liiitir if int p.riisiiistErialt.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1868
REV. JOHN W. REARS, D. D., Editor.
No. 1.934 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.
*if- A. M. Stewart's .Letters, XX, Synod
of _New York and New Jersey, Narrative of
the Synod of Minnesota,
..page 2nd; Editor's
Table, page 3d; Poem by Whittier, Three
more chapters of Grace Roche's Legacy, Suilp
tors of our own Faces, Geological Chronology,
Rate of Chemical Changes, page Gth; Religious
Intelligence: I?eforni?d Churches, Episcopalian,
Congregationalist, Baptist, Methodist, Mora
vian, Unitarian, Miscellaneous, page 7th..
ger The National Christian Convention will
meet in the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church,
corner.sth Avenue, and 29 street, New-York, at
10 A.M., November 17-20.
Prominent Christian men from all parts of the
country have been secured to open the discus-
IBe7Hon. Horace; Greeley rectires at Concert
Hall, this (Thursday) evening ,on , Temperance.
We hope he will
, explaig the appearance of a
bacchanalian, song at`the : head of the political
column Of his-paper regularly during the past
campaign.
Ittrik•A. M. Stewart's descriptiOn of an
earthly Edcrn in , ,clalifornia is novel and beautiful.
~See 2d page.,. , - , t. ,
Aar- The Resolutions of the Synod of New
York and New Jersey on the Pope's Encyclical,
eared by Ref. Dr. Adams, 'With' the names of
Committee to prepare a reply - and coT)espoftd
?with other Protestant bodies.ou the Aubject, will
be found ,on the 2nd, page. \
,
M-I NT S TER WANTED by the , Presnytcrian
.Church at Garland, Warren county, Pa: It is
s4small country congregation,- able with missidnx
airy aid to raise from $5OO to $6OO salary. The
church hap th irtylfmt tneitibers.- Ytsr furtker
particulars address the Se,sion.
SIIMMAKT.
rMirilieinta,lyziod has increased nearly 33 per cent.
daring the Synodical year. ,
Bight churches received
each more than twenty accessions, nine new churches
were. organized, six churches are building. Besides
work-,ameng , Swedes and Norwegians, the Syncid has
thriving , Churches among the Dacotahs, thnl largest
church on the roll being of converted savages. - It is
a most vigorous and, truly alive pax% of the Church.
Leas than one-half of the ministers belonging to the
Synod:of New York and New Jersei' were _; present,
and little over one-half of the churehes Were 'repre
sented, at the late session, yet 231 members were in at
tendance.
'Logansport, Pataskala, and N. Missouri Presby
teries have-approved the Basis of Reunion.
Newark (N, J.) Presbytery has reopived one. minis
ter from the other branch, one from the German Re
formed, and one from the 11. P's.
We reoord one death in the ministry, Rev. E. Kings
bury.
The edifice of the Third charch,.Pittsburg, will
cost, when completed, about $.3430,0 0 - It will be form
dedicated on the last Sabbath of, this mouth. The
Thirty-first St. church, Chicago, has just completed a
building , worth $30,000.
A.repent graduate of Princeton takes charge of our
churoh at Tioga, Pa.
Four members of the Senior Class at Auburn have
consecrated themselves to the Foreign missionary
work.
The Reformed Presbyterian church of Neshannock,
Pa., has joined the U.--P, Presbytery of Mercer.
The' Copts at Oidout, the gist of a U. P. mission, are
studying,the Bible with great zeal and divided senti
ments..
•
The i l ite Church of . So'otland, in the Quarter Cen
tury of its independent - ex:Nes:nee, has raised forty mil
lions of dollars.
New School Presbyterians are only one•sist.h as
many as-the combined O. S. and,Congregational bodies
in lowa, but they are growing the most rapidly and
are giviiig more money in proportion than the other
two "bodies.
,
The American Missionary Association has 522 mis
sionaries engaged with the free4men. at th,e South,
'ettiong whom it spent over $2d1,000 of 'its income of
s3so,ooo,'during the. year. Et haS . property . at • the
North, valued at $98,000, and at the South worth
$188,885. It is in debt $88,726.59.
Rev. J. W. Cracraft, lately withdrawn from the
P. E. Dhurch has joined the Congregationalists.
Andover Seminary has seventy-live students, and a
short-course class of six.
There are more colored theologicil students among
the Baptists than white.
A new Moravian chtirch hits 'been Atiiited in our
city, and another is oenteinPlatect' ' 3 ' 7 -
There have been4icinfitted First. Reformed
Presbyterian 'Church in 'this city; during Dr. Wylie's
25 years' pastorate: 1700'persons, more than 77 an
nually. The suit. for. the property of this church, by
the Horticultural Hall seceders, has been dropped.
The xecent earthquakes, in' California, have ruined
our church edifice, at San Jose.
Stir A writer (i.T. It. J.") in= The United
Presbyterian of Pittsburg,- - gfves"a sketch of the
.
O. S. Synod of •Wheeling.' He Says :
The New School brethren were spoken of in a
patianizing nvay. lt, w as thought , they ought
to..come.back ;, that they are fit to come back;
and, that they might come back. We sincerely
hope the; union may be consummated, and that
in such a way as not to extinguish the New
SelAgolyokOzah: by its absorption into the other
liodyBibutrby such a conjunction that the result
ant idsintity may'cotahiueiri right 'proportion all
nothinglhati is bad, of either
11,44,91 - I,itkpanzMge. • The New School has
viitnessadrweW in. some respects, !Hui is entitled
to more thaurnitomb=stone and obituary
notice
when"' -neaSed-tol ippearamong the
thing 'clinfahee of Christendom.
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1868.
EVANGELIZATION OF SPAIN
Three of our National Societies for disseminat
1g Evangelical influences on the broad system
of the Protestant faith, viz. : The American
Bibl e So c iety, The American Tract Society, and
the American an! Foreign Christian Union, will
hold a union meeting with reference to the im
portance of an immediate work in Spain and its
dependencies, commensurate with the wonderful
Providential openings of the time, and the dan
ger of delay. The union of these Societies in
their efforts is peculiarly appropriate, the first
furnishing the Bible, the second the Evangelical
Literature, the third the Men, to bring these into
immediate contact with the people.
The first meeting in Philadelphia, will be
held ,in Calvary Presbyterian. Church, ..Locust
street: . above "Fifteenth 'Fifteenth; on Sabbath'.eVelaing,
November the 15th at 7i o'clock. The pastor
Rev. Dr. Humphrey, will, preside, and addresses
will pe„dettyered by Rev. Herrick Johnson, D.D.,
pastor First Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Dr.
Wylie pastor of .the First Reformed Presbyterian
Church, and others. . •
FROM OUR ROORTSTER CORRESPONDENT
THE BISIIOg SP,EAKS.
We have a new Romishk Bishop in -nur city,
and a new Rounish Cathedral'erecting for - the use
of the faithful. ' tlie Cathedral 'is a 'very impos
ing building, two hundred feet Ipng, built of
Medina sand sione, ard is intended . .K.,be the
finest edifice of its kind in Western New York.
But it was necessary to raise more money than
that which could be extorted from-the 'servant
girls, in order to go on with thd work'; : so the
various Choti's of the RomiSli chUrchesof the city
unite to give a grand promenade concert in our
Skating Rink, at which the new Bishop makes a
speech. Of course something . eT.traordinayy . was
eipected from'a bishop. of. the true aposti;lie sue
cession, and probably-some , , of •his admiring
auditors thought it super-excellent, as there is
no accounting for tastes. To give eclat to the
occdSidn,"the speech Is alSo iteicirte'd arlitrpitb
lished in.one of our daily papers. If the reprt
is correct, we should say it was not muchi oft a
speech, after all. Indeed, as a literary ef44.: it
would rank, in our own church, with thCram
bling, incoherent exhortation :of some Lweak
brother in one of our prayer tneetings.
It, Was 'an attempt to 'glorify Cathedrals, and
to exalt them as the measure of the piety of the
age. The larger they Cathedral, the more piety.
The more acres it covers, the more souls saved.
" There, was a day"—said the Bishop=" a-hap
py dey when all England was Catholic. : There
was a day when that nation had a faith, and
brought forth works worthy of that faith." He
referred, we judge, to the building of her Cathe
drals, although, from .he structure,- of the sen
tence it was hard not to thidk of Smithfield and
Tower Hill. There, were some of the works of
that faith in which thd 'Bishop takes such de
light.
He sneers at the idea that those were called
the dark ages! How could they be, when such
great cathedrals were 'erected, any more than
Egypt when the pyramids were.bnilti?, He says
Little towns in;lingland.possess"them [Cathe
drals] four' or five . hundred feet long" How
could those be the dark ages? Is not the proof
conclusive?
But theA3ishoP thinks that St. Paul's in Lon
don is not much of an affair after all. "It cov
ers barely two acres of ground, 'while St. Peter's
church at Rome - extends over a space of five
acres." , Of course, therefore, there are j - tist , thrce
acres;:rabre2Cf - ploy in Rome thin there are in
London ;..and three-fifths more intellig,enceien
terprise, thrift, patriotism .. and philanthropy.
This must be what makes the Pope's government
so peaceful, and his rule,- so,moch loy,ed .by his
faithful, liafipfsub r ject6 4 - 2 :141ello sin ... by 'French
bayonets ! Great is the Cathedral ;..no .matter
what is in it, or what childish twaddle is made
over it., . . ,
A HOME FOR TILE HOMELESS - .,
Such an institution for aged, indigent fe
males- haa- been _started in
,Utieft-.A
a good beginning: ' Nine aged Women 'are enjoy
ing the comforts of such a Home, kindly cared
for by a Society of benevolent ladies: 'But to
enlarge their operations, and to give perniati
ence to their enterprise, they need a building
and an endowment. Theodore S. Faston, Esq.,
one of the rich and generous men of Utica, has
offered to give $20,000 toward such an end,
provided all Oneida county will give- .another
twenty thousand__hy.first of: January nest, to go
with his gift an make it doubly useful. About
ten thousta,nd of this addition are already pledged,
and surely the'rethainder will not be wanting.
FORTY BELLS
The Romish Cathedral of Buffalo is receiving
from Iturope a chime of forty bells, said to be by
far the finest in this country. They have come
over, at different times, by the Cunard, Steamers;
and are soon to be in their :place e. i to ring out
their 'varied ehinies upon - the busy air of that
intensely commercial city. • • • •
MORE WANTED
Four young men of the, Senior
. class . in Au
burn Theological Seminary' have consecrated
themselves to the Missionary work,, and are ex
pecting to labor in China. Dr. Clark, the For
eign Secretary of the Board, was in.Anbinn last
week fora personal interview with, them, and
with- others, trying to get more, if possible " of
the same sort," for other fields of labor. Where
are the 'young Aen.. needed 7 for„this' honorable
sdrvice-r. . I
Dr. Clark also spoke trith• t great ,warmth and
aceeptablennss at the - evening meeting, in Dr.
Hawley's church. The meeting was largely at
tended, and deeply interested in the'address
made to them. They will love the missionary
`cause better for.having:heiirdit
Rochester, Nov4ylB6B: thiriEßßE.'
. • 1..
=MEE
4615 Df Our elluttlx.
CITY CHURCHES
Rev. Wm. Raton was installed pastor of the
Greenwich Street church, on last Thursday evening,
November sth, by the Fourth Presbytery of Phila
delphia. The chapel was crowded. 'There were
nine clergymen present. Rev. A.V. C. Schenck, Mo
derator of Presbytery, presided. The opening exer
cises were conducted by Rev. Messrs Bruen, Ham
ner, and Culver. The sermon was preached by Dr.
Johnson ; charge to the pastor by Dr. Stryker ; the
charge to the people by Dr. Allen ; installing pray
er by Rev. Robert Adair. The sermon, based on 2
Peter i. 12-15, was a lucid statement of what and
hour a,m)nister should preach. He should preach
the:truths of the Bible.; lie,shOuld-preach them re
peatedly; he should so preach them, that they
would be remembered when he had passed away.
In the development of the discourse, there were
some telling'hits at both the occupants of the pew
and, pulpit The preacher was 'not hired like a
clerk, to do so much work, said.receive so much pay.
This view of his office was degrading. He did not
receive his commission from the pews, but from
God. He must please God, even at the risk of emp
tying the pews of 'some "golden contributor." But
he must preach Christ and not himself: He must
not so dazzle, and - pitcd, lkyltit.dt'splaY i s: of 'Mental
ppyrotechnicsthat'Clitht oW
nbe ,
Christ
must:eVir:be ffeentf 'el ; CIO id `the`' *.eW ß In
the 404.4, thittlr the ; =1::!oetor' wieelleil hi
selt "Me" cbarge 4 to he p / astOr'was'brlglit,'gerlial,
affectionase.: • ThealaStor Mnst take good.,eare of his
health ; be a close student ; visit; be interested in
the Sabbath-schoOf—above all be pra,3erful. The
addreis to the'pebple, was perhapithe most itnpres
si ve4lEirtt Or,tite. TtiensiealierTividen Ely
felt what he uttered. A pastor should he respected.
Disrespect for officials was the sin of the age ; the
disrespectful manner in which citizenS'Speak of their
rulers is being transferredlo the Ch arch. Our Pre
sidents, are called Jemmie's, Abe' s, and Andy's. Our
eminent ministers 7are 'spoken of brthe church
members niilar'phiateology.'nlidister's char
acter should be sacredill Ihe eyes of his congrega
tion. If, a wornan's character is , suspected,.sbe is
ruined—so is it with a minister. Ministers should
be supported.. They should not ha-kept,at the starv
ation point. ' - Metuber; Should not be' too exacting.
They should . not ,-e r xpect , receive
,scl many visits
and hear so many good sermons. The Service lasted
for over two hQprs; ?11l present were attentive, and
seenieil dejigh t'ed . '
*l;iait eet 'e of-
r course lectures
Upon The Women of the will be given in
this chnrch by the pastor,'Rev. J. Y. Hamner, on Sab
bath evenings during the fall and winter. The first
lectarevaja4 Sabbath eyening, was attended by a
full house.
CalvartChurcli efficient Ladies' Mis
sionary S,ocipty. ..,Auring r ai,x,years, they have sent
ouf- 1 31: 1 bOkei. lo , Ll4lissionarieW 'valued at $5,091.
During the year ending in '6B, they aided three
missionaries and replenishe4 the entire wardrobe of
theeori:OC, a missinicar?in College. Having accom
plished tl4rnuch,, when.. without tt , pastor, they
commence their operations for a new year with in
creased hope. Great encouragement is felt in all
departments of this important church under the
ministrations of the nef'paator.
_ -
liLtiie.FirSechtLidifilie congregations have be
come quite large, and are steadily increasing. The
pew rents have been raised—they could well bear it
—new families are coming in, and liberal.tesponses
are made to calls for benevolent, purposed.
German St. Church, Rev. A. Culver; pastor, prc
.
poses soon to celebrate its semi-centennial anni
versary.
-Ministerial.
• ,
Rev. S. F-Baeorc has' resigned his place as pas
tor of the Presbyterian church orCortland.
Rev. Geo.• C. Curtis of Elmira, N. Y., has so far
recovered, as to al low his of resunai lig his duties, after
having been laid aside for four months,. '
Rey. Peter Burghardt of 'Westchester, Mass.,
has accepted the call frimi the church at Painted
Post, N. Y.
Rev. Otis Thateher,'s, recent graduate of• Princ
eton, ip to take charge of the church of Tioga;Pa.,
made vacant by the death of Rev. J. J. u cCul-
Rev. L. P 7 Sibin . ; of EllieoEville, IN'. Y., has ac
cepted a call tollie" church at Central College,
and commenced his labors.
Rev. J. Delemater becomes S. S. athe-church
es of Felicity and .Cedron ' 0., for a year.
Mr. W. 'A . . - Bosworth has accepted an invitation
to supply the church at Logan, until the Ist of April
Rev. Enoch :KiiigAiursr. 'died at- Danville, HL,
October 26th, „in the o9th,)ed.r of his age„ He was
born Alitir2lrs r i,4Boo,'itf the.Villag, of liangdou,
Mass., and, was married. to Fanny R. Goodwin• on
the first day'of N - o%;"e`m%e•r; 1830, and iannediateV
thereaiter.
,e n o i . wife; 4.emoved to
the West,: (then a Wilderness,) as an evangelist.
Immediately prior to starting, lie, p_igiehed the same
sermon that he read,on,the t occaSion' of his last ap
pearance in the pulpit. , .. From 1830 to this time, a
period of thirty eight years, he labored in the.vicin
•
. . ,
ity of Danville,' and, at large in f,hat :potion of the
6tatc, in the organization of churches. and in the;
varied offices of the ministry, with marked an*per•
maimit,autcos. !Il . rltip,vel,' behinki rp, widavaiid
„
t hree'childreii. " *
Rev. H. L. Stanley; is acting as agent of the
Synod of lowa to raise funds for completing the
purchase of Lyons Female Seminary. A year ago
the Syniul loWit authorized iiie-fittrehase of -this
beautiful Seminary property. It was offered to them
at $15,000, altliongli; value is about $50,000.
Brother Stanley is busy at the work, and is meeting
withencouraging success. This is already a first
class school, and,will be credit to our,Sytiod and
our State:
Rev. James Agnew came to the Presbytery of
Keokuk aear ago .from the ,Independeut- Congre
gational Church cif 'lrlana.' He'has be'en laboring
at Janesville,' lowa,;bot now 4daireS'aDOther`field,
so that; the "Janesville church, of eighty members
and' goad building, offers an inviting field
to some minister of the East or West. And Mr.
Agnew will be found by any church that employs
him, a faithful and, able , minister, a young.; man in
whom hialirethierilav'e
At recent meetings of Newark-Presbytery held.
withip - h-'feW?ivekqthe tot owing ego e lasticat ,
ness was transacted: Rev. Irentiss De Venve
was receivedfroin 'thetlfhird . 2t4l4terklof Phila
delphia and insffilltd Eut pastor of t the Park church
of Newark. - Riv.Sl:ll: - Read' was received from
the Ltahh . .PiefillyierYisf Wisconsin and it wa,4
termined to install him as pastor of the Third
church of Elizabeth on the Stb of November.
Rev. Christopher Michel was received from the
New York Classis of the German Reformed Church,
and installed pastor of the German church at Pat
erson, Nov. 4th. Rev. Alex. A. McConnell was
received from the Second Presbytery of New York
(U. P.), and Rev. A. H. Slow, was dismissed from his
charge at Cranford. J. A. ItAxwE.m., S. C.
South Orange, Nov. 9th, 18G8.
Chu relies.
The Church at Ackley, lowa, is just a year old;
is small but active I:nd bill of faith ; enjoys the
services of Rev. G. H. Chatterton, who by the way,
has just gone to bring them one of the danghters of
the East to be their minister's wife. The early
spring time, it is hoped, will find the little band oc
cupying their, own new church building. Ackley is
a desirable point for Presbyterians of the East,
either farmers, merchants, or mechanics,. who are
seeking Western homes.
The Point Pleasant Church, lowa, marked va
cant on our minutes, has joined with an Old School
church in support of a minister. • -
Campbell, N. Y. Rev. Dr. Joel Wakeman and
his people dedicated their new parsonage recently
with religious services.
Howard. N. y. A. revival of religion of- marked
interest: is ceported as in progress here. Oar own,
the Baptist, and Methodist churches.'are Cooperat
ing. Our church is now vacant, Rev. C. Milne hav
ing recently removed to New Jersey.
Chicago, 11L--The North Western Presbyterian
says : The friends of Moral progress will be glad
to learn that the other branch' are about to add a
new star to their already beautiful constellation of
church buildings in this city. The enterprise known
as the Thirty-first street Presbyterian church,'
of which the Rev. G. W.. Mackie is the : leading
spirit, has been thus far a gratifying success:,A
beautiful church' edifice, eighty by Forty-four eet,
with basement rooms for studio, Sabbath-school,
Bible, and Infant classes, and an audience room
with captitity to seat five himdred personi, 'all 'fin-
imbed in first class style with latest improvements,
located on the corner of Thirty-first Street, and 'Wa
btteli Aveinie, has 'been :coin pleted and Will .bededi
cated;to the worshiii of God at an earlflia . y. The
property, inelnding . the 34:40,.13 about
$30,000. Located in a rapidly growing part of the,
city,' and with the Rev..Mr!"Mackie as pastor, the
future prospects of this enterprise are very encour
aging.
"lii this connection we. also observe that the
Ninth Preabyterian ahurch, located on Ellis avenue,
has of late been greatly improved. During the en
joyment of a recent vacation by the pastor, Rev. A.
Eddy, some $5,000 were expended in eular e in,g the
building The audience room has been extended
to a capacity. o f seven hundred. sittings, and Sab
bath-school and lecture rooms have been added.
The'whole is now in - the shape of' a cross, and with
its new carpets and frescoing, was scarcely recog
niZedby the pastor on his return. Mr. Eddy is well
known in 'religious circles, and wegladly record this
evidence of the prosperity of his church."
Lane Seminary.—qhe new Boarding-house
building was accepted from thecontractOr last week
It is elegant in its :architecture and admirable in all
its arrangements. Great credit is dne to Rev. Wm.
Van Vleck, who not only planned andsuperintend
ed the building; but donated half the cost of it to
the Seminary. •The Van Vleck Library was a no
ble donation, testyfying the love of au alumnus for
his Alma Mater. But that testimonial has been
n nli wiled in , this ne W. Boarding-House ChriitiaPi
Herald. .
Missionary.—Farewell services were held on
Monday afternoon', October 26th, at the Mission
House in Poston departure, with reference to the Torture of
the followinif missionaries: Rev. Mr., De Rimer
mid wife (daughter. of Rev. Dr. C. K. True), with
Miss Webster, - for Ceylon; Dr. Paliner and wife,
with Miss Hartley, : for Madura.
The Church at San Jose, Cal., (brick) kas.been
so much injdreit by the recent earthrti' Takes, that it
will be necessary to tear it down. •
CHU RCIT COURTS :—Presbyteries.
Logansport Presbytery met at Rockport, Ind.,
Oct. 14th. The Basis of Reunion
.overtured by the
Assembly, was linanimonsly approved. An impor
tant report on Home Evangelization was adopted,
by which the stronger churches were directed to
contribute the labor of their pastors and stated sup
plies for one week to the various vacant churches
and destitnte fields in'the Presbytery. and a sched
ule of supplies was adopted. Rev..F. S. McCabe,
who has been a member of Presbytery for sixteen
years, was granted a letter of dismission.
The Presbytery 'of Knox, Illinois, held its semi
annual meeting in the, First church of Knoxville,
commencing Tuesday, evening, Sept. 22d. Rev. H.
HolMes was chosen Moderator, and Rev. Dr.
Benran was with us',its a cOrresponding member.
The report of the Commissioners to the last Gener
al Assembly was heard. The subject of Reunion
elicited a long and earnest . discussion. The main
point of objection with all was the Tenth Article;
and with two or three, the entire basis of union was
objectionable. A motion was made to delay final ac-.
Lion until Our next regular meeting, bin was lost, six
to fottr: . It was finally Resolved, Tait w a.hottt ex
pressing our opinion upon the several parts of the
basis proposed,-this Presbytery:yet' cordially 'con-`
seats. to .the reunion of the two branches 'of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States' of Amer
ica, on the -basis proposed by. the Joint Committee
of thirty, and , approved by the two Assemblies
tiieeti lig in May, 186 S, respectively, at Albany, N.Y.,
and Harrisburg, Pa."
Two of our six churches were unrepresented.'
One at Peoria, is enlarging and improving their edi
lice at a cost of $6,000 or more. The other at Spar
land has since called a Pastor, and they are' quite
hopeful of a good degree of success with his help,
under God.: There no special interest in' our
ChurcheS, yet there . is an earnest expeeting spirit
manifest. &mum: WYCKOFF.
Knoxville, Oct. 31, 1.868: - .'l
"The Piesbytery of Pataskala met at Homer:
o., , Uct. 14th. The Basis of Reunion overture(' by
the Assembly. was unanimously approved. Rev.
S. P. Hildreth was chosen Stated Clerk, Rev. T. W.
Howe retiring ou account of ill health. A Report
on Parsonages was adopted.
North Missouri Presbytery met at Canton, Mo.,
Mr: D. K. Ilindintin was iieetised to preach. 'Two
other candidates are under Presbyterial care, one at
Wabash, and one at Auburn. The Basis of Re
union, overtured by the Assembly, wa r unanimous
ly adopted, although the deltgates from the 0. S.
Presbytery of Palmyra, were almost impatient for
a hearty union upon the Standards: .
Narrative of the. Presbytery of Illinois. The
Coininittee on theNdrrativ6 of religion report that
during the past year there has existed a state of en
couraging interist and activity in our Churches.
One new church has been inaugurated at Decatur,
,under highly - promising , auspices. A church , hats:
seitled its first paitor at Manna, and built a new
.house of worship, and is moving forward with
prospects' of great usefulness; infiuence'and prosper
ity. The church at Carrollton has built a new,
elegant, and valuable Church edifice. 'The - chureh at
Springfiel I has settled a neiv.pastor,.and - raised the
funds, and laid the foundation of a large; elegant,
and costly church. Nor have our churches been
without the more valuable visitations of the Holy
Spirit 5 amidst material and numerical growth., there
has been the increase of grace manifested in the
conversion of souls and
_contributions . fOr benevo
lent enterprhes.. Some fir Y.P4X:iiie . ri are studi
ing for the - paiOieti.V:i agsseA - , l y, we have re
ceived,valoahle, accessions to our ministry and mem
berehliVand of doing the work.. of. • the
Lord. Nor should it be forgotten as an indication
of growing interest, and activity, that our Presby
terial Missionary, Rev. Geo. C, Wood, has supplied
with vigor and ability, the new and small churches
in our Presbytery, that these churches are by his
labors and supervision, supplied with preaching,
and with Sabbath-schools, and that they all con
tribute according to their ability to the pecuniary
support of the cause of Christ. Revivals have oc
cured in some of our churches, and much interest,
and spirituality manifested among them.
The Committee are therefore enabled to bring to
Synod a cheering report from the whole Presbytery,
G. C. W.--Stated Clerk.
8 ynods.
The Synod of Illinois met at Springfield', Rev.
E. E. Black was chosen Moderator. The Presby
tery of Alton through not noticing the date of the
meeting of Synod had appointed a meeting for the
same day, and was represented in Synod only by
two clerical members. The several causes of the
Church and the American and Foreign Christian
Union were presented by district or general Secret
aries. Blackburn University was commended to
the sympathy and patronage of the churches, with
an expression of gratification at preservation and
present. prosperity. The Presbyteries were urged to
comply with the recommendation of the. Assembly
to hold Presbyterial S. S. institutes. The narrative
states' that the state of things in the Synod is quite
encouraging, the churches are advancing in pros.
perity and self-support, the Sabbath-school is being
better appreqiited both as a Home Mission agency
and as the nursery of the Church. The action tak
en by Presbytery,promises well for the support of
the causes of the Church. "The subject of Re
union" 'is cordially endorsed.
The Synod of liliohigan met in Tecumse,h Oct.
Bth. Rev. L. D. Chap:n of Ann Arbor was chosen
Moderator. The attendance numbered 101 mem
bers. It was reported that the_ contributions to
Foreign Missions had increased from 32 to 324
cents per member, fifty-two churches giving noth
ing. There are 3,240 more children in theSunday
scools than members in, the churches. Five or
six new churches have been organized, .and forty
six missionaries are'employed, at a cost .to the H.
K Committee - of $lO,OOO - 6r
. $12,000. h proposed
to make the Synod klf-supportitig in this respect,
by raising the sum received irOEO New York instead
of about half as much. The other causes of the
Church were presented. For the
,support of. the
thirteen candidatiS andsix licentiates within bounds
$BB4-had been , raised,:e falling _off of 50 'per Cent.
Suitable expression c. as given to the sorrow, felt for
the loss of Dr. Duffield and Rev, Will. M. Perry,
tne latter of whom had given not leesr than - $.130,-
000 to religious , objects , io., hie ,life-time, ; hesides
preaching gratuitously at Grand Haven. He left
$30,000 to the A.' B. C.. A. Airierican
Tract Society was dommended'm the churches, but
not placed on the list of caws.
The Synod of Weitern Reserve held its late
meeting at Sandusky, 02, recently; and had a meet
ing of much interest.. It was a. !sappy circumstance,
that some of our brethren came almost directly from
the Young Men'ti Chriatian Association at Cleveland.
This, was especially manifestiti- the devotional hour
with which each day's session commenced. Rev.
John A. Seymour was appointed to act within our
bounds in the work of Horne Evangelization.
At the communion season on. Wednesday, our
venerable father Aiken, of Cleveland, presided, and
broke the bread. He came, aithostrejuvenated, from
the meeting of 'the Young Men's Christian Union
and although about four score years old. he exhi
bited a -heart of tender sympathy with his younger
brethren: The Stated Clerk resigned, and was suc
ceeded by Rev..Ebenezev Bushnell. Our next meet
ing was appointed at. Ashtabula.
The Synod, towards the close, held a little session,
in Committee of the whole, on the subject of To
bacco, which, while it was somewhat amusing, I have
no doubt made, and left a favorable impression, of
the evil, and sin, in the abute of this narcotic: -
The Synod of Illinois met in the Second church,
Sprig afield.
The Rev. Dr. Ellinwood was heard in the interest
of Church ErectiOni.ancl Rev: J. W. Dulles in behalf
of Publication. Prof. J.' W. .Bailey of Blackburn
University, addressed the Synod on the interests of
that University, after which a minute was adopt
ed, to the effect that Synod regard it as an especial
indication of Divine favor that that institution was
founded, and has been preserved for our' Church.
That its present prosperity,.and efficiency are cheer
ing to our hearts, and full of promise, and that we
earnestly commend it to the sympathy - , the prayers,
and the patronage of our Church, as a school,'a Col
lege, and Theological 'Seminary. .
On Thursday, afternoon, Rev. A. T. Norton, D.D..
deliverectari address on the Advantages of our Church
Polity for the Work of Home Missions. A Committee
was appointed to solicit its publication. It was-re
solved, that we ask our General Assembly to appoint,
a General Sabbath-school Secretary with aVpionnate
powers and facilities.
A programme of subjects.was'adopted for the next
meeting. mainly covering the objects of Church' Be
neficence. The Rev: Dr: 'Norton',' and the Elders of
the Church in Alton :*ere appointed to designate,
and notify persons to
, perform the various parts, at
na
least three months prior to the meeting of Syntid.
The next meeting will be held in the church of
Alton, on the first Wednesday, in October, 1869..
famttr id tljt etifsvitant.
REV. DR. WYLIE AND THE FIRST E. P.
CHURCH.
QUARTER CENTURY ANNIVERSARY,
, ,
The congregation and friends of this venerable
"mother of churches" met on the evening of Thurs
day, Nov. 5, for a jeyful celebration of the 25th an
niversary of the installation and ordination of Dr. T.
W. J. Wylie as their pastor. The body and galleries
of the large church were filled with an attentive and
sympathetic audience, who evinced their interest by
remaining until' the 'Close of the exercises within an
•
hour of midnight. The.occasion was pronounced by
those who participated in it to have been one of the
most joyous and delightful they, ever experienced.
The city clergy, in spite of their numerous engage
ments, evinced their Cordial interest by their presence
to :the nuniber of over fifty. •The platform was
crowded by, them; and they ovdrflowed into the
front seats of the ehurch. We notice the presence of
Drs.' Newton; Musgrave, Mears, Reed, Wiswell,
Breed, G. D. Boardrnan, Blackwood, Willetts, Rice,
Dale, Randolph and 'Castle, and Revs Francis Church,
Torrence, B. B.: Hotehkin, Edward 4 Hawes, Kennard,
Anthony Atwood, and John Chambers.
.Geo. H. Stuart, Esq., was, on motion,. chosen Chair
man, and the exercises opened with the singing of
the 6th Psalm, which was given• out' by Dr_ Dales.
After, a iferventqrayer by the venerable .Dr. Musgrave
(O. q.,) - the Scriptures were read by Rev. Anthony .
A 'wood (M. E.,) and the congregation Sang part 01
XCth Psalm_ In this, as in the other musical parts
of the exercises; the fficient volunteer choir of th..'
congregaticin rendered excellent music.
111;r: - .Stiiares address as Chairman of the meeting
was necessarily very billet as he waii , suffering from
his, asthmatic affection....He, recalled the first sermon
he had ever heard Dr. Wylie 'preach. It was in the
of i chuich on Eleientli street' and when he was done
he (W. S.;) had laid his , laid on -Elder-Thos. Me-