Amnitaa Dtohgtttiau.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1866.
CONTENTS OF INSIDE PAGES.
„,
SECOND PAGE—FAMILY'•UIRCLE :
Thoughts of HomeDisoliedience, and What Came
of It—The Tivil Partings—Flower-de-Lnee—Discon
tented Robert—Fibbing—A Talk with the Children
on Prayer—Boys Heins Tobacco.
THIRD PAGE—THANKSGIVING SERMON:
Our National Home. by Rev. D. March.
OUR CHURCH IN THE WEST: Narrative of the State
of Religion for the Synod of lowa—English Hy mn s
of the Elizabethan Era.
8 MTH PAGE—CORRESPONDENCE:
ASpeer of Church Erection in the Wesi—Letter
rom Rev. J. C. Smith, D.D.—Letters from a Coun
try Parsonage.
ELITCR'S TABLE: D'Aubigne's "History of the
Reformation" — hl paten's " History of Christianity"
—Trench's "Fitness of .Holy Seriptures"—Longtel
low's "Flower, de Luce"—Shanks' "Personal Rec
ollections of Distinguished Generals" Adams'
" Peace with God"—Anstie's "Notes on Epidemics"
—Newton's "Great Pilot and His Lessons"—" Bind
ing the Sheaves"—" The Omnipotence of Loving
Kinduess"—Belly's "Home Vine-Yard"—Green
wood's " Stories of Many Lands"—Periodicals and
Pamphlets.
SEVENTH PAGE—Rt RA L ECONOMY:
How to Build Cbeap and Comfortable Dwellings—
Rancid Butter—Curing Meats—Apples Half Sweet
and Half Sour—Clover—To Make Neat's-foot Oil.
SolErtunc: Bessemer's Process, (Concluded.)
THE TEMPERANCE MEN of Indiana
are in earnest. They held . a large con
vention in Indianapolis, which adjourn
ed Nov. 22d. A telegraphic despatch
says:—
They determined to ask for a prohibitory
liquor law, and to carry the temperance
question into politics, particularly in the nom
inating conventions. The temperance 'party
is better organized than it was in 1855, when
it obtained a prohibitory law, which a Dem
ocratic Supreme Court declared unconstitu
tional.
THE WAY TO no IT.—There is no
difficulty in accomplishing the extensive
circulation_of religions newspapers, when
pastors and elders awake to the fact of
their importance as a power for efficiency
in their churches. The Western Chris
tian Advocate, published in. Cincinnati,
gives the following case in point:—" In
the John street cars, Wednesday last,
we met Rev. Joseph Chester, pastor of
the Poplar Street Presbyterian Church,
with a large roll of copies of the Central
Christian Herald in .his hands. Do
yohr people generally take the Herald P
we inquired. Every laniily of them,'
was the reply. We find that there is
neither health nor progression where
the religions newspaper is not taken;
hence one of our rules is to see that
every family, however poor, is supplied.
My people come out very generally to
the Wednesday night meeting;and they
thus obtain their Heralds.'"
C HIOAGO.—We regret to report, ac
cording to the authority of a Chicago
correspondent of the Congregationalist,
that in comparison with the growth of
the city. since 1860, the churches are
falling .behindhacd. Since 1860, at
least 70,000 have been added to the
population, yet the Congregationalists
have bat one more church now than
then. Nor have all denominations built
but a small proportion of the seventy
new churches needed by this new popu-
lation. The fact is, population is being
thrown' in such masses upon our great
cities that tLe burden for their evangeli
zation is really out of all proportion with
that of the country as a whole.
FREBEMEN'S UNION COMMISSION.-
The anniversary exercises of the Penn
sylvania branch of this organization
were held in the Academy of Music on
Thursday night last. Chief Justice
Chase presided. Judge Bond of Mary
land, was present. Admirable addresses
were delivered by the President, Gette-
ral Howard, Rev. Philips Brooks, Rev.
R. J. Parvin, and Judge Bond. The
latter was greeted with great applause,
the whole audience rising and cheering.
Rev. Lyman Abbott,the Secretaiy,' stated'
that the institution has supporte - d 301
schools. and 760 teachers. General
Howard said
" At least 100,000 colored children, during
our first year, were at regularly-organized
schools. Mit year there 150,000. There
are 100,000 colored children in Arkansas
alone, and each one of these. children has
paid four dollars for his or her education.
[Applause.] This shows the interest taken
by the colored people in theirsown education.
The attendance upon the schOols is remark -
able. Yet it is not only to colored children
that these endeavors have been directed.
The poor whites are taken care-of, and upon
the very summit of Lookout Mountain, Mr.
Robert, of New York, :has built a college, at
a cost of $40,000. These schools are open to
all, and the only people who ought to be
sent there are Christian teachers. These are
the only people who will wear. [Applause.]
We want people whose souls are full of the
love of Christ, who stay Where they are
planted, and do their duty. If they go there
only for wages, they soon weary and-go away.
Send, therefore, the right kind of teachers 4
those whose hearts are warm, who love
God, and who will labor for the rove of
souls."'
THE POPE'S V r iew.--Therejaa 'differ
ence 'of opinion in and out of the, Papal
Church' upon the effect of the loss of
the to ii: i irii i l power: Many believe it
would '4Avet.of ithe , greatest advantage
to the Church to be thus made depend
ent solely on its spiritual forces. The
Pope has an opinio - ii on the subject In
one of - his late allocations, he states
that the temporal power is indispensable
to the independence of phe spiritual
power, and declares that . he is ready
even to suffer death for the.maintenance
1
of the wad righis of the HolyHee, and,
. , and,
if necks aigto' seeklti .4 - anther country
the i had& security *foie the better
exereiseof his apostolic ministry. it, in
his Holiness prays that Italy may repent
of the evils she has brought upon the
Church. :, c I ,
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER. 6, 1866.
THE WESTERN COLLEGIATE SOCIETY.
—We learn, from a report which appear
ed in the Gozwregationalist, that the
annual meeting of this eminently useful
society was held at Salem, Mass., Nov.
13th. The sermon, which is spoken of
as masterly, was preached by Rev. Dr.
S. W. Fisher, of Utica, from Prov. xxxiv.,
5. It was a discussion of the relations
of higher education to the life and wel
fare of a people. It was admirable in
every particular, and withal most effec
tively delivered. Rev. Dr. Wilson, of
Newark, presided at the prayer-meeting
of Wednesday morning. The report of
the Corresponding Secretary,.Rev. Dr.
Baldwin, was of great interest, develop
ing, among other facts, that seven mil
lions of dollars have been given to our
American institutions of learning during
the past five years, more than two mil
lions during the past year.
Christopher R. Robert, Esq., of New
York, gave an account of his successful
efforts to establish an institution on
Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga.
Acting on his own responsibility, solely,
he has purchased large tracts of land
and hospital buildings erected by the
Government ; which could be modified
easily ; made the necessary modifica
tions, elaborated the plan of the institu
tion, employed the teachers, procured an
act of incorporation by the Tennessee
Legislature, and set the institution in
operation. The second term commenced
last week with eighty students from
various parts of the South.
A deep feeling.of the necessity of en
larging the Society's operations in the
coming year was expressed, and an in
creased and promising measpre of inter
est in the work was apparent. The
Executive Committee was authorized to
extend aid to Wilberforce University;
(colored) Xenia, Ohio; Heidelberg Col
lege ; Oberlin College ; lowa College ;
Pacific University, Oregon ; and Lincoln
College, Kansas.
ASSUMPTIONS EXTRAORDINARY.—It is
curious as well as sad to witness the
effect of an excessive denominational
exclusivism' upon .minds otherwise
healthy. A case of most surprising
reckoning upon the easy credulity of the
Christian public, occurs in a recent ser
mon by Rev. Dr. Weston, of New York
city, on " The Evils of Infant Baptism,"
meaning, of course, by that term, the
baptismal consecration of the household
of believers. A synopsis of it is given
in a late number of the National Baptist.
The first evil ascribed to infant baptism
is, that "it destroys the fundamental
Christian principle, that the Scriptures
are our sole guide in doctrine and duty."
Says 'the preacher:—" By the, conies
sian of eminent pedobaptist teachers,
there is in. the New Testament neither
precept nor example relative to infant
baptism." The second evil is that "it
destroys the • ordinances of' Christ's
Church." An ordinance of Christ's
house is "utterly swept away," and the
Lord's Supper is " surrounded with such
terms that the joyous feast provided for
Christ's. friends, is turned into a fast."
The third evil is that " it destroys the
doctrines of revelation." The doctrine
of infant baptism, "by an inevitable
sequence," denies the necessity of the
new birth, the corruption of man's na
ture, the necessity of an atonement, the
Divinity of Christ, . and the desert , i 9f
sin. The fourth and last mentioned
evil is that "it destroys the church."
" Wherever infant baptism universally
prevails, there is no church distinct from
the world." " Church • discipline be
come impossible, and a great parkof the
New Testament" is' rendered nieaning
less."
They have in and around New 'York a
very interesting and delightful associa
tion of Christian brethren of various
Evangelical denominations, devoted to
the cultivation . of Christian brotherhood;
and among the means used, is that of
teaching themselves to look at each
other from more candid and generous
points of view. This is what must be
done before either watchmen or- people
see eye to. eye. The notion of any one
denomination that its peculiarities are
to become the basis of a Christian artily,
is an unmitigated arrogance. We be
lieve there -are some good Baptist breth
ren iu the association just mentioned;
and it would be interesting to know
whether they think its objects likely to
be advanced by the bald assertions and
illiberal tone of their brotlier Weston.
THEOLOGIOAL SEMINARY IN CALIFOR
NIA PROPOSED.-At the meeting of the
California General Association -in Octo
ber, in view of the lack of ministers for
that great field, it was proposed to make .
a beginning to supply .themfrom young
men, on the ground. Accordingly, the
" Theological Seininary Association"
was formed, and 'twelve trustees elect
eti. Rev, A.:l. Steneis•President of the
Board, which has alSo a secretary
and treasurer. It was voted not to put
the institution into, working , order, till
$50,000 were. secured.
EVERY MAN TO 111§, OwN.—The edit
or of the Central Presbyterian, (Rich
mond, VA.,) writing from Memphis,
where ho ivawin't-attendance upon the
Southern GenerarA.ssembly, says:—
" It gives us great pleasure to welcome as
visitors Rev. Dr. S. J. P. Anderson, of St.
Louis, and Rev. Dr. Stuart, Robinson, of
Louiivitlely They are lciOthi"T i irghlift's
of whom this old mother ma4well'ie proid,
and livhoie lives I trust`; may" be lbirg spared
te maintain,. ,the position which they have
taken' in defence rortruth which no man
may assail without. - betraying the honor of
that greatilbg whthiGod. hath Via& Head
goei alb te Church :2 1 a
OUR, ROCHESTER CORRESPONDENT.
THE OGDEN . MANUAL
A manual of the Presbyterian Church
of Ogden has been published, contain
ing a list of its members, its articles of
faith and covenant, together with rules
of order and a valuable historical ser
mon, preached December 18th, 1863,,
by Rev. William A. Fox, who was then
its pastor. The church was formed in
1811, and consisted of ten members:
It has had five settled pastors, all still
living, we believe ; of whom Rev. C. P.
Wing, D.D., now of Carlisle, Pa., was
the third; serving them from 1835 to
1838. Rev. Avelyn Sedgwick' was
twice settled over the church, first in
1824, and again in 1838, , his whole
ministry with his people covering abOt
twenty years. Rev. William A. Fox,
now of Dunkirk, was pastor for fourteen
years, from 1851 to 1865 ; and the
present pastor, Rev. Alex. Molt,. Thor
burn, was settled last year, soon after
Mr. Fox withdrew.
The early settlers of the place came
from Haddani, Connecticut, and the
church was first organized in the Con
gregational form, but, changed to the
Presbyterian at the time of Mr. Wing's
settlement among them. His ministry.
was • evidently a prosperous_ one. . In
deed, this may be said of them all. Thei r
whole number added to the church dar
ing Mr. Wing's pastorate of three or
four years, was one hundied- and forty
seven, more than half of them by 'pro
fession. During Mr. Sedgwick's min
istry, four hundred and seventy-one
persons were added ; three hundred and
twenty-eight by profession. The church
enjoyed a precious revival last spring,
and thirty-three have been added to its
communion since the year began. It is
truly a prosperous church, now number
ing about two hundred and fifty mem
bers.
OUR THANKSGIVING
It was genuine, heartfelt. We doubt
if the people ever realized more reason
for thankfulness. So far av-we—can
learn, the churches were generally well
attended, the :. -- sermons earnest and
patrioticAr In this. city, the congrega
tions of St. Peter's and the First Church
(0. S.), united ; preaching by Rev. C.
M. Wines, pastor of the First. The
Brick Church and the Central (N. S.),
and the Plymouth (Congregational),
held a union service ; sermon by Rev.
Dr. Campbell, of the Central. His text
was, The truth shall make you free;
his theme, Christianity and civil liberty ;
the latter, the offspring of the former.
The subject was admirably handled,
and evidently gave great satisfaction to
the united congregations which heard it.
PARSONAGE AT VERNON.
This is one of the older parishes of
this region. The chur4h edifice was
built over fifty years ago, and bears
some marks of age. Twenty years ago;
Rev. Henry Darling, t D.D., now of
Albany, was the • pastor of this, church,
(it was, we believe, his first ministry) ;
and Rev. Henry Kendall, DD., of New
York, was in the neighboring parish of
Verona. Forty, years ago, or before
canals and railways interfered so seri
ously with the.growth and relative•im
portance of towns, Vernon was 'larger
than Rome. It was on the great turn
pike from Albany to Buffalo. From
fifteen to twenty stage coaches, heaiily
load,ed with passengiors, might pass
daily. Rome is considerably 'north of
the direct line of this road, but the rail
way was. bent, up to reach' that locality,
And the people went with it. Vernon
may be a village" of three hundred in
habitants, while Rome has ten thou
sand.
Nevertheless, we have a valuable.
church here at Vernon, as well as a
bigger and .strop' ger'one at Rome ; and
the people of Vernon have quite a mind
to take care of their minister, Rev.
,G.,
P. Hamilton, who has been with them
nearly two years, and under whom all
seem united and happy. They are plan
ning to put up a commodious and com
fortable parsonage for him. They have
$2500 raised for the purpose, are already
looking at designs, and purpose to have
some parts of the work done this winter,
so as to be ready for early operations in.
the spring. •
The last two years, we judge, have
witnessed the erection of a greater num
ber, of• parsonages than any two years
before in th- • history of our American
Zion. We hope the good work will go
on until every parish has its parsonage.
It is generally just so much more added
to the salaries of the pastors, and we
well know that they need-it.
Next week, Prof. Brown, the newly
elected President of Hamilton. College,
is to visit Clinton, to look over the
ground, and get Such further information
as may enable him wisely to answer
the invitation given him to that respon
Bible position. Believing, as the friends
of the College do, that he is the man for
' , the place, it is, sincerely hoped, that his
answer may be in the affirmative.
So far in the present Collegiate year,
Prof. Avery has acted as President.
The number of students is larger, we
believe, than ever before, and all goes
well. Miny friends of the college will
also be glad to learn that the railroad
from New Hartford to Clinton is now
completed, and the cars are running ;
making it much 'easier than it once was
ail visit that.favored s et.
- . Prof. Hopkins, of the' Auburn Semi
nary,,
is for the present
,supplying the
pulpit of the Presbytriiin ChutCh in
Fulton. ' '
The wille 'of the hew sanctuary for
the Presbyterian Church in Corning, are
now up and ready for the roof. When
once inclosed, the inside finishing can
go on through the winter, so as to be
ready for use, we presume, in the spring.
It promises to be a very neat and taste
ful stone edifice, capable of seating six
or.eight hundred persons.
ROCHESTER, Dec. 1, 1866
tft pur Ciuttija.
CLINTON STREET CHURCH PRILADEL
PHIAI.—We publish, in another part of
the paper, Dr.' March's Thanksgiving
Sermon, "Our National Home." It is
brief and will well repay the reader.
The services were rendered more than
usually attractive by the admirable per- ,
formances of the choir, under the direc
tion of the accomplished organist, Mr.
Mitchell. The double quartette per
formed several pieces of exceedingly
rich and difficult music, in the most Uri'
liant manner, yet in entire harmony with
the spirit of the occasion. If abie
evangelical preaching and grand music
were all that is needed to draw l a con
gregation, Clinton Street Church would
not contain the people ;• but the move
ments of population are adverse, and
there is serious talk of a change of loca
tion.
FIRST CHURCH.—The sermons of Mr.
Barnes, preached regularly Ji6nd without
notes, are as thorough, clear, convincing
and instructive ,as in his ptdmiest days.
The portion of his late memorial dis
course on Dr. Brainerd, printed in this
issue, fully bears out this assertion.
But the venerable First Church is on the
point of yielding to the pressure.of emi
gration, which is thinning its ranks. It
does not seem wise or necessary for
both of theie churches to leave that sec
tion of the city, and yetthose better ac
quainted with the facts seem to think it
unavoidable.
PRESBYTERY of KANSAS.—This body
met in stated meeting in Lawrence,
Oct. 10th. A considerable business was
transacted, although it was the time of
the meeting of the Synod of Missouri
in the same place. A pastoral letter on
manses and ministers' libraries was pre
pared to be sent to our churches. We
feel that something ought to be done in
this matter, that a beginning ought to
be made now when lands are compara
tively cheap, and may be easily gotten.
Two new churches were received—one
in Gardener, the other in. Okkawa.
ketioh on the subject of reunion of
the two branches of the Presbyterian
Church was deferred until our spring
meeting.. Our action then will, I think,
be favorable to it. A union would be a
good thing for our Church in Kansas. It
is an object devoutly to be wished and
prayed for. '
Our small band of ministers was
strengthened by the addition of several
others. Rev. A. Parsons was received
from the Presbytery of Otsego, N. Y.,
and Rev. J. H. Carrath from the
Presbytery of Watertown, of the same
State. Rev. J. L. Chapman was re
ceived from the South Classis Of Bergen,
N. J., and Rev. F. E. Sheldon from the
Presbytery of Lexington, Mo. Quite
an accession for one meeting. We thank
God and take courage, believing that
our Church has a mission to perform in
this rapidly growing young State. True,
we began in Kansas some years after
others, but not too late to do a good
work. The field is large. There is, plenty
of room . for scores of othOrs to work for
the Master.
We received also, one licentiate, Mr.
L. F. Blakely, from the Presbytery of
Madison, Ind. This young brother was,
at an adjourned meeting held in Bald
win City, Nov. 60, ordained as an evan
gelist., Rev.. J. C. Beach proposed the.
`eonstitntional questions and made the
ordaining prayer, and Rev. Wm. H.
Smith‘delivered the charge. The church
of Salina, to which Brother Blakely is
preaching, was received under the care
of Presbytery. Two other churches, one
organized at Solomons, the other at
Shawnee will be received at our next
regular meeting. Rev. A. T. Norton is
doing what he can to explikre our. State,
but he finds his field so large that he
cannot make "a thorough exploration. We
need an exploring' missionary in this
State. The very large tide of immigra
tion flowing into it, and spreading out
over our, ri i ch prairies, demands it. Kan
sas, having emerged from her troubles,
is on a- career of great prosperity: Im
p-oAant railroads are being built, towns
are springing up, and on every hind
there is enterprise and progress.
Wm. H. SMITH, Stated Clerk.
WESTERN RESERVE SYNOD ON FOR
RION MISSIONS.- This Synod, at ith
late meeting, gave earnest attention to
the subject of Foreign Missions.. Be
sides urging measures for making the
contribution of'the churches sure and
systematic, it enjoined upon all the
churches to maintain regularly the
monthly concert, and upon the pastors
to prepare themselves for the meeting—
and by means of lectures and maps,
endeavor to render attractive and pro
fitable this service, which is commonly
so thinly attended, so dull and.fruitless.
It also enjoined that great pains should
be-taken to circulate missionary informa
tion with regard •to, the Foreign work,
by means of the Missionary Herald,
The Presbyterian Monthly, The Chris-
&in
h World, and other missionary docu
ments and papers; so Oat the minds of
the people ,nay be ilia -ninated, their
consciences quickened, and their .z'al
greatly increased; also that more effort
should - be put forth to' enlist the S'ab
.
bath-schools in the missionary work
and ilia the children should in some
way be encouraged -to come forward
with their monthly offerings for the
heathen ; and further, the young men
in its churches, who have the Gospel
ministry in view should have their at
tention earnestly called to the claims
of the Foreign field, and should solemn
ly ponder the question, whether, in view
of the pressing call for men from abroad
at this time, they should not be ready
to say, " Here are we, send us !"
GENESEE
SYNOD OF WISOONSIN—ROME
sioNs.—The Synod of Wisconsin has
taken advanced ground in regard to its
position as a missionary field. At its.
tall meeting, after a deliberate survey
of its destitntions and its home re
sources, it reached the important con
clusion that the time .has come for its
dependence outside to cease, and the
still more importan't one that the mere
sell-supporting status is only a tenipo
rary one, and preparatory to its active
agency in the great work opening in the
still farther West. In a •seriel§, of reso
lutions, it expressed its judgment that
the point at which its churches 'ought
to aim -at once is to raise as much for
Home Missions within its bounds as is ex
pended there, and that this should be
regarded simply as the starting-point
for further development and fsr bearing
its part in sending the GospeWb the re
gions beyond. The churches were
urged afresh to become as soon as pos
sible self-sustaining; and it was further
urged, that in addition tb raising a sum
equal to or dollar per member, accord
ing to the recommendation of the Gene
ral Assembly, the Synod should aim
henceforth to- support the District Sec
retary -of the Assembly's Committee oc
cupying its field.
WASHINGTON CITY.—Rev. Dr. Smith
writes to the Evangelist that in the
Fifteenth Street Church (.colored) there
is- a work of grace, spiritual life, and
power. Indications appeared about the
time their highly- esteemed pastor; Rev.
Henry Garnett, resigned his pastoral
charge. Soon after, the elders began a
prayer-meeting, which has been held ever
since the second week in October. On
Sabbath, the 18th ult.,. sixty-four were
added to the Lord, in an open, stblic
profession of faith in Jesus °Wrist.
Still the work goes on, and prayer-meet
ings will be held every evening, indefi
nitely. We also learn that about thirty
were added to Rev. J. N. Comb's
ciiveh (the Western) last Sabbath, and
that unusual interest exists in others of
our churches in that city.
ANOTHER CASE—We last week men
tioned a case very similar to the fol
lowing : The Eckmanville, Ohio, church,
0. S., and. our little . church, N. S., at
North Liberty, two miles distant,
have united for the support of a minis
ter, and invited Rev. J. R. Gibson to
become their pastor, who has accepted.
All parties retaiu their present ecclesias
tical relations for the present, until our
Assthriblies shall have taken final action
on the subject of Union.
CHICAGO.—Rev . . Dr. Alfred Eddy has
accepted 'the call of the church in the
Chicago suburb of Cleaverville. A new
church edifice for its use will soon be in
readiness. Another going up for the
Eighth Church ,is nearly; finished, and
will, when completed, be a comely and
appropriate one. The two towers of the
First Church (Dr. Humphrey's) are up,
and a new chapel is nearly completed.
CHURCH REBUILT AND DEDICATED.
—The chtirch in Thorntown, Ind., which
some two years since lost its edifice by
fire, has comfaeted the erection of
another, which was dedicated, with the
usual religions services, on the 18th
The sermon was preached by Rev. H.
A. Edson, of Indianapolis., N
The Welsh Calvinistic Methodists have
provided chapel room for a great proportion, if
not nearly the whole Nonconforming popula
tion of North Wales. So that there was not
a town, a village, nor a hamlet, a mountain'
side, nor 'a glen in, which a few families were
clustered together, without a commodious
building for the inhabitants to meet and
worship God. And now thatthese buildings
are growing old and becoming too small,
there is hardly a town or neighborhood in the
whole country, in which new and more costly
buildings are not being erected. It is quite
a new epoch in the denominational history to
expend four, five, six—yea, from fifteen to
twenty thousand pounds upon the chapels.
Yet it is being done. The number of chur,
ches is 1040; communicants, 91,358 ; hearers,
192,574; Sunday-scholars, 140,144. Collec
tions for the year for all purposes, £46,821
14s. About one-third of the population at
tend Sabbath-schools. In some neighbor
hoods whole populations go, from the ages of
four to. fourscore. The minister reporting
these, facts says: It is a strange sight to see
so many spectacles in our schools. A few
Sundays ago, my own little girl said- . to her
mamma, when they came from school, "
counted twelve pairs of spqctacles in your
class to-day." And they, attend not merely
,to read the Scriptures, but to search them.
Our 'teachers, as a rule, carefully prepare
themselves to meet 'their classes. There is
scarcely a class of adults in which the teacher
or some one in, the class has not a cowmen-,
tary. But commentaries are not brought to
the classes.
Portuguese Presbyterian Churches in
Illincis.—The Rev. R. Lenington is pastor
of the First Portuguese Church, Springfield,
111. The N. W. Presbyterian, says- that his
labors have been remarkably blessed to this
people,: both in a temporal and spiritual point
of view. His time is divided between
Springfield 'and Jacksonville, His people,
though poor as to this world's goods, sustain
the means of grace among.themselves, with
mn, any assistance from the- Boardii. A - new
colony is on the way from Madeira to this
country, and it is expected, after their' arrival,
that the churches in Springfield and' Jack
sonville will each require and , be able to. Ef CLEI
- a pastor all ,
Missionary to Sew Iffeildo.—Rey. D. F.
M.uFariand has been 66EntniVsioned by the 0.
S. Board of Dom6stie filigsions, as missionary
to Santa Fe, in the teiricoq of New Mexico.
.
DR. BRAINERD AND HIS EDUCATORS
From the memorial sermon of Mr. Barnes
we are permitted to make the following
extract, which was prefaced in the delivery
by the passage from the life of John Brain
erd descriptive of Puritan family training in
the early days of the. biographer.—[Life, PP.
45-49.]
In seeking for those elements which en
tered into the character of Dr. Brainerd, and
those influences which made him what he
was, it is important to bear this method of
early training in the family in remembrance.
At the same time, I could say nothing more
'appropriate on this occassion, and nothing
that would be more useful, than to let Dr.
Brainerd himself thus speak on a subject so
important as the proper training of the
young.
The leading events of his life are soon told.
What prompted him to leave his early home,
and to enter on the study of the law, I know
not. He did, however, what was very common
in the part of the country where he was raised.
At the age of seventeen, in the year 18 9 1, he
left his home to teach school, for the pur
pose of obtaining the means of a professional
education. After teaching about three years,
he commenced the study of law, in the village
of Rome, in the county of Oneida, first with
Alanson Bennett, Esq., and then with the
Hon. Henry A. Foster, and the Hon. Chester
Hayden.
In the meantime, however, and near the
close of those preparatory studies, an import
ant event had occurred, which led to an entire
change of his purpose of life. It was in that
vicinity that the Rev. Charles G. Finney,
who had himself been a lawyer, began his
labors in the ministry, and his most marked
early success as a preacher occurred in that
place in a revival of religion of great power.
In that revival, nearly every merchant,
almost every lawyer, and almost every man
of influence, was converted, and among the
converts was young Brainerd. His course of
life, up to that time, had been moral and
correct. He had been preserved from vices
to which all'are exposed in early life ; and in
his case, there had been one instance, at
least, in which he had been preserved from
danger of ruin, by an event which bears a
strong resemblance to the manner in which Dr.
Paley was saved from a similar danger, and
with a like perception of his early promise.
"You are a great fool," said a friend to
young Paley, when he saw him yielding to
temptations and becoming the companion
of young men of dissipation. " You," said
he, " have talents, which may raise you to
eminence, if you will cultivate them. These
young men, your companions, have not, and
•it is .of little consequence what becomes of
them." Paley took the hint so roughly
given, forsook his companions, and ' placed
his name among tjiose which are most emi
nent in English literature. In the public
house where young Brainerd boarded, there
was a number of young men who spent their
nights in drinking_and carousing. On one of
those evenings, Brainerd happened to be
among them. The keeper of the house went
into the room, and said, " Brainerd, you had
better go to bed. Those young men are
going to rill. But you were 'born for better
purpbses." He, too, took the hint, and was
ever afterward saved from the temptation.
No man through life was a more thorough
temperance man than he.vvas.
I am ignorant of the mental exercises
through which he passed at that time. I
know only that he became a member of the
church in Rome in 1825,1 that by at once
abandoned his profession ; that he chose the
profession of the ministry with Ont hesitation ;
and that his conversion changed the entire
current, of his life. With a view to secure
the means of prosecuting his theological
studies, he spent a year in teaching in Phila
delphia. During that time he was connected
with the church of the Rev. James Patter
son, and entered heartily with him into every
measure for promoting the interests of reli
gion in the northern part of the city.
In October, 1828, he entered the Theologi
cal Seminary in Andover,
and graduated
there in the class of 1831. He was ordained
as an evangelist in New York, October 7th,
1831, and went immediately to the West, as
a home missionary. In December of that
year he was settled as pastor of the Fourth
Church in Cincinnati, where he labored two
.years. In March, 1833, he became editor of
the Cincinnati Journal, which he conducted,
_together with the Youth's Magazine, until
the autumn of 1836, nearly four years.
Daring that period he assisted the Rev. Dr.
Beecher as a preacher in the Second Presby
terian Church of that city, an event which
laid the foundation of mutual confidence and
affection for life. In October, 1836, he was
called to the pastoral charge of the Third
Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where
he commenced his labors February Ist,
1837. His pastoral life here embraced a
period of just about thirty years—as eventful
years in the history of the Oh'urch and of our
own country
• as any that have occurred. since
we became a nation. The history of those
years is-familiar to you all.
I have referred, with a special design, to the
fact that Dr. Brainerd was converted under
the preaching of the Rev. Charles G. Finney;
that he was early associated in labor with the
Rev. James Patterson ; and that he was
more intimately, and for a longer time,. asso
ciated with Dr. Lyman Beecher; for it was
by the influence of these men and their
preaching, more than by any other cause,
perhaps unconsciously to himself, that hid
character as a preacher was formed. Perhaps
no three men could be named whose charac
ter and mode of preaching would be more
likely to influence a mind like his. He him
self was indeed original. He copied no one.
He probably never set any man before him as
a model; he transferred to himself in no per
ceptible manner, the language, the modes of
thought, or the theological opinions of an
other man ; but there was, if I mistake not,
a silent influence of great power which went
forth from his early connection with those
men, which greatly affected his subsequent
character as a preacher and pastor. Two of
these men have passed away; hundreds, per
haps thousands, will bless the name of each
one of them forever, as'the instrument, under
God, of their conversion.
-
Charles G. Finney.—Dr. Bremer s earliest.
religious impressions were probably received
from him. Mr. Finney had himself been a
lawyer, and would have been distinguished as
a lawyer if he had continued to pursue that
profession. Not always safe in his theologi
cal opinions, and not having been trained to
great thoroughness in theological learning, he
was, nevertheless, a man of great power m
showing to men the danger of false hopes; in
setting forth the real nature of religion; in
driving men from their subterfuges and
refuges of lies ; in proclaiming the terrors of
the law and the fearfulness of the world to
come ; in laying open to men the delusions
of their own hearts; and above's% in pro
claiming the majesty of God and the great
ness of eternal things, and in making all
things else dwindle to nothingness before the
Eternal One and the eternal world. Few
men in our'country have been as well fitted to
act on the higher order of minds, or to bring
men, proud in their philosophY 'or their own
righteousness, to the foot of the cross.
• James Patterson,—not graceful in
man
ner ; not polished in sentences and
not
the
L iming at beauty of style
; . .and
in
raises of men—wit
h a keen eye that
Pqnetrated the soul; with a
tall and impres
i h not periods;cour
awe fervor ; with unpolished but most food-