of Birmingham, pleading for a Ministry hamlet, a Presbyterian minister was orfor the Masses." The writer says,-"The dained in the other. Several unfortunate inquiry which Mr. James has raised is events happened which affected the finanthis, whether there be any means of secur- cial prospects of the congregation, and ing for the service of the Christian Church the minister left his charge, after a diligent -without prejudice to the character of the ministry of two years. The congregation ministry generally, as a body of learning has lived through many trials, and has had and education-a considerable number of several probationers, who, after labouring plain, but earnest men, of devoted piety among them for longer or shorter periods, and natural eloquence, familiar with the have left for one reason or other. A few masses, and knowing how to deal with months ago, it seemed as if this small them, to be employed among them in evan- Presbyterian place of worship must be gelistic labours, with the view of gaining shut up altogether, as the congregation did them over to Christ." The Reformed not know where to obtain a supply for Church of Scotland devised, and success- their pulpit. What a cause of joy to the fully carried out such a plan three hun- two denominations that would then have dred years ago. been, if left in possession of the district. I can point you to two examples of such (This district is a kind of quod sacra a ministry now sucessfully working in two parish, as they would say in Scotland, hamlets adjoining Birmingham. In the occupied by the three P's,-Puseyites, one hamlet there is a small Independent Papists, and Presbyterians.) A young Chapel, which has been in existence for man, formerly a Sabbath-scholar in the nearly forty years. Several years ago the school of this congregation, but who minister left it, and the congregation gradu- now had been in the habit of preaching ally dwindled away, until, at the prayermeetings, held in place of services, on the Sabbath forenoons and evenings, three or four worshippers often were all that were present. There was no hope of getting a minister settled where there was no congregation. The remnant that attended the prayer-meetings and conducted the Sabbath-school, heard of the young man who acted as secretary to the Young Men's Christian Association. He had received no special training for the ministry, but from his connection with the association he had acquired some experience in public speaking. He came one Sabbath to address this feeble flock, which numbered on that occasion fifteen adults and fifteen children. He had never preached a sermon before. His sermon gave satisfaction, and he was asked to preach again. This happened about six years ago. He has ministered to that congregation ever since. It now numbers between three and four hundred. There are flourishing Sabbathschools connected with it. The chapel has recently had a gallery erected in it. A boys' school, a girls' school, and a vestry, have also lately been built adjoining the chapel. The money for all these has been paid. As there is the prospect of a further enlargement of the chapel being soon necessary, several friends have advanced money sufficient to purchase a portion of the land adjoining. All the training that this young man got to fit him for preaching To the Editor of the English Presbyterian Messenger. the Gospel was acquired in connection with the Birmingham Young Men's Christian Association. About the same time that this untrained young man went to preach in the one for the Methodists and other denomina- LAY PREACHING. PLEBS. SIR,-There are two letters in this month's magazine, following each other, and on kindred subjects, and of the sentiments of both I cordially approve. There can be no harm in speaking of them as one they both advocate what is called laypreaching. I have no doubt whatever that this practice will be more and more largely introduced into all Evangelical churches, and that the churches that use it to the greatest extent will be most rapidly extended, and most liberally blessed. We are continually hearing of the targeness of the harvest, and the lack of labourers, and yet, as we work out our system, it is impossible that the matter can be mended in the present generation. There are not in preparation one-tenth of the labourers that are wanted at the present moment. It is true that the great centres of population are being taken up one by one, but the rural districts that feed the cities are left uncared for, almost as much as if they were in a foreign land. Methodism is referred to in one of the letters; and how does Methodism treat the rural districts? Methodism does not wait till a considerable number of Christian men, by some rare accident, happen to be set down in one place, and without any outward moving cause meet together and resolve to erect a congregation, sufficient in numbers, and liberal enough in heart, to support the regular ministrations of the Gospel. Methodism does not wait till a formal application has been made for a preacher, accompanied with promises of all due support. are in some cases men whose forwardness has enabled them to get into the front ranks. And hence arise sometimes cases which supply agreeable gossip to the sneering world. The greatest care and prudence would be found insufficient to prevent alto. gether such abuses, but some wholesome check at the outset might do much in that direction. Among ourselves, our Presby terian machinery would be found very useful here. Let preaching be confined-so far as it is authorized-to elders and deacons. These being ordained cannot properly be called laymen, and the calling of such men to hold office in the Church is itself a proof that they were thought worthy of the office to which they were ordained. Further, they would be in every case under the immediate eye of their brethren in the Session, and they might be em. powered to forbid them, after a fair trial, if they were found wanting in character or ability. If ever the Synod takes up this subject, and probably they may have it foreed upon their attention at some future time, it is not unlikely that some formal license, for a limited period, and renewed from time to time, or withheld, as the case may be, might be deemed advisable. But in whatever way the subject may be treated by our Synod, there is evidently a growing tendency in that direction, and not without reason, when we look round upon the growing irreligion of the great mass of the people, and the efforts made by the restless agents of false systems of religion to gain over the thoughtless, the wavering, and the unwary. AN ELDER. On the contrary, Methodism looks round on the field of labour, and wherever it is thought that a few people can be got together to listen to the Gospel a preacher is sent to enter upon the work. Another and another is sent, and all work for the common cause; the little company grows, still supplied by local preachers-unpaid men. After a time, one of their regular ministers preaches on a week-day evening, and stirs up the little company. A liking for the MISSIONARY DISASTERS IN THE more mature teachings of the regular miNEW HEBRIDES. nistry gradually gains ground, and as one To the Editor of the English Presbyterian Messenger. after another of the little flock visits the neighbouring town, the chief attraction there is still the large Methodist chapel, and the preacher whom they once heard, or one whose name only has travelled to them. Thus are they prepared, when that portion of the country flows into the town, to make it their future home; thus are they prepared to be at once members of the town congregation, and joyfully set themselves down to enjoy their privileges. In much of this, if not all, we might very profitably copy after Methodism ; but in some things we would not and ought not to copy Methodism in this matter. Lay preachers, among the Methodists, though most of them excellent men, and the means of effecting much good, Tiverton, Devon, Sep. 24th, 1861. MY DEAR SIR,-By the last mail from America, very sad tidings were received regarding some of the mission stations in the South Seas. Since the murder of the Apostolic Williams at Erromanga, no more distressing calamity has happened to the Church of God in that region. A violent hurricane, a pestilence, and man's cruelty, have all combined to cast down the hedges and waste the borders of the vineyard. The Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces of North America has had an interesting mission established for several years among the natives of the New Hebrides. It seems but as yesterday since I took part in the large meeting assembled at Halifax to bid farewell to institution is in ruins; and the mission Mr. Johnston, the last missionary who dwelling-house, with its contents, has been went out to join the devoted band that greatly injured. Mr. Copeland says :-" A had gone before him from Nova Scotia. post or two was the only indication of the He was a young man, full of life and of spot where once had been a gate; the zeal for the glory of Jesus in the salvation Nalazgor and part of the house taken into of souls; but very few days have been the bush; the lime-trees all rooted up, allotted to him in the Church below. It the oranges here, there, and everyhas pleased God to send sickness on the islands of Zana, Aneiteum, and Erromanga. Many of the natives have perished, and Mr. Johnston has fallen too, leaving his young widow, as well as the Church, to mourn his early loss. where; the premises all levelled over with sand; the paths obliterated; the house of Nup Isjasis thrown down; those of Joano, Peter, and the one in which my windows were, no more to be seen. Begining at Namsinjop, the sea and wind together have destroyed all the shore schoolhouses as far as Isjasis; and some of those inland have suffered from the wind. Much food has been destroyed; and the people say there will be a scarcity of bread-fruit next year." Death, pestilence, and tempest had now, in the course of a few weeks, swept over the New Hebrides Mission; but there was more calamity in store. A sharp and sudden blow was yet to be given to the enfeebled band. Truly, in the midst of these accumulated distresses there is much need to look up and remember the right hand of the Most High. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? The form of sickness which has wasted the population of these islands is measles. Although this complaint is not considered very fatal among us, it has, from various causes, assumed a pestilential character among the people of the New Hebrides. At Aneiteum, the disease was brought by two sandal-wood vessels to the opposite shores of the island at the same time. The natives were entirely ignorant of its nature, and knew not how to treat it; and as they have no contagious disorders of their own, they were unaware of the danger they ran by too close contact with the disease. As soon as Messrs. Geddie and Copeland, the missionaries, heard that the contagion had been received by some of the natives, they adopted measures The island of Erromanga had been visited to prevent its spread. "But it was too with the same sickness as that which had late (I quote Mr. Copeland's words); wasted Zana and Aneiteum. The mission the seed had been sown, but we have not party there, who ventured to live among yet seen all its bitter fruits. Here no one the murderers of Williams, consisted of had had the disease; all, young and old, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon. They left Halifax, were liable, and seemed to take it. The N.S., some time ago, to enter on this consequence has been that many have field, and there they have fallen; both no one to attend to them; and that some of them victims to the murderous rage of have suffered, nay, died, from want. A the heathen. Mr. Gordon was a most native, when laid aside by sickness, can devoted and fearless servant of the Lord no more dispense with an attendant than Jesus. At Halifax, while acting as a city we can. His drink is in the well, his food missionary, his zeal for the Master dein the plantation or on the tree, and his voured him. And in the far off islands fuel in the bush. I was told that in one is of the Southern Seas, he laboured with the land, with a population of forty, only three same self-denial. The first martyr of the had strength to bury one of their number. Christian Church died while imploring forAnother, and more painful peculiarity is giveness for his murderers; and these first this, that in many cases it has been fol- martyrs of the Nova Scotia Mission were lowed by dysentery." treacherously slain when in the very act of doing kindness to the men who killed them. Sickness had been raging in Aneiteum for three months, when it was visited by a fearful hurricane. As I am writing in I cannot dwell any longer on these sad much haste to save a post, in hope that and overpowering calamities. Doubtless, this communication may yet be in time many a Christian heart in this land will beat for the "Messenger," I will not go into in sympathy with our afflicted brethren details. The wind tore up portions of the in Nova Scotia, and their sorely tried roofs of the mission premises, and the mission in the Southern Seas. We can rain descending in torrents poured within. help them with our prayers; perhaps A wild sea, bursting its ordinary bounds, some of the wealthy friends of missions swept over the devoted buildings, huddling may be inclined to aid also with the silver together outhouses, fences, gates, bananas, and gold which are the Lord's. all, in inextricable confusion. Mr. Geddie's In such circumstances as the foregoing, church has been almost destroyed; the how pleasant to know that the Lord reigneth, and that he is head over all the fresh tokens of blessing attendant on things to the Church. May He use these their labours :distresses to call forth the generous youth of Nova Scotia into the field of missions, which he has opened and so signally blessed amid the islands of the South. I remain, truly yours, JOHN HUNTER. LADY HUNTINGDON'S HYMN. To the late William Robinson of Cambridge. SIR, I was afraid your volume of the Memoir of the Rev. Robert Robin"would have shaken the authorship of the hymn, "Come thou Fount of every blessing," but you have produced testimony to the claim for the Countess, and I beg you to weigh the following evidence. new son "Chang-chew, July 17th, 1861. "MY DEAR MR. BARBOUR,—I am here on a visit of three or four days, between two Sabbaths spent at Bay-pay and Pechuia. I believe I have not been here since the time, in early spring, when Dr. Carnegie was with me. The cause of my present visit was the interesting state of a work begun by the Chioh-bey Church, and the evangelists of the river Gospel-boat. Several previous attempts had seemed to bear no fruit, or at least none that seemed likely to ripen. But about two months ago, a widow woman, a member of one of the churches in Amoy, offered the use, for a very small of Chang-chew. The Chioh-bey church rent, of a very small house within the walls 1. Robinson does not claim any hymns took it for a temporary chapel. It is the in his letter of Dec. 3, 1766, but those consame house in which Mr. Burns had stayed tained in the tract printed by George White-a few days (two or three years ago) when field, and yet this hymn had been published That was shortly before his first visit to he was warned away by the mandarins. by Madan in his collection in 1760, six years Fuh-chau. Well, that same house is now before. Surely Robinson would have claimed it had it been his? And yet you say rented by the Chioh-bey church. Soon after "it has been rightly ascribed to Mr. Rit was opened, several persons became in2. Robinson could not say in his letter terested, and, as usual, opposition began. of 1766, "My works consist of Two hymns, which Mr. Whitefield printed; besides these I have printed nothing," when we have the tract before us containing ELEVEN hymns. The word Two was either not written in the original letter, or the Two has been added since, or as the Church Book has it, II. that 3. Whoever wrote the Church Book, it is quite clear that the date 1758 is incorrect, as Madan's collection was not published till 1760; Gifford's, 1766; and no work of the Westleys ever contained the hymn. And if Robinson had written this Church Book, he would not have commenced it with "While Rwas among the Methodists," thus proving that it was compiled by some other The house has been several times assaulted by ruffians from the neighbouring streets, the scanty furniture broken, the roof, door, and window (of wooden boards)—very rickety, all of them, from the first-have been so riddled with stones, that it is to me a wonder how they stick together." to obtain redress for the damages thus susAfter mentioning some of the steps taken tained, Mr. Douglas goes on to speak of Nine Candidates for Baptism. good opportunities of preaching at the little "Meantime," he says, "we have had chapel; the people in general quiet and attentive. And this afternoon I have held a meeting for the examination of candidates for baptism. We met in the boat for the greater quiet. Nine men came forward, not including any one who had seemed to be interested in connection with former evangelistic efforts. Three of these nine appear to be but slightly interested, but five or six scem quite decided. There is also the wife of one of them, said to be more decided than her husband; but of O course she could not come down to the boat to be examined. Some of the men had been down to Chioh-bey last communion Sabbath, and two or three had been examined; but this is the first examination which has been held at the city of Changchew. By a singular coincidence, this day completes the sixth year of my residence in Amoy and its neighbourhood. "The place of meeting is quite too small, and very inconvenient. The assistants are trying to find some way either of enlarging it, by obtaining an adjoining house, or removing to more suitable premises; but the people of Chang-chew are still very much afraid to let or sell a house to foreigners or native Christians. We look earnestly to see whether God in his providence will permit any of the missionaries of Amoy to enter in and labour in this city. "Last Sabbath I and Mr. Swanson were at Bay-pay, ordaining one elder and one deacon, so making up the office-bearers there to the number of two elders and three deacons." Mr. Douglas then gives the following Sketch of four Native Christians. "The Sabbath previous (7th July) we were together at Anhai, when four persons were baptized. I believe he is writing home about both of these visits, but I add a few remarks about the four new members at Anhai, which may, perhaps, be new. The united ages of the four make 245 years. "One of these old men had heard the Gospel at our first visit to Anhai four years ago. He always affirms that from that time he had given up idolatry and constantly prayed to the true God; but for a long time he had showed much of a selfrighteous spirit, and had been very much displeased to see company after company baptized, while he,' who had worshipped God longer than any one of them, was delayed. As is very often the case, there was combined with that self-righteous spirit a considerable laxity about the keeping of God's commands, especially as to the Sabbath. But for some months past he has become decidedly convinced of sin, and seeming to be truly taught of God, he was received among the disciples. "Another is a very remarkable character, of the surname Gan, the name which we use, as the nearest approximation we can find, to designate Mr. Grant. He is the only one of that surname who has been received in any of our stations. The clan is a very powerful and turbulent one at Anhai, often having fights with other clans in the very streets of the town. Many of the worst rioters in the affair of last year were of that surname. Our friend is a very tall and well-formed man, and in his youth he was quite a leader in such feuds, and in the course of them he lost both his eyes, so that the eyeless sockets alone remain; yet we trust he has now better sight than many who say, 'we see.' He holds the position of 'head of the beggars' in one of the wards of Anhai. That does not mean that he either is or ever was a beggar. It is a curious institution of the country, one person being appointed in each ward to take the oversight of the beggars. A regular rate is collected from the shops, and dues are also paid by the inhabitants on such occasions as births, deaths, and marriages. These moneys are regularly distributed to the beggars by their head,' excepting a proportion, which is reserved as his salary. When the situation becomes vacant, it is sold by the mandarins, as all situations are. Before his conversion, this old man had been in the habit of lending money on very heavy usury. This he has now given up, and has remitted debts that were due to him on that score, to the amount of three hundred dollars. He had also been an opium smoker, and was delayed a month or two longer, till the evidence was found of complete reform. His influence among the beggars has been found useful for the external quiet of the church, and the good report of his reformation from usury and opium is widely spread in the place, to the honour of the name of Jesus. These two live in the town of Anhai, the two following in the villages. "Lim Pau lives in a small village about three miles distant. He was counted one of the head men, or village elders,' and was much employed as an arbiter in disputes. But since the word of the Lord came to him in power, his neighbours do not care so to employ him. He had also been an opium smoker, but not nearly so deep in the habit as the last mentioned brother. "The fourth is a woman living in a village two miles from the chapel, far away from any Christians. She has a daughter and son-in-law in another village, who are candidates. She also asked us to seek for two of her sons who are living in Changchew and Kolongeu respectively, to tell them of their mother's baptism, and seek to lead them to follow her faith. We have not been able to find the one in Changchew, but the same day that we came down from Anhai, the son who lives in Kolongeu came to our house to evening worship without being called, and three people from the Anhai region came with him. I hear that they continued to come several successive evenings, so we may hope that the mother's prayers will be answered. "May the Lord give grace to you and to all friends at home to sustain us by your works and prayers. "Believe me, "Ever yours, "CARSTAIRS Douglas." |