SOME ACCOUNT OF THE SETTLEMENT OF HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FRIENDS' MEETING THERE. (Concluded from page 101.) Thomas Parry emigrated to this country from the North of Wales, and located about one mile north of Willow Grove, in the manor of Moreland, then in Philadelphia county. He married Jane Morris in the year 1715. They had ten children, viz.: Thomas, Philip Wynn, John, Stephen, Edward, David, Mary, Jacob, Isaac, Martha. John married Margaret Tyson, granddaughter of Rynear Tyson, and had seven children. "At our Monthly Meeting, ye 30th of 10th mo., 1717, "Friends of Horsham request a Preparative Meeting, which is granted them.' 7th mo., 1724, At our Monthly Meeting, held ye 28th of ye Application being made by Horsham Friends for some assistance towards ing of their new meeting-house, ye meeting finishhaving taken it into consideration, orders that the other four meetings shall assist those Friends of Horsham Meeting." Whatever assistance was furnished at that time appears not to have been sufficient, as we find, some months later, that the QuarStephen married Esther Walmsley, and terly Meeting (Philadelphia) directed a further subscription "to be raised to defray the had two daughters, Jane and Martha. Jacob married Sarah Cadwallader, grand-charge of Horsham new meeting-house. daughter of John Cadwallader, the preacher, and had two sons, Isaac and Thomas. Isaac was for many years a valued and prominent Elder of Horsham Meeting. He died in the fall of 1857, aged about 84 years. Thomas Wood was born in England, of parents not professing with Friends, who brought him with them to this country when very young, and settled in New Jersey preous to the year 1680. He early removed to Pennsylvania, and took up a tract of land in the manor of Moreland, on the southwest side of the Byberry road, below Hatboro, where he resided the remainder of his life. While young he was received into membership with Friends, and was an approved Minister for more than 45 years. He died in 1769, it is believed, in his 94th year. Late in life he married, and left a daughter and two sons. John Wood, youngest son of the above, married Mary Samms, and settled on a part of his father's estate, which is still retained by his descendants. He died in 1820, in his 75th year; his widow deceased in 1844, in her 90th year. They left four children, Ann, From the records of Abington Monthly Meeting it appears that Friends who had settled in the neighborhood of Horsham in 1716 made application for a meeting. "At our Monthly Meeting, ye 24th of 7th mo., 1716, "Friends of Horsham made application for a constant meeting to be kept on First days and Sixth-days during ye winter season, which was granted, ye preparative meeting excepted." "At our Monthly Meeting, ye 30th of 6th mo., 1717, "It is agreed that there be two Overseers chosen for Horsham Meeting, viz., John Michener and Thomas Iredell.' From the best information we can obtain this house was 35 or 40 feet square, and some years later a smaller building was annexed to the eastern end, to accommodate the Women's Preparative Meeting. Abington Monthly Meeting was at that time composed of Germantown, Frankford, Abington, Byberry and Horsham Preparahad so increased that in short days Friends tive Meetings, and the number of members frequently did not get through their business from their homes. This no doubt caused the till after candlelight, and then many were far concern which appears from the following minute : the 29th of the 4th mo., 1782, "At a Monthly Meeting, held at Abington the 29th of the 4th mo., 1782, "This meeting hath for some time had the weighty subject of settling another Monthly Meeting within the range of this, before us, der their consideration in what mode or manand appointed a large committee to take unher another Monthly Meeting might be settled, who made report in writing of their sense thereon, which was several times read meeting was agreed to, and the clerk directed over, and being solidly considered by the Meeting, for their concurrence if that meetto send a copy thereof to the Quarterly ing finds unity therewith. "Signed on behalf of our said meeting, "WILLIAM HALLOWELL, Jr., Clerk." The Quarterly Meeting appointed a large committee to take the subject under consideration. This committee met and made a lengthy report, which was united with by the meeting, and its judgment was that Horsham and Byberry should constitute one Monthly Meeting, to be held alternately, the first at Horsham, on the 29th of the 8th mo., 1782. "At a Monthly Meeting, held at Abington ye 26th of ye 8th mo., 1782, "The following report of a committee ap pointed by the Quarterly Meeting on this meeting's proposal of settling another Monthly Meeting within the compass of this, was produced here with a minute of that meeting's concurrence therewith. "Horsham, in the county of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1782. "On the 29th day of the Eighth month, 1782, being the fifth day of the week, a considerable number of men and women Friends, members of the Preparative Meetings of Horsham and Byberry, also a committee appointed by the Monthly Meeting of Abington, and divers Friends of a committee of the Quarterly Meeting of Philadelphia, each consisting of men and women, assembled at the meeting-house of Friends in Horsham aforesaid, when, after a seasonable time of silent retirement and acceptable ministerial labor, the following minutes of the said Monthly and Quarterly Meetings were read, etc. duced a receipt to this meeting for the payment of 44 years Quit-rent, which sum being one pound nine shillings and five pence, Pennsylvania currency, the receipt being lodged in Thomas Lloyd's hands, where the rest of the writings belonging to the meeting land are also ordered to be lodged. William Penn's terms of sale for the land in the Province of Pennsylvania were forty shillings per hundred acres, and one shilling a year Quit-rent forever. For Friends' Intelligencer. THE SECTARIAN PRESS. Whatever is sectarian is, in a certain sense, committed to a special line of religious thought, and the end and object of its existence is to further the interests of the sect or party to which it gives adherence. Especially is this true of the magazine or newspaper. Whatever tends to make clearer the principles or testimonies that are believed to be the foundation stones of the faith held, should claim the first place, nor should any thought or utterance that might in any measure weaken its hold upon the heart and conscience, find encouragement in its columns. This must be evident to every intelligent "After which the women Friends retired into a separate apartment of the said meeting-house, in order to consider and conclude upon the necessary matters for the future or derly management of the affairs of Truth to come under their particular care. And the men Friends proceeded on the proper consid-reader. eration of such matters as were most imme- It is often the case that outside the pale of diately necessary for the future conducting the prescribed belief, are found those whose of the weighty affairs of the said Monthly expositions of religious truth are closely in Meeting." harmony, while the creeds they hold are widely apart. This ought not to cause surprise, since truth, like the diamond, presents a new face, from whatever angle it is viewed ; the jewel remains the same, however many are the rainbow hues that sparkle on its surface, and so the earnest seekers after truth find a responsive answer to the throbing thought of the soul in most unlooked for places, each hearing in his own tongue, in which he was born, of the wonderful works of God. The Monthly Meeting continued to be held alternately at Horsham and Byberry until 1810, when the latter became a Monthly Meeting. In 1803 the present house was erected, and is 72 by 40 feet. Upper Dublin Meeting-house is 40 feet square, and was built, in 1814, on a piece of ground bought of Phebe Shoemaker. It became a Preparative Meeting in 1815, and is estimated in size to Horsham as one-fifth. Warminster Meeting-house is 28 by 56 ft., and was built, in 1840, on a piece of ground bought of Thomas Parry. The Preparative Meeting was established in 1841, and was composed of 24 families and parts of families, and pays one-eighth of the Monthly Meeting quota. By reference to the minutes of the Monthly and Preparative Meetings it was the practice regularly to appoint committees once a year to visit the families of Friends. From the minutes of Horsham Preparative Meeting we extract the following: "At a Preparative Meeting, held at Horsham, ye 28th of the 6th mo., 1758, Closely allied, and indeed bound up with the furtherance of the interests represented, is the manner of their presentation. Whatever is undertaken should be well done—no low standard should satisfy. Remembering the injunction of the Master, let the aim be perfection. See how in the most unfrequented and out of the way places the Infinite One finishes His work with the same precision that He gives the great and wonderful things that call forth the admiration of man. It is this excellence of work that we are to copy. If we have a thought from God to hand forth to another, let us hand it forth, that it may not, in its presentation, shame the giver. "The Friends appointed to pay the Quit- We do not enough consider this when in the rent report they have done that service, and, heat of argument, or the earnestness to fasten in compliance with a former minute, pro-an impression, or make a point, we rush before These thoughts are as applicable to those who are of our profession as they are to others; indeed, it would seem to be more binding upon us to let "our words be few and savory," since Friends are almost the only people who claim to speak for God through immediate inspiration. the world with our crude attempts to increase | monial, or doctrinal, belongs to the period of its knowledge. The five words of the Apostle, its domination, and is transitory as that is. spoken or written with the understanding, so One may not revile ancient faiths, therefore, that they who hear or read may be profited, because they express certain conditions under is of far greater value than ten thousand which spiritual ideas manifested themselves; which convey a doubtful meaning. This is one may not exalt them one above another, not written to throw discouragement in the because their imperfections may belong to the way of any, but to incite all who by pen or people who honored them in their day and word, are seeking to advance the truth in according to their ability. Each has many others, to improve their gifts, not being satis- vulnerable points, but each has its heavenly fied until they find themselves growing not aspects. Criticism seizes on the vulnerable only in the things of the Spirit, but in the points, the literary records, the dogmatic manner of presenting them to those who are formularies, the links of historical associato be influenced thereby. tion, the priesthoods and personalities, but faith contemplates the heavenly aspects, letting go all beside. To discredit other religions in order to eulogize Christianity is to do them less than justice; to eulogize them at the expense of Christianity is to do them more; for the latest faith belongs to the latest age which, on the whole, is the most forward in civilization. No religion is pledged to its perishable accretions; no religion is responsible for books or councils or decrees, or statements of opinion, or fictitious characters; for prophets, evangelists, apostles, or saints. Let criticism deal with these things as it must. For its spiritual ideals alone it is answerable. Alas for Christianity if it must stand or fall by its record, or by the theologies, Roman or Protestant, which attempt to explain its ineffable ideas! It is unfortunate when personal conviction stops short of central truths, for then a dogmatism enters that may easily become puerile. Theology of some sort there must be, for the human mind must give such account as it can of its beliefs, and the smallest minds are the most positive as a rule. But religion is compromised when any account of religion, which must from the nature of the case be temporal, is taken for religion itself, which is eternal; and this disastrous mistake is continually made. And when we write we need not multiply words. If we have a thought that the world would be the better for its utterance, let us say it. Nothing that is worth preserving is ever lost, and though it may not be ours to put the thought in imperishable words, some other soul, touched by the same impulse, will hand it down to future generations. L. J. R. CRITICISM AND CHRISTIANITY. Under this title an essayist in the North American Review for Fourth month, 1883, discourses upon the question as to whether there is any danger to real Christianity in the most searching criticism which the acute and learned can bring to bear upon it. He conceives that all which is essential and real in this divine cult which has wrought the healing of the nations, will shine brighter and clearer as more and more of the light of reason and sound philosophy is directed toward it. The remarkable sympathy and coincidences between the great faiths of mankind are demonstrated by candid examination and just criticism. The writer continues : The identity of religions appears to consist in their firm possession of a few cardinal truths which they hold in common. These truths make them one. In these they sympathize. The religions are imperfect inasmuch as they are attached to local usuages and to ephemeral traditions, but they lead up to one another only in the sense that one age precedes another and passes on its discoveries. The substance of faith is in all times the same. The form, literary or cere All religion, it is here assumed, is in essence and origin supernatural in some sense, if not superhuman. The divine spirit is a " power not ourselves." But "supernatural " is by no means synonomous with "miraculous," in the vulgar sense of the word. Though every recorded miracle were discarded as incredible, the supernatural element in religion would not of necessity be touched, for the influx of the celestial wisdom may come in other ways, and in any event must be beyond the reach of scientific investigation, which deals only with sensible phenomena, and has no instruments keen enough to trace the possible advent of an immaterial principle into the soul of man. The eloquent author of the little book called "Natural Religion" uses the following language: "We are all supernaturalists thus far that we all books as canonical will never be unfolded. Some will be prepared to surrender the Fourth Gospel; some will let the apostolical writings go; some will cease from holding up for imitation the character of Jesus; some will concede the whole New Testament story to be mythical, the narrative statement of an idea; some will refuse to see the hand of Providence in the history of the Church, and some will agree with Professor Seeley that "religion does not brood over a future life, but is intensely occupied with the present; it does not worship a power which suspends natural laws, but the power which is exhibited in those laws; it does not shrink from political organization, but is itself the soul of all healthy political organization; it does not damp enjoyment, but is itself the principle of all rich enjoyment; it is not self-conscious or self-absorbed, and does not make us anxious about our own fate, but is the principle which destroys self and gives us strength to rise above personal anxieties.' In an age of multifarious activities like ours, of such vavarious temperaments and aptitudes, a great religion must be hospitable and persuasive, insisting only on such primal truths as constitute it a religion, the existence of a supreme intelligence which communicates itself to men, raising them to superhuman possibilities of experience through aspiration and faith. The glory of such manifestation can never be described. The reality of such experience is by all earnest minds confessed. Let it be exhibited, illustrated, dwelt on, and all noble spirits will be drawn to its light. Even critics will acknowledge the presence of a being they cannot explain, and will gladly revere a power that excites no terror, but compels them to worship. believe in the existence of a world beyond | that the reasons for selecting such and such our present knowledge." No doubt we are. No doubt all thoughtful people are. But supernaturalism is a supplement to knowledge, not an extension of it; it professes to give what knowledge, be it ever so advanced, cannot furnish, never will be able to furnish; can, at best, watch and determine the human conditions of, with a view to preventing its intrusion into departments where it does not belong. One cannot too much admire the ambition to combine every noble power in league against ignoble propensities. But may not this be accomplished by stripping religion of its objectionable features,-of ritualism, biblicism, dogmatism, moralism, Calvinism, Puritanism, ecclesiasticism, or other offensive accretions, and showing it in its perfection? If Christianity would gratefully make over to criticism whatever criticism claims as belonging to its province, reserving to itself the task of exhibiting the immortal beauty of its essential truths, it might, at the same time, disarm its enemies and fascinate its friends. The attacks upon it are directed against its outworks, not against its citadel; against its accompaniments, its impedimenta, its luggage, never against its cardinal principle; against its unhandsome accidents, never against its eternal loveliness. The mistake that Christian apologists have made, the mistake which they make to-day, is in defending lines that are indefensible, and in staking the issue of their cause on a conflict where final discomfiture is certain. The aucient story of Archimedes, so absorbed in his studies as to be ignorant when Syracuse was taken, and spared by the soldiers who broke in on him because he was intent on his work, is applicable here. The task of showing the intrinsic excellence of the Christian system, of unfolding its interior glory, is quite suffi- That Christianity will fall under the ascient to exercise the faculties of any class of saults of criticism is extremely improbable. men. To abandon positions that still appear That it will fall from any cause is extremely to be tenable is not required. The improbable-nay, is quite impossible and out champions of Christianity should take the of the question. Criticism may, in the end, positive, not the negative view of their duty; prove a good friend to it by removing the should look at their situation from the sunny excresences that cloud its radiance and disside, should discern the good in the dilemma figure its beauty. The danger, if danger there they are placed in; should, in a word, be be, is likely to come from its defenders who hopeful under all emergencies. By this is are ignorant of the use of their own weapons, meant that they should sink their shaft and, like the passionate Peter of the Gospel, deeper when surface deposits are exhausted, draw a sword, fetch a mighty blow, and sucas the Swedenborgians attempt to do in re- ceed in cutting off the ear of a servant. The gard to the doctrine of Scripture inspiration. Master has but to appear, and his enemies Of course there will be differences of judg- sink to the ground. ment in respect to the positions that may still be tenable. It is an established point, according to some, that the link which unites Jesus with the Christ is lost; that the connection is stronger than any material force; that between the Jewish and the Christian thoughts rule the world.-The Progress of churches will never be historically made; | Culture. ANGER dieth quickly with a good man. THE HOLY GHOST. There is a beautiful poem of a gifted German poet of this century, in which he describes his wanderings in the Hartz Mountains, and as he rests in the house of a mountain peasant, a little child, the daughter of the house, sits at his feet, looks up in his troubled countenance, and asks: "Dost thou believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?" He makes answer in words which must be read in the original to see their full force. He says: "When I sat as a boy on my mother's knee, and learned from her to pray, I believed on God the Father, who reigns aloft, so great and good; who created the beautiful earth and the beautiful men and women that are upon it; who to sun and moon and stars foretold their appointed course. And when I grew a little older and bigger, then I understood more and more; then I took in new truth with my reason and my understanding, and I believed on the Son-the well-beloved Son--who in His love revealed to us what love is, and who for His reward, as always happens, was crucified by the senseless world. And now that I am grown up, and that I have read many books, and travelled in many lands, my heart swells, and with all my heart I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God. It is this Spirit which works the greatest of miracles, and shall work greater miracles than we have yet seen. It is this Spirit which breaks down all the strongholds of oppression, and sets the bondsman free. It is this Spirit which heals old death-wounds, and throws into the old law new life. Through this Spirit it is that all men become a race of nobles, equal in the sight of God. Through this Spirit are dispersed the black clouds and dark cobwebs that bewilder our hearts and brains."—From Stanley's Christian Institutions. KNOWLEDGE was never so generally dif fused as now; but the gain has been more in extension than in depth, and this generation stands in far greater danger of the vice of superficialness than the earlier generations, who held to certain standards of competency, and gave the thinker and scholar their credentials with a certain show of definite authority. Now everybody writes and signs his own degree as master of the sciences, and there is no authority to determine who are entitled to speak and who are not. Americans need pre-eminently that habit of patience which is the foundation of all true scholarship and the beginning of all thorough thinking. They need also to understand that the greatest things are attained through growth, and not by rapid acquirement, and that the ripe maturity out of which one draws rich and ample stores of intellectual wealth comes by a process of nature, and not by a process of forcing.-Christian Union. IT is a pitiable desecration of such a nature as ours to give it up to the world. Some baser thing might have been given, without regret; but to bow down reason and conscience, to bind them to the clods of earth; to contract those faculties that spread themselves out beyond the world, even to infinity,-to contract them to worldly trifles,-it is pitiable, it is something to mourn and weep over. He who sits down in a dungeon which another has made has not such cause to bewail himself as he who sits down in the dungeon which he has thus made for himself. Poverty and destitution are sad things; but there is no such poverty, there is no such destitution, as that of a covetous and worldly heart, Poverty is a sad thing, but there is no man so poor as he who is poor in his affections and virtues. Many a house is full, where the mind is unfurnished and the heart is empty, and no hovel of mere penury ever ought to be so sad as that house. Behold, it is left desolate,―to the immortal it is left desolate as the chambers of death. Death is there indeed, and it is the death of the soul!-Dr. Dewey. LIGHT cares speak, great ones are dumb.— Seneca. WE ask advice, but we mean approbation. -Cotton. Most men are slaves because they cannot pronounce the monosyllable "No."-Chamfort. USE well the moment: what the hour |