3. That no interpretation or reception of these sections is required by this Church which would admit of any interference on the part of the State with the spiritual independence of the Church, as set forth in Chap. xxx. of the Confession. III. Of the Headship of Christ over the Church-That the Lord Jesus Christ is the only King and Head of his Church: that he has made her free from all external or secular authority in the administration of her affairs, and that she is bound to assert and defend this liberty to the utmost, and ought not to enter into such engagements with any party as would be prejudicial thereto. IV. Of the Headship of Christ over the Nations, and the duty of the Civil Magistrate. That the Lord Jesus Christ, as Mediator, is invested with universal sovereignty, and is therefore King of nations, and that all men in every capacity and relation are bound to obey his will as revealed in his Word; and particularly that the civil magistrate (including under that term all who are in any way concerned in the legislative or administrative action of the State) is bound to regulate his official procedure, as well as his personal conduct, by the revealed will of Christ. V. Of Church Government.-That the system of polity established in the Westminster Form of Presbyterian Church Government, in so far as it declares a plurality of elders for each congregation, the official equality of Presbyters, without any offices in the Church superior to the said Presbyters, and the unity of the Church in a due subordination of a smaller part to a larger, and of a larger to the whole, is the government of this Church, and is, in the features of it herein set forth, believed by this Church to be founded on, and agreeable to, the Word of God. VI. Of Worship.-That the ordinances of worship shall be administered in this Church, as they have heretofore been, by the respective bodies of which it is composed, in a general accordance with the directions contained in the Westminster Directory of Worship. Missions. CHINA. THE REV. W. S. SWANSON TO THE CONVENER. MY DEAR DR. HAMILTON,-By this mail weigh us down in despair; but in Christ Jesus there is no despair, for the promises are all "Yea and Amen" in him, to the glory of God the Father. And even when our hearts would have despaired, God himself gave us a substantial proof of his own mighty power. Many of the native Christians came with an eager desire to see us; and as heartily they grasped our hands, we could not but feel that the Lord was thus mercifully teaching us the lesson of hope in About a fortnight's residence has given faith now, and the prospect of the blessing us a little acquaintance with, and knowledge in due time. As the evidences of his saving of, our new home, of its requirements, of its power here clustered around us we were rewants. How different these in a way are minded of his mighty power, and taught from the little world in which, from January effectually the sinfulness of despair. I know to July, our lot has been cast; how large we were all delighted with these tokens the field seems; how few the labourers. I of God's power to save, and were thereby hope the Lord is teaching us, by everything led in some measure to thank God and take we see around us, our entire dependence on courage. himself for all we need, and teaching us all the assurance of receiving if we only trust him. There is, no doubt, a large field to be overtaken; and Mrs. Swanson and I felt at first as if the very sight of it was enough to I doubt not that from the time we left home we have been the subjects of many prayers; and although now we may not specially be able to point out any marked conversions where we were, yet we do trust the Lord will glorify his own name in answering his people's prayers. And now, more than ever, ask the Lord's people in our church to entreat the Lord for us, that speedily we may become acquainted with the language of this people; and, above all, that spirituality of aim, desire, and operation, in Christ Jesus may be ours. I have gone to see Sandeman's grave; it is well fitted to teach a lesson to a new missionary. His whole life does so; his grave tells the same. I remembered well, as I stood beside it, those days when, in the New College, Edinburgh, I used to gaze in wonder on the man, and envy the universal respect that he carried with him. And as I stood by his grave I desired earnestly his gifts that the Lord might be glorified in me. For this mail I must close, asking you to thank God, with us, for our arrival here, for our continued health and strength, and to pray with us for the outpouring of his Holy Spirit upon us. My dear brother and I have secured the services of a good teacher, and are now engaged in the study of the language. Mrs. Swanson has a teacher for herself, and is also busy at the same study. All here is comfortable, all delightful; one thing we yet lack, the abundant power of the Holy Spirit. Be so kind as let Mr. Matheson see this letter as I cannot write him this month. I remain yours ever, W. S. SWANSON. to find at Shanghai on our arrival there, we soon made their acquaintance, and day by day went among them to pick up what we could of information for future use. Both on the Challenger and on the Peterborough, we enjoyed every facility for meeting with the seamen; and on both ships we took advantage of the opportunities given to preach to and speak with the men. Of any visible fruit of our services we cannot speak; may He, whose command to us is, Cast thy bread on the waters, and thou shalt find it many days" hence, cause the seed sown to take root and yield an abundant harvest to the praise of his glorious grace. Mr. Grant daily addressed as many of the Chinese on the Peterborough as would listen. A few seemed to be interested, and several copies of the Chinese Bible were distributed. On our arrival here we were refreshed by meeting with our dear brother, Mr. Douglas, and also with Dr. and Mrs. Carnegie. Owing to their and Mr. Grant's kindness, we got comfortably settled after a few days, and ready for the regular study of the language. Mr. and Mrs. Swanson occupy the only house belonging to the mission in Amoy, and I board with them, to my great comfort and happiness. Mr. S. and I have secured, for a time at least, the services of a very good teacher, and have been daily at work with him for a week. We would specially entreat your prayers, and the prayers of all in the English Presbyterian Church, who are interested in their mission to this benighted land, that we may, by God's blessing on The following is from the Rev. H. L. our studies, be enabled, in due time, to speak Mackenzie:— Amoy, July 16th, 1860. MY DEAR DR. HAMILTON,-Through the kind providence of God we at length arrived at Amoy on the 2nd of this month. From the time we parted with you at Gravesend till then, we experienced much, very much, of the goodness of our Lord and Master. We look back to our voyage on the Challenger, and our intercourse with her excellent captain, with feelings of gratitude and pleasure. Our fortnight's stay at Shanghai gave us both an introduction to the people, among whom we have come (D. v.) to labour, and an opportunity of meeting with many brethren engaged in the work. We found it to be good for us to meet with them, and speak of the difficulties and of the encouragements of missionary labours in this land. Our passage from Shanghai to Amoy, in the Peterborough, gave us a very good opportunity of becoming acquainted with the ways and language of the people of this province, for there were 140 of them on board as fellow-passengers; and with the assistance of our dear brother, Mr. Grant, whom we were much delighted the language of this people, and to tell them of the glorious Gospel of the grace of God. We have been rather encouraged than otherwise by the success vouchsafed to us during the short time we have been at work with a regular teacher. In regard to this matter, may Elliot's saying, "Faith in the Lord Jesus, with prayer and pains, can accomplish anything," be our motto. As yet I have had little opportunity of becoming acquainted with the mission work here; but the many visits we have had from the Chinese Christians here, men and women, and their evidently joyous and hearty greeting to us as newly-arrived missionaries, cheered our hearts, and drew forth our desires more and more for the salvation of this people, and for the time when the love and gentleness, and kindly affections which the Gospel calls forth, shall prevail, not in a few, but in very many, in all parts of this land. We rejoice to meet with these dear brethren and sisters, regarding them as the first-fruits of a great harvest yet to be gathered in. There are but few as yet to sow the seed, and the field is here of immense extent, yet the handful of corn is to yield fruit as the trees of Lebanon. For this let prayer continually be made; so shall the Churches at home, and the church in China, be refreshed with life-giving, life-increasing showers from on high. I have visited the grave of one known and beloved by you and by many in the church, David Sandeman. It was a solemn thing to stand beside his grave, to think of him as now being with Christ, serving in heaven the Lord whom he so faithfully served while on earth. I felt that it was a time for me to give myself anew to the work of the Lord in this land, and to serve him while he is pleased to spare me. I thought, too, of the joyous resurrection awaiting the body committed to that little spot of earth, far from kindred dust, and of the glad re-union with friends and brethren, beloved in the Lord, which shall then take place. We sorrow not for him as others who have no hope. Mr. Swanson and I have each preached in the chapel for the foreign community; we have also had service twice on the Peterborough since coming here, having first invited the English-speaking crews from other ships in the harbour. Carnegie was the only medical missionary here, among ten missionaries-six of these being married-and in a position affording very favourable opportunities for the proper work of a medical missionary, we felt that it would be a great calamity if he were called on to remove. He is at present in somewhat painful uncertainty as to the sphere and the support of his work in regard to an hospital, &c.; but we all trust that he will soon have matters satisfactorily arranged. We have not felt the heat to be very oppressive yet; the thermometer in shade is about 84 or 86 degrees. With very slight exception, the health of all of us has been very good since we left home. I must now conclude. Remember me very kindly to the dear friends connected with Regent Square, or other churches. I desire their prayers; and with affectionate regards I remain, &c., H. L. MACKENZIE. The Rev. W. C. Burns, in a letter dated Foo Chow, June 12th, 1860, says: I AM at this moment writing, not in my former lodging at the American Methodist Chapel outside the city, but in the city of Foo-Chow itself, on the Black Rock Hill, where the Church of England Mission premises are; and I am occupying rooms in a very romantic situation, which Mr. Fearnley found for himself on his first coming here. I still, however, retain my old quarters outside the city, and have of late been dividing my time nearly between the two places. The reasons for my coming at all to this new location will, The one main thought in regard to the work here, both among the Chinese and among the foreign community and seamen, that has been pressing on my mind since I landed in China, is the necessity of prayer, both on the part of the church at home and of those sent out by the church, for the outpouring of the Spirit. We feel constrained to cry out, "Brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified (among us), even as it is with you." The state of the multitudes around us, their utter ignorance of the way of salvation, and their vain and sinful idolatries; this, with the reflection that they are our brother men, that in many respects they are worthy of our respect, and that they are our "neighbours," whom we are to love as our-when stated, give you some idea of my selves; all this is fitted to make us yearn over them, and long for their being brought to know Him who is the Elder Brother. That the Lord would, of his sovereign mercy, pour out the Holy Spirit on them and on us, ought surely to be our earnest cry day by day (Isaiah lxii. 6, 7). I often feel refreshed in spirit by remembering that many of the Lord's children at home pray for us out here; and at times it seems as if I were experiencing the blessing sent down in answer to their prayers. For this I would feel thankful, and pray that your own souls may be abundantly refreshed, and that we, too, in turn may get the benefit of your continuance in prayer for us. It was quite refreshing to meet with Dr. and Mrs. Carnegie here; this pleasure I hardly anticipated. It would seem that at present it is unsuitable that they should go to Swatow; and when we found that Dr. position and occupations here, present and prospective. I have for some months past been in the way of taking part with an American missionary, Mr. Hartwell (who at present occupies Mr. Fearnley's house), and with Mr. Smith, of the Church of England Mission, in preaching within this city on the streets. This, I am sorry to say, is the only mode of preaching within the city which has, up to this time, been allowed, all efforts to rent houses with the warm weather setting in, it is for this purpose having failed. Now, almost impossible to carry on, to any extent, the out-door work, especially when you must first take a walk under a scorching sun, which is sufficient of itself for an afternoon's work. On this ground I decided in my own mind, and before the medical work was thought of, it occurred to me to consider whether it might not be my duty, instead of remaining in comparative inactivity here, to leave Foo-Chow, and following the track of the English and French forces farther north, seek at once to do something for the spiritual benefit of the European soldiers and of the native community. This thought has now been in the meantime laid aside, as far as I am personally concerned, but I have written to Mr. Grant, suggesting to him that if on receiving the new missionaries at Shanghai, as we hope he has already had the privilege of doing, he should find his health not sufficiently recruited to warrant his directly returning to Amoy, he might perhaps find both health and a field of usefulness by keeping among the soldiers, either at Chusan or at some other point further to the north. Two months ago I found an open door for preaching the Gospel on board a gun-boat, the "Leven,” which was lying here, not at the an some weeks ago, that if I remained in Foo-Chow during the hot season, in order to be usefully employed within the city (and that is the least occupied part of the field), I must have lodgings there. I would not, perhaps, have decided on making a change so soon, however, but for the circumstance that, about three weeks ago, Mr. Collins, of the Church Mission, an acquaintance of our friend with you, Dr. Alexander Stewart, and a medical man as well as a preacher, came down here from Shanghai for the benefit of Mrs. Collins's health. On learning that he was acquainted with medicine, I immediately pressed on him the duty of employing his medical talents during his stay to aid the work here; and in consequence, during the last fortnight, a dispensary has been opened three times a week, on the ground-floor of Mr. Smith's house. The attendance is considerable, and will probably increase; and it is in order especially to aid in this effort, and to seek to turn it to account for the preaching of the Gospel, that I am now occupying my pre-chorage twelve miles off, but close to sent lodging. To-morrow (Friday) is a patient-seeing day, and I pass the night here to be ready. Mr. Collins will, in all probability, require to rcturn to Shanghai in the course of next month, and when he goes we do not yet know whether the medical work can be carried on regularly or not. We hope, however, that some way may be found for its continuance. Without the aid of medicine the people will not come to us here in any numbers, or indeed almost at all; but with the inducements connected with a dispensary, they crowd to us on the top of this hill, and no doubt will continue to do so if the work is carried on regularly, and in a manner to confer on the patients real benefit. The work is begun each day with Christian instruction and prayer, and the preaching continues during most of the time in the public hall, while the patients are being seen, a few at a time, in a separate quarter. We have heard that Dr. De la Porte intends to come to Foo-Chow as a medical missionary. There is certainly an open field, and if the Lord his opens way, I think there is a prospect of being very useful in this locality. When thinking of my prospective engagements during the hot season, the foreign Hongs outside the city. That vess is now gone, and an American ship of war has come to the Pagoda anchorage to render unneces sary, I believe, the presence of any English vessel until matters are arranged in the north. One of the American Methodist missionaries has succeeded in effecting an arrangement by which on board that vessel one of the missionaries here shall preach every Sabbath. This missionary, Mr. Stephen Baldwin, began the work last Lord's-day, and next day it comes in order to me. I wish I could be at the anchorage when the next vessel touches here from Shanghai, as we are fully expecting that, if the Lord will, that vessel will contain our new missionaries for Amoy, and it would be a great satisfaction to meet, even for a short time. There is yet another part of my engagements during the last month which I have not yet alluded to, but which I trust has not been without use, viz., that I was unexpectedly led to attempt, with the help of one or two native Christians, to add to the psalmody of the native church here. We were in a most unexpected degree aided in the work, and for the last few weeks ten hymns in the colloquial of streak of dawn in any quarter of the heavens! Such is the position of the Indian missionary. His sojourn and pilgrimage is in a region of spiritual darkness so dense that it "may be felt." He walks stumblingly; he breathes heavily; all his senses experience unusual oppression; he faints, and pants for any signs of the coming morn! this place have been printed, and are coming into use in connection with the different missions here. Six of these hymns are founded on the very valuable hymns in the Amoy colloquial, published a few years ago by Mr. Young, of the London Mission, at Amoy, and now labouring among the Chinese in Australia. Of the remaining four, two are from German hymns without such signs, even in this land of Praised be God, we have not been wholly with which I became acquainted at darkness and shadow of death. In every Swatow two years ago, when enjoying part of India there are signals, however the society of two German missionaries dim or feebly delineated, which assure us for a few weeks-the subjects are taken that "the morning cometh." To one of from them, and the tunes also (0 these I now wish to draw your attention. Lamm Gottes unschuldig, and Gelobet You are aware that, for many years past, sei der Herr), the other two are new-there has been in the North-west Provinces one is an exhortation to believe in and the Punjab an extensive mission, mainJesus, first sketched by a native Chris- tained by the American Old School Presby. tian, and now set to the tune "Scots terian Church-the church of the Hodges wha hae," &c.! Both hymn and tune and Alexanders of Princeton, the Murray, are favourites. The tenth and last is a of Elizabethtown, the Lenoxes and Stuar, free translation of "The Happy Land," of New York. With this church, in the and sings to the same tune. This s glorious work of evangelisation, is united the greatest favourite of the whole. my devoted friends, Mr. Stuart of Philathe Reformed Presbyterian Church, of which As a curiosity, I enclose a copy of this delphia, Mr. Wylie of that city, and Dr. last hymn; it reads from right to left, M'Leod of New York, are pillars. The and from top to bottom. The number Mission occupies Allahabad, Futtehpore, of Chinese letters, you will see, corres- Futtehghur, Agra, Saharanpore, Umballa, ponds with the number of syllables in Lodiana, Jalandhar, Lahore, and other imthe English copy of the hymn. There portant stations. It consists of several is now here, I am persuaded, a living Presbyteries; and being all within practinative church, limited though it be in cable distances, these Presbyteries are numbers; and I feel that it is an un-enabled to meet, from time to time, in speakable mercy to have been called to Syncd. aid in the least degree in providing a medium for the utterance of those praises to God and the Lamb which are breathed from the hearts of those young believers! May the people of God at home aid us by their thanksgivings and their prayers, and may they soon be refreshed by hearing of the rapid progress of the work of conversion to Christ among this people. I am, &c., WM. C. BURNS. SIGNS OF DAYBREAK IN INDIA. THE following remarkable narrative, is from the pen of Dr. Duff: MY DEAR DR. TWEEDIE,-How longingly does the weary traveller, in these roadless orient clines, after a long, dark, and cloudy night, look out for the first All kinds of evangelistic principles preaching to adults, educating the young, translations of Scripture, and religious works, &c. they have been carrying on the labourers there have been, and still are, with great vigour and success. Amongst men, not only of unfeigned piety, but of high talent, extensive scholarship, and dauntless energy. One of these, Mr. Woodside, is now occupying a position almost, if not altogether, unique in the history of Indian missions. During the recent mutinies there was a native Punjab prince, the Raja of Kapurthala, whose name figured very conspicuously as a friend and ally of our Government in its hour of sore trial. Kapurthala is in the Sutlej and Beas, which was annexed by Jalandhar Doab, or country between the It lies on the route from Lodiana to Lahore, Lord Hardinge after the first Sikh campaign. about half-way between the town of Jalandhar and the Beas river, and nearly twelve miles from each. considerable one. The Raja is altogether The principality is a independent as regards the management of his territory and people. Even in capital |