotland, and
scion of an ancient Highland elan.
Among persons recently deceased was
Richard Marshall, of the well-known book.
selling firm in Paternoster' Row,. of Situp.
kin & Marshall. The career of the House
has been most successful under his guid
ance.
Longman & Company have erected a
magnificent house for thatr publishing bus
iness, on the site of the former building in
Paternoster Row, destroyed by fire.
J. w.
P. S.—The Earl of Elgin is reported as
dying on the 14th. It is believed that he
is dead. The Indian climate, with disease
of the heart, have carried bim off in his
53d year. He was wise, able, and indus
trious. A series of Governor Generals
have, like him, perished early.
Athanasius and Arius.
The earliest Christian church in Alexan
dria bore the name of Banealis. It was
near the sea, and is said to have derived its
original name, Baucalia, from the rastur
aire of cattle near it. In the year 325,
when the first Christian Council assembled
at Niae, Alexander was bibhop of Alexan
dria, and Athanasius was a deacon and Ari
us a presbyter in different churches of his
diocese. These subaltern officers of that
primitive church filled the world with their
theological controversy. The questions
which they debated, the creeds they formed,
the arguments they used, and the sects
they originated, still live. These champi
ons were' both believers in the Trinity.
The controversy related to the relation of
the persons of the Godhead, prior to the
creation of the world or the Incarnation.
" There was," said Arius, he did not dare
to say a time, but only "there was when He
was not," because he was the Son, the only
begotten of the Father. On this abstract
question the whole Church was divided,
and the Council of Nicm was called to set
tle the dispute. We always like to know
the personal appearance of great men in
Church and in State.
The scribes of that most important of all
Councils have described the principal
members. Arius was then about sixty
years of age, tall, thin, and gaunt in figure.
He had an unsteady gait, a nervous habit
of contorting and twisting his spare body
into uncouth positions, which his enemies
compared to the wrigglings of a snake.
His face was pale as death; his eyes were
weak; his look was demure; his hair hung
in lung, tangled masses about his head;
and his dress was that of a rigid ascetic.
He seldom spoke, but when he uttered hie
voice, he seemed like one inspired. He
spoke with intense earnestness, yet the
tones of his voice were sweet and iascinat
ing. The ladies of Alexandria admired
his preaching. Of these he had 700 fol
lowers. His opponent in the Council, dea
con Athanasius, was entirely unlike him.
He was then about twenty-five years of age,
of pleasing manners, serene countenance,
and winning speech. He was so small in
stature as to be called a dwarf. He, with
bis diminutive height, had a slight stoop
as he walked; his nose was aquiline, his
mouth small but expressive of energy; his
beard short, with large whiskers and light,
auburn hair. Whether he was of Egyp
tian or Grecian descent is not known. It
is certain that in this little, frail taberna
cle dwelt an imperial soul, which prompted
this defender of orthodoxy to do and dare,
to originate and suffer as much as any of
the Christian fathers except Paul. It is a
remarkable fact that many of the greatest
logicians and metaphysicians our earth has
known were men of exceedingly small
physique. Such were Aristotle, Kant,
Pope, Lord Jeffrey, and Dr. Charming.
Such facts prove a very common adage,
that " the mind is the measure of the man."
Influence of Hymns.
Magdeburg is memorable in the story of
hymns for it was at the cruel sacking of it
by Tilly that the school children marched
across the market-place singing, and so en
raged him that he bid them all to be slain;
and from that day, say the chroniclers, for
tune departed from him, nor did he smile
again. Other hymns were more furtonate,
for we read of a certain rough captain who
would not bate a crown of the thirty thou
sand he levied off a captured town, till at
last the archdeacon summoned the people
together, saying, " Come, my children, we
have no more either audience or grace
with men, let us plead with God," and
when they had entered the church, and
sung a hymn, the fine was remitted to a
thousand. The same hymn played as mer
ciful a part in another town, which was to
be burned for contumacy. When mercy
had been asked in vain, the clergymen
marched out with twelve boys to the Gen
eral's tent, and sang there before him, when
to their amazement, he fell upon the pas
tor's neck and embraced him. He had dis
covered in him an old student friend, and
spared the place; and still the afternoon
service at Pegan is commenced with the
memorable hymn that saved it. Of anoth
er, it is said that a famous robber having
been changed himself, sang it among his
men, so that many of them were changed
also. Rough hearts, indeed, seem often
the most susceptible. A major in com
mand of thirty dragoons entered a quiet
vicarage, and demanded that within three
hours more than the vicar could give in a
year. To cheer her father, one of his
daughters took her guitar, and sang to it
one of Gerhardt's hymns. Presently the
door softly opened; the officer stood at it,
and motioned her to continue ; and when
the hymn was sung, thanked her for the
lesson, ordered out the dragoons, and rode
off.—Macmillan's Magazine
The Existence of Jehovah.
Add together ages of ages; multiply
them by the leaves on the trees, the sand
on the sea shore, and-the-dust of the earth,
still you will be no nearer the termination
of Jehovah's existence than when you first
began your calculation. And let us re
member that the duration of his existence
is the only measure of our own. As it re
spects futurity, we are all as immortal as
Jeho"Vah himself—PayAra