gmf tita otOriait. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1866 CONTENTS OF INSIDE PAGES. SECOND FAGE-THE FAMILY CIRCLE: My Home—the Golden Opportunity—A Place to Pray in—God Bless You, Dear Girls—Hurried De votions—Swiss Laundresses—A Little too Ripe— The Way to the Cron. FOR THE LITTLE FOLKS: Familiar Talks with the Children. THIRD PAGE—EDITOR' S TABLE : Smith's " A Summer in Skye"—Ferguson's "Life Struggles in Rebel Prisons"—Bennett's "Song of the Rivers"—Periodicals and Pamphlets. RURAL ECONOMY: Where Fat and Flesh come from—Mutton the Meat for Farmers—Usefulness of the Owl—Cost of Bread. Ministerial Record, Monthly. SIXTH PAGE—CORRESPONDENCE: Notes on Hymns and Tunes, with Special Regard to the Social Bumn and Tune Book, ll—Statistics of the Colored Population—The Revival in Bing hamton, N. Y.—The College Society—Our Ex-pas tor—American Missionary Association. SEVENTH PAGE—RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE: Presbyterian—Congregational—German Reformed —Episcopal—Methodist—Baptist—Jewish—Roman Catholic—Missionary—Miscellaneous. • THE POPULAR MAGAZINES AS PRE MIUMS. For $3 50 we will send a copy of the AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN and HOURS AT HOME, Or GUTHRrE 7 S SUNDAY MAGA ZINE, to any one as yet t nbscribing for neither. For $5 50 we will send the paper and both magazines. SUBSCRIBERS RENEWING. Old subscribers to the paper, (but not to the 'm agazines,) on promptly renewing their subscriptions 'and sending us $5, [ministers $4, home missionaries $3 50,] will receive a copy of either of the ma gazines for a year. REV. MEAD HoLMES, father of the " Soldier of the Cumberland," and an ac tive Sabbath-school missionary from Wisconsin, addressed the Sabbath-schools of North Broad Street Churcb, and the Spring Garden (0. S.) Church', last Sab bath afternoon. REVIVALS.—Such of our readers as are watching the signs of the coming of the heavenly showers, and we hope there are none bat such, are referred to the account from Washington, contained in this paper, and also to the columns of Religions Intelligence on the inside pages. There are, on many bands, shouts of the king in the camp. ONLY TOO FAIR A HlT.—The Chris tian Times noticing with well-deserved commendation Guthrie's Sunday Maga zine, a Scotch periodical, not published on the Sabbath, but named as above be cause of its suitableness for Sabbath reading, adds :—" As it purports to be a Sunday Magazine, it contains ,nothing inconsistent with the sacredness of the day, and unlike many of our Sabbath school books, it may be read through without even the apprehension of stumb ling upon anything trifling or unduly secular." PICTURE OF UNITARIANISM.—Here is one painted by one of its own ministers, pastor of the Unitarian Church in De troit, said to be one of the best churches of the connection in the Northwest. We give it as we find it in the Boston papers: "The congregation has averaged, on pleas ant Sundays, about one hundred and eighty. Some believe everything, some believe nothing. Some believe a little, and some are trying to believe something. Taking all things into account this society is a pleasant one, and will rank among the first connected with the Conference !" A SYNODICAL RECORD IMPROVED.- We suppose our readers, like ourselves, have felt a very earnest sympathy with the action of the Old School Assembly of last spring, in reference to treasonable ministers and ecclesiastical bodies form erly in their connection, and hence have looked with concern upon the agitation started to secure its repeal, or at least such modification of it as will reduce it to practical nothingness. Nothing in the course of this agitation took us more by surprise than the action of the Synod of „ Philadelphia, at its late meeting, adopting wholesale and verbatim the Minute of the New Jersey, Synod, which alleged the unconstitutionality of the Assembly's doings. We published this Minute, as then reported in the papers of that church, and we now, with much greater cheerfulness, publish from the Pittsburgh Banner a fuller account of the whole transaction in the Philadelphia Synod, furnished by "A Member," who says:— "MESSRS EDITORS :-.111 your last issue you say that certain parties are making cer tain uses of the action of our Synod on the action of the last Assembly. In order that they may make the most of the doings of the `Mother Synod,' it is important that they have before them all that the old lady did. " Early during the sessions, while there were present some hundred and thirty or forty members, this first resolution was pass-, -ed unanimously : "`Resolved, That in the action of the last General Assembly with reference to Southern members of churches and Presbyteries, we recognize an honest desire to discharge their duty toward the Church and the Country.' " We quote from memory, and cannot give the precise wording, nor can we understand why this part of the Synod's action was not published with the rest. " Afterwards the `New Jersey' paper was introduced, and advocated at great length ; in the meantime member after member withdraw ing, until at, length when the time came to vote, only some fifty-seven were in, the house. The Synod was on the point of adjourning for dinner, after which one-half of the fifty-seven must leave. If they vote at all they must do it now. Time remained for neither amend ment nor further discussion, and so the paper was adopted with a vote of almost ' two to one,' quite a number of those who voted in the affirmative, afterwards openly expressing their dissatisfaction with then' vote." THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1865. THANKSGIVING. Our present number is dated on the day set apart by Presidential proclama tion for National Thanksgiving for the blessings of the year, prominent among which is the termination of our long and agonizing civil war, in the triumph of the Government, and " the great enlarge ment of civil liberty." Those of our readers into whose hands the paper falls, on the morning of this day, will feel the occasion opportune for reading the fol lowing sentiments on the subject, from the pen of the venerable Bishop Mal value, of Ohio—from his pen, and who doubts their coming from his heart also ? They are, as he states, copied from the draft of a Pastoral Letter, reported by him to the House of Bishops in the late. Triennial Convention, but rejected by them for reasons which the whole his tory of that Convention renders only too obvious. They, with other parts of the rejected Letter, have since been issued as a pastoral, to his own diocese. Of the act of the House of Bishops concern ing them, the Episcopal Recorder says: —" That this passage should halt been erased from a Pastoral Letter, gip. the close of the war, for the sake of sparing the feelings of any one, will hereafter be con sidered one of those curiosities of ecclesias tical literature, which will take its place by the side of vindications 9f slavery as a divine institution, and denunciations of those who rejected this dogma, as ra tionalists and infidels! " The. passage is as follows : "What has God wrought for us, as citizens, and as members of the Church, in his late most signal Providences, towards our nation and Government I Looking back to days when clouds and darkness were round about us, with what wonder and praise should we contemplate the great, and most happy changes, which, under God's mighty hand, have come upon the condition and prospects of our recently most afflicted land. All alont h 4, the sad years of our late great contest for t , preservation of our Government and Unio in days of special humiliation and prayer, an every day, we entreated our Heavenly Father, so to deliver us that war might be no more in all our borders ; that resistance to the au thority of the National Government might utterly cease ; that all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, might be put away from the hearts of men on both sides of the contest that af flicted us ; that peace, union and concord might be restored to the nation, and brotherly fellowship and unity to our beloved Church. Blessed be God—our prayers, with those of our Christian brethren in other Communions, were not in vain. God has not dealt with us after our sins. His compassions have not failed. War has ceased. Precious peace has come. The National Union is preserved. The authority of the National Government is universally restored. 'Bitterness and anger are wonderfully passing away. That great source of dissension and evil feeling, involun tary servitude, is considered, on all sides, as having found its end. The means of educa tion and improvement are being extended among those who have been delivered from that yoke of bondage. Obstacles in their way are being removed. Vast and essential internal changes, affecting the whole fabric of society in Southern States, are acquiesced in with a spirit of wisdom and harmony which promises the happiest results. * * * x * * * " For these so great mercies, as well as for all that God did for us, in that way of trial and painfulness, by which we have co - me to them, we are bound to acknowledge, most thankfully, our unspeakable indebtedness to the mighty hand and most gracious goodness of our Grod." BOOKS RECEIVED. CHILD. The Freedmen's Book. By L. Maria Child. Boston : Ticknor & Fields. 16m0., pp. 276. For sale by J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia. BROWNELL. War Lyrics and Other Poems. By Henry Howard Brownell. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. 16m0., pp. 243. For sale by J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia. BUSHNELL. The Vicarious Sacrifice, Grounded in Principles of Universal Obligation. By Horace Bushnell. New York: Charles Scribner & Co. Bvo., pp. 552. For sale by J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia. ' HURST. History of Rationalism ; em bracing a survey of the present state of Protestant Theology, with Appendix of Literature. By the Rev. John F. Hurst, A.M. New York : Charles Scrib ner & Co. Bvo., pp. 623. For sale by J. B: Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia. BALL. The Christian Armor, written and embellished. By Eliza Craufurd Ball. New York: Charles Scribner & Co. For sale by Smith, EnglisW& Co., Philadelphia. GRIT.-It is known that, some weeks since, the Presidency of the Washington and Jefferson College, in Southwestern Pennsylvania, was offerbd to Rev. Dr. Robert J. Breckinridge. This College, since the consolidation which united the two bearing the above names, is among the leading literary institutions of the land, and the position offered to Dr. Breck enridge, is one of 'distinction; as well as remunerative. In Kentucky, as the im placable enemy of secession, he has, all through the war, been the subject of a harrassing opposition from the disloyal part of the Old School Church in that State, and this annoying contest, with the odds against him, is becoming more virulent, as connected with the repeal movement there. It was; therefore, supposed that, at his time of life, the pro posed appointment would afford him a welcome retreat] from the heat of the strife. But the war horse still snuffs the battle. The doctor feels that the great work for Christ and the honor of his , Church in Kentucky is yet to be done, and that, in the crisis, such a man as himself should not flee. And so, on the ground that " fidelity to his Church and duty to his country, require him to remain in Kentucky," he declines the position offered. FROM OUR CORRESPONDING EDITOR. NOT SO FAR WEST Who has not read the " Appeal to the Old Sextant, for Pewer Are?" Who has not laughed at its ridiculous spell ing, and its curious conceits ; and at the same time admired its profound good sense and its real philosophy ? Some body must have been in a good mood when that was written. It is one of those things that are " born, not made." And one evidence of its real worth is the fact .that, although written many years ago, it is still " going the rounds," and is read every year with as much zest as when first published. It ought especially to be in the hands of every sexton, of every church in the land. The sexton ought to be required by contract, to read it once a week, un til it nas its legitimate effect upon the mind and upon the weekly practice of that important functionary. The people do not often know how much more they are indebted to the sexton than to the minister for the " dull sermons" that dis tress them. We would defy even Henry Ward Beecher, or John B. Gough, to keep an audience awake and lively in some of the unventilated churches, where some congregations are every week tor tured, and yet do not know? whit hurts them. What they want is "pewer are," or air for the pews, if we may interpret the address. If the ,1 Sextant" will read this touching " appeal" he will see good reason for giving it. But who wrote this address ? In the last printing of it which came under our observation, we see it is credited to the " lowa Newsletter." It is said to have been written by " somebody out west ;" which would seem to mean, in that con nection, somebody in lowa, or Minne iota, or Kansas, or Nebraska. It might Wave been just as good if, that were its origin; but as it was not, we do not know that we betray any confidence by saying that the author is Mrs. Ara bella M. Willson, of Canandaigua; a gifted and accomplished Christian lady, who also, wrote the lives of the three Mrs. Judsons, and has written othqr things which are admired and cherished by her friends. 7e do not see any reason why she shoal, .;ffi have credit for so admirable a ihittg as the " Pewer Are," as it is her own. FROM VICTOR TO MICHIGAN A little over two years ago, Rev. Job Pierson Was called from the pleasant little village of Victor to the large Pres byterian Church of Kalamazoo, Michi gan, where he received a generous, cor dial welcome, and where he has since continued to be useful. Spon after Mr. Pierson left Victor, Rev. William A. Webb, a young man bat recently out of the Seminary, was called to OA% place,; and served this interesting congregation with all fidelity and acceptance until another important Church in Michigan found out that Victor was a nice place to come to for valuable ministers ; and so Mr. Webb was transferred to the' large and flourishing Presbyterian Church of Adrian; that to which Rev. Dr. Curtis, of Elmira, ministered so ably and accept ably for eighteen years. We learn from the " Adrian Daily Times," that Mr. Webb has met with a very handsome and generous welcome in his new home. It seems that' the peo ple are quite possessed with the idea that Mr. Webb is just the man they were looking for, and that it would do no hurt to let him know they thought so ; they therefore, " surprised" him by furnishing his house, in part at least, and by a very complimentary and kind speech of wel come ; to which, the thankful pastor made a heart-felt and happy response. This promises well for his usefulness in the new and important position to which he is called. And now Victor is looking for another pastor. Who wants to be put on the course for another important pulpit in Michigan ? We do not know that the good people of Victor relish the idea of serving only ftr' r a training school for the benefit of others. And' yet we know they prefer to have a good and able minister, even if they can't keep him always ; and such an one they are capa ble of appreciating. . We hope, therefore, that the Victor church will get one of the best, for their sake, as well as for the churches of the growing Peninsular States. Rev. A. L. Benton, of Lima, has re ceived a call to • the new and vigorous Church of Vineland, New Jersey. We do not know how much Vineland needs this particular man, but she ought to make out a very strong case before she gets him. Mr. Benton is pleasantly set tled, over a large and flourishing church in one of our finest agricultural towns, in a position for which he seems pecu liarly qualified, and where he is much beloved and very useful. We do not think that Lima can spare him ; and we know that his brethren in the ministry would vote unanimously to keep him in this region, if their wishes alone were consulted in the case. SAFE RETURN Rev. Dr. Heacock, of Buffalo, has re turned in safety from his visit to various Southern States, and his labor of love in East Tennessee. A great crowd assembled in his church last Sabbath evening to hear him speak of his obser vations in those remote parts of our land. Dr. Knox, of Rome, returned some weeks since from a similar visit to East Tennessee, where, we cannot doubt, both he and Dr. Heacock have done great good, by their presence, their preaching and their timely and judicious counsels. It was a happy thought of our General Assembly, planning such visits to that tried and distinguished part of our country. QUICKENINGS We hear of some increased interest in various congregations, such as Le Roy, Bergen, and elsewhere, enough to en courage pastors and people to hope and pray for greater things. We thini Chris tians of this region sympathize deeply with the general expectation of a great awakening throughout the land, and will be found ready and. glad to toil in the Master's vineyard according to any spe cial necessities which the time may re veal. Western New York is a land which the Lord has blessed, and where his dear people have learned to work heartily and mightily for him. CORRECTIONS In our communication of week before last, we gave Prof. Hopkins, of Auburn, credit for giving the charge to the pas tor at the installation at Seneca Falls. It should have been Rev. T. M. Hopkins, of Geneva. We mistook T. M. for S. M., and beg pardon of the former for not giving him credit according to his due. In our last the types alone are in error. Rev. J. P. Fillmore, should be Rev. I. 0. Fillmore, as every man pre fers to have his own name rather than another. C. P. B RocaEsrEF., December 2, 1865. OUR' WASHINGTON LETTER, WASHINGTON, December 4, 1865 Public interest in the organization of the Thirty-ninth Congress has been in tense, considering the fact that it was generally known that all the important matters connected with it were settled beforehand. As I write, hundreds of ladies and gentlemen are crowding into the galleries of the House and Senate,. while a more numerous throng is surging to and fro along the passage-ways and stairways leading to the Chambers of Congress. It is only eleven o'clock, and the galle ries of the House are already full to re pletion. On the floor of the House quite a number of members are standing or sitting together in groups, engaged in mutual exchange of ,greetings, and in conversation. It is easy to discern that this is the popular branch of the National Legislature. There is a certain noisy clamor:about it which indicates its prox imity to the great masses of the coun try. In front of the Speaker's stand, the Hon. Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana, Speaker of the Thirty-eighth Congress is standing receiving the congratulations of the members. He is a remarkably pleasant gentleman, and has a good word and a smile for everybody. The Demo cratic members are gathered in a corner around the Hon. James Brooks, of New York, in solemn consultation, the nature of which may be readily guessed. Some of the half reconstructed Southern mem bers are near by them, apparently deeply interested in whatever is being said. Perhaps they are making arrangements for " fillibuatering,” so as to delay the organization of the House. It is now twelve o'clock. The Hon. Edward McPherson, of Pennsylvania, who was Clerk of the House in the Thirty-eighth Congress ascends the Speaker's stand, and calls the House to order, notifying all who are not members to quit the floor. The continuous buzz from the galleries and the floor is hushed, and Mr. McPherson proceeds to call the roll of members by States. All are waiting anxiously to see if he will call the Southern delegations. Speculation as to the result vanishes as soon as he reaches Virginia. That State, together with North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Ten nessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Florida are- passed over in silence. When Mr. McPherson had reached Ten nessee, and failed to Call the names of the delegation from that State, the Hon. Horace Maynard arose and tried to gain the attention of the Clerk, .but in vain. After he had finished calling the roll, Mr. Maynard again tried to be heard, but McPherson was inexorable. This settled the matter of the admission of members from the late rebellious States. The Hon. Justin S. Morrill, of Ver mont, now moved the House proceed to the election of Speaker. He had scarcely taken his seat, before I noticed the Hon. James Brooks, of New York, on his feet. I saw at once the meaning of the little knot of Democrats and half resconstruct ed rebels, which I had noticed previously standing in a corner by themselves. Brooks set about a labored and evidently prepared argument for the admission of Southern members, and took issue with the Clerk for refusing to call their names. The little pages were kept busy carrying him copies of the Congressional Globe and 'other books of reference, which he had left in one of the cloak-rooms, alteady marked. He was soon interrupted by Long John Wentworth, of Illinois, who called him to order. The Union side of the House, feeling secure in their power, allowed Brooks, to proceed for nearly half an hour. During his remarks he asked the Hon. Thadden's Stevens, of Pennsylvania, when he intended to press the resolution passed by the Union cau cus of the House on Saturday evening. Stevens was busily engaged in conver sation at the time, and did not appear to hear him. Brooks repeated his question, when Stevens arose and with the utmost non-chalance, said : " I propose, sir, to press it when the proper time comes." This was followed by immense applause and laughter from the floor and the gal leries, Mr. Brooks, in the meantime, looking considerably discomfitted. Mr. Morrill presented his motion for the election of Speaker, which prevailed. Schuyler Colfax was nominated by the Unionists, and James Brooks by the Democrats. The vote stood: Colfax, 139; Brooks, 35. Colfax was declared elected, and Morrill and Brooks were appointed to conduct him to the chair, when Hon. E. B. Washburne, of Illinois, administered the oath. On taking the chair, Mr. Colfax delivered an admirable address. The oath administered to the Speaker elect was the "iron-clad oath," about which so much has been said and written; and Speaker Colfax subse quently administered it to all the mem bers of the House entitled to seats. Mr. McPherson was subsequently elected Clerk, a position which he is well quali fied to fill. The, message of the President will not be sent in until to-morrow. I learn that the action of the Union caucus, held on Saturday evening, had an im portant influence upon the character of the message, which, although completed at that time, has been somewhat altered since. It will thus be seen that the sentiment of the country upon the great questions of the hour is to be fully sus tained. There was very little done in the Senate beyond a mere formal 'organiza tion. J. M. THE "MISSION" OF THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DISTINCTLY'STAT ED.—We like candor, and therefore we are edified by the following passage. We clip it from a lengthy appeal, addressed by the Pennsylvania Synod of that Church to its people, asking aid for the support of pastors, and the help of their denomina tional work .in the State. "In looking over the past history of our church in Pennsylvania—the circumstances under which her pioneers were called from their southern fields of labor to plant the standard of Cumberland Presbyterianism in the North—to root up oldand deeply-implant ed errors—to radically change the tone of the Calvinistic pulpit, and anew new and unex ampled impulse to religious zeal in this coun try, we cannot look upon our mission as even half accomplished." In other words, the rooting up of old and deeply-implanted errors, and—ex planatory, we suppose, of what is there by meant—the raidical changing of the tone of the Calvinistic pulpit, are among the achievements which our Cumberland brethren have not yet half accomplished in Pennsylvania. As the mere. state ment of a fact, this is probably correct. A RARE Pitorosen.—A writer in the United Presbyterian, speaking of a dis tinctively national recognition of God, as an essential condition of his protect ing care over the nation, and referring incidentally to the proposed introduction of a Christian sentiment into the pream ble to the Constitution, says : "Here we take occasion to remark, that there is nothing to hinder our elections from being opened with prayer all over the land, as they were in the early times of our Repub lic in at least some large districts. Let the attempt be made with becoming soberness and prudence, and it will be successful. If it is not made—if the idea is suffered to pre vail and become inveterate in the popular mind, that when men act aspoliticians ' there is no reason why they should set God before them—that they are not acting under His all-seeing eye, and are not accountable to him—it will be owing entirely to the sinful apathy of Christian ministers and people. It may be well to amend the Constitution, but our great want is amendment of life among the masses who control the adminis tration of the Government. He who does the most to bring our people further under the influence of the principles of true religion and sound morality, does the most to render us a Christian nation." POPISH AIRS OF EPISOPAOY IN NEW Yong.—Bishop Staley, the lately famous Anglo-Catholic Bishop of Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, now on a visit to this country, recently took part with Bishop Potter in an ordination service. We also find the following in the New York papers : " The Tractarian services at the Episcopal Church of St. Albans, in Forty-seventh street, were repeated on Sunday, 25th ult., with the usual gorgeous ceremonies, including lighted candles on the altar, genuflexions the eleva tion of the offertory, by Bishop 'Southgate, etc. These services are creating a great commotion among the moderate Episcopa lians, the highest of whom are slightly stag gered at these ecclesiastical novelties. It may be added, that among the clergy officiat ing at the services last evening. ' were Rev. John Henry Hopkins, editor of the Church Journal, the organ of Bishop Potter." UNIVERSITY OF 1111IOEIGAN.—This is a State institution, located at Ann Arbor, of the magnitude of which, we presume, few are aware. There are now in attendance 1051 students, distributed in the three departments of General Litera ture, Medicine and Law. One assistant professor. has recently 'been ~added to each of these departments. The Uni versity is a State pet, and deservedly SO. JOSEPH BARKER, From our friend Mr. Reginald Radcliffe we learn that, a few evenings since, he presid ed at a meeting held in Music-hall , Chester, whilst Mr. Barker, the former notorious infi del lecturer, related the course of his wander ings, and of his restoration to the Father's love through Christ Jesus. "It was," Mr. Radcliffe says, "one of the most interesting and instructive addresses I have heard for a long time, most conclusively convincing to infidels, and most instructive to everybody. He will have to undergo, no doubt, intense prejudice; but, if he were the greatest hypo crite (and I believe him to be sincere), such a lecture as I heard by a former infidel, would tend to tear infidelity to shreds."— Revival, London. Itrius D . l trur eljurtix. THE MISSION SABBATH -SCHOOL of North Broad Street Church was trans ferred to new and commodious quarters on Montgomery Avenue, Sabbath week. Under the superintendence of Mr. R. S. Walton, it has attained a large measure of usefulness and success, which will, we doubt not, be further promoted by the new apartments. RESIGNATION or THE REV. Da. DE WITT.— The Rev. Dr. De Witt, one of the pastors of the Presbyterian Church, of Harrisburg has tendered his resigna tion of alit he active ministerial duties of the congregation. At a meeting of the congregation, called by the Trustees, the resignation was unanimously accept ed, and the congregation unanimously voted an, annal salary of five hundred dollars to Rev. Dr. De Wilt, and added five hundred dsllars annually to the sal ary of the Rev. Mr. Robinson. Dr. De Witt assigned as reasons for his resignation of the active duties of the ministry, his advanced age and bodily infirmities. He commenced his labors in Harris burg in 1818, and consequently has served forty-seven years as pastor, part of the time associated with the Rev. Thomas H. Robinson, who now assumes the ac tivil‘and more laborious duties of the office. Resolutions of affection and sympa thy, with a cordial invitation to exercise his pastoral visitations amongst the peo ple, were also unanimously passed by the session and the congregation. A NOTEWORTHY PASTORATE. —We take the following from a Geneseo, New York, letter to the Evangelist:—" The New School church in this place has been especially blessed. Two precious revivals have been enjoyed within the past two years. There have been about one hundred additions to its membership within the past six years. Rev. George P. Folsom was called to this church seven years since, soon after a most un happy division, by which the church lost nearly one-half of its members. Under his judici a d wise pastorate, the church has b• •me strong and vig orous, and has shared largely in the covenant mercies of God's people. Long may he break to them the Bread of Life. Right liberally and loyally may the . people sustain and provide for him." LAY HELPERS. —At the late meeting of the Synod of Wabash, a plan for the employment of lay helpers to aid in sup plying spiritual destitutions, was brought forward and handed to a committee, consisting of Rev. Messrs. Jacob Patch, F. S. McCabe, %nd G. C. Noyes, to di gest and report at the next meeting. Suggestions and propositions, looking in this direction are becoming more fre quent. They are the breaking forth into expression of the necessities of "the Church and the field, east as well as west. Several of the Christian denomi nations are moving in the matter, and we shall be much the loosers if we delay to fix upon some plan to supplement the ministry with the active and official labors of a portion of our talented and zealous laymen. COLLECTIONS FOR OUR WORK IN EAST TENNESSEE.—We recently noticed the return of Rev. W. E. Knox, of Rome, New York, from a visit to East Terines see, as a delegate of our Home Mission ary Committee. Mr. Knox proposes, by exchange of pulpits, to lay before con gregations in his vicinity, the openings and needs of that region. He spoke, on the 26th tilt., to Rev. Dr. Fowler's con gregation in Utica, and though, on ac count of stormy weather, but a small number were present, $2OO were brought in on the plates. Additions to this amount are expected. DEATH OF A MlNlSTER.—lnformation has reached us of the death of Rev. Wil liston Jones, late United States chaplain, and for several years previous a labori ous Home missionary of our Church in the Northwest. He died at Rolla, Mis souri, November 20. THE SYNOD OF MISSOURI ON THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY.—The Synod of Missouri, being convened for the first time since the close of the civil war which,afor four years, afflicted our coun try, and the calamities of which pecu liarily abounded in the field of our la bors, would devoutly record our thank ful sense of the goodness of God in bringing that war to an end, by the complete destruction of the military power and political organization of the rebellion, and without surrender or com promise of any of those righteous princi ples for which our national Government and its loyal people contended. Having unanimously declared and steadily mani fested our decided adherence to the Go vernment, throughout its great struggle for the maintenance of our precious na tional Union, we would now renew our assurance of loyalty, and offer our fer vent prayer to God, that sufficient wis dom may be vouchsafed to the national Executive and Congress for the difficult work of restoring order, and the right eous administration of law throughout the States which have been in rebellion. Especially do we invoke this divine guidance in order to the securing, by reliable guarantees, of that liberty which has, been given by the war to those who befOre were enslaved, and which the nation, by its representative ruler, did so solemnly promise to recognize and main tain. Any failure to keep our plighted faith with those who have rendered so essential service in the war . ; who have been so steadfastly loyal, and who:have so implicitly and patiently trusted the
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers