Atiffinat Cumnrunitatim.
REV. A. N. STEWART'S LETTERS.-XXI,
San Francisco, Cal., Oct., 1868.
SYNOD OF ALTA CALIFORNIA
My first - opportpity for attending an ecclesi
astical court this side the continent, was enjoyed
the past week in this city. During the five pre-,
ceding weeks my face had been turned from mid
dle Nevada towards the meeting of our Pacific
Synod—known as Alta California, travelling
meanwhile on horseback, by stage, railroad and
steamboat; and preaching in half a dozen differ
ent places.
It was a great pleasure thus to meet, and gen
erally for the first time, these ministerial brethren
and elders; and hear their discussions; , see their
manner of doing things; learn their sympathies,
their hopes, their fears, difficulties, trials, disap
pointments and triumphs. Their modes of trans
acting ecclesiastical business correspond in some
measure to the rugged, irregular, yet direct man
ner of the new region. Earnest, good men are
here in the Master's work., Themeeting was not
large; a goodly number of the Members being ab
sent. TWo causes were named for the absent
number.
The small pox has been almost an epidemic in
San Francisco th'e present season; hence those
away and•troubled with delicate sensibilities, felt
the imagined odor not to be inviting. The bounds
of the Synod 'are all this side the Rocky Moun
tains—immense territory. Travelline by stage,
rail or steamboat, as compared with similar East
ern facilities, is enormously, even exorbitantly
High'; nor has a reduction in favor of ministers
becoine an ism Of the Pacific public conveyances.
Reports were that a number of dear brethren
With 'very limited salaries had not the means to
cotne.
Our .church is not strong on this side the con
tinent; not'even so large and vigorous as supposed.
This is not meant •comparatively with others, but
nninerically. Almost the half of our ministers
here'are not pastors or evangelists ; not preaching
regidarly; some not at all, but engaged in other
avocations. This calamity - can be less easily borne
here, thazin older and more established localities
of the church. A secularized ministrY, in the
eyes °Natoli communities as these, is a great
hinderance to successful:Church extension. But
few of our churches are as yet self-sustaining.
A long, heavy, patient, uphill business it is to
reach, the acme of large, well organized
sustainingself
and missionary churches among so new,
heterogeneous and changeable people. A number
of these difficulties which still press heavily here
have already been noticed in my letters.
Among its,decisions, Synod resolved, after ma
ture deliberation, that a district Secretary for the
Pacific coast was much needed. One to have in
hand the general interests of the church, to visit
weak places, open up new fields and keep the ad
visory'Committee here constantly posted on all
matters relating to church extension. Without
any previous:intimation or even thought on his
part of such a result, Synod unanimously recom
mended your correspondent for this honorable,
responsible and important position. The com
mittee here have united in this recommendation
and ask the Eastern Committee to confirm. In
a cheice 'of ministerial work, my preference would
be for the Settled pastorate. Should-this matter
come before me for decision, it will receive all the
- consideration , its importance demands.
Synod held its session it Dr. Scudder's new
church. To my liking, though not the most costly,
yet in every way it is the most agreeable hall for
public worship heretofore seen. It will seat
twelve hundred people. A neat, ready and most
convenient arrangement for extra seats, when
crowded, we noticed and commend to church
builders. The same may be in other churches,
but has not hitherto been seen by the writer. In
the end of each pew next the aisle is a handle,
looking merely as an ornament. When an extra seat
is needed, the handle is taken hold of and pulled,
'when a board' with a back- for a seat turned down,
is drawn out about eighteen inches ; the little
back is turned up and a cozy seat is ready. When
done using, the back is turned down, the seat
pushed in and the simple ornament remains.
When the fine building was completed, the trus
tees were fortysix thousand dollars in debt—
Califoinia currency—coin. A somewhat novel
mode of liquidatkin was .suecessfully, carried
through during the past week. Even more than
the forty-six thousand 'were raised—the surplus
being for the erection of a Sabbath school room.
The 'annual ineome of the congregation exceeds
its outlay about five thousand dollars. All this,
however, was required to pay the in‘erest on the
debt without lessening the principal. It was pro
',
posed that the members, and hearers, all to be
Within the congregation, loan, without in
-aim/ft to the trustees sufficient to pay the debt
s fitillgthng stop the;interest, and to be paid back,
desi4ll;by the annual surplus. It pioved more
iiiideessi The church is
. free from debt,
and from its present prosperity we afe persuaded
will soon become a fosterer of weak and new mis
„,
sion places in the rapidly growing city.
I leave this week to visit some new localities
along this' 0:04 of ilia Pacific Railroad; after
which go again - for a time iMbrig - the mining towns
of Nevada. A. M. STEWART.
THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1868.
MANSES.
Rev. T. Dwight Hunt of the :Presbytery of
Kalamazoo, sends the following synopsis of a Re
port on Manses, adopted at the late meeting of
that body.
1. The convenience which results both to pas
tor and people. First, in making sure some
suitable home in the parish for the minister, a
thing often very difficult to do, and sometimes
impracticable, when a house is to be' hired; and
second, to make sure the location of his home in
the place best suited to his work. The right
kind of a parsonage in the right place removes
every difficulty connected with tbe suitable and
immediate settlement and location of 'the pastor
elect.
2. The pecuniary comfort and advantage to
the minister filmself. Rent is a great bill out of
an ordinary, minister's salary. Rent day comes
painfully often, causing the minister more anxie
ty and planning; and trouble, than any other
item of expense. Rent, too, is Cften advanced
without a corresponding increase of sataiY,,caus
ing increasing straitness and perplexity. More
over, in a hired honSe the minister is subject to
constant removals, arising from-sale of property
removals always wasteful and exPensive. TWO
or three removals 'have sometimes been forced
upon ministers during a single ,year.
3. The advantage to the minister and family
in giving them a borne. The parsonage gives
them a fixed habitation, at least during the pe
riod of their settlement. Changes of pastorate
are so frequent that, under the most favorable
circumstances, the cultivation of the home feel
ing is difficult. Ministers feel and deplore this ;
especially when, to the necessary changes there
is supera.dded those required by moving frbm one
hired house to another.
This ought not to be. In other professions
the ministry could locate perManent houses, and
it is due to them from the churches and to miti
gate the evil of their homeless state as far as
possible; by providing a suitably fixed abodeifor
them while witlYthem. • ,
4. The religious influence ofrthe parsonage.
It tends to make the minister feel at home
among the people, and so to love them more, and
thus to render the pastorate more profitable:and
permanent. It, tends also to domesticate religion
among the people. Especially is this true when
time Shall cluster about the ;minister's home all
the sacred associations of years and generations,
New England parsonages were in this way scarce
ly less inspiring than the church edifice itself.
Of course the right kind of a parsonage is urged,
and one kept in good repair, one suitable every
way.to the wants• - ,of minister and people; not
the cheapest and oldest, and most, out of the
way place, which •the least money will bay; of
which the church and people are ashamed, and
in which it is unreasonable to expect the minis
ter to be contented.
ANOTHER LEAF FROM THE BRAINERD
TREE;
In the summer of 1866 was announced the
death of Thomas Brainard,' D. D , which occur
red at Scranton. Few events could have cast
a deeper shadow over this community. A zea
lous and able minister in the branch of the
Church to which he belonged, Dr. Brainerd roSe
Jar above denominational limits. Cliiiitians of
every name mourned when he' was dead. We
remember seeing, among others, a venerable ilO
- Catholic come to take a farewell hiok of the
form of the departed while his remains lay in
their narrow bed. Of three score years and ten,
somewhat stricken by the effects of a second "at
tack of a foe whose touch seldom needs 'repeti
tion, yet retaining his natural force and rarely
equalled 'physical proportions with Out much
abatement, bending over the face of the dead—
his junior by ten years-the living shook with
irrepressible emotion, While: he 'eltdea,Vored to
minister a word of comfort to ,those Who had
been bereaVed.
Dr. Brainerd was equally distinguished as
a citizen and a patriot. heart 'would nwell,
and his spirit become' intensified, as the destinies
of the country approached their crisis. The sol
dier ever found in him . the sympathies Of a fa
ther and a friend. Disloyalty, whether lurking
in the form of neutrality, or undiaguised treaeon,
never found " aid and comfort" in his presence.
Like Satan in his , descent frOm heaven, such
enemies might well have exclaimed, ".furthest
from thee` is best." We went into Chesnut
Street together on Sabbath' night, as the news of
Lee's surrender threw our quiet city into deli
rium. Parting with• him, at a, late 'hour; in
front of his own door his whole being seemed to
glow with gratitude. "Good `night," said he,
"you won't regret 'this %Valk ; we have .never
seen the 'like of this before, and- will never' see
such a night again." The transition from na
tional joy to national grief came quickly. On
the night of Good Friday, April 14th, 1865,
Abraham Lincoln was slain. " A night of dark.
ness, of longer Cluraticin than that which fell on
Egypt in the days' of Moses, shrouded the land;
and 'there was no light in our dwellings." With
out manuscript, and , alniost:iiithont •a selected
text, Dr. Brainerdt'bit the 'Sabbath morning fol
lbiving the sad event,'entered - Old Pine Street
Church, crowded, unexpectedly to 'him, to its
full'eapacity, - and 'for an hour and a half,- preached
with an unction 'ari'd'poWe, such as are' never
wielded except by the great in intellect and elo-
quent in speech. Indeed he spoke as though
some miraculous agent had sustained him. We
never knew a man more bountifully endowed to
equal every emergency which, in the course of
Providence, he was called to fill.
Amongst his greatest pulpit efforts, perhaps,
may be regarded his sermon, " We all do fade as
a leaf." A sermon, which the writer of these
lines has thought, in one of its aspects at least,
as singularly inapplicable to himself and mem
bers of his family who have passed "the cloudy
region." The leaf withereth ; the chilling blasts
waft away its sap and,its verdant coloring ; seared
and yellow, it decays and falls from the tree.
Dr. Brainerd had, four children. Fever, in
early life carried off two—a son and daughter of
rare briolitness and beauty. The messenger ac
complished its errand. Bnt the early slain lay
in death like flowers rather than faded leaves.
Dr. Brainerd himself retired-to rest withbut pre
monitimi of approaching dissollition and awoke
in 'heaven! 'l'Sixty.years had scarcely made a
wrinkle, or the north; wind its mark: TWo of
his, 'little' grandchildren, who preceded hiin to
the skies but a fevi days; took their departure
after, a very t brief ordeal a- sufferin g . "While
writing we hive before us a Alert Message, re•
ceived'i;o-day from` Scranton; announcing the de
partiire of the third child ol', BrainerdLi-Mrs.
Emma G. Boies, who died on Sabbath morning
at 3 o'cloCk. Boies was not called away
instantaneously as was her father. She had two
days in 'Which - t6 look foriard, with Christian
submission and hope, to the certain and ex
pected' apirOach 'of death ; but we may say of
her also, that when; in the full bloom of woman
tioba.Site took her faiewell of earth, her transi
tion was iather-like the flower taken to blobin in
the paradise of God, than the leaf which fades
•
from the branch in autumn.
Philadelphia, Nov. 2, 1868
A LETTER.
I sat down the other day to, write a letter. Af
ter I had-written the date and the address, a
thought came across' my mind, Which held my
pen suspendcd aboye the paper for several min.
utes. It was not a suggestion of any thing new,
striking„or ; valuable only a sudden realization
of the wonderful nature of some very familiar
things: Such a realization would oome to us often
if We paused to tNnk pc a thousand things which
we.d6 as a matter of course, daily—nay, almost
hourly.
_ But this was my thought Here is a perfectly
blank sheet of paper—meaning nothingto , any
body except just that I make a few black Marks
upon it, att# behold, what a change ! I send, it
a hundred miles away, to it dear friend. It car
ries ideas from my Mind • to hers. It tells her my
thoughts, occupations, interests. It breathes my
love into her heart thrOugh the medium of her
eye, almost as if I,were close to her, whispering
it into her ear. llow the cold, blank - , - lifeless
paper iS traiiSformdd into a warm, Jiving; loving
thing, by a few strokes. of my pen ! So warm and
so loving it may be, that the receiver can but
show her joy and.ansirering love, by kissing the
senseless paper as' if' it were indeed a thing of
life.
Is there nothing,wonderful in this, when we
take it out of the great bundle of habits, and look
at.it for a moment
And surely this power of speaking to the hearts
of absent friends, in a• form, too, that is-more en-
during even than words uttered by the voice, is
one to bewielded carefully, in the' fear and for
•
service of our sied`Master to whom we
and all our power's belong,
'WRONG- AT THE START:
In common with the rest of my sex, I, Dorcas
Hicks, am,much given to the practice of ,knit
ting. While reading, either silently or aloud, I
am in the 'habit of aiding my perceptions and
employing My otherwise'idle hands, by making
my needles .fly and my stocking grow. To this
habit of mine the reflections are due which will
be shortly'set forth.
Every 'woman 'at all skilled in the noble art' of
knitting, understands what is meant by d-Ming.
To others the word may have different meahings
—to a knitter it bears but one. She knows that
if one orziriore stitches are knit alternately plain
and seamed, (there again the connoisseur will un
derstand me) it produOes raised ridges at. even
!distances, running lengthwise of the work. Thus
far by way of explanation. I,'Doreas Hicks, was
peacefully . pursuing the • double employment of
reading and ribbing, the , other day. I was nearly
,aoros? the needle„ which had a good many
stitches on it,,when I chanced to look at my
work, and. saw that my ribbing was,not going on
as it shoUltit I was seaming when I should have
been knitting plain. I picked back two or three
stiches to find my mistake. Still wrong. Two
or three more. Wrong yet. I pulled the yarn
out of several more, without finding the one
wrong stitch for which looked. I ran my eye
along all 'the' stitshps in the row. Ah !--thought
I— T wrong
,at. the start,; that's it. SO (*came
the:needle, and down went all : the stitches to the
beginning of 'the row; There was the mistake,
I began with knitting plttiti when I should have
seamed. This was soon Set, right, the stitches
takert l up, and ; ths, work, resumed.. my mind
instead of going_ tack to the hook I had been
readiiig, 'dwelt Musingly' on uthe 'words . " 441.0N0
AT THE START."
How easy it was for me, when I found where
my error began, to whip my work all out quickly
and start right ! Would it Were always as easy
for those who begin wrong, to take out their
mistake and start again right ! The errors of a
life often come from being wrong at the start—
from want of proper care and training at the be
ginning—from setting out with false principles,
or with none at all, from not realizing the impor
tance of starting right.
Certainly a person may begin all fair and well,
and fall into dire mistakes and snares afterwards;
but with a due knowledge of what is true and
right, and a purpose with the help of the Mighty
One to keep in the good way, one is more likely
to go on well to the end, then if he begin his
course in indifference, error, or sin.
Another thought that came to me was this?
If we find ourselves involved in wrong or trouble
caused by our own acts, we had better not be
satisfied with smoothing it over and trying some
how, we know not exactly how,,to.hring it out
right. No—we shall probably find that we were
wrong at the start; and we had best go to the
root of the matter at once—undo all that we can
of what has been wrong; alas! often that is not
much, and start, right again if possible.
.We form a plan for pleasure or for profit. It
does not prosper or Succeed in its object—it
grieves and disappoints instead. Perhaps we
started wrong, in not asking the blessing of God
upon it; in not being sure that our motives and
our'means were pure• and generous. It may be
that it was all fair, and that for some other rea
seri our plans' have failed. But it will be wise
to look well into it, and find out whether we
started right.
There is one great comfort in all these reflec
tions. We may been altogether wrong at
the start, have gone wrong ever since, and be in
a dark wilderness of perplexity and doubt. We
feel that we cannot undo our errors as we can
our knitting—in their consequences to others or
to ourselves; and the thought weighs upon' us.
But the - comfort is, that our lives cannot be so
dark, or so wrong, Or so harmful, that the sun
shine of God's love cannot reach us. Although
we cannot 'go back and begin our' work over
again, we can have all its sin and evil washed
away froth record by the blood of Jesus; and
we can start anew from this moment to " do
what our hands find to do," with light and
strength beyond our own vouchsafed to us:'
All tlitS we can have for the simple asking in
faith and humility for Jesud' sake. Then, how
ever wrong at the start we have been, we may
be sure, throngh our blessed Saviour's merits, of
being RIGHT AT THE END.
ORTHODOXY IN HIGH PLACES.
The following, from the.Afethodist Home Jour
nal of this city, is a deserved tribute to our noble
,Chief Magistrate. We understand it is from the
pen .of,Rev. G. D. Carrow: ,
In the proclamation of, His7,xcellency, Maj.
Gen'l John,W. Geary, Governor, of this State,
appointing the,26th. iust. a day, of Thanksgiving,
the following passage occurs in the last clause of
the document:—PAnd that our paths through
life, may be directedby the example and instruc
tions of the Redeemer„ who d.ed that, we, might
enjoy all the blessings, which temporarily flow
therefrom, and eternal life in the world to come."
It is. well known that a very large majority of
the people of this country are not only Christians
in "name, but subscribe to that grand formula of
Christian Aectrine.whieh distinctively recognizes'
Jesus Christ, in His death on the cross, and in
tercession in Heaven, : as. the sole medium through
which a holy and just Gqd can.eQuimuuicate with
depraved and sinful men, and, bestow, upon them
the temporatand , spiritual blessing
.necessary to
their happiness in titne : and eternity. In the face
of this open fact, however,, both
. State and na
tional proclamations ef thanksgiving have been
so worded as,to, completely ignore the Christian
sentiment of the people at large. Speaking for
the Christian masses of the country, I may say
that we are not bigots—that we stand pledged to
maintain unrestricted liberty of tliought, e speech,
r and worship; but we are neither Deists nor Mo
hammedans, and we, have a right to expect .that
our Rulers, when speaking on Christian subjects,
and recommending the, performance of Christian
duties, shall neither contradict nor ignore what
.they know to be our sentiments. I may be. mis
taken, but I believe this to be the only instance
in which a Governor of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania has summoned its, people.to, prayer
and thanksgiving in perfect aCcOrdance with their
religious views. and -aspirations. If it be the first,
may it not be the last! If it be ,a-rare'
exception,
may the exceptions Income the rule! ~If we be
neither Deists, nor. Mohammedans, may our Ru
lers have the honest, conscientious, courage to say
so! Governor Geary, : as soldier, Chief Magistrate,
and, statesman, has many and great claims upon
the confidence and gratitude of his countrymen,
and they„will trust him the farther, andje,steem
him. the, more, for his. fidelity to that Redeemer,
"who being in.the form, of God, thought it trot
'robbery to be. equal God; but made himself
of no reputation, and took upon him the form,of
uservant, and was made in the, like - ness of men;
and being found in fashion; .as a pan, he 'humbled
himself and : became okedient - unto,cleath, even the.
death,of the cross. , WherefOre God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a game which
is above every name; that at the name of J esoi
every knee should bow, of things in Heaven ; and
things in earth, and things under the earth; a n d
that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord to the glory of God the Father."
Chester County, Pennsylvania, is one of the
most attractive portions of our State, and no less
renowned for the hospitality of its people, than
for the fertility of its soil, and the beauty of its
scenery. Here is a rich valley, thirty miles in
length by six or seven in breadth, bordered on
both . sides by bold ranges of hills, and intersec
ted by glittering streams, while in all directions
white barns and farm houses peep through the
foliage, dotting the green landscape with their
inviting forms, until the eye can at some points
wander to a distance that seems interminable.
To this peaceful valley we came a few weeks
since, and the kindness lavished upon us by the
warm-hearted people was literally unbounded.
Their hearts; their houses, and their pulpits,
were open to as and-such •a' response was given
to that noble cause which we represented, that
is, the cause of the 'Sailor, as cheered and gra
tified. our hearts.,
• - .
The Presbyterian Chtirch'of EaSt Whiteland,
New School, made a donation,of $5O Ito
consti
tute Rev. A. M. Stewart, their pastor,.now ab
senVon Pdeific Ceasty-a Life. Director of. the
Penna Seaman's Friend, Society, and - ,promised
the additional sum of $l5 from the Sunday
School Sot the purpose, of placing, a library on
board one of our ships. The- Presbyterian
Chnroli of Reeseville, New School, made a'dona
tion of $5O to constitute their pastor, Rev. Tho
mas J. Aiken, also a Life Director, and pro
mised $l5 from the Sunday School for a Sea
Library. The Presbyterian Church of Great
Valley, Old School, made a donation of $5O to
eonstitute Rev. Edward - Payson Heberton, their
pastor, .1 Life Director of the Society. Long
life, peace, and prosperity to the kind inhabitants
of Chester Valley. D. H. EMERSON.
In the Assembly of 1837, the before loosely
charged errors assumed shape, in sixteen propo
sitions, brought to the attention of that Body,
through- the memorial proposed by the conven
tion, which precededits meeting. In reply to
these propositions, the New School placed them
in one column, and in contrast with them, in an
opposite column, their real opinions. So great
was the difference, and so plainly the contra s t
was made to appear, that no alternative was left
but to admit the charges were erroneous; or to
deny the moral honesty of the accused. The
latter was unfortunately adopted. That expose
(the true doctrine, in place of the error charged)
received the sanction of the entire New School
party then; and a second endorsement, after a
year's 'reflection, by the same body, in a large
and full representation at the convention at Au
burn. By that expose they are still willing to
stand. And if they are, to receive the credit due
to respectable christian men, we can now predi
cate of them no differences in doctrinal views,
from the opinions of the Old School, which should
prevent their reunion ; or which are at war with
the ":Calvinistic system," or the terms of adop
tion of the Confession of Faith.
DOIIVAS Mots.
the New School had denied they held the
opinions ascribed to them.' They demanded ju
diCial investigatiOn according to the legal forms
of the Church. Two men, supposed -to be rep
resentative men, were selected. and prosecuted.
They yielded full obedience to all, the constitu
tional forms, and by. their Presbyteries first, and
by the Assembly as the highest court and last
resort, in Mr. Barnes' case were acquitted I Their
rent-opinions were 'disclosed in these processes;
`and by the decisions those opinions were officially
and judicially declared to be consistent with the
".Calvinistic system,"-with the COnfession of
Faith, and the terms of subscription. The Gene
ral Assembly is' the' highest tribunal known to
the Presbyterian constitution. Its decisions
carry, the weight of the denomination, for here
the wisdom and, grace of the whole church are
supposed to aggregate; and it is the received
doctrine of.the Old School church, that its au
thority- covers, 'and.demands the respectful acqui
escence and submission of all the other judicato
ries and the people of the denomination.—" Co
mmon Faith" in The Western Presbyterian. [O.S.]
If then each School, after so much delibera
tion, can sincerely receive and adopt the West
minster Confession of Faith, and the Larger and
Shorter Catechisms, as each now has them, be
cause they contain, the system of doctrine taught
in, the Holy Scriptures, let reunion be consum
mated. -We :shall still go into it with some
trenibling,' but yet heartily. We d 6 not, as our
readers well , know;= regard;it as the hest thing
possible, but,!as it would' seem, as the best' thing
practicable. If each church.was in a normal
condition, each contented and happy, holding
and enjoying its, own peculiarities, but fully de
voted to the Master's cause, and filled with love
and a co-operatiieUpirit, greatly more would be
accomplished by our continuing in two organiza
tions, than by our becoming one. But we are
not in thai condition. We are agitated. Some,
reckleas they' may be, but they have influence,
are determined'on reunion, and will open neither
ears, nor heart, nor .understanding to anything
else; like , Rachael, when she said, " Give me
children,• or I die • " and like Israel who said,
"Give us a king;" and like an inconsiderate
daughter, Who- says, "I roust and will' marry the
Mall." Then, taking things as they are, let
there be reunion, provided only that it be on
right, principles—on - the principles above indi
cated. " First pure, then peaceable." Truth
we must conserve and Propagate.' But past un
fileasantneis -we will - not needlessly srecall. We
will "sink;, if permitted; allj hiatorieal distinctions-
Let the reunited dchurch be One homogeneous
body, each member becoming assimilated to the
,perfect, jone, and each
,cherishing, charity, and
'esteeming 'other better than themselve." Then
'enlarged'eh'n'relY nay - grow' yet larger, and
parer; and more atitradtiVekandhetter accomplish
the r end:, of.ther .high ,aridl. holy calling.—The
North Western 'Presbyterian.
VISIT TO CHESTER VALLEY.
RE-lINION ITEMS.
CONSISTENCY