COrtr,spfilltrittE.
JOTTINGS FROM A PARISH JOURNAU,
NO. X.
gi TRIR NEW SQUEEL [SChOOl] MEN ARE
(IRAN CHRISTIANS. I WUSS WE HAD
THEM AMANG US,"
In sauntering through Montreal, Can
ada East, a short time ago, I found my
way " up town"—for Montreal, the most
thriving city in British America, has got
an "up town" as well as New York.
And as in New York, so in Montreal,
the churches are moving " up town."
In one locality I observed four splen
did ecclesiastical structures in process of
erection. One was opened on the Bth
inst. for Divine service, in connection
with the Wesleyan Methodists, an ele
gant, chaste Gothic building, capable of
seating about one thousand people. This
is one of the number of new churches
recently erected in that•growing city by
our Wesleyan brethren. Another of the
new churches in the district referred to,
which is nearly finished, is being erected
by the congregation of Rev. Dr. Taylor,
for many years the pastor of the United
Presbyterian Church; a gentleman of
culture, refinement, and high ministerial
gifts and graces. He was elected by
the unanimous voice of the two Presby
terian Synods, on the occasion of their
union in 1861, as the first Moderator of
the United Synod. And his congrega
tion, heretofore worshipping in a sub
stantial stone building down town, on
Laquashiterre street, has chosen as co
pastor to the venerable Doctor, the Rev.
Mr. Gibson, a young gentleman of high
literary and theologicarattainments ; and
having secured an'eligible lot, are erect
ing a magnificent Gothic building, which,
when finished, will seat about eleven or
twelve hundered worshippers, and will
be a credit to the Church and an orna
ment to the city.
In the rear of this new church, but
two blocks distant, the Presbyterian con
gregation formerly worshipping in St.
Gabriel street—the oldest Protestant
church building in Canada—are com
pleting a very neat Gothic building, which
is to be known by the name of " Knox's
Church." The structure is very much
in the style of Dr. Taylor's but not so
large.
On the opposite side of the same street,
but one block further " up town," the
American Presbyterian congregation, N.
S., for many years worshipping in a
plain, roomy stone building on the corner
of Great James and Magill streets, are
erecting a, very large and commodious
church, with lecture and school-rooms,
forming a cross building atCached to the
rear of the main one. The structure is
Grecian in style, with modern improve
ments, and very capacious; with organ
gallery, and galleries all around. When
finished, it will be one of the most con
venient and commodious, not to speak of
itsAi4acity for accommodating an audi
ence, in the city of Montreal. Its cost
is estimated, as I was told, at $60,000
in gold.
While wandering about in this region,
and gazing with interest and delight on
the progress of this great city, and es
pecially on the progress and improve
ment in the way of church building, I
met a plain, blunt, brawny Aberdonian,
who, like most of his countrymen, seemed
to be posted on Church matters. Prom
him I got the history of each of the four
new kirks, and after giving me a descrip
tion of ministers and members and doings
and prospects of the new kirks, 'I asked
him what was the difference between the
American Church and the others, and
added, had they not better be all one ?
In plain, broad Aberdonian accent, he
replied :—" Thir New Squeel [school]
men are gran Christians. I wuss we
had Them amang us."
The congregation of American Pres
byterians is composed of sbme of the
very best Christian people in Montreal
—liberal, large-hearted, open-handed
men. They unite with other evangelical
Christians in every scheme of Christian
benevolence, and from them, as from the
church at Thessalonica, "sounded out the
word of the Lord." This Christian
community have long commanded the
confidence and respect of all the Chris
tian people of Montreal, and in fact of
Eastern Canada. And as they grow in
years, they ripen in usefulness and Chris
tian zeal. Under the faithful and de
voted ministry of their excellent pastor,
Mr. Boner, they have succeeded in erect
ing the costly building to which I have
alluded, and when they move " up
town," I doubt not that their large church
will be filled by a people growing in
numbers and in grace.
But there is a great principle involved
in the quaint and pithy saying of the
unknown mechanic from Aberdeen, and
one to which I shall devote a few more
sentences—" I wuss we had them among
tee." Why should we not have them
among us ? I confess I see no reason
why they should not be among us. Some
years ago, in conversation with my friend,
Dr. Kirk, of Boston, on the subject of
British churches in America and Ame
rican churches in British territory, he
remarked, " Give us as many ministers
as you can to gather in and work up the
Old Country element, but let them be
ours not yours." So say I. The Pres
bytery of Halifax, Nova Scotia, some
years ago; founded a Presbyterian church
in Boston. They then handed it over
to the fostering care of the Presbytery of
Montreal. The Synod of Canada sent a
minister to take charge of it. It was
soon found to be best to hand it over to
an Old School Presbytery in the United
States.
There is a congregation (Scotch) in
Detroit, under the care of the Presbytery
of London, C. W., which, from its prox
imity to the Canadian coast, works toler
ably well. There is also a very respct
able and influential congregation, N. S.,
at St. Catharine's, Canada West, under
the pastoral care of one of the best of
ministers. These organizations, I be
lieve, are all prosperous, and no doubt
their sister congregations in these places
bid them God speed. But they are all
foreign organizations, and cannot be
supposed to have the amount of sympa
thy they would have if in communion
with, and under the control of, some
local court. Americans don't believe in
an Imperium in Imperio. If any politi
cal institution or organization under a
foreign power were founded here, it
would be eschewed by every sensible
man in the country. American citizens
would not allow it for a moment ; and
why should we have ecclesiastical organ
izations in either country owing allegi
ance and submission to foreign author
ity ?
Let the Presbytery of London give
the Scotch congregation and its excellent
pastor, Mr. Balmer, to the Presbytery of
Detroit, and in turn, let the Presbytery
of Buffaio give the St. CatharifLe's con
gregation and its worthy minister to the
Presbytery of Hamilton, C. W. Then
let the Presbyterian congregation of
Montreal become annexed to the Presby
tery of that great and goodly city. " I
wuss we had them amang us."
It seems that the great Presbyterian
family on this continent has suffered al
ready by division, and if there is one
spot on the continent in which, above
another, UNION is wanted, Montreal is
that spot. Protestant Union in Mon
treal would tell with power over the
entire province. This is the great com
mercial metropolis of the Canadas. Its
Protestant population is growing rapidly,
but it is the seat of Romish power and
Romish wealth. That Church in Mon
treal, as every where else, is a unit, and
if the united intelligence, wisdom, piety,
and wealth of all the Protestant churches
in the city were brought to bear on
schemes of Christian philanthropy and
city mission labors, the bulwarks of
Rome might be made to crumble even
there. Methodist organizations might
become one, Baptist churches and Con
gregational churches a unit; and why
should not , at/ the Presbyterian churches
in the city become one?
In the matter of Bible Society and
Tract and City Mission operations,, as
well as in the matter of a grand
scheme ofhilanthropy now in 'vigorous
operation, under the, superintendence of
Mr. Wm. Brown, a devoted Christian
gentleman, being a House of Refuge for
the poor of all denominations—in all
these it is true there is a practical union
of Christian effort—but we desiderate a
closer union among Christians, espe
cially among Presbyterian Christians.
Apart from the abstract duty which
every member of the Presbyterian family
owes on this subject, the fact that a great
enemy outside the walls of our Presby
terian Zion is constantly looking with
-delight upon our disunion, and taking
every convenient advantage of it, should
stir up every true-hearted Prebyterian'in
Canada and in these United States to
" Pray that they all may be one."
A PUPIL OE CHALMERS
WHAT THE MINISTER DID AT THE IN
QUIRY-MEETING.
There was a revival at -- A group
of young ladies stood upon the marble
steps of the " handsomest house in the
village," inquiring and waiting for Mary
Morton. They were on their way to
the weekly prayer-meeting, and had called
by appointment for their friend to accom
pany them. Mary came quickly to the
door, but only to disappoint her eager
friends by saying: " I am very sorry to
have troubled you to call, for I am not
going."
"Not going!" echoed half a dozen
voices, in mingled tones of surprise, in
credulity and grief; " surely you are not
in earnest?"
" Quite in earnest," said Mary, very
coolly, adding, with a scornful curl of
her beautiful lip : " I will say, frankly,
I never desire to hear our minister pray
again." These words were from lips
which, but the Sabbath previous, had
humbly asked of the beloved pastor,
" What must I do to be saved ?"
The eager questions 6f the astonished
girls failed to elicit from Mary any - more
definite explanation than the following :
" When I saw Mr. Burton pray at the
last inquiry-meeting, I was convinced of
his hypocrisy, and do not wish *again to
subject myself to its influence."
Earnest were the discussions of the
young ladies on their way to the vestry,
as to what had so set Mary against their
revered and beloved minister.
"Mary seemed quite solemn at the in
quiry-meeting, and the prayer to which
she alluded was very fervent," remarked
Jane.
" Yes, and effectual,' too," exclaimed
Rose, " for my little sister Annie hopes
she then yielded her heart to Jesus."
" Yes," cried ardent Alice, " I am sure
it was the effectual, fervent prayer of a
righteous man ; what such a noble mind
as Mary Morton's can have found amiss,
is a mystery indeed."
" It don't seem to be anything which
was said, but something which was done,
that stirred up Mary so," cried lively
Nettie; "for I noticed she laid great
stress upon the saw. Now, begging her
pardon, she'd no right to be seeing any
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1865.
thing, and if she was a peeking when
she should have been a praying, it's no
wonder if she found the minister did
wink with the wrong eye, or speak out
of the wrong corner of his mouth "
Notwithstanding Nettie's sarcasm,
there were those who "peeked", at the
minister, as he prayed that evening, to
try to discover Mary's secret; but they
saw nothing to offend even the taste of
the most fastidious. The pure hands
were devoutly folded, the fine cpunte
nance was aglow with holy devotion,
the broad forehead smooth and peace
ful, and the dark lashes were never
raised from the pale cheek, While from
beneath them stole now and then an un
conscious tear, as he pleaded for the
perishing.
After meeting, our young ladies talked
over the matter once more, and resolved,
(good girls that they were,) not to repeat
a word that Mary had said, lest it shoald
do haft. Thus they separated, thought
lessly forgetting that Nettie, who had
left them to join her parents, had given
no similar pledge. Now Nettie's tongue,
which was an "unruly member," soon
published the matter;, and the story,
which lost nothing by her lively, but
truthful telling, in passing from lip to
lip, soon had as many " variations" as
the " Fisher's Hornpipe."
Mary "Morton was universally loved
and respected, far more on account of
what she was in herself, than on account
of being the only child of the wealthiest
man in C—., and the fact that she "had lost
her confidence in Mr. Burton, in con
sequence of something dreadful which
had occurred at the inquiry-meeting,
made quite a stir in the community, and
had a very strong and evil influence
upon some, who were just inclining to
heed the heavenly counsels of their, pas
tor. In the meantime, Maryi seemed
quite to have lost her religious, interest,
absenting herself from all the Meetings,
quietly but persistently adhering to her
decision not to hear Mr. Burtqn pray.
The faithful pastor, happily uncnscious
of all that we have been relating, but
greatly concerned for the spirituichange
in his yopthful. charge, sought a personal
interview with her, and was deeply
grieved to be met with courteous- cold
ness, and profound reticence, *hen he
sought to know the cause of the sad
change in her feelings.
That evening, Mrs. Morton, who was
an invalid, called Mary to her room, and
asked what had shaken her confidence
in her minister. Mary evaded. "My
daughter," said Mrs. Morton, f.I must
insist upon a direct afiswer. Mrs. Deacon
Jones called this afternoon, and said the
revival is all going down—woeo them
I
that have put stumbling blocks in the
way ; and when I asked ,her w at were
the stumbling blocks she lain* some
thing about my Mary ; and wlient l l de
manded an explanation, she said'youle
nounced our minister as a hypocrite, and
declared yourself so outraged by his con
duct at the inquiry-meeting, that you
neverwould hear him pray again. Now,
my child, is this true ?"
" Something like it is true, dear
mother," replied Mary; "Lsee,l must tell
you all. Two weeks ago, I went to the
inquiry:meeting, feeling my need of Mr.
Burton's counsels and prayers. There
were several present. He conversed
with each of us, - with great apparent
earnestness and solemnity. I never felt
the nothingness of the temporal, and the
infinite , importance of the , eternal, as I
did at the moment when he begged us,
as we followed him in prayer, to exclude
every earthly thought, and cast our
perishing souls at the feet of an ' all
sufficient Saviour. I was just reclining
my head, when Mr. Burton placed his
chair in such 'a positiOn that I could not
help seeing him kneel, and as he did so,
he turned his pants round at the knees,
so as not to injure them by kneeling upon
them in front. Oh, mother, you can't
think what a chill came over me. Our
minister to think of such a thing, when
our immortal destiny Vi as pending! - I
heard no word of his prayer, and my
heart has been as hard and cold as a
stone ever since."
Mrs. Morton was seized with a violent
coughing fit just at this moment, and
all that Mary could catch of her attempt
ed reply, was " Device of Satan," and
" God help the poor ministers." (Why
the minister did"so at the inquiry-meet
ing must be the subject of a future
article.) HERBERT NEWBURY.
CORRESPONDENCE IN NORTHERN
MICHIGAN, •
BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, October 25, 1865
DEAR PRESBYTERIAN have been
long minded to write you some letters_
say, now and then one—for your paper
continues to find me faithfully, though
so far up on the map, and rather off that
parallel of latitude upon which it finds its
greater number of readers.
And now, perhaps, I may be allowed
to say that I have read said journal with
more of interest perhaps, in part, for the
reason that Philadelphia was a city
which formerly suggested, not brotherly
love alone, but was thought to be par
ticularly warm-sided toward the South
ern brotherhood—insomuch, that it was
thought to be quite as "conservative" on
the matter of negro slavery, as the region
itself which lay to the south of it. To
find an organ there, which has been in
the front rank of outspoken journals in
the times of trial, such as the few past
years have been, is peculiarly refreShing.
THE NEWSPAPER EXCITEMENT
Have you thought how much we have
been living in the newspapers for this
last quadrate of years ? They have been
meat and drink to the public. We want-
ed them as the first thing in the morning
and the last thing at night. The advent
of the newsboy - to a train of cars was
the welcome event of the journey. All
people have been readers. Who can tell
how much the habit of reading has been
advanced downwards into the former
ranks of the unreading multitude ?
But the newspaper mania is over.
The papers are getting dull." The
newsboy visits the train with diminished
bundles, and the passengers do not care
whether be comes or not. They look at
him as a herd of overfed cows do at the
distribution of frost-bitten cornstalks.
They will no longer pay a dime for his
wares: There is no excitement now.
The returned soldiers have told their
story, till it is getting old ; and only the
bigger—rather biggest—generals can
get up a crowd. All feel the difference
between the time of war andome of peace.
Politics are drowsy now, and will hardly
be exciting again till the public mind has
time to recover its elastic4y, after its
late excitements. The people will not
get very earnest yet about the politics
of reconstruction, and freedmen's suf
frage ; but they may.nevertheless wake
up to considerable energy over it before
they are done with it ; especially if the
fate rebels do not become early quies
cent. Much will depend upon the action
of Congress when it meets.
OUR PENINSULA
But I want to say something of this
region. Probably your readers gener
ally take no interest in anything being,
or done, here. Probably, those who take
the trouble .to look at this letter, will
ask—" Bay City ; where is that?" The
truth is, it is not a region which has
made a great deal of noise in the world
hitherto ; but is now attracting some
attention in certain quarters. Michigan
is a State which has been a good deal
neglected by emigrants, from the fact
that the prairie lands west of it have a
more inviting look, until culture and set
tlement have done their preliminary
work. A great many people dislike to
" clear up" a farm in a forest ; and Mi
chigan islargely heavy with timber. Its
prairies are small, and much of its land
wants drainage in the beginning. But
the truth is, it has an exuberant soil.
It has a mild climate ; beiug surrounded
on all sides but one, and that the south
side, by water. It has great resources
of lumber, timber, gypsum, fish, salt, and
I know . not what other; and culture
makes it one of the most desirable States
to live in which the Union knows. No:
where do you see finer villages than
along its railroads, or finer farms. Its
peach dehards are proverbial, and are
about the only supply the north-west
has of that fruit Indeed, all varieties
of fruit flourish here magnificently. It
.will yet contest the palm , with New
York in-the production of apples.
As to population, no North-western
State has so purely a Yankee population
as this.. Be the Yankees better or worse,
they predominate in all the villages and
cities of the State, out of Detroit, with
which lam acquainted. As one result,
the churches and schools of the State
are numerous and flourishing.
THE CHURCHES
The Presbyterian interest is very
strong here. The Synod of Michigan
was established in 1834, and numbers
now nine thousand members, by less than
one hundred; being the fourth in size in
the New. School connection, and lead
ing the strong Synod of Geneva by - a
few members. Its only superiors in size
are Genesee, New York, and New Jersey
and Pennsylvania. • Its churches, too,
'are stable, and many of them strong.
They suffered lessilfor some reason, in
that turmoil of abolition, which prevailed
from 1836 to 1850, and, which so . rent
and weakened the churches of Illinois.
The • Congregational interest, though
very respectable as to numbers. and en
ergy in this State, has not been able to
overtake the Presbyterian; and as the
result, some of its weak churches are
yielding the ground; that at Niles, for
instanee, having given up the ghost, and
its remains having joined the stronger
organization. This is a fact in relation
to weak churches all over the West.
Where a little church has been estab
lished, through denominational zeal, or
ambition, in a moderate-sized village,
which after a trial of some years finds
itself distanced by one which has got
the start of it, its absorption takes place,
sooner or later. Thus in Wisconsin,
Indiana, Illinois, 'and Michigan, some
Old School, and some Congregational
churches, are yielding the ground they
cannot hold, however reluctantly, and
a stronger organization, often our own,
succeeds.. Some of oar . churches, it is
true, will follow the,same law; but such
is the adaptation of the New School
Church to this region,.that if we do oar
duty, we shall on the whole, I believe,
be largely the gainers. I have noticed
this, that where any deriomination has
made a sort of political or partizan move,
in establishing a church, to " head off"
somebody else, -and to pre-occupy the
ground, it has seldom succeeded. The
effort has generally, if not always, proyed
a sickly one, and met an early death.
Christ's kingdomis not to be built in that
manner.
OUR VALLEY
To return to this Saginaw Valley.
Your older readers will remember, per
haps, that Hon. James G. Birney once
ran for the presidency, and that his re
sidence was dated as'at Lower Saginaw.
That is the precise point where this let
ter is dated. It is the first of a series of
towns, aboie Saginaw Bay, on the Sag
inaw river. The valley of the Saginaw
is rich in lumber, fish, salt, and gypsum.
It turns out 250,000,000 feet of lumber
yearly, and its salt manufacture is
second only in the Union to that of the
Onondaga works in New York, though
the first well was only sunk in 1860.
The Valley is of course settling up with
a Western rapidity. The immigration is
from New York, or New England, the Mid
dle States, and especially Canada, which
seems now to be emptying her popula
tion into the States. Much of this popu
lation is poor, but honest, industrious,.'
and in degree moral. It is, perhaps, a
little less- enterprising than our own
population, but has all the elements of
enterprise desirable. There are churches
at all the towns of any size here, and
very flourishing ones, though not yet
very large. We have a Sabbath-school
organization for the Saginaw Valley,
which emplOys a missionary, and is es
tablishing schools at every available
point. Mammon is strong here, and
pushes all ways like the goat in the
vision ; but the kingdom of God has its
own progress, and our hope is to see it
stronger than mammon even. But
enough for one letter.
Yours, t , AmmtosE.
THE YEAR-DAY THEORY ONCE MORE.
When Constantine used - the two nails
from the Saviour's cross which Helena
sent him from Jerusalem, one as a bit
for his horse. and the other as an orna
ment for his helmet, the Christians or
his day saw in it the prophecy fulfilled ;
" In that day shall be on the bells of the
horses, Holiness to the Lord."
With similar absurd associations of
the facts of history with scraps of pro
phecy, the prevailing systems of pro
phetic exposition are filled. That this
process may be carried on and the pro
phecies of the Divine word be applied
to the continuous history of Christen
dom, the prophetic periods of that word
must be immensely expanded. Thus
the Year.day Theory is necessitated by
a false system of interpretation. The
1260 days of prophecy must be years, or
else the Pope cannot be Anti-christ.
This historical system of interpreta
tion necessitates the nse of the Year
day Theory, while that theory lends its
aid to the system; and gives it whatever
of plausibility it may have, and opens
the way for all the calculations of the
end'of the world. •
In the communication of W. P. A.,
the expressions "Anti-christian powers,"
" Papal horn," " the two witnesses pro
bably representing the true Church,"
and " Turkish angels," present before
us the prominent points of the 'histori
cal interpretation which demand the
" Theory" in question.. I should deny
the truth of the exposition implied
in these expressions.. " Anti-christian
powtrs" is no suitable, term 'to apply to
that INDIVIDUAL, that single king. who
shall arise after the ten kings, and into
whose hands the saints of the Most
High - shall be given " until a time and
times afld the dividing of a time."
" Anti-ehristian powers" is no . true title
of that wilful king who shall "scatter
the power of the holy people" " for a
time, times and a half." It is only
when the personal "Antichrist," or
"Man of Sin," or " Son of Perdition,"
or." Lawless One" is transformed into
" Anti-christian powers" that the Year
day Theory is needed to give us ` years
of history for days of prophecy,. and
three hundred and'sixty years of history
for, a year or ." time" of prophecy.
" Three years and a half," or "forty-two
months," or " twelve hundred and sixty
days" of persecution can be brought
easily within the lifetime of an individual
Anti-christ, such as the prophecies speak
of; but for the Anti-christian powers we
shall find even 1260 years too little.
So also the " Papal horn" is entirely
unknown to prophecy, notwithstanding
thelarge space givento it by Protestant
commentators. Neither the ten horns
nor the so-called ." Papal born" to rise
after them, have yet appeared. Until
the " ten" can be pointed out with some
degree of certainty, and some substantial
agreement be reached by the Year-day
expositors, we may surely be excused
from believing that the ."little horn,"
which is identical with the personal and
individual Anti-Christ, is the Papacy—
the long line of Popes, who have never
fulfilled the plainest conditions of iden
tity with him, never having " denied the
Father surd the Son," never having
" . exalted themselveA above all that is
called God or that is worshipped."
Christ and the Anti-christ, are as dis
tinctly set oppqsite each other in Holy
Scripture as any two individuals can be;
and if the true Christ was and is a single
person., so also shall the false Christ be
a single person. As the true Christ was
received by the elect when he came in
his. Father's name," so shall the Anti
christ be received by the Jews as their
.Messiah coming "in his own name , '
This false Messiah will not need 1260
years in which to " accomplish, to scat
ter the power of the holy people," bat
during a literal " a years," or " 42'
months," or " 1260 days," he will "wear
out the saints of the Most 1E04"
So of the "two witnesses,"—if there
are any individuals spoken of in the
Scripture, these are such. Year-day
expositors have made them the " Old
and New Testaments," or " civil and
religious liberty," or " the true Chruch,"
etc., etc. Thus the time in which .they
lie dead 'but nharied in the streets of
Jerusalem, beco mes 3-1- years instead of
days, and the place itself , becomes
r
"Paris," or "R ane," or "Christendom,"
i
or indeed anyt ling but what the pro
phecy says, viz. 1 .. the city "-where ear
Lord was erucificad."
Thus the necessities of a false exposi
tion alone demand the Year-day Theory:
To argue the above mentioned points at
length, would occupy too much space,
and that unnecessarily. Let the pro
phecies be read with a mind freed from
the supposed necessity of making a day
mean a year, and a man mean a dynasty,
and two men mean anything but men,
and Jerusalem mean Rome ; let them
be read as we read the prophecies re
specting Tyre's desolation or Christ's
entry into Jerusalem (on "an ass's
colt" and not on an elephant, or camel,
or stage coach), and the reader will
never go back to the confusion of the
Year-day Theory. D. G. M.
IN MEMORIAM.
DIED, in Washington CAI, D. C., October
2 0, 1865 Rev. AMOS I). HOLLISTER, in
the oth'year of his age.
This notic e will recall to many hearts
the remembr ance o f one, whose labors in
the quiet villages of Central New - York
and Pennsylv an i a,
are treasured on earth
and recorded in heaven.
The Rev. Ani,, F , D. Hollister was
born in Burlington, Otsego County, N.
Y., 'February 24,
, In his twen
tieth year he joined the Congregational
.Church and was ordainea a s a deacon.
Feeling called to preach to others the
Gospel, now so precious to his own soul,
.he entered on a course of preparatory
studies in the- Hamilton Institute. His
health gave way under his excessive
application, and rendered necessary a
return to the quiet of home. Still ad
hering to his purpose, he was enabled at
last to enter upon the active duties of
the ministry. He first labored as a mis
sionary in the western part of Pennsyl
vania, then as " Stated Supply" for three
churches in Otsego County, New York.
In 1839, be was called as pastor of the
Church at Milford, New York. Again
be was obliged to rest his over-tasked
mind and body. . After a short period
of repose, he was called to the Congre
gational Church at New Lisbon, New
York.
In 1845, he, labored among some
feeble churches in Wyoming Valley,
Pennsylvania, whence he came to Wash
ington where his remaining years were
spent in such ministries as his feeble
health permitted. .
The history of his call to the church
at Burlington, is characteristic of the
appreciation of the man by those among
whom his childhood and early youth
had been passed. In that place, the
Oongregational and Baptist -churches
united in calling him as ,pastor of both
Societies. So much did they recognise
in him the Splrit of their common Lord,
that each felt they could unite in a com
mon bond under his ministry. Such is
a brief and imperfect record of one
whose quiet labors might attract little
notice on earth, but the effect,of which
is now felt in heaven.
Few men ever possessed so guileless
a disposition. He had eminently that
charity which " hopeth all things, be
lieveth all things, endureth all things."
The benevolence of his heart shone in
his face; and expressed itself in the libe
rality of his hand He was one who
walked close with Qhrist. His life
mirrored the constant communion of his
'heart with his Saviour. So much did
he attract the love of his acquaintances
that it can'safely be said, he had not a
single enemy. But he has gone to his
reward. He who once on earth went
about doing good has ere this said to
him, who so closely followed id his Mas
ter's footsteps, " Well done, good and
faithful servant, enter thou into the joy
of thy Lord." J. C.
LORD HAILES AND THE NEW TESTA
MENT.
"I was dining," said Dr. Buchanan,
" some time ago, with a literary party at
old Mr. Abercrombie's, of Trillibody, (the
father of Mr. Ralph Abercrombie, who was
slain in Egypt,),and we spent the evening
together. A gentleman present put a
question which. puzzled the whole company.
It.was this : Supposing all the New Tes
taments in the world had been destroyed at
the end of the third century, could their
contents have been recovered from the
writings of the first three centuries?' The
question was novel to all, and no one even
hazarded a guess in answer . to the inquiry.
"About two months after this meeting I
receTved an invitation to breakfast with
Lord Hailes, (Sir David Dalrimple) next
morning. He had been one of the party.
Daring breakfast, he asked me if I recol
lected the curious question about the possi
bility of recovering the contents- of the
New Testament from the writings of the
first three centuries. ' I remember it well,
and have thought of it often, without being
able to form an 'opinion or conjecture on
the subject.'
"'Well,' said Lord Hailes, 6 that question
quite aceorded with the taste of my anti
quarian mind. On returning home, as I
knew I had all the writers of those moto
r*, I began immediately to collect them,
that-I might set to work on the ardoous
task as soon qs possible Pointing to a
table covered with paperer, he said, There
I have been busy these two) niodths, search
ing for chapters, half chaptero 4 and senten
ces of the New Testament, mad have mark
ed down what I found and urkere I found
it, so that any person may exams 1e and see
for himself. I have ,actually tdiscovered
the whole New Testament, except, _seven or
eleven verses, 0 forget which,) which
satis
fies me that I weld discover the= also.
God concealed or hid the treasures o.f his
word, that Julian ; . the apostate eMpe\ror, and
the other enemies of Christ, who wi\ehedi to
extirpate the Gospel. from the world;; never
would have thought of; and thougi'h Ant
-
had, they never could have effected the
destruction..'"--$n Memoir: