'Highlanders, as well as in Fifeshirc and in
the city of St. Andrews. The work is to
be prosecuted In the South of Scotland,
also. In the Free Church Assembly Hall,
the Sabbath evening meetings—one of
which I described in connexion with a r.a.-
anal visit to Edinburgh, in April last--
are still continued, and largely attended.
The capital of Scotland is greatly blessed
by a godly band of earnest laymen, and the
faithful ministry of the churches there has
been much strengthened by the accession
to their number of the Rev. Wm. Arnot,
of Glasgow. This clergyman is well known
us the author of various works, distin
guished by originality and vigor, and em;.
neatly calculated to be useful to
,intellec
tual young men—such as his " Laws of
heaven for Life upon Earth."
TIIE EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE hue
eluded its meeting in Dublin. It was very
refreshing to all present, and. large-hearted
hospitality was shown by the people of
Dublin to Christians coining from a dis
tance. Lord Calthorpe has succeeded to
the Presidency of the Alliance, so long
held by the late Sir Culling Eardley, but
was not present at the Dublin Conference.
The Earl of Roden; Dr. Cooke, of Bel
fast; Rev. S. Minton, 'of London ; Dr.
Winslow, of Bath; Dr. V. White, of Liv
erpool ; and tile Rev. John Hall, of Mary's
Abbey, Dublin, were among those who were
present, and contributed to edification by
papers, addresses, and sermons. Two ser
mons were delivered in the new " Merrion
Hall," erected by the friends of the Rev.
Denham Smith, at an expense of £14,000.
Mr. Hall, of Dublin, read an important
paper on the value and necessity of lay
(including female) agency. " Shall we
have deaconesses, or Protestant sisterhoods,
to fill a space yet unoccupied in our Chris
tian ranks; and if so, under what rules
and arrangements? Do the Bible-women
come up to the idea of such a sisterhood,
or do they only show how wide-spread is
the feeling that somewhere women must
have a share in the great business of benev
olence Y Scripture readers 'and Sabbath
School teachers again come under this gen
eral description. The whole subject of lag
preaching was also suzgested.
" Three courses," added Mr. Hall, "were
open to the Church, as to lay preaching.
She might hold aloof altogether, and it
would then be suspected that ministers
were jealous of their peculiar privileges ;
or she might leave the matter just where it
is now, and thus insure certain inconve
niences; or she might recognize the lay
preacher as coming in the succession of the
.Evangelists of the Now Testament, and at
the same time take means to prove, before
approving or endorsing the lay laborer."
He therefore suggested that as the Evan
gelical Alliance commanded the confidence
of nearly all who were likely to regard lay
preaching favorably, a Committee might be
appointed " to make the necessary inqui
ries, and give such assurance as would ob
viate many present difficulties." All this,
he thought, might be done without assum
ing the functions of a Church. He desired
that lay preachins. ° should not be an evil,
but "a power." Christian " persons thus
desirous of usefulness, might present them
selves to some body of Christians, satisfy
them of their soundness in the faith and
general excellence of character, and so ob
tain their approbation."
Mr. Hall's proposal has really and prac
tically been met by that Scottish Evangel
ist Association which I have already alluded
to, and meets the difficulty in large meas
ure. It certainly is desirable that. Chris
tians should know whom to trust; but this
is a free country, and all would not consent
to appear before a tribunal of this kind.
The Rev. Dr. Steane, of London, one of the
Honorary Secretaries of the Alliance said
that Mr. Hall's opinion was that of an in
dividual, and that "there was not the least
desire to make the Alliance what it had
always declared it was not, either a Church
or an approximation to a Church, or an
Episcopal or Ecclesiastical body of any
kind."
" Incentives to Christian Union," formed
a topic of discussion at Dublin. Lively
satisfaction was expressed at the movement
in various towns in Switzerland and France,
for the better observance of the Lord's day.
It was further resolved, on the motion of
the Hon. and Rev. Leland Noel, (brother
of Baptist Noel, who has just returned to
London after a visit to Protestant Churches
on the Continent,) that the British Organ
ization should heartily cooperate with the
friends in Geneva, in celebrating the 24th
of May, 1864, the Tercentenary of the
death of Calvin, with the purpose el bring
ing into prominence the doctrinal princi
ples of the Reformation, and the blessing
which by means of it God has conferred on
the nations.
Evangelical Churches on the Continent
received their share of attention from the
Alliance, and had some of their Deputies
present. Professor Gibson, of Belfast,
read a paper on the progress of Evangelical
religion in Belgium. His information was
fresh as well as reliable, because, as one of
a Deputation from the Irish Assembly, he
had lately attended the annual meeting of
the Synod of the Belgian Evangelical
Church. He truly said that the nation,
gave no signs of shaking off the yoke of
Popery, bat he added most cheering facts
as to the gathering in of a noble and ever
growing band of true witnesses for Christ:
" There existed 6,000 secular priests,
which with the inmates of the GOO con
vents made up 20,000 persons, most of
them in the prime of life, devoted to the
propagation of their system. Mariolatry
was the predominant form of worship.
Scarcely a Professor in the Colleges could
be found who taught Bible truth, and as for
the press its spirit was rapidly becoming
assimilated to that of France. Yet Evan
gelical religion had made remarkable prog
ress in the course of the last twenty-five
years; its disciples being of the middle
and working classes,
and consisting special
ly of artisans and miners. Though no
wide-spread movement had taken place in
favor of Protestantism, it was asserted by
the most competent judges that many of
the so-called Liberal party, which was in
constant conflict with the priesthood, would
be ready to embrace the Protestant faith if
it should be declared to be the religion of
the land., Happily, perfect religious lib
erty prevailed in Belgium. The Professor
gave a detailed account of a visit which he
paid last year to the Synod of the Protest
ant Church of Belgium, whose agency, he
said, comprised twenty-three pastors and
Evangelists, ten of whom were originally
Romanists, and nine colporteurs. One
congregation of eleven hundred persons was
specified, no leas than one-third pf whom
had been gathered from the Church of
Rome. There were other Protestant con
gregations supported by the State, but for
the most part these ministers were Ra
tionalists.',
Paris, a gentleman employs seventeen
missionaries, and is prepared to add to their
number.. In and around the city, there, is
an increase of open meetings, in workshops
and drawing-rooms; the people are invited
to come, and excellent speakers address to
than stir rin appeals. The hymns used g
the period of rbeginsid Radcliffe's visit are
sun;, and several prayers are offered. Dis
t6nution of tracts, and sometimes of Tee
ta,ments, is roade to those desirous of learn
ing more. Elver since the London Exhibi
tion, at wb'ich every foreigner received a
portion of Scripture in his own tongue, the
.oarisians consider it a matter of course
that people should give tracts.
The word " Protestant," is a passport to
any book, tract, or conversation, and secures
a good reception. Speaking of Paris, lam
glad to state that Dr. F. Monod, whose life
was almost despaired of, is much better.
PROTESTANTISM IN AUSTRIA has re-'
rceived through the new and 'liberal policy
of the Emperor and his ministers, andafter
their virtual repeal of the Concordat with
Rome, a liberty unknown for ages, inspiring
hope for . the suture, and encouraging the
prayers of the Church universal on its be
half An appeal has been lately made by
the German Protestant Association of the
Rhine district, with the design of awaken
ing sympathy with. the " poor Evangelical
brethren in Bohemia and Moravia." The
nature of the concessions made to Protest 7
ants in the Empire, are in this document
clearly set forth, as follows :
"The Bth of April, 1861, will form in the history
e the Evangelical Church of Austria an epoch
of indisputable importance. The.imperial re
script, which appeared on that day, guarantees
to Protestants perfect civil and religious equality
with Catholics, and announces to the whole Pro
testant world that the morning' of a better for
tune is breaking upon a Church that has been
three hundred years in bondage.
" This rescript promises to the Protestants per
fect freedom in regulating, conducting and ad
ministering their own ecclesiastical concerns,
and full freedom in upholding their confession of
faith in perpetuity; all humiliating restrictions
on the celebration of the Protestant service arc
hereby abolished ; the unhindered importation
of Bibles and Evangelical books of all kinds is
sanctioned ; the admission of foreigners to schools
and church positions is permitted ; the rates
hitherto levied on Protestants for the Catholic
Church ale abolished; an alteration in that part
of the Catholic law of marriage which is so dis
advantageous to the Protestant Church, is pre
pared; all rules to the prejudice of Protestants
in the enjoyment of public . grounds and use of
public institutions are annulled; the Protestant
students are allowed unhindered access to all
the German educational institutions, and per
mission is given to all seats to found religious
societies within the country."
The name of' a Martyr Church may well
be given to that of Austria. There was a
time when its jurisdiction extended over
vast regions. But persecuted and oppres
sed for ages, out of the many thousands of
Evangelical congregations, there are near
two hundred remaining, chiefly in the re
cesses of the hills, where all the sufferers
sought shelter—their memory still cherish
ed in songs and narratives. " With the
rescript of the Bth of April, 1861," says
the Christian World, "begins a new season
of the development of the Evangelical
Church of Germany, for on that day fell the
barriers which, during so many centuries,
separated these two sister Churches. A
wide field his thus been opened the provi
dent and beneficent charity."
PUBLIC ATTENTION has been much oc
cupied, this week, by the reports brought of
Mr. Sumner's speech, and likewise that of'
Earl Russel, at Blangowrie, in Scotland.
It was time for the Foreign Secretary to
speak out, and he has done so with great
effect, and in a manner calculated at once
to .baffie the calculations and schemes
of Confederate sympathisers, and to show
to the Northern States that the Cabinet of
Lord Palmerston is not guilty of the
many charges urged against them. The
Times, in its money article, gives vent
to the anger of a party which has
got several serious discomfitures of
late, by protesting against the evident
resolve to detain the steam rams at Liver
pool until Parliament meets; and then,
as Lord Russel intimated—if the present
law is found meanwhile insufficient—to ask
for further powers from Parliament. The
writer of these money articles is a Mr.
Samson, who no doubt speaks out the bitter
disappointment of some "merchants" who
have burnt their fingers in dealing in the
scrip of the Confederate Loan. But it is
worthy of remark that in the editorial col
umns the action of the Cabinet is approved
and sustained. It is gall and wormwood to
a Tory clique that Lord Russel has declared
that it would be " infamous " for England
to go to war, as the allies of a slaveholding
Confederacy, and that "still greater masses"
sympathize, as he believes, with the North,
than with the South. Thus you see con
firmed what I have often pointed out, and
which if rightly and calmly weighed by
other newspapers, as it has been done by the
Banner, might and would have checked
that deep feeling of irritation against Eng
land which has been so much fostered.
THE FRIENDS CF THE NORTH are con
stantly increasing; so give us time and all
will be right. It was not, and even yet is
not easy, for people who have never been in
America to realize all the feelings of the
Northerners for the preservation and resto
ration of the Union. No doubt once among
you they could thoroughly appreciate it,
while despising with you those who em
barrass and weaken the Administration, and
who are the real helpers of the South, se
cretly for their own purposes, wishing
slavery to be established:
Mr. Sumner's speech is much regretted
here by many who_love the North.
I CONCLUDE this letter with the follow
ing to the Revival :
"PRAYER FOR Alumuo..k.—A Christian
brother in America has invited all the peo
ple of God to unite in solemn and earnest
prayer to Almighty God between the hours
of twelve and.one o'clock every day, to de
liver that nation from the dreadful scourge
that is now upon it, and says, 'We need
not trouble ourselves about the terms of
peace; if we let God prescribe the terms,
they will be right.'
ig Fully believing that it was God that in
terfered in answer to his children's prayer
in England and America, when the two na
tions were likely to get into hostilities in
relation to the Trent, and not good diplo
macy, that averted the terrible blow to his
cause, and which would have given the en
emies of the cross such cause for triumph,
I write to implore all British Christians to
unite with the friends of Christ in America,
and pray that God may again interfere for
his people, and speedily stay the ravages of
war. In the language of our brother across
the Atlantic, we will say, 'We need not
trouble ourselves about the
the
of peace ;
if we let God prescribe the terms, all will
be right.' " . J. W.
P. S.—Since the foregoing was written,
we have received the news of a great battle
and terrible slaughter, and apparently a se
vere reverse to the Northern cause. Alas I
that it should be so, and alas ! for the
wounded, the slain and the bereaved. The
extent of slaughter and bloodshed, appar
ently endless, deeply grieves multitudes of
the best of the people.
A. HOSPITAL CAB, elegantly fitted up, is
hereafter to convey sick and wounded sol
diers between New-York and Boston, over
the Boston and Worcester Railroad and its
connexions.
PRESBYTERIAN BANNER.---WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1863.
Vrts',Dß•teritht ........-.linntr..
PITTSBURGH, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4,1860.
Arir Having purchased for our office the "Right" to use
Dick's _Accountant and Dispatch Patent, all, or nearly all,
of our subscribers now have their papers addressed to them
regularly by a singularly unique machine, which fastens
on the white margin a small colored "address etamp," or
label, where-anal/tars their name plaintyprinted,foliowed
by the date up to which they have paid for their papers—this
being authorised by an Act of Congress. The date will
always be advanced on the receipt of subsc 7 ription money,
in exact accordance with the amount so received, and thus
be an ever-ready and valid receipt; securing to every one,
and at all times, a perfect knowledge of his newspaper ac
count, so that if any error is made he can immediately de
tect it and have it corrected—a boon alike valuable to the
publisher and subscriber, as it must terminate alt painful
'misunderstandings between them respecting accounts, and
has tend to perpetuate their important relationship.
+ o * * 27eose in arrears wilt please rth
A Good-Book itt Prospect—We see is stated
that Dr. HODGE is rewriting his Lectures
en Theology, and designs their publication.
The work will be looked for with much
anxiety, not only by the students of Prince
ton Seminary, but by the Christian public.
Collection on Thanksgiving Day.—Church
es belonging to the Synod of Pittsburgh
will note synod's recommendation that a
collecCon he made on that day for the
Christian Commission. The matter com-
mends itself to, all churches,
The Seminary at Princeton has one hun.
dred and seventy students the present ses
sion. Professor BAILEY, of Yale College,
is giving a Course of Lectures in the Sem
inary, on Elocution. "Brown Hall" is
under contract, to be completed next year.
It is to be 50 feet by 160, and four stories
high, and to have single rooms for eighty
students.
Repeated.—The action of the General
Assembly on the State of the Country,
which we presented in our editorial notice
of Synod, last week, is now given in its
proper place in the Synod's proceedings.
The resolutions relative to a union of Jef
ferson and Washington Colleges, are print
ed with the Minutes of each of the Synods
which adopted them.
Ministers' Salaries.—We .invite attention
to the action of the Synod of Pittsburgh,
which 4c earnestly recommends to the
churches to take immediate action to raise
the salaries of their ministers to such an
extent as duty in the premises may re
quire." This recommendation is founded
on the fact that all the necessaries of life
have greatly advanced in price, and that
hence ministers cannot be comfortable on
their former salaries.
Boast to AlL—Rev. T. V. MoonE,D.D., of
Richmond, Va., a Pennsylvanian by birth
and education, published, some time ago, a
sermon in which he spoke very wrongfully
and injuriously of the Northern people.
We published an extract, with some com
ments. Since then we .learn that he has
shown great kindness to some ofour pris
oners; especially to nine citizens of Cham
bersburg who were carried off by the rebel
army, and to Lieut. NEVIN, of Sewickley
ville, all of whom he visited in prison.
He also interceded with the authorities in
their favor, and to some of them he loaned
money to supply their wants.
A New Church.—A new church was or
ganized in Mercer, Pa., on the 20th of
October, to be called " The Second Pres
byterian church of Mercer," in connexion
with the Presbytery of Erie. Forty-eight
members were received; the majority of
them on certificate from the church of
which Rev. J. R. FINDLEY is pastor.
ELIAS A.LEXANDER, JOSEPH FLEMING,
and R. M. J. ZAIINIZER, were elected
Ruling Elders. The first two had pre
viously been elders in the old church.
A member of the Committee of Presby
tery to organize the church, says : "The
old-congregation has been - greatly blessed
under the pastorate of Bro. FINDLEY. It
is still very large, and is understood to be
in a prosperous, condition. It was believed,
however, by the parties most concerned,
and by the Presbytery, that the Presbyte
rian cause in Mercer and vicinity demand
ed the organization of a second church.
The new church begins its career under
favorable auspices. It is hoped it may en
joy much of the Divine favor."
An Interesting and Touching Relic • from
the battle-field of Gettysburg, is in pos
session of J. F. BOURNS, M. D., No. 1104
Spring Garden street, Philadelphia. It is
a melainotype, or ambrotype on iron, of
three children, two boys and a girl, and was
taken from the bands of a dead soldier be
longing to the Union army. He had been
mortally wounded, and crawled to a shelter
ed spot, .where his body was found, with
the picture of his children so placed within
his folded hands that it met his dying gaze.
There was no clue to his name, or his for
mer place of residence; but his grave is
marked, and it is hoped that ,he maybe
identified by the picture of his children.
The little ones all have very interesting
faces, and would seem to be nine, seven and
five years of age. The youngest is seated
in a high chair, with his brother on his
right hand and his sister on his left. The
little girl has a plaid dress, and the eldest
boy a jacket of the same material. The
miniature has a flat gilt frathe, and may
have been sent from home in a letter. Oar
exchanges, by copying this notice, may
bring some comfort to a widow and orphans
by giving them intelligence of the hero's
last resting place. Dr. BOURNS will give
further information to those who desire it;
'and as it is proposed to raise a fund' for the
benefit of the children by selling copies of
the picture, he will mail to a single address
five copies, on receipt of one dollar. Should
all efforts for the discovery of the children
prove fruitless, any money that may have
been raised shall be appropriated to the aid
of other orphans of the war.
Dr. BOURNS furnishes us with the fore
going facts, and a copy of the picture; and
asks us to make knowtt his proposals. The
object stated is good.
THE PRINTER DO?
The conductors of a religious journal
who, in times of excitement and partyism
like the present,,would honestly serve God
and their fellow-men, discharging duty
faithfully and keeping a conscience void of
offense, have no easy task. Offense they
will certainly give. All the wisdom of
heaven, if they will be as faithful as was
heaven's sinless Messenger, will not enable
them to ,please all men.
But when we proposed the question
above, it was, not editorial difficulties so
much as business operations, which crowded
upon our mind. Printing paper has taken
another rise. Workmen have demanded,
and receive, anew increase in wages. Food,
raiment, and nearly all our supplies, are ad
vaneed. What, then, shall we do? The
Presbyterian Church in this region must
have a paper. We have furnished the
Banner at the lowest rate practicable, eon
sidering its size, quality of material, style
of execution, and' the amount of Mind de
voted to its columns. There have been no
reserve gains to fall back upon. There has
been no margin of profit' to bear prming.
Shall we then diminish the size of the
paper? or reduce the quality , of the ma
terial used? or employ less mind in filling our
columns? In any, pr in all, of the'se ways
we can bring down our expenses. But
would it be right to do so? We think not,
unless under the pressure of a stern neces
sity; and we trust that Presbyterians will
say that no such necessity shall ever come
upon the journal that zealously advocates
theirs and their Master's cause:'" What
then ? . •
" Raise the price," say some; " you
should have put the• Banner at $2, when
the price of paper first rose." We thought
much of doing so, and were strongly urged
to it. But that would certainly diminish
our circulation, and hence would lessen our
usefulness; and as the main object in en
tering upon our work was to diffuse knowl
edge, we hesitated to adopt the expedient.
And we still hesitate. But we must have
some relief; and three means are before us
L We already charge for obituary no
tiees, about half the usual price of business
notices. Let that stand. Then, as is now
a very common custom, charge - for marriage
notices; for notices of the meetings of
Presbyteries and Synods; and for the pub
lishing of donation visits, " surprises," &e.
The reason we have not made a charge for
these things is, that, ordinarily, it might
be taking something out of the pockets of
our brother ministers—a place which rarely
has any thing to spare. We would rather
put a dollar in than take a dime out, at any.
time, "if the way were clear." Possibly,
however, the ministers would lose nothing
by our demand. The liberal donors could
easily increase their donations ,at the visit
or " surprise," so that the printer might
have a small share ; and the eceleiiastical
notices would be paid from'a treasury which
is replenished by collections; and the hap
py bridegroom might be even pleased to
give something to those who tell the world
of his acquisition and his joy. ..All this
would help some, but would still come short
of our needs.
2. Our advertising should be much in
creased. It is froth this source, mainly,
that we have been receiving our means of
meeting family expenses. And here our
subscribers can aid us greatly. A few can
send in their own advertisements. Some
can suggest the propriety of using our col
umns to this end. And all deal in some
way, yea, in many ways; and by letting the
teacher or tradesman know where his ad
vertisement has been seen, you at once in
form him where lies his interests.
3. But the main means of strengthening
us, to bear all the burdens, would be a large
increase of subscriptions. • This would
please us greatly. It would be just in the
line of our master motive in undertaking
our enterprise.
We make our appeal to Presbyterian&
ITALY
Italy has been a centre of influence for
nearly half the period of the world's ex
istence. For about 1500 years it has been
a centre of religious influence; and for a
thousand previous years it was a main cen
tre of social' power. For some years,
Protestantism, which originated in Ger
many, but whose main expanding energy
has gone forth from Great Britain, has been
rivaling Romanism in its aggressive charac
ter, till now it is assailing even the Papal
power and fortress.
God is making Italy a nation. The
people are being schooled. The country
was long cut up into little States; all Ro
mish, and thus far having a unity, but having
separate interests, jealousies, and rivalries
to such an extent that there could be no sure
and permanent concert in the putting forth of
power. It had hence no national influence.
Solferino prepared the way for a unification.
That battle broke the power and annulled
the influence of Austria so far that many
of the States could unite as ,kne govern
ment. The revolution in Naples, inaugu
rated by GARIBALDI, and perfected by the
power of Sardinia, spread the empire.
Italy is now a - kingdom, except Venitia
held still by the Austrians, and Rome
with a few surrounding miles of cigtintry
possessed by the Pope.
It was the wish, and the hope, of many, that
NAPOLEON, after the victory of Solferino )
should put forth his power and unify Italy
at once. Providence orders things more
wisely. The Italians were too, diverse, and
too ignorant of self-government, to form a
nation then. Things good and enduring
are the result of a growth; and growth,
gradual and pretty rapid, is manifest in
Italy. Even the continuance of the Papal
power, for a time, may be a benefit. Its
slow decadence gives time and occasion for
truth to enter and spread. There was, at
the time of the peace of Villa Franca, very
little of general education - in Italy; no
knowledge of self-government, on the part
of .the people, and but very few Bibles.
Now, however, there is an entrance and a
progress of light. Several thousand Bibles
and New Testaments have been distributed,
and the number is still multiplying. Books
and newspapers, to some little extent, reach
the people. The people have a right to
freedom of worship. All these things tend
to build up a nation.
And the good hand of God is clearly
manifest in placing Sardinia and its wise
and liberal King, at the head of the nation
al movement, and also in preventing him
from occupying the City of Rome as his
capital. It is thus that Sardinia is kept
more prominently at the head of affairs,
and her policy which is more enlightened
and liberal than that of any other State in the
Peninsula, is made more to predominate.
The Waldenses belong to that kingdom;
and they, though few in number, and long
despised and persecuted, are yet very in
fluential for true knowledge and liberty.
They have schools, Bibles and literature.
The' true principles of. Christianity and po
litical freedom are with them. They have
educated ministers. They have, at Flor
ence, a Theological Seminary. They"are a
light shining in a dark place. Their in
iluence is good in Sardinia, and by the
headship of Sardinia, it, is a power in re
generated Italy.
In three years, as stated in the Christian
World, 100,000 Bibles have been bought in
Italy. These Bibles are read. There is a
Protestent translation of the Scriptures
there—that of the Waldenses. A pure
Gospel is preached ittltalian, in fifty places.
Waldensia.ns and others are employed as
eolporteurs. Christians will keep an• eye.
on Italy, and many prayers will ascend for
her, and some contributions of funds will
go thither to aid in the good work of
evangelization.
COVRTS OF APPEAL
Discipline is a trouble; a trouble in the
family, a trouble in the State, and a trouble
in the Church. But it is necessary. It is
indispensable to good order, peace, and
safety. The trouble must be endured. It
is the lesser of two evils. We must bear
it, or suffer under an abounding lawless
ness. Discipline, however, is not to be
vindictive, especially must it in. the
Church, be free from this characteristic.
It is intended to be protective of the com
munity, and reformative of the culprit.
In order to obtain a just judgment before
the infliction of a penalty, Courts of Ap
peal are provided. In the Presbyterian
Church an appeal lies from the Session to
the Presbytery, thence to the Synod, and
thence to the General Assembly. This is
found in practise to be exceedingly troub
lesome, and ordinarily very unsatisfactory
at the last. It is so much so that a revis
ion of our Book of Discipline has become
a disideratum. But years of trial, and the
labors of our wisest men, have, thus far,
failed to produce any thing which com
mands the confidence of the churches.
The last Assembly stumbled and halted in
revising the work of a Committee which
had long labored on the subject ; and then
devoted the task of progress to its suc
cessor.
The New Book we regard as being, in
some respects, a decided improvement, upon
the Old, but, most manifestly, it is either
greatly defective, or else our ministers and
elders do not know what is right and good.
We recur to this subject, at present, be
cause of a pamphlet which has reached our
table, entitled, " The Constitution of Courts
of Appeal in the Presbyterian Church.
By a Pastor." The author's name is not
given. The article is well written, and de
serves consideration; and the more espe
cially as the matter of altering our Book is
still sub judice. The grand modification
fropOsed is, the establishing of a Commis
sion of the Assembly, or of the Church, to
try appeals. This has, with us, been for a
long time, a favorite idea. We, however,
do not propose now to argue the case. We
would but call attention to the pamphlet.
In it the matter is briefly and ably pre
sented, and we suppose it to be extensively
circulated. -
HORIE AND FOREIGN RECORD.
The November number is promptly is
sued, and the mail has done its duty, to us
at least. The Record °ulna to be looked
for, with interest. Our brief notice of it
is designed rather to invite attention to it,
than to supply its place in the family.
The Record is no substitute for the news
paper ; but neither should the newspaper
supplant it. Presbyterians need both.
DOMESTIC MISSIONS
If we neglect this cause, how can we
prefer a claim to either Christian love, or
love of country The nation's safety is in
the Gospel—in the wide diffusion of the
Gospel's power. It is not simply education
which will conserve our national unity and
our free institutions; it is education in the
principles of revealed religion. The Church
it is that purifies, preserves, and elevates
the State. She lays the foundations of
freedom, and she rears the superstructure,
and she saves the edifice front decay. She
does it not as an ecclesiasticism ; not by
direct organic action; not by interfering
with Legislatures and Cabinets ; but by the
knowledge and the spirit of uprightnesS,
disinterestedness, and, equity which she
originates and diffuse& Then, by'all means,
sustain Domestic Missions.
RECEIPTS in September, $2,821.98.
EDUCATION.
There can be no Missions without minis
ters. And ministers are a production. If
the Church would have them, in large
numbers and thoroughly furnished for her
work, she knows well the way of obtaining
them. And she has already provided the
apparatus.. Let her not withhold from her
sons the food and raiment needful, while
they consecrate their time and energies to
the acquisition of the knowledges-which she
.would have diffused.
itscairrs in September, $1,987.47.
FOREIGN MISSIONS.
" The field is the world." Any Chris
tian who will confine his attention to him
self, his family, his congregation, or even
to. his country, comes short of the spirit of
his Master, and fails in his duty. " Preach
the Gospel to every creature."
ENCSIPTS in September, $6,791.66.
PUBLICATION
What would become of us if we had no
books I or had no new books I But there
is no danger that the book-making business
will expire. SOLOMON tells us : "Of making
many books there is' no end." Books will
he made, and multiplied. But, what kind
of books? There is the point. Our Board
makes good books. Buy; read; contribute;
distribute. Just now, great quantities are
needed for the devoted defenders of OUT
country's unity. These must be - made and
sent. Use your own' institutions as your
agents.
RECEIPTS in September: Donatiois, $2,143.33;
Sales, $5,199.32.
CHURCH EXTENSION.
In ever place where men dwell, they
need a church; and in order'to the attain
ment, it becomes brethren in Christ to
make church erection a common cause. To
this, end we have our Board.
RECEIPTS in September, $1,183.90.
THE HOME AND FOREIGN RECORD
By order of the General Assembly, the
publication of the Home and Foreign Record
in the quarto or newspaper form will cease
with the December number. It will from
thence be printed only in the octavo, or
pamphlet form, which will be advantageous to
those who annually bind it in a volume. The
matters it presents have a permanent interest.
It is our duty, as Christians, to know what, as a
Church, We are doing now ; and, if preserved, it
will be a valuable record of the progress of the
Church to succeeding generations.
The change presents a favorable opportunity
-for pastors and others interested in the welfare
of the people, to make a new effort to circulate
the Record among them. It is now several years
since any considerable accession has been made
to the list of subscribers, and it is thought that
In many, churches there are numbers recently
added, who know nothing of the existence of
this periodical. It is hoped, that the action of
the Assembly will meet the approval 'of the
Church, which could be shown in no better way
than by a great increase of subscribers.
THE HOME AND FOREIGN RECORD OF THE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Is the organ of the Boards of Domestic Missions,
Education,
Foreign Missions, Publication, and
the Board of Church Extension, and is issued
monthly, at Fifty Cents a year for a single copy.
Packages to churches, for any number of copies,
at 25 cents per copy. Payment in advance.
Address, Mr. Peter Walker, 821 Chestnut St.,
Philadelphia."-
POSTAGE.—The postage of the Rome and For-
eignßecord is one cent each paper, payable quar
terly in advance, at the office of delivery.- But
packages to one address are liable to one cent for
each four ounces contained in them, payable
quarterly in advance.
Packages of the Home and Foreign Record are
delivered, free of charge, in New-York, Balti
more, Louisville, Cincinnati, Wheeling and Pitts
burgh.
OFFEIL—Any missionary, colportenr, or
other person, procuring new subscribers to the
Record at 50 cents each, shall be entitled to 20
per cent. for each such subscription procured
and prepaid.
CENTRE COLLEGE, KT
This is the oldest and, we believe, the
most successful of our Ecclesiastical Col
leges. It was founded by Presbyterians
when Kentucky put Transylvania Univer
sity into the hands of Unitarians. It has
had a succession of able Presidents and
Professors, and has been favored with the
precious converting and sanctifying influ
ences of the Holy Spirit upon its pupils.
Its last President was Rev. LEWIS W.
GREEN, D.D., who had once been a Profes
for in the Allegheny . Theological Seminary.
Dr. GREEN died at his work in the College.
We are now pleased to see, it announced
that Rev. WILLIAM L. BhEcurriurno.m,
D.D., is elected President of Centre Col
lege. Dr. W. L. BRECKINRIDGE is one of
our eminent Christian scholars. He was,
for some time, a professor in the College to
which he is now called as President. He
was afterwards pastor of the First church,
Louisville, for several years. Latterly he
was President of Oakland College, Miss.;
whence he, escaped from a rebel environ
ment, after the fall of Vicksburg:
Dr. BREORINI4DGE is thoroughly loyal,
holding about the same sentiments as have
been published by his brother, Dr. R. J. B.
His anti-slaveryism is both in sentiment
and practice. Quite early in life he manu
mitted the slaves which he inherited. Re
ligion, literature, and patriotism will, as we
trust, all be gainers by the return of Dr.
BREOKINRIDGE to his native State.
EASTERN SUMEARY.
NEW-ENGLAND.
Tun SEVENTEENTH Annual Meeting of
the American Missionary Assoeiation was
held on the 21st ult., at Hopkinton, Mass.
We gather a few items from the Report of the
Executive Committee. The receipts of the
fiscal yeat, including, the estimated value of
clothing, &c., contributed for the Freed
men, have been upwards of $72,000; an
excess over last year of- about 53 per cent.
Three Foreign Missionaries have gone out
for the first time. The Siam Mission has
published more than half a million of re
ligious tracts. Rev. J. P. Green, who has
just been ordained at Bangor, is expected
soon to proceed, in company with his sister,
to the Sandwich Islands, and open a Sem
inary for Hawaiian females. Much atten
tion has been paid by the ,
Association to
the intellectual and moral improvement of
the free blacks in those portions of the
South especially, to which the success of
our arms has given them access. In regard
to this department of the Society's opera
tions, the Committee summarily, remarks
"More' than seven thousand scholars
have been connected with the day and
night schools, and nearly five thousand with
the Sabbath Schools. The whole number
of missionaries and teachers that have been
employed, this year, has been 83, and 19
monitors or assistants'.
" We regard the following facts as estab
lished : Ist. That the freedmen are truly
loyal, seeking the good of the Government,
praying for its - prosperity, and ready to en
list in its behalf. 2. That they are indus
trions,,willing to work for moderate wages,
and that their services have been a profit
to the , Government. Government 3. That they, are re
,markably free from the vices of intempo
ranee and profanity.; are cheerful, grateful;
uncomplaining, orderly, eager to learn, a n d
listen confidingly to religious instruction.
" The vices which are most common among
them, are such as appertained to their for
mer state, but it is hoped that kindness,
religious instruction and example will ure r t!.
an early reform."
AT THE LATE 'Unitarian Convention in
Springfield, Mass., quite an exciting dis
cussion was elicited by the reading of an
essay on Optimism. The essayist, Ur,
Clarke, thus defined this heresy
" Practical optimism consists in mai n _
taining that all things in the world are as
Food as they can be, and that whatever
is, is right.' In religion, it teaches that all
things will come out right for everythin g
and everybody; that everybody is being
saved just as fast as is good for him; that
man is in -a continual state of ascension,
and that everybody will, some day or other,
fall up into heaven by some species of
'specific levity."
Against this grossly unreasonable as well
. as unscriptaral doctrine, Mr. C. earnestly
and evangelically contended. The views of
truth on which he insisted, were endorsed
and defended by a few membersof the Con
vention ; by the great body, however, they
were evidently viewed with disfavor, while
some treated them with open denunciation
and scorn. Mr. Ames, of Albany, re
marked, jeeringly, that his faith in the
devil had been- greatly quickened by hear
ing the essay." Dr. Hedge said he had
":supposed there would not have been a
devil's advocate in the Convention," but
had found himself mistaken. Mr. Steeples,
of Brooklyn, maintained, " deeply, tender
ly and unqualifiedly," that "whatever is,
is right ;" and MT. Frothinghara, on e o f
the most distinguished Uniterian preach
ers, closed his speech by saying: "If the
whole world is perfect,. all its parts muse
be perfect also, and therefore suffering is
good, and even sin also." In this discus
sion the spirit of a fearfully pernicious sys
tem is distinctly revealed. Unitarianisi
is evidently not Christianity.
THE Bonixs formerly interred under the
Park Street church, Boston, have, with a
few exceptions, been removed to Mt. Au-
burn. The lot selected in the cemetery
was lately dedicated with interesting ser
vices.
IT IS, GRATIFYING to know that some, at
least, of our popular platform orators come
out boldly and uncompromisingly on the
side of moral right. Mr. Gongh's late
Lecture in Tremont Temple, on "Peculiar
People," is thus noticed by the Boston
Recorder
"Much of it was very effective preach-
ing on most important subjects. The guilt
and danger of intemperance, selfishness,
irreverence for the - Holy Scriptures, and
other crying vices; were set forth with a
masterly power 'and in such an amusing
way as to accomplish what could not be
done by more direct methods. Certainly
Gough has not left off lecturing on Tem
perance. His outspoken regard for the
Bible and religion show thit his heart is
right. We bid him. God speed, and wish
all merry-making ministers would stop
preaching and go to lecturing _as Gough
does."
AT A MEETING in Montpelier, Vermont,
convened to discuss the proposed union of
the University of Vermont, Middlebury
College, and Norwich University in one in
stitution,in connexion with the Agricul
tural Colege to be established under the
recent act of Congress, the following reso
lutions were adopted:
" Resolved, That a junction of the ex
isting collegiate institutions of the State
will directly and powerfully promote the
educational welfare of the commonwealth.
" Resolved, That the probable establish
ment of a new State College, under the
provisions of the recent act of Congress for
the establishment of Agricultural Colleges,
furnishes a legitimate opportunity for an
effort to combine the strength of existing
Colleges with that of the new State Col
lege, and thus forming one State University
that shall concentrate upon itself the edu
cational interest and power of our whole
people."
If a consolidation of Colleges so exten
sive as that here proposed is advisable, how
important is it that two Colleges so pecu
liarly related to each other as are Jefferson
and Washington, should be speedily united.
We must concentrate our energies and re
sources if we would successfully compete
with the. first-class Colleges of the East.
TEE Newburyport Herald says that
" Rev. Charles Beecher, of Georgetown,
has not got through his ecclesiastical
troubles. The Essex Nortb. Association
are laboring with him on the heresy of
Preeistence, with a fair prospect of expelling
hiria."
TIM, Boston Journal says that Rev.
Charles 'Reedier has resigned the pastoral
charge of his churchin Georgetown, Mass.
AT A. RECENT , meeting of the Boston
Society of Natural 'History, Professor
Agassiz announced the discovery of a stage
of metamorphosis in
_the development of
fishes which is aualagous to the tadpole
condition of frogs. The difficulty of ob
taining fishes fresh from the egg has
.pre
vented previous knowledge of this wonder
ful fact.
NEW-YORK.
THE SYNOD of New-York met in this
city on the 20th - ult. It was opened by an
excellent sermon from the Moderator of the
previous meeting, Rev. Dr. Childs, of Hart
ford, Conn. Rev. N. L. Rice, D.D.,
chosen Moderator. "Neshanock" furnishes
the Presbyterian with a full report of the
Synod's proceedings. We present a few ex
tracts
" The Rev. Dr. Thomas McAuley, A s '
sistant Secretary of the Board of Flduca
lion, made an address in behalf of all the
Boards of the Church. He earnestly plead
for enlarged prayer and contribution to all
these agencies for doing the Church's work
" In regard to the affairs of the Board of
Foreign Missions, ruling elder Robt. Carter,
a member of that Board, and of its Execu
tive Committee, made a lucid statement in
regard to the effect of the high rate of ex
change upon the funds of the Board. E e
explained the practice of the Board, and
showed that, unless its funds were increased
to an amount equal to the increased cast of
exchange, our drafts must be dishonored in
England.
" Dr. Atwater;of Princeton, made an ad
dress in regard to the endowment of the
College of New-Jersey; after which a p a per,
commendatory of the effort to endow that