The American and Foreign Christian Union

I TIIECLCGICAL SEMlKAliY.f

I) FrincetCD, N. J.

19

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T H E

AMERICAN AND FOREIGN

CHRISTIAN UNION.

Vol. IX. SEPTEMBER, 1858. No. 9.

SUNDAY IN ROMAN CATHOLIC COUNTRIES.

Sunday is a sad day to the Christian,
in those countries where the Roman
Catholic religion is dominant. It is, in
fact, only a day of pleasure and dissipa-
tion— a day for the review of troops,
for horse-races, and bull-fights ; a
day for extraordinary processions,
for pageants of all sorts, which serve
as diversions for the multitude. It
is the policy of the Roman Catholics
to amuse rather than instruct the
people ; it is an avowed principle of
ultramontanism., that the State should
provide such amusements, and at the
same time prohibit the publication of
all books except those which teach
the elementary principles of the Ro-
man Catholic faith and worship. In
those countries where the church has
the most power, there the people
have the least instruction ; they have
no books which the priesthood does
not approve, and no means of educa-
tion which are not provided by the
same order ; and in making books,
and giving instruction, they never
lose sight of the fact that a hierarchy
flourishes best amongst an ignorant
population.

In those Papal countries or cities
where Protestant worship is toler-
ated, the priests are constrained to
have some service in their churches
19

on Sunday, besides the celebration of
mass. But in the Papal States, and
wherever Protestantism is proclaimed
heresy by the Government, the peo-
ple receive no instruction on the Sab-
bath. They go to the churches for a
short time in the morning, to wit-
ness the performances of the priests
in the service of the mass, or to
confess their sins to a man more
sinful than themselves, or to hear
some music more secular than sa-
cred in its character. It is for them
a day of pleasure, which is occu-
pied in riding or walking, attending
the theatre, and such places and
kinds of amusement as the State may
provide or tolerate.

In Rome all lotteries are drawn on
Sunday ; and as lotteries are a Gov-
ernment monopoly, (it is a govern-
ment of priests,) great preparations
are made at the public expense for
the drawing, sometimes in a public
square in the city, and sometimes in
the grounds of a villa outside the
walls. These scenes are witnessed
by tens of thousands of the people,
amongst whom are cardinals and
priests of all orders.

It is the wish and purpose of Ro-
man Catholics to destroy the sanctity
of the Lord's day ; they complain of

200

the efforts of the Protestants in Pied-
mont, that they are trying to Sabba-
tize Italy. They fear the influence
of a quiet, thoughtful, relig-ious ob-
servance of Sunday. Thought, intel-
ligence, and real piety are not found,
and are not wanted, in the Roman
Cathilic populations.

Now, what the Roman church is in
Italy, such it will strive to be in all
places, — advancing toward its Ital-
ian model just as rapidly as possible,
without exciting the opposition of
Protestants. Once established, it
never becomes better, but waxes
worse and worse, deceiving and
being deceived. In our own coun-
try, in the midst of influences such
as are known only where the Bible
is generally read, and the Sabbath
observed as a day of sacred rest, the
Roman Catholics may not at once
and in ail places show their senti-
ments. But, as they increase in
numbers and strength, they will
manifest themselves as Sabbath-
breakers from principle. Whenever

(Sept.

they can use the Lord's day for pro-
cessions and pageants, under the
disguise of religious festivals, thoy
will do so. Little by little they will
encroach on the sanctity of that day,
presuming on the indifference or for-
bearance of Protestants, till, if pos-
sible, its complete dosecration is
accomplished.

Our foreign Roman Catholic popu-
lation is uneasy under the legal re-
straints by which the rights of others
are guarded in the enjoyment of a
day of rest. The priests know how
to use all this vicious material to the
best advantage, and they will lose no
good occasion to employ it to diminish
or destroy the influence of the Christ-
ian Sabbath. Many of the Popish
clergy are thoroughly instructed, and
possess a great degree of world-
ly wisdom. They are cunning, and
plausible, and patient, and persever-
ing,— a race of whose devices we
ought not to be ignorant. They know
how to wait and when to act.

DR. M'dOJ?:\LD'3 sermon,

DR. MCDONALD'S SERMON.

The Diffusion of Pure Christianity.

In the June number of the Maga-
zine, we expressed the hope that the
Rev. J. M. McDonald, D.D., of Prince-
ton, New-Jersey, in compliance with
the request of the Board of Directors,
would furnish for our readers a copy
of his most excellent sermon deliv-
ered at the annual meeting of the
American and Foreign Christian
Union in this city, in May last.
Through the courtesy of the author
we have now a copy of the sermon,
and are happy to lay it before our
patrons and friends, who, like our-
selves, we think, will read it with
profit as well as pleasure.

The obviously true and common
sense view of the importance of a
pure Christianity to the work of man's
salvation, and of the means and spirit
with which its diffusion should be
sought, which the sermon renders
clear and impressive, will commend
themselves to all who will read it.
The positions of the writer are scrip-
turally taken and well sustained ;
and over all who consider them care-
fully they will throw a flood of light
upon the vast importance and great
usefulness of our Institution, which
has for its object to promote and dif-
fuse a pure and evangelical Christ-

1858.)

THE DIFFUSION OF PUUE CrmiSTIANITV.

2m

ianity wherever a corrupted Chriet-
ianity exists.

In reading the sermon, we beg the
reader to bear in mind that at least

TIIREE-FOUKTIIS OF ALL CHRISTENDOM arC

well nigh strangers to " a pure and
an evangelical Christianity." Those
parts of the nominally Christian
world are involved in idolatries, su-
perstitions, and religious errors, little
less gross than those which distin-
e-uish the world outside of the limits
of Christendom, and not less fatal, if
we apprehend the teachings of the Bi-
ble aright on the subject of human
salvation. To rescue these many
millions from their wretched condi-
tion, by their conversion to Christ,
through a pure Gospel — to add their
resources to the power of the evan-
gelical part of the church for the sub-
jugation of the world to the Redeemer,
is an object well worthy the purest,
strongest, and best alfections of the
Christian's heart, and of his vigorous
and undying etfort.

Let it also be borne in mind, that
the diffusion of a "pure and evan-
gelical Christianity," through the
agency of our Society, in places where
formerly only a corrupted form of
Christianity had obtained, has been
signally blessed of God in the conver-
sion of multitudes of souls, and in the
great advancement of all their inter-
ests. Encouragement, therefore, to la-
bor in this work, and in the united form
in which all evangelical denomina-
tions are associated in the American
AND Foreign Christian Union, is very
strong. Single-handed, or by itself
alone, no denomination can be ex-
pected to effect a great deal. WJiat is
wanted, in so great a coniiict with so
strong a foe, is a union of forces.
Lot all, then, rally tp one standard,
animated by one heart and pur-

pose, and great expansion can be
"•iven to the truth that saves. But

o

we submit the

SERMON.

" T am ready to proacli tho gospel to
you tliat are at Rome also. For I am not
ashamed of the gospcd of Christ ; for it is
tlie power of God unto salvation to every
one that believetli, to the Jew first and
also to the Greek." — Rom. 1 : 15, 16.

These were the words of a man who,
from his education and linowledge of tho
world, was fully qualified to take a calm,
intelligent view of the religions of man-
kind, and the prevailing systems of phi-
losophy. He had traveled extensively,
and observed minutely. He had studied
Grecian literature, both at the feet of his
accomplished Jewish master and in the
celebrated schools of his native city. For
years he had made religion, especially the-
comparative claims of its different sys-
tems, a particular subject of inquiry ; he-
had been constantly engaged in discuss-
ing it, both with Jews and pagans, the-
learned and the unlearned.

But Paul was not merely an enlight-;
ened philosopher, he was an inspired
Apostle of the Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. The words of such a man are
worthy of being carefully weighed. He
was looking towards Home, the civil me-
tropolis of the world, the seat of politicaL
power ; the self-same Rome which subse-
quently became, and to this day continues
to be, a great ecclesiastical capital, — a
city which had adorned itself with all the
graces and refinements of ancient learn-
ing and art ; and he exclaims :

"I am ready to preach the gospel to-
you that are at Rome also ; for 1 am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ."

He was willing to have the gospel he
preached subjected to the critical exami-
nation of its most learned men. He had
already preached it in a city more re-
nowned even than Rome for its literary
culture. He had such an unfaltering con-
fidence in it, that he was ready to seize
upon every opportunity to hold it up ia.
the most polished capitals, in contrast

292

PR. m'honald's sermon,

(Sept.

witli tlic Platouisui, niid tlio Stoicism,
and the niisovable s^vstcnis of idolatry and
morals of his aj^o. Tlioat? views which he
had of his work, whilst actually engafjcd
in it, or lookinj^ forward to future labors,
the motives which inspired him, and
especially his confidence in the power of
the gospel, must he profitable to those
who ])rofess to be laboring for the same
great end — the salvation of the world. It
is one and the same work, whether prose-
cuted in the first or the nineteenth cen-
tury : the command which authorizes it is
the same ; the message to be borne the
same; the agencies to be employed are
the same ; the miseries and wants of the
M'orld the same ; and we have the same
promise of final success.

SUn.IECT.

Puke Christianity, and the pros-
pect AND MEANS OF ITS DIFFUSION, Is
the subject to which your attention is in-
vited.

The text, I say, was a most noble ut-
terance ; and the whole band of Christ's
disciples, wherever called to live and la-
bor, may well put forward its inspired
author, and say, " Let him speak for us
in this ; we are not ashamed of the gos-
pel, of uncorrupted Christianity, when
compared with any other religion, or any
philosophical system known among men ;
nor to propose it as the remedy, and only
remedy, for the miseries of a world lying
in wickedness."

We are not ashamed of the answer it
gives — it is the very pith of its entire mes-
sage— to the question, " How shall man
be just with God?" It is what a dying
man needs to know, as his spirit is hover-
ing on the confines of an invisible state.
It is what a heathen, whose first oppor-
tunity of hearing the gospel may prove to
be his last, needs to be told. It is what
must be taught the child who is just learn-
ing the meaning and use of languages.
That answer is, " ik'lieve in Christ, the
Savior whom God himself hatli provided,
the eternal Son of the Father, who hon-
ored the la^^• by obeying it and enduring

its penalty on the cross, and his right-
(M)usuess shall become yours, and you
sliall have peace with God."

EXPIATION.

AVhen we open the Bible, almost the
first words which arrest the eye are those
addressed by the Lord God to the tempter
of our race : the seed of the woman

" SHALL BRUISE THY HEAD, AND THOU

SHALT BRUISE HIS HEEL."* As we glance
onward, we see the smoke of sacrifice as-
cimd from the altar of Abel, a sweet savor
unto the Lord. We see the same smoke
going up from the altars of Enoch, of
Noah, of Abraham, and of Aaron. An
expiation by the death of some spotless
Victim was thus shadowed forth. The
divine plan of saving men as the ages
roll on, becomes continually more plain,
until the light shines forth, as with the
splendor of the noonday sun, in the New
Testament ; and we see that these ancient
sacrifices were typical, and the priests
who offered them were also typical. It
tells us that "without shedding of blood
is no remission ;" but that it is impossible
for "the blood of bulls and goats to take
away sins." We are made clearly to see
what was meant by the Lovitical types.
" We see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the angels for the suffering of
death, crowned with glory and honor, that
he, by the gi'ace of God, should taste
death for every man."f We see him,
"who was the brightness of the Father's
glory, and the express image of his per-
son, taking not the nature of angels, but
becoming a partaker of flesh and blood,
that, through death, he might destroy him
who had the power of death, and miglit
be a merciful and faithful High Priest, in
things pertaining to God, to make recon-
ciliation for the sins of the people." t

And the gi-eat burden of the entire
Scriptures is to set forth Him who was in
the form of God, and thought it no rob-
bery to be equal with God, as the propi-
tiation for sin, through faith in his blood,

* Gen 3:15. + Heb. 2:9.
J See Kiiitilii lo the IIebrew.s, passim.

1858.)

TIIK DIFFUSION OK PURE CIIUI>?TTANITV.

293

that. God might he just, and the justifior
of him that boliovoth.

TIlK OFFERKIl PURE.

As it was necessary that an expiation
should be lUiide for sin b}- the sacrifice of
a huub witliout blcuusli and without spot,
it was equally necessary that tin; offerer
of this sacrifice should be without sin.
The Jewish high priest, in bearing the
names of the children of Israel in the
breastpl.ate and upon his shoulders, when
lie offered sacrifice and ent(>red into the
holj' place, to sprinlde blood before the
mercy-seat, typified Christ in the offering
he made, and in entering once for all the
holy place not made with hands, The
Anti-tj'pe notonly fulfilled, but infinitely,
in his person and the perfection of his
works, excels the type. Christ was not
preceded nor is he succeeded by any
other in oflSee; but "continuing ever, he
hath an unchangeable priesthood," being
made a priest, "not after the order of a
carnal commandment, but after the power
of an endless life." He was priest long
before Aaron was called to assume the
ephod, when Abel and Abraham officiated
at the altar. He was priest, when Caia-
phas, before whom he was arraigned,
. and by whom he was condemned, wore
the sacerdotal vestments; he is priest
now, and will continue to be, until the
last redeemed sinner is brought to glory
and for evei-more. Human reason utterly
fails to suggest any mode by which a sin-
ner can escape punishment. We cast
about in vain for any way of deliverance.
Whichever way we turn, we see nothing
but darkness and the shadow of death.
We discover no light till that of divine
revelation rises on the mind, and we see
the Son of God consenting to become our
Mediator. In his sacrifice we find that
dignity and merit which meet all the de-
mands of the case; he offered himself —
his sinless human nature on the altar of
his divine. His fearful passion on the
cross was the fire which consumed the
offering. The altar sanctified it by im-
parting to it infinite value and efficacy.
He was the offerer as well as the offering ;

he was the Altar as well as the Sacrifice ;
he was the Priest as well as the Victim.
He was tiu; Substance of that shadow
seen in the ceremonial law. The blood
of lambs and goats no longer flows, the
altar no longer smokes. And witli ani-
mal sacrifices the priesthood dej)arted
which offered them. Aaron, and Annas,
and Caiaphas have no successors. There
is now no more place for them, than for
the altar of burnt-offering, and the blood
of lambs, to be daily shed and ministered.

CHKIST ALONE OUR PRIEST.

Hence it follows that the men who
now claim to perform the proper work of
a priest are guilty of assuming preroga-
tives which belong to Christ alone. It
is difficult to speak with becoming calm-
ness of the presumption of those who
teach that, in the Lord's Supper, the
bread and the wine are transmuted into
the literal body and blood of Christ ; and
that it belongs to their office to offer it as
a sacrifice, for the dead and the living.
There is but one sacrifice for sins for ever,
but one offering by which they tliat are
sanctified are perfected for ever. This
pretended repetition of the one great sac-
rifice tends to bring it down to the level
and value of the sacrifices of the Jews.
It exalts those who pretend to be the of-
ferers of it above Aaron, or any of his
sons and successors, for the Jewish priests
offered typical sacrifices, and were but
types themselves ; but these men claim
that they offer the very body and blood
of Christ, that they fill that office of which
the ancient office of priest was but a type.
It detracts fi-om the perfection of the
work of Christ ; it makes the intervention
of a human mediator necessary to our sal-
vation, one who can offer a true propitia-
tory sacrifice for sins. It dispenses with
justification by faith alone, because it is
represented that the materials offered in
the mass have an intrinsic virtue for the
salvation of those who receive them, in-
dependent of their disposition or moral
state, provided their efficacy is not ob-
structed by what is called a mortal sin ;
or, at best, it makes the justification of

294

DR. m'dONALD's SEKMON,

(Sept.

the sinner dejiend on an infused, personal
riglitiHiusnegs and a satisfaction offered to
the justice of God, by acts of mortifica-
tion and purgatorial pains. Tlio satis-
faction of Christ might as well be entirely
excluded, as to make the righteousness
and pains of the sinner share with the
righteousness and sufferings of Christ ; or
to make the righteousness of Christ the
remote cause, but the personal righteous-
ness of the sinner the immediate cause,
of his acceptance with God. These pre-
posterous twin-errors — that the same pro-
pitiatory sacrifice which was offered by
Christ on the cross needs still to be often
offered, and that by mere men ; and that
it is necessary for the sinner himself to
add a personal atonement for sin to the
one offering b)' which Christ hath perfect-
ed for ever them that are sanctified — sap
the very foundations of the Gospel.
Yea, verily, Christ is the only Priest
who can liring us near to God. No ser-
vices or sufferings of sinful creatures can
supplement his work. He has no suc-
cessors in ofiice ; nor has he now any
types, for types have all been fulfilled.

INTEHCESSION.

The other part of his expiatory work is
his intercession. The former part was
performed on earth ; this is performed in
heaven.

" We have a great high priest, that is
passed into tlie heavens, Jesus, the Son
of God."*

In the midst of the throne, and of the
four beasts, and in the midst of the eld-
ers, he stands a lamb as it had been
slain. In the body which was crucified
he appears before God, and there pleads
his atoning sufferings as the ground on
which the blessings of salvation shall be
bestowed on men, the sole and all-suflS-
cient ground of their everlasting security
in heaven. Away, then. Oh for ever
away with the notion that men need, or
may ever, without dishonor to Christ, ap-
ply to human or angelic intercessors.
They have no merit to plead. At the

* Hebrews, 4: M.

best, they can have an imperfect know-
ledge of our wants ; they cannot even be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities,"
like Him who was tempted "in all points
as we are, yet ivil.hout sin.'^ Away with
every doctrine and practice which dero-
gate from the value and sufficiency of the
atoning and intercessory work of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We may rest assttred
that no mere nuin on earth or creature
in heaven is invested with an oflice au-
thorizing him to step in between a sinner
and his Savior, or which will justify the
sinner in admitting any such pretended
claims. We cannot hand over to a fel-
low-creature, whatever the title he may
assume or the function he may profess to
exercise, the keeping of our priceless
souls, or that w ork of personal faith and
repentance by which we renounce our
sins and carnal hopes, and receive Christ
as our Eedeemer.

Such is the Christianity which
WE wish to diffuse wherever it

NOW HAS THE NAME AND SEMBLANCE OF
HAVING SPREAD — AND TO EARTH'S RE-
MOTEST BOUNDS. Itis comprised (blessed
be God for the simplicity of saving truth !)
in the answer to that question w hich so
man}' in these times, under the gracious
operation of the Holy Spirit, have been
led to ask. What must 1 do to be saved ?
The ambassadors of Christ and the church
universal have but one answer to give —
You must have faith in Christ, that faith
which includes not only the full assent of
the mind to the truth of the Christian
doctrines, but a cordial trust of the heart
in him as he is offered in the Gospel. If
you touch but the hem of his garment
you shall be healed. You must acknow-
ledge the sacrifice which he offered as
tliat in which you trust. You must by
faith lay your hand on the victim's head,
in token that you lay all your sins on
him for atonement, and lean your weak,
perishing soul on him, hidden as in his
very breastplate and to be borne from
the field of conflict, after the battle is
over, as one of the trophies of his victory

1858.) TillO DIFFUSION OF 1

over tlio powers of darkness. Just say —
say from tlu; heart —

"My nuili would liiy lior limid

t)n that (lonr hc.id nf tliinu —
Wliild like a punitcnt I sUind,

Ami tliori) confess iny sin ;"

aud tlui peaces tliat passcth all uuder-
staiuliui;^ shall be yours, aud a hope that
niaketh not ashamed. Come without
money and without price.

"Tlie lamb that was slaiu
Now lives again ;"

and could we pierce the vail that hides
eternitj', we should see him in the midst
of the throne pk^ading the full merits of
his blood. Just lay your hand on this
Victim's liead ; trust in the intercession
of this great High Priest. That is all
you are required to do ; that is faith.

PllOTESTANTISM NOT A NEGATION.

This is the gospel of which we are not
ashamed. It is the rock in the midst o£
an unstable aud oftcu tempestuous sea,
on which the siukiug voyager to eteruity
nuiy plaut his feet aud stretch out his
hands with hope towards heaven. Of this
theology we may confidently say that it is
a science of positive truth. This was the
Protestantism of the great apostles of the
Reformation. It is not a mere protest
against errors, but a profession of all the
fundamental doctrines taught by Chi'ist.
We must protest against all errors which
teach that sinners can be saved by their
own works or merits, or which tend to
undervalue the atonement and interces-
sory work of Jesus Christ; but, at the
same time, we profess the opposite or de-
nied truths. Who dares say, then, that
the faith of the lleformed Churches is a
mere negation ? What ! that a mere ne-
gation which has beeu as life from the
dead to the nations — their letters, their
science, aud all the arts and appliances
of civilization ! that a mere negation
which makes the cruel kind, the idle dili-
gent, the inebriate temperate, the dissolute
pure, the dishonest just, which lifts the neg-
lected and besotted out of the dunghill !
that a negation which fires the once dead
and selfish heart with love to God and all
mankind, and sends heralds forth, as on

I'UUl'; ClIIilHTlANlTV.

the wings of angels, to jjublish the glad
tidings of salvation to the ends of the
earth! Who, looking into the beaming
countenance and listening to the words
of the sinner who is rejoicing in his new-
found Savior — rejoicing in hope of the
glory of God — would dare tell him that
there is nothing of positive truth in that
doctrine of Christ which he has embraced ?
Was there uotiiiug real, lying at the
foundation of the Christian life of such
men as Howard and Martyn, of Vicais
aud Havelock ? The power of godliness
is distinct from the form ; it is found only
in that which is spiritual aud internal — in
faith and afi'ection ; it is the heart flaming
up towards God, as fire ascends towards
the sun, without altar, temple, or priest.
Thus, we areuot mere Protestants against
error, but confessors of soul-quickening,
soul-saving truth ; aud so far the term
Protestant has a significance of which
no man need to be ashamed. But if we
resolve the matter into one of mere termi-
nology or verbal criticism, then, it must
be confessed, it is of too narrow and re-
strictive an import, for it fails to indicate
that, while protesting against error, we
profess the truth as it is in Jesus — the
faith once delivered to the saints.

Or, again, if we judge of it by its actual
application, as a term of designation, it is
too extensive or all-embracing, iu other
words, not sufficiently distinctive, as it is
applied to and claimed by denominations
aud sects who have separated themselves
from and deny the evangelical doctrines
of the Eeformed Churches. As Protest-
ants of the reformation, confessors of the
great doctrines of Luther aud Calvin,
which were those of Paul and of Christ,
we are reaJy to preach the gospel ; we are
not ashamed of it, for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that be-
lieveth.

AMERICAN AND FOREIGN CHRISTIAN
UNION.

It is the object of this Society — the
American and Foreign Christiaa Union —
as expressed in its constitution, to " dif-

1

296

m. m'donai.d's sermon.

(Sept.

fuse pmo Christianity Avliorover a cor-
rujitotl (Miristiajiity exists."

It is, therefore, sinipl)- a MISSIONARY
Society for tliis, its chosen, prescribed
field. When the ai)ostles were sent to
preach the gospel to those who were
already in possession of a divinely re-
vealed religion, to whom " pertained the
adoption, and the glorv, and the cove-
nants, and the giving of the law, and the
service of God, and the promises,"* they
were told by our Lord to be " wise as
serpents and hannless as doves. "f That
their wisdom might not degenerate into
mere subtlet}" or guile, it was necessary
it should be united with the utmost purity
of conduct and intention ; and that their
innocence might not prove to be weak-
ness or pusillanimity it needed to be tem-
pered with the keenest sagacity.

And for one class of Christians to go to ■
others who profess to derive their religion
from the same source, and to l)e worsliip-
ing the same God and Redeeuu'r, to con-
vince them that they have fallen into error
on the most vital points, I'equires not only
the deepest conviction, from a prayerful
study of the Bible, that they are thus
wrong, but the profoundest wisdom, di-
rected by undissenibled love. They are
to go forth, not to a work of denimciation
and reproach, or of " lutterness, and
wrath, and auger, and clamor, and evil-
speaking," but to (me of divine compas
eiou and love, to tell sinners how they
may become like Ilim, who when he was
reviled reviled not again, and may be
saved through the merits of his precious j
blood. I

CHRISTIANITY CORKUPTED— HOW.

A corrupted Christianity ! This, it
must be confessed, is a painful theme.
The mixture of deleterious ingredients in
tlu^ fountains of a city could be contem-
plated as an incomparably less evil. It
were better for the atmosphere to be
tainted with poisonous fumes, or the ma-
larious exhalations of swamps and fens.
But let no one aflfect to wonder that a

Rom. 9: 4.

t Matt. 10 : 16.

j religion which claims that heaven, where
God resides, as its birth-place, should bo
subject to corrujition. The best things
in tlu! haiuls of men have been perverted,
' and the greater their excellence the greater
j woidd seem to bo their peril. Neverthe-
' less, there has always, notwithstimding
overshadowing corruptions, been found
I somew here the leaven of a pure doctrine
' and practice. Churches may become
, corru])t in their forms and teachings, but
pure Christianity can no more be essen--
tially impaired than the light of the sun can
be polluted by the mc'dium through which,
or the objects on which it shines. The
religion of the Bible is not to be held ac-
countable for the distortions with which
men have loaded it, and the abominations
with which they have caused it to be asso-
ciated.

After the Christian faith had silenced
the oracles and overthrown the altars of
polytheism throughout the Roman empire,
there still remained not a few of the ad-
herents of the old pagan worship. It was
the attempt to convert, or rather recon-
cile these, by a sort of compromise be-
tween the old worship and tlie new, which
was the fruitful source of corruption to
the Church. By the perversion of great
Christian docti-ines, and the eftbrt to make
pagan superstitions harmonize with the
simple rites of Christian worship, pure
Christianit}^ was supplanted, except as
by the grace of God it survived in the
hearts of a few individuals, or kindled its
unextinguishable fires on the altars of
small isolated bodies of believers, in un-
frequented vallies and remote comers of
the earth.

And men there were, doubtless, all over
the churches, who, in spite of all the in-
fluences which were operating to give to
superstition and formality the place of de-
votion, and to exterminate true faith and
love, were spiritually-minded, — were able
to learn enough of their true necessities
and of Christ to obtain salvation ; but
the mass, it is to be feared, were effect-
ually blinded as to the way of life, as if
they had never heard of Christ. These

1858.)

THE DIFFUSION OF PUIIE Cldtl^TIANITY.

corruptions, however sad it is to helievr
it, still exist over much the larfrer part of
the Christian world. Nay, (also and dan-
gerous tenets which, previous to tlio Re-
formation, were held only as opinions,
have since that epoch been enjoined and
received as defined and determinate arti-
cles of faith. A few hert; and there may
still struggle up through the perversions
and counterfeits of the truth and tlic
superincunibeut mass of forms and rites,
and catch a glimpse of that true " Light
which lighteneth every man that comcth
into the world;" but the great multitude
are turning away from the one only
SACraFicE, are mistaking baptism for re-
generation, are trusting to human medi-
ators to make their peace with God, — are
tithing " mint, anise, and cummin," as a
substitute for the practice and a plea for
the omission of the weightier matters of
the law.

Nor is this all. Would to heaven it
were ! If we look to the lands where
Luther and Calvin preached, and were
successful in striking off the chains of j
bigotry and superstition, we see rational- |
ism sitting enthroned in the holy place. [
" A popular philosophic inundation of the
most shallow kind, which bears nothing
of true Christianity but the assumed name, :
covers up, to this day, an immeasurable !
extent of the ground" of the Continental
Reformed Churches. And as men are too j
ready to judge of religion, not as they i
may learn what it is from the infallible
oracles, but from its living exhibitions in j
those who bear the Christian name, a
wide-spread infidelity and indifference in
religion have sprung up among the masses
of the people from these corruptions of
the Romish and Reformed Churches.

THE society's WORK VAST.

Truly a great work is to be done. Can
it be accomplished? When we confer
with flesh and blood, or judge of this 1
question by the ordinaiy rules which gov- j
ern the formation of human opinion, on a i
subject of this nature, our answer would |
be promptly in the negative. But when i
we recur to the word of God, to its pre- I

dictions of the prevalence of a pure reli-
gion, and its promises of Divine aid to
those who engage in the work of the
Lord, we fi-el assured of fihal success.

It remains to notice, in conclusion,
some of the means to be emjdoyed for the
diffusion of a pure Christianity.

THE MEANS.

First, It must be faitlifully preached.

We must seek to have somewhat of
the same confidence in its power unto sal-
vation which the Apostle had, when he
said, " I am ready to preach the Gospel
to you that are at Rome also. For I am
not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." It
hath "pleased God by the foolishness of
preaching, to save them that believe."*

In an age of rapid progress in specula-
tive knowledge, and of singular enter-
prise and activity, ministers, disregarding
the demand made for other themes, must
* persistently adhere to the peculiar doc-
trines of the Gospel — Depravity, Atone-
ment, Faith, Repentance, Regeneration,
Sanctification. There is power in these,
an adaptation to the wants of the soul,
which we look for in vain in all other
topics. Neological and transcendental
speculations have no place in the pulpit,
for they have no place in the Gospel ; and
when introduced into it they abstract
from its power, as they do not come home
to the popular heart.

"There stands tlie messenger of truth; there stands

The lefiate of the skies! — His theme divine,

His office sacred, his credentials clear.

By him the violated law speaks out

Its thunders; and hy him, in strains as sweet

As angels use, the Gospel whispers peace."

The great mass of men go to church to
learn how they may be saved from their
sins and from hell, and not to be enter-
tained with ingenious disquisitions or
mere literary orations, or to be excited with
inflammatory appeals on the political is-
sues of the moment. They will despise
the trifler, resent the wrong attempted to
be done to their souls, or turn away dis-
gusted from the shameful proposition.
Let nothing but the Gospel, in all its sim-
plicity and in its own natural tone of love

* 1 Cor. 1 : 21.

298

uu. m'donald's sermon,

(Sept.

and honest dealing, be heard from the
pulpit, with that earnestness which be-
longs to men who sincerel}' believe the
momentous truths they deliver, and let
the Lord be inquired of by the house of
Israel to do it for tlieni, and he will in-
crease them with men like a flock ; places
of worship will be filled with flocks of
men, as the holy flock, as the flock of Je-
rusalem, in her holy feasts.* Let preach-
ing- continue to occupy that jdace in our
worship to which it is entitled, by the ap-
pointment of the great Head of the
church, and not to be overshadowed bj' a
pompous ritnal and gorgeous hosts of cer-
emonies. Drapery and pantomine may
appeal more powerfully to the imagina-
tion— works and sounds of art may im-
press and bedizen the senses, but they
bring no message of peace to the weary
and heavy-laden sinner ; rather do they
interpose a barrier between him and the
onl}" Being wiio can remove his burden,
whilst they tend to waste a portion of the
soul's thought and devotion, in approach-
ing the " eternal beauty, the God of pity
and of pardon." It is that power of God
unto salvation with which an unadulter-
ated Gospel preached to the poor, the
rich, the ignorant, the learned, the low
and the high, is invested, which must not
be thoughtlessly sacrificed, but wielded
for the spread of saving truth.

Preachers, men of piety and prudence,
must be sent forth to occuj)y every field
opened in the providence of God where
Christianity has no foothold.

Here there is work for this Society.
And its missionaries should not be sent
forth so much to attack ecclesiastical or-
ganizations and usages, except as these
stand connected with false teaching and
formalism, as to preach Christ and him
crucified, and thus to draw men ofl" from
their vain speculations, wrestings of the
word of God, and their dependence on
ritual observances, and the absolutions of
a human j^Jijsthood. If it be our object
to spread pure Cliristianity wherever a
corrupted Christianity exists, let us not

j forget that there is a conceited, cynical
j rationalism in the bosom of the Reformed
churches, as well as formality and Christ-
i dishonoring tenets in the Romish,
j It is true that in this country we are
perhaps more exposed to the latter than
the lormer. Both these trees, however, are
planted in our soil, have taken root, and
begun to bring forth fruit. And is it not
a wasting of strength, to be striking at
some of the lowest limbs and outer
branches, when the " axe should be laid at
the root of the tree?" to assault fonns
; and organizations, whatever may be their
I weak and vulnerable points, rather than
errors directed against the plenary inspi-
ration of the Scriptures — their sufliciency
as the rule of faith and practice — the per-
fection of Christ's atoning work, and the
necessity of the Holy Spirit in renewing
and fitting men for heaven ? Let church-
es, whatever be their name or form of
worship, become witnesses for the truth,
especially that doctrine which must be
confessed and cherished in every true
church, to wit : justification by faith alone
in the righteousness of Ch rist, and a spirit
of life will enter into them which will lead
them to modifj', or, as far as need be, cast
ofl" those stifle and cumbrous costumes
which interfere with free and healthful
movement and development. It is easy
to employ harsh epithets and sarcastic ar-
guments, and to find unflattering and
ominous symbols in the wild beasts of the
prophets, but a,XQ these the persuasions
with which to approach men whose souls
we wish to save 1 Do we put them into
a hopeful frame of mind by exciting their
anger ? "I speak as to wise men : judge
ye what I say."* " Be ye wise as ser-
pents, and harmless as doves. "t

Secondly, in the diffusion of pure
Christianity, there must be a judicious
employment of the press.

In addition to the word of God, more
use should be made practical than con-
troversial works on religion. The po-
lemical argument has been often tried,
but when was it known that it brought

« Ezokiel, 36 : 33.

* 1 Cor. 10 : 15. t Matt. 10 : 16 .

1858.)

THE DIFFUSION OK PUUK CHRISTIANITY.

299

one einuer to Christ? I know not that it
can he farther eniphiyeil with much hope,
except in clearly setting forth tlie true
idea of the church, to wit : tliat wliich is
the churcii, by way of eminence calk'tl in
the sacred Scriptures "thebody of Christ,"
consists exclusively of those who have
been renewcHl by the Spirit, and in whom
the Si)irit dwells; and that it is visible
only in the sense in which true believers
arc visible. All the arguments which sus-
tain the true doctrine, concerning the
plan of salvation, are conclusive in favor
of this as the true theorj^ of the church.
And here is the real strength of the Pro-
testant cause. If we would turn men
away from that ritual doctrine, concern-
ing the church to which multitudes eg
fondly and blindly cling, we must seek to
lead them to Christ, that they may be
made new creatures in him, and have the
indwelling of his Spirit. Men of scholar-
ship and piety have a duty to perform to
the world, the importance of which it is
difficult to overstate. It is, to reason so
clearly, calmly, and fairly on the high
themes of religion, as with the blessing of
God to draw men oflf from the sensuous
and external to an experimental know-
ledge of the things of God, and that wor-
ship of him which is " in spirit and in
truth."

The periodical press must also be laid
under contribution to this sacred cause.
I mean not the so-called religious press
merely, but the secular and even daily
press. Here is a powerful agency, which
ought not to be left to the exclusive pos-
session of those who are seeking to build
up their private fortunes, or are in the
service of the parties of the State ; but
which should be seized upon for the dif-
fusion of sound principles in morals and
virtue, and intelligence respecting the
progress of civilization, presented in as-
pects of which onlj' pure, honest, and
deep- thinking minds are capable, and by
which the moral as well as the intellect-
ual life of the age may be quickened.
The evangelical church has resources at
her command, in her individual members.

which need only to Ix; employed, in lay-
ing hold of this mighty <;ngin(!, in order to
cont(;nd efl'eetually with tiie many false
or loose and unsettled principles which
are now sown broadcast over the civilized
world.

Thirdly, it would doubtless produce the
most happy <!fl'ect, if the benevolence of
the gospel were more fully exhibited in
deeds of charity.

True charity seeks to improve the tem-
poral condition of mcu, as well as to pro-
mote their eternal interests. Vast and
abiding are the interests of man on earth,
though every man's life; be as the morn-
ing cloud and the early dew. And our
Christianity should prompt us to have re-
gard to the temporal comfort and happi-
ness of the untold generations who are
to live and jostle one another upon the
surface of the earth.

Besides, a work of preparation, which
only charity can perform, is required be-
fore the abject classes, large numbers of
whom are the slaves of priestcraft and
superstition, can be brought, with much
hope, under the direct appeals of re-
ligion. Their minds are stupified by ig-
norance, uncleanncss, and privation, to
such an extent as to produce in them an
almost total moral recklessness. The
pressing necessities of their bodies ex-
clude any care of their souls. The prob-
lem, AVhat shall we eat, what shall we
drink, and wherewithal be clothed ? which
has to be solved for every wasting day,
thrusts aside even the temporal provisions
for the morrow, and much more the ques-
tion, What shall a man give in exchange
for his soul ? To give bread to the hun-
gry, education to the ignorant, and em-
ployment to the idle, will not only prepare
them to be brought under the direct ap-
peals of religion, but will be such an
exemplification of the charity of the gos-
pel as wiU commend it, as by an irresisti-
ble argument, to a gainsaying world.

Fourthly, the great doctrine of Christ-
ian unity, or oneness of the true nhurck,
must be clearty understood and warmly
cherished.

3»

300 DR. M'DONAI.n

By lliis ii* not meant more uniformity,
or a onont'ss of oxtornal oviranization and
ccrcMiionial, hy whicli men of all oi)ini()ns
and of no opinions are iTicluded in one
body ; but that oneness of heart and soul
among all, by whatever name they are
known, who are trusting in the same
Savior and have been renewed by the
same Spirit; manifested b)' a cordial
fraternal recognition of one another as
brethren, and in unconflicting concurrent
efforts for the salvation of men. The
Spirit performs, and is carrj'ing on, one
and tlie same work in the heart of every
rencw(;d man"; it matters not whether it
be in the heart of a dark-browed African
or a fair Saxon, all have the same faith,
the same hope, the same joj's, the same
fears, the same Christian experience, in
all its chief outlines. Their common ex-
perience as penitent and pardoned sin-
ners, as believing and ol)edi('nt children,
and rejoicing expectants of everlasting
glory, makes them one in a nobler and
more blissful sense than they could be
made one by being iinited in the same ex-
ternal communion, or being members of
the same visible society. It was for this
oneness of his followers that our blessed
Lord prayed. In answer thereto, they
profess fi-om the heart to be in subjection
to him, and to rest alone on his atoning
merits for salvation ; they profess to take
the whole revealed will of God as their
only rule, and to receive the application
of water, in the name of the Trinity, as a
sign and seal of inward baptism by the
Holy Ghost. This common profession of
fundamental truth, in connection with
their common experience of the life of
God in the soul, constitutes the unity of
the spiritual, invisible church. And in
whatever communion this profession can
be outwardly and credibly made, and this
experience freely realized, there is found
a branch of the true visible church. And
just as^the preservation of the spiritual
church, or a constant succession of man's
generations on earth, ensures the per-
petuity of the external church, so the
existence and diffusion of true Christians

I's SERMON, (Sept.

in diflFerent and dissimilar communions is
the bond which binds them together, and
constitutes the essential unity of the visi-
ble church. This is the suhstance,
whilst an external uniformity, in respect
to organization and ceremonies, is the
merest shadow. It is the exhibition of
this that will tell, with mighty power, on
the world. Our Lord prayed that his
disciples might be one in him, that they
might be made perfect in one, that the
world might know that the Father sent
the Son, and hath loved us as he loved
him.* The New Testament, it should
never be forgotten, contains no book of
Leviticus ; it places forms tand ceremo-
nies in complete subordination to grace in
the heart, and by the utter absence of
minute ritual regulations, has shown that
Christians should treat one another with
gi'eat lenity in respect to these. ^

Fifthly, The sending of the gospel to
the heathen is among the means which
are to be employed in giving ascendancy
to pure Christianity wherever Christi-
anity has the name of having spread.

The heathen, at the present hour, con-
stitute more than two-thirds of the popu-
lation of the earth. And when we look
upon these vast territories of desolation,
surely we have no time or strength to
waste in contending about the size and
fashion of the curtains, and loops, and
tassels of the tabernacle, — mere non-
essentials. Wide doors are opening for
the spread of Christianity, and m these
unoccupied regions the zeal of Christians,
by the blessing of God, may raise up
many efEcient helpers to go up with them
on the breadth of the earth, and compass
the foes of God and his church wherever
found. It may be among the plans of
Providence that the foreign missionary
work is to re-act with powerful saving
effect on those portions of the world which
have long been nominally in possession
of the church, but where "a corrupted
Christianity" exists. Prophecy declares
that the heathen arc all to be converted
to Christ. And as we are taught that

* See John, chap. IT.

1858.)

THE DIFKUSION OF rUIlK UIIKISTIANITV.

801

" blindness in part is liapiM'ncd to Isnicl,
until the fulhiL'tis of the Gentiles be come
in,"* may it not, l)y anulop^y or ))arity of
reason, be held possible that the conversion
of the lieathen is to precede the revival
of piety on those altars where its fires
have grown dim, and boas "life from the
dead," where there is now but tin; forni
of godlin(^ss witiiout the power?

Go, then, and preach the gospel to every
creature, beginning at Jerusalem, to the
Jew first, and those who are in possession
of an effete Christianity, but also to the
Gentile. Go and lift up the voice, even
lift it up along the streams and sunny
glades of Ah-ica, on India's coral strand,
and the frozen shores of the North. Let
the angel, standing in the sun, cry with a
loud voice, " Saying to all the fowls that
fly in the midst of heaven. Come and
gather yourselves together unto the Sup-
per of the great God.f Oh let him who
is called Faitliful and True, on whose
head arc many crowns, who is clothed
with a vesture dipped in blood, and his
name is called the Word of God, ride
forth from conquering to conquer.

Finally. We must pray for the prom-
ised influence! of the Holy Spirit.

We must pray tliat the zeal and cour-
age of the few earnest and spiritual men,
to be found within the pale of corrupt
communions, may be strengthened ; that
they may keep themselves pure from
idols; that they may either come out,
and be separate, or that their number
may be so increased as to purify .and re-
form the ecclesiastical bodies to which
they belong. We ought to pray for all
mere nominal Christians and Christian
ministers especially, many of whom pos-
sess the accomplishments of learning and
the gifts of eloquence, and need but the
converting grace of God to qualify them
at once to go into the vineyard of the
Lord. We ought to pray for all ministers
and missionaries, who are going forth iu
the spirit of Paul, saying. We are ready
to preach the Gospel, in cottages or in
universities, at Rome or at Cawupore,

* Rom. 11 : 25. t Ke v. 1 9 : IT.

that the dry bones over which they pro-
phesy may hear the word of 1 he Lord, and
brciath may enter into them, that tluiy
may live. Let the promise, " I will pour
out my Spirit on all flesh," receive its
full accomplishment, and we sliall see
such wonders, onl)' on a grander scale, in
proportion as the theatre is more vast, as
wer(i seen on the day of Pentecost.

Such gracious awakenings, as have re-
cently blessed this land, are not only a
pre-assurance of the conversion of the en-
tire world — Jew and Pagan, Mohammed-
an and Papal — to Christ, but illustrate
to us how easily and speedily it can be
accomplished, when the time, the set time,
to favor Zion is come. God is more
read)' to give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask him, than earthly parents are to
give good gifts to their children. In an-
' swer to the prayers of the church He Ib
sent forth.

He may come, "as a sound from heaven
as of a mighty rushing wind," before which
the trees of the forest bow, and the dwell-
ings of men are shaken, or as the soft
summer breeze, welcome to the infant
sleeper in the cradle or the sick m.an's
fevered brow. He may come as the fire
which sweeps over the prairie, or levels
to the pavement great blocks of store-
houses and the lordliest mansions of the
city, or as the gentle April rain on the
fields which winter has long frozen into
hardness ; or even as the dew which dis-
tils noiselessljs at evening, to restore the
verdure of the uew-mo^Ti field. And it
is just as *effectual and mighty a work,
when he operates silentl}- and imisibly,
as when he cometli with more of " observ-
ation," to startle and astound the child-
ren of men. Let us take heed and not
jiresume to dictate, nor set bounds to him
in his working ; whilst we all take up the
prayer which the Lord God himself put
into the lips of the captive-prophet in the
valley of dry bones, and send it up, as
with ten thousand voices, to the throne of
the universe, " Come from the four winds,
0 Breath, and breathe upon the slain,
that they may live."*

* Ezekiel, 37 : 9.

302

FOREIGN FIELD

(Sept.

FOREIGN FIELD.

SWITZERLAND.

France retrogrades in regard to liberty
of conscience — more dijjieult to hold re-
ligious u'orshij) there than in China —
has France a conscience / — low state of
feeling upon the subject of religion —
tendency to forms and to military domi-
nation— an age of incredulity has
Tvrought its evils — the peoi^le must now
keep quiet — the alliance of the jiriests
with the Government is not an idle
affair — Veuillot — his influence over the
jiress — Government lends itself to small
persecutions — but Christians do not de-
spair, for the Savior lives and reigns —
America much blessed — ^oill not Ameri-
cans pray for Europeans ?

The following letter from Geneva,
in Switzerland, is from the pen of an
officer of the Evange'ical Society of
that city, who well understands the
subject and the country concerning
which ho writes. A large portion of
the labor pcrl'urmed by the Geneva
Society is bestowed on soutlicrn
France ; hence the writer says :

"What shall wc say to j-ou of France
that you do not already know ? It is
written, ' Unto evor}^ one that hath shall
bo given, and ho shall have abmulance ;
l)ut from hi :i that hath not shall he taken
away even that which he hath.' It is to
you, Amoricaus, that the Lord gives <at
this moment, making you an object of
envy to the faithful and of astonishment
to the unbeliever. But as to the nation
that has nothing, this poor France, it
seems that she retrogrades — at least in the
domain of liberty of conscience. This
point is as a derision to the Government
authorities. Yes, they do allow the assenj-
bling of multitudes, but under function-
aries responsible to the State which ap-
points them : in a word, they do allow
official worship ; but as to the preaching of
the Gospel in meetings not ofBcial — as to
missions in the interior, the erection of
new chapels, the organization of evangeli-
cal flocks formed from converted Catholics,

all that is more difficult of accomj)lishmcnt
in France than in China. The French
people have always made so little use of
their religious conscience, that the Gov-
ernment now seriously contests whetlier
they have any, aiul it practically treats
them as if they had none ; .and in cases
where men are found convinced of the
truth, and anxious to meet together to hear
the Bible read and explained, were it in
the woods, they are gravely told :

" ' You are mistaken ; it is politics that
you are meddling with, without suspect-
ing it. Disband iunncdiately, or go to
prison.'

" The members and employees of the
French Government are men themselves
too much given up to that skin-deep reli-
gion which is named Catholicism — a mere
matter of forms and ceremonies, signs of
the cross, or of bon ton towards the Papal
institutions of Rome ; they cannot, there-
fore, be suspected of not acting in good
faith in the underhanded persecutions with
which they follow all evangelical opera-
tions.

" They have no idea of a religion truly
spiritual, of the necessity of Christian fra-
ternity, of Biblical instruction, of true
edification. They can only see in these
necessary manifestations of Christianity
an agitation which disturbs them : to
watch it with care would annoy them ; to
suppress it is a shorter work, and is also
more agreeable to the priests. This ten-
dency to transform into automata thirty -
five millions of men, (which is the actual
policy,) counterbalauces very sadly the
material advantages which the Imperial
Government has bestowed upon the coun-
try, and all that which for forty years has
occupied and interested the minds of the
French has almost entirely disappeared.
Literature is gasping. The tribune no
longer exists. We are now-a-days per-
mitted to hear nothing but the voice of
military chiefs and Jesuitical orators, who
an'ogate to themselves the right of con-

M

1858.)

troling tlio education of the massoa. Thoro
is 110 (lonl)t but, all tliat will carry tlii^
minds back into tlu* way of routine, and
that the moral, religious, political, and
intellectual capacity of the people will
become less and less. Frenchmen «re
fast losing their jlptitiule for liberty of
every kind. We well know their deplora-
ble wants in this respect, before the pre-
sent system of peace and silence.

" This state of things is in particular
applicable to our ag(! and to this country.
Should averitabhi Koman fanaticism ani-
mate the Government and the mass of the
people, the lovers of the Gospel would
excite against themselves furious troubles,
analogous to those which provided victims
for the circus and amphitheatres of ancient
Home, or the tortures and prisons of the
Inquisition. Eut the case is (piite differ-
ent; an age of incredulity has passed over
the French nation, and in our days the
enlightened men of that country, even the
great majority, believe really in nothing —
or rather they have empirically reasoned
that the absence of all religion tended to
political and social commotions, and they
have said :

" ' Let US make a religion, but let it be
a utilitarian one.'

" Catholicism was there. The corpora-
tions demanded their return and a reform.
The Imperial Government, entirely com-
posed of military men and of skeptical
financiers, has taken those corporations ;
and while they have fared admirably well,
they have been made to understand that
the people must keep quiet. Of coui'se,
whenever the people threaten, here and
there, not to keep quiet and not to submit
tamely, the Government is made to see
the falsity of its system, and the impotence
of old superstitions to take root again in
skeptical minds. But Roman corpora-
tions, by dint of sophisms, and being
alone authorized to speak aloud through
the press, confound the men of the Gov-
ernment by their noise, and persuade them
that they are never WTong ; that with
time they are all-powerful to lull the minds

303

to sleep, and to mould the nation to un-
reserved obedience.

" Let it not, then, be imagined that the
alliance of the Government of Napoleon
111. with the clergy and the monks is a
vain, empty word. It is a profound
reality, only it is without fanaticism on
the part of the Government ; it is a politic-
al utilitarianism, carried on with as much,
and perhajjs more, of cold and practical
calculation, tlian railroads, industry, or
diplomacy. Mr. Veuillot is the adven-
turer of the pen, the Condottiere followed
by the clergy, who is commissioned to
persuade the Government that his band
answers for the obedience of the people.
Everything bad emanates from the Pro-
testants, everything good from the eccle-
siastical corporation ; thus Mr. Veuillot
is the only journalist in France, because
alone he has the right and the audacity
to say all he chooses, and it is to him, in
a great measure, that the Imperial Gov-
ernment is indebted for his almost Spanish
policy in matters of religion.

" You know, my dear brother, that we
cannot justly be charged with making fre-
quent allusions to politics, and that in fact
we are absolutely strangers in that do-
main. But at distant intervals allow us
these excursions, necessary to make our
brothers removed far from us understand
these apparent contradictions constantly
renewed in reference to the position of
Christians in France. The Government
seems to be too enlightened and too
humane to desire, through fanaticism, to
fall upon them, to raise deep agitations,
and to be the means of procuring for godly
men the crown of martyrdom — and there
are few of those godly "inen whom our
flock numbers, and who are the salt of
the earth. But on the other hand, while
tolerating them per force, instead of blot-
ting them out by a decree a la Louis
XIV., the Government does not cease to
lend itself to small persecutions. It al-
ways receives the minute reports made
by priests, officers of justice, and gens
d'arme.

foret(;n FTEi.n.

304

FOREIGN FIEI.n.

(Sept.

" In circunis*tanc('s so painful and try-
ing we arc not, liowevor, allowed to lose
eourago. There was no real good upon
the earth when the God-nian, Christ Jenus,
appeared, and it is to a single individual
that we must trace the diffusion of light
by which, since his day, sixty generations
have been enlightened. In Jesus alone
your thousand American churches, and
the millions of faithful Christians, more
or less op}>ressed, scattered over the
ancient world, find their foundation, their
strength, and their God. If there were
neither Savior nor Holy Spirit, there
would be no hope for any nation : but as
both do exist, no one ought to despair to
see the most ' drj^ bones ' revive.

" The priests of Mary have without
doubt been authorized by the providence
of God, as foi"nierly were tl^ose of Baal on
Carmel, to show in France what they can
do, and behiml them was Elijah ready to
confound them. Now, in this day of Gos-
pel influence and light, we have more than
the Elijah of old, for the disciple of Jesus
Christ is greater than any prophet. We
hope, therefore, that there will be in
France, after those displays of supersti-
tion and arrogance, an outpouring of the
Holy Spirit, and that a jealous God will
show what difference there is between
light and darkness.

" W e are then led to believe, from the
abundant spiritual harvest with which God
has blessed your United States, and after
so many prayers offered up by you in be-
half of our nation, that God will look with
pit}' upon us ; and we believe, also, that
in the numerous meetings in your country,
it would not be inconsistent with Christian [
faithfulness to ask of God to cause a reli- 1
gious awakening in Europe, and particu-
larly in France, whose wants you so well
know. If God's ear is open to your sup-
plications, will he not reprove you for hav-
ing asked too little ? is he not rich enough j
for all ? and is it not those who have drank
of the water of life who ought to know its
value, and be willing to extend it to those
who are dying of thirst 1 Thus, when your
cup shall overflow with heavenly bless- i

I ings, pray for France, Switzerland, and
Italy.

" Your nioutldy sheet, which is cspe-
I cially devoted to the revie^v of Catholic
countries, is a fit organ for that appeal.
We invite you, then, to a general session
of prayer in the United States for Catholic
countries, or countries most threatened
with that curse ; and if God, as we have
reason to hope, does hear your prayers,
you will with us have abundant cause of
rejoicing.

" In the name of our brethren of the
Committee, I beg you to receive the assur-
ance of good- will and gratitude."

SWEDEN.

Why writing to the Secretary had been
delayed — the writer'' s duties — now
preaches in the house where fourteen
years ago he exercised his ministry —
has to retire to prepare the matter for
his monthly publication — a wonderful
itnpulse to evangelical matters — in
the last Diet no progress made in re-
gard to religious liberty, yet dissent
from the Established Church is increas-
ing— seven women who have become
Papists are in danger of banishment —
Paj)ists are resolute in piressing them-
selves into Sweden- — 07i the other hand,
the Gospel is making progress by
Bible and Tract Societies — Sunday and
day-schools are encouraged — ^Jrwon-
visitation useful — Rev. Mr. AhnfelVs
long journey of 2,800 miles — preach-
ings— goodresults, etc. etc.

" Stockholm, 17th June, 1858.
"Rev. Dr. Fairchild, New-York.

" Dear Sir : — It has been my intention
for some time to write to j'ou, but I have
been expecting my friend, brother Ahn-
1 felt, who had announced his intention of
1 visiting Stockholm. I hoped to be able at
the same time to give you some news re-
specting his travels, which afford more va-
riety of detail than my work. The latter,
as you are aware, consists in expounding
j the Bible, and proclaiming the Gospel
message to all those who will enter the
Bethlehem Chapel, where I no^v once
more have the permission of making it
known, after an interval of fourteen years,
i during which time we have been confined

1858.)

FOREIGN

FIELD.

305

first to tijc lowly liabitatioiia of tlio poor,
then to tlu! kiiuiU liiroil room, then to a
larg-or and a larger, till it gnswinto so nu-
iniirous a congregatiou that, only tlic
chapel in wliicli formerly Mr. Scott, the
Wesk'3 !Ui minister, used to preach, could
hold it, and there \ve now have our meet-
ings. JiesidcB these, I have my periodical
to publish every mouth, and to be able to
get some quiet for writiug the leading ar-
ticles in it, I am generally obliged to leave
town for a few days each month, so great
is the number of anxious in(|uirers, and
those who wish to consult me on subjects
connected with salvation or sanctifica-
tion. Some days I have not a moment
to myself from morning till night.

" From the foregoing you can gather
some idea of our position here, and that
God is doing a mighty work among us
also, though we have no such wonderful
news to tell as those we hear from America.
We are exceediugly interested in what
wo have read in regard to the revivals in
your country. May God in his grace
give such a powerful effusion of his Spirit
over the old world too !

" Before I proceed to tell yon what
brother A luifelt's experience lias been dur-
ing the last months, I should like to give a
sketch, however imperfect, of the progress
that is making here in Stockholm, as well as
some of the troubles we have to encounter.
You know that at the last Diet no pro-
gress was made in regard to religious
liberty. The kind wishes of the king in
this respect were completely frustrated.
This is a difficulty which meets us at
every step. Dissent is on the increase,
yet no jjruvision is made for the manner
in which Dissenters' are to be .treated, or
any law ensuring to them a safejiosition in
society. Every one is still liable to ban-
ishment. But public opinion has taken
strides during the last two years, and the
enormity of their old laws is more demon-
strated by their remaining in force, than
by any other argument whate^•er. A case
is now pending which concerns seven old
women who hacebecome Roman Catholics,
and the sword of banishment is suspended
19

over their heads. It is foreseen wliat a
connnotion will be raised by the lloman
Catholics, if the sentence is pronounced
and put into' execution. In the mcan-
tinus they are not inactive. It is clear
that Kome has intentions on Sweden. A
sisterhood is going to be foruKul here. A
large house has been bought in the south-
ern suburb, and it is rejjorted that a largo
establishment of Sisters of Mercy is
intended, of course paving the way for
P.apacy. These signs are of course rather
alanning, but we must place all our con-
fidence in the Lord, who can presei'vc us
from all evil and also from such fatal error.

"The progress of the Gospel is great.
Bibles are spreading, so also tracts in
large nnndjers. Colporteurs are going
over the whole country — at least a few, I
think, in every province except the east-
ern ones, where the prejudice against all
lay agency is so powerful that it shuts it
out almost completely. The bishopric of
Gothenburgh is a fortress with insur-
mountable bulwarks in tins respect.

" Sunday-si;h()ol3 are increasing, so also
day-schools, on tuo voluntary principle,
with really Christian teachers. These arc
trained either at the deacon's house of
Stockholm, or at a small institution, which
is conducted by an excellent Christian
lady of noble family. Baroness Passe.
She gives them lessons herself, and in-
spects their work, both during the time
they are under training, aud after they
have come to their respective schools.

" One remarkable feature of Christian
work, which at its commencement here
met with much opposition and the most
violent attacks from the press, ^s as that of
ladies visiting female prisoners. During
the four years that it has been going on
it has, however, had its usefulness nobly
vindicated by experience. At the pre-
sent moment the governors of the prisons
hail the visits of thejadics with gratitude.
They have seen a change effected in the
prisoners which they never expected to
see, and much has been done towards
procuring them employment, and getting
them into service after leaving prison.

306

FOREIGN FIELD.

(Sept.

The Lord has given the desire of serving
these poor women into man}' hearts. In-
stead of the lirst three, who weathered the
storm at the coniniencemeut of the work,
there arc now some sixteen or twenty
wlio visit regularly, and there is not a fe-
male prisoner in Stockholm who is not
visited once a week, or may be present at
the Sunday-school at the prison for penal
servitude, which the ladies carry on regu-
larly with all who like to attend, and who
arc not in separate confinement. Books
may also be distributed there, and these
are signs of progress, wonderful to us,
though to you they may appear in-
significant.

" When we think of Sweden as it was
fifteen years ago, it seems incredible that
such a change has been effected already,
and the change whicli is constantly going
on seems to be at a rate that increases
every day. Feelings of intense gratitude
must overwhelm those who have tlie op-
portunity of comparison, and happiness
as regards the future. May the Lord
help us to be faithful fellow-laborers with
him !

" Mr. Ahufelt has just arrived in Stock-
holm after an extensive tour of 400 Swed-
ish miles, (2,800 English miles.) He has
preached in churches and barns, in gar-
rets, in the open air, and once in a law-
court, or rather the room where the court
is generally held. It was opened by a
Christian judge. In such rooms Mr.
Ahnfelt had appeared many times before,
but standing before the judge accused of
doing the very thing which now he was
called upon to do.

" If we look to the fruits of his preach-
ing, one has sprung up in a part of Smal-
and, nearest to the eastern boundaries of
that province. An Antinomian move-
ment has talcen place, against whicli Mr.
A. preached with much power and bless-
ing, 80 that a great number of souls
were freed from the trammels of that
error. In many, we may say, in innu-
merable cases, blessings have followed
upon his preacliiug.

" I wish I could give you a better ac-

count of what he has experienced during
this last tour, but he only gave me a few
short notes, saying thai otherwise he could
not relate anything. The accompanying
circumstances are generally the same.
The time and place vary, but tlie subject
is one, and the liearers as invariably
worldly people, anxious incjuirers, or child-
ren of God already trusting in his grace
through Jesus Christ.

" And now, dear sir, I must finish this,
hoping that y(m will pardon its not con-
taining more of interest. I remain, mth
feelings of respect and gratitude, yours in
I the Lord. C. 0. Rosenius."

FRANCE.

IDOLATUOUS DEVOTION TO MARY, AND
DEEP HOSTILITY TO THE BIBLE.

The following extract from the
correspondence of the London Christ-
ian Times of the 5th of July of the
j current year, gives a dark and dis-
tressing view of tlie religious con-
1 dition of a large part of France. The
i Ultramontane party in that empire,
I seem determined to stop at no absurd-
ity, however great — at no blasphe-
my, however horrible. This is the
legitimate effect of the Romish sys-
tem, and how degrading is it to hu-
man intellect' — how offensive must it
be to God !

No wonder that the advocates of
such a religion hate, and consequent-
ly seek to destroy, the Bible. And
no wonder that the Pagans and Jews
refuse to receive the Gospel when of-
fered to them, because of what they
regard as its tcacliiDgs and influence,
as" gathered from the usages of Pa-
pal nations. But read the extract,
and learn to guard against Roman-
ism.

"Really, your readers will be tired of
allusions to Mary Immaculate, but the
' awful delusion is being spread far and

1858.)

FOREIGN

FllCI.r).

301

wide with such bohl hhisphciny hy the
Ultramontaiui clergy, that I am obliged
to recur to it again.

" 'The angel of the Church of Quini-
pcr,' having asked permission of the Pope,
' the king of kings, tlio Supreme Pontift','
had received the Bolenni charge to orna-
ment and enrich with a crown, in his
name, the statue of Our Lady of Kum-
engal. 'Arise, illustrious and holy pon-
tiff,' exclaimed the apostolic missionary
to the Bishop, ' the dearer to the clergy
find faithful of this diocese, inasmuch as
you have refused no sacrifice to obtain for
our Queen and mistress this honor un-
speakable, the lustre of which beams upon
each of us. Arise, and take in your ven-
erable hands this crown upon which you
called blessings from on high, mysterious
emblem of the love we bear to Mary ; and
we all arise with you, with the king of
kings, the Supreme Pontiff, to place the
royal diadem on the forehead of her who
is Jerusalem's glory, Israel's joy, the
country's honor, the patroness of Brittany,
the Virgin of Rumengal.' So much for
the West.

" If we turn to the East, we shall fijid
the Bishop of Nancy laying the founda-
tion-stone of a monument to ' the most
glorious prerogative of Mary — her Im-
maculate Conception.'

"At Rheims, the clergy pronounce, with
a taper in their hand, their self-dedication
to their goddess. 'We are happy,' say
they, ' to renew on this day our consecra-
tion, by solemnly professing the privilege
which has made you holy, more holy than
holiness itself, from the first moment of
your conception. We devote to you our
persons, our families, our goods, our joys,
our sorrows, our fears, our hopes.'

"This ascription of praise is entitled
' Consecration of the whole diocese of
Eheims to the Immaculate Conception.'

" In Paris, elegant little devices come
into every one's possession, in the shape
of lace-edged cards and painted silk, dis-
tilling, \vith more or less taste and art, the
'immaculate' poison. One of these re-
presents the Virgin, with the Divine Son

in lier arms ; with one hand he points to
the forbidden fruit, and with the other he
unites with Mary Innnaculate in crushing
the H(;rj)eiit with his cross.

" 'Mary crushes the enemy with the glo-
rious serenity iniierent to the Mother of
(Jod,' says the Unicers.

"In the South, the Prefect of Tarbes
has prohibited tiie sale of the immaculate
bottled water from the Virgin's spring at
Lourdes, until its mineral properties shall
have been examined. But does he think
thus to stop the superstition ? Adminis-'
trative measures will no more stop it, than
the trial .and decision of the Lyonese Court
stopped the sale of Salette water. No,
there is only one instrument that can ef-
ficaciously put an end to superstition.

Give abundantly God's written Word to
our population, and immaculate Virgins
and miraculous springs would soon fail to
amuse. This the priests well know, and
where they find a copy of the Bible they
destroy it if they can. I know of two or
three instances, within the last mouth, in
which, in Paris, the Holy Scriptures have
been destroyed, either in fact or in inten-
tion, by the agents of Rome ; in two cases
persons found reading the Bible were ad-
vised to bum it, one on penalty of losing
his situation as door-keeper to a private
house; in another, the nuns, dispensing
the public charity to an aged woman,
snatched up a Testament she had pos-
sessed for ten j'ears, tore out its precious
leaves, and carried the fragments away.
But the majority of the prefects care not
to touch the superstitions of the popula-
tion, and those who would save their peo-
ple from such folly and its manifold evU
consequences know not the antidote."

SANDWICH ISLANDS.

LETTER OF REV. T. COAN.

Letter received — misapprehension correct-
ed— letters and contributions froya Hilo
duly acknoiolcd ged hy the American
AND Foreign Christian Union —
how the oversight may have occurred —
deep sympathy in the work of the So-

308

FOllEIGN FIELD.

(Sept.

cieh/ — coiilnhiit.io7)s of the. ■natives to
btiild cinirclns vi ry liberal — Pojiery, its
charaetcristies — its doings at the Saiid-
wich and Society Islands, etc.

•'HiLO, Hawaii, May H, 1858.
" Rkv. E. R. Faircuii.1), D. D.

"My Dear 1>uotuku: — Your most
welcome letter of Jaiuiniy Ki, 1858, was
duly received.

" Allow me to say that I am truly happy
to stand corrected on a inisappreliended
point, and very lliankt'ul to you for your
pronii)t and satisfactory explanation . The
apparentlj' incidental note of j'our col-
league, Dr. McClure, which called forth
mine of October 27, ]857, was the first
line 1 had ever received from any oflicer of
the Union. I had correspondence with
very many of the philanthropic and evan-
gelical associations of America, and had
received prompt and excellent letters
from their Secretaries — letters which m-
gpired my people with love, and joy, and
enthusiasm ; and why we got noiliing of
the kind from yon or Dr. Bnird, to both
of whom I had Avritten, was mysterious.
But your expos relieves the difhculty.

" I now beg pardon for an unusual
oversight on my part. I had seen no-
thing from Hilo published in your Maga-
' zine. On reading your kind letter, I
turned to the number referred to, viz :
July, 1853, and found my letter to Dr.
Baird. How I had overlooked that num-
ber I know not, as I usually examine
your journal carefull}-.

" Probably I was absent when the
Magazine came, as I am from home
much of the time ; or I might have been,
to UAQ a sailor's term, ' swamped,' as is
sometimes the case, with a forty pounds'
mail, and when so pressed with labor that
I can read little or nothing. However
that may be, we are now in connnunica-
tiou, and so long as this mortal heart
heats it will feel a deep and true sympa-
thy in your work. We shall pray for you,
and we intend also to contribute our
mite from time to time to your funds.

" But, as I said to Bro. McClure, j'ou
will not expect anything from our poor

people for a year or two to come, as we
are raising $12,000 or 3^14,000 to build a
church edifice at llilo, and several thou-
sand more to build and improve meeting-
houses at out-slations, of which 1 have
twenty-live.

" For our principal nieeting-housc we
have collected $8,000, and the building is
up and enclosed ; all the inside remains
to be provided for. Our people are poor
in cash, but they are more ready and
cheerful in giving than any people I have
seen. Many of them give to the extent
of their power, yea, and beyond their
power. More than one ' poor widow,' in
giving her rial, gives all she has. We
have scores of such cases at every month-
ly contribution, and they do it joyfully.

" The amount of contributions in this
church, for various objects, during the
last twelve months is about ($5,000)
five thousand dollars."

POPERY ITS CHARACTERISTICS.

" I feel what you say on the 'revival'
and 'spread' of Papacy. It is a painful
tnith that that dreadful system still pos-
sesses all the vitality of ' the beast,' which
lives in spite of its deadly wound. No
false system on earth can compare with it
in tenacity of life, or in dogged persistency
of purpose. It is a hydra. It is ubiqui-
tous. Strike it down and it rises — kill
it and it lives — drive it out .and it
returns — go from it and it follows you.
Its Argus eyes stare at you every-
where. In the Senate-chamber, in the
civic-hall, in the lyceum, in the shop,
in the field. In the office, in the church,
in the city, in the hamlet, in the palace,
in the cottage, in the domestic circle, and
in the sacred nursery — everywhere, at all
times and under all circumstances, it
meets you. And it meets you with an
intrusive, a hypocritical, an audacious, or
a defiant gaze.

It is my decided belief that it is now
the most formidable obstacle to thejnogress
of truth and the spread of vital godliness
in our world. It is an extinguisher of light.

1858.)

FORRTGN FIELD.

a (listiirbor of pcaco, and a dostroycr of
Boula.

" U liiis liad a'painfiil liistory !it these
iHhuids a deadly oik; at tlie Society
group. It is now opposiiic; our niissiou
at llui Marquesas, and, like a jackal, it
will follow the Redeemer's army into all
dimes. In the field where I labor it
would seem to have spent its force. Its
converts are few, and mostly ignorant and
vicious. Its meeting-houses arc grass
hovels, i),nd mostly neglected. Its schools
are all suspended, and decay and extinc-
tion secerns marked on its altars. And
still it lives, and its priests, with a stub-
bornness worthy of a better cause, hold
on to the last ray of hope and grasp at the
last floating straw.

" Our only hope is in God, and the only
weapons we use against this ' enemy of all
righteousness' are truth and love. The
reign of truth and of love in the hearts of
God's people always checks and paralyses
the power of the Papacy. The Lord
consumes this and all other errors with
the ' breath of his mouth,' (the Holy
Spirit,) and destroys it with the 'bright-
ness of his coming.' Oh, if the Protestant
world were awake to righteousness, and
living under the clear rays of God's coun-
tenance, their salvation would go forth
everywhere like a burning lamp !

" In great respect and true love I am
yours in the gospel,

" Titus Coan."

BOHEMIA.

Bohemia is still a land of deep in-
terest to the Protestant world. The
bitter persecutions which have been
inflicted upen the confessors of the
truth there have not wholly extin-
guished the race of the disciples of
Christ, although they have been com-
paratively hidden for a long time.
Since the publication of the " Toler-
anz Edict," by Joseph II. on the 13th
of October, 1181, they have been
gradually emerging into the light.

In a po])ulation of 4,400,000 there
were 96,589 Protestants, according
to statistics published in Prague, in
1854, or one Protestant to about
fire Roman (Jatholics. Tiiis may
soein'a small proportion of Protest-
ants ; but when the circumstances are
considered — the persecutions which
they have endured, and the civil
disabilities to which they have been
subjected — it will seem a remarkably
large proportion.

Tlie Bohemian Protestants are gen-
erally poor in this world's goods,
but rich in faith and other gifts and
graces of the Spirit. Tiiey are emi-
nently an upright and moral people
in their lives, contrasting, in this re-
spect, so strikingly with the Papal
population as to attract the attention
and command the respect Oi tne ch-
eers of the Government. They are
strict observers of family worship,
and almost invariably combine, in
their exercises, reading of the Scrip-
tures, singing some devotional hymns,
and offering prayer to the only living,
the triune God. And thus the yovmger ♦
members of the families are well
instructed, and guarded against im-
moral practices.

Tiiey are gradually gaining privi-
leges from the Government. They
now have liberty of public worship —
secession from Rome to Protestant-
ism is much easier than formerly ;
and lately they have obtained some
rights, in regard to burying-grounds
and the burial-service, which they
had not before enjoyed.

But every effort is still put forth by
Rome to maintain her hold upon the
country, and suppress the growth of
Protestantism. She even offers for
sale, at fairs and public places, her
"letters of indulgence," as in the
days of Tetzel. But the Protestants

310

HOME FIELD.

(Sept.

seem to understaiul her wiles, and
st;\nd firm. The cause of evangelical
truth, wc trust, will continue to ad-
vance in the land of . IIuss and
Jerome, till all shall enjoy its benefits.
Let us rcjt)ic\i in tlio light that God is

causing to spread in that dark region,
where Rome has so long exercised
her most fearful tyranny, and extend
to our sufi'ering yet faithful brethren
there our warmest sympathies and
cordial support.

II O M E

Few works of philanthx'opy and
Christian benevolence arc more deli-
cate and difficult of performance than
that which seeks to difluse the Gos-
pel, in its purity, among the Papal
population of our country. From
their youth, the Papists are taught
to believe themselves the only pos-
sessors of the '■ true religion," and
that Protestants are heretics, and in
the way to everlasting death. Thus
they are fortified agaiijst the truth,
and are prepared to i-esist the ap-
proaches of those who, in the spirit
of the Savior, would bring to them
the " Word of life," and pray them
to be " reconciled to God."

But it will be gratifying to the
friends and patrons of the Society to
be assured that our Missionaries in
the Home, not less than in the
Foreign Field, are successful in their
labors. Sometimes they meet with
great discouragement. The Romish
priesthood, of course, do all in their
power to render their labors difficult
and abortive, yet God is with them
to protect and comfort them ; and
sometimes their success exceeds their
highest expectations ; while gener-
ally, we may say, the fruit of their
labors is equal to that which is given
to any missionaries.

The following report from a mis-
sionary in one of our cities in the
interior is certainly full of encourage-

FIELD.

ment. Few can read it, we think,
and withhold their admiration of the
grace of God, or their thankfulness
for the existence of an institution
that so cares for the Papists of the
land, and does so much as the Ameri-
can AND Foreign Christian Union to
bring to them (of every tongue among
us) the glorious Gospel of Christ,
and to instruct them in its princi-
ples.

The Papists now among us, though
born in other lands, are to remain
here, and they and their children will,
sooner or later, greatly affect all our
interests. To do them good, to seek
to train them aright, is our privilege
as well as our duty ; and we rejoice
that, as a Society, the American and
Foreign Christian Union is beginning
to have so happy a history in this re-
gard. Though comparatively noise-
less, yet her works along our tho-
roughfares, in our great cities, and in
the interior, and even in rural dis-
tricts, proclaim her usefulness and
importance to the cause of evan-
gelical religion and the interests of
humanity.

What valuable results, in the city
referred to in the following "Re-
port," are seen as growing out of the
labors of merely one of our mission-
aries ! Friends of tVie cause, take
courage. These results here record-
ed by this missionary alone are worth

1858.)

HOME

311

to our land more than the Society lias
cost from the date of its org-anizatioii
to the present luoiiieiit. These move-
ments to educate the neglected girls
and boys in the nation — to a large
extent the children of foreigners and
of Papists— is what we need. G athcr
and teach them properly, throw over
them the influences of the Gospel, and
tliey may become not merely good
citizens, but they eventually may be
saved. Tor such results we earnest-
ly strive, and cert.vinly we have la-
bored NOT WHOLLY IN VAIN.

A SUCCESSFUL LABORER'S REPORT.

Labors prospered — meetings held in a
room over a liquor store — drunkards
and others disturb them — a kind magis-
trate— -Sabbath-school broken up but
gathered again — the Methodists take
the station — city movement about an in-
dustrial school — the missionary and a
few ladies begin the work — almshouse
labors — meetings icell attended — people
afraid of the priests — children love the
missionary — summary of the month's
labors.

" Another month is past, with its cares,
anxieties, and labors. I hope, even in
this dark corner of ' the vineyard of tlie
Lord,' good results will be found not many
days hence. God has graciously conde-
scended to bless the labors of the past be-
yond m}' most sanguine expectations.

" I mentioned in a former report some-
thing concerning a place, close to the
south side of this city, where I labored
for some time, preaching to a few persons
in a room over a liquor store, which was
hired for the purpose of keeping day and
Sabbath-school in.

" The liberty of preaching in it was
granted to me by the trustees of the
school. For a while I kept the stand
firmly, amidst all kinds of oppoodtion and
noise of drunkards, until a gentleman, a
justice of the peace, heaving of the an-
noyance, kindly proffered me the use of
his office ; this I accepted thankfully, and
preached in it for a time.

" Our Sabbath-school over the 'grog-

shop' was broken up, but the children
were again gathered in by our Methodist
brethren, and the school was kept in the
justice's oflice. The good work thus be-
gun has been carried on by tlu^m, and is
now in a prosperous condition. They
have built a neat little meeting-house,
where they have a good Sabbath-scliool
and occasional preaching; and, best of all,
a number of i»reeious souls have been con-
verted to the Lord iu that little village.

" Our industrial school movemont,
(which was the origin of the great
industrial enterprise now being car-
ried forward towards completion by our
city fathers, the buildings for which
will cost $25,000,) had a very small and
feeble begiuuiug. Your missionary, with
a few pious ladies, for a considerable time
met once a month to talk over the mat-
ter, and to lay it before the Lord of Hosts,
who blessed tliose efforts, and has now
made the Institution an instrumentality
of much good to many of the rising
generation. The corporation Industrial
School building will soon be finished and
ready for use. It will, no doubt, be the
means of reclaiming manj' of the idle and
vicious youth of our city. It is a great
work tliat is contemplated, and that has
riseu from such humble beginnings.

" The fruits of all my labor at the alms-
house cannot be fully known, as the peo-
ple are all the time coming and going.
But hundreds have heard the Gospel
preached there, and many children have
been instructed in the first principles of
evangelical religion, -with care and ten-
derness. I give Tracts, Bibles, and Testa-
ments to all who will receive and prom-
ise to read them ; and many have received
tliem luith thankfulness and gratitude.
My meetings at the present time are well
attended, both at the alms-house, and at
R street station.

" My temperance society is doing well;
many of the voung are flocking to the
standard, and taking an active part in its
management, and in gathering in others.

" My visits are received as usual, by
some kindly, by others with diffidence,

312

HOME

(Sept.

not Avitli prcjiiilicos ni^ainst jre, nor what
/ sai/ to them ; l)iit for fear their prie.it.i
should know it. But the children of all
the fiiniilios give mc always a smile and
a hearty welcome. Poor little croatures !
their minds are as yet uncorrupted, and T
hopi^ will ever remain so.

" This month I have distributed 575
Tracts, - three Riblcs, and five Testaments,
preached and held other religious meet-
ings IG times, visited the sick and the
dying, read th(' Scriptures to them, and
conversed and j)rayed with them. These
exercises have been pleasing to me, and
I believe profitablq to many of those
visited."

IRISH MISSION SCHOOL IN NEW-
YORK CITY.

LETTER FROM .MISS B , A TEACHER

I\ THE SCHOOL.

Tfie day-school increasing — pupils great-
ly impi-oved in appearance — less oppo-
sition from without — hooks greatly
needed — Industrial School well attend-
ed— girls interested in it — donation to
it—Sahhath-school doing well- — teach-
ers needed — many acts of kindness
shown by visitors, etc., etc.

" Dear Sir : — I am happy to report
to you that our mission day-school on 4;3d
street, in this city, is steadily advancing.
Every week, indeed almost every day of
the week, we have some new names to
add to our list.

"Another equally pleasant fact, is the
appearance and manners of the children,
wiiich are so greatly improved that we
can scarcely recognize them as belonging
to the same class with which we com-
menced less than three months ago.

"We also feel glad to report that our
prospects are brightening in other partic-'
ulars. One of some consequence is, that
we are not so frequently or so grossly in-
sulted by rude and inimical persons, on
the street at our very doors, as we were
in the beginning of our labors. Then wo
were often greatly annoyed, and even
violently threatened at times.

" I must not omit to mention that with
the increase of our school, wc have been

put to our 'wits' end ' to furnish our pu-
pils with text-books in suflTicient numbers
to make the lessons pleasant and profit-
able.

"Our 'cards' have been now read and
repeated so frequently, that I fcu-l assured
the children would take hold of some new
ones with great avidity. This feeling and
taste is not peculiar to childhood. In
adult life, ' novelty is pleasing.'

" Our ' Industrial School ' has been
well attended. The time set apart for
sewing has been Iook(>d iorward to with
much, interest, particularly 1)y those who
were the recipients of favors from that
quarter. Wo had a donation, a short
time since, of about eighty yards of cot-
ton print, very suitable for girls' dresses
at this season of the year.

"Our Sabbath-school is quite as large
as we can attend to without the help of
more teachers. We have had the prom-
ise of aid from several quarters, and we
look forward with bright hopes to their
fulfillment.

" I cannot close this report, without ac-
knowledging the kindness of many friends,
from different parts of our own city and
from neighboring cities, who have from
time to time found it convenient to visit
us, and who, while they encouraged and
refreshed us by ' the word in season,'
were also pleased to express their unqual-
ified approval of our mode of instruction
and discipline, and the many good results
of our labors. llospectfully yours,

" 11^ ■ B ."

The Day and Industrial schools

noticed by Miss B in the above

report, are the growths of the Sab-
bath-scliool which was connneuced,
in that part of the city named by our
missionaries, more than a year ago.
Tlie advantages connected with them
for diirnsing evangelical truth in
places from which it has long been
excluded, is very great;

The children taught arc those who
fail to be gathered into tlie "Public
Schools," and who, otherwise, would

1858.)

HOME FIEI,n.

313

roinain unt!xn.!?lit, nnd bo loft to p;row
up in vico and irrolif^'ipn, and become
dupos of tlie .Pa])acy. Several iiun-
DRKos of such children have been
greatly bonofitod by these schools
which our missionaries have collected

and taug'ht, and of which Miss B

has briefly written.

IRISH MISSION IN NEW- YORK
CITY.

The m.i.ision prospering — interesting Bi-
ble-rl.ass — sickness nmnng the pupils —
death of a little girl — Romanists soft-
ened, and ask for Bihles, etc. — an in-
teresting family — two mem.hers convert-
ed— the hushand thoughtful — mothers
Iring their children to the mission school
and ask admittance — summary of the
month's icork, etc., etc.

" I have to inform yon that our work is
on the advance, both with reference to
our school and system of daily visitation
among Romanists. "Wo have a very in-
teresting- Bible-class cv vy day, and the
children are acquiring a gi nt amount of
knowledge of the Scriptures. There is a
great improvement generally among the
scholai's.

" There has been a great deal of sickness
among the children, for some time past,
and some have died. It is a painful, yet
in some sense a pleasant work, to visit
the families in time of sickness and death,
to sympathise with them in their sorrows,
and to seek to do them good. My visits
to tlicm, at such times, have been well
received and highly valued. One little
girl who had been coming to our school
for some time, (her parents are Romanists,)
was sick for some weeks, and then she
died. I visited her during her illness, and
conversed with the parents on the suliject
of religion. The girl seemed to be much
impressed in regard to the things of eter-
nity. I trust that she is one of those lit-
tle flowisrs that shall bloom for ever in the
Savior's heavenly kingdom.

" I have been very busy in visiting the
families in the district, and especially

those wbose children come to our scbool ;
nnd wliile T nu'ot oceasiorially with some
Ronuin Catholics whose prejudices and
opposition against the truth are as strong
as ever, yet I am happy to say, as a general
thing, Romanism here is weakened. Sev-
eral Romanists have of late been asking
me for Bibles and Testaments, and T have
received messages to call and talk with
them on the subject of religion.

" I held a very interesting conversation
with a Roman Catholic man a few days
feince. After I explained to him the way
of salvation through a crucified Redeemer,
and laid before him the nature of evan-
gelical religion, he seemed to receive; with
the deepest interest what I had said. He
has a very interesting family of children
who, for some time, have been coming to
our school, and I have reason to believe
that two members of this family hnvebeen
converted to Christ. I trust that the hus-

■ band Anil soon lead as well as join his
family in sending up daily and acceptable
prayers to God.

" Mothers come with their children al-
most every day to sock admittance for
them mto our school, and some who were

j afraid to send at the first, do now send
them.

" We had some of the oldest of the
j children on an excursion to Fort Lee
j on Wednesday, through the courtesy
of some of our friends of the Fiftieth-
street Church. The children enjoyed it
very much.

" I have had some sickness this month 'in
my own family. Two of my children had
the measles, hwi are now, we think, ' out
of danger.' The warm weather has
thinned our Sunday-school a little, but
we expect in the Fall to have a large
; increase.

" I have visited during the month
259 families, and distributed 567 pages
of Tracts, and given to Romanists and
others four Bibles and five Testaments.
I have given to children and others 38
volumes from our library. The children
of our Sunday-school love to read those
books. Besides these, I have suppUe^

314

HOME

li"IELD.

(Sept.

tlioui with otlioi" religious reading, that
has biH'ii supplied by kind friends.

" We liave very little help in our Sun-
day-school at present, so we have to do
the work alone. We have not met with
nuieh annoyance, of late, from the evil-
disposed parties who used to trouble us,
but our work is progressing-, and is gain-
ing the confidence of the Ronumists in
our district. Many of them now say, we
are ' doing a good work on their child-
ren.' I feel happy to be cuiployed by
your Society to do this great work of
seeking to convert Ilouianists to Christ,
and I trust, through the bl(?ssing of God on
our eflbrts in this part of the citj-, that
many may soon see and renounce their
en'ors."

The mission-school referred to in
the foregoing rei)ort, is the same as

noticed in the report of Miss B

which precedes it. The missionary,
who labors in the district in which
the school is located, visits from house
to house, converses with the families
to which he gains access, reads the
Scriptures, und prays with them when
allowed so to do, and leaves with
them religious Tracts, or copies of
the New Testament or the Bible, if he
finds good reason to believe that they
will not be destroyed, but be used
properly.

He also sjiends a sliort time, per-
haps an hour daily, in the school, and
instructs a Bible-class, aud sings with
the children some evangelical hymns
which they commit to memory. Thus
the mission is rendered very cfl'cctive.
The improvement which the children
make is very encouraging ; and
though not a little effort has been
made, on the part of Papists to
break it up, God has favored the
work, and great good has been done.
We shall look to the friends of the
cause in this city to support tiiis en-
terprise, and we hereby gratefully

acknowledge the kindness they have
thus far shown towards it.

ITALIAN MISSION IN NEW-YORK.

The Italians who live in this city
and in Brooklyn have few to care
for their spiritual state, and their
widely-scattered residences renders
it difficult to assemble them for re-
ligious purposes. The missionary of
our Board, however, within the last
month has visited a good number of
Italian individuals and families, held
consultations with them on the subject
of evangelical religion, and succeeded
in collecting groups of from five or
six to twenty persons, to attend meet-
ings for prayer and reading the
Scriptures. He has, however, met
with decided opposition to his work,
in one instance having the door of the
room in which the meeting was held
pelted with stones, and the glass of
the windows broken. The mission-
ary thinks the opposition instigated
by the Romish hierarchy ; but not-
withstanding" the hindrances thrown
in the way of his labors, they have
not been wholly in vain. A number
have manifested much interest in Gos-
pel truth, and a few have been con-
verted aud now attend Protestant
places of worship. This is the re-
sult we aim at — the conversion to
Christ of these imperishable souls ;
and if it can be accomplished, it is
surely worth the effort. We must
expect the rage of Satan to be ex-
cited, when any of his subjects are re-
claimed and added to the number of
the Lord's people.

1858.)

IIISCKI.LANKOU.S.

MISCELL

AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMIS-
SIONERS FOR FOREIGN MIS-
SIONS.

A circular lias just come to our
hands nuiking a stronj:^ appeal in be-
half of the American Board of Com-
missioners for Foreign Missions, and
urging individuals in all the churches,
to which it may be sent, to make
a SPECIAL effort in its behalf. Ifct
is our sincere wish that the appeal
may be successful, and the work be
accomplished at once, and not be
stretched over the whole of the com-
ing year.

We have a variety of reasons for
this wish, but we notice only the fol-
lowing :

1. Because the Church is not doing
too much to send the Gospel to the
heathen, and the appropriations made
by the Board are the smallest that
could have been made by them in the
circumstances ; and, therefore, the
raising of the money is essential to
the successful prosecution of their
work.

2. Because the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions
is not the only Society engaged in the
great work of doing good, or of
preaching the Gospel to the perishing.

The American Home Missionary
Society and the American and For-
eign Chrlstian Union have hundreds
of missionaries on the Home and For-
eign Fields, preaching the Gospel,
whose labors are equally important,
equally successful, and ichu are equally
dependent on these Societies for their
bread. And the sj-stem of making
yearly special efforts, besides the reg-
ular collections of that Society, only

ANEOUS.

disarranges all the plans of system-
atic benevolence, and intorf<!re8 with
the operations of all the other great
benevolent Societies.

A PASSPORT TO HEAVEN.

A document of this nature, which
appears to liave cost the bearer the
pious little sum of four hundred
thousand francs, has been found in
a manuscript belonging to the library
of the British Museum, in London,
No. 6,845, fol. 143. It is in the fol-
lowing terms :

" We, the UDfiersigned, priests and true
ecclesinstics, atte.st and promise lhat our
Society, which has full powers for the pur-
pose, takes the Sieur Hippolyte Oreem,
jurist, under its protection, and pledges
itself to defend hiui against all the infernal
powers who would injure his body, soul,
goods, and estate: — in confirmation whereof
we engage the authority of liis Highness
the Prince, our Founder, to the end that
the said Sieur Brifm be presented by hioi
to the blessed chief of the Apostles, with
all the fideUfy and exactitude to which our
Society binds itself by these presents.

'• Signed and sealed witli the seal of the
Society.

" Francois de Seelin,

"Rector of the Society of Jesus.

" Francois de Suhhon,

" Priest of tlie Society of Jesua.

" Petit de Potn,

" Priest of the .Society of Jesus.'

" It is known," says the Ohservateur
Catholique, " that the Jesuits were in
the habit, as they probably still are,
of issuing these passports for the
other world. Louis XIV. had one
made out in due form. It is very
questionable, however, whether St.
Peter honors the signatures of the
reverend fathers."

:ur>

MISCELLANEOUS.

SATNT NAPOLEON.

It is iifif. o-(Mipriilly known that tlio
"Romish (^Imrcli has upon its calendar
a St. Nooi)olns, or Napoleon, whose
annual feast-day occurs on the fif-
teonlh of Aus^ust. The Berne Calho-
lir/ue, of Louvaine. in the July number
of 1857, pa.sre 396, contains the fol-
lowinji' lines, being' part of an article
upon the writings of the Abbe Cor-
neille Stevens :

"Stevens criticizps. in the same wnt-k,
[r.oftei- of the firnt of Decembov. ISOfi.] the
estnhlishinpTit of the Feast of St. Napoleon,
fixed for the fifteenth of Augnst hv an Im-
perial (iecree of February 19lh, 1806, con-
firmefl by the Cardinal Caprara. letr.ite
a latpre. Aeeordinfr to Stevens, the holy
martyr Neopolns, or Neapolus, is different
from St. Napoleon, vvho never exi.sted
Rnt, snpposinir even that he did exist, and
that Napoleon and Neopolus are the same
name, his feast onjiht not to be eelebraled
on the fifteenth of Ansfust. The arguments
of Stevens made such an impression on
many curates, that they fibjectod to baptiz-
ing children whose ofod parents wished to
give them the n.'ime of Napoleon."

It would not do to give it up so.
Saints are scarce in that famous fam-
ily. And it has come to pass, that
other learned men, "better informed,"
has since made it out that Napoleon
is the name of the blessed martyr
Neopolus, according to the Italian
manner of pronouncing it in the Mid-
dle Ages ; and they have also agreed
in placing the anniversary of his
martyrdom on the fifteenth of Au-
gust. The reader who is curious in
this matter is referred to the " Lives
of the Saints," by Alban Butler, un-
der that date. As to the name itself,
it is composed of two Greek words,
of whicli the first means new, and the
other signifies the ymmg of any ani-
mal, and sometimes, in the poetic
style, the young of the human being.
The compound name, therefore, means
simply young-child.

THE MEMORY OF LUTHER.

On the 20th of last July (1851)
monument was raised, by the lib-
erality of the Duke of Meininger,
.near the Thuringian forest, to cora-

(Sept.

memorato the abduction of Luther,
for his own safety and his seclusion
in the castle of Wartburg, by order
of his vigilant friend, the Puke of
Saxony. The monument consists of
a simple column, erected on the spot
where this amicable arrest was made.
Thousands of joyful spectators were
present in festal costume, and made
the welkin ring with their enthusi-
astic singing of Luther's favorite
hymn — " Ein festc Burgist unser
Gott."

A more important monument is to
be raised at Worms, where the bold
reformer so bravely confessed Christ
in the presence of the haughty Em-
peror Charles V., and his Biet, or
Parliament of bigoted lords and
bishops. At the last account above
ten thousand dollars had been con-
tributed for this memorial, of which
sum Queen Victoria and her consort
gave a liberal share. The work of
construct on was to have been com-
menced last year.

It is gratifying to observe these
indications of revived Protestant feel-
ing in Germany. We regard them
as tokens of a quickened religious
life, and of a growing zeal in behalf
of those great Bible truths by which
the monk of Wittemburg shattered
the ancient and formidable despotism
of Rome.

ADDRESSES AT THE DEDICATION
OF THE AMERICAN CHAPEL IN
PARIS.

ADDRESS OF PASTEUR FISCH.

Among others who participated in
the services of the dedication of the
American cliapel in Paris was the
Rev. Mr. Fisch, a pastor of the Tait-
bout church, which was kindly
granted to us w^hile our chapel was
in process of erection. His address
on that occasion was very appro-
priate, and it extended to the enter-
prise, and all associated with it from
America, a most fraternal and cor-
dial welcome to the French metropo-
lis. It did not reach us in time to

1858.)

MISCf;i,LANICOUS.

311

appear in tlio iminbor of the Mag-a-
ziiu! which coiilaiiicd llic address of
the Rev. Dr. (i! raadpiorre, and il
was uiuiv(ii(hxl)ly crowded iroiii the
coliiiniis of Liie last munber. Wo are
happy to .sul)iiiit it to our readers
now, and are ({uite sure that tiiey
will rejoice willi ns in the spirit
wliich it breathes, and the brifjiit
prospect oi' this chapel which it in-
fers. Mr. Pisch said :

" My Christian Fkiknus : — I am hero
not only the representative of the Free
Church of France, but 1 am also one of
the pastorw of tlu; Taitbout church, which
had the privihsge of giving- hospitality for
a whole j'ear to this congregation. I say
the privilege, for I think it was indeed a
great honor conferred upon us, to receive
under our roof a church based on those
principles of Christian union which were
so admirably laid down in the paper read
by one of your oliice-bearers, and in the
excellent sermon that we have just heard.
I will suggest that this discourse be
printed by many thousand copies, in order
that every American attending this church
may receive one of them.

" It is with a deep gratification that I
attend the opening of this new church.'
When I passed through this street, and
saw the building which was in the way of
being erected, I rejoiced to think that this
line Gothic architecture was to shelter
not the mere show of gorgeous external
rites, as it happens too often to be the
case, but the sound, simple, and scriptural
preaching of the everlasting gospel. May
that gospel resound always with its
almighty power w ithin these walls !

" I consider, moreover, this American
church, based upon non-sectarian princi-
ples, as a means of immense blessing for
our metropolis. We needed that such a
testimony of the real unity which exists
among our diversities on minor points
should be given by American Christians.
The church of Rome, our mighty adver-
sary, opposes to us continually, as an
irresistible argument, our numerous splits,
exemplified by the ecclesiastical state of

America. Tiieir jihantawy niultiplvcs
your sects at leisure, and they allirni
you have thousands, even ten thousand of
them.

" Now we have on(! of those answers
which are far stronger than the most
powerful argument. Here w(! have not
wordi^ but a deed. We can bring them
to tins church, saying to them, ' Come
and see ; here is a monument of that
I Christian love which is pervading all our
j dillerent organizations, and makes us all
j one in Christ,'

I " I have one rtsason more to rejoice at
; this opening.

j " There has always existed a jx'culiar
I sympathy between France and the United
j States. We, especially French Protest-
ants, look to your great nation with ad-
i miration. We take part in your sorrows
, and difhculties, we ask the Lord to re-
, move everything which may impair your
! testimony for Christ, and to let your sun
j shine before the world in heavenly bright-
[ ness, in its full glory, and without a sin-
gle shadow.

" We knew that there were at Paris a
great many of your countrymen wdiom we
wished to .welcome, and from whose ac-
quaintance we expected much benefit;
but they were scattered throughout this
great city, so that we did not know where
to find them. Henceforth we shall know
it. You have now a centre, a Christian
family circle, where every one coming to
this country may be sure to be heartily
received, to find all the sweet recollec-
tions of his native land, and to have a
friend in the pastor of this church.

" We hope to come sometimes to meet
you here, shaving in your religious ser-
vice ; and we hope also that these among
you who understand our language will
sometimes visit our own churches, so that
bonds of spiritual fellowship may be
formed still more and more between the
Christians of the two nations. Your ex-
cellent pastor will lind in us brethren who
are happy to see their little band strength-
ened by a new fellow-laborer, and who

318

MISCEU..

.ANEOUP.

(Sept.

give liiin from thi> drpth of their heart
the ri^jht hand of fellowsliip.

" And we hope, finall}', that many of
those who conic over from your country,
where the Lord is doing at thiis time t^o
great wonders of mercy, will stir us up
by the good tidings of tliat maiTelous
I'evival, and that a refreshing breeze of
the Holy Si)irit blowing from your shores
to tiiis hxnd will bring us also Pentecostal
blessings."

REV. JOHN SHEDLOCK.

The Rev. John Shedlock, of the
English Independent Church, who
was present and took part in the
exercises of the dedication, said
that—

" Solomon, notwitlistanding he iiad an
express command to build the temple,
and that he had accomplished the task of
erecting a house for God, when the mo-
ment arrived for liim to present it to the
Almighty, felt that he could hardly ven-
ture to ask God to make it his dwelling.
Still, encouraged by the manifestation of
God's presence, he offered up his prayer,
and received an answer in the tire tliat
came down from heaven. This humility
of the monarch was responded to by the
people — they fell on their faces and wor-
shiped God. So should you, my Ameri-
can friends, with humility present your
house of prayer, and in dependence on
God offer supplication.

" In this connection I would also sug-
gest that special prayer be offered for
those who have contributed their money
for the erection of the edifice, also for tiie
workmen by whose toils it has been
brought to a completion.

" Oh that the blessing of God, even his
salvation, may rest on these; and may
the lire of heaven come down here on tlie
pastor, and both pastor and people be
abundantly blessed with the love of
God!"

Committee-Members Present.

While speaking- of the American
Chapel, we will state to our readers,
that Messrs. Tucker and Curtis,
members of the " Prudential Commit-
tee," and residents in Paris, who,

with a few others, have had charge
of tlie Chapel in behalf of -the Board,
are now in this city, where they wjll
remain for a few weeks.

They bring us very flattering ac-
counts of the Chapel and its service
— of its acceptableness to the Amer-
icans, and of its usefulness and im-
portance to the cause of evangelical
religion — and of its happy bearing
too, in the estimation of Europeans,
on the reputation of the American
people in general.

The whole enterprise in that city,
to morals and religion, is a happy
conception, and we trust that the
EXTRA and unexpected debt devolved upon
the Board in connection with it — to
whicli we alluded in a former num-
ber, and which must be provided lor
in a sliort time, but which, had our
lamented Treasurer, Mr. Phelps,
lived, would have been cancelled
without allowing its existence to
have been known by the public — will
not be forgotten by those to whom
God has given means to liquidate it.

Since our last issue we have re-
ceived some valuable donations for
this object, for which we hereby offer
our acknowledgments to the gener-
ous donors, and we will hope to re-
ceive others from other persons in a
little season.

Mr. ANSON G. PHELPS, DECEASED.

The following resolution of I'espect
and sympathy was adopted in Paris,
France, by the "Prudential Com-
mittee " of the Board which has
charge of the American Chapel, at
tlieir meeting in June, on hearing of
the decease of Mr. Phelps in May
immediately preceding, viz :

" Resolved, That the Connnittee has
lieai'd with profound I'cgretof the death of
Anson G. Phelps, Treasurer of the
American and Foreign Christian
Union ; and while it bows with resignation
to the will of our Heavenly Father, who
has in infinite goodness and mercy re-
called our bi'other to himself, it desires to
record and to express by this resolution its
heartfelt sympathy with the bereaved fam-
ily, and with the comnmnity of which he
was so beloved and useful a member."
Signed, J. D. B. Curtis, Sec.

1858)

RECEIPTS.

319

A Nkw Book. — An American Di-
vine— tlu; Rev. Isa.vc P. L.VH.vaii — an
Episcopal clci-f^yinan of ]?rool<lyn,
Now- York, has recently issned a val-
uable little voliune on the subject of
lloiuanisni, entitled, "The Holy Cath-

olic ClIUKOII COMPAIIKI) WITH TIIK Ilo-
MAN O.VTHOLIC CUUKCII."

Further notic(\s of this, and notices
of otluu- books received— in the next
number.

iv c c c I p t s

ON HEUALF OF TIJE

AMKRICAN AND FOlll
JULY TO THE let

Fl!OM TIIK let OF

Maink.

I) ciiiiytvillc. Peter E. Voee, Efq., .

New-Uampshirk.

Haverliill. Pei'lcy Ayre

Hillsborough. Sii-phmi Richardson,
Keene. Diinicl Adams, in part of L. ^L for

John S. Adams

Gilsutn. Congregational Cluirch, per A. Hay-
wood, Esq 13 00

Vermont.
St. Johnsbnry. North Church, .

" South Church,

Rutland. Congregational Church,
West Rutland. " "
Chelsea. " " . .

Swantori " '* . ■

St. Alhan'6 Bay. " " . .

10 00

3 no

2 00

l."> 00

46 U
a.-) 46
29 .56
3U 00
la 66
M, 00
8 00

Massachusetts.
Greenfield, lat Congregational Church,

2d Congregational Ch., in part,

Haydenville

South Hatley. Sunday -school, towards L. M.
" Some of the yoimg ladies of

M. H F. Seminary,
South Hadley Falls. Congregational Church
Monthly Concert, in part to
make Rev. E. Knight, a L. M.
Williamftown. Cougrcgatiunal Ch., in i)art,

ISraintrfe. Anah,

Andover. Theological Seminary Church,
Lawrence. Lawrence-street Church, in full
to make Oliver Bryant ri L. M.
Kast Marfhfield. Congregational Church,
West Cambridge. Orthodox Cong. Church,
'iVwkeRbury. Congregational Church, .
Wilminprton. Conr;'l Ch. in full to make Rev,
Sam'l H. Tillman a L M. .
Bo.«ton. E. S. Rand, Esq, forthe Paris Cliapel,
Amher.^t. A legacy of the late Mrs. E. Haven,
by l*j-of. HavHi,,
A legacy of the late Mrs. M. Hunt,
wliich makes Joseph CU'Verly
and Ebei.ezer Shaw Executors,

L. D's.,

2d (Jongregritional, balance,
College Church,
Congregational Church Sahbath-school,
in part for L M ,
Conway. Congregational Church,
Hinsdale. " "...

Great Harrington. Congregational Church,

for the Paris Chapel,
Sprinefield, George Merriam, Esq., for the

Paris Chapel. .
Hubbardstown. Mary Parker,

Connecticut.
New-Haven. 3d Congregational Chnrch, bal.

" Chapel-street Congrega'l Ch.,

Vernon. Congregational Church and Society,

per Allyn Kellogg,
Rockville. 1st Congregational Sabbath-school

per S. W Johnson,
Westminster. Eeclf siastical Society, per Na-
than Allen, ....
Wallingford. Congregational Church, per F.
J. Jarman,

Ahington.

Greenfield.
Amherst.
Gill.

23 23
73 70
2.5 00
6 20

8 00

8 33
60 Wl

10 00
20 72

22 27
3 01)
.'■>4 06
24 51

14 92
10 00

50 00

200 00
3 00
32 00

l.T 00
65 40
ID 00

08 7.5

100 00
1 00

24 00
98 28

40 00
25 00

6 00

;K;N CHRISTIAN UNION,
OF AUGUST, 18.5i».

Wattrbury. 2d Congi^ gational Church, per

N.,'l»oii Hall

Plainville. Congregational Church, .
Bristol. ■' "...

Daniclsville. " " to make

Sabbath-School a L. M.,

New-Yokk.

Marion. Uicliard H. Lee

New-York (.'ity. Mrs. Lucy Lord Sutton,
■' ■• F. V. Ru-titon, Esq.,
" , M. H. Myers,
Berkshire. Congregational Church, for L. M.
Newark Valley. Presbyterian Chui idi,
Brockport. Mrs. Lydia Gift'ord,
Sweden. Presbyterian Ch , Peter Sutphi n,
$10 for L. M. ; others, $2 53, .
Ariolarchu^ Champion,
J. H Decker, for L. M. $5; Albert
Marce-llus, in full of L. M , $10 ;
Steplien Lu,-k, ,«:>; Mrs. L.
Husha. 11, $\, .
IJiirou. Presbyterian Church, in part,
Wolcott. •' "

Presbyterian Church, in part, $7 02;
J, A, Mdler, for L, M., $:>; A. F.
Cressy, $10, for Mrs. Cressy's
L. M.; Esquire WiUiMms, $1,
Presbyterian Church, §11 (iO, for
L, M.; H. Dusenlmry. S'S 40, .
Presbyterian .Church, in phrt, .

Rochester.
Plttifurd,

Nevvark.

PortviUo.

Olean.

York. James McNab,
Bruckport. Clai kson Church. So of which tin-
Edwin Wadum.-' L. W.
Ogdcnsbnrgh. A Sykes, . . . .
Cuba. Kev. J Wyiikoop, , , , .

I'reshytenan Church, in full of L. M.

for .Sabbath-school, ....
T. H. Vance, lor L. M . . .
Brooklyn. (Miurch of the Pilgrims,
Brooklyn, Eastern District. M. B. H,,
Nurida, Mr,^ Mary J, Cosnett,
Hastines, Mr. and Mrs. Preston, .
DobbsFeny, Individuals,

.Methodist Episcopal Church,
Parnelia A. Graves,

Haverstraw,
Kitiderhook.
Fonda,
Camden, E

29 84
24 93
.39 00

30 00

1 .50
1 00
50 00
1 00
21 22
13 69
10 00

12 53

25 00

21 00

4 52

5 47

20 00

lu 00

10 00

10 56

2 00
33 42

)2 20
10 00
1-J4 13

3 00

1%

3 50
. 8 64
3 00
7 36

P. Osborn, in part for L. M,,
$10; Presliy terian Sunday-school,
in full of L. M., «10 30, . . 20 30
Presbyterian Church, . . 2ii 00
Baptist Chuich, . . . 7 00
P. Gridley, .... 5 00
Gen. J. J. Knox, in part L, M for
Charles E Knox, $10; others,

S6 13, 16 13

Wolcott Presbyterian Church, bal., . . 4 00
Anueiica. Congregational Churcii. in part to

to makeRev, H. E. Niles a L, M, 18 05
Presbyterian Church, in part L. M.

forUev. F. F, Ford, . . 13 13

Dea. Joseph Clark, fcir L. M,, . 5 00
B ick Presbyterian Church, . 51 75
Ref. Dutch Ch. to make Hcz'a E
Legg L. M. and P. J. Dubois in

part,

" A Friend

', Lockport. 1st Presbyterian Church,

Gilbert.^villo,

Utica. Hon
Augusta

Le Roy,

Batavia.

Rochester.

Kingston.

44 .50
5 00
19 50

New-Jersey.

39 00 I Keyport. M. E. Church,

8 03

320

RECEIPTS.

(Sept. 1858.

Kiiyport Baptist Clmixh, in part to make

Kov. I'. A yii.t.-r H 1,. M. . . C :i3
Miildlotown roiiit. I'n sb Cli. in pin t to mnke

Ki v. .1. M. lios' T6 a L. M. . 17 00
Midclktinvn. Wrllnnii.-t hjiiP. Clj., in piirt to

niul;r Ju v. C, H. Neal n 1,. M. 7 42
I'lTth Anibyj'. y. J',. VVoc.dbi-iilfif, A. M., to
inalir l!t;v. lii^uj. Cony, A.
C. Goodman, h. M.'s, . ]00 00
I'leehold. Hire. Mary I'eriin, . . . 2 OU
Long Branch. Mcth. l.pisc Cliuich, to malio

*Krv A Mcjrrcll al,. M., :!1 C:.
" DutcU Uot'. CI)., in pari, to muke

lii v. J. li. WiUunaL. M, G 13
Fariniiigiiale ami tiwauliuni. Moih £pis. Cli., 10 li-'
llaclvcnoatlt. Julin A. Parsons, i'.tq., . 100 00
Newton. Jtt I'rt'sby toriau Cluucli, to malvu
Tliomas H. tiliatrr and Danitl li.
Hull L M's., . • . . Bl 00
Lafayette. rrtsOytorum Cliurch, in pai t,'. 11 OU
Ringoua. I'ruibyicrian Uhurcli, . . .13 00

^ Pennsylvania.

Willianisport. A. 1). Hepburn, . . . 5 00
Piiiladi-lpii:a, M. M. iialdwin, for the Paris
C'liapL'l, ifc30; a friend, ditto.

$^5, 75 00

" William Purvis, $10; II. S. Per-

kins, $3; VV'ni, li. Teiibrook,

$10 2.) 00

" 1st Prscbytenan Church, add., 10 00

" Cedar Cliurcli, add., . . 8 ^3

" ~'d Reformed Preebyterian Ch , 'J OU

South Cauolina.

Charlrpton. Individuals in Circular Church, 13 00
" VViUiiiui S. Caldwell, ii»q., . 10 00

Geobgia. ,

Griiliii. C. II. Osborii, 5 00

Louisiana.

New-Orleans. John y. Walton. Ksq., . . .3 00
Kentuckv.

Louisville. Cumberland Pre.-byteriau Church,
Hi lull ol 1.. M. U.r llev. 11. A.
Hunter, D. D,, . . . .10 00
St. I'aul'ii LpihCopal Church, . iiS 90

Missouiii.

St. Louis. Wr. Edgell, ^0 00

" Methodist Episcopal Church, Uev.

Mr. I'artons ~'8 00

Illinois.

lielvidere. Martha II. Lacy 2 00

Lisbon. Congregalional Church, per Rev, L.

b. Lime, . . . . 14 00

Chicago. '3d Presbyterian Church . . . ilu 00

Indiana.

Greensburg. Mrs. 1. J. Hamilton, for L. M<
$3; Mrs. T. G. Hamilton, for
L. M., $5, .... 10 00

Sunday in Roman Catholic countries, . . 2e9
Rev. Dr. McDonald's Sermon — The Uiftusiou of

Pure Christianity, 20O

Foreign Field : —

Switzerland 302

Sweden, 301

France, 300

Sandwich Itlando, .'i07

Bohemia, 309

Home Field: —
A Successful Laborer's Report, . . . 311
Irish Mission-school in New-York City, . 312

Indianapolis. I. M. Frost, .... 30"
Zionsville. Mrs. Loughby, ... 1 00

Vaiidalia. Add., 75

Poplar Ridge. Friends' Meeting, . . 2 93
Pittsburgh. Rev. A. Jones and others, . . 9 10
Greencastle. Prof Nutt, .... 1 00
CrawfordsviUe. Mrs. House, L. M., in part,

$5; -Mios .Stephens, $2, . 7 00
Walnut Ridge. Friends' Meeting, . . 84 30
Charlottovillc. Lutheran Church, . . . 1 50
Munroe. Presbyterian Cliurch, in part, . I bti
New-Albany. 1st Presbyterian Church, add.,

Mrs. Filch, IJ3; A. A. Hay, IS5 8 00
" Centenary Methodist Kpisco-

jinl Church, ,1. Montgomery
and others, ... 2(1 50
" Wesley Chapel, P. Stoy and

others, 17 50

Bank-street Hajitist Church, J.

K. Wood and others, . 7 50
" Christian Church, . . . 3 75

" German Presbyterian Cliurch,

Charles Meeker, . . 2 00
.lohn-street Methodist Lpiscop'l

Church, .1. Forman, . . 2 00
" L. C. Ferry and others, . 17 00

Ohio. ;

Mount Vernou. Pre^bylenan Church, in part

L. M. lor Rev. M. A. Sackctt, 8 00
" Congregational Church, . 5 25

Wellington. Cong. Ch , add., and in part L. M.

for D. P. Reamer, . . . 3 20
Cleveland. Mrt. Horace Weddell, . . a 00
Austeuburgh. Cong. Ch., in part L. M. for

Rev. A. M. Ricbard.-ou, . 2 43
Erucksville. John Leard, . . . . 1 00
York. Add. to L. M. lor Mrs. Rotettu San-
derson, 1 45

Voungstown. \\ lUiam J. Ldvvards, in part

L. M., 5 00

Elyria. Dr. E. DeWitt, .... 1 00
Talmadge. Mrs. Amelia Hanford, for L. M. . 10 00
Hopewell. United Presbyterian Church, to

make two L. M.'s, . . 03 2ti

Fairhnven. Uuited Presb. Ch., in full of L. M.

for William C. Swan, . . 25 00
Morning Sun. Meeting, .... 2 15
Piqua. Associate Reformed Church, in part

L. M 9 Cfi

" Baptist Church, in part, . . 3 25
" 2d I'rcsliy terian Church, . . . 2 73
Fulton. PresbytLrian Church, add., . . a ij5
Cincinnati. Welsh Baptist Church, in part, 1 51
Seveiilh-st. Congregational Ch.,

lu lull for three L. M's., . . 8(102
Oberiin. Mrs. E. M Bowi-n, for L. M., $5;

Rev. G. Dana, in lull of L. M.,
$13; Thomas F. Howard, SI, . 2100
Bellevue. Congregational Church, in part

L. M. for Its Siibbath-school, . 6 95
Lyme. Presbyterian Church, in part L. M.

for Rev. J. B. fcheldon, . . . 11 25

Wisconsin.

Racine. Ist Presbyterian Church, . . 29 00

Irish Mission in New-York City, . . . 313
I Italian Mission in New-York, . , , , 314

Miscellaneous : —
American Board of Coniraiss'ioners for Foreign

Missions 315

A Passport to Heaven, 315

St. Napoleon, 316

The Ml mory of Luther 310

Addresses at the Dedication of the American

Chapel in Paris, 316

Mr, Anaon G, Phelps, deceased, . . 318

A New Book 319

Itcceipts, .320

CONTENTS.

For nse to

for im Id l.lk-arj ouiy