frriffinat eiDlltmunicatimu.
THE FOREIGN MISSIONARY PRESBYTERY
Or THE REF, PRES. CHITROH, AND
SUSPENSION OF GEO. H. STUART.
When the information reached India that the
General Synod of the Ref. Pres. Church had
suspended Geo. H. Stuart for hymn singing and
communing with other evangelical Christians,
the Saharanpur Presbytery of that body resolved
to suspend its relations "to the Synod," as had
already been done by other Presbyteries in this
country. This action was extensively published
in the religious papers. At the recent meeting
of. the Synod in Cedarville, Ohio, the action of
the Saharanpur Presbytery excited considerable
discussion. Some proposed that a distinction
should be made between the Saharanpur Presby
tery, as a Foreign Missionary Presbytery, and
the Presbyteries in this country which had also
" suspended relations," and that a year should be
allowed to that Presbytery to re-consider its ac
tion. Others proposed that while the brethren
sent from this country should be declared out of
the Ref. Pres. Church, the Native ministers
shoUld be recognized as the Presbytery, as they
might4havo been misinformed on the subjects of
difficutty. The latter course was finally adopted,
and the names of the native brethren only ap
pear on the list of ministers, while all the others
are omitted. It was also resolved to claim for
the Ref. Pres. Church the property of the Mis
sion, in churches, school-houses, and residences,
and the Board of Foreign Missions was instruc
ted to send out a missionary for the purpose as
soon as one-could be obtained. The following
letter from Rev. J. S. Woodside, one of the most
efficient of the missionary brethren, shows how
the action of the Synod is regarded. A com
munication of similar import has been received
from Rev. Joseph Caldwell, the senior missiona
ry, who has been on the field for nearly forty
years. It will be noticed by the communication
we now publish that the attempt to alienate the
native brethren, and to organize them as a distinct
Presbytery is not likely to succeed, that the.
claim for the missionary property is not well
founded, and that the probability of effecting
anything by sending out another missionary is
very small.
LETTER FROM THE REV. J. S. WOODSIDE
MY DEAR BROTHER : The report of the pro
teediogs of the two General Assemblies, and of
the General Synod of the Ref. Pres. Church, is
before me. I have just finished the perusal of
its pages with feelings as varied as the subjects
regarding which they have been exercised. The
" Basis of Reunion" of the two great Assem
blies of the Presbyterian Church is that which
possesses by far the greatest interest for me.
Since the great Philadelphia Convention first
convinced the several sections of the Presbyteri
an family that they were in reality one, I have
never doubted the possibility of a union, such as
seems now to have been attained. I must here
say, that I greatly admire the spirit displaYed
by the New School men throughout all the ne
gotiations that preceded the late meeting of the
Assemblies. From our very -intimate relation
ship to the Old School Church, I, of course,
have always felt much closer to her than to her
sister, but the generous, open-hearted, Christian
frankness, and forbearance manifested by the
New School, proves them to be men worthy of
the fellowship of all true Christians everywhere,
and I rejoice and give thanks to God for having
removed one of the barriers that has thus far
obstructed the great work of the world's conver
sion.
The world is to be converted by% united
church, and hence every division that is healed,
every barrier taken away, and every union
formed are so many aids to the accomplishment of
the great work. I foresee a great impetus to
the missionary work in what has now been ac
complished. Men whose time has thus far been
spent in trying to build up little churches in
places where other brethren were similarly en
gaged, will now be set loose for direct evangelis
tic work. The united resources' of the future
church, concentrated through one agency, must
be much more powerful for good than as they
are at present.
,I fondly, hope no spirit of disbord may now
- permitted - to spring up to prevent the coneum
mation of this glbrioui union in November.
Hoy/ it would delight me to have responded
to your kind invitation to go home this year by
starting at once, so that I night be present at
the meeting which will unite these two Churches.
This cannot be. One of our veteran missiona
ries (the Rev. J. U. Orbison) has lately been
called to his reward, in America; and this day's
mail brings .me - the intelligence•that another
must take his departure for his native land.
We who have -,health' and, , strength left, feel
that under atteb,circumstances we must not leave
our posts;' but remain till such time as there may
seem to be an obvious call, from God himself, de
claring it to be, our day to go.
,Oa 'turning to the "report " of. the proceed
ings of the Ref. Pres., Synod at Cedarville, what
a contrast! In the one case we see the record of
"Peace on earth and good will towards men."
In the other we come to strife, and division
Almond And disintegration.
DEHRA, DOON, N. ludin,
July 16th, 1869.
It was hardly to be expected that the men
who cast out Mr. Stuart last year, would reverse
their decision this year. I never thought they
would. The action of the Saharanpur Presby
tery seems to have given a deal of trouble. I
see the Synod were so puzzled over it that
they finally resolved that it was "unintelligible."
I am sorry we did not make it plainer, but we
all thought it would be understood. I do not
know who invented the term "Suspending rela
tions," nor does it seem to me to matter much
whether it ever had been formerly used in Church
courts—it has always seemed to me a very happy
phrase, and I am sure it is one that Synod will,
by and by, become familiar with !
Let me tell you what I understood by it as it
stands in the action of our Presbytery. synod,
by its action in the Stuart case, had 'taken a po
sition that we thought inconsistent with Christian
liberty, and consequently in direct opposition to
God's Word.
They have cast out a Man whom we belieVed
to be one of the best Christian men, not only in
our Church, but in the world, A man whom we
all loved, a man with whOse " conduct we were
•
completely identified, whose example as a zeal
ous servant of God, had always been held up to
our fellow-men, as one worthy. of imitation. This
man had been condemned, not for blasphemy, nor
for idolatry, nor for murder, nor for covetous
,
ness, nor for the breach of any of God's laws, but
for singing the praises of God, in the language of
Scripture! and for joining with other Christian
men in commemorating the dying love of Christ!
The action of Synod perpetrating this monstrous
crime against truth, was before us, not, to be sure,
officially, but word for word as it appears in. the
official document. What were we to do? "Re
m,ain silent," say the men who did this thing!
Stand-by and see a brother, beloved in the Lord,
condemned for doing what we have habitually
done for more than 30 years, and say nothing !
We e pould not see it in this light. We felt tha
we must act, and that, too, at once, that our go
sition should be known to all..
We felt that the body who Could condemn
george H. Stuart, as had been done, was not a
body with which we could work any longer. We
thought that the sooner we parted company yrith
such men the better, but we wished to give them
an opportunity of undoing what they had done.
Then came the intelligehce that our beloved
brethren at Pittsburgh had "suspended relations"
till such time as Synod should reverse its action
in the Stuart case, and as we were in precisely
the same predicament, we adopted the same terms,
and told Synod that we could not represent them
any longer among the heathen
.unless they re
versed their action regarding 'our . beloved brother.
Stuart.
What we meant then, was simply this, that
should Synod at its next meeting, or at any sub
sequent time, reverse the obnoxious decision, and
restore Mr. Stuart to his proper position in the
Church, we should be prepared to return to • the
relationship that hitherto subsisted between us,
but should they refuse to do so, we were no lon
ger their representatives in India. We hold that
the men who condemned George H. Stuart are
not representatives of the Reformed Presbyterian
Church at all, but men who misrepresent both
the principles and the spirit of the Church to
which we belong. We have formerly believed
the testimony of the .Reformed Presbyterian
Church to be the testimony of Jesus Christ, and
any thing that is contrary to the Spirit of ,Christ,
to be contrary to our Testimony.
The condemnation of Mr. Stuart we believe to
be opposed both in letter, and spirit to the will of
Christ, and we believe the Synod to 'be in rank
rebellion against the King of kings, so, far as this
act goes
Hence we " suspended relations" to these men.
We do not recognize them as the legiffmate Sy
nod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church at all.
They have gone away backward from the attain
ments made by the Church, and in this retrograde
movement we cannot go with them. This is what
I understand by "suspending relationi."
I appreciate at its due value, Dr; McLeod's
effort to bring us back by giving-us a year's grace,
in the hope that by iliat•titne we may approve of
George Stuart's condemnation !
I also appreciate the kind feeling of some mem
bers of Synod who think that we ought to be
treated more leniently than those in Amerioa. I
agree, however, with Mr. Wylie of Duanesburgh,
that no distinction should be made. We do not
wish for such partiality. We take'our stand with
the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Presbyteries, and
are fully prepared for whalever measure of cen-,
sure may be measured out.. to. them. We have
counted the cost and have oast- in our lot with
Mr. Stuartaed his'friends,:in their !‘ suspended
relation's!' They are the men who have always
held up our hands. 'They' are the Missionary
pail of the Church. We surely know qhe men,
Who for the last 30 years; have Stood by us in
all our trials arid dilonliies in Iridia,-:-and we
would be recreant to everYfeeling of truth and
gratitude, if we parted from you now.
I shall say 'nothing of the- plan, which is at
tributed to my poor brother; of trying, to alien
ate the native brethren'frOin us. All 'I have to
say is: Let them try this, and - I'am greatly mis
taken if they do not fall baelci - rebuked in a man
ner they cannot now'appreciate. -
As to our property out here, that is a question
to be settled with the General Assembly's Board.
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1869.
Though known at borne as the missionaries of
the Reformed Presbyterian Church, we have al
ways been known here, only as the missionaries
of the Presbyterian Board, and we look upon the
property in hoilSes, &c., &c., held by us as the
property of the Board in New York.
I for one would be very willing to pay back
dollar for dollar, all that was ever given by Mr.
Stuart's judges towards the acquisition of pro
perty in India! I think the bill would not be a
heavy one!
The men who have condemned Mr. Stuart
have never figured largely in the subscription
lists to any of our benevolent •schemes. Such
men never do part with money readily. We in
India know very well where the funds have come
from. I hope this matter will be settled at home,.
so that Ive may have nothing to do with it.
One little fact I may mentiob, that will
help to guide the seekers after property. Put here,
and that is, that the Mission' property at Dehra
is all held in the name, of the General Assembly's
Board of Foreign Missions. The title deeds were
drawn up in the year 1856. At. that time we
reasoned regarding this matter in this way: That
as the contribution of the Reformed Presbyterian
Church did.not even pay the salaries of her mis
sionaries, while the Assembly's Board had to sup
plement our salaries, provide houses, keep these
houses in repair, alid contribute every extra
charge for the general Pxpenses of the Mission,
it would not be honest in us to try and acquire
property for the RefOrmed Presbyterian Church,
which had been paid for by the Board in New
York! So with regard to property created by us
here. Hence the Dehra property cannot beccoe
the subject of dispute. I think thatat Saharan
pur it is similarly arranged, but of that I cannot
speak, just now, with certainty. As to the send
ing out of a missionary, I fear it will not improve
matters, for it will be impossible to keep any man
they may send out from following our- example 1
Such principles as the remanent members of
Synod' wish to force upon men, will not be re
ceived. I wish they would send out my brother.
I Should then look for his speedy conversion.
Where he is I fear it‘will take some time to dis
abuse his mind of early prejudices, but out here
he would learn much more rapidly. That he will
long continue a member of that Synod I ,cannot
believe. He has only to be convinced of his er
ror, _when, I feel assured, he will be very much
ashamed and grieved, that he has been led- to
grieve God's Holy Spirit by his vote against Mr.
Stuart.
Would that these men could see their conduct
as we see it! They would surely repent in sackcloth
and ashes, and - try to make all the reparation in
their power, to that good and just man whom
they have SO ewerly' tried to injure. May the
Lord forgive them for "they know not what
they do." Ever yours in Christ;
REV. A. IL STEWART'S LETTERS.--XLIII.
TREASIIEE CITY, N.Ev., Aug. 1869.
THY KINGDOM COME.
It has been coming and it does come, when
ever a sinner is born again. " The kingdom of
,
God in you." It comes in every advance the
Christian makes in holiness of life, and in each
saint that is taken home to glory. The kingdom
comes when an additional outpost is occupied by
the soldiers of Jesus. It comes in each new
church that is organized, in every prayer-meeting
started, or Sabbath-school gotten into working
order. The kingdom has come into this 'far in:
terior region of mountain and mineral where so
lately the wandering, houseless Shoshone Indian
held undisputed possession.
WHITE PINE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
By the good hand of our God upon us a
church has been successfully and hopefully or
ganized in this wonderful district seemingly
given over to Mammon, a Presbyterian church
Consisting of twenty-three members; with all
the officers, and the 'appliances of a working
congregation, save a regular pastor. Preaching
is had on each Sabbath, both in Treasure City
and Hamilton, three miles down the mountain.
In each of these places we have two elders and
two trustees • the two place - s as yet constituting
one congregation--White Pine. In each place,
a Sabbath-school has been prosperously' organ
ized with very large adult Bible-classes and good
lihraries. A weekly prayer-meeting in both
places is well attended.
No special effort has as yet been started for
the erection of a church building 'or buildings.
In Treasure City, we worship in Brokers' Hall, a
building erected by a Vompany of moneyed men.
In Hpnilton the Court'House is occupied; both
quite 'comfortable places for holding religious
servicej—that is comfortable for this region..
This constitutes the' 'fourth Tiesbyterian or
ganization within the vast territory comprising
the State of Nevada—L•all accomplished throUgh
our -Committee' on -Home Missions, and all still
- under its fostering -care. Orie at Carson, the
capital, and at. present ministered-to by a good
.Corigregationaliiithrether; one in Virginia' City
without a pastor ; :one in Austin, also vacant;
and now White Pine. Our New School Com
mittee has undertaken: the introduction of Pres
byterianism into Nevada,, and, cannot see the
work fail. After the consummation of the Un
ion, 'much more'power and energy can: be ,thrown
into this far off and important work. But who
will come now in order to carry on the work
thus successfully opened in this great mining
centre? My own mission here is to terminate
after the last Sabbath of September; then by
arrangement on to California
J. S. WOODSIDE.
—The Friend's Review, of this city takes
strong' ground against one innovation in old
Quaker usage :
It would inconsiatent with the idea of our
Church in relation to public worship, to decide
beforehand what Vocal service or whether any
vocal service shall be heard in a contemplated
meeting. And to publish that a Friend will
preach at a given time, is not only inconsistent
with our profession, but;. in the implied pre
sumption upon the future, is liable to the
Apostle's rebuke (James. iv.. 14: Whereas you
know not what shall be on the morrow."'
.—A ,Methodist traveller is quoted by The
Independent as thus describing •the proceedings
of one of the most efficient missionary Societies
of German Protestantism.:
Our friend and a Scotch companion were
amazed spectators and listeners. When they
.
entered the hall where the missionary society
was holding its session, they saw the members
seated before a long table, each with' a huge
beer-mug before him anila pipe or cigar in his
mouth. When our strangers took their seats, a
plump Heidelberg madchen came and placed be
fore each of them, apparently as a Matter -of
course, 'a measure of foaming beer. Speeches
were made, essays on religious subjects were
read, officers were elected for the coming period,
earnest attention and religious enthusiasm were
manifested ; although our correspondent owns
that the perpetual lifting of beer-flagons and the
coining in and going ort •of the Heidelberg
Hebe seemed to him very incongruous and dis
tracting. When the formal business was over,
Ergo bibantus and other such elevating',chants
were sung and chorused; and wheA, at a late
hear, our correspondent withdrew, the table was
still plentifully filled, the welkin -rang to the
festive refrains, and the' beer-girl was kept in
active employment., " Sneh," bays oar corres
pondent, " was the closing session of the term of
this missionary, society, - of these candidates for
the pastorate and students of theology." He as
sumes. that, "viewed from the German stand
,point,,the thing was, entirely decorous and in
good order;" but he is euriotis to knew how it
would look in the eyes of earnest American
Protestantisna. =
Roman-Catholic priest writes 16tter to
a icd* Orleans paper at which the tolloWing
extract will prove edifying: •• '
"Some time ago, rumors having reached me
that the enemy was.insidiouQy at work; `bstab-lishinga. viper's nest in the shape :of 'a. Sabbath
school mission, in the neighborhood of the Jack_
son railroad depot, for . the, purpose of carrying
on a Protestant propagandism and protelyting
institation,—solicitifig'patholic pa'renta to send
their children thereto ; antitliribing Catholic . chil
dren to frequent those dens of hypocrisy, lies,
and deceit, in order to imbibe in that pOisoned
PECULIARITIES AND DIFFICULTIES OF THIS
During a long period when judges ruled in
Israel, the ark of God seemed to be itinerant,
and the pious worshipper often hardly knew
where to find it.
.Church organizations in Ne
vada, indeed in all our Pacific mining regions,
have a v similar characteristic appearance. Our
Methodist brethren have an itinerant' ministry;
we here an itinerant church. The mass of the
people are itinerant. When the excitement or
the mineral in one mining camp, town or city,
runs out, the people leave for some new legality.
Hence a church organization in the old place
becomes nearly or altogether extinct. Our new
organization here has no lease of permanence for
the future. With foSie,fing care it will live,
grow, , and do good while the large mining,inter
ests lait s ; and mine operators assert they are
hopeful for many years to come.
INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE
The effects of this high, dry light andim' ar
vellously transparent atmosphere have been a
little relaxing. Yet have the, months of July
and August been with me a season of more than
ordinary labor. The regular Sabbath service has
been : Preach in Treasure City at 11 a. m., go
down the mountain, often walk three, miles with
five hundred feet descent to the mile; to Hamil
ton; at 2 p m., meet with a Bible-class of thirty
inquiring men. At 3p. m. preach in the Court
House. Then up the mountain and preach again
at 8 p. m. in Treasure City.
OUR EXCHANGES.
The Romanist organ of Archbishop Manning,
thus twits its Ritualistic friends with the doings
of the English church and her court :
No sooner does her Majesty set foot in her
Highland home than Presbyterianism pure-and'
simple becomes ,the fashionable creed, of those
wild surround her, and noble lords and ladies,
who, south of Tweed, would as soon think of
street-singing as an occupation as going into any
place of worship not belonging to the Establish
ed Church, attend at the parish church at
Crathie as if they had been taught Calvinism
and the Westminster Confession of Faith from
their early childhood. Nay, not only do Angli
can laymen and women do this, but a Church of
England clergyman, attached to the royal house
holds as tutor to Prince Leopold, is reported as
one of the attendants to hear the Presbyterian
preacher at Crathie on Sunday last. It may be
all right, but to us Catholics this anything arian
ism. has a curious, aspect. What do our friends
the' RituAsts say about this ? Do they ap
prove of the temporal head of 'their" branch"
showing such an example? Is there n'o - Bishop
on the bench stout enough to reprove: Royalty
for becominc , c a follower of. John Knox whenever
it gets to the North ? Perhaps the true expla
nation lies in the faCt that there is no essential
difference between Episcopal and Presbyterian
Protestantism.
WORK.
source, those biblical cants and sanctimonio us
slang, belched forth by their authors in Lucite_
rian eructations. Not wishing to act immediate.
ly upon the rumors, until I could be better M.
formed, four Su❑days ago I made a descent upo n
the den, and there found one of my Catholic
children, whom I ordered out of that nest of
darkness and irreligion, remarking to one who
was a Sabbath-school teacher, or connected
therewith, that I would tolerate no one to influ
ence the Catholics of my parish to frequent that
haunt of error,—that I would allow no wolf t o
come in the clothing of sheep, and make incur
sions among my flock, without sounding the cry
of alarm, and expurgating, with all the might of
my moral force, My parish, of this imported re
ligious infection."
Auburn Advocate has a letter from a
Methodist pastor, deScribing a revival among the
Friends of Farmington, near Canandaigua, N.
Y., where that body arc numerically strong. R e
writes :
' It seems that in the month of January last
a preacher from Canada, by the name of With
erell, visited them,'repeating his journeys and
efforts several times,.np to April. He dispensed
to them. plain truths; telling them that they
' were destitute of experimental and practical
piety, that they came to the house of God, and
went like a door on its hinges.' He told them
that they' laid too ,greatstress on Quaker dresses,
and Quaker hats and bonnets,' and that these
things would not take, them to heaven.' He told
them to ' get rid of their strait notions' about
these things. He said did not see how they
could violate the plain command of God with
tevard to the Sabbath, by working and visiting
on that holygda.y.' He told them plainly that
birthright membership was nothing,' and that
they must be . converted,' and advised them to
organize 'prayer-meetings from house to house."'
Such preaching told, and there was quite an
awakening. A number have - been converted.
Prayer-meetings were established, and are still
well sustained. They are held on Thursday
evening. The Bible, which had never, until
within a few months, been used in public, is now
Invariably read at all theftr public and social
meetings. They• now have' a good Sabbath.
school, .to which they_ have hitherto been con
stantly, opposed. . The society are now discussing
the propriety of introducing singing into their
Sabbath:school exercises.
This sotiety of " Friends "have among them a
female preacher, Margaret Hathaway by name.
She is very devoted. On every alternate Sab
bath after her labors at the church, and in the
Sabbath school at New Salem, she goes immedi.
at43' ly to the Town' House-, some three or four
miles distant, and preaches to a large congre,,a
don, the plain, practical, and experimental Gos
pel of, Christ. She it is, I believe, who conducts
all the prayer-meetings.
IN MEMORIAM.
BY REV. H. E. NILES
Di. HENRY M. MOCLELLA.N, for 40 years a
practising physician at Youx, Pa., and for 30 years
a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, departed
this life, on Safurday, August 7th, 1869, in the
60th year of his age. For several months his
health had been considerably impaired, and at
one time serious fears were entertained in regard
to his recovery. But during the last few weeks
he had seemed so much revived, and had so
far resumed his usual activities, that those fears
weregenerally banished.
Having retired to rest after an evening of pe
culiar cheerfulness and activity, he was discover
ed, early in the morning of the 7th inst., in a
paralyzed and speechless state, in which, despite
all the resources of medical skill, he lingered till
three P. M., and then, just at the time when the
sun was darkened by the great eclipse, his freed
spirit passed from the shadows of earth into that
region beyond the stars, the world of unclouded
day. Seldom does a single death cast so much
gloom over an entire community. Seldom is the
Church of Christ so greatly afflicted in the loss
of a single member. Seldom does a Christian
pastor lose so much of active sympathy and
hearty co operation and generous support, in the
taking away of one man.
With strong natural qualities, which tended
to, give him "a positive character," he combined
that conscientious devotion to Christian princi
ple, that ardent love for- Gospel truth, that spirit
of prevailing prayer, and that habitual desire for
the salvation of men and the glory of God,
the
made him eminently active and useful in the va
rious rounds of pious duty. In sympathy with
all branches of the Christian family, he loved the
Presbyterian Church with an intelligent, con
scientious, devoted love. -For the particular body
•
with Which he was connected, he never seemed
to feel that ariy labors were too arduouS, nor any
sacrifices too great. Always in his place, always
ready for • any service by which her interests
might be promoted, his quick eye was prompt to
discover her necessities, his earnest voice to speak
-for her-interests, and his busy hand to work for
anything which pertained to her internal order
and power, or to her external strength and
adornment. He was a man on whom his pastor
might safely depend, for advice as to the needs of
'the - people, for counsel in times of perplexity, for
assistance family visitation, and to supply his
-place, when - absent from the social meeting. He
_wais i one to whom his brethren might look for
werthy.example, judicious counsel, and generous
co-operation in every good work; and to whom
community might look as an unimpeachable rep
res4ntatii,e of ='the Christian character. Long
-may the blessed influence of his example and la
bors remain among , us. Long may showers of
spiritual refreshing come down upon us, which
shall, be traced back to his Mt. Carmel of watch
fulnesssand prayer.- And to his widow and children
may there be ever coming rich returns: from that
inheritance, which, though the world accounteth
it not, shall be hearing dividends when stocks are
worthless and diamonds have ceased to shine.