The Spirit of missions

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DOMESTIC MISSIONS

OF THE

AUGUST, 1861.

Funds for Domestic Missions. — Many will look with disappoint-
ment and sorrow upon the Acknowledgments which the Treasurer of
the Domestic Committee presents in this number.

To the missionaries, anxious for themselves and for their loved ones,
we would say : Do not take this statement as an index of the Church’s
care for you.

To all others we would put the earnest question: When are we to
begin to make sacrifices and self-denials, that we may save these faithful
men from being abandoned in their hour of trial, and left without sup-
port in their holy work ?

The Present. — No assumption can be more dangerous than that this
is not a time to push forward our Domestic Missionary work. Until all
the land is evangelized, and the institutions of the Gospel have attained
a vigorous growth every where in our borders, the work which, the
Church has undertaken to do for our country, is not finished. Duty to
God, who requires this proof of our affection, and love to our fellow-
men, which is a test of our discipleship, alike require from us active,
efficient, missionary work. The phases and aspects of the country at
different periods may produce some variance in immediate results, but
they are things upon the surface, which can, in no way, relax our obli-
gations of duty.

The present condition of the country, instead of justifying diminished

226

Funds for Domestic Missions.

effort, calls loudly for an increase. If there be excitement and turmoil, I
the Christian element should work its tempering and quieting influence.

If there be alienation and strife, the ministers of peace have the harder
task, it may be, before them : but still that task must be performed.

If stations and fields of labor are affected by the fluctuations of popula-
tion, by diminished worldly prosperity, by the temporary absence of
portions of their active citizens, by jarring party strifes and struggles, by
the ravages of war, do any of these things justify the abandonment of
these stations and fields of labor? Is the Church, is the Gospel, so a
thing of this world, that it is only to be found where, in the language of
the world, it pays? And pays now ? Do not these local reverses and
trials constitute a new claim upon us ? The foothold which we already
have should be maintained. If the Church is to be a power hereafter,
in any of these places, it must be seen that she is ready to sympathize
with, and comfort, and even make sacrifices for, those to whom she !
comes with professed blessings. By such means only can she retain
and perpetuate her present advantage. Let her be swept away ; let the ]
missionary retire from his work; let the church, half erected, be left to
crumble down ; let the children, the hope of the Church, be forsaken;
their Sunday-school be broken up ; their growing attachment to the whole-
some ways and usages of the Church be checked or left to vanish away ; let
such abandonment be even only for a time, till better days come ; and it
will then be found that those better days are not for us. People will
remember who remained with them, and who deserted them in their
hour of need. For the present, the times have deprived the people at
the stations of much of their ability to do their part towards the support
of the missionaries. Something they will yet do ; and the missionaries,
ever ready to sacrifice themselves, will generally be glad to work on
still, if they can have their missionary allowance. Let this be provided
for them, and in a few months, when troubles are over, and prosperity
returns, the missionary work at the stations will be saved, and go on
with renewed vigor.

The Right Spirit. — A long-tried friend to the missionary work of
the Church, in a letter to the Treasurer of the Domestic Committee, says :

“ Inclosed, I remit you a check for $ being my second semi-annual

Michigan.

227

contribution for Domestic Missions. This is in accordance with my pro-
mise made at the commencement of the present year of account.

“ I thank God for giving me the heart and the ability to do this, al-
though my income is curtailed one half.”

That is the right spirit! When, in the providence of God, worldly
means are passing away, the Christian, anxious to serve his Master, will
ask himself whether he can not, should not, use yet more of those means
in promoting the interests of the Church which are near his heart. In
doing so, he will, perhaps, find too, that in blessing others, he has turned
blessings back upon himself; and what he gave has been restored to him
many fold, if not in a literal, yet in a spiritual sense.

Corrections. — In the Domestic Correspondence in the June number,
the heading Minnesota was accidentally omitted, and the report of the
Rev. Mr. Olds, of that diocese, was placed under the head of Wisconsin.

In the July number, in like manner, the heading Wisconsin was
omitted, and the reports of the Rev. Messrs. Humphrey, Williamson,
and Young, of Wisconsin, were intermingled with those from the dio-
cese of Minnesota.

MICHIGAN.

Bay City — Rev. Edward Magee.

I have,, within a few weeks past, taken
up my abode in this parish. As a place
of residence, it is healthier than Saginaw
City, because sixteen miles nearer the
bay, and is visited proportionably sooner
by the cool breezes from the lake, which
in this season particularly are so desira-
ble. As a field of labor, and one of the
two under my charge, it has yielded, for
the care bestowed upon it, a much larger
return to the spiritual husbandman, in the
year gone by, than the other. This con-
sideration alone has determined me to
come here and see what, comparatively,
undivided time and efforts may do yet
further to develop its resources and in-
crease its strength. Pecuniarily, it is but
a little in advance of the parish at Sagi-
naw, in that it is out of debt ; and there-
fore can give toward my present support
only what it was pledged for half* my
services. Go where you will in this sec-

tion of country, the want of money is,
on all sides, like the “ thick darkness” in
Egypt, a thing that not only “ may be,”
but is, felt.

The refluent wave cast up by our na-
tional trouble over the land, has reached
us thus far North, and broken with
damaging effect upon our valley. The
whole business of this region lies in lum-
ber ; at least, every thing depends upon
it. Up to the present, the demand for it
this season has been as inactive as the log
out of which it is wont to be manufac-
tured. Hence the scarcity in question.
There is no money in circulation.

To remain at Saginaw City, therefore,
was only to add to a long-standing debt
which, although no longer pressing upon
the parish, is still heavy on the hands of
those who assumed it, and who are its
most zealous supporters. I deemed it
prudent, for this reason, to sever my con-
nection with it as Rector, yet at the same
time, leaving the way still open for the
discharge of such missionary duties among
them as their necessities ma}r require, and
my obligations elsewhere admit.

228

Wisconsin.

WISCONSIN.

Beaver Dam— Rev. L. D. Brainard.

Since my report in April last, the Bishop
has visited my missionary field, and con-
firmed ten persons — eight at Beaver Dam,
and two at Fox Lake. There would have
been two more, had it not been for un-
toward circumstances, which prevented
their presence. Before the confirmation-
service, which was on the 16th inst., I
baptized two infants. It was my inten-
tion to have made a collection for the Do-
mestic Board before I wrote this report,
but I find it just now to be utterly im-
practicable. Last week, we were startled
with the report that our third and only
remaining bank had failed, (two having
failed a few weeks previous.) This bank
had the entire confidence of this commu-
nity, and I am told f that there were in it
over $37,000 of deposits. Most of this
consisted of small sums, and belonged to
the poor, the fatherless, and the widow.
Nearly all of my congregation, who are
generally very poor, lost all the little
ready means they had. Truly do we real-
ize the truth of holy Scripture : “ Riches
take wings to themselves, and flee away.”
If a fire had burnt up half of our young
and growing city, it could not have caused
greater dismay, or been more prejudicial
to the interests of the place. All who
had a few Wisconsin bills were afraid to
keep them over night, lest they should be
worthless in the morning by the failure of
the banks ; hence nearly all of our citizens
have lost something. Perhaps your mis-
sionary is the only one who escaped, and
he came olf free , because he had nothing
to deposit, and therefore nothing to lose.
To be poor, at times , is very inconvenient ;
yet often it is safe. I believe I realize the
force of that old adage now more than
ever: “Blessed be nothing.” These be-
ing the circumstances in which we are
placed, it is utterly impossible to do any
thing for missions, or raise any money for
any religious object, just now. Our
hearts are willing, but alas ! our pockets
are empty.

Duck Creek (Oneidas)— Rev. E. A.

Goodnough.

At this time I have nothing of special
note to communicate, farther than the
cheering fact that by the Divine blessing,
the mission is doing the work of an evan-

gelist amongst our red brethren in the
most satisfactory way. Signs of greater
interest in spiritual things are continually
manifested. The Indians are gradually
learning that they, even they, have im-
mortal souls needing salvation. This, with
a class of them, is a great advance, for
naturally they care for none of these
things, and are disposed to let matters
take their course. They are naturally
slow to understand that they must make
exertions in order to gain eternal life.
But the glorious work goes bravely on,
and by the continual blessing of God,
there is no doubt but that here, in a few
years, may be found a community of
christianized and civilized Indians.

To give an instance of the good the
mission has done, is doing, and will con-
tinue to do, I will relate one or two cir-
cumstances :

There is here an old Indian woman,
nearly a hundred years old; she is a
member of the church, but for several
years she has been too infirm to attend
church. On communion Sundays, I make
it a point to visit her, and administer the
holy communion to her. She has a lively
sense of the great benefit she may receive
from rightly and duly partaking of that
holy sacrament. She has no superstitious
notions about it, but feels that it is the
supper of the Lord, and that by worthily
receiving that sacrament, she is made a
partaker of all the benefits of Christ’s
death and sacrifice on the cross, and that
she is a member of the company of the
faithful. This affords her great comfort
and consolation. From her manner, when
I visit her, I am convinced that she is
a true Christian, and that she has an in-
telligent belief in her Saviour.

Another of my sick parishioners is An-
thony Atsiquett, or Otsiquett, the grand-
son of Peter Otsiquett, who was taken to
France by a gentleman-companion of La
Fayette, and educated there. This man
has been a member of the church for
more than twenty years. Once, I believe,
he was the only male communicant at the
mission. He is now sick with an incura-
ble disease ; he is very poor, but he puts
his trust in his Saviour ; he is ready to
leave thi? world of pain at any moment.
I frequently visit him, and have long talks
with him upon religious subjects. Often
the tears will steal down his aged cheeks,
when speaking on these holy subjects ;
and when I leave him, I feel cheered and
refreshed, as though I had held converse

Minnesota.

229

with a saint already passed from this
world. His few remaining days wTould be
made much more comfortable could he
procure the bounty land warrant for his
services in the war of 1812-15, to which
he says he is entitled.

Plymouth — Rev. A. B. Peabody.

By the goodness of the great Head of
the Church, the good work at this station
still goes on. Except last Sunday, when
I was absent, by reason of attendance on
our Diocesan Convention, there have been
no intermissions in our services here. In-
deed, on that day there was no intermis-
sion of services ; the church was opened
with lay reading.

Since my last report, I have been sev-
eral times out into the country to preach.
I purpose to take in some one or two
points in connection with this, and make
regular visitations to them.

Our venerable Bishop visited us a few
weeks ago, and administered the rite of
confirmation to five young persons.

MINNESOTA.

Fairbault— Rt. Rev. H. B. Whipple.

Since I last "wrote to you we have lost
one of our most earnest-hearted laborers,
Mrs. Alice C. Paterson, wife of the Rev.
Dr. Paterson. She came to the diocese
an invalid; but her hands and heart were
always ready for any work for Christ. In
her devotion, faith, and love, she sho-wed
us what an earnest woman can do for her
Lord. She was one who, as Bishop Doane
said, “will not only be missed, she will
be wanted.”

THE TIMES.

In common with our brethren, we feel
the weight of the cloud which overshadows
the land. We should fear for all of our
work, did we not know that no chance or
change, no tumult or revolution can stay
the progress of the kingdom of our Re-
deemer. It has not been in the halcyon
days of peace that the Church has won
her noblest triumphs ; more often, trials
have deepened her faith and purified her
love, until leaning only on her Lord, she
has come up from the wilderness, leaning
on the arms of her beloved, “fair as the
moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an ar-
my with banners.” And yet my heart is

sad to read your pleadings for the scanty
pittance required for your noble mission-
ary work. Single parishes could give the
whole. There are laymen who would
.hardly miss it from their stores. The
times are hard ; but shall the blow fall
first on the hard-working missionary,
whose life is' one of wearing self-denial ?
Millions are ready at the country’s call;
shall the liegemen of the -cross be less
loyal to Christ their King ? Surely there
is one lesson so plain that he who. runs
may read it. In these days when wealth
perishes, and when each month war costs
more than a century of missionary work,
when a day’s expenses is more than all
expended by your Board for a score of
years, we might learn that the tithes we
owe the Lord are never safe unless in the
treasury of God. If we will not learn
the lesson from his love, we must learn it
by the scourgings of his wrath.

The conventional year has just closed,
and I find much in its summary of work
to give us hope for the future. My own
record of services are: 313 sermons and
addresses; 190 confirmations; baptized
24 adults and 83 children : total, 107 ; ad-
ministered Holy Communion 53 times ;
ordained three deacons ; consecrated two
churches ; and catechised children 36
times.

OUR MISSIONARIES.

Our missionary force has not been in-
creased, but the missionaries have occu-
pied thhdy new stations. You have rea-
son to rejoice with me at the fidelity of
these men ; some of them are men of the
ripest culture and fitted for any post, yet
day after day bearing self-denial cheerful-
ly, and ready for any service, if so they
may win souls to the Lord Jesus Christ.

NEW STATIONS.

We need men very much, but nearly
all who have applied to me for work, are
those who have large families, or such as
require a very considerable salary for their
support. This we can not pledge. Ours
is a new State ; the pioneer is poor ; there
are few who are attached to the church,
and our resources are very small. But
against this we can offer as beautiful a
country as there is on the face of the earth,
a healthy and invigorating climate, and a
rapidly increasing population. The pe-
culiar trials of border work are more than
repaid in the one thought that we are oc-
cupying a new field for the Lord Jesus

230

Minnesota.

Christ. If any man desires to come on
these terms, he is welcome. The places
which most need a missionary have no
church, and all is to be done.

SCATTERED SHEEP.

I often meet many touching instances
of the reawakened love of the lost and
scattered children of the Church. Some-
times, after a school-house service, persons
come up, and with tears in their eyes, tell
me that they were baptized or cpnfirmed
in the Church, and for years have not
seen one of her clergy. A few days since,
I accosted a woman by the wayside with
the question : “Are there any Episcopa-
lians near you ?” She answered earnest-
ly: “I am one. I have not seen a cler-
gyman of the Church in five years, and
feared I should never meet one.” Her
children were unbaptized, and I made ar-
rangements to visit her soon, hold a ser-
vice, and baptize them. The large num-
ber of baptisms by me will show you how
many of these scattered sheep are in the
land. There is much of hope in the care
bestowed on the lambs of Christ. I am
sure none of your Eastern Sunday-schools
could answer a bishop’s questions more
readily than some of these mission-schools,
and none better than our Indian lambs.

OUR INDIAN MISSIONS.

From motives of economy, our Indian
missionaries did not come to the conven-
tion. It would have cost them twenty
or twenty-five dollars each, and they felt
that in these perilous days it was better
to stay at home. It was a disappointment
to myself, for I longed to have others hear
them tell of the work of Christ.

Our mission among the Hacotahs has
been blessed of God. Its faithful labor-
ers begin to see the fruits of toil, and yet
the whole cost of this mission, with three
laborers, its outfit, and entire support for
nine months, is less than five hundred dol-
lars, ($500.) Recent letters from Brothers
Peake and Johnson in the Chippewa coun-
try, also furnish much to cheer me. I re-
gret that brethren should misapprehend
this portion of our work. I have preach-
ed since my consecration, perhaps thirty
times in the forest to red men, and ex-
pended less than one thousand dollars for
Indian missions. Whether sanguine or
not as to results, one thing was clear, they
were men for whom Christ died ; and by

God’s help, no man shall ever say the first j
Bishop of Minnesota turned his back on
the heathen at his door. I thank God I
that I can to-day count as my sheep and
lambs some of these children of the for-
est, who will one day be my Master’s jew-
els. After a little rest, I propose a long
missionary journey to the shore of Lake
Superior and the North.

With all my heart I thank you, and all
who are our co-workers, for your alms and
prayers.

Winona, Etc— Rev. B. Evans.

The evils of war affect already our
whole country ; but as I see, we feel it
more severely in our young and feeble
parishes of this far-off West. Our young
men are taken from us, our numbers de-
creased, our strength enfeebled, and our
small incomes made still smaller. St.
Paul’s, Winona, has suffered much ; yet I
thank God that I can say my beloved peo-
ple are more regular in their attendance
on divine service, more devout, and more
anxious to take a prominent stand as Epis-
copalians and Christians. They purpose
to engage the services of a clergyman for
themselves, and make an effort to erect a
church-edifice, and thus advance from the
occasional services of a clergyman, and
the mean externals of a hired room.

The little rural parish of Stockton has
suffered no loss by enlistment into the
county militia ; but it is suffering severely
from the condition of our banks — miser-
able and irresponsible systems of Western
currency.

In this state of affairs we have been
erecting a church-edifice. We commenced
in better times, and have gone on under a
series of difficulties ; but would say to all
our eastern friends who have subscribed
to this church, that not a dollar of theirs
has been lost or wasted. We have paid
our way ; materials and workmanship
have been met by prompt payments ; and
it will be ready for consecration in the
early fall. Mr. T. P. C., of New-York,
sent us ten dollars, and two friends in
Virginia sent us eight dollars ; and the
mortgage on the missionaries’ homes have
enabled us to possess wholly and entirely
the land deeded to the parish. At present
this land is of little worth — in the future
an income of no mean value.

Every Christian must have faith ; every
Western missionary a double portion.

231

Iowa-

Shakopee— Rev. E. P. Gray.

My services here have been regularly
continued, and those at my out-lying sta-
tions as regularly, as the state of the roads
and river would permit. The extraordi-
narily high water of this spring has kept
the bottoms covered a long time, stopped
the ferries, and carried away bridges, so
as to make communication between the
two sides of the river nearly impossible,
except by the boats. I was thus prevent-
ed from visiting Carver as often as I in-
tended. When the Bishop made his visit-
ations on this river, I went up to Belle
Plaine to meet him, intending to come
down with him to Carver and Shakopee.
At Belle Plaine I learned that the Bishop
had broken down his buggy on the other
side of river, and would be delayed. I
waited till the next day, (holding service
meantime,) and then concluded that the
Bishop would go down to Carver on the
other side, without crossing to Belle
Plaine ; and therefore started, so as to be
in time for the appointed evening service.
I left my horse at a little village opposite
Carver, crossed the river in a skiff, and
then walked a mile or two across the low
bottom, intersected with tongues of water,
alternating with each other from either
side, and overlapping each other, compell-
ing me to describe a zig-zag path, like the
form of a running snake. When I got
within hailing distance of Carver, there
was still a broad creek between me and
the town, whose bridge was swept, away.
I halloed for a boat, and waited for half an
hour in vain. I then floundered back a
considerable distance through a bog to
borrow a log-canoe. This I first bailed
out, and then, with great exertions,
launched. After being somewhat balked
and puzzled in the navigation of such a
craft, I managed to get across, pretty well
fatigued and bespattered with mud. But
no Bishop had arrived, and it was now
late. So, after tea, I read service and
preached alone. The next morning I
started, immediately after breakfast, to
get to Shakopee in time for the appointed
morning service and communion for As-
cension Day. I crossed the river and the
bottom by another route, under the escort
of a layman. My horse was soon ready,
and I must needs be in a hurry, for the
hour of service was nearly arrived, and I
had six miles to drive to Shakopee. When
I arrived, I was agreeably surprised to be-
hold the Bishop on his way from the house
to the church. He had crossed the river

Ohio.

to Belle Plaine after I left there, and then
come down on a steamboat in the night,
without stopping at Carver, and’ thus got
the start of me. The Ascension service
and communion were much enjoyed by
the Bishop. In the afternoon we drove to
Spring Lake, nine miles, in the rain, held
service, and returned for evening service
in Shakopee, when one young person was
confirmed. I was laid up for a day or two
after this expedition.

A week ago last Sunday I attempted to
get to Carver by the road, completely
swamped my horse, found there was no
bridge across the creek, got out as best I
could, and returned, a sorry-looking sight —
horse, harness, and wagon being pretty
much of one color, namely, that of mud
beginning to dry on.

IOWA.

Fort Dodge— Rev. S. Goodale.

I beg leave to inform you that I have,
with the approval of Bishop Lee, resigned
this station. I did not feel justified in re-
maining longer at this point, so entirely
dependent upon missionary funds for my
support.

The state of the times continues to op-
erate most disastrously upon the town, to
the prostration of chuch life and spirit.

I am glad to record that the parish is
entirely free from debt, with a fine church-
edifice almost completed.

During the past year the debt of some
three hundred and fifty dollars was paid,
and some three hundred expended upon
the church-edifice. For these funds we
are indebted to friends in various sections
of the cduntry, and particularly to the
late Dr. Anthon of New- York.

Fort Dodge will continue to be a point
of interest, and should command the at-
tention of some self-denying, unmarried
clergyman.

OHIO.

Columbus— Rev. J. L. Grover.

Ouk school is doing well. Our library
needs replenishing. We supply the
scholars half-monthly with the Child's
Quest. We hope for an increase in our
school during the summer.

Our congregations remain about as be-

232

Indiana.

fore reported. The V estry last fall resolv-
ed to rent the pews of the church, which
produced some dissatisfaction. It resulted
in the loss of about a dozen communicants,
who have become connected with the Old
Parish in the city. This may account for
the reduced number of our communicants.
The Vestry are satisfied that the arrange-
ment has and will result in the permanent
good of the parish. St. Paul’s has had
many tilings to contend with, which have
retarded its growth, notwithstanding it
is gaining in strength and permanency,
and will ultimately become a self-sustain-
ing parish, and amply repay the church
for the fostering care it has extended to it.
A collection was made on Easter-Day for
Domestic Missions.

Cincinnati— Rev. B. K. Maltby.

In connection with the Statistical Re-
port herewith sent you, for the quarter
just ending, I wish to add a few words
concerning this as one of your mission
fields.

In my report of communicants, you will
perceive there has been a filling off of
seven in our numbers. This has been the
result mostly of removals growing out of
changes in family circumstances from
army enlistments. The above number
does not indicate the actual changes that
have taken place. They have been much
greater, but we have received three by
confirmation, and as many more by ad-
mission, who have formerly been commu-
nicants elsewhere. Our congregation
meanwhile have suffered no diminution,
but has considerably increased. So also
of our Sunday-school. Though I have
given the same as the average attendance
given last quarter, we have not less than
two hundred children connected with the
school.

There is, however, one respect in which
we are likely to suffer, for a season at
least, and we know not yet how severely.
Our finances are to be greatly depressed,
as a result of the war, and perhaps more
than at almost any other point. The
Southern trade of Cincinnati, heretofore
very large, is almost wholly suspended.
This, as will readily be perceived, falls
most heavily upon those relying for sup-
port upon mechanic arts and manufactures.
Many, therefore, of our church families,
heretofore good contributors, are now out
of employment, and should no relief come,
will soon be brought to absolute destitu-

tion. Hence the greatest anxiety prevails
as to the continuance of our present diffi-
culties.

Under such a state of things, the pros-
pect in missionary parishes must, for a
while, be very dark. Great exertions will
be required by the friends of Domestic
Missions to help them on through this
time of trial. Yet, with many things
against us, I am persuaded the prospect of
doing good in mission parishes was never
greater. Parochial labor and sympathy
were never more needed or more welcome.
Families in want need encouragement ;
home-circles, broken by army enlistments,
are, in many cases, as sad and desolate as
if despoiled by actual bereavements ; and
pastoral attentions, counsels, and prayers,
will make hearts glad that are now sor-
rowful, and stimulate to renewed effort,
and inspire fresh hopes in the hearts of
many that are now halting and despond-
ent. This, in many cases, will be only
new doors opened for pastoral usefulness,
but can hardly fail to awaken kind feelings
toward the pastor, and attachments to the
Church, resulting ultimately in its mate-
rial enlargement.

Such at least is the state of things indi-
cated here, and I can truly say, that dark
as our prospects are financially, I have
never had greater encouragement in my
labors. If we can pass through this pecu-
niary trial safely, I am satisfied that in all
other elements of prosperity we shall
come forth better for our trial, and with
the assurance of our permanency and use-
fulness greatly enhanced.

INDIANA.

Cannelton— Rev. W. L. Githens.

There has been much to encourage
your missionary in this station for the
past six months, in the growing interest
in the services of the church, in the class
for confirmation at the last visit of the
Bishop, and in the goodly number for
baptism, and above all, the noble influence
the regular services of our beloved Church
seems exerting on this people. I very
much hope the time is not far distant
when this shall be a large and self-sustain-
ing parish, and able to pay back again
into the treasury of Domestic Missions
what has been so nobly expended, and
shall yet be, for the support of this mis-
sion church.

Illinois.

233

One most cheering thing here is the in-
terest the young people are taking in the
services of the church, an interest which I
think can not but be lasting. I trust that
our large and well-attended Sunday-school
will indeed prove a nursery for the church.

This being entirely a mining and manu-
facturing town, these depressing wartimes
are falling with peculiar force upon it.
God grant that it may not long continue.
The mining business is almost entirely
suspended, and it is very much feared the
mills can run hut little longer. For the
past six months I have preached and held
service regularly twice on each Sunday,
and part of the time have had week-night
services and lecture. I also act as super-
intendent, and teach a boys’ Bible-class
in the Sunday-school. Opposite this town,
in Kentucky, is the village of Hawsville,
where I have held frequent services, which
are always well attended. In Tell city,
three miles below here, a German settle-
ment, I have visited and held service. This
is truly missionary ground, the people
being most all of them of the humble poor,
and I most earnestly hope it will be possible
to support this mission here, even in these
troublous times.

Bristol, etc. — Rev. H. M.Thompson.

Your missionary would state that, dur-
ing the year ending with this report, he
has endeavored to do his duty in the work
of the church according to the ability
given him, striving to sow the good seed,
praying the Lord of the harvest to water
and to bless. Like all other mission fields,
this of mine is hard ; if viewed only from
the stand-point of the world, more hill
than plain, more thorn than rose, more
cloud than sunshine. But when the eye
is lifted from the valley of time to the hill
of Zion, and by the eye of faith is seen
the countless blood- washed throng, robed
in white, and we feel that for this, for
these we labor, then, indeed, the rough
places of the poor missionary’ s path become
smooth, and the crooked is made straight.
Thorns, clouds, self-denials, sore throats,
sore hearts, sore feet, are all lost sight of,
as we listen to the Saviour’s words : “ In-
asmuch as ye have done it unto (or for)
one of the least of these, my brethren,
ye have done it unto (or for) me.”
And the heart and hands are made
strong to bear the cross, declaring to dying
men the Father *s message of love and life
in and through his Son, cheered on and

sustained by the promise of his Christ :
“ Lo ! I am with you always, even unto
the end of the world.”

I have, by God’s blessing, been enabled
to attend to my duty from day to day,
preaching twice each Sunday, (with the
exception of one afternoon, when from ill
health, I had services, but no sermon,) al-
ternately at this place and Lima.

I superintend the Sunday-school — and
teach a class in the same — of the children
in Bristol. We have 35, all striving, by
constant attendance, both at church and
school, good behavior, and perfect lessons,
to see which can get the most good marks,
and thereby receive the best prize from
the tree at Christmas.

I have the past year baptized 9 adults
and 13 infants, and 8 have been confirmed
at Bristol. At Lima 3 infants have been
baptized and one person confirmed, mak-
ing in both places, 25 baptisms and 9 con-
firmations. Thus, although death has
taken from us a loved and loving boy, and
illness been the lot of us all, and the pres-
sure of the times (as to salary) calling for
a still greater degree of patient self-denial,
all these and other causes of sorrow have
made the past a year never to be forgotten
by your missionary and his family ; yet
nevertheless the Lord has been with us,
and we humbly trust he has blest to us
the rod, beneath which we bow and say :
“ It is the Lord ; let him do what seem-
eth him good.”

At Lima the church services have been
well attended; the parish, however, for
some years, has had many drawbacks by
removals and other causes, which have to
a sad degree crippled it, but if the church
can be kept open, and Jesus Christ and
him crucified, plainly yet kindly placed
before them, we may rest assured that
the Almighty Father will bless his own
appointments. The harvest will come, if
the laborer faints not.

ILLINOIS.

Decatur— Rev. Wm. M. Steel.

It is with feelings oppressed with
gloomy anticipations, that I undertake to
make my semi-annual report. Never since
my entrance upon the work of the minis-
try, has the prospect of a support for my
family been so gloomy. Hitherto the al-
ternative of change of situation, when a
Vestry failed to comply with their pro-

234

Kentucky.

mises, lias been the harbinger of a better
hope. That is now pretty well cut off.
All parts of the country, I suppose, suf-
fer alike. There really seems nothing for
us to do, but to remain and do the best
we can. My people, I would fain believe,
are trying to do the best they can. I do
not believe they will let us starve, how-
ever we may be straitened in the comforts
of life ; but if I had not already made up
my mind to suffer, my present situation
would soon force me into that conclusion.
I have no right to murmur, however, for
I almost know that the majority of the
brethren must be no better — some, proba-
bly, not so well off as are we. Jehovah-
Jirah.

Of course, the present convulsions of the
country affect us very materially, and in
many ways, the prospects and prosperity
of the Church everywhere. We have not
escaped. But until our present political
troubles culminated in civil war, my par-
ish was steadily increasing in numbers
and prosperity, and I trust also in spirit-
uality : in the last, I hope, we still grow.
Since I took charge of the parish, (last
August,) we have relieved the church en-
tirely of indebtedness and had it conse-
crated, purchased and paid for an organ.
We have a Sunday-school library of about
400 volumes, and a parish library of about
150. The number of Sunday-school pu-
pils was more than doubled, being now
nearly 100 on the register, with an at-
tendance of from 60 to TO. The congrega-
tions had also largely increased, and are
now better than they were six months
ago. Last Easter, the vestry unanimously
abolished the pew system, and our church
is now what its builder (Rev. W. L. Bost-
wick) designed it to be — a free church.
In all these evidences of God’s blessings,
we have great cause of thankfulness, and
trust he will yet bring us out of all our
troubles. Laus Deo !

Marengo— Bev. J. IT. Waterbury.

I have to report that our Friday even-
ing services continue to be well attended,
which with the two full services of the
Lord’s day, and a Sunday-school of over
fifty scholars, indicate no perceptible de-
crease in the religious interests of my
parish. Thirty-eight have been confirmed
within two years. Two persons are stu-
dying for the holy ministry, though pur-
suing their worldly callings for the pre-
sent. •

We have a free church. The collections
pay my small salary. If we could raise
the $1300 incurred in the purchase of the
parsonage property connected with the
church-lot, we should be almost self-sup-
porting. We are suffering from a depre-
ciated currency.

I have great reason for gratitude to my
heavenly Father for his watchful care of
myself and family.

The Congregationalists at Garden Prai-
rie, six miles west, asked us to occupy
their neat edifice, which I do every Sun-
day, at 2 p.m., with about one hundred in
attendance. I also visit monthly, for
preaching and administering the sacra-
ments, Woodstock and Algonquin. The
churches on Fox river have also solicited
my attentions again ; there is, however, a
limit to one man’s strength and ability.
Truly, God is my helper.

KENTUCKY.

Danville— Bev. M. F. Maury.

I must commence this report with the
regret that, so far, we have been unable
to do any thing for the Committee, in the
way of a contribution, owing to the com-
plete prostration of business, produced by
the unhappy civil commotion prevailing
around us. I trust, however, that we shall
be able to do something before the close
of the year, if it only be a small thank-
offering, to testify our appreciation of the
kindness so long extended to this parish.

Our church-edifice was reopened for di-
vine service on the 2Tth of January, since
which time the congregations have in-
creased, and we regard the condition and
prospects of the parish as more encourag-
ing than it has been for years.

At the Bishop’s visitation, April 28th,
nine were confirmed, all of whom added
to the communion, makes our present
number of communicants forty-seven. I
have baptized two adults, attended six fu-
nerals, solemnized one marriage, and offi-
ciated every Sunday but one this year,
(when sickness confined me to the house ;)
for all of which service I have received
but eight dollars.

I trust, therefore, that the little amount
due me on the 1st inst. will be forthcom-
ing very soon, as experience has satisfied
me that even a missionary’s family can
not subsist without the necessaries of life.

I am willing to endure hardness ; still
there is reason, even in the measure of

Kentucky.

235

endurance required of clergymen, and a
point beyond which it ceases to be a virtue.

My wife has been an invalid the whole
ii winter, which has added to my cares and
anxiety. Still, I am not “ashamed of
the gospel of Christ,” have no regrets for
the past,- and pray that God may give me
!| grace to preach his truth, even though the
! Church should fail to provide the means
of support. It is my earnest prayer that
peace may soon be restored to our whole
j * country.

Mays^ille— Rev. F. B Nash.

I have nothing of peculiar interest, re-
specting the condition of the Church here,
to communicate in this report. As I sup-
pose it is elsewhere, the pecuniary ability
of the congregation is seriously crippled
by our terrible political convulsions, and I
fear its interests, in other ways, will be
seriously affected thereby.

We have spent, during the last few
months, some $300, in improving the in-
terior of the church.

Our Sunday-school continues in quite a
flourishing condition. Our number of
communicants is gradually increasing.
But many of the communicants live at
such a distance from the church, or are so
situated, that they can not attend its ser-
vices regularly, nor aid much in church
work here. In consequence of this, the
efficiency of the Church here is nothing
like as great as a stranger to its real con-
dition might well suppose, from the num-
ber of its communicants, it should be.

The greatest hindrance of all to the
growth of the Church here is, the leaden
I, apathy in religious matters which seems
to rest upon this community. A regular
attendance at religious services of any
kind is the exception ; a seemingly care-
less indifference the general rule. The
few who are really in earnest about their
: spiritual interests, and the spiritual well-

being of the community, can do little
more than labor on in patience and faith,
and pray for the aiding help of the Holy
Ghost. I trust that some time, ere long,
this help will be given us in a 'much
larger measure than it is now, or has been
heretofore.

Bowling Green— Rev. Samuel Ring-
gold.

This parish had been for years without
a minister, previous to my coming in

April last, and the few members of our
church that remained had almost lost all
hope of ever having another minister.

Since I came, there has been a steady
increase of interest on the part of the
public, and of zeal among our own mem-
bers. The number of our communicants
has doubled, and there is a most encourag-
ing appearance of life and progress in all
the affairs of the parish. We have ser-
vice here every Sunday morning, and on
Sunday afternoon I preach at Russellville
or Franklin — at the former place twice,
and at the latter once a month. Russell-
ville, about thirty miles from here, on the
Louisville and Memphis Railroad, is the
county-town of Logan, with 2500 inhabi-
tants. We have five communicants there,
and a good congregation. Franklin, twenty
miles from this place, on the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad, is the count}' -town
of Simpson, with 800 inhabitants. I have a
large congregation there, but only one
member ; and I have not yet met with any
one who has ever seen an Episcopal minis-
ter in the town, except myself. There is
a great deal of interest manifested in our
services ; but alas ! I am now cut off from
this interesting mission by the stoppage
of the trains, owing to the troubles of the
times. My people here are making noble
efforts to keep the wolf from the door of
their minister. His children will not want
for bread whilst theirs are fed.

Versailles— Rev. J. W. Venable.

It is with feelings of devout gratitude
to the divine Head of the Church, that
your missionary, in these exciting times,
can report some degree of progress in this
portion of the field.

As I have, in former reports, men-
tioned some of the discouragements at-
tending my missionary efforts, I would
now gladly speak of more hopeful pros-
pects. The congregation here is steadily
increasing ; and the loss of communicants
by removal has been fully made up by the
newly confirmed ; and there are pleasing
evidences, among the young people espe-
cially, of a growing interest in the orderly
and quiet ways of the church.

We are beginning to reap the fruits of
labor bestowed in past years ; and to
gather those into the fold for whom the
prayer of faith has often ascended to the
mercy-seat.

The Bishop visited the parish in April,

236

Missouri.

and confirmed six persons. One of these
was a young man who had been brought
up among the Baptists. At his request, I
baptized him by immersion in a beautiful
pond near the village, in the presence of
several chosen witnesses. This is the
second time I have administered baptism
in this form.

The mission at Harrodsburg continues
to be one of great interest. We succeeded,
last fall, in getting our beautiful church
under cover, but were then forced to sus-
pend work upon it, for want of funds.
Stated services were still held in the
Court House, but attended with many
disadvantages. At length, upon one of
my visits, a vestryman (not a communi-
cant of the church) expressed his earnest
desire to have the building finished, and
asked me to suggest some plan by which
it might be accomplished. As he hap-
pened to be in good circumstances, and had
no family to provide for, I felt no hesita-
tion in urging him to undertake the good
. work himself. He took the matter into
consideration, and soon, to our great joy,
proposed to complete the church at his
own expense, and then take a slow note
from the vestry, as security for the pay-
ment of the money thus advanced. The
generous offer was at once accepted, and
the work of completion is now going
on. We hope to have the building ready
for occupation by the last of July. The
attendance upon the services continues
large, and the prospect of permanent
growth is encouraging. “Not unto us,
0 Lord ! not unto us, but unto thy name
give the praise, for thy loving mercy, and
for thy truth’s sake !”

The Easter Collection in St. John’s
Church, Versailles, was $28.

MISSOURI.

Hannibal — Rev. J. W, Dunn.

Our good Bishop visited this parish re-
cently and confirmed eight persons, most
of whom are heads of families. Surrounded
as we are by so much strife and confusion,
the services seemed doubly interesting,
the Bishop seemed to preach with more
than his usual fervor and eloquence, and
I’m sure that the large congregation pre-
sent felt that peace and happiness could
be found even in the midst of war and
tumult.

St. Charles— Rov. W. H. Irish.

How much sorrow has fallen upon our
country within the last six months ! And
surely we have already tasted enough of
the bitterness of civil war to move us to
offer prayer to Almighty God to give us
peace.

There were few parishes that had a
more cheering future six months ago than
ours, and I suppose our record will be but
the echo of sorrow, which you will now
hear from every missionary station in the
land. We are in great distress and sor-
row, and then to think that this may be
only “ the beginning of sorrow !”

A smaller number attend the services
of the sanctuary ; the blessed sacraments
and ordinances of the Church are neglected,
and the pure word of God seems to fall
like lead upon deadened ears. If this state
of things can already be seen in a small
missionary parish, oh ! what must be the
depth of demoralization to which we are
already sunk, if every Christian congre-
gation in the land is suffering in the same
proportion.

We are in the hands of a merciful God
who may yet save and bless us by the
bitter and fearful remedy of civil war.

As a missionary I have not felt, as yet,
a force of pecuniary embarrassment greater
than I have many times during a mission-
ary career of eight years, but the desolate
prospect before us can not be compared
with any thing in our past history. W e
will have to put more hope and trust in
Christ the “Prince of Peace.”

Next Sunday our Bishop will be with
us, when my brother-in-law, Frederick D.
Lewin, A.M., will be ordained deacon.
Mr. L. is a graduate of the last class of
Berkely Divinity School, Middletown, Ct.,
and will, I think, be stationed at Fayette,
in this Diocese.

I need my quarter’s stipend to pay my
rent. How I am to pay my rent next
quarter I don’t see now ; but as good old
Bp. Chase used to say, Jehovah Jireh.

Louisiana— Rev. Dr. Worthington.

It was my expectation that in this re-
port I would be able to give you an ac-
count of some interest. I expected to
have had a small class to present for con-
firmation.

In that I am' disappointed by the un-
happy state of the country, and the Bish-
op will not visit us at the usual time.

Mississippi — Tennessee .

237

Religious thought seems to be almost
lost among us. When families are so
much divided, congregations will necessa-
rily be so, and ministers will he called in
question, if for no other reason than pri-
vate opinion. In appeals that I have
made, that the mere difference of opinion
on political issues should not be allowed
to disturb social relations, and break up
former friendships, I have been told that
they could not respect persons who differ
from them in such opinions ; and then
again, that they can not continue to re-
gard them as neighbors and acquaint-
ances. •This is secession-talk, addressed
to me because I am known to be, as a cit-
izen, loyal to the Union. I try to preach
peace between neighbors, and the social
laws of love and forbearance ; but unhap-
pily, the public mind seems not disposed
to either. I mention the above incidents
to show you what the general temper
seems to be.

Even our Christianity is being ignored.
In your State, where all are of one senti-
ment, you can not conceive the distrac-
tion and bitterness in other States, where
Union and Secession are debated propo-
sitions. Ministers who try to keep out of
agitation, by avoiding conversations, are
nevertheless placed by others in a party
status, because their opinions were known.
On every street, and in every house, only
one subject is discussed, and that in fierce
excitement.

To keep the people in mind that there
is a God who is a sure refuge in time of
trouble ; that there is a Church opened
by him as an ark of safety ; that there is
a gospel of peace, and that God will be
entreated by penitent offenders, seems to
be all that the minister can now do.

My congregations have been generally
small, though they continue to be about
the same in number.

In discouragement, I would give up the
effort here, as one costing more than the
results justify ; but the Bishop thinks
otherwise, and I hold on in deference to
his judgment.

• • •

MISSISSIPPI.

Aberdeen— Rev. Thos. Applegate.

1 herewith transmit to you my first
half-yearly report of St. John’s -Parish,
with emotions of grief and discomfiture
too intense for utterance. I had fondly

hoped to be able to transmit to you some-
thing more cheering than the regular rou-
tine of parochial duty. But we have
fallen on troublous times — times distin-
guished by most stirring events — times of
a very complex and mingled character —
times that call for deep and solemn se-
riousness, and a well-ordering of our
ways before God.

The services of the church have been
continued without interruption, twice on
Sundays, with extra services on festivals
and fasts. The congregations, though not
so good as some months ago, are suffi-
ciently encouraging to show that we
should have had considerable increase, if
those were still with us who have gone to
the seat of war. Several young ladies,
wrho were communicants with us, have
also left for their homes in the North.

The events of a mysterious providence
are coming up one after another, which
we are unable to read. But we know that
they are coming on God’s errand, calling
us to some new and important duty in the
Christian warfare. “ The Lord reigneth”
is our solace. We have faith in the wis-
dom and rectitude of his administration,
in controlling the counsels of men to bring
about a favorable issue. And we will con-
tinue to pray that He who sits in the
heavens will so direct and prosper their
consultations to the advancement of his
glory, the good of his Church, the safety,
honor, and welfare of his people, that all
things may be ordered and settled by their
endeavors, upon the best and surest found-
ations, and that truth and justice, religion
and piety, may be established among us
for all generations.

The sacrament of the Holy Communion
I have administered regularly once a
month ; have baptized four infants, and
buried two persons.

TENNESSEE.

Chattanooga — Rev. Ed. Denniston.

I took charge of St. Paul’s Church the
15th day of last March. When called to
the rectorship of the parish, there was a
debt on the building of about $2000.
This amount has since been paid, and
there are now no claims whatever against
us. The church-lot, too, has been con-
siderably improved by the planting of
some shade-trees, and the putting of a
handsome fence around it. And were it

238

Texas.

not for the civil crisis in which we are en-
gaged, an effort to raise some four or five
hundred dollars, to complete the church,
would at once be made, and then we would
have ready for consecration one of the
most beautiful Gothic edifices in this part
of the diocese. Since I came here, six
persons have been added to the church
by holy baptism, and others are looking
favorably on, and will doubtless soon seek
a peaceful home within the bosom of the
Church. There are no confirmations to
report, but a class will be ready as soon
as our good Bishop will find it convenient
to visit us. This parish, for its present
success, is greatly indebted to the self-
sacrificing and faithful labors of its two
former rectors, the Rev. Messrs. Lawson
and Sandells.

Greenville, etc.— Rev. W. Mowbray.

The services on my field during the
latter part of the past six months, have
been rather irregular and much hindered
by the continual excitement arising from
the state of the country, and from u the
wars and rumors of wars.” Nevertheless,
I have been. enabled, by God’s blessing, to
visit the places regularly, and also every
time to visit each individual family belong-
ing to our church, and all others to which
I could find convenient access — always
reading and praying with each family when
it would appear acceptable and pleasant.

Besides my regular parish in Greenville,
where I officiate twice every alternate Sun-
day as well as other week-days, I visit
Jonesborough and Bristol regularly, and
Rogersville occasionally. W e labor under
the great disadvantage in the last three
places of having no church-building of our
own. I had hoped, however, to have built
one in Bristol this summer, but the dis-
traction that prevails, as well as the mone-
tary crisis, has forced me to postpone this
work indefinitely.

During the past six months, at Jones-
borough, I baptized 1, confirmed 1 ; at Ro-
gersville, baptized 4. I have classes of
catechumens at all the places.

The ground is comparatively new and
the field large, but by God’s grace I have
a good hope of ultimate success.

TEXAS.

Columbus, etc— Rev. J.M. Goshorn.

I commenced my labors here on the 1st
Sunday in January, and have held divine
service every Sunday since, except one,
when on missionary duty, in company
with the Bishop, and two more when at
Convention, one of which I spent in my
former parish at Gonzales, and held divine
service twice on that day.

The prospects of the Church in Colum-
bus are encouraging, notwithstanding the
political difficulties of the country. In-
deed, these things have turned to our ad-
vantage, as they have directed public at-
tention to the conservative character of
the Church, and the conviction is settling
down in the minds of all their thinking
men that if the teachings of the Church,
had been more extensive, these difficulties
would never have come upon us, and in-
stead of being divided and hostile as now,
we would have been a united and happy
people ; and many in Texas, as elsewhere,
are seeking a home in the Church as a
safe retreat from fanaticism, which has
been the fruitful source of so much mis-
chief.

Since the death of Rev. Mr. Pratt, up-
wards of three years before I came, the
small devoted flock he gathered around
him had become much discouraged in their
efforts to obtain a clergyman, and were al-
most ready to give up in despair, having
had service but two or three times in as
many years. But since the services of the
church have been regular, congregations
are large, attentive, and a general religious
interest is felt. I have baptized up to
this time three adults and twelve children,
and the Bishop, at his visitation on the
24th of March last, confirmed ten persons,
and a number more are ready for the
apostolic rite. He will probably make us
an extra visit soon. On the 1st of Feb-
ruary I sent an order to New York for
Sunday-school books, which reached us
about the middle of May. I organized on
Trinity Sunday our Sunday-school under
very favorable auspices. We have now
forty-five scholars, with a full corps of
teachers, and the certainty of further in-
crease.

San Antonio— Rev. L. H. Jones.

I have been deterred from sending my
report for April 1st, hoping to get a new

Washington Territory.

289

melodeon for the church with the pro-
ceeds of my quarter’s salary. As that is
now impracticable, I report “informally”
that I am at my post constantly, with
services twice on each Sunday, and once
on Friday during “the war.” My con-
gregation has been much diminished and
disturbed, but this is the time of all others
that I ought to remain with them.

Cameron, etc.— Rev. L. P. Rucker.

During the last six months I have offi-
ciated regularly at four different places,
one Sunday in the month at each, travel-
ing over two hundred miles each month,
going to and returning from my appoint-
ments. The weather during the winter
and spring has been very unfavorable for
such a mission. I have often had to ride
against the bleak “northers” over our
high rolling prairies forty or fifty miles to
reach my appointment, and then have no
service, because it was too cold for the
people to attend church. Again, since the
spring-rains have commenced, I have been
compelled to swim rivers and large
creeks, (there being no ferries,) in order
to pass from one appointment to another
the following Sunday. These are difficul-
ties which do not very often occur, and
are therefore of little consequence to one
who has resided in Texas nearly twenty-
four years.

"With all the discouragements incident
to such a mission, and particularly amidst
such times of intense political excitement,
I have generally ministered to large and
attentive congregations, with only occa-
sional exceptions, and these principally
owing to bad weather or other untoward
circumstances of a special character.

I have not been absent from my mis-
sion during the last six months, except
one week at Austin, in attending on our
Annual Convention in April last, and one
week spent at Washington, Texas, by re-
quest of my Bishop.

Washington — Rev. R. S. Seely.

These are hard times for the poor mis-
sionary, and I do hope that the members
of the Church, both North and South,
will take our “situation” into consider-
ation. Men who have large families and
are dependent almost entirely upon the
Missionary Society for support, are in a

bad predicament. For, in the first place,
the contributions from their own congre-
gations must be considerably diminished,
and then the churches which contribute
to the missionary fund must, in conse-
quence of the present difficulties, diminish
very materially their contributions. So
that without special contributions, I see no
chance but that the missionary must
suffer. Our poor congregations are ne-
cessarily compelled to look for aid in the
supports of their ministers to their more
highly favored brethren ; and unless some
special aid be rendered, a great many con-
gregations will be compelled to disorgan-
ize, and their ministers engage for sup-
port of themselves and families in some
secular employment.

I know at least that that is. our condi-
tion here in Texas, and suppose it to be
so elsewhere. May we not expect, then,
some special aid from some quarter ?

We have been endeavoring to establish
a parish-school, but have not yet the
means of erecting a suitable building, and
have been compelled to occupy a nired
building, which is very badly situated for
a school. Our Sunday-school is very
small for want of suitable books ; for al-
though we wrote on some two months
ago for books, yet they have not yet come
to hand. What has become of them, or
whether they were ever started, I can not
tell.

# My congregations still continue to be
large, and our communion-list still in-
creasing. We had a joyful time at the
Bishop’s last visitation, when five persons
were confirmed, which makes nine persons
in all who have been confirmed during
the past year. May God increase his
work still more, and yet more.

WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

Fort Vancouver— Rev. J.

McCarty, D.D.

I have nothing of especial interest to
report respecting my missionary charge.
Sunday services, morning and evening,
have been held at this place as usual, and I
have had a service every W ednesday even-
ing during Lent. I have spent one Sunday
at Oregon City, officiating there in the
morning and afternoon.

I intend, God willing, in the coming
season — which is so much more favorable
for traveling — to visit several places in

240

Acknowledgments.

this territory and Oregon, some of them at
a very considerable distance. Baptisms,
infants, three ; marriages, one ; funerals,
one ; communicants, about twenty.

Herewith I send you our paymaster’s

check for $28.50, which is our Easter col-
lection for our Mission in Oregon, Wash-
ington. I am confident we shall be able
to make our . contributions for the year
more than $100.

A CKNO WLED G HUNTS.

The Treasurer of the Domestic Committee acknowledges the receipt of the following sums, from June 15th
to July 15th, 1S61.

^cfo^ilampsijtrc.

Claremont — Trinity $21 00

iHassacfjusctts.

Akhfield — St. John’s. 1 25

Granby — “ B. P.” 3 00

Pittsfield — H*on. E. A. Newton, 2d semi-
annual contribution, 1861 100 00 104 25

(Connecticut.

Hartford — St. John’s 50 87

Ilebron — St. Peter’s, £ 5 00

Stratford — Christ....- 2 00 57 87

iHehj-gorfe.

Amsterdam — St. Anne’s 5 40

Brooklyn — St. Peter’s, Mrs. J. L. Brown 1 00

Cooperstown — Christ 9 98

Fishkill Landing — St. Anna’s, for Mis-
sionary alluded to in July No 5 00

Greenpoint — Ascension, part of Sun-
day Sch. Offerings 6 00

Huntington — St. John’s 10 00

Hew- York — Holy Innocents 14 12

“ Mrs. Daniel Le Roy, for

the West 30 00

“ “ E.” 2d quarterly payment ^

for a Missionary’s salary, 50 00
Westchester— St. Peter’s 64 14 195 64

CiUcstern Neh>«gork.

Avon — Zion - 5 00

Danville — St. Peter’s 5 00

McLean — Zion 1 00

Palmyra — Zion, 2d S. Sch. Class 3 52

“ “ 1st “ “ for

Oneida Ind. Miss, toward salary
of Rev. E. A. Goodno'ugh 5 05 19 57

Pcnnaglbanta.

D undoff— St. James 5 12

Lebanon Co. — Colebrook Freeman 3 39

Oxford — Trinity 20 00

Philadelphia — St. Peter’s, a member. . 5 00 83 51

iHarnlanb.

Hagerstown — St. John’s 10 00

iloutstarta.

New- Orleans— Christ, 17 90

STcias.

San Antonio— St. Mark’s 7 00

©&to.

Cincinnati — Redemption $4 41

IScntuckg,

Maysvitte— Nativity 5 00

fHtcfngan.

Detroit — Mariners’ Church $5 00

Grosse Isle — St. John’s 6 00

Jbnesville—Qvace 3 00

Bay Station 4 00 18 00

Erthtarta.

Bristol — St. John’s 2 00

Oannelton — St. Luke’s 3 00

Delphi — St. Mary’s 4 00

Madison — Christ 7 00 16 00

fKfssouri.

Kirkwood — Grace, “A Martha” 5 00

Lexington — Christ 10 00 15 00

Eoina.

Iowa City — St. Thomas 2 00

fHmncsota.

Basswood Grove Chapel 4 00

Hastings — St. Luke’s 6 00

Rochester — Calvary 1 50

Shakopee — St. Peter’s, “G.” 10 00

Stockton— Trinity. 5 00 26 50

OTtsconsin.

Hudson Station 5 00

Nebraska.

Nebraska City— St. Mary’s 14 00

JHtscellaneous.

Anonymous, for Missionary mentioned
in July No 5 00

ILcgarics.

Ct.. New-Haven, from Estate of Lucy

Nichols, dec 24 00

W. N. Y., Rochester. Bequest of Mrs.

Ruth Mumford, in part payment of

$5000 3000 00 3024 00

Total $3601 65

Amount previously acknowledged 37,294 17

Total from Oct. 1st $40,895 82

FOREIGN MISSIONS

rotcstant dtpstopl dlljnrcl)

AUGUST, 1861.

Funds.

Receipts to the loth July, 1860, ...... $70,000.

“ “ “ 1861, 50,000.

Falling off thus far in the current financial year ending

1st October, $20,000.

The Treasurer of the Foreign Committee has received the following :

‘‘Dear Sir: Inclosed find $100 note of Safety Fund Bank, Boston,
\ contributed for Foreign Missions, in response to the sentiments of the
inclosed communication. Please acknowledge in the Spirit of Missions
as from St. Mary’s Church, Dorchester, Mass.”

The communication referred to is from the Boston Daily Journal ,
July 9th, 1861. We gladly give place to a portion of it :

“ The Mission Cause.

“ To the Editor of the Boston Journal:

“We regret to learn from the Spirit of Missions that Bishop Boone,
in consequence of failure of timely receipts from this country, has found
it necessary to disband the Boys’ Boarding School in China. The Mis -
\ sionary Herald comes to us with anxious forebodings of similar calami-
? ties to the missions of the American Board.

“ Ought this to be ? Are the Christians of the United States, having
put their hands to the plow , ready thus to turn hade f

“ There are many Christians in this country who are at this moment
perplexed to know how they shall safely invest the money that is lying
idle in the bank to their credit. Others there are who promise them-
selves to make large legacies in their wills to the cause of missions. Let
such now become their own executors, and dispense while they live the
sums they intended to give when they die. Let those who call them-

242

The Mission Cause.

selves the servants of God, who are seeking safe and profitable invest-
ments, try the experiment of ‘lending to the Lord.’ Let every one who
thinks it is better to be a citizen of a Christian country than an inhabit-
ant of a heathen land, see if he can not deny himself something in order
to make the lands now heathen become lands of Christian light and

LIBERTY.

“ Never were there such encouragements to the missionary work as at
this moment. The glad tidings come to us from all the ends of the
earth that the people are ready to receive the Gospel. American
Christians, will you not send it to them ?”

We have received from the Rector of a parish in Western New-York
a copy of a pastoral letter addressed to his people, from which we make
the following extracts :

“ Foreign Missions.

“ To the Congregation of Zion Church :

“Brethren : In a Pastoral Letter in January, I urged upon you, as
the means of meeting our obligation to our Domestic and Foreign Mis-
sions, an annual contribution from the parish to each, in the ratio of one
dollar to each communicant, namely, fifty cents a year 4o Domestic,
and fifty cents to Foreign Missions — this contribution to be independent
of all other pecuniary charities.

“ By this plan we were enabled in January to raise a much larger
amount for Domestic Missions than in former years. I now remind you
of it with reference to our annual collection for Foreign Missions, July
21st. The idea is not to confine contributions to communicants, or to
limit any to this amount, but to fix a sum for which the parish will be
responsible.”

After quoting from the recent statement of the Foreign Committee,
the Rector goes on to say :

“ I may add, how disgraceful to Christianity and the Church, and
how disheartening, should it be necessary to suspend any part of our
limited Foreign Missionary operations.

“ There has rarely or ever been a time when so much depended on
Christian liberality. If ever, we should now even deny ourselves
severely, to sustain the Master’s cause, it is a time to prove ‘ what man-
ner of spirit ’ we are of.

“The secret of liberality is, adjusting our expenses with reference to
charitable bestowment. Few can give of their abundance.

“ Yery respectfully, Your Rector.”

Africa — Greece.

243

AFRICA.

Letter from the Rev. C. C. Hoffman.

The following extracts are from a letter
dated Cape Palmas, May 14th, 1861.

Mr. Hoffman mentions the very serious
indisposition of Miss Merriam, and states
that arrangements would be made for her
early return to the United States. Her
illness and the consequent necessity for
her retiring from the Mission is another
instance in a long series of similar disap-
pointments.

In connection with the foregoing, Mr.
Hoffman says : “We have now no perma-
nent teacher for the school of the Orphan
Asylum. Mrs. Hoffman opens it and
takes the general supervision ; and we
employ Mrs. I. M. Thomson (Isabella Har-
ris, just married) to assist ; but we want
an efficient, faithful teacher. May the
Lord raise one up. The girls are giving
us much comfort. I expect to receive six
or seven of them to Communion on Whit-
Sunday out of fourteen who have made
application. *

“Miss Mars is the assistant matron ; a
more efficient one we have never had.

“ Mrs. Hoffman’s health has been very
bad since her return, and it is only for the
last few days that she has felt like her-
self. She has had three attacks of fever.
Our little one, dear Grace, is in very good
health, and happy and contented just now
at Cavalla.

“ Hoff man Station gives me still cause
for thankfulness to God for his grace to
those who there profess his name. With
one exception, all have remained faithful.
A society has been formed among the na-
tive Christians for visiting the towns
around, for the purpose of teaching and
talking to the people. There are some of
the town people, by their influence and
instruction, under serious impressions, and
desiring baptism. I have three native
children to baptize next Sunday.

“Mr. Harris and Mr. Seton, (natives,)
candidates for orders, recite to me daily.
Mr. Yates and Mr. Adams, (colonists,)
candidates for orders, recite to me weekly.

“ I expect to receive eleven of the boys
of the High School at Mt. Vaughan to con-
firmation next Sunday.

“Mr. Bowser, the agricultural agent,
has resigned.

“ Fishtown. — Mr. Henry Williams died
at this station on Thursday last.

“ St. Mark's Church, Cape Palmas — We
expect to have baptism and confirmation
there next Sunday, Whit-Sunday. Twen-
ty-two candidates for confirmation, all
young except one; five baptisms; two
adults included in those to be confirmed.

“ The church is unfinished, but comfort-
able enough to worship in till we can have
funds to complete it. We are still work-
ing for it by selling fancy articles. I sent
home a number of beautiful lily-roots, to
be disposed of privately for the Church.
I am only able to have one service in a
week. On Sunday afternoon I am at St.
James’ among the natives, while at St.
Mark’s the Sunday-school is held.

“We trust that light has broken in upon
the dark clouds which rested on our coun-
try. Our comfort is that the Lord reign-
eth, and all political changes shall work
for the upbuilding of our Saviour’s king-
dom.”

GREECE.

Extracts from a Letter from the
Rev. Dr. Hill, dated Athens,
June 1st, 1861.

After making mention of a visit which
he and his family had recently received
from a Scotch Presbyterian clergyman,
who expressed his satisfaction with the
principles upon which the Mission is con-
ducted, and who remarked, “You are
quite right. Set forth the evangelical
truth faithfully, and let it work its way ;
that is your mission and your privilege,”
Hr. Hill goes on to say :

And we know it is “ working its way.”
You may remember that in some of my
former communications, I mentioned a
company of young men, of the highest
families here and of finished education,
who had devoted themselves to the reli-
gious improvement of their fellow-Christ-
ians, and who had proposed to me to as-
sist them in the establishment of a so-
ciety for the publication and distribution
of the Scriptures and religious books.
One of them it was who wrote a remark-
able article in the Siecle , (A itiv, of perse-
cuting memory,) earnestly advocating the
formation of such a society. This little

244

Greece.

religious band of brothers has been most
active in acts of benevolence and Christian
charity toward the poor refugees from the
slaughter of their fellow-Christians in Sy-
ria. Abandoning every other employ-
ment, they were foremost in going from
house to house to solicit donations ; and
they were seen holding plates at the
cliurch-doors for the same purpose ; and
the result of their self-denying labors was
perfectly surprising in a community like
this, where every thing of the kind is so
novel. Their unostentatious labors were
not confined to providing for the mere
.temporal wants of their unfortunate fellow-
Christians. They have purchased from
me, for private distribution, three hun-
dred and seventy-five copies of the New
Testament, and they have placed a great
number of copies of the beautiful edition
of the Ancient Greek New Testament,
(published at the expense of the British
and Foreign Bible Society at Cologne,) in
several of the public institutions, where
they will be read and understood by an
educated class of persons ; and they have
besides supplied families of their own ac-
quaintance with the same, and given away
others to private individuals. All these
they purchased of me at the original cost
price. They have also proposed to me to
assist them in the formation of a library —
like our Sunday-school libraries — in the
Orphan Asylum ; and hereafter, as an
opening may present, in other public in-
stitutions, where books of a religious and
moral character would be beneficial to
those connected with them. Now all this
may be considered at home as of no great
interest — quite a familiar way of doing
good ; but it presents a different aspect
here, to us, at least ; and we have a right
to consider it a great step. Hitherto gen-
erally among the Christians of the East,
there has prevailed a feeling of self-satis-
faction with the orthodoxy and antiquity
and the Scriptural authority of their reli-
gious Creed ; and resting on this, they
have greatly neglected the Apostolic pre-
cept : “ Look not every man on his own
things, but also on the things of others.”
When, then, we see an enlightened and in-
tellectual portion of the youth of this
country — of an age and of a class of young
men that even in our own country — would,
under such circumstances, draw the eyes
of the world upon them, moved, I know
not how, if it be not by the Spirit of God,
to take up their cross, we can not but
feel that we have reached a new era in our

progress ; and may I not say that these
facts (and others of daily observation
might be added) remarkably confirm the
truth of what Canon Stanley says in his
admirable work which has just reached
me, (a gratifying and most valuable gift
from Florence Nightingale,) Lectures on
the History of the Eastern Church, page
57 : “ But there is a future also for the
Church of the East. Have we not known
characters, venerable from age or station,
who with the most immovable adherence
to ancient hereditary forms of belief and
practice, yet when brought into contact
with the views of a younger and more
stirring generation, have, by the very dis-
tance from which they approach, given it
a new turn, showed a capacity for endur-
ing, tolerating, understanding it, such as
we should have vainly sought from others
more nearly allied by pursuits or dispo-
sitions. Such is, to an indefinite extent,
the position of the Eastern Christian to-
wards the Western. Kept aloof from our
controversies, escaping our agitations, he
(the Eastern Christian) comes upon them
with a freedom and freshness which, in the
wear and tear of the West, can no longer
be found. He has the rare gift of an an-
cient orthodox belief without intolerance,
and without proselytism. He is firmly
and proudly attached to his church and
nation, yet has a ready and cordial recog-
nition to give to the faith of others. In
him, therefore, we find a link between
those two incommunicable spheres (the
East and West) such as can be found no
where else. The Greek race may yet
hand back from Europe to Asi£ the light
which, in freer days, it handed on from
Asia to Europe.” I am sure you will
pardon me if I send you a few lines more
from this interesting page of Dr. Stanley’s
able lecture. It is in the same connection,
and follows the above extract : “ And we,
too, with all our energy and life, may
learn something from the otherwise un-
paralleled sight of whole nations and
races of men penetrated by the religious
sentiment which visibly sways their
minds, even when it fails to reach their
conduct, which, if it has produced but few
whom we should call saints or philoso-
phers, has produced, through centuries of
oppression, whole armies of confessors
and martyrs. We may learn something
from the sight of a calm strength, reposing
‘in the quietness and confidence’ of a
treasure of hereditary belief which its pos-
sessor is content to value for himself

Greece.

245

without forcing it on the reception of
others. We may learn something from
the sight of churches where religion is not
abandoned to the care of women and child-
ren, but is claimed as the right and privi-
lege of men ; where the Church reposes,
not so much on the force and influence of
its clergy, as on the independent know-
ledge and manly zeal of its laity.”

The personal labors of Mrs. Hill, in the
various departments of our schools, have
been not a little increased by the loss of
two of her most efficient female teachers.
One of them has been connected with our
mission, as pupil and teacher, for more
than twenty years. We have, however,
been compensated for the loss of her ser-
vices in consideration of the situation she
now holds, and in the extension of the
principles of simple evangelical Christian-
ity, she learned from us, in a wider and
more important field. Marigo Calavria,
the person I allude to, is now Directress
of the Female Schools under the patron-
age and immediate eye of the Patriarch of
Jerusalem, at Constantinople. She ac-
cepted the situation with one full consent,
for we considered it as “ opening a great
door, and effectual” in that great city
and community of Greeks. In a letter we
received from her a few weeks ago, she
gives an account of a celebration at the
schools on the Patriarch’s name (feast)
day. On that occasion she says the
younger pupils went through the Scrip-
ture lessons prepared by Mrs. Hill for in-
fant schools, (and published at our ex-
pense last year,) and they recited the lit-
tle dialogues, “ God is in Heaven,” etc.
etc. She concludes her interesting ac-
count of this her first public exhibition of
her schools thus : “It appeared to me to
be like one of our own Christmas festivals
which for so many years have sent joy
and gladness into the hearts of so many
dear children under your care.”

But, alas ! while our hearts were made
glad by all this, and by the certainty that
through this faithful native missionary,
Gospel truths and Gospel principles would
be extended far and wide in that region,
and the message of love to man and peace
on earth be published, we were suddenly
paralyzed by those awful tidings from our
native land, which announced the triumph
of principles there, directly the opposite of
those which we have been laboring to in-
culcate here. Ah, my dear brother ! “ our
hands are on our mouths, and our mouths
in the dust,” when We think that we can

no longer point to our country as exhibit-
ing the sublime development of the effects
of religious education upon our enlight-
ened fellow-countrymen ! W e feel as if
every one of those “ among whom we have
gone,” teaching and preaching the word
of God, and who have ever looked up to
us as the representatives of a land and a
people where Christianity in its purest
form flourished most, and where its pre-
cepts were best understood and practiced,
regarded us now with respect indeed, but
mingled with pity and regret, as if they
said in their hearts : ‘ ‘ How are the mighty
fallen ! How is this fine gold become
dim !” And is it not natural that those
around us should demand: “Where are
the fruits of those more enlarged and
evangelical views of Christianity which
you profess ?” And may they not, with
silent exultation, contrast the effect of
their religious creed, drawn from the same
Gospel, which has kept millions of Christ-
ians of the Eastern Church of Greece unit-
ed in one bond of brotherhood, through
the many trials of their faith, and the
thousand exciting political struggles to
which they have been exposed for so many
ages ?

EXTRACT FROM MRS. HILL’S LETTER.

Athens, June 19, 1861.

“We have just finished our yearly ex-
aminations. I do not think they were
ever more interesting ; those exercises in
particular which exhibited the pupils ac-
quaintance with the Scriptures. It hap-
pens this year that the members of the
Synod were all our personal friends ; they
were invited to attend as such. (Not in
their official capacity.) All were present.
The exercises were, of course, such as
would interest them most. The pupils
were examined on the Nicene Creed,
bringing texts from the Scriptures to
prove the doctrine of each article. But
the exercise of the day was the topogra-
phy of Palestine. I wish that you, and
some of our friends at home, could have
witnessed the deep interest which the
Bishops exhibited as the position of the
several mountains were pointed out, accom-
panied by the Scriptural account of the
event connected with it. The Cedars of Leb-
anon, and the beauties of Hermon, as sung
by the Royal Psalmist, entered into the de-
scription of these celebrated mountains.
The exhibition of the power of the Al-
mighty, and the confusion of the prophets

246

China.

of Baal, of which Mount Carmel was the
scene, formed a part of their recitations.
The account of the manifestation of our
Saviour’s glory, on Mount Tabor, repre-
senting God’s three great revelations to
man, was repeated with much feeling.
David's thrilling lamentation over Saul
and Jonathan, went to every heart, as the
heights of Gilboa were pointed out. J ez-
reel, the scene of Ahab’s and Jezebel’s in-
iquity, and of God’s righteous judgment
against them, according to the Word of the
Lord, by his prophet Elijah, was not for-
gotten, and the repetition of the awful
prophecy, with its exact fulfillment, made
a deep impression on the audience. Our
Saviour's searching conversation with the
woman of Samaria, illustrated the right
of Sychar and Jacob’s well. I have not
room to tell you of Bethlehem and Jeru-
salem, of Tiberius and Jordon, of Nain
and Joppa, of the brooks Cherith and
Jabboch, of Pisgah and Horeb, of Sinai
and Ararat. Suffice it to say, that the
Fathers of the Church went away highly
gratified, and fully satisfied that the
lambs of their flock had a scriptural edu-
cation. But it was very difficult, amid all
the occupation of mind and body which
such seasons furnish, to withdraw our
thoughts from the contemplation of those
events which are now tearing our country
to its centre. The notes of preparation
are still going on, but no one who reflects
seriously can keep from trembling at the
thought of the awful contest which now
appears to be inevitable. We are bowed
down to the dust on account of our “na-
tional affliction.”

“ Under the multitude of cares which op-
press us, we are sustained by the pro-
mises of Him in whom we trust. ‘ Trust
in the Lord and do good; soshaltthou
dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be
fed,’ is often suggested to my mind in a way
which brings peculiar comfort with it.”

CHINA.

Letter from the Rev. E. H.

Thomson.

Shanghai, April 22 d, 1881.

Dear Sir : In writing you a line again,
allow me to return a little to the past year,
that I may take up more connectedly the
manner in which I have been employed.

At the time that Mr. Syle found it ne-

cessary for the benefit of his children that
he should leave us, and take them home
to America, it so happened that I was
living in the city, in one of the rooms at-
tached to the Church. And thus upon
Mr. Syle’s having to retire from his duties,
a part of the same, such a part as I was
able to perform, fell into my hands. The
charge of the Blind Asylum was one of
these duties. Mr. Syle had long had
charge of this Institution, and during this
time a number of the inmates under his
instruction had become Christians ; the
further instruction of these, and care of
them, with the preaching to those who
were yet in heathenism, devolved upon
me.

The financial part of the work the Rev.
Mr. Smith had taken until his recent de-
parture to Chee-foo in Shan-toong. This
will also be in my charge hereafter. I
regret this, inasmuch as it is better, if pos-
sible, to separate the religious instructor
from all pecuniary connection with the
taught.

The instruction of these poor people
brings out many of the curious notions
that still cling to them even after they have
renounced idolatry and its practices, and
have acquired some considerable know-
ledge of Christian truth. There was the
case of an old man in whom something of
this sort showed itself. He is a Christ-
ian himself, but his wife was not ; he is
not remarkably bright, but seems to be a
good, sincere old man. Not long since
his wife died, and I thought it advisable
to see that no heathenish ceremonies were
performed over her. It is the case, at the
death of any, to have quite an amount of
ceremony performed, the amount being
in proportion somewhat to the wealth of
the survivors. On these occasions they
have quantities of the imitations of the
common articles of life burned ; these are
made of paper or wood or straw ; they
have paper cut in the shape of the com-
mon coin, bread made of paper, and so on
with various things. These are burned for
the use of the dead person in the land of
spirits.

Our Deacon Chi went up to see what
was done. When he arrived at the house
he found the old man had gone to his
daily work, but that some of the neigh-
bors had come in and were proceeding
to burn the paper bread and paper coin
for the use of the departed spirit. He
went after the old man to ask him about
the matter, and finding him at his work,

China.

247

asked him how was thi§ ? “ Oh !” said

he, “it made no matter about him, as he
was a believer in Christ. He expected to
reach heaven and be happy there, but his
wife, what was she going to do in the
other world, if nothing was done to pro-
vide for her here by her friends ?” It is
sad to see how the old notions cling to
them. The condition of the unbelieving
is hard to impress upon them ; in fact,
we know that is not necessary to go to
heathendom to find how slow men are to
believe.

The condition of this man’s mind was
interesting, and the occasion was one
which gave the opportunity of laying hold
upon an error to eradicate it. For one of
the great difficulties with the Chinese is,
their impenetrability, not that they are of
the porcupine style, but rather like some
animal of which I have read, that rolled it-
self into the shape of a ball, presenting
nothing but a smooth surface, which could
not be grasped. The difficulty with the
Chinese is, that it seems so hard to lay
hold of their true notions of a thing : there
is- either nothing to grasp, or it is too
complaisant, agreeing placidly with all you
say. Though to outward observance the
religion of the Chinese is very little re-
garded even by themselves, yet when we
come more closely to them and their va-
rious kinds of trades, etc., one will feel
what a work it is to uproot heathenism
from their hearts ; it is woven into the
life and in their ways of supporting life.

TFe had an interesting case of a man
not long since, who presented us with a
case of this kind, where his business was
in part an idolatrous traffic. He was a
Ningpo man, and seemed, as I should say,
to be sincere, for he still came to hear and
be taught. His case was this : He came
and learned our catechism, and attended
worship, and I gave him various parts of
the Gospel and of the Acts to read. He
asked several times when he could be
baptized. So that on a certain Sunday, I
asked him to come into my study, and
Mr. Keith, who preaches on Sunday, in
the city, began to talk with him. After
answering various questions, Mr. Keith
asked him if he did not sell incense for
idol worship. He said frankly, yes, that
it was a part of his support — his bread
depended on that. We of course had to
defer any hope of allowing him to be bap-
tized till he was willing to give up all con-
nection with such a trade. And this is
not the case with one kind but many

kinds of business — the sale of teas, articles
for idolatrous worship, in some way or
other, enter into it. I have not yet made
particular inquiries about it, but I believe
there are very few kinds of business
which in some way are not in connection
with idolatry. Thus, those who become
Christians find that one of the crosses they
have to take up is this, to cast out the
heathenism of their trade, with the profit
accruing therefrom.

After the charge of the Blind Institu-
tion, my two schools are the next things
that I have been employed upon in the
city ; they are doing quite well now, that
the city is regaining some of its pros-
perity. We are gradually introducing the
use of the Alphabetic character in the
schools, and the difficulties are being
overcome, and they were not small, but
by the perseverance of Mr. Keith and our
Bishop a system has been made out, and
adapted to the dialect of this place, and
we hope soon to have quite a little Christ-
ian literature in it ; but what was still
more important, the aversion of the Chi-
nese to any thing new has been so far re-
moved, as for them to be willing both to
learn and to teach it. The same plan was
adopted at Ningpo, and has proved very
successful, I believe. It is unquestion-
ably a great step to get them out of the
chains of their own hard, unyielding sys-
tem, where a child is three years merel3r
learning the name of the characters with-
out knowing the signification, and many,
very many never get beyond that. In
these schools the catechism prepared for
the Chinese is taught ; the Gospel and
the Acts, Genesis, our Church service ;
then of course verbal instruction. They
attend worship in the church on Sundays.
Our schools are one of the most pleasant
and hopeful parts of our work, and we
trust in due time the seed sown will bring
forth an abundant harvest.

The other work that I have in the city
is a class of teachers whom I endeavor to
instruct. I have a very interesting class.
They come to me on every Friday even-
ing, and take up parts of the Gospel, upon
which I ask them questions and allow
them to give their views of what they read
there. This class of men, whom we call
teachers, that being the term applied to
them by the people, is the one on which
our chief hope depends ; these are neither
the very rich nor the extremely poor, and
are the reading part of the people.

The congregations which had fallen off

248

China .

during the rebel movements in this direc-
tion, since the peace, and as the place is
under the protection of the foreigners, the
people have come in in great numbers
from other places, so that the city has be-
come crowded, and as a consequence our
congregation is large. Mr. Keith and our
Deacon Chi have been doing the preach-
ing part of the work in the city, as I
have hardly acquired sufficient fluency to
undertake that part of the work ; yet, I
hope to do so very soon. I have found
so far, that, with the daily study in the ac-
quisition of the language, other duties are
laid upon me. I have occupied my time
fully for the past months. We look anx-
iously for some one to come out and help
us with our diminished number and in-
creasing work. With an earnest prayer
that the Church of our love may be sup-
ported and blessed in this hour of trial,
that you and all our brethren in our be-
loved land may be guided by wisdom
from on high, I remain, very sincerely,
yours.

Bishop Boone, in a letter dated Shanghai,
April 23, 1861, mentions the departure north-
ward of Mr. and Mrs. Parker and Mr. and Mrs.
Smith of the Mission in China, and says : “ They
have long been impatient of staying at Shang-
hai. Going into the interior was our plan on
the voyage, and indeed before we left New-
York. The neighborhood of Shanghai is
overrun by the rebels, and is unhealthy. We
were anxious to go up the Yang-tse Kiang, but
the rebels have made such desolation all along
its banks, and seem to promise so little where
they are in strength, that by one consent the
river has been abandoned.

“ The only other quarter accessible is towards
Peking. The region is fine and the climate
quite equal to that at home. The people are
also a fine, frank race. The language, the
Mandarin ; all these things are favorable. I
gave my consent to their going to Che-foo,
which is on the Gulf of Pe-che-le, just round
the Shantoong promontory.”

We are glad to give, in this connection, the
following interesting narrative of a visit to the
portion of China to which our missionaries
have now gone. It is taken from one of the
publications of the London Missionary Society :

VISIT OF REV. JOSEPH EDKINS AND REV.

GRIFFITH JOHN TO THE PROVINCE OF

SHAN-TUNG.

The following very interesting letter de-
scribes the visit of our active and enter-
prising Missionaries Edkins and John,
through an extensive district or province
of North China previously unknown.
They were not only the first Protestant
missionaries, but, to a great extent, the
first foreigners who had ever been seen
by the Chinese inhabitants. The country
appears to present many scenes of beauty
and fertility, and also an amount of peace
and prosperity, affording a striking con-
trast to the provinces of the South. The
people proved hospitable and kind, and
were ready to listen to the gracious and
wonderful truths, which they heard for
the first time, with attention and pleasure.
Shan-tung, although less populous than
some other of the Chinese provinces, con-
tains a population of nearly twenty -nine
millions ; and we can not wonder at the
mournful reflections with which Mr. John
concludes his letter, and which, we trust,
may have their just influence in stimulat-
ing our zeal, our efforts, and our prayers :
“What is one station and two mission-
aries for the whole of Shan-tung province,
with its twenty-nine millions of human
souls ? or for the twenty-eight millions of
Chih-li ? or for the teeming millions that
line the hanks of the mighty Yang-tse ?
Nothing, absolutely nothing. Let us pray
that the Lord of the harvest may thrust
forth more laborers to gather in the pre-
cious produce of this mighty field.”

“Shan-tung, Che-fu, Feb. 2d, 1861.

“ My dear Brother : In my last com-
munication I informed you that I was
about to leave Shanghai for a season, to
join Mr. Edkins at Che-fu. The ‘Mary
Land ’ sailed on the morning of December
19th, and anchored in Che-fu harbor on
the evening of the 2£)th, a remarkably
quick passage for the season of the year.

DESCRIPTION OF SHAN-TUNG PROVINCE.

“ The province of Shan-tung, with the
exception of the peninsula, is nearly level.
Its area is about 65,000 square miles, or
equal to that of Scotland, Ireland and
Wales together. The census of 1812
gives for its population 28,958,764, which
is an average of 444 to a square mile. The
Grand Canal, which traverses the province
from Lintsing Cheu, in the north-west, in

China.

249

a south-easterly direction through the
western districts, adds materially to its
importance. The Shan-tung peninsula is
hold and rugged, and its shores are full of
indentations, some of which are tolerably
good harbors. The principal is Che-fu.
Though comparatively a small town, the
harbor is far safer and more convenient
than that of Tung Cheu-fu.

“ Tai Shan, one of the highest moun-
tains in China, is situated in this province.
This mountain is celebrated not only for
its height, but also as one of the principal
rendezvous of devotees in China. Its
bases and sides are covered with the most
magnificent temples in the province. In
the spring, the roads leading to it are
thronged with pilgrims coming to pay their
vows and offer up their prayers.

“ The province is celebrated in Chinese
history from its containing the birthplaces
of the sages Confucius and Mencius. The
tomb of the former, who died b.c. 479,
at Kinh-feu, is a majestic monument em-
bosomed in a forest of oaks.

HOPEFUL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEOPLE.

“ The people are thrifty, harmless, and
unsophisticated. They are finer in ap-
pearance and more manly in character
than those of the south. The humanity
which one sees here is more intelligible to
us as foreigners, being more like that we
have been accustomed to. They seem
also to be more susceptible of religious
impressions. Many of them have a dis-
tinct notion of a Supreme Being, who
dwells not in templfes made with hands,
and who can not be represented in carved
wood or chiseled marble. Idolatry,
though common, has not apparently as
strong a hold on the general mind as it has
in the province of Kiang Su. The priests
are fewer and poorer, and the temples are
not so numerous, opulent, and ostenta-
tious. Though the opposition of the human
heart to the truth as it is in Jesus is as
universal as unregenerate man, and will
manifest itself wherever the Gospel is
preached, still it seems to me that Christ-
ianity will win some of its speediest and
most brilliant victories in Shan-tung. This
people are better prepared for the recep-
tion of the truth in its simplicity and
purity, than any I have hitherto seen in
this land. There is one feature in the
social life of the Shan-tung people which
will, in course of time, prove very helpful
to the onward progress of the Gospel. I
allude to their clannish disposition. Every

where there are small towns and villages
with populations varying from 500 to
5000, entirely of one or two families. To
influence one family is, to a certain extent,
to influence the whole ; and the conversion
of the principal man or men would be fol-
lowed by the respectful attention, at least,
of the whole clan to the truth.

“ Very little, as yet, has been done
towards the evangelization of this most
interesting part of China. The Roman
Catholics have some converts in the
western part of the province, but none, I
believe, on the peninsula. I have not met
any in this part. A few seem to know the
name, but nothing further. Che-fu, Wei-
hai-wei and other places along the coast,
east of Tung Cheu-fu, were visited by
Messrs. Medhurst and Stevens in 1835.
An interesting account of this visit is given
in Medhurst’s ‘ China.’ Even at that time
the travelers were received kindly and
treated hospitably by the people.

“For some years, at Shanghai, books
have been distributed on board the junks
which frequent that port from different
parts of the country. Many copies of the
Scriptures and other Christian books have
reached this place ; and it is by no means
a rare thing to meet with persons who
have heard the Gospel preached at our
chapels in the city of Shanghai. Mr.
Edkins, and a brother missionary of the
American Baptist Society, visited the pro-
vince about three or four months ago.
Both have been here ever since. On my
arrival I found that two of the natives and
a Nankin man had received the ordinance
of baptism — probably the first time the
ordinance has ever been administered in
Shan-tung by a Protestant missionary.
May this be but the earnest of a glorious
harvest to be gathered in in the province !

A PREACHING HOUSE ERECTED AT THE DIS-
TRICT CITY OF FUK-SHAN.

“Since my arrival I have visited nearly
all the towns and villages in the vicinity
of Che-fu, and have been generally pleased
with the conduct and character of the
people. Most of them are able to read,
with considerable ease, the Mandarin
version of the New Testament. They re-
ceive the books thankfully, and listen to
the preaching attentively. On the 4th ult.
Mr. Edkins and myself rode to the district
city of Fuh-Shan, with the view of renting
a room for preaching. We called at the
magistrate’s office, to inquire of him
whether there would be any objection to

250

China.

the landlord’s letting it. He received us
kindly, and replied that, both nations
being now one family, there could be no
objection on his part. The house was
rented, and the Gospel has been preached
daily at Fuh-Shan ever since. We visit
the place occasionally. The city is very
small, and the population only about
10,000.

HEALTHINESS OF CHE-FU, AND BEAUTY OF
THE SCENERY.

“Between it and Che-fu, however, there
arc several small towns thickly populated.
This, though circumscribed, is an interest-
ing sphere of labor. Even now it is su-
perior to Tung Cheu-fu in a commercial
point of view, and as it is to become the
consular port, it will rapidly grow in im-
portance. The climate is very cold in the
winter, but very salubrious. No sooner
does one set his foot on shore, than he be-
gins to feel its quickening and invigorating
effects. Every breath seems to inspire a
new life into the whole frame. The scenery
in spring and summer must be exquisitely
beautiful. Even now it is charming. On
a fine day, when the north wind is tho-
roughly hushed, there are views from the
top of the neighboring hills which far sur-
pass every thing I have seen in the Flowery
Land. The wide-spread ocean, sleeping
as calm as an infant ; the pretty harbor,
as placid as a lake ; the snow-clad moun-
tains towering one above the other, and
stretching away indefinitely toward the
east and west ; the little towns and vil-
lages, nestling in the bosom of the rocks ;
the winding paths, now ascending the
brow of the rock and now descending into
the valley, and thronged with a busy
peasantry and their beasts of burden, and
a glorious sun benignantly smiling upon
the whole — all conspire to fire the imagina-
tion and ravish the heart. It is man alone
that poisons the golden cup which Nature
holds out with a cheer to her sons and
daughters. ‘ And only man is vile.’ How
true ! How true of Shan-tung ! How true
of the whole of this highly favored land !

JOURNEY TO THE CITIES OF TUNG CHEU-FU,
AND HWANG HIEN.

“ On the 24th ult. Mr. E. and myself
left Che-fu for the cities of Tung Cheu-fu
and Hwang-hien. The former is a depart-
mental city, and is sixty English miles
from this place ; the latter is a district
city, and is about 80 English miles dis-

tance. The means of traveling are horses,
mules, asses, a large chair borne by two :
mules, and carts. The sedan chair of the .
south is seldom seen here, and boats
would be altogether useless. W e had two
ponies for ourselves, and two mules for
our books and luggage. We stopped at a
place called Kang Yin, to feed our horses
and refresh ourselves with some bread
and eggs. Whilst waiting, we had an op-
portunity of speaking a few words to those
who gathered around us. I was pleased
to find one or two in the crowd who had
heard the Gospel at Shanghai. We spent
the night at Kid Shi-li-pu, that is, 90 lee
from the city of Tung Cheu-fu. The
Shan-tung people all sleep on nOcangs ;
these are square or oblong mounds of
earth, which are heated in the night by
means of a flue, which runs through.
They often get cold before the morning,
and thus, instead of giving, they absorb |
heat. The southern men, on this account,
generally avoid them. W e were fortunate
enough to find here and elsewhere wooden
bedsteads, which we invariably chose.
Our fare, though humble, was very ac-
ceptable. Early on the following morning
we were on our saddles again. A Ye break-
fasted at Tsih-shi-li-pu, about seven miles |
distant. Here I preached to a large num-
ber of attentive hearers, and gave away a
few books. Two or three made themselves
known to me as having heard the doctrine
before at Shanghai.

“ Mr. Edkins being unwell, our progress
during the remaining part of the day was
comparatively slow. We reached Tung
Cheu about five p.m. We were led to a
comfortable inn in the center of the city.

No sooner did we arrive than messengers
were sent from each of the Mandarin
offices to inquire into our history. ‘ Your
honorable names ? Your honorable coun-
try ? Whence are you from ? Whither I
are you going ? What public office do
you fill ?’ etc. These, and such questions
as these, were put by each new messenger.
Probably their principal object was to
learn whether we were public officers, and
if so, to give us a reception worthy of our
rank and position. Saturday I spent in
preaching and distributing books along the
streets. Large crowds followed me, many
from mere curiosity, to see and hear a
foreigner, but some with no other intention
than to learn what this new doctrine is.
The city of Tung Cheu is divided into two,
the city proper and the water city. The
former is surrounded by a wall, and is en-

tirely distinct from the latter. The princi-
pal hongs are in it. In this city there is
a hill called the Punglai Hill, on the top
of which there is a beautiful temple,
called the Punglai Koh. This temple
commands a magnificent view of the sea,
of the islands, and of the surrounding
country. The city of Tung Cheu is con-
sidered large in this part of China. The
population is about 150,000. The east-
west street is thronged from morning till
night with the country people, who bring
j their goods to sell. The w hole country
I seems to be pouring into the city in the
morning, and out again in the evening.
A chapel opening into this street would
be well attended all day. As a Missionary
Station it is preferable to Che-fu. The
population is not only much larger, but
settled, w'hich is not the case at the latter
place. The position, also, is more central
for the wfiiole province. Mr. Hartwel, a
missionary of the American Baptist So-
ciety, has, since our return, rented a house
in the city. He intends to remove there
within two or three wreeks. It is cheering
to see these important places taken up
with such promptitude. No objection was
made by the magistrates, though they
were told plainly that his only object in
coming is to preach the Gospel.

“On the following day, I rode to the
city of Hwang-hien, wfith sixty or seventy
copies of the Newr Testament and some
tracts. After spending an hour and a half
in preaching and distributing books, I re-
turned to Tung Cheu. Mr. E., being un-
well, did not accompany me. At this
city, as wrell as elsewhere, the people were
very quiet and harmless* With very few
exceptions, the books wrere sought with
eagerness. Some of the more cautious re-
fused to accept of them ; because, being
the first time that books have been dis-
tributed at the place, they doubted the
propriety or safety of doing so. This
city, though large, is inferior to Tung
Cheu in rank, population, and beauty of
position. It is situated on that immense
plain wrhich stretches southwards beyond
Shanghai, northwards beyond Peking,
and far into the west. Every part of the
province may be easily visited from it.
It is on the highway to Peking, and is
now frequently visited by foreigners on
their wray to-and-fro between Che-fu and
the capital.

“We started the following morning
from Tung Cheu, and reached Che-fu in
the evening. The sixty miles of this day,

and the forty of the previous, were rather
too many for both the pony and myself.”

Signs of the Times in China.

To appreciate the present state of af-
fairs in China, it must be borne in mind
that there are three parties with whom
the missionaries have to deal — the People,
the Imperial Rulers, and the Nankin In-
surgents.

It is with the first of these, the people
of the land, that the missionary has most
to do, and from them he experiences least
opposition. Confining ourselves to the
history of our own mission, it is perfectly
accurate to say, that never has there been
a time wTien free enough access has not
been enjoyed by the missionary to more
people than his strength would allowT him
to deal wfith; and what more could be
asked ?

This, which has always been true of
our missionary efforts, is most painfully
realized now, when the masses of accessi-
ble population spread out before us be-
yond the limit of vision, and their number
surpasses all ordinary habits of computa-
tion. Our opportunity for evangelizing
China is unlimited. Our prayers for this
end are answered. Our expectations are
fulfilled. Our hopes are realized. We
have nothing more to pray for in this re-
spect, but that God will keep open the
doors of usefulness wfiiich his providence
has unlocked ; and (in this we must add)
give us grace to enter in and follow^ on.

Is the field, then, so entirely free ? some
one may ask. Are there no hindrances ?
and the answer is, the field is free, but of
course there are hindrances ; the Prince of
the power of the air would be either
bound or destroyed if there were not.
And the particular form which those hin-
drances take at the present time have re-
ference to the two political parties, or gov-
erning factions, wfiio are called respectively
the Imperialists and the Insurgents.

As to the Imperialists ; the opposition
they feel against all foreigners arises from
the instinct of self-preservation. They
have an unerring consciousness that the
approach of the foreigner is the signal for
them to vacate the seat of power. Once
and again, and now the third time, warn-
ing has been given them ; and they are
virtually preparing to depart. The pres-
tige of semi-divine authority, which was
every thing to them, is gone. They have
made the humiliating acknowledgment,

252

China.

that there are other nations upon earth
equal to themselves, and entitled to be so
treated. The simple facts embodied in the
following paragraph exhibit, for the first
time , a public recognition by imperial au-
thority of the several foreign treaties in
their true light as general, national trans-
actions :

“ The Chinese Imperial Almanac, for
1861, appeared as usual at Pekin, about
the first of March last. It comprises
twelve large volumes, affording, beside the
names of all the government employees
throughout the empire, a compendium,
month by month, of all the events trans-
piring during the year. Foreigners are
no longer considered as ‘ outside barba-
rians,’ because, for the first time, they are
spoken of with respect in this publication,
which gives the text of the different trea-
ties concluded with them.”

The act is suicidal, and lets out the life-
blood of the ruling dynasty ; but so long
as any vitality remains it will show itself
in struggles, to thwart the movements of
those powers on whom will be laid the
responsibilities of governing the country
when the Tartars disappear.

This source of opposition, then, is but
feeble compared with what it has been in
the former days of successful exclusion.
TV e may well be thankful for the order-
ings of Providence, which have taught
“the heathen that they are but men;”
and we may renew our confidence that as
these opposers of the spread of His Gos-
pel have been “ brought to naught,” so
shall all other opposers be in the Lord’s
good time and manner.

As to the third party, of which mention
has been made — the Insurgents — we are
constrained to count them also as oppo-
nents, seeing they have set up a system of
positive error, which is daily becoming
more and more definite — crystallizing, as
it were, into Mohammedan and Mormon
forms of blasphemy and sensuality.

The latest assumptions of the insurgent
chief, Hung Siu-tsieun , may be gleaned
from the following account of what is now
a court ceremonial at Nankin :

“ The kings and chief men entered the
inner court, where the Tien-wang (Hung
Siu-tsieun) sat enthroned, while the others,
at least three hundred in number, re-
mained in the outer court. I was among
the latter, and witnessed their proceed-
ings, which corresponded with those going

on in the inner court, though but imper-
fectly seen from my position.

“At 12 o’clock, noon, on a given signal,
all fell upon their knees in a direction
toward the Tien-wang. They then chant-
ed his praises, or -wished him 1 long life,’ I
in the royal style, shouting : 1 Ten thou-
sand years, ten thousand years, ten thou-
sand times ten thousand years.’ Then,
turning in an opposite direction, they were
told to icorship the Heavenly Father ;
when they all knelt again, and in front of
a table, on which were several basins of
food and two lamps, that were intended
for sacrifice. At the head of the worship-
ers was a man with a paper, containing a
prayer to God, which he read and then
burned.

“ The assembly now rose up, and very
soon all were summoned to fall down once
more in the direction of the king, in which
attitude they remained a considerable
time in solemn silence.

“ While these ceremonies were in pro-
gress, a small yellow chair of state issued
forth from the outer court toward the
outer wall. It bore a decree for publica-
tion, which, freely translated, reads as fol-
lows :

“The Heavenly King [Tien-Wang] is-
sues this decree, that our cousins Ho,
Fuh, [here are given all their names, about
twenty in number,] constitute the Six
Boards, etc., and this decree is now pro-
mulgated for the information of our of-
ficers and people.

“ God and Christ dwell with men, and
thereby heaven and earth are renewed.

“ The Father and the Elder Brother
have appointed ourself and our son to be
lords, [sovereign rulers,] and thereby the
court is renewed.

“The Father, the Son, and the grand-
son have together become lords, and there-
by the heavenly kingdom [or dynasty] has
become renewed.

“The Father, .the mother, the elder
brother, and the sister-in-law have together
come down, and thereby the heavenly pa-
lace is renewed.

“ The peaceful heavenly Sun enlightens
all places, and thereby the world is re-
newed.

“The heavenly generals and soldiers act
in unison, and thereby the military gov-
ernment is renewed.

“ On earth, as in heaven, the sacred de-
crees are obeyed, and thereby the hills
and the rivers are renewed.

“ The Serpent [the devil] and the brutes

Miscellaneous.

253

[the Imperialists] have submitted or been
destroyed, and thereby men are at peace,
officers and magistrates tranquillized, and
the people renewed.

“ For a myriad of years, and for myriad
of myriad of years, the country is re-
newed, the winds are tempered, the rains
obedient, heavenly grace transcendent,
and all nations renewed.

“ This is from the king ; given on the
first day of the first month of the eleventh
year of the great peaceful heavenly king-
dom, that is, 9th of February, 1861.”

That such a power as this — supposing
it to acquire control over any portion of
the present Chinese Empire — will be any
thing but a persecuting opponent, it is not
reasonable to expect ; therefore it is well
for us to make our calculations according-
ly, and not to say we are “ disappointed”
or “discouraged,” when Satan throws up
these new entrenchments to check the
progress of the kingdom.

By the most recent acccrunts from China,
we learn that these Insurgents have pos-
sessed themselves of the famous and im-
portant city of Han-kow, which lies about
five hundred miles up the Great River, the
Tang-tse , which has been declared open
to commerce, and therefore to missiona-
ries. If the usual process of devastation
and derangement of business is carried
out here by the marauders who hail from
Nankin, it seems inevitable that a conflict
between them and the foreigners will take
place at this spot. Of this, however, we
shall be better able to judge when we
hear of the movements of Com. Stribling,
who is reported to have ascended the
river in the “Hartford.!’ Recent events
have taught us that “there are some things
worse than war ;” and missionaries have
long ago learned that the proclamations of
the Gospel can not stop for wars and revo-
lutions. E. W. S.

MISCELLANEO US.

STATEMENT MADE BY A ^ NATIVE EAST-IN-
DIAN, AT HIS ORDINATION IN CALCUTTA,
MARCH, 1861.

“ Next to a sincere, hearty, and cor-
dial profession of Christ’s religion, no duty
appears to me to be so important, so press-
ing, and so imperative as that of making
known its saving truths to those who
know them not. Christianity is not a
selfish religion, it is a religion of love. A

Christian, therefore, can not rest content-
ed with securing his own salvation only ;

‘ plucked out as a brand from the fire,’ he
can not remain indifferent to the eternal
interests of multitudes around him, who
are rushing headlong into the gulf of ruin ;
sensible of his immutable obligations to
the Lord who has purchased him with his
own precious blood, he can not enjoy ‘ the
peace of the Spirit,’ without doing all he
can to make his name ‘ known upon
earth.’ "When first, about nine years ago,
I came to know the Redeemer ; when
God, in his infinite compassion and love,
delivered me from the lowest depths of
heathen ‘ darkness, and translated ’ me
‘ into the kingdom of his dear Son,’ I
confess my sentiments about the question
at issue were not so distinct, definite, and
clear as they have since become. Days
and months have passed since the thought
of becoming a preacher of the Gospel first
struck my mind ; doubts and difficulties
arose ; conflict and vacillation followed ;
till at length directed, as I believe, by an
all-wise and an all-gracious Providence,
without whose permission not even a spar-
row will fall to the ground, I made up my
mind, in humble dependence upon his
divine strength, to devote my life entirely
to his service. And now, after a lapse of
several years, during which I have had a
little experience of the nature and require-
ments of this mysteriously great and holy
work, I now stand here, knowing fall
well the perfect weakness of my own
strength, and feeling bitterly the sinful-
ness and perversity of my own deceitful
heart, and looking up earnestly for grace,
mercy, wisdom, light, counsel, and direc-
tion to Him who is indeed ‘ the Father of
lights,’ and the giver of ‘ every good and
every perfect gift ;’ I now stand here,
with my resolution unchanged, to dedicate
my body and soul anew to the service of
my Redeemer. My obligations to God
and man alike, loudly demand such a dedi-
cation. "When I think of the really lost
condition of the millions of my country-
men, I can not but feel that the preaching
of the Gospel is a ‘ necessity laid upon me ;
yea, woe is unto me if I preach ’ it not.
As a native of the land, I see the path of
my duty clearly marked out before me.
My position in relation to my countrymen
is very much the same with the man from
whom our Lord in his lifetime cast out a
legion of unclean spirits, and whom after-
wards he distinctly prohibited to accom-
pany him in his journey, saying, in words

254

Miscellaneous.

full of heavenly compassion : ‘ Go home to
thy friends and tell them how great things
the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had
compassion on thee.’

“Again, the example and command of
Christ add irresistible weight to this obli-
gation. He who is the ‘ brightness of’
Jehovah’s ‘ glory and the express image
of his person,’ was himself, when on earth,
a zealous and devoted preacher of the
Gospel. ‘My meat,’ said he, while yet
actively engaged in his Father’s work,

‘ my meat is to do the will of him that
sent me, and to finish his work ;’ and
when about to ascend triumphant on the
wings of mediatorial glory into the realms
of everlasting joy above, he solemnly
commanded his disciples ‘ to go into all
the world , and preach the Gospel to every
creature .’

“With such an example, then, before
my eyes, an example solely designed for
our imitation, and with such a command,
arrayed as it is with all the solemnity of a
parting injunction , continually ringing in
my ears, how can I lay claim to the name
and privileges of a Christian, without en-
deavoring, in proportion to ‘ the measure
of grace’ vouchsafed unto me, to follow
the one and fulfill the other ?

“ But though willing from the inmost
depths of my heart, and now prepared, in
one sense to consecrate anew my body
and soul, as I have said, to the service of
God my Redeemer, I feel that I am per-
fectly unworthy and incapable of doing
justice to it. To be ambassador of ‘the
King of kings ’ to the unbelieving heathen
around, is in itself a sufficiently respon-
sible work for a frail, fallible, sinful man ;
but, in addition to this, the Great Head of
the Church has been pleased to call me, as
you have heard, to ‘take the oversight’
of his flock, of which I myself have been
a member ever since the time of my con-
version. Oh ! how can I, possessing to
the full all the infirmities and weaknesses
of a depraved human nature, discharge
the responsibilities of so great a work
with any degree of faithfulness ? But my
hope is in the Lord. I am polluted, but
he is the fountain of holiness ; I am weak,
but he is almighty ; I am ignorant, but he
is all-wise. In him and him only do I
put my trust. To him alone do I look up
for grace to help, for wisdom to teach, for
judgment to discern, for strength and pa-
tience to bear, for fortitude to sutfer, for
resignation to submit, for love to direct
and control, and for zeal and diligence to

work. ‘ He that spared not his own Son, f
but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all
things ?’ Oh ! may the Holy Spirit then
enable me at every moment of my exist-
ence to realize and enjoy the blessed pre- ::
sence of so gracious a God, and help me ;
in particular to wait on him patiently at
all seasons of trial, difficulty, doubt, and
temptation ; so that, whatever maybe the r
hind of work I am called upon to engage r
in, love to Christ and love to souls, and
not any desire after self-gratification or <
vain-glory may be the moving, constrain- t
ing, prevailing, guiding, yea, and the only
principle of my thoughts, words, and ac-
tions ; so, that, relying entirely for sue- :
cess upon the prophetic promises of Him 1
who has said, ‘ And lo, I am with 3'ou
alway, even unto the end of the world,’ I 1
may faithfully ‘ do the work of an evan-
gelist,’ and ‘ make full proof of my minis- ,
try:’ that thus I may say, with Paul the
aged : ‘ For to me to live is Christ, and to
die is gain.’ ” — London Miss. Mag.

Polynesia.

LETTER OF THE REV. GEORGE GILL, AD-
DRESSED TO THE FOREIGN SECRETARY.

June, 1861.

“ My very dear Sir : Recent letters
which I have received from the Hervey
Group give a very pleasing report of the
work of the Lord, especially in Rarotonga
and Mangaia, which I could wish our
friends generally to know. When the
spirit of revival has been poured out upon
our churches at home, it is eminently en-
couraging to our faith to know that the
same blessed results are being realized by
our brethren and the churches abroad.

“ I need, therefore, make no apology
for sending you the following short ex-
tract. The Rev. W. Wyatt Gill, my
friend and former colleague in Mangaia,
says: ‘ Our work' here is going on very
well. True, indeed, we have not all sun-
shine, nor is it all shade. Our grounds
for encouragement are very great indeed.

A few days hence I hope to admit twenty-
four to the Church at Ivirua and Oneroa.

At Rarotonga a great revival has taken
place ; upwards of eight hundred individ-
uals have joined the classes.’

“In confirmation of this statement I
will translate a portion of a letter I have
just received from Russe and Tindmana,
the native teacher and chief at Arorangi.

Acknowledgments.

255

They say: ‘This is a season of great joy
on Rarotonga. Multitudes of men apd
women and young persons have been led
to abandon their former evil practices,
and their backsliding, and have with all
their heart believed upon Christ, and have
been admitted into the fellowship of the
Church. You will rejoice, and perhaps
also you will fear ; you will rejoice truly
with fear and trembling on this thing
which has recently grown up amongst us;
because they who have thus come to the
Church have been notoriously wicked in
their past lives. It was in the month of
August last that this thing grew, and gave
us such joy. I have not time to tell you
more. The ship is going away soon, but
I write to tell you that it is well with us
and the Church of God here. Isaia has
been very ill for six months, but he is
better now. Blessings and peace rest
ever with you.’

“ Rttsse, the native teacher, writes :

‘ More than seven hundred have returned
from evil and believed. You will rejoice
to know that Makea, the son of Tinomana,
has been admitted a repentant and hum-
ble disciple of Christ. In Ngatangiia ,
two hundred, in Avarua , two hundred
and twenty, and in Arorangi more than
ninety are now seeking for peace and life ;
yes, I do greatly rejoice to tell you that
we are in peace and prosperity here. Isaia
has been ill, and has not been able to at-
tend to his duties as formerly, but he has
recovered now. I write to you now,
e Gilie, that you tell the Society to hasten
and send us help ; we are waiting for
more help. We are anxiously waiting
and hoping that more missionaries may
soon be sent out for us.’

“ These extracts will sufficiently show
that the people are growing in grace, and
that the blessing of the Lord is resting
upon them.”

LIST OF PACKAGES RECEIVED TO JULY 15th, 18G1.

F&03I

FOR

ARTICLE.

FORWARDED BY

Pa., Philadelphia — NO ADVICE

Rev. C. C. Hoffman, Africa

] box

Brig Ocean Eagle,*

Rev. Dr. Newton

1 parrel

Mass., Boston— NO ADVICE

Mrs. Hoffman, “

1 parcel

it l(

Pa., Philadelphia — Rev. E. W. Hening

Bishop Payne, lt

1 boy

<« <4

Rev. E. Lounsberry

Cape Palmas Orph. Asyl., u

1 box

•t * 44

N. Y., New- York — Miss Turner

Mrs. Payne, “

1 box

«4 ^

Pa., Philadelphia — Rev. J. Rambo

Bishop Payne, “

1 box

Rev. G. W. Gibson u ..

1 pnrccl

A. Y., New- York — Evangelical Knowledge Society

Va., Richmond — NO ADVICE

Rev. C. C. Hoffman “

Rev. C. M. Williams, Japan

1 parcel

1 box ^

* By error these were in last month ack’d as sent by ship “ Kathay.”

A CKNO WEED G ME NTS.

Thk Treasurer of the Foreign Committee acknowledges the receipt of the following sums, from June 15th
to July 15th, 1S61.

iHamc.

WiscasseU- St. Philip’s $10 00

Neh>'f£>ampsf)irr.

Concordr—St. Paul’s School Chapel 11 25

JHassacfjusrils.

Boston — S. S. Bucklin, Esq., through

Am. Ch. Miss. Soc $25 00

Dorchester— S>t. Mary’s 100 00

Nexoton Corner — Grace, China and
Africa 9 13 $134 13

Frrmont.

Norwich — St. Andrew’s, from “ C. L B.”

2 00

3al)ohe Eslanb.

Providence— Grace, Epiphany Coll, for
F. M

37 00

256

Acknowledgments.

Connecticut.

East ITaddam — St. Stephen's $2 00

Hebron— St. Peter's, £ 5 00

Litchfield— St. Michael’s, Special Col.. 84 00
New- London — St. James’, from a friend 10 00

Stamford— St. John’s 50 00

Stratford— Christ S. S., $22 35 ; for Af.

anil China scholarships, $50 72 85

Wolcottville— Trinity 8 00 $176 35

Kciu'govfc.

Amsterdam— St. Ann’s 2 00

Beechwood— St. Mary’s 5 66

Brooklyn— St. Ann’s, toward salary of
Itev. D. D. Smith, China,
through Am. Ch. Miss. Soc. 70 00
“ St. Peter’s, $23.50, S. S., for
China, $22.17 for Af., in-
cluding ed. of C. L. Pad-

dock, $69.8S 115 55

Cooperstoxcn — Christ 9 98

Delhi— St. John’s, Chas. Marvine, Esq. 10 00

Duaxxesburgh — Christ 10 00

Greenpoint — Ascension, S. S., part of

Easter Off 5 00

Near- York— St. Bartholomew's, S. S.. . 33 22
“ St. Thomas’ Free Chapel,

add. for Af. scholarship .• 5 00
Trinity, for Af. Episcopate 250 00

F. S. Winston, Esq., add’l.. 50 00

G. R. M 10 00

Miss E. C. Jay, for Japan. 100 00
S. W. Seton, for Africa 5 00

Poughkeepsie — Christ 9 50

Ravenswood— St. Thomas’ 15 00

Rhinebeck — Ch. of the Messiah 1 8 63

Tarrytown — Christ 25 19

Tivoli — From H. T 5 00

White Plains — Grace, Special Coll.,

$21.30; S. S., add. for Af., $5; for

China, $10; for Japan, $5 41 30 796 03

MUestcrn Keirngork.

Belmont — St. Philip’s, from a member. . 1 00

Brockport — St. John’s S. S 5 00

Palmyra — Zion S. S., 6 classes for Or-
phan Asy., Af., $31.44; 3 classes for
St. Mark’s Hos., Af., $13.37 ; 1 class

Af. gen., $6 50 81

Rochester — A friend’s sale of articles

for the Hospital Fund, Af 5 00

Sherburne — Christ 3 50 65 31

flein'iJcrsrg.

Bordentown — Christ 21 25

ILoboken — Trinity.*

New- Brunswick— Children’s Hoffman
Soc., June Coll., for Af 2 00 23 25

Prnttsglhanta.

Bloomsburg — St Paul’s, from A. E. D.,

through Am. Ch. Miss. Soc 5 00

Broxonsmlle — Christ 6 00

Doylestown— St. Paul’s S. S., ed. Paul

Doyle, Af 10 00

Great Bend — Grace, S. S., China and

Af.. 13 00

Kensington — Emmanuel, S. S , Orphan

Asy., Af., $40; for Brazil, $25 65 00

Philadelphia — Mediator, for Af 10 04

“ Nativity, $50, S. S., $50, ed.

Henry Martin, David Brainerd,

Wm. Hobart Brown and Joseph

Lingard Bryan, Af 100 00

“ St. Andrew’s, $300 ; two la-
dies for sup. of Miss Merriam

half year, $175 475 00

Pittsburgh— St. James’ S. S., “ to build

Ch. on the Hill, Af.” 19 97

1 Pittsburgh — St. Peter’s, $25.02 ; a mem-
ber, $5 $30 02

Pottstoxon— Christ, $31.52; S. S.,$20.. 51 52
Williamspor-t— Christ, S. S 15 00 $800 55

Uriah) are.

Brandyxcine — St.John’s 2 00

Lexois— St. Peter’s, a member 1 00 3 00

iHarglantJ.

Georgetown , D. C.— St. John’s 50 00

Washington , D. C. — From “H. & L.,”

for China 7 50

Washington Co. — Hagerstown, St.

John’s 10 00

Worcester Co. — Worcester Par., St.

Paul’s./. 16 CO 83 50

Umjtrtia.

Fairfax Co. — Theo. Sem. Miss. Soc 20 00 !

©crag.

San Antonio — St. Mark’s 2S 00 j

©fcto.

Cleveland— St. John’s S. S 27 89

“ S. N. Sanford, Esq 10 00

Columbia — St. Luke’s 7 00

Elyria— St. Andrew’s 19 00

Gambier — Harcourt Par., S. S., for

Brazil 40 00

Granville— St. Luke’s, Rev. A. Sanford,

through Am. Miss. Soc 20 00

Oberlin — Christ Ch 2 00

Medina — St. Paul’s 15 00

Mt. Vernon — St. Paul’s, $10; S. S.,
for Brazil, $140.23 ; Bp. Chase Bible-

Class, $15 165 23

Penfield— Christ 4 00

Strongville — St. Philip’s 3 25

Venice — Redeemer, through Rev. L. N.

Freeman 2 50 315 S7

Elltnotg.

Ottawa— Christ 13 00

Hentuckg.

Louisvillle— St. Paul’s, $43 ; S. S. , $94.S5 137 So

jBJirijtgan.

Detroit — Rev. W. E. Armitage, sub. to

Cavalla Messenger • 100

Flint — St. Paul's, ed. Willis Roberts, Af. 10 00 11 00

iHtsstmrt.

St. Louis — Christ, S. S., for Cape Pal-
mas, Af *

lofcoa.

Dubuque — St. John’s

JHinrtegota.

Basswood Grove Chapel 3 48

Hastings — St. Luke’s 4 45

m. ©.

Fort Cobb — Sergeant Kelly, U. S. A...

iHigccIIartcoug.

Anonymous 25 00

X. Y 10 00

A. E., through Am. Ch. Miss. Soc 50 00

85 29
7 00

7 93
15 00

85 00

$2,86S 22

Amount previously acknowledged 47,S06 51

Total since Oct. 1st, 1860 $50,674 73

*An acknowledgment of $30 from this Par. last month, should have been as from the “ Sunday-school."’

1012 01047 1730