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But, supposing we do, in some measure,
Comprehend ihew mcnoing ; ‘us enquire,
Have we the same numerical body that we
biJjlght with us into the world? Or,can
weprnve the identity of our bodies, upon
the principles of infidel philosophy, even
for fivp minutes together ? 1“ it the same
body that dies at thirty, forty, or fifty years
of age, that was horn ?
We may reverse this question, and a>k,
Is it not ihe same body that dies at any giv
en period, that was horn ? Every man, as
he advances towards dissolution, however
he may speculate and philosophize, is in
dobitabiy conscious that his body lias never
changed its indentity, from his earliest re
collection to the present moment.
To deny that any human body is the
same body , because of the constant change
ot its constituent particles, appears to us
most absurd. Who ever dreampt, (for it
would be no better than dreaming,) that it
was not the same body that assisted Dr. John
son to compose his ponderous and elaborate
dictionary of the English language, because
the material atoms with which his lingers
were formed, were not the same atoms
when he finished, as when he began the
work ?
No one, we presume, hut a fastidious so
phist, would ever dispute that a river which
is composed of a confluence of waters, pas
sing, for age s , through the same channel,
is the same identical river, because the wa
ter a are so constantly changing that it would
be impossible for any human, not to say any
. ngelick, understanding, to recognize the
same dr >ps, as having twice ran in the same
course, or ihai they will ever, a second
time, h im a portion of th; same river.
Matter, in all its modifications and com
biuauons, is, allowedly, evanescent: and
tins being Itu- case, it appears to us, that
though it ought he amusing, it would be
equally unprofitable to dispute whether
the river is the same river, or the banks ot
the river the same banks ; as to enter into
a learned disquisition upon the identity of
the human body, al ihe general resurrec
tion: tor although the fleptmg particles,
which form the animal frame, may escape
the notice of fini’e minds. He that formed
(hem all, has ordained ihe destination of
every atom ; and.
“ The ttine draw* on
IVhen no) a single spot of burial earth,
Win*.her oil land, or in the spacious sea,
But must give hack its long committed dust
Inviolate; and faithfully shall these
Make up the full account ; uot the least atom
Kmhi zzleii, or mislaid, of the whole tale.
Kadi si:nl shall have a body ready furnished;
And rach shall have his own. ”
Peasants, and other persona of slender
abilities, who are, by the providence of
God. almost wholly engaged in the meni
al occupations of life, having neither leis
ure nor talents to enter into abstruse met
speculations, are, by this very
circumstance, legs opposed to the mysteries
of Divine truth : and, when their minds are
wrought upon hy the Spirit of God, they
no longer lean to their own understandings,
but rest upon the infinite understanding
o! God: so that when the illiterate humble
Christian contemplates the mysterious, joy
ful subject of the resurrection of his body,
at the great day, he is graciously exempt
from all perplexity, by simply taking God
at Ins word, that so it ghajl be : he asks not,
* How are the. dead raised? 1 ’ or, “ with
what body he is to meet bi. Lord in the air.”
He knows and is assured, that
That reared the piece at first, and took it down,
Can re assemble the loose scattered parts,
And put them as they Were. ”
There can be no doubt, to those who
believe in the resurrection of our Lord Je
su* Christ, that the body, prepared for him
in the womb of the virgin which was borr
of her at Bethlehem, which lived to be
about thirty three years of age, & which
at last, died the accursed death of the cross,
was the same, body which rose from the
tomb. The evidence of this is strikingly re
mark ship from the wounds of the nails and
the spear remaining unclosed at his appear
ance to Thomas and the. other disciples.
“ lie saith to Thomas, reach hither thy
fingers, and behold my hands ; and reach
hither thy hand, and thrust it into my
side.”
Forty days after our Redeemer had risen
from the dead, having led his disciples to
Ilethanv. he lifted up the hands which had
been nailed to the cross, and blessed them,
and ascended to heaven in the nature he
assumed; a cloud receiving him out of
ibeir ight.
Whatever change the body of the Lord,
or the bodies of Enoch aud Elijah, who
were translated that they should not see
death, might uodergo, to render them suit
able for the eternal world ; we can have
no reason to suppose that they changed
their identity.
The great apolle to the Gentiles, in 1
Cor. xv. declares that—“We shall not all
.'deep,”— i. e. die, —“but tve shall all be
changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump : for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall he raised
incorruptible, and pee —we who am alive
and remain,—shall be changed.—And this
corruptible must,” —not another,, hut—
“ this corruptible must put on incorruptinn,
and this mortal must put on immortality.”
And, in Phil. iii. 21. Speaking of thr
secend coming of our Lord, be says, “ Who
shall change our vile body, that it" —our
•vile body—“ may be fashioned like unto
his glorious body.
And, finally, we have the testimony of
the same apostle upon the subject in I
Tliess. iv. 15. IG, 17. “ For thi we say on
so you by the Lord, that we which arp alive
and remain unto the coming of the Lord,
sholl not prevent them which are asleep
For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
urch -ngel. and the trump of God: and the
de-vl in Christ shall rte first: Then vie
winch are alive mid remain, shall be caught
tip together with them in the clcunds, to
meet Ihe Lord in the air; and so shall tve
be ever with the Lord ” T. P.
MISSIONS TO THE HEATHEN.
From Sancho the Proverbialsi.
” A Society of Churchmen, who had for
the last century, been engaged, among oth
er benevolent designs, in conveying the
knowledge of Christianity to Heathen, con
vened a meeting near my aunt’s mansion
house, to consider the means of extending
to about sixty millions of poor idolatrous
Hindoos the knowledge of Christianity.
Now,whalever religion JJ- wisdom might urge
upon so plain a point, mere prudence could
not hut be alarmed at an attempt, however
quiet, to disturb the creed of sixty millions
of people. Accordingly, having entered
the assembly, I rose, and to the admiration
of my aunt, made the following oration.
“ I rise, sir, to oppose the motion which
has been submitted to the assembly, on the
following ground*:
“In the first place, the Hindoos are sav
ages, and Christianity was never designed
for savages.
“ In ihe second place, the religion of the
Hindoos is a very good religion—wtiy, then,
should we try to change i’ ?
“In the third place, their religion has
made them excellent dupes for centuries
why, then, teach them a religion which is
only fit for Europeans?
“ In the fourth place, they are sunk so
deep itvv ice and mi-ery, that it is impossible
to release them from it —why, then, at.
tempt it ?
“ In the fifth place, who would think of
beginning to convert foreign nations, til! we
have converted every one of our own peo
ple ?
“Sixthly, when the time comes for the
general conversion of the world, some sign
will be sent from heaven to tell us of it.
•“ Such, sir, are my reasons for resisting
the measure ; and whoever promotes it, and
opposes me, is an enthu-iu s t, and an enemy
lo the Kmsr. and to the Church of England.”
“ Having made my speech, I will own
that I expected, as the very smallest return,
the loud acclamations ot the astonished
clergv. But a most profound silence ensu
ed ; till a clergyman, who, I then thought,
looked old enough to know better, arose,
and thus addressed the assembly :
“Instead, sir, of replying directly to the
reasonings cf that speaker wtio has preced
ed me, I will simply put another case, and
request bis decision upon it. Suppose, in
stead of the present a-*emMy, a thousand
Peruvians were convened ou the hanks of
the Amazon, to take into consideration a
supplication from the nations of Europe to
supply them with that bark of Peru, which
is the only known antidote for a very large- 1
class of our diseases. And conceive, if you j
will, the preceding speaker, who, I am sure,
would be happy to undertake the embas
sage, lo he the advocate for these feverish
•and aguish nations, to the only possessors of
this antidote. Imagine him to arise amidst
the tawny multitude, and with much feeling
an.-? Vo slats, that at least sixty
millions of people depended upon their de
termination for health and life. At once, I
am persuaded, the cry of that multitude
would interrupt ihe pleadings of the orator, |
•and one and all would exclaim, “ Give them
bark 1 give them bark! and lei noi an Eu
ropean perish, whom it is possible for a P
ruvian to save.” Thus far all would be
well. But conceive, instead of the assero
bly being permitted to act upon this benev
olent decision, some Peruvian, of an age in
which the prevalence of policy or mere
prudence over justice and benevolence is:
more imeliigible and pardonable, to arise,
and thus address his countrymen :
44 Peruvians, you are far too precipitate.
Consider, 1 beseech you, the character and
circumstances of the person* for whom this
privilege is demanded.
“ In the first place, they are civilized na
tions—they read and write; they sleep in j
beds, and ride io coaches ; they w-ar coats
and trowsers —who, then, will say that bark’
is meant for such persons as these?
v* In the second place, thpir fevers and
agues may have many excellencies with
which we are unacquainted—why, then, at
tempt to cure them ?
“In the third place, their fevers and
agues assist exceedingly to thin their ar
mies—why, then, strengthen them, merely j
to destroy ourselves ?
11 Fourthly, those fevers and agues are so
deep seated and violent, that i< is impossible
to cure them—why, then, attempt it ?
“In the fifth place, who would think of
curing foreign nations, till we have cured
all the sick io Peru ?
“ Sixthly, when thp time comes for the
general cure of lever and agues, I have no
doubt but the Great Spirit will give us some
signs from the mountains.
“ Such, Peruvians, are my reasons for op
posing the wish of the speaker; and who
ever promotes it and opposes me, is a mad !
man. and an enemy both to the Incas and ;
the Great Spirit.”
“Now then,” continued the old clergy
man, “supposing the Peruvian Orator thus
to reason, I should be glad to know by
wha! answer that young gentleman would
repel his arguments.”
“ He then, to my infinite horrour, sat
down, and left me, with the eyes of the as
sembly fixed upon me, as if waiting for thy
reply; but not having any precisely ready,
1 thought it best to he taken suddenly ill,
and to leave the room.”
From the Family Visitor.
FOLLY OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONS.
The Editors of the National Intelligen
cer, in commenting on an engagement of
marriage between an Indian at the Foreigu
Mission School in Cornwall and a young la
dy in that vicinity, makes this extraordina
ry assertion:
“It is certainly a very unpleasant conse
q>n nee of the excessive z at for prnpag*
ting the gospel among the heathen, of
which, since the days of Ihe Apoßtle9, we
doubt whether a single durably beneficial
result can be shown.”
In regard to the first clause of this qnota
licn, it is sufficient to say, the treachery of
Arnold was a very unpleasant consequence
of the excessive zeal lor establishing civil
liberty in these United States. Had we
I continued the willing and obedient subjects
’ of his Majesty, Arnold had never betrayed
bis country. If the friends of ihe missiona
ry cause are responsible for the indiscretion
|of a youth, the friends of liberty are like
wise responsible for the treachery of Ar
nold—a double portion of which must ot
1 course rest upon Washington, La Fayette
and Bolivar. I)o the Editors really intend
|to maintain such absurdities ? It not, what
has this marriage to do null the expedien*
!cy or duly of prosecuting the missionary
enterprise ?
The last clause of the above quotation
may be reduced to oue of the lollowmg
propositions. i
1. Christianity i® a forgery :
2. The Deity has manifested great folly
in ushpriug into the world, with much prep
aratnm and solemnity, a religion which is of
no value; and has shown himself a liar in
declaring it, “ worthy of all acceptation.”
3 The Gospel has never, since thp days
of the Apostles, been extended from one
country to another nj mi-siouaries.
It is mciim'ient on the wriler of the para
graph in question, as well as on every oth
er person who takes it upon himselt to op
pose the cause of missions, to establish ihe
truth of one of these propositions. He may
make his own selection. If he declines the
lask, or is unable to perform it, lei him he
ware lest the cause of Christian Missions
should prove to be the cause of God, and
flourish auit extend, until its sublime and
heavenly effects reach from sea to sea, and
from the rivi r to the ends of the earth.
But independent of the moral effect
of the missionary enterprise, it argues
no common -bare of wilful bliodueas not to
see any beneficial results of a literary na
ture. Is it nothing that heathen countries
are explored, their geography and geology
made Knewu, the manners, and customs, ami
government, and religion of their inhabi
tants -ascertained, their languages mastered,
and their treasures of science and literature
Uid open? Is it nothing in a commercial
point of view, that the world becomes ac- j
quainted with the kind, and extent, and val-:
ne of their productions? Is it no benefit to!
uncivilized countries to become, acquainted!
with the blessings of civil liberty and the
free institutions of our country, with the}
arts and sciences and language of America ;
and Englaod and other civilized countries?
Who are translating books into the various
languages and dialpcts of the earth? Who (
fill our Journals with valuable information)
respecting the interiour of Europe, Pales
tine, Persia, India, South America, the So
ctety and Sandwich Islands, and the natives
of our country ? The very men who, like
the apostles, glory in beuig misionarics or
the cross, and ire sustained and urged on ;
ward, by motives and principles of heavenly j
oriffin, through studies and researches, and
difficulties under the pressure ot which the
heart of any other man would sink. It is a
well known fact that the people of this
country generally, have, within Ihe last
twenty years, obtained more correct and
useful information respecting distant coun
tries and their inhabitants, ihan in fifty or
one. hundred yearn preceding, and that a
large portion of this information has been
derived from Christian missionaries !
AMERICAN SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.
We learn, with pleasure, that the opi-r
ation® of this highly important Society are
rapidly increasing. The utility of Sunday
Schools has been so long tested, and the
advantages of religious instruction have
been so fully demonstrated, that it would
I e a work of supererogation, at this day,
to enter into a discussion of either subject.
To our hrethrea, especially, with whom
the design of Sunday schools originated,
we need no’ offer any argument to perse
vere in this cause, stronger than the words
of holy writ—“ Train up a child in the way
he should go; and when he is old he
will not depart from it.” We hope that
they will give to the American Sunday
School Union, prompt and steady support.
We believe tbattbe business of the Society
is conducted on evangelical principles.
Thf Board have, at present, 15 Sunday
School Missionaries employed in different
parts of the United States, and design to in
crease the number, as soon as the fund to
support them, which is derived solely from
the donations of friends , will permit. These
missionaries are employed in visiting old
schools, forming new ones, in organizing
town or country Unions, and in making
efforts to increase the funds of the Institu
tion Their labours, except in the last
particular, have been attended with success.
In one county, in Pennsylvania, a roisiopa
ry has organized 72 schools, in connexion
with the County Union. We understand
that the Board are much in want of funds
to support this branch of their operations,
and depend on the liberality of their Chris
tian friends for a supply.
The Union have, on (heir catalogue of
publications for Sunday schools, 35 books,
lessens, &LC. ; about 80 premium books, and
56 tracts. Their new works are princi
pally stereotyped; and their presses have,
for the last three months, produced an aver
age of about 80.000 pages per day Three
hundred and forty-three auxiliary socie
ties have already joined the Union ; four of
which embrace the States of New Hatnp
shire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, & Rhode
Inland ooe embraces the States of Missou
ri and Illinois —one the northern section
of the State of Ohio—and three include the
schools in the District of Columbia aad its
vicinity.
.\lt communications on the business of
1 the American Sunday School Union, should
be mhlress e*to Mr. Frederick W. Porter,
Corresponding Secretary, No. 13, North
Fourth-street, Philadelphia. — Col. Star.
The Treasurer of the Missionary Society
of the Synod ot South Carolina and Georgia,
acknowledges the receipt of the following
sums for the month of July and Ist of Au
gust inclusive, viz:
Contribution from the Salem Union
Society, per Rev. Mr. Thomas
Alexander, $32 00
Charitable Society of do. per Mrs.
Angelina Alexander, 8 50
Collection 2d PresbyterianCburcb,
monthly Concert Prayer, 20 28
CHAS. O’NEALE, Treasurer.
South. Intel.
Revivals.—We have before mentioned
that a work of Grace was progressing in
(he Rosemary and Healing Spring Church
es, within the hounds of the Savannah Riv
er Association; and we are now rejoiced io
state (bat this revival still continues. Up
wards of 100 members have been added to
each of these churches, and the prospects
are yet flattering. —Southern Intel.
THE MARINERS’ MAGAZINE,
Devoted to ihe moral improvement of
seamen, is published weekly, in the city of
New York, under the patronage ot the
“Society for Promoting the Gospel among
Seamen,” and the “ Bethel Union of New
York,” at $2 per annum. This publication
is the appropriate vehicle ol communica
ting Jo the publick the transactions and op
eratior.s of the Societies for the promulga
tion of ihe gospel among seamen ; and is de
signed to diffuse more generally a knowl
edge of the past, present, aud relative con
duion of this class of our fellow men; t
notice the progress andsuccess of the means
used for their moral and religious improve
meni; to present and advocate their claims
upon Christian benevolence, and, in gener
al, to make known every thing that may be
useful, entertaining, oi interesting, relating
to ihe subject. It is believed that the
general circulation of this Magazine will,
more than any other means, aid and pro
mole the benevolent views of the Friends
of Seamen, by exciting publick attention,
and enlisting in their behalf the sympathies,
the contributions, and the prayers of the
pious and benevolent. Subscriptions will
be received by the Rev. John Truair, at
No 14, Cherry street, and by Mr. D. Fan
shaw, No 1, Murry street, New York
&s*• Editors of Newspapers are respect
fully requested to give the above a lew in
sertions.
Reward of Dishonesty . —The only sailor
who perished in the Kent Indiaman, as we
learn by the British Sailor’s Magazine, was
present in the hold very shortly after the
commencement of the fire which destroyed
the vessel, when, availing himself of the
confusion, he hastened to the cabin of the
second mate, forced open the desk, and
took from thence 400 sovereigns, which he
rolled up in a hankerchief, and tied round
his waist ; but in attempting to leap into
one of the boats, hp fell short, and the
weight of his spoils caused him immediately to
sink ! Unhappy sailor, of what avail was
his 400 sovereigns when be lifted up hi
eyes in an eternal world, and stood belnre
a righteous judge as a self convited robber ;
What if he had gained the whole world,
aud could have put it round him, it would
only havp sunk him deeper and quicker into
ibe hottomles. pit. How many millions of
immortal souls have gone down to this
abyss, loaded with ill gotten wealth !
[Seamen’s Magazine.
(Extract from Reviews given in N. Orleans pap.)
“ Discovery of the Sources of the Mississippi
and of the River Sangtante , by J. C. Bel-
TRAMI
The author, although an Italian by birth,
has deemed it a duty to the inhabitants of
this country, to publish his work in the
French language, which is spoken in Lou>
isiana, and read over the whole continent
of Europe. Under whatever view the
work may be considered, it cannot fail to
excite puhlick interest. The author after
following the whole course of the Ohio and
of the Mississippi as far as Fort St. Antho
ny, continued his journey in a north west
direction, to the source of the river St. Pe
ters ; he then shaped his course to the norih,
and penetrating immense deserts, amid an
extensive wilderness where scarcely aves
tige of man can be found, and where nature,
accustomed to the most profound silence,
was probably interrogated for the first
time, he reached Lord Selkirk’s settlement.
His work contains a rapid sketch of the
origin, progress and present situation, ot
that colony, as well as of the North West
and Hudson Bay Companies. After the
necessary delay to procure all the informa
tion relative to that Settlement, he ascend
ed the River Sanglante up to its source ;
prosecuting his researches, he found on the
highest land of North America, a small riv
ulet of limpid water, which ran slowly
among reeds and wild rice growing in its
bed; he launched upon it in a small canoe
of bark, (which had borne him on the riv
er Langlanle,) descended the Mississippi
in all its extent, a thing never accomplished
before ; k after a journey of one thousand
leages reached the city of New Orleans.
41 It is a remarkable circumstance, that
all the discoveries in the western world,
have been made by Italians —Columbus,
Americ Vespuce, Cabot, Verassani. At the
same time that Mr. Beltrami, actuated by
the noble enthusiasm which inspired these
Tl
illustrious then, was penetrating Hudson
Bay, discovering the sources ot the M'-sis
sippi, and the communication between th®
Icy Ocean aod the Gulph of Mexico, anoth
er Italian, celebrated in Europe, Mr. Bel
zoni, was visiting Africa, and ascending the
Niger. In ancient times the Romans over
run the world, as conquerors, hi and dictated
laws to nations —at present, their deceud
ants, groaning under the yoke of ho*e bar
barians, so well depicted by Tacitus, cross
the seas, and penetrate to the most distant
regions, for the purpose of enriching the.
world and benefiting mankind by tbeir dis
coveries and observations.
“li may truly be said, that Mr. Beltra
mi's work is the only one giving a full ac
count ot the Mi-sissippi, and of the trilus
living on its banks. Before he discovered
the real sources of that magnificent river,
many were given, which were merely its
outlets. The White Bear Lake, the Leech
Lake, the Red Cedar Lake, were disputing
with each other the honour of being ihe
source of the finest river in the world. a< and
Messrs. Bike and Shoolcraft that of hal
ing discovered it. When we reflect that a
stranger, assisted only by a few interpre
ters, has done more alone, than all the ex
peditions, undertaken at great expense t>v
government —When we think of the dan
gers to which he has been the
(oils and fatigues he has endured, ob
stacles of all kinds which he had to Sur
mount, to achieve such an undertaking, we
canuot help admiring Ihe perseverance and
courage of that distinguished individual, re
grelling at the same lime that the glorv of
the enterprise does not belong to one of our
own citizens.
MOUNT ZION, MONDAY, AUG.ITi, USfiT
That branch of political economy which refutes
to the education of youth has not been sufficient
ly studied. Men of talents capable of investiga
ting the subject, have generally been so engrossed
in other pursuits, as not to give it the attention
which it deserves. Legislators, though the sub
ject lias been frequently before them, have cast
upon it only a hasty glance—felt something of its
importance, and under the impulse of present
conviction ralher than of settled principle, have
dipped their hands into the treasury, and thrown
its money promiscuously abroad ; aud tins too,
apparently without calculating upon any perma
nent benefit as the result of their beneficence.
Iu some states, however, the publick mind lias re
ceived a proper direction on this subject, and
while they have patronized with a dignified libe
rality, their Academical and Collegiate Institu
tions, they have not forgotten to extend their fos
tering care to common schools ; and have placed
them upon such a foundation, Ibid. none are so
poor as to be deprived of the means of instruction.
It is a noble object. It speaks volumes in their
praise. But whether any system extant—wheth
er that on which the common schools of Connec
ticut, or New York, are established, could be
adopted in all its length and breadth in this State,
may very properly be a subject of inquiry. This,
however, would lead us into more lengthened de
tails than we are prepared to make. A few has
ty remarks on the policy which has hitherto been
pursued, together with a brief description of our
situation, and a suggestion of a plan which, in our
opinion, might be successfully adopted, must for
the present suffice.
It is a principle upon which our Legislators
have acted (and we feel no disposition to censure
their doings) to distribute their favours with an
impartial hand. A strict adherence to this rule
has prevented publick patronage from being ex
tended to local Institutions. Whatever may have
been their wants, or their claims, assistance has
not been rendered them only as they have shared
in common with others, what has been generally
bestowed. As this is the policy which has been
uniformly pursued, it may be considered so far
established, as to render any efforts to obtain the
patronage of the State for particular Institutions
futile. The College, however, is an exception,
and is not embraced in these general remarks.
There is, it must be acknowledged, a wide dif
ference between different sections of the State as
it relates tt> the advantages of Education. Some
Counties, and those not a few, whose population
is thin and scattered, and oven many neighbour
hoods in the more thickly inhabited Counties find
it impossible to keep up a school, where only the
first rudiments of Education are taught. Wealthy
families can send their children abroad, or they
ran hire private Instructed—but the people are
generally poor where schools are most wanted.
Pome of them could contribute their share to
wards the support of a school consisting of thirty
or forty scholars, if it were in their vicinity ; but
many are too poor ever for that. But from the
state of our population, it is impossible to bring a
school to every man’s door; and many must be
deprived of the advantages of a common Educa
tion, unless some means shall be adopted different
from any that have heretofore been proposed.
Even were Ihe State to establish schools in some
of our Counties,at the distance-of ten miles, from
each other, and make the Instruction gratuitous,
a dozen scholars could not be obtained for each.
It has made provision for the poor by setting apart
a very considerable fund for their Education, and
I by adopting rules by which its distribution shall
|be regulated. Yet we have not discovered any
practical benefit resulting from its liberality.
Whether its failure of affecting the object for
which it was designed, consists in the laws regu
lating the appropriation, or in the want of efficien
cy on the part of the people, we cannot tell. It may
be both. That there is a defect somewhere many of
our politicians have seen and acknowledged—but
they have not been able to point out the remedy.
The question then is, what general mode can be
adopted which shall give to the poor, the means
of a common Education. What plan promises a
permanent and practical result?
But one method suggests itself to us, and that
is ipterweven wi'h the ever active principle cf