Ecclesiastical Record.

DISSOLUTION OF THE PASTORAL RELATION.

The pastoral relation between the Rev. Miles T. Merwin and the church of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, has been dissolved. His post-office address for a short period will be New Haven, Connecticut.

The Rev. Wm. Wylie, D. D., on account of age and infirmities, has resigned the pastoral care of the Presbyte rian church in Newark, Ohio.

CALLS.

The Rev. R. W. Landis has accepted a call to the Second church in Patterson, New Jersey.

The Rev. James M. McDonald of New York, has ⚫ declined the call of the First Presbyterian church in Princeton, New Jersey.

The Rev. Theodoric Pryor, D. D., has received a call from the Third Presbyterian church in Baltimore, Maryland.

ORDINATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS.

On the 12th May, by the Presbytery of Newton, the Rev. Solomon McNair was installed pastor of the church of Mansfield, New Jersey.

On the 13th April, by the Presbytery of New Lisbon, the Rev. A. S. Billings was ordained and installed pastor of the church at East Palestine, Ohio.

On the 17th May, by the Presbytery of West Jersey, the Rev. John A. Annin was installed pastor of the church at Cedarville, New Jersey.

On the 18th May, by the Presbytery of West Jersey, Mr. Wm. E. Baker was ordained and installed pastor of the Second church of Bridgeton New Jersey. At the same time, Mr. George S. Woodhull was ordained as an Evangelist.

On the 10th May, by the Presbytery of Beaver, the Rev. J. W. Johnston was installed pastor of the church of Newport.

On the 2d of June, by the Presbytery of Carlisle, Mr. Wm. H. West was ordained and installed pastor of the church at Upper Path Valley.

On the 3d of June, by the Presbytery of Carlisle, the Rev. L. W. Williams was installed pastor of the church of Lower Path Valley.

On the 11th of May, by the Presbytery of Bedford, the Rev. Thomas S. Bradner was installed pastor of the Presbyterian church of Croton Falls.

On the 7th of June, the Presbytery of Bedford ordained and installed Mr. Jesse L. Howell to be pastor of the Presbyterian church of South Greenburg.

On the 8th of June, the Presbytery of Long Island installed the Rev. Gaylord L. More, to be pastor of the Presbyterian church of Islip and Huntington South.

POST-OFFICE address.

That of the Rev. W. C. Emerson, is Intercourse, Sumter county, Alabama.

That of the Rev. P. S. Talmage, is Bloomfield, New Jersey.

That of the Rev. David Monfort, is Knightstown, Indiana.

That of the Rev. John Skinner, is Hamilton, Canada West.

That of the Rev. L. J. Root, is Saline, Washtenaw county, Michigan.

That of the Rev. E. H. Green, is Portersville, Ten

nessee.

That of the Rev. John C. Hanna, is Brimfield, Peoria county, Illinois.

That of the Rev. John Hattery, is Bel-Air, Belmont county, Ohio.

That of the Rev. W. P. Carson, is Crow Meadow, Illinois.

That of the Rev. W. P. Heckman, is Blacksburg, Virginia.

That of the Rev. Benjamin Pitman, is Albany, New York.

That of the Rev. W. F. Hamilton, is Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania.

That of the Rev. J. R. Dundas, is Finleyville, Pennsyl vania.

That of the Rev. R. R. Evans, is Colliersville, Tennessee. That of the Rev. J. B. Adams, is New Berlin, Pennsylvania.

That of the Rev. John M. Crabb, is Williams Centre, Pennsylvania.

That of the Rev. Salmon Cowles, is Des Moines College, Iowa.

That of the Rev. George P. Van Wycke, is Bloomingburgh, New York.

That of the Rev. L. L. Conrad, is West Manchester, Pennsylvania.

That of the Rev. W. R. Fulton, is Savannah, Indiana.

LICENSURE.

Wm. G. Marsh was licensed to preach the gospel.
By the Presbytery of New Lisbon, on April 13, Mr.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Presbytery of West Hanover have refused to release the Rev. John H. Babcock from his present charge, in order that he might accept the call tendered him from Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The Rev. Robert L. Dabney has accepted a professorship in the Union Theological Seminary, Prince Edward, Virginia.

That of the Rev. William Neil, is Pittsylvania C. H., Virginia.

That of the Rev. Samuel D. Campbell, is Bainbridge, Decatur county, Georgia.

That of the Rev. J. A. Meeks, is Huntsville, Logan county, Ohio.

That of the Rev. D. V. Smock, is Birmingham, Iowa. That of the Rev. H. R. Raymond, is Marion, Alabama.

transfer of the funds had been made. A similar memorial

logical Seminary. Rev. Dr. Matthews then presented the Minutes of a conference of delegates from eleven Western Synods, containing resolutions expressive of their conviction that it is the duty of the Assembly to establish a new Theological Seminary at the West, and leaving the location absolutely to the Assembly. All which papers were referred to the Standing Committee on Theological Seminaries.

Rev. Dr. Van Rensselaer presented the Annual Report of

An Overture was presented from the Presbytery of Baltimore, in regard to the erection of a new church at Wash ington, D. C., on which a discussion ensued, which lasted till adjournment.

At the opening of the afternoon session, Rev. Mr. Pinney was heard on behalf of the Colonization Society; and the various delegates from corresponding bodies addressed the Assembly.

Rev. Dr. Baird, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Correspondence, asked the advice of the Assembly in respect to resuming correspondence with various foreign churches, which had recently ceased; which gave rise to a debate which occupied the remainder of the session.

Tuesday, May 24.-Debate continued, which resulted in a resolution to renew correspondence with the Free Church of France, the Free Synod of Geneva, that of the Canton de Vaud, the Waldensian Synod, the churches in Belgium, but with none of the churches in Great Britain and Ireland, Walter Lowrie, Esq., presented the Report of the Board of Foreign Missions, which is substantially printed as an extra to the newspaper edition of the Home and Foreign Record.

Wednesday, May 25.-Rev. Dr. C. C. Jones presented the Report of the Board of Domestic Missions, an abstract of which is given, p. 98.

Dr. W. L. Breckinridge presented the Report of the Committee on the church at Washington, after which the House passed to the consideration of the Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Missions till adjournment. For Report and resolutions, see p. 104.

The afternoon session was chiefly devoted to the consideration of the Report of the Standing Committee on Theological Seminaries.

Thursday, May 26.-The Report of the Committee on the Board of Education was received and placed on the docket.

Rev. Dr. Revel, Moderator of the Waldensian Synod, was introduced, and addressed the Assembly.

Rev. Dr. Musgrave presented the Report of the Board of Publication, an abstract of which is given on page 110.

The House then proceeded to fill the blank in the resolution fixing the location of the new Seminary at the West.

New Albany, Peoria, St. Louis, Nashville, Danville, and Cincinnati were named, and their various claims discussed till adjournment.

Friday, May 27.-Discussion continued.

Saturday, May 28.-Discussion concluded, by the selec tion of Danville, Ky., as the location of the new Theological Seminary.

Monday, May 30.-A supplemental report from the Committee on Seminaries was received, consisting of a series of resolutions for constituting and regulating the Danville Seminary, which chiefly engaged the attention of the House till five o'clock, when they proceeded to ballot for the election of a Professor for the vacant chair in Princeton Seminary, in which Rev. Dr. Henry A. Boardman received 96 votes; Rev. Dr. Plumer 46; Rev. Dr. Spring 25; Rev. Dr. Magill 46; and Rev. Dr. Magie 2. No majority.

Tuesday, May 31.-The Report of the Committee on the Board of Publication was received, the resolutions appended to which will be found on p. 110.

The House again proceeded to ballot for the election of a Professor for Princeton College, which resulted in the election of Dr. Boardman by a majority of 21 votes.

The election of two Professors for Alleghany College was next taken up, and Rev. Dr. A. T. Magill and Rev. Dr. John Hall, of Trenton, N. J., were appointed.

The election of four Professors for Danville was next in order, and resulted in the election of Rev. Dr. R. J. Breck

Wednesday, June 1.-The Assembly was occupied in hearing the Appeal of James Russell from the sentence of the Synod of Georgia, which appeal was not sustained.

The Report of the Standing Committee on the Board of Education was considered and adopted. The Report and resolutions appended are given on p. 101.

The Standing Committee on the Board of Domestic Missions made their Report, the resolutions appended to which are to be found on page 98. These gave rise to an animated discussion which continued till adjournment.

Thursday, June 2.-Further discussion on the policy of the Board of Missions. In the afternoon, Dr. Jones was. heard in explanation; and an evening session was held, chiefly devoted to the consideration of a plan for raising a new church in Washington.

Friday, June 3.-The Report of a Committee appointed by last General Assembly in regard to the rights of American citizens in foreign countries was read and adopted; and after the appointment of Directors to the Alleghany and Princeton Seminaries, the Assembly dissolved, having passed a resolution for another Assembly, elected in like manner, to meet at Buffalo, N. Y., on the third Thursday of May, 1854, at 10 o'clock, A. M.

The various discussions in this Assembly were reported in extenso, for "The Daily Presbyterian," and comprised 112 pp. 8vo., printed in size suitable for binding with the Minutes.

The undersigned hereby acknowledges the receipt of $150 from Mrs. Mary Davies of Hopewell church, South Carolina, for Church Extension within the bounds of Bethel Presbytery. J. LEROY DAVIES.

May 23, 1853.

CONTENTS.

BOARD OF DOMESTIC MISSIONS.-Action on the Report of the Board of Missions by the General Assembly, p. 195. Abstract of the Report of the Board of Missions, p. 195. Important Letter and Appeal in behalf of California, p. 197. Receipts, p. 198.

BOARD OF EDUCATION.-Abstract of Annual Report, p. 201. Action of the General Assembly, p. 202. State of the Treasury, p. 202. I. Ministerial Education. Policy of our Church, p. 203. Modification of the Rule on Appropriations, p. 204. II. Christian Education in Schools and Colleges. An African School, p. 205. The Sure Harvest, p. 206. Receipts, p. 206. BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS.-Meeting of the BoardResolutions of the General Assembly, p. 207. Recent Intelligence, p. 208. The Annual Report, p. 208. China: Ningpo Mission: Journal of the Rev. W. P. Martin, p. 209. Journal of the Rev. H. V. Rankin, P. 210. Mission to the Chinese in California: Journal of the Rev. W. Speer, p. 212. India: Furrukhabad Mission: Journal of the Rev. A. H. Seeley, p. 215. Receipts, p. 216.

BOARD OF PUBLICATION.-Abstract of the Annual Report of the Board of Publication, p. 219. Resolutions of the General Assembly of 1853, p. 220. Extracts from the Narrative of the State of Religion, p. 220. Resolution of the Presbytery of Louisville, Ky. p. 221. Encouraging from the Presbytery of Memphis, p. 221. Testimony of Congregationalists in behalf of Presbyterianism, p. 221. Receipts, p. 222.

MISCELLANEOUS.-Green Leaves for Winter Hours, p. 193. Light Reading, p. 193. Bad Books, p. 194. Ecclesiastical Record, p. 225. Meeting of the General Assembly, p. 225.

THE MINISTER'S QUARTER PAY-DAY. The following scene, taken from the landscape of New England, with some slight shades and varieties of colouring, we believe may be witnessed throughout a great portion of our country. We leave our readers to adapt it, as they fancy, to their own localities. The article originally appeared in The Puritan Recorder.

As the parson sat at his books one day,

A rap at his door heard he;

The Parish Collector had called to pay

The Society's Quarter fee.

A hundred dollars, and fifty more,
Were counted the parson's due,
Though small sum this, for half a score
To victual and clothe and shoe.

But the day had come, and for youthful sport
The parsonage ne'er displayed

A day like that, when his scant support
Was about to be promptly paid.

The children danced, and giggled, and grinned,
And wriggled like eels in oil;

And smiles broke forth on the visage thinned
By fasting, and tears, and toil.

The Parish Collector sat him down,

And out of his pocket took

The tithes he'd gathered about the town,
Crammed into his pocket book:-
It was not much of a cram, at that,
Though honey and milk indeed,
Not milk enough for a starving cat,
Nor honey enough for need.

But such as it was, without much risk,

The Collector poured it out;

He spread it round on the parson's desk,
And scattered it all about:-
But little of shining gold was there,
And less from the silver mine,

And bank bills,-they were exceeding rare!
Alas! for the poor divine.

VOL. IV.-15

No. 8.

First came a note for a little sum,
Which the poor man late had given
To a rich parishioner, near his home,
Whom he hoped to meet in heaven:-
Ten dollars was all,-not much, I know,
But an order followed the note,
With butcher's bill, and a bill or so
For butter and bread, to boot.

The doctor had drawn for his small amount,

The grocer had filed his claim,

And all intended their bills should count,
Whenever his pay-day came.

The good Collector reckoned them up;
The minister stood aghast!
'Twas a bitter drug in his brimming cup,
To think he had lived so fast.

Who knows what pain the parson endures,
As the good man hands them o'er,
And says with a hem, "Sir, these are yours,
And they should have been paid before:
For a scandal it is to religion, Sir,

Which the world can never forget,
When a man of ease like a minister
Is unable to pay a debt.

"And here, besides, is a lot of cash,
Three fives and a lusty ten;
Your daughters in satins now may dash;
And your boys dress up like men,
But allow me to say, good Parson Gay,
You'd better just lay aside

A little of this for a rainy day,
By a walk instead of a ride.

"For money is scarce, and the times are hard, And you, sir, are getting gray,

And you may not fare as you here have fared,
Should the people turn you away.

We've given you here a large support,
And the farmers all complain

That the crops this year will be dreadful short
If we don't soon have some rain.

A CANDID MIND.

There is nothing sheds so fine a light upon the human character as candour. It was called whiteness by the ancients, for its purity and beauty; and it has always won the esteem due to the most admirable of the virtues. However little sought for or practised, all do it the homage of their praise, and all feel the power and charm of its influence. The man whose opinions make the deepest mark upon his fellows; whose influence is the most lasting and efficient; whose friendship is instinctively sought, where all others have proved faithless, is not the man of brilliant parts, or flattering tongue, or splendid genius, or commanding power; but he whose lucid candour and ingenuous truth transmit the heart's real feelings pure and without refraction. There are other qualities which are more showy, and other traits that have a higher place in the world's code of honour; but none wear better, or gather less tarnish by use, or claim a deeper homage in that silent reverence which the mind must pay to virtue.

As it is the most beautiful, so it is the safest of moral qualities. None fall into so few mistakesnone darken and deform themselves with so little falsehood and wrong-none so free from the pain of doing wrong, as those who walk amidst the pitfalls and miasmas, passions and errors, of our tainted life, clothed habitually with candour. The rare and comely union of prudence and of principle, of firmness and forbearance, of truth and zeal, of earnestness of feeling and discrimination of views, is to be found only in minds pervaded and enlarged by candour. To love and to seek, in all things, the truth -to choose and adhere to, before all the solicitations of passion, or the power of prejudice, or the force of public opinion, or the claims of interest or power, whatever is right and true-to believe, at every juneture of experience or thought, that nothing is so good, or desirable, or trustworthy, as truth-to scent the truth amidst all the unpopular disguises which too often disfigure it in this world-this must be safest and best, whatever we may think of it, if God really reigns, and there be an eternal distinction between truth and falsehood, right and wrong. In nothing have men so vital an interest as in truth. Nothing should we so earnestly strive to get at, or hold fast when obtained. "Buy the truth, and sell it not."-Green Leaves.

The churches of the Sandwich Islands give from $20,000 to $30,000 annually, for the support of the gospel among themselves and elsewhere one of the results of missions.

letter is a report in part. We shall be happy to

Business Officers of the Board.

Corresponding Secretary-Rev. C. C. JONES. Assistant Secretary-Rev. R. HAPPERSETT. Treasurer-SAMUEL D. POWEL.

house of worship in St. Paul, of which Brother Brown particularly speaks. Is there an ardent and enterprising young minister, unmarried, who would like to go to Minnesota, and aid in laying the founda

hear from him.

The regular meeting of the Board of Missions was held in their rooms in Philadelphia on Monday the 11th inst. Rev. John McDowell, D.D. Vice-President in the chair. Besides the usual business of the Board a very encouraging statement of the progress of this work was presented, from which it appeared, that for the first three months of this ecclesiastical year, as compared with the corresponding months of last year, there has been an increase of twenty-six appointments and reappointments, as well as a very encouraging increase of funds, particularly from the churches. Many of the new appointments were to important fields in the far West. Another missionary was appointed to California. A letter was read setting forth the progress of this work among the Germans in Cincinnati. In the work of missions among the foreign population in our country this Board is much interested, and have some excellent men thus exclusively engaged. They need more men for this important work. The Board is much encouraged to hope that the present year will, with the Divine blessing, be fruitful to our Church in the enlargement of its borders, as well as the evangelization of our country.

MINNESOTA TERRITORY.

The following letter from Rev. J. C. Brown, of Valparaiso, Indiana, will interest our readers. He went to Minnesota, at the suggestion of the Board, on a tour of exploration and observation, and his

C. C. Jones, D.D.

VALPARAISO, Indiana,

June 25, 1853.

Rev. and Dear Brother:-About the 28th of May, I mailed a letter to you stating that I had left for Minnesota. I made all haste, and reached St. Paul on the first Saturday of June, at dark. I soon found our dear brother Riheldaffer, who was greatly rejoiced to see me. I preached for him twice on the Sabbath. The day was wet, and the audience not so large as usual. Bro. Riheldaffer labours under very great embarrassment for want of a house of worship. Would that the Church felt the need of sustaining Church Extension. If our men of wealth could see for themselves the vital importance of a house of worship in the new settlements, they would gladly pour out of their abundance to sustain this object. Look at Brother Riheldaffer. He is labouring in the midst of a rapidly growing city, already numbering nearly four thousand inhabitants, not more than two hundred of whom are members of evangelical churches. He has a wide field of labour at present, and prospectively one of untold importance. He has no place suitable in which to worship. He occupies the Court House when not otherwise occupied. He gathers a fair congregation and Sabbath-school, when something gets possession of the Court House, and his congregation and school are scattered. Other churches are there with excellent buildings, mainly built by money from abroad. But, says one, "Why did he not build a small church large enough for go to these western towns-there is almost no relipresent purposes?" Well, what are the facts. You gion; but men of means want churches to help their place, and they have lofty notions of their town; such a house, we will give you a lot and help you so and they tell you plainly if you will build such and much; if you do not, you must buy a lot and build the house yourselves.

But I did not think of discussing this matter when I commenced. To return.

After the Sabbath, Brother Riheldaffer and myself visited St. Anthony, at the Falls-estimated population fifteen hundred. It is a place of importance, and is open to us now. True, there is a small Congregational and Presbyterian Church, and also a small Baptist and Methodist, with very indifferent church accommodations. The lumbering business at present is its main source of revenue. But its unbounded water power, so easily used, must give it much importance by and by. It is surrounded by a fine country, now settling rapidly, especially on the west side of the Mississippi and north of the Minnesota. The location of St. Anthony is handsomer than that of St. Paul. But its commercial importance is by no means so great at present.

At the first opportunity, I started up the Minnesota, now the great point of attraction for the immigration. The valley of this river is undoubtedly very beautiful, with prairie and timber so situated as to make it very desirable for the emigrant seeking a home for himself and family. The soil is rich,