( Antsritat .fgrtzfrtjttriait.
THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1867
SUMMARY.—Rev. Dr. Wiswell has signified
his accptanee of the call tendered to him by the
Green Hill church of this city.
There have been eighty conversions, according
to the Pittsburg Banner, in the Third Church
Pittsburg, Rev. H. Johnson, pastor.. The great
ingathering into the Allen street Church, N. Y
Rev. Dr. Newell, pastor, is most encouraging to
the friends of Jesus in our great cities. Over
one hundred and fifty were admitted at the last
eonm - tunion season. Surely the times of refresh
ing are at hand. The total of accessions and
hopeful conversions which have come to our
knowledge this, week in the bounds of our Church
is over three hundred.
Rev. Justus Doolittle, author of "The Social
Life of the Chineie'l and missionary of the
American Board, arrived at Tientsin, to resume
his labours in Magi& dir•Anguit,;,3o.
The Church of the Covenant N. Y., Dr.
_Prentiss!, ,bas contributed,l6lll.l .18, to : the Edu
cation Cause.
A new Church edifice is projected at Auburn,
N. Y., for the First Church, Dr. Hawley's, to
cost:880,00P.
Our Old School brethren expect trouble in the
further development' of Southern and pro slavery
'sympathies • among some of their Eastern
Churches.
' The Presbyterian Banner of Pittsburg, join's
the Presbyterian of this city, in decided expres
sions of unwillingness to recognize what is termed
.New School doctrine, as entitled to equal rights
with that taught at Princeton, &c.
The Presbyterian of this city wishes us to de
fine ."New School" theology. This we are trying
to do. Now, will the Presb,yterian, reciprocate
and, tell us what is. Old School theology,for ex
ample on the doctrine of imputation?
THE FUTURE OF THE OLD SCHOOL CHURCH
11N ANEW Yoax.—Dr. Montfort lately wrote to
the „Presbyter from New York city:—
, "After some examination of the state of things
in our Church. in this city and Brooklyn, I feel
free to, repeat an• opinion which I expressed a
year ago, and for which. Dr. Van Dyke took me
to task. I think that there will be a Presbytery
formed hcrein. connection with the Church South.
Dr. Scott's Church in this city and Dr.. Van
Dyke's in Brooklyn, are drawing in the Southern
Aympathizers 'and they are no more in sympathy
with than the Declaration and Testimony men.
It is probable that their exodus will bear nearly
pie. same date. . . . Dr. Bice, is not in sympathy
with the action. of our General Assembly in re
gird to 'the - Church South, and yet he has not
Keen demonstrative in apposition to it. He still
`holds . that abolitionism is.a. great heresy, and that
, 6.ltivery, though it had great evils connected with
it, was not -sinful. His church is large, and
abounds in wealth.... . I could refer to some
facts showing how certain middle men , are en
couraging them to remain with us, in the hope
that our deliVerances will be changed and that
'the Smith and North will again be one. I find
here a middle party, though unwilling to be so
called, who a year ago were opposed to re-affirtn
ing our delilierances, or carrying out what . , has
been done. They desire all that has been said
by the advocates of the dead. letter theory to pass
without any notice, by the next Assembly... They
are ' quite'willink not only; but anxiotis,'that men
in the boider - States. maypersuade`Soutli r ern sym
pathizers to stay with us, in' the expectation that
all our deliverances on loyalty and freedom will
be treated as null and void. This class failed in
Our hat, Assembly to secure the action which
they prepared, and so it will be again. It is a
remarkable fact that reactionists are confined
mainly to the border States and to the Eastern
cities. As to the Eastern cities nothing will cure
the evil but the formation of Presbyteries and
churches in-connection , with the South. - When
this occurs,,middle men will soon cease to op
pose or misrepresent. our action."
MUCH Grit AND LITTLE W,poL.—The Con
gregational. Church, Moira, N. Y. ; Re - v: 11. Lan
cashire, pastor . , heretofore connected with-.Chant
plain Presbytery, his withdrawn frornthatOdy,
and associated with the St. Lawrence Consocia
tion. The Independent says :
"We are glad to see that substantial churches,
heretofore professedly Congregational, while sub
mitting to the rule of presbytery, are tiring of
their anomalous position,. and becoming so far
sensible of the reality of church principles as to
resolve on being one thing or the other."
This throwp , light on i the question as to what our
proselytizing Congregationalist brethren regard as
"substantial churches." The Moira church is
reported as contributing $ll for Foreign Mis
sions] and $349 for congregational purposes, and
as numbering 59 members, or less than h:alf the
average of Champlain Presbytery.
DAVIS OR TII STARVING POOR.—WO see
that the Legislature ofMississippi has appro
priated $lB,OOO, not to teed the famine
stricken people of its own and the neighbor
boring States, but for the legal defence of
Jefferson Davis. We would like to learn
what proportion of this will go in the
pocket of a certain lawyer of this city`
by way of. keeping up the .financial balance
which would - otherwise be disturbed by
Philadelphia remittances to feed those whom
that legislature are ignoring.
We also observe that while Gov. Worth
speaks of the great want among the people
of North-Carolina, Mrs. D. was ,handed
handioine rollfof greenbacks at a railway
station; ivbile on her Way' through "that
State.
THE AMERICAN,' PRESBYTERIAN 'E THURSDAY,' APRIL-4, 1867.
FROM OUR ROCHESTER CORRESPONDENT.
DR. CURTIS AT ELMIRA
We are gratified to learn that this esteemed pai
tor of one of our largest and most important
churches, has yielded to the urgent solicitations
of his people, to withdraw his resignation and re
main with them. Dr. Curtis has now been in Elmira
six years, and his ministry has manifestly been
blessed. He took the church soon after the Second
had been formed,bywliich its members were
considerably reduced; but it has been growing
rapidly ever since. Indeed, 155 were added to
its membershipin the past year; 121 on p_rofesz
sion of faith. The whole numbernow in its .com,
munion_ is 412;' and` the hist fotr'yeais the
Society has virtually built two church edifices, at
an expense of about $50,000. To cancel their
debt, and to make further improvements, they
have raised about s2p i o.o.o,,in.the- last,, , ,ye . sr; and
they now have a noble sanctuary, admirably
adapted to church purpbses, and an able, earnOt;
and. faithful minister.
PULPITS
We' , were 'particularly pleased with the pulpit
in 'Dr. 'Curtis' church, especially because thereiS
so little of it. It is ,a charming model, and NVe.
wish . that all Church tecieties preparing to build
would take pattern after it. There ,is.: an awk
wardness in many, that is more than an inconve
nience; it is a positive wrong, both td spe'aker and
hearer. -
The evil to which we refer is the almost Uni-.
versal custom of making the desk so high from;
the floor of the pulpit, that every. minister who
does not Chance - to measure six feet or' more 'in
height, mU,St,.be be ; upon a: paatform,'in, ordpi
to get at his audience:: This 'often, subjects :the
clergymen to great constraint and unnaturalness
in the delivery'of his discourse. How caw it •be
otherwise ? If the breastWor,k in front of 'him is/
so high , that he can scarcely:see over it,'or, if he
is Confined to a little narrow platform', scarcely
bigger than his:two feet,•how can he lose , bim'sclf
in:the 1114 i -ration of his theriib, orhowlwax•warrn
and eloquent, supposing such a thing
,po.sSible
,in
any circumstances ? Many a congregation hes
cheatectof half the 4tapresiivenesi and use=
fulness of a discourse by the awkward narrange-.
meat of the pulpit.
The true remedy for this inconvenience is to
have :the,Cleeki low) enough; . ~.thd.t tihe,3 shortest
man, not a dwarf, may stand comfortably, upon
the broad pulpit. floor, and, Kaye ,his Bible and
his tnanusckitt'a prbliCr ditarnde'frinn his eyes;
and then for a taller man, let the desk' be sO con-
Striicterthat ii3od"Whichthe " nib le
rests may be dev'ate . , to' suit the he.ighi, of the
speaker. In that way all are accommodated:
Let builders be careful not to build the desk
more,than tfts:rty-three -inches from4hp. floor of the
• .
platform, with - arrangements to elcrite '4\,eight
inch& above tliig point, and . it will Suit all.'
DEATH Or IVEY. 3D11,1' BURT IS.
The death of Rev. Arthur Burtis,B..D., who
has been " long identified with. the religious and
educational movementstof Buffalo, and was a man
universally beloved," is announced in .the papers
of that 'city. He died at Oxford, Ohio, on the
23d instant, : w.bere he was engaged as, a professor,
in the Mian!ffUniveisity. - VerY. haiAdoine 'reso
lutions of respect and condolence were passed at
the weekly meeting of the clergymen of Buffalo,
last Monday evening. " Kind, affectionate,
learned, exemplary and devoted to , the cause of
God," they say, "he has left us for :the enjoy
ment of a nobler life, and we here record our pro
found respect for his'many virtnekas aChristiati
minister and a man." He. was connected with
the other branch; but 'Was thiiS esteemed' by all.
# A 'NEW L'llintelt EDIFICE AT AUBURN.
The conare - mation#.of :the First church at Au=,
burn, (Rev. Dr. :Hawley's) are moving for a new
house of worship: - This - has, indeed, becif in con
templation for some time, and would, doubtless,
have been accomplished before this,Tbut for the
troubles in the country. But in a meeting of the
Society held last week,. we learn that ,it•was, ;fully
res)lved to enter at once :upon:: the work. - It is
intended to erect an edifice to cost about $BO,OOO.
The congregation, which is one of the ablest and
most intellippat in Western New York, can well
do it. Thirty-four thousand, dollars were.pledged
at once for the object. Knowing, as* we do,
some of the leading men of this congregation, we
doubt not the - project will be Carried trinmphant
ly through, and that the sanctuary will be one. of
the best when it is finished.
AN HONEST MAN IN CONGRESS.
We see that Hon. C. T. Hulburd is getting
some hard knocks for exposing the corruptions of
the Custom House in New York. Those who
know Mr. Hulburd, as we have known him in his
own home, in the church of Which he is an hon.
ored Elder., and among his his own neighbors and
constituents, will think none the less of him for
this abuse. He is regarded in St. Lawrence
County, which he represents, as one of the most
faithful and upright men ever sent to Washing
ton. And he will not be deterred from doing
his whole duty by all the threats or all the bribes
with which corrupt officials can possibly assail
him. He may be deceived by others, he may err
in judgment—for who that is human may not?—
but no one who knows him cau'doubt the integri
ty of his purpose, or his ability: to do good ser
vice in any matter reiluiring intelligence, courage
and discretion of no common order.
=IMO
IMPROVEMENTS AT CLAYVILLE
The Presbyterian church of this phice, under
the pastoral care of Rev. A. C. Shaw, are giving
special evidence,s of harmony and prosperity just
now, by moving to build a parsonage for their es
teemed minister, and get an' organ fo'r their he-
loved Sanctuary.GENESES
• E
RocrrEsTia, March•3o, 1867.
(fur Cturtljio,
FIRST Crrußcrr KENS7I6TON.--This Church
is still blessed with toketis' of the Divine favor.
T.ast-Sabbati was. 00mraY-09n clay, and a blessed
season it < was. The; attendanee, morning, after
noorr, and evenine''was — uriusually full; even for'
that,* OroW'ded ''saneinary. Twenty--two persons
were' received into, the fellowship of, the
_Church
--two by certificate, twenty on profession. We..
do; hope the members .of that congregation, in
accordance*h thd repeated recommendation's
of Presbytery,, Will lake `measures for tliO'
•
lishthent ot, a. colony. It is a movement o-reatly
needed,,and w9,!are persuaded.; there would ,:be
found a - blesiing in it,.both !the community
and Cle Church,: "We• know that the pastor is
ready and anxious for such an enterprise.
MINISfiRIAL - C I VW s =*". r Chicago C orre
sponden the TollOviitig has re
signed , his charge at , Quincy, 111. Dr. Torreyis
about to leave Anb..arbtiri.Mich., on account of
the health of hiS family, and Rev. Job' Piei•sbn'
has closed his pastmitte at Kalamazoo. Rev. W.
W. Atterbury has a -Unanimous call with liberal
salary - to our Chu i rch at Battle-creek, Mich.
, G. Rt ,Robertion has been called from
Sandwich to Spribeeld'lll. ,
N,Ely Yon in Allen St.
karch l 2-ith was a 'communion Sabbath long to
to .be remembered b 4 the people of Dr. Newell's
charge; when one hunclrbd und 'fifty-four per.:
soni'witnesSed,a gockl confession 'Christ 'and
were admitted into the Church. ,
The first to receive the sacrament of initiation
was the widow of one who had been an Elder in
that Church' for twenty-cight years, and who
honored thatoffice, 4ere and elsewherz,.for full
fifty years. It had ben his prayer that he might,
net,die until ,his, wlfelhad becomp a Christian, and,
though, he was striken, down with paralysis .on
Sunday evening, Marph -the ,10th, after having,
attended chuich as uqual on that day, he had been
spared to sit in , hisi accustomed place in the
r
church session. when -tie was examined and .ap - -.
m
proved.for embersli p.. Of. the 154 received,,,
1 .
about 45 were from he Sabbath ..School; as re
gards the sexes, they were about equally divided,'
and, while several wy e of full middle age, and,
more, a little under the laraer number were young
men and women, just reaching
,maturity... After
prayer by Dr. Coe, a former .pastor of the church,
the long list of names -'as-read, by the pastor,
each ,person taking pasitiou as
• Falled r —tho . one,
third not baptized, near the c,ommuniontable, and
the remainder filling up all 'the space on either
side to the galleries, and also the middle aisle quite,
back to its,centre. Thc baptisms a' ccomplishecli,
all witnessed. a good Confession so far, as a form,
of
,soundwords can . make it such-- We believe, be
m,. -
i well emphasized -at thecifimmencement of
each, sentence.,,; Next came the aolemn Covenant,
and at the end the ising,of the l great c.ongrega
tioD, pledgin ,, ,to these new, brethren and sisters,
their watchfulness apd care. These introductory
services occupied so ,much time that it was not
until the shades of evening were drawing on with
in the church, that thy dispersed,. to their
pews to partake of their first Communron..
. This work of grace has been in progress ,for,
about three months,, and the interest and success
attending it, were never greater than during the last .
week. The work seems to go on in directions all
its own. Indeed, it is a notable feature of this
revival that one half of its subjects had no pre
vious'connection with the church, even as occa
sional attendants. One whose heart' had been
touched, would speak to another, perhaps a young
man employed in the same establishment, even
though he might be a stranger, and ask him to
come to the meetinT, and so the work spread in
the most unlikely quarters. The only preaching
services,in addition to those on the Sabbath, have
been on Monday evening.—Evangelist.
ORAWFORDSV.U,Lp; Iris.—A: correspondent of
the Evangelist writes of the revival under date of
March 25,:—" As the fruits. of this revival 475
persons have been received by the different church
'eo of this place, and' this in a town of ' less than,
4000 inhabitants. Of this number the M. E.
church, the interest,in which commenced a little
previous to the Wok of • Prayer, has received
250; the Christian church, 99; the N. S. Pres
byterian, 96; the 0, S. church,, 20 ; the Episco
pal church, 7 • and the Baptist church, 3. And
still the work is going on. Christians havino
determined to keep laboring and praying for the
conversion of sinners notwithstanding the preach
ing. was not to continue, as, before.
‘There are 150 students in Wabash College, and
there have been 45 hopeful conversions during
this revival, making the number of professing
Christians 108. A good number of these new
converts are intending to enter the .Gospel min
istry."
WABASH, :Inn.—Last:Sabbath. March 10th,
was a day long to be remembered in the First
Church of this city. At the communion season
on that day thirty-nine persons united with the
Church. About half cif 'them were young men.
Fourteen of them were soldiers in the war "f.r
the Union. Rev. Mr. Essick, in behalf of the
Church, gave them a most hearty Welcome to a
fellowship in the toils and trials as well as the
happiness and hopes.of the Christian life. The
interest, we believe. still continues and others are
ready to follow Christ.—Plain Dealer, ilictrck
16.
PLymouti - r, ILL.—The Churches in thiS place
have enjoyed times of refreshing during four
weekS of Union meetings., The result is that
more than one hundred solicited prayers, and not
far from eighty have expressed hope in Christ,,
alum* them one infidel and one Roman' Catho
lie. About-fifty are in connection with the Sab
bath-schools.
REVIVALS.—A work of grace has been steadi
ly prooressing• in the churches of Winchester and
Mt. Leigh, 0., during the past three months, and
sixty-six have been added to these churches-1
tifty-eight on examination, and eight by letter.—
At the last communion in March, 11 were •re
ceived into the church in. Troy, 0., by profes
sion. The Lord, has blessed tuis church with a
very pleasant religious iutere,st, which has con
tinued for some time past. Others have been in
terested since the communion.—ln the church, in-
Circleville, 0„ a special, ,religious interest has beep
enjoyed. l'wenty-one have united with the
ehurch,,and others areexpectingto ao so at the next,
comibunion.—Several of . the churches'in Chica
go have . received jarge accessions-o fic,of, them .
nearly one, hundred in number-at' their recent,
peribds of communion. .
PASTORS AND, CHURCHES ,Rev. John ,0.
Downer has removed-from Carlinville, 111., to De
Soto, Jefferson county, Missouri, to take .change
of ,our Church ; recently formed, in the latter
place.--The Church of Rockaway,. N. l'pa•TP
extended 'a
call to the Rey. 0. H. P. Deyp,
the Presbytery of
~North Piker. The. cburcbt
edific9 has beehreniodelled and much improved,
and,: was re-dedicated, March 14th. The
Church in Mas4il!on, 0., by a,unanimous vote of
the „congregation; March 3d, have, a4 - ed , Bev.,
G-eo. A.' Little to stay another. year: He, says.
"If. expressions of good will should keep one I
must stay. But my health has not . been good,
and • I do not think the climate agrees with me.,
It is not improbable that I shall •stop preaehing
'for a time, or, go where, to rue,,it is more healthy.'
—Rev. Albert. True, formerly of Cedar Palls,
lowa, has accepted 'a , unanimous call 'from the,
First Congregational church, of Elbridge, N.
which is in the Presbytery of ,Cayuga. His la
bors are to commence the first of May.- 7 -Re.v.-
Dr. Curtis of Elmira has at. the; earnest request
of his congreg,ation withdrawn his resignation,
and much to the gratification of his brethren in
the ministry will remain the Pastor of the First.
Presbyterian church of Minix-I.—The First Churc'h held a. meeting,,atwhich it was voted,
unanimously, to release the ,+ pastor, Rev. ,Z. M.,
Humphrey, for a six months' vacation, continu
ing, his salary, and providing.a supply for his pul
pit, that be might cross the ocean'durina this
summer .9€ exodus.- 7 -The Church in Spring
field,' 111., recently vacated by Rey. Mr. Hall, has
called Bev. G.,H.Robertson, of Sandwich, who has
accepted the call. He will remove to Springfield
early in April. Our Church' there as large
and influential. Mr. Robertson 'has much ex-,
perience, though still a comparatively young man.
The Church at Sandwich has shown a laudable
desire to, retain him proposing to advance his
salary, etc.,, but, e yields to his convictions of duty.
1-I,E - v. K. STEELS has accepted, a call to„the
pirst: Oburch of Willoughby, Ohio, and .enters
nnon his labors there the Ist of April., Iris car
respondents, will please observe = the change, of.
Post-office. The contribution for the Educa
tion Cause from the Church of the Covenant in
New York,,eity, (Dr. Prentiss pastor,) was,sllll,
IS. The subject was Presented by Prof. Smith
of Union Seminary. . ,
The Church in La Prairie, 11l was oroanized in
November last, and has • doubled its numbers as
the result of, a series of ,Union meetings.
new Church has been organized in. 13rook,.lyn by
a colony tr,pm Rev. T. L. Cuyler's Church. is
'called the "MeMorial iPresbyterian churcji " in,
commemoration of the great revival of ;kit year.
in the mother-Church. 'The Church is Weated . oear
the new "Prospect Park."Om the first Sabbath
in March, thirteen were received to the Church,
•in Wilkesville, 0., on profession. of faith; five being
beads of: familieS. Veyea, were hopefully con
verted during a. brief effort of two weeks, of
aoes ranging from • twelve to sixty years, four of
them heads of
. families, nearly all giving remark
ablygood evidence, and nearly all having some
thing of peculiar interest both in their ;circum
stances and their experience.
INSTALLATION AT BPONEVILLE.—This -place
is a large and flourishing -village at the present
terminus of the Utica and Mack - river railroad,
being in a town of the same name, thirty-five
miles north of Utica, and the last one in Oneida
county. The Presbytery of Utica , met there on
the evening , of the 13th, to instal the Rev. John
R. Lewis as. pastor of the Presbyterian church
and congregation. In constituting the relation,.
D. Fishep -of. Westminster church, Utica, took
the lead in ,a masterly discourse on G-alatians iv.-
4. The constitutional questions were addressed
to the pastor-elect and the people by Rev. W. S.
Franklin of 'Camden, and Rev. Mr.. Corliss made
'the installing prayer, after which Rev. Albert
Erdman 'of Clinton gave an impressive, charge to
the newly constituted pastor., urging, with kindly
force, his duty as a man,, a, ; preacher, and a min
ister. Rev. E. N. Manley,-gave the appropriate
charge to, the congregation, which, his former re
lation to them abundantly qualified , him to dci.--
Evapgelist. ,
ithis;IST,ERIAL:—Re:v. Dr.: Shedd hiving (zone,
to Europe, where' he intends tir remain until :fall .
Rev Dr..Hirchcock: Toccupies the .pulpit at. the
Broadway Tabernacle . both morning and eve
ning.. .Rev. John C. Downer has ',removed
from Carlinville, .111., to De Soto; Jefferson coun
ty, Missouri, to take charge of our Church reeent,
ly.fornied in the latter place. .
THE PRESBYTERY' OF KEOKUK met in Keo
kuk, March 12, 1867. Rad a full and interest
ing meeting. Yellow Springs church, at Kos
suth-, is enjoying a glorious revival. Keokuk
church' has been refreshed; some twenty to thirty
conversions. Rev. D. Norton Crittenden, minis
ter,. and Luther Deane, elder, were appointed
commissioners to the General Assemby; Rev. A.
S. Wells minister, and George -B. Smyth, elder,
alternates.
. LANE SEMINARY expended about $2,500 in
refitting the room of its students, last Fall.
With the exception of one or two individual
subscriptions, the money was collected fromsev-,
enteen of the churches in Ohio, the „Second.
Church of Cincinnati givinc , much the largest
sum, 8910. If all the churches appea,led.tO,had
responded in the liberal spirit of those ahove,re
ferred to, The Herald says there would,',4ve,
been money enough to paint the building on the
outside, make a new portico and steps, and, do,
some other things which.oug,ht. to be.dane.'
wards this the Treasurer has a balancea small
pulleVs egg'of $7 57, •
.trar' Our Italian correspondent, Mr.
molars fifth letter from Palestine and P p. .\,
Sawyer's letter from Proridence, on our
page ; Two Admirable "Lectures before the Y.
C. -4., on the third page` i Boole Notices, and d„
Death of Dr. Livingstone on the seventh page.
SERMON BY REV. DR. NELSON, OF ST.
LOUIS.
PAST EXPERIENCES RELATED TO PRESENT OBLIGATL.,N,
[A discourse delivered to the Presbyterian congve;f,t...n ~ f
ster Groves, ]lo., at the Dedication of their house fe. F
10th, 18M..1 •
BT REV. IMMIX A. NELSON
Heti. x. 32-33.--" But calk for remembrat. • e.%
deiys, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye - : 4ron
fig,bt of attlietions ; partly; while ye were zr_ 3. 4713i114
stock both by reprpaehes and atllietione: arm! 7,,
ye became companions , of them that were v.a.v:-.4
All trite life is' Historic. Present ey.7, ,, ,r 4 .7 - vs• - _ , . , ar..
ever vitally - related.; to those which are lea -t. T,-,.
day, as a measure of , time, simply suu:eetis yester
day its apart of,life, to-day springs out of yr e rd ar ,
.grows from it; is born of it; succeeds it. no:. a : i
carriage follows another in a procession, 1.1/t ZLS
succeeds hlossoms, as offspring succeed 1,1r , t, , ..
This is
true with experience to individual al , I
equally with reference to that of eommuniti, , . I t
true of families. It is true of nations. It is trin..
Churches.
History . is a profitable study. : Its lessons aro lo
merely curious , and interesting; they are praeti..al.
"History," says
. one, -"is
that
teach
eiample. ' "The thing that bath been, it
which Shall 'be; and' Chat which is done
Which shall be done r and there is no new thin , li n .
der the.sun,P saith the inspired 'preacher. _1 can.-
ful study of the past is certainly a valuable IneaLs
of guiding and regulating our expectations an.l -
deavors.
There is SO rnething more than this. Ili•zhtb,
stitiYing histdry,.ive shall not only find in it exan:-
pleS and patterns' of things :to come, but .010 . f•••.7.
seeds, originating powers. "History," says miot h pr.
"is:prophecy looking backward." The past an.l the
future are one. The stream behind us, and the
stream before, us, is one stream. The lantern of ex-
Olepee on the stern, of the vessel. In its: li
we t gee eieArly the track over which she has passe,:
F,OrWard' we see into the darkness, only as propheti.•
light frOm heaven; now' and then flashing. enall,
us. This is noi ordinarily vouchsafed. Ytt we may
expect that the future will be as the past. Nut h.-
deed always the same, as the past has been, tin:
aiw,ays that which the past has made it. li,ifort and
forethought and:Plait and prayer can modify the,:
historie Mrces, biltlcannOt nullify then].
another thing froM 'drifting, or mere jioating. Our
boat can` be: guided in - the stream—kept oft frf,ln
shoals and inags—leptrin the current. We cannot
turn it. up stream, nor lift it out of the stream. It i;
never wise to attempt an unhistoric life. We mao
take what the past Itrts
,brought us, and Minn"
uperi it ; but We etifirMfhaVe a future dissevered fro:t.
the past or uninfluenced by it.
In Order that our voluntary actions may be wisel:i
conformed to theie'principtes;it behcoves us often,
arid especially upon important occasions, to do sim
ply and directly, what. the (Apostle bids us in the
text, "canto remeinbrance the former days."
LknowuottieW 1 can, more suitably to this oc
casion,. or more Profitably, occnpy your minds, this
hour, than calling to remembraecethe antecedent
history, out of which his occasion has., naturally
groWn, together with' all which it repreSents and
syMboliies.
- My first visit to this Spot was in April, 185(3.
Scarcely ,should I say to this 'SPot, about which the
forest waWthen'•almost unbroken',-'rind near which
were.veryfew hunian My visit was to
`` the'College,r And; coming: to it ; from St. Louis, by
J.
the carriage road, think - I
did, not come down to
the r,ailroad.station., th'e ? dollege, I was intro
duce tc(ReV.' DiMond and,Rev. James A, Dar
rah, 'theie'giVing'instriiCtion to a goodly number of
lads; sortie of Whom,' grOWn' to mature manhood,
'may probably be'now present. This- was the far.
thest to which ,I ever: then penetrated into, the
indefinite. West, and to find a college planted, where
'so little of the•native,timber was.yet cut wita to me
.
a matter 0f.,n0 little curious interest. It was not
the only Sign which: I found, of the fbreseeing en
terprise and wakeful energy of that' erninent man,
then recently departed; into whose' rabbis Thad been
invited to enter, SO near to the principal' city of
the.great valley, directly Upon-the predestined route
of ,travel and transportationtbetween that great cen
tral city of the continent and, the great metropolis
of the Pacific coast, founded and nourished 1w a
Synod which then 'had' growing Ohfirehes, and an
educated ministry in every part of this State, and
'which needs such an Latitution to train its future
ministry, as well as to diffuse the benefits of liberal
education among the peopleit.did not seem vision
ary. to believe that that modest, but solid and comely
edifice, With ita two UnPretending but reallf scholar
ly "and devoted professors. mightbe the germ of an
institution whose tnture would erect add honor to the
illnstrious name of Webster; and which would be
to another generation what Yale or . Amherst, or
Hamilton is to this.
A few months later, I had taken the position, in
which, through the goodness of God, have.
.con
tinned until this time, and my next visit was at the
annual examination and exhibition of Webster Col
lege, in the slimmer of 1857. After' that, as a trus
tee 'of that institition, I was often in- consultation
with my associates, in behalf its interests; and there
are not many square rods, I think, on the 150 acres
intended for its endowment, over which I have not
walked with some of them: observing its beauty.
and planning for its availability, and indulging in
pleasing anticipations of the villti,ge which Should
be built upon it; willing, I;believe, to make soma
sacrifices, to expend some money and sonic of our
own vital eneru, to secure for the population of
that village the best moral. educational and religious
safeguards anct.intluences, and to make-it a centre
of beneficent edueational and Christian influence fur
the whole region rotund about it. Our hopes in re
spect to the Oollege hare not been ftilfilled: It now
seems certain that they will not' be. A large debt
incumbered its property. A financial crisis of grea:
severity soon followed the tragical death of him wlw
had been its financial manager as, well as the intl.,-
pid leader of the whole movement. A political
crisis rollowed,,developing into a civil war of ut,eN
ampled horrors. The enhancement of value of its
lands, not unreasonably unticipated, in the expected
continuance of prosperous - peace, and now rapidly
fulfillingisince peace is restored; was so long post
poned that the heavy. debt,- with its accumulating
interest, consurned.all our resources and made the
enterprise, financially,u complete failure. We en
dured the pain of seeing it become so, while the dis
tresshig condition of national affairs quite paralyzed
thOse energies which had originated, and in ordi
nary circumstances; wouldhave sustained it. Web
ster College is now only a clirtered , Board, without
land or funds. am still the guardian of its seal,
which I keep as I do the manuscripts of Dr. Bul
lard and Air. Starr, or the loysOf iny",own dead boy.
Yet we thank God, that though . stiffei•ing that great
sorrow to come upon ue, Ile . has Most graciously
mitigated it, by accepting the labor which his ser
vants-had thus .conseerated;•and making it the foun
dation for .a .bettutiful And -ribble_ch`grity. If yonder
edifice - could not be the place in which the sons of
ottrythureh,•shopld i he _educated for her ministry,
, R LIII I