eintroptallmtts.
REV. WILLIAM.E. DEWITT, D. D.
[Furnished for the Harrisburgh State Guard by Rev
T. H. Robinson.]
This distinguished minister of the Presbyterian
Church, so well known in this community for
nearly half a century, departed this life at his
residence yesterday morning, December the 23rd.
Ms death was sudden and painless, such a one
as he had long desired might be granted him
when the " appointed time" should come. For
the past two years his health has been gradually
failing; and he bad ceased all the labors ,of his
ministry, save friendly visits among the people.
COnseious that the hour' of his departure would
het be long delayed; he latelY'delled.around him
his scattered 'children for their last family-gather-
lag. An apparent improveinent in his health of
late,,ha4 servekto.quiet.the,apprehension of his
friends, and it was with thp,saildest surprise that
thil,naembers of.. his household ,were suddenly
stimindnedl to hiis'bediide to behold 7iis face'al;
ready caltn , and mB+eless death.
Radcliffe DeWitt, the . sorrof John
DeWitt. ,and :Catherine ( Van , Vliet,, was , bbrn in•
the town of Clinton,.Duchess county, New York,
on the 2tth of February, 1792, ‘ and at the time
dir His death had nearly reached 76 years. His
parents were both of Hollatid'c descent-. After
the school-days of .his earlier.-years , he wa's em
ployed as.a clerk,first ,his fathees store iro the
city of Albany. I At, abeut
,the age of fifteen t he
intered the.emplOy of Cairns & .Lord i merchants
of New 'York city, and, 'Continued with tlierh
until 1811. the year 1810 he beCanie
interested in-the 'subject' )of.his own personal
salvation, and made, a , public profession of reli
gion in the Cedar Street Presbyterian Orr*
then'Under the pastoral' care of, Rev. Dr. J., B.
Ronieyn. Having, 'had his attention called to the
sacred ministry, he entered upon 'the work of
preparing for , it. His first classical stridieslvere
pursued .4, Vgashingtor! Academy; in ; „Salem ;
Washington . county, New York. While at the .
academy, the second war with'Ehgland occurred
and the yoang ••stithent derveda's 11` ) volun feet.' in ,
the regiment of Colonel Rice, acting as ,Quarter
master, Sergeant. He, was on. Lake ,Champlain
at the time of M'Donough's victory,, September ;
1814. After the war he, entered Nassau. Hall,
Princeton, N. J. as a sophomore. In cOrise
attence of a celebrated rebellion in the college
which interfered with the course. &studies, , he
left and entered. Union College, remainina b there'
until near the close of, the senior year, when
left, and going to NeW York, entered the The,olo
gical Seminary undeither Care of the Celebrated
Rev. Dr. John M. Mason; and - connected himself
with the Presbytery, of New York as a candidate
for licensure;
,On the 23r4:1 of April 1818 , - he;
was licensed to - preach the gospel by that Presby
tory, and on the' pith of October of the same, year,
after preaching two or three Sabbaths to them,
he was palled to become the pastor of the Pres
byterian Church and congregation in the borongh,
of Harrisburgh,
} which call he accepted. He
commenced hie "ministry soonafter in the fall of
1818 and continued'it from that'• time `without
any interruption until• alate , period of ILQ
Having been transferred to. the `Presbytery 'of
Carlisle, he W 4113 examined - by that greshyteßyi; and
on the 26th of Octolier, 1818, was fully, ordained
to the Gospel ministry, and on the - 12th ,of
November, 1 1 819, he' was • inetalled as pastor' of
the church. -•
On the 2nd of July, 1838-, , the degree of Doc
tor of Divinity was conferred, upon ,hiR by the
University of Pennsylvania. During the troubles.
which rent the Presbyterian Church, 1.836-1838,
Dr. DeWitt was an interested observer' and ac-'
tive , participant. In consequence of that
ion into two bodies, t huth claiming to be Abe'
legitimate Assecalidy,T#. DeWitt and church:
assumed an independent position, which was con
tinned for over two years, when both join; d the
Harrisburgh Presbytery (N. S.) His ministry
with the church was uninterrupted until the' fall
of 1854, when the present •pastor was .called, i to
serve as- his colleague. Increasing- infirmities;
compelled him at last to yield to his colleague
all the active duties of the pastorate. During
two years past,• save an occasional Sermon, his
official labors have ::been confined to ::visits
among the families• of the people, and counsel
with the other officers of the church over its wet
,
fare.
Dr. DeWitt's ministry; from the date of his
licensure, extended' forty-nine years and eight
months, and from the date of his connection
with the First Presbyterian Church of this city,
forty-nine years and two months—asole pastoiate
of thirty six years, and a'joint pastorate.of ,thir
tetn,years.
Dr. DeWitt was a lean of fine tiPholaisbip:
His discourses were able, clear, and written with
great.purity of style. His delivery was always
regarded as dignified . . and, graceful. He possessed
a voice of g reat Sweetness, clearness of tone , and
was searcel , equalled "as a render of the Holy
Scriptures. He was deeply attached to .the Pres
byterian Chureh,,its faith, its order, its history,
and perhaps, even more deeply to the church of
which he was pastor, for nearly half a century.
He could not bear the theught of having the
bond between him and . it severed by any other
than the hand of death. The wish wasgratified.
During.his ministry several revivals of reli
Om were , granted the church—the most memor
able of which was in the winter of 1842- 3
when 130 members were added' to its commun
ion. In the joy and sorrow, in the temporal and
spiritual' welfare of the familiesi of his congrega
tion he ever manifested the deepest interest. A
new generation gathered around his last years.
The members of the church, as he found it in
11418: have `all' preceded 'him' into the eternal
world. In all moral movements fur the welf-tre
of- this community for fifty years he had a pro
minent share. It has not been in vain that for
so long a time he faithfully and forcibly preached
here - from week to week the great truths of re
demption. *lt is no light honer to any 'creature
that he should be the chosen instrument of divine
meicy to bUt one of his lellowbeings, tont when
their minnbers multiply and increase into a great"
company, all other honors grow dim and fade
away in the comparison. .
Dr. DeWitt was always scriptural and evanc,ae-
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1868.
Heal in his discourses. He wan a Christian
preacher, to whose l tin trothsarrangedit,self
around the Cross of Christ.
A PresbyteritM by, birth, education , k,-.4 41„ pre
ference, he 'artust*bigot,..but e''‘ l rer god
est and mostrekt,i4e)ic views toward other Evan
gelical chuiehes-
And when at length laid aside from all official
duties, and compelled to think of his approach
ing decease, it was with entire calmness and re
. •
signation and even cheerfulness that he contem
plated the great, departure. Clear and delightful
views of that Divine truth that had fallen publicly
from his lips for nearly Ind a century, slid Un
wavering faith in that Grearßetleemer whom - h`
had offered to thousands of sinners, now sustained,
comforted' and assured him, as he patichtly,waited
the, last change • of eartlLann,,4o,,gttae
down, but 4 4eseendav Ine*?iAqa,F
love, of Christian friendship, of padaral enunsel,
of church communions in sorrpilf,,a4 itt rejoic
ing; of his presence at marline, baptism, death
and burial - for two gerierMinils,,grow brighter
a nd . , b r ighte r .J !,!1:4731.10 /1 • 1T;) ILO
The life of a Christian t ministert whhlhas spent
half, a century • preaching. the, gospel. of Christ
aniong the setne,people i „grewing . up maul:moil
and 'to vdt ! efatfii'agf w ith tli9 coMmniirtjr,'Licl i en
tified for so long a time witiatis est interekts;
can never besfully:wiiitteni'if 01 , 11 t: ••1': /-
We may, menttigh a few , ..ol,iitslineidentel4w,
may tell of4arep,tne,pf, birth i pilucation,,,spnr t
version, ordination, preaehing;Ariiep. acia - o - ath)
we may 'ties& !chariater, liik - siaatug
and •liisrstitgetil in: hill Vicifediniff,liiiiiais
does , not consist =in' %velits 'like 4 these: Wei may
sum, up hist Iprofessienalnla_lsos, an d • ,state how;
nlP'9yAiginclus has mrjikte,.4 and 4PliYer,o4,
Many Jeara, he hat ' - Preachp,d, ; how many , of hi.
people - he has • baptizes ~ how 'm;any t unked in
marriage, and 'how many of them he, haS ,folloived
to the place of the dead; bn't 'illik`'WEarld - reveal'
very, little of the'reaFlife, When
the snows and rains of spring' 'ffiiod l ilie• sties
•'
till they overflow' their barik,e da'n;eelo, away da4
and Lbridgei, datr7ietiOtt lheiti,
bosoms, the marvel is *heralilede4 . erY , OhereA,ht,"
when 'the throititOlAiliireldng
sumnier;loW bllnneli, l -1154nging T ,,
life allihe meadoWS, 4 refreshing the +soots - efl
the trees, blessing man and' heitst ;Cool:"
nese, they excite rd,rehiark" and . &eV 'ne' atten
.
tion. The life of the stream is in its, gentler and
perpetual' ' influence. 'S o, With allrettcher' of
Christ's: Gospel 'who has ape l lit'i4entY„ thirty;;,;
forty, - or, perhaps fifty yea:T.4ln" sPdaking ' to the,
intellectual conscience' of his tihie`glY
planting the seed' of diVirte
the roots of character, infusing Itia Mtn' ideas into •
the • minds of Tone 'ori more generations.''
guiding , f inquirers id to the Way 'of an:mfore
ing the dying, eartkilitig the MeitrnersVf
than two-schre , years'; the biography ofysieh a
man cannot-be written .
• life las 'linked `ittelf!
with too 'many other liVes to be disentangled an'ti'
exhibited. His ideas; hoPes; Of
chat'acter; aitns, live on other'lrves and' other,
hearts long' after his hiiniskry detties;;and hiS"Own',
heart beats no,itiore:: real life ia'notfinikhed;
nor can-it dikelosed. till' the 'clarlihen the
secrete' of hearts shall 'be ',revealed; and the
seals of his earthly Work are set'like stars' in the
firmament foreVer and ever.
FROM 01111 ; TRAVELLING 0011B.SPON.D.ENT
. fr
CIIICA.OO Dee. 3' 1867.
DEAJi Elorron.;,Ope of the local papers. says
"No 2 matterwhere a: scamp is 'bor . n; he comes .to
Chicago to graduate - .", , the stateinent i Seetus ro
be true *ilOyglf in its original i l pillication;
some OliieigOans extend, it; and NA, that
one has finished, hia:Cducatiou. until he has seen.
"the great metropolis of the Interior,"•-J.not:'of
" the West," mark - you, that, begins at Omaha
now, ; , while the "far West" is reached at Obey
enne;.the westerwend of.the finisheilvart. of the:
Pacific Railroad. • , ' ' •
came on froM Gat&ibilith' by a'night train,
ami - saW; only a kfile Fof rtherriJillneiFL i onthe
road. That little presented, ae wonderful same
ness—flat,' iich, black, treeless prairies ; broken
sometimes by a rising swell, sometimes by a baby
city of dingy white, Woodcn long,
brown R. R. stations: These places mostly are
important,enly Eztoppip'g:pliVees for 'the trains,
and have grown ' . up since the bttildihg oi - the
railroads, " They are one of the means used to
make,the Western *railreadOpay the expense.Of
erection: 'The State or general Government
gives large grants in aid" of the roads ; generally
every alternate "quarter section"' along the.
line, and the 'companies decide wheretrains
stop, and consequently'where the towns and cities
shall belvated, and keeithe disposal of town
lota in their own hands.'' The, rest of the lands
they diapose of for farms. , Thus the Illinois
Central advertisies 900;000 acres of the beat led
in Illinois for sale. ' '
In the grey of Thanksgiving morning:l reach
ed Chicago by the Lake Stteet DePot, in the
South Side or business . part of Chicago. Chicago
consists of' three such sides, North, South, and
West, divided by - that...poi:ll abomina ' tion's;
the'Chicago River. ' "
The South Side is to the others what. the ".city"
(eurro) in Philadelphia is to the districts whiali
lie north of Vine St. and south of South St.
`llere are the official buildings, the gteat ware
houses, the main ducks, the finest churches,.
main`
most splendid residences, the places_ of amuse
ment, and all the in` 'centres of attraelion. No
'one can fail to be favorably'impressed by the - first
view of this quarter with its Magnificent 'ranges
of wholesale stores, and ho'els, separated by
liberal breadth of streets, and built mainly, of
stone. The view was especially impressive when
one thought that the very ground on which one
stood, was "made;" that these lofty . blocks were
many of them raised several feet to their present
altitude, and that the dry Nicholson paved streets
between, were once
,quagmires, in which, as I was.
told you could have kink 'as deeli as you 'wanted
to. As I paesed along ;Lake 'street, I could al
most' have supposed' myself Chestnut St:, ex
cept - that traces of - antiquity, and the 'subtle
indications of the ladies' favorite
,prome*ds,
were wanting. The buildings wantedthat variety
in age, the side walks that variety in breadth,
that, 'Neharaeterize our old-young thoroughfare,, 1 1
!JO there was an average of magniflcete want: 1
lug with us" while none of the fagades *ere so
Costly as some , of our recent structure :' •The
'only traces of what E. Lake-St. was in its your;g
est days were a few wooden houses near the river.
When*Penehtra this last ornament to the city, I
realized that I was not in Philadelphia. lam
thankful to say, that the most corrupt and
laziest city council, or even "slushy Smith,"
dare not let such a stream run through or past
our city. higher up the stream, in a suburb of
theycity,f are' isitnatels the' - pOrk-gaughtecrig
114nites; which give-ChicagL'ad forldnost `place in
thatiffie of 'commerce. The oral and retuailot
these, instead of being saved torenrieh. the poor,,
unoccupied lands around the city , is thrown. into;
the. river in carried: down past its wharves,.
ware4PMSPs , loud aod wider its 'bridges,
slowly enengh to give •the 'citizens,the benefit,
of, its wtqursite flavor, whiie,the reatlesslow-boats•
ondibargea stir l it np.. a:optionally, any. f,.the,
PrqeloQS-Porfilleo• , Ph 44 =tici lost, :I'M-certainty.
49,,An0t-fcmaste its, sweetness en the,4•4iert air s
•as it creeps along, too filthy to freeze till",long,
after 4epe„nt,,,st,reanis are hard as stoke, '- too-filthy
almost. to flow. The' spring freshetar
lief' for a • time, bylsweeping every thing, before•
tlern,into4he lake, anclilwthe , heats, of, simmer, ; .
the,wlmln its:pumped pmverfnl - machinery :into
the . eanal,snd the' pare Jake water r rnahes fup te.
fill its; place.,,, ,In spite of a theo , alleviatiOnsi it
;must be pet, downyas. an unmitigated nuisance,-
and another ,illustration, ef t the indifference -of
Imammon-worshipping - -municipalities,. to !the- wel
f-ge Pfgre'POblio,:,[ , r t- -,,”1
t rWI4, Side*o iliuge;, straggling wooden
and.ill-graded. Those parts of the ,
that have , assomed the normal altitUde)
whicl24•,,,the: mho]," district , is yet' lo; haveyf are
perched some six or ten feet abovelthelrest, and
,thee .passenger ,clambers -up ,and,down , again , by an;
lip..piemant , Walking
,for (Ad,ladies., The houses here, are mainly jaunty.
little frainei.rashfencesj og neat build ; and, pleasant,
in color. Pim , was poioted. ( Mt •io•KnetWhich Rev..
A. 'hi-Stewart, (now of 'the Now School eboreh
at Era,ser,,Ro.,-tlkeelQf the Reformed Presbyterian
ohorShiinsctlii.." QltY,),S.r,ected, with his ; own hands.
Empty lots abound, but are ,not covered with
,
cinders aliunsightly rubbish as with. us. Shade
trees' are' ninitiplytn . e,.,, 'Parks mtistorayjn name..
MerkekhOases have . not even that ~existence.,
WaShington Avenue; is like . OurG-reen street, a
plane of pleasant Jet not of the. most fashionable
residences, but it.lias.oo uniformity in. the , style
Of the' residences. „. .
The:. ,Afortlfr .Side T,hay4,o4,seen mach and
it seems to he`,Oiletis importance than the rest .of
Frotn.the t frlquent, plorse and Swediah
nanaeson'the eigos, , ,pnd the placards inviting
patronage:for '.'Norsk, Sv,erisk og Dansle' snuff,
cigars, riewspapers,,and Aso fortlyi should judge
that sturdy Scandinavians.. formedayonsiderable•
share. of gpr i population. There, are several Tapers
Rutlished,in Swedish
,in f Chicago,among,, others;
a Meiliedist ()roan the Sa ndeb.clet or Messenger
by} Poe and llitchcoak. .
The Canadian . Scotch are here in :great num,
Wig; and bring With them the. careful tArift ,and
busy `inify4ry of ~the Land caies.". 'Their,
residenpe m„,ganada, seems tu.rnake . them more
warmly attached to tßritiab:rule, more jealens
, of Ainlripat, andbk - - . .bonspsuencit -lei open in
their sympathylitli;KfrOgOsaXie,Anterican ideas
than Ot. their nation Who come directly
frimi Scotland:,,, At least I-am told that of those
whO bedt4e citizensa verjr t .arge proportion.,v,ote
the l liemopraticticket.. A Church of. this mixed
nationality under,pr. Robert Burns has been or- .
gap494,iiirein,conpectinu with the CanadaPres
byterianOburch, ' The Or. is,
strongly fivoilable44i.PreslayArykri union, although
the N. W tirs:6,2q,tgr;;or. : hqs drawn out t his gene ; :
rible father, 'Pia ~13urt n aI , Of Toronto, in, defense
of the most rigid inbacriptiOn to tie Confession_
of Paith. •
In my next I shall,'tell you *hat I have learnt
of the religious Side Chicacro.
Yours, Ip. ON THE WINO.
.PULPITS ; DEVITALIZED AIR AN tamilotE
• ' There is venerable professor ,of Homiletics
iq,ane °roar theological Seminaries who _anivallY
addresses his classes on this' wise ," Young men
pulpits are an abomination." Never was spoken
a true word. Would that all the World would
say.it ;and helie,ve it. gall' of 'the preacher', s:
• • . •
body, s, ricealed: behind 4.eui,, and , about-•the,
same prdportion .ofi :the:*gospet preached itro'pe
down into the unseen regioW about the preacher's
feet:
, .
A bad• pulpit for preaching purposes, one of
'the worst kind of pulpits, was a drawback- to
very interesting, meeting, held; in,the , interest of,
church nieltiplication in DT. Hall's -ohurelycor
net.; et Fifth Avenue ,and Nineteenth street, on
Sunday evening.
Before'the services began; a row of solid in
tellectualheads appeared , above the:pulpit-top in
a way which led to the inference that the elo
quent speakers were sitting behind it,in deep se
clusion.
When the business was fairly ber , un it became
apparent that the ability , of the eminent speakers
would have triumphed over the obstacle before
.
them, n a good degree, but for two other draw
backs: i
The first was , that the air , in the buildinc , had
been devitalized by, the previous services o t he ,
day, and the Ventilation was very defective if not
forgotten entirely. The second was that the
room was overheated many degrees. Of course
stupefaction and drowsiness, mare or less, prevail
ed ,over the congregation. All, the heads that
ever ache, ached then and there, and every
speaker who had ever toiled in a bad hot air to
speak to sleepy,,hear`ers sympathized with the elo-.
quent °raters in their dilemma.
Rev. Dr. I)..iir9e was the first • speaker. He
pressed the fallowing paints. 'First, that the
number of Preabyterian churches in New York
had not increased during the past thirty years in
proportion to ,the increase of the popu'ation,
while the Contrary was ' tree - of ',the country at.
large, and that (2) the best policy to . pursue is to,
draw colonies ' from strong churches to build up
churches in destitute pliee,s. He illustrated his
position by the example of a' chdrch in WilliaMs
burg which- was itself a colony in 1844, and
which .developed into fourtrong
?,payingchurche?,payinglain* `of from $3,000 - to
$4;500. : ,
.(3.) the COuditSon . o qt . e city dud the exi
gencies of the cal"-called kindly• for a union of
all the Presbyterian churches in the 't
organic union could not be speedily achieved
there should be a convention, and a partition of
the ground like that of Abraham and Lot, and
then there should follow a general advance upon
the enemy's works. Division was weakness,
union was strength.
followed with an account
Of the mode or church multiplication in London
and aitratitieallilahOr earnestly for the Smile ob
.
.Rev, 1411 was the ;; last speaker.-go;
agreed wither. He had already,
,come,
ta'Elidistanti'Oly the'aathe conclusions: City Mis
sions and gobd, but churches
better .1 a high' of Yale'
10 4141* Gtoirslitistitationt • In onMiterir,
`ha il might ; callea , '„t„ahighrehurch. npan!,!
Idhurches should'be multiplied ..,,The illustration
Ni: 'Aincit''4 - .‘f 'Glasgow, 44(a
There:Were iceitaiiftreeS il . hich could ha' intide'th'
multiply. themselves. 'When ibiiiwish:lot:ruake'
one, tree two,treea,lbm have, on ly to, out a branch
Iprt4s'lß . #;,):,tPP4 4 ! , down apd,coyen Ahe,end.,of
with.
earth: ,` Presently the covered end,wi i lt,i,alre
root` and send' rit3 a shisbl;:iihiCh will `pro' 'partly'
14,y oWnt root - and 'partly by lit'S'fibit:tlin pirda
treei - But ,soon asT,the , new root goes deeper7and;
spreadkits brancheswider„ the ;branch' onigin'hlly:
,ohly - partly ,severed,, may be.c u t wholly ay, ay ,apd.
you have two , perfeet . treeif Alar of:one,
• ' be' hoPAd ttit this meeiing help to
,
'swell the beneVolence Mid
that God'speople4migrowlirrerett .
-not ,only give4l4s r4Orifiy, butklso tlit•msebres'
to nr,ente.cprises ,Fhich shall muitiply,l,,ho !lulu ;
ber of , 'the churehes, of our Lord Jes us Christ:,
bee. 180:"'
PRESBYTERY OF ONTARIO.
(I, e , , jai 5 .6 •.•
The PresbyOrpof m
Oatario„et annual Sea'
.i.!1: •
sion atiLina N. X. on the I.7th , instant. t o
Sanwel 'Tossup
,was chosen : 4aderatorit 8, 1
Mills Day was chosen Temporary Clerk , and,Rev
P. 17. Sanbrne,A.SSi-tarlt Cletk
"1_
Mr. Joseph 'Whitinc , a candid / ate, for the ,,
ministry, un et7,t,llc, care of the, Presbytery,; was,
after a satisfactory and well sustained examines
lion licensed to preach the ovspel
The. request of Rev
,Joseph R. Page coin
curred in by . .. the congregation of. Peru, N. Y., ,;
to dissolve the pastoral relation exiting bctween
them, to enable'him to accept the appointment of
financial secretary.of Ingham .University, ren
dered'elp4drent" b'y state f a - 'his'h'ealth,' de
manding, rest from • 'pastoral responsibility 'and
labor, .w,as) grantecV -; , • 1, ,
Rev. P. F: Sanbor , ne_an,d Eider' J. T. Van
Ness were chosen - commissioners to the next
Geadrar iandi Resc.# iDitYfr arid
Elder. G. W. Norris, alternates..
.••
Ccincerning . the subtect, of Presbyterisp union,
the following refiO"lntioni . *ere
, Reso/beci..;.-That we- bite heir& With 'great - sat=
isfaetion, of the• spirit_ and. proceedings of the
recent Presbyterian, Convention. in ,the laity. of
Philadelphis,.snd that we beartiky.,approveof.
the steps ' there taken towards a :rinioP,Ottrie'
branches of the Presbyterian chi rehibito one or-'
ganielbOdy. . ;
!Resolved . That.wc instruct our cOmmissionerS
to the next, Greneral-Assembly tovote fot,the ap 7
pointm en t, as, has been !, proposed ? of ft Ve • dele
gates, to Meet iliniefrem other branches of the
church, to -secure r if possihle 7 7a- union on', .the
basiss agreed upon., in the convention.
ReS9kVed,„ That,we should deplore a union.forra-,;
•;I' l l , -4,ignoring oli
our niceades:of, theological
Fe under 'the' impicasion 'that time has so
modified ae virtually to destroy - theta. - vre would
haVe.their existence recoanizek mid La, general'
understanding, provided for theirl,"continuance l
without abridging the personalf , liberty Or -affect
ing Ale Astanding •of •a:Or ininister or
congregation in ithe unitedaiody... _) • t
oltesol ved,- That Bova. tLevi Parsons land Geo
P. Folsom; arid ElderiL. J:=Ameii, be a commit
tee to take 'suchMeasures' as they May -deeni ex
pedient, to-, secure sp.meating :the ministers
and, , representatives of the••varions ,branehes of
the • Presbyterian =church -in. t. this , region, ',sense
time,: during thelrinter, •
• Rev...l3ento' n- wait 'appointed Pritsbyterial
cortevondent; with-Rey: Gr. N: Lowry,.(a 'mem
ber of the PreSbytery i ) on , :his :foreign
A letter from Rev: _a It (also , 4 Meth
her,)liniaaionarg:vat Kharpoot,'i was: heard with
interest, . •.• • '
.Rev.ill. N. Barnum, formerly - lieentiate of the.
'Presbytery, now atinissionary at-Rharpoot; was
'voted a member again of the. Presbyteiy; upOn a.
certificate of -;dismission. and recommendetionl
from the = Caledonia, Vt , • Association' of Long
Ministeia. Rev. L. Parsons was iappointed his
Presbyterialwrrespondent._ ' S. , M.: D.
UNION MEETING , OP PRESEYTERIES.
The I;nzerne (O.'S.); and the Montrose . (N. S.) .
'Presbyteries held,a convention:in theTreOyter i iin
. e
Chureh in - Scranton, Pa., Monday : Eyening Dec.
16th. These Presbyteries odenpy. 'contiguous
fields in , the North l Eastern- part of Pennsylvania,
.
embracing,''the . ' "Wyoming"`' ‘: Lackawanna
. -
There was a good attendance from both. Pres
byteries, especially
. of The eldership, who mad--
fested a deep interest, and a hearty sympathy in
the reunion movement: Hon. Theodore Strong
of Pittston, was celled to preside. The 'tneetinvi
were continued with unabated interest ihrough,
the following day, and eiening, , g ,, sermon
was preached af each of the , evening sessions
—one by Rev. N. G. Park, of Pittsten, =
the other by Rev. ,C. S. Dunning, of' Honesdale.
Both of the brethren apprOpriately lied the same
text,---our Saviour's, prayer for the oneness of
his
; church in the. 17th of Jan. These' die ;
courses pore u higher conceptions of the unity of
the church, and presented I ,l 4.`xepponsitility, and
duty of the church in fulfilling oar Sariiour's!
desire.
There were two yeteran soldiers of Christ and
fathers in the ministry present, both upwards of
74 years of age, : —Bev. Thok P. Hunt, the
stanch and ttitlifto temperance advocate, and
' ev. Edward Allen, who in a"na- months com
pletes 50 years of active service in the ministry.
Both of these brethren were deeply interested in
all that pertained to the division, each then taking
strong ground ,on opposite sides, but both now
,rejoicing to g ether to see this day of promised re
union to oubeloved church. There was friendly
discussion, and an.interdhange of views. The
difficulties in.the way : Of reumou n were consider
ed, but all 'Was - characterized by a candid and
liberal spirit that brought every mind into a
closer ; sympathy, *4 ,the others.., The blessed
,influence of Prayers and devotions was . manifestly
present and pervaded all the meetings.
The resolutions adopted express gratitude for
the increase of - the union 'spirit, approve the basis
'adopted in Philadelphia, recommend cordial in
tercourse between the,pyobraristies, and propose
that the union, of the churches made the sub
jeetdf apeciallPrityer, on the first Monday of the
twee sof pia Or. • • -
quotetitelfolleiving from the series:
14solverl, That,w„e.,belinve that, the time is now
Nly r c94rne-- 7 in view ot j tr, common Christianity
and selinareen - e
Presbyteriapipm---id view of the
foeSithai'thrdateti andthe magnitude of the
work before:ay.—that 'I4ST niakei lioness, earnest,
and. prayerful *Lilts. to beal,aw divisions which
weaken tis,„and the strifee.vhich impair our
eff!eiency, and that me look not backward to the
dissensions of the ' f ait; but forward to the int-
Melt& fields of evangelical activity which invite us.
• 5.. "
KOLIIPOO.II—VILDER
.; • • •
, i W,hatev,er, else,, dear Doetor,:Mears, I may fail
to notice my ractding of the. AMERICAN Pass-
Brxpt;Ayi, Fly, attention= ie alivays attracted by
eithe,r:of the.words that,lie*l this article.
iider:s letter in yoiAr issue of December
1.9411,. is byno.zucans.the,least. interesting of his
coupptnicatiou,S..t . gives,.to us .who stay at
home, just WilBp ye,watet to ,know about mission
ary work and missionary life. Good pious talk
about4h,o impoTtanne of spreading the Gospel, and
eni,usiastia hopes of the world's conversion, and
advice to tlidse wlie stay 4t,h03n0, is not what we
want frOm missionaries; but clear distinct ac
001111b3 of wliat is.done from. day today, and of
immediate results, however small, will do more
to: arouse us todnty , than all the urgency of ap
peal'Whioh any Man can put into` a letter.
This-orrx Presbyterian mission is all we have
for= our , annual. , hUndred thousand dollars, which
for nso many years has gone into the Boston trea
sury; and, even this is ours only because Boston
has cast it off.
1 '. :.'l~':9Ft'~.
i , , ,
t:is matter - of great regr et to some that the
Crenertil) A'Aeinbly did nctt See its way clear to
take: ithis,-missiOn 'directly under its care, and
thtm,giye on.r.Permanent . ,Committee on Foreign
aissipns 891140,41.11 g mere ,and better to do than
annually' to 'present its weak and inconsequent
repOrte.
1 1`Wci yeaksagtithitt . Comniitt,ee told us that it
was&itell understood thatlire 'can ask nothing
(of 11..0,.F.,1%,.),whichthey are not glad
to i ceticede,!"-- i that "their success. is ours and
ours theirs." A . 4 in the same breath the Com
inifteei " the" aliiiming'clecrease in the
LnumberofloUt mistrioderiett4li the service of the
Bnardlt and .".the continued neglect on the part
of i mly_ of
,our shnrch members to make annual
corttributionsto„the cause 'of missions."
Surely none is'''so blifid as not to see some con
'ne'ction 'between the - ground of gratulation and
the . ..cause of alarm. Surely if this one cast-off
mission of the.Bciard is all that our church " asks
,for,." the-Board may be " glad to concede" thus
much in eomnderation of, $19.0,p00 a year.
'"Gibe
i ns missions of oUi'owh'and the men and
minierear
. •Withlsome earnest presentation'of this mission
work of Mr. ,Wilder's,, the writer,of, this had the
Iplcasure,of forwarding to. tha Kolapoor Mission,
, from his church, as large a Contribution as the
loth - Ufa' had been accustomed to give - in a year to
corinititteds of the church, and that too,
although: the church now gibes to 'eleven other
:.objects besides in the -year.
Lek us `take held of our one little mission with
will and see What can be done by concentrating
our forces on a single point.
We needniso one . mission in nominal and non
.protestant— Christendom, which 'doubtless the
American _and Foreign Christian:. Union would
cheerfully
,give us;
,and this, with our one hea
-1 theit'inissiOn,
W ould put us in living and life-giv
ing.boiiiiection Witli'the great - work of Evangeli
zation ; and. stir 'up the liearts of our people to
give and work.
Could not.4rp.lder give to, the general
:Christian public a Report annually of his work,
as tWoUgh be were reporting to 'the Assembly or
Ito his r Let irithave the report in a
tract for wide circulation ; end this With his let
ten in the AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, and hiS
book on Minion
_Schools- in India, And a photo
grapb Otthe MisEron premises at Kolapoor,
' which every chui•ch shotila'haVe ; . and"which may
.be ;had Ofl'Dr. Mears; at'ilietffiee, would prepare
tboth;ministers,.and people to' be thoroughly in
,terested irk this work. Y BEVERLY.
'The_, Presbyterian Board of Publication
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821 Chestnut-St., Philadelphia.
=MO