ing so satisfies the imagination and the heart as the luxuriant rose vines, bossed from root to crown with glories of buds and blossoms; lavishing their sweet lives on the happiness of those who dwell contentedly at home; and conjuring up for soul and sense, through the magic of color and perfume, ideal scenes that line the roadways of life with banks of ravishing fragrance and bowers of beauty without end. The rose is the angel of the garden; and one can therefore readily comprehend what the poet Gray meant when he exclaimed-" Happy they who can create a Rose!" Sir Henry Wotten wrote of it, in his verses "On his Mistress, the Queen of Bohemia," "You violets that first appear, By your pure purple mantles known, As if the Spring were all your own,- A HOUSE SINKS INTO THE GROUND. On Sixth-day afternoon, 10th of 5th month, a singular and startling accident happened near Girardville, at the foot of Mahanoy Plane, about six miles from Mahanoy City, Schuylkill Co., Penna. It seems that at that point a "breast" of the Boston and Mahanoy Coal Company's colliery had been worked to within about 20 feet of the surface of the earth, and that located just above it stood a two story frame building, occupied by Mr. Thomas T. Myers, a breaker boss at the colliery, and his family. He also had a number of boarders, whose clothing, &c., were in the house. About three o'clock on Friday afternoon, as Mrs. Morris Robinson, of this borough, wife of the superintendent of the colliery, who was on a visit to the house, and Mrs. Myers were in the kitchen, they felt the house moving, and rushed in haste into the open air. Two minutes had hardly elapsed after they left the house, before it sank with a surging, swaying motion into a huge chasm, to the depth of about eighty feet. Large masses of earth and rock from the sides of the chasam, immediately closed in upon the house, burying it almost completely from view. The crash when it went down was tremenduous. The complete entomb. ment of the dwelling, which was about thirtyfive feet long, may be imagined, says the Miner's Journal, when we state that the chasm formed by the sinking of the mine would readily have admitted a building over one hundred feet in length. Fortunately the startling occurrence was not attended with the loss of human life. Had it taken place at night, ten lives might have been lost. But it took place at an hour when some of Mr. Myer's children had gone to school, while the othere were playing outside. POWER-LOOM AND HAND-WORK FABRICS. Whatever relates to textile fabrics, especially those of cotton, cannot fail to interest American manufacturers. In our growing familiarity with the marvellous amount and delicacy of the products of power-looms and other machinery worked by steam, we are in danger of forgetting what is daily accomplished by means of handlooms and the workings of the supple and sensitive fingers. To this day India cotton goods, especially the Dacca muslins, or those from Eastern Bengal, have been imported into England, recommended by their superior softness, richness and durability. So, also, of the calicoes, chintzes and ginghams, which form the staple manufactures of Coromandel. Though nearly driven out of the European market by cheap and successful imitations, they are still preferred over the East, where the curious believe themselves able to distinguish by the touch and even by the smell these genuine products of the Indian loom. The highest qualities of the Dacca muslin are splendid examples of the superiority of intelligent labor over the most elaborate machinery. The hand of the Hindoo, to use the language of a writer in "Once a Week," "is educated to a delicacy of touch that is marvellous, and that delicacy is transmitted through succeeding generations until the native manipu lator acquires a kind of instinctive aptness which gives him all the unfailing regularity of a machine, directed by the intelligence of man.' The native women spin with the finger a yarn which surpasses in fineness the machine-spun yarn paraded, in the great Exhibition of 1862, as a marvel of European skill. The classes of muslin called "woven air" and "evening dew" are, as their names would import, of unsurpassing fineness of fabric. It is related that a weaver was chastised and driven out of the city of Dacca for neglecting to prevent his cow from eating up a piece of this quality of muslin which he had spread out and left upon the grass, the article being so fine that the animal could not see it on the herbage. So delicate is the manufacture of the shirt staple of the Dacca cotton that it can only be spun into yarn at certain times of the day. Preference is given to the morning, before the dew has left the grass; or, if spinning be carried on after that time, it is over a pan of water, the evaporation from which yields moisture enough to prevent the fibre from becoming too brittle to handle. The Dacca muslin, with all its delicacy, will wash, which European muslin will not. A piece of "evening dew," one yard wide and four yards long, weighs only one ounce and eightysix grains. Figured muslins is a still more costly and delicate work of the Indian loom. No approach has been made by Europeans in producing the charming effect of weaving gold and silver let in the sea, only their motion is exceedingly slow, not exceeding about 100 feet for the whole summer season. The lower extremities of these glaciers, reaching the ocean, are buoyed up by the deep water, threads into the different fabrics made in India. | rivers of nearly solid matter, which have their outThe embroidery in the woven garments in which the absolutely pure gold is employed, never tarnishes, and it washes just as well as the other threads of the garment. and then are broken off from the rest of the mass, when they slowly drift away to the south. They sometimes have an extent of several miles, and are seven-eighths are in the water and les than onereally mountains of ice-icebergs-of which about eighth exposed above the surface. These floating ice-mountains often carry enormous blocks of rock, torn from the mountian side along which they have moved, and drop those rocks when and where the iceberg is finally lost. In this way geologists exfound where there are no similar formations-namely, by icebergs at a time before the present surface of the continents were upheaved from the depths of the ocean. It is known that this is one of Agassiz's favorite theories; he supposes that the whole earth was covered with glaciers. What will our American manufacturers, who may look to competing at some future day with the English in supplying the Indian market, say to the following statement made by the writer whom we have quoted above: "A native with a rude bamboo loom will, with his fingers and toes, finish a piece of muslin which cannot by all the application of our most delicate ma-plain how boulders and erratic rocks happen to be chinery be produced in Europe." A like supe riority is evinced in the Hindoo's almost instinctive appreciation of appropriate form and color in design. He has learned to print fast colors. The native fabrics are remarkable for the sobriety and harmony of hue which they present. The English colors will not wash, and even Prussia is gaining the advance in supply-capital. The founding of the college was opposed ing dyed goods to India.-Public Ledger. It is said that Chili and Peru have accepted with certain reservations, the proffered mediation of the government of the United States in their quarrel with Spain. The French government has granted a concession to the new Franco-American Telegraph Company, which proposes to lay a submarine cable from Brest to some point on the American coast. The abolition of imprisonment for debt is gradually conquering a place in the legislation of every European country. Even Imperial France, so timid of liberal laws, has now adopted the reform. THE EMPEROR OF CHINA lately decreed the estab lishment of a European college at Pekin, the Chinese by the Emperor's minister, Ouojen, who presented a memorial, saying: "In a country so vast as China every talent can be found. If astronomy and the other sciences are necessary, Chinese letters will be found by means of which they can be taught." Thereupon the Emperor rejoins: "Let Ouoj-r then seek for the letters of which he speaks. We ber by entrust him personally with the duty, and give him authority to open a school, over which he will preside and teach the things taught in the European school. The examinations will show at a later time the relative merits of the scholars of the two schools." TO PRESERVE ICE.—An exchange gives the following method of preserving ice for domestic purposes, and especially for the sick room: Make two bags of stout woolen fabric; the inner one should be ten inches wide by fourteen inches deep. The outer bag should be made at least two inches wider each way. After placing one bag inside the other, stuff feathers between the two, and sew the bags together at the top. Put a block of ice into a bag of this denearly a week, when under exposure it will melt in scription and it will be preserved from melting for less than an hour.-Del. Co. Republican. THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY CONGRESS now sitting at Paris, it is announced, has determined upon the gold five-franc piece and its multiples as the basis of an uniform international currency. This will make the French system of coinage that of the civilized world, if other nations adopt the report of the Congress. The five-franc piece is worth 96 cents in gold. TELEGRAPHING is making great progress in the East. China is about having its great wall of prejuELECTRO MAGNETISM has found a new use in the dices against foreign innovation broken down. The aris and manufactures, in being made instrumental East India Telegraph Company is making efforts to in smelting iron. A fixed electro-magnet is placed introduce the telegraph into China, and in this is opposite an opening in the side of the furnace con- backed by the influence of the French Ambassador taining the metal to be smelted, and a current of at Pekin. The British government has given this magnetism is directed into the molten metal. The company the privilege of erecting telegraphs at Hong effect on the iron is said to be very remarkable, ren-Kong, and the progress made by this, an American dering it extremely tough and hard. The process is carried on with great success at one of the most important iron works in Sheffield. ORIGIN OF THE FLOATING ICEBERGS IN THE ATLAN TIC.-The valleys of Greenland are all filled with glaciers, of which some have an enormous extent. They are always in motion, gliding downwards like telegraphic enterprise, is most gratifying. In England, a rival corporation called the Anglo-Indian Telegraph Company has been organized; and it contem plates not only lines in the East, but a new line connecting England with the East, the present telegraphic connection with that part of the globe being very unsatisfactory. FRIENDS' INTELLIGENCER. "TAKE FAST HOLD OF INSTRUCTION; LET HER NOT GO; KEEP HER; FOR SHE IS THY LIFE." TERMS: PAYABLE IN ADVANCE The Paper is issued every Seventh-day, at Three Dollars per annum. $2.50 for Clubs; or, four copies for $10. Agents for Clubs will be expected to pay for the entire Club. The Postage on this paper, paid in advance at the office where it is received, in any part of the United States, is 20 cents a year. AGENTS-Joseph S. Cohu, New York. Henry Haydock, Brooklyn, N. Y. Benj. Stratton, Richmond, Ind. William H. Churchman, Indianapolis, Ind. For Friends' Intelligencer. CONTENTS. Presbyterian Separations and Reunions.. Spiritual Talk...... It is Well with the Child... A Talk to Mothers.. EDITORIAL OBITUARY......... European Correspondence.. POETRY... 353 ... 855 356 357 360 360 361 362 363 PRESBYTERIAN SEPARATIONS AND REUNIONS. tinued to increase, and it became manifest that BY S. M. JANNEY. (Continued from page 339.) The separation of 1838 was preceded by an exciting controversy, relating to " didactic theology and church government and discipline." In the year 1830, Albert Barnes, a distinguished preacher and writer, was chosen pastor by the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia a decisive struggle would take place at the meeting of the General Assembly in 1837. The strict interpreters of the Confession of Faith-the Scotch party-had for some years been the minority in the Assembly; they therefore invited a convention to meet in Philadelphia the week previous to the time appointed for the General Assembly. The convention consisted of 124 members, most of whom also were delegates to the Assembly. They prepared and transmitted to the General Assembly, a document entitled a "Testimony and Memorial." "They bore testimony against sixteen doctrinal errors, ten departures from the Presbyterian order, and five declensions in Christian discipline." Among the alleged doctrinal errors charged against the other party, they specified the following: He had previously preached a sermon entitled, "The Way of Salvation," which was thought by many to be at variance with the Presbyterian Confession of Faith and the Catechisms. He was admitted by the Presbytery, but a minority protested against it, and complaint being made to the Synod of Philadelphia, the case was referred back to the Presbytery. That body appointed a committee to examine the obnoxious sermon, and subsequently expressed their disapprobation of the doctrines avowed in it. The proceedings arising from "Election to eternal life is founded on a this accusation continued six years, but failed foresight of faith and obedience." "We have to effect his expulsion from the ministry. He no more to do with the first sin of Adam, than was sustained by a strong party, known as the with the sins of any other parent." "Infants Puritan party, or New School, while those who come into the world as free from moral defileinsisted on a strict adherence to the Calvinistic ment as was Adam when he was first created." doctrines, as construed by the Scotch party," Original sin does not include a simple bias of were known as the Old School Presbyterians. the human mind and a just exposure to penal In addition to this cause of dissension, there suffering." "There is no evidence in Scripwere others, growing out of the administration | ture that infints, in order to salvation, do need of their di cipline, and the proceedings of their redemption by the blood of Christ and regeneHome Missionary Society. ration by the Holy Ghost." "The doctrine of imputation, whether of the guilt of Adam's | ecclesiastical business according to the presin or of the righteousness of Christ, has no scribed ordinary forms." This statement is foundation in the Word of God, and is both quoted from a paper written by an adherent of unjust and absurd." "The sufferings and the Old School party. death of Christ were not truly vicarious and penal, but symbolical, governmental and instructive only." The convention pronounced these and other doctrines they specified as " errors unscriptural, radical, and highly dangerous," which in "their ultimate tendency subvert the foundations of Christian hope, and destroy the souls of men." It does not appear by the statement from which these extracts are taken, whether the New School party admitted or denied that they held the doctrines above cited, and to the unprejudiced mind it must seem astonishing that any body of intelligent men could pronounce such doctrines "dangerous errors," calculated "to destroy the souls of men." The General Assembly of 1837 met, and, the adherents of the convention having a decided majority in that body, promptly acceded to the requests of the memorial. They abrogated the "plan of union" between Presbyterians and Congregationalists. They adjudged that the four Synods of Genessee, Geneva, Utica, and the Western Reserve were not "constituent parts" of the Presbyterian Church. The operations of the American Home Missionary, and of the American Educational Societies, were excluded from their churches, and the Third Presbytery of Philadelphia dissolved. A writer of the other party, commenting on the proceedings of the General Assembly in 1837, says: "It was distinctly understood, previously to the meeting, through a convention of that party, that, if they could secure a majority, some measures would be adopted which would disable, ever thereafter, the moderate party in the church. The desired majority was obtained." "Indeed, it is quite manifest that the whole movement was made, as was admitted by a principal leader of the party at the time, for the simple purpose of preventing a future majority of the other party. These four Synods, comprising about five huudred ministers and six hundred churches, and sixty thousand communicants, were attempted to be cut off from the Presbyterian Church, because if the opposing party was not thoroughly broken by such an excision, the Scotch party would never have a majority on that floor again." "After passing these resolutions, the major ity took effective measures to retain the records and the funds of the Church, by passing an or der requiring the clerks to pledge themselves not to receive the commissioners from the excinded Synods in the formation of the next Assembly." "The party that had excinded the four Synods to secure to themselves a future majority, retained all the funds and property of the Church, amounting to more than three hundred thousand dollars." were now two General Assemblies; that called the Old School held possession, and the other Assembly, which claimed to be the constitu tional body, brought suit for the property. "The succeeding twelve months were devoted by both parties to preparation for the Assembly of 1838. By custom it devolves upon the The right to this property became a subject. permanent and stated clerks to make up the of litigation in the courts of Pennsylvania. It list of the members, who present their commis- was held by trustees for "the General Assemsions for that purpose anterior to the commence-bly of the Presbyterian Church;" but there ment of the sessions. These officers omitted all reference to the delegates from the Presbyteries comprised in the four Synods which had been expunged from the ecclesiastical statistics by the previous Assembly. When the motion was made that the commissions from these Presbyteries should be received, the moderator refused to recognize the motion, or the parties on whose behalf it was made. After a short interval of disorder, the minority (including both the advocates of the Synods who were excluded by the Assembly of 1837, and the commissioners from those Synods) united in disclaiming the authority of the moderator, and proceeded to organize by themselves; and having elected another moderator and clerks, the whole of the dissentients from the acts of the Assembly in 1837, immediately withdrew, in a body, to the edifice occupied by the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia. The ma-party. jority retained their seats until the temporary It is observed by Joel Parker, pastor of a confusion ceased, when they proceeded to their New School congregation of Presbyterians in After a trial before a jury, "a verdict was rendered in favor of the plaintiffs, the Puritan party: that is,' as explained by the presiding judge, the Assembly which held its sittings in the First Presbyterian Church (a portion of which had been cut off in 1837, without trial) was the true General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in the United States of America, under the charter.' "From this decision the Old School party appealed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and Chief Justice Gibson ordered a new trial under instructions; but the New School Assembly con cluded to withdraw the suit, and in so doing left the property in the hands of the other Philadelphia, that "the Scotch party retain the funds and property. Individuals of the party have intimated a willingness to restore as much of these funds as was contributed by the Puritan party. There is no doubt they would be more happy if it were done; but how to perform that which they desire, they find not. The funds are of little consequence. The period of deep excitement has passed away. Some great advantages have accrued from this unhappy division of brethren. The accusations of heresy have ceased, and events have shown that either party would gladly strengthen itself with receiving to its arms any clergyman of good standing in his present position. An interchange of public services in one anothers' churches has already commenced, and there is every reason to hope that the time is not distant when the kindest and most fraternal intercourse will prevail universally between these two branches of the Presbyterian family." The foregoing remarks were published in 1844. At that time the numerical strength of the two parties were nearly equal; the General Assembly of the Old School Presbyterians comprised 19 synods, 105 presbyteries, 1434 ministers, and 159,137 members in communion. That of the New School had under its care 19 synods, 101 presbyteries, and nearly 1500 ministers. The number of its members is not stated. It will doubtless occur to some of the read ers of "Friends' Intelligencer," that in many respects the Presbyterian schism in 1837 resembled the separation in the Society of Friends, that occurred ten years earlier. SPIRITUAL LIFE. FRAGMENTARY PRAYER. A devout man, one that prayed always.-Acrs 102. We miss very much devotional joy, by the neglect of fragmentary prayer. In the intervals which separate periodical seasons of devo tion, we need a habit of offering up brief ejac ulatory expressions of devout feeling. The morning and the evening sacrifice depend very much upon these interspersed offerings, as these in return are dependent on those. Communion with God in both, is assisted by linking the "set times" together by a chain of heavenward thoughts and aspirations, in the breaks which occur in our labors and amusements. Sunrise and sunset may attract our attention more strongly than the succession of golden rays between them, but who can say that they are more cheering? It is not often that a day wholly clouded lies between two clear twilights. Prayer, as we have seen, is, in the highest conception of it, a state rather than an act. A full fruition of its benefits depends on a continuity of its influences. Reduce it to two isolalated experiments daily, and separate these by long blank hours in which the soul has no glimpse of God for its refreshment, and how can prayer be other than a toil, and often a drudgery? We come to the eventide with the impression of the morning watch all obliterated; probably with a conscience burthened by accumulations of sin upon an ungoverned spirit through the day. We feel that we must take a new start every time we seek God's presence. Our sense of spiritual progress is lost. Sinning and repenting is all our life; we do not have holy force enough to get beyond repentance in our devotion. Our prayers, instead of being, as they should be, advancing steps, are like the steps of a tread-mill. Humane law has abandoned this, even as a punishment for felons; why should one whom Christ has made free inflict it upon himself? Joel Parker, writing of the New School party, says they had at the time of the separation, as compared with the others, "less of organization as a party, and less disposition to contend. The Scotch party organized them selves by conventions and appeals through the press, representing the church as being in extreme danger from heresy in doctrine, and innovations upon established order. The feel- We need, then, something that shall make ings to which they appealed were a warm regard our prayerful hours support each other-the to Presbyterian order and doctrine. The Pu- morning tributary to the evening, and the ritan party really believed that it was unjusti- evening to the morning. Nothing else can do fiable to attempt to meet these warlike prepara- this so naturally as the habit of ejaculatory tions by demonstrations of the same character. prayer. The spirit of prayer may run along They thought if they still devoted their ener-the line of such a habit through a lifetime. So gies to the cause of missions and the progress one may live in a state of prayer, "a devout man of piety in our own church, and in the country that prays always." at large, God would protect their cause." (To be continued.) Shall we be slothful and negligent in the contemplation of the glory of God, which transforms our minds into its own likeness, so that the eyes of our understanding shall be continually filled with it, until we see Him continually?—-Owen. Not only does this habit of fragmentary prayer contribute to a lofty, devotional spirit, but such a spirit demands it for its own indulgence. Critics have observed, that in the apostolic epistles, doxologics are sometimes embedded in passages of remonstrance and of warning. It should seem, that the apostolic mind came down unwillingly, or from a sense of duty only, to |