enjoy the same uninterrupted communion with God, our own religious journals, and those who, either be always filled with the same 'strong consolation,' by circumstances or preference, read the religious and constantly behold, with equally vivid perception, journals only of other religious sects. the same celestial crown sparkling before me." A brother in the ministry tells me that one-fourth of the members of his church, and three members of his session are in these circumstances, viz: using the religious journals of other sects; and that the difference in their efficiency, usefulness, and readiness to co-operate with the church is so visible, when compared with those who read weekly our own religious periodicals, as to be noticed not only by an anxious and keen-eyed pastor, but even by men of the world. In this we have a striking illustration of the power of the precious gospel of Jesus Christ, proclaimed through the instrumentality of the Press. And how many there are, both in affliction and in health, in poverty and in affluence, whose faith and hope would be but feebly developed, were they not, with other Christian graces, nourished by the perusal of a printed Bible, and other religious books. The amount of good accomplished by an evangelical book, or tract, printed and distributed, as it often is, by the thousand or ten thousand, is beyond all human computation. When the living preacher delivers a gospel sermon to three or four hundred fellow men, he is using the special means ordained of God for their conversion; but when he has done this, let him commit the thoughts and arguments that God has blessed, to the hands of the printer, and by a few revolutions of the press, he becomes at once the preacher of a thousand sermons, or, if you please, the father of a thousand preachers! On the day of Pentecost three thousand souls were added to the Church by Peter's preached sermon-but who shall tell us the thou-effected without delay. sands that have been savingly benefited by reading the printed copy of that eloquent and powerful disJ. P. C. course? From the Presbyterian Advocate. WHY THE DIFFERENCE? But few ministers are to be found, who have not noticed a marked difference, not only in the increased intelligence, but the increased usefulness of those members of churches who read, and those who do not read the religious periodicals of the day, published by their own Church. At this moment, in casting my eye over the most prominent men for usefulness in my own Presbytery, I find those who are really useful, are such as are close readers of our religious journals; and even the children seem to keep pace with their parents in promise and useful ness. Now, in this case, as the other, whether it is because the judicious and useful members see the necessity of reading their own Church papers, in order to know what their Church is about, and to enable them to co-operate, and this is the cause of their close attention to Presbyterian periodicals; or whether these periodicals have moulded them, through the divine blessing, to greater usefulness. On either hand, the importance is equally conceded. Does the Church understand the value of having her own journals in the hands of all her members? Then our sessions will see that it is, in some way, Do parents understand that many of the secular sheets of the day are ruining both the minds and morals of their families? and that the religious journals they invite into the society of their families have, to a large extent, the formation of their religious character, making them sound, judicious Christians, or unmooring them from a safe harbour, and giving them to a sea of storms and dangers, to be driven upon the reefs, they know not when or where; but only the fatal results? But one question more. Why have some children left the good old doctrines of the Reformation, professed by their parents, and gone into all the wildness of fanaticism, the errors of Universalism, spiritual rappings, progressive theology, and the ultraisms of the day, unless there has been some defect in their training? "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." In their parents' example or training you will generally find either gross neglect, or the seed of these errors. Now, whether it is because this class possess so much religious enterprise, that they will find means to obtain these religious journals, or whether these journals have made them what they are, is a problem the philosophical may answer. The importance of He that loves may be sure that he was loved first; this reading is equally evident, be the reason one or and he that chooses God for his delight and portion, the other. In one case, you prove that all useful may conclude confidently, that God hath chosen him and enterprising church members wisely perceive to be one of those that shall enjoy him, and be the importance of such reading; and in the other, happy with him for ever; for that our love, and such reading has elevated them above the surround-electing of him, is but the return and repercussion ing religious community, But there is no less a of the beams of his love shining among us.marked difference in those of our members who read Leighton. cious grapes make a wine far preferable to that BOARD OF DOMESTIC MISSIONS. manufactured at El Paso; in connection with all J. D. WILLIAMS, Pittsburgh, Pa. this, being honestly disposed, they look upon the Americans with less suspicion than the New Mexicans do. Unto such a people, if the gospel in all its purity were preached and taught, I believe that soon their manners would become changed, and through them the whole of the Mexican race would be influenced to do good. The Roman Catholics, ever alive to their religious belief, and the desire to propagate the doctrines they hold, do not intend to give up this field without a struggle. Shortly after the war, they seemed to be resting easy, and their clergy were fast sinking themselves, in the estimation of the people, by their besotted and filthy practices: but within the last two years, Bishop John L'Amoy WILLIAM RANKIN, JR. Mission House, 23 Centre street, has exercised a superintendence over the whole field, New York. and by removal of the most obnoxious of the priests, and by establishing nunneries, he is regaining what INTERESTING FROM NEW MEXICO. has been lost, and will ere long hold them under the same galling chains of superstition and folly as hereThe Board of Missions has kept a steady eye upon tofore. During the last year he took out with him this Territory for the past two years, and our readers four or five ladies, (nuns,) one of whom died of will remember the highly valued letter of Dr. Massie cholera on the way out, and intends sending the Vicar-General into the States for twenty or twentyupon this Territory, written to us, and which was five more this spring. These are to go out and published in the Record. We are now able to pub-teach in the schools and nunneries over the land. lish two letters, from Christian gentlemen who have It is well for the Protestant part of our people to be had the best opportunities of observation and of in-apprized of these things, for some day that may be formation. They are the right kind of letters; and we shall be disappointed if they do not shed a degree of light upon the moral and religious condition of New Mexico, which will not only be new, but exceedingly interesting to our readers. The information is valuable to the Board of Missions, and enables us to act intelligently in forming any plans for sending missionaries into that distant field. The first, from our friend Mr. John McCoy, of Independence, Missouri, is introductory to the second. INDEPENDENCE, Missouri, Feb. 8th, 1853. REV. C. C. JONES. one of the most desirable parts of our republic, es- ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, The Friend John-In answer to your inquiries about the results of the missionary labour expended in this country, I regret to say it has produced nothing. The ministers who are now here are the Rev. Mr. Smith and lady at Santa Fe, the Rev. Mr. Shaw and lady at this place, who will leave in a short time for Fort Defiance, in the Navajoe country, where he has received the appointment of chaplain, and will be succeeded here by Rev. Mr. Reed and lady; Rev. Mr. Gorman and lady at Laguna a Puebla, about fifty miles west of this place, and lastly, Rev. Mr. Kephart, who edits the Santa Fe Gazette. I really do not know whether this last named gentleman should be looked upon as a missionary or not. Rev. Mr. Smith has had a small school in Santa Fe, but the number has always been less than he had anticipated from the description Mr. Reed had given him of the prospects. Mr. Shaw and lady came to Albuquerque last winter, and could not get a school of even a very small number; they were then offered a small number to start with, if they would remove to the Bosque de los Pimos, the residence of Dr. Henry Connelly, twenty miles below this place, which they did, and remained some six months: they had four scholars, and becoming discouraged, returned, and endeavoured to get a school here; but even when a public offer was made to teach any and all who would come without charge, they could obtain but one. So Mr. Shaw has given up the field, and goes to Fort Defiance. Mr. Gorman has, I learn, been very favourably received by the Laguna Indians, and the results of his labours are yet to be developed; he is certainly the most sanguine and zealous of any I have seen, and I trust he may not be disappointed. the blessing of Heaven, hear of good being done; otherwise, where worldly and religious affairs are mixed, the world will get the greatest share of atYou ask what hold the bishop and priests have tention, and religion be left for Sunday's care. I upon the people? I can only say that they have all do not wish you to understand that missionaries hold, and will keep it. The people of New Mexico should not have wives, but that, in certain locations, are not yet in a condition to be operated upon by I think that they are great drawbacks to the real Protestant missionaries. They will have to be con- usefulness of the missionary, and in this country verted to the Catholic religion as it is in the States; particularly. The Methodist system of itinerant then comes the time, if ever, for Protestantism. The preaching, I think, would be much better adapted religion which they have now is a kind of mongrel to this country than that of local preachers, and a Catholicism, neither one thing nor another, a mix-perfect knowledge of the Spanish language is necesture of Indian superstition and Popish priesteraft, sary to either; more good would be done by private as it was two hundred years ago, and left to the conversation and arguments than public exhortaadulteration of vicious and immoral men, from that tions; but as I said before, I do not think that the time to this, without the control of his highness, the time has yet arrived to do much. You, who have Pope! Neither is the time come yet, from the sus-been here, know something of the moral and social picion with which they look upon the Americans; condition of the Mexicans. While such a state and they have had good reason, too; for in a large continues, and is countenanced by the best classes degree their intercourse with us, either politically or of Americans and Mexicans, there is little hope. pecuniarily, has turned to their disadvantage. Many The marriage relation is greatly disregarded, and of their wealthy men, who have assisted Americans immorality prevails. Gambling is openly practised, here with their means, have in a great many instan- and even encouraged; drinking is looked upon with ces been swindled out of their money. They have a most lenient eye; and as for thieving, it is so comgiven them the aid of their influence, and then the mon, that one scarcely thinks of it. Our laws, such Americans have turned against their best friends, as they are, are but lightly enforced (not through injured them as much as possible, and then abused any fault of our judges), but from the fellow symthem personally. Unfortunately, the Mexicans have pathy the people have for each other, and from the not had discrimination of character, and those who fact that the most of the rulers are Americans, and were unworthy of any one's aid, are those who have whatever they do to correct these evils, the Mexicans fawned upon them, pandered to their peculiar weak- appear to think as if there was a wish to oppress nesses, flattered them, and in this way secured their them as a people; and thus, much which could be end, and left them to disappointment. They are done is lost through that feeling. All these things thus losing all trust in Americans, and think that operate against the enterprise of the missionary, and we all must be alike. Those who have been really the conduct of the Americans has been such that worthy of confidence and trust, have not felt as if they ask, "Why do you send missionaries to us, they wished to force themselves or their advice upon when we see the conduct of your own people is as them, knowing that they would be misrepresented; bad, if not worse than ours ever has been. Your and knowing, also, the feeling which was and is people have taught us vices which we had not begrowing, of distrust among them towards us. Edu-fore, and have encouraged those which we had; and cation, and the intercourse of a better class of citizens than we have had, is the only hope of improving the moral and social condition of these people; and unfortunately there is no inducement to the emigration of Americans, except in the mineral resources of the country; and as long as the mines of California are so productive, those of New Mexico must remain unnoticed. The only favourable opA VOICE FROM CALIFORNIA. portunity I can see, is in establishing schools among the Puebla Indians; they have always been kept The Rev. A. Williams, in his letter which we insert under by the Mexicans, and imposed upon by the below, embraces a great deal in a short compass. priests, and are more disposed to throw off the yoke We do, indeed, see but the beginning of things on of the Church than any others; they have in some of the Pueblas denied the authority of the priests, our Pacific shore! How important that we have and refused to contribute to their support, or admit MEN of all professions; and men of RIGHT FAITH AND them to their churches, and could by judicious PRACTICE, to lay broad and deep the foundations means be influenced to receive Protestant teachers there. We hope to send out help to our brother among them; and a hold once established among and his faithful co-labourers. Let the churches them, might lead to great results. Many of them we see each day an increase among you of new faces, are anxious about the education of their children, pray for our missionaries in our distant States and yet fear to make a movement in favour of American Territories. Onward! onward! We must, by divine teachers. Mr. Gorman's movement I look upon aid, keep up with the growth and expansion of our with much interest, as upon his success depends much of the future movements to be made among country. them should he impress them favourably. The Zuni Indians would doubtless be the next post to establish. The Indians of Jamez would next to them be a favourable field for operation. We want ministers like the old apostles, who cast the world and its affairs behind them. Such kind of missionaries will do good, and, I fear, none others. Have you such kind? Send them, and you may, through SAN FRANCISCO, January 31st, 1853. My Dear Brother-We have a very busy city. I have not time to write you a long letter, nor is it necessary. You will take my conclusions without my reasonings, and believe me when I say, we have none of us reached an adequate idea of the growing and certain prospective importance of our Pacific possessions. I have watched the increase of our population, trade, commerce, business generally, "This is an aggressive movement, and hence permanent investments of capital, and permanent the honour of our Church is at stake, and the sucsettlements of business men and of families, and cess depends upon the aid from abroad. I believe what with all these and the prominent and command- the Board acted wisely in determining to plant our ing position California occupies with reference to church here, for this will certainly be a large city, the islands and coasts of the Pacific, I am persuaded and Minnesota a great State. In view of these things we have seen only the beginning, a small beginning, I believe that you will provide what may be necesof the concentration and diffusion of commercial en- sary for the erection of this church. I have done all terprise, and social, moral power. Say these things I can do here, and more than we could at first hope to our friends. It is time they should know and for. I shall do all I can by writing to friends and feel the importance, in these respects, of California. churches this winter; for the remainder you must I feel sometimes sad to think that the true inter- see that we are able to stand in this community as a ests of this region have been so imperfectly appre-branch of the Church of Christ. Shall it be said ciated; but how I can say more than I have done, I hardly know. Do continue to incite our Church to a proper zeal for our spiritual advancement. Since I last wrote to you, I have assisted in the organization of a Welsh Presbyterian church, of eleven members, in this city. The Rev. William Williams, late of St. Louis, and of the St. Louis Presbytery, is its stated supply. The society is limited in numbers, but very harmonious, and attentive to gospel ordinances. A pleasant beginning. In haste, very truly yours, A. WILLIAMS. CHURCH EXTENSION.-HOUSE OF WORSHIP that we are not able to build a church in Minnesota? Pardon my importunity. I am not pleading my own cause, but ours! not a circumscribed local interest, but the interest of the two or three States that are soon to be formed out of Minnesota, the interest of the Presbyterian Church, dear to us because it is the Church of Christ." "The importance of this point is not sufficiently understood. This is not a little western village or county town, influencing a small district; every thing here is proceeding on the presumption_that this is soon to be a large city. Here is St. Paul, four hundred miles above any other important town on the Father of Waters, at the head of navigation, the emporium of trade for a fertile territory, three times as large as the State of New York, the metropolis of the north-west fixed by nature, within five days' travel of the city of New York, only four years old, and containing three thousand people. Can any man fail to see the importance of establishing our branch of the Church here, when it is remembered that there is not an Old-school church but this be upper Mississippi and the Red river of the north? Are there not men in Philadelphia who, with these facts before them, will covet the honour of planting the first church in this great country? ished, to start a school in connection with it. This My plan is, as soon as we can get our church finwe greatly need, for the Bible is shut out of the common schools, and there can be no education for God and eternity without the Bible. I have sent circulars to about one hundred brethren, and have written to others, and my prayer is, that God may direct the hearts of those who receive them, to treat them as the promotion of his glory requires." It will be recollected by the readers of the Record that the Board of Missions has been of late engaged in founding a church in St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota Territory. Some progress has been made in collecting funds for the church edifice, and we have made an appropriation from our Church Exten-tween Canada and Dubuque, and none between the sion Fund, but a very considerable sum remains to be made up. Our energetic missionary there, Rev. J. G. Riheldaffer, has lately written some earnest let ters on the subject, and for many reasons, desires that the church edifice be put up and finished the present season. Give him his house, and his congregation will speedily fill up and require no more aid from the Board. We shall then have a base established for our further operations in this great and growing territory. We subjoin extracts from some of Mr. Riheldaffer's letters, and insert entire a letter from Mr. William Holcombe, of Stillwater, Minnesota Territory. These communications speak for themselves, and nothing need be added to awaken right feelings in the minds of our people. If there is any portion of our frontier settlements demanding aid at our hands, it is that we here present. How can we read these appeals, and having means at command, pass them by unnoticed? Now is our time. The Lord revive his work in our hearts, and give us renewed zeal and liberality in extending his kingdom in our country. Send us speedily, brethren, what you feel free to give for the building of the church in St. Paul. No matter how much you send, we shall have a plenty of churches besides to build in Minnesota. The money will all be well and judiciously applied. "STILLWATER, Minnesota Territory, February 1st, 1853. "REV. C. C. JONES. "Dear Sir-At the request of the Rev. J. G. Riheldaffer, of St. Paul, I take pleasure in addressing you on the subject of church extension in this Territory, and especially on the importance of St. Paul as a point at which the Church should concentrate gion of country has been my residence principally her energies in the spread of the gospel. This refor twelve years, and the five years next previous to that time, either at St. Louis or Galena; so that I have witnessed the progress in this great valley, north of St. Louis, for a period of seventeen years. St. Louis itself, when I first knew it in 1835, numbered less than 10,000 inhabitants, and had but one Presbyterian church. Since that time it has increased ten fold in population, and in Presbyterian churches also. Galena, at that time, was the next most important town north, which has only tripled in population in the same time. It had then (1836) with the increasing population; several of the evangelical churches have their houses of worship; the Old-school Presbyterians have an organization, but as yet, no house of worship, except the privilege of the court-house. The interests of this branch of our beloved Zion is entwined around my heart; it has the numbers, it has the faith, and it has the wealth too, and therefore it ought to direct its energies, and give good effect at its strongest point. It needs a good house of worship at St. Paul. WILLIAM HOLCOMBE." THE SPIRITUAL RAPPERS SPIRITUALLY but one Presbyterian church; it now has three. And there are other towns on the Mississippi river, and towns of importance, too, that have sprung into existence within the period of my observation, those on the west bank especially, as Burlington, Bloomington, Davenport, and Dubuque, not one of which, except the last, had a name or existence in 1835; and on the east bank, below Galena, are the towns Rock Island, Oquawka, and Quincy, all of which are limited in their trade and commercial advanThe late Dr. W. S. Potts, of St. Louis, spent a few tages, but have steadily increased in a greater or less degree, and their churches in about the same ratio. days of his last summer on earth, in my family. The town of St. Paul is a new town, and one whose He expressed the conviction that our branch of the commercial advantages are much greater than any Church had overlooked the importance of this reof the towns alluded to above St. Louis. It now gion of country, especially of St. Paul, and no doubt numbers about 3000 inhabitants, and has increased felt a strong hope that he might yet witness that ten-fold in three or four years, for the reason that it branch of Zion he so much loved arrayed in gospel stands at the head of steam navigation for that class armour, and doing her part with the other branches of boats that run from St. Louis and Galena north- in extending the faith of our common Lord. Havward. The Minnesota river, that enters the Missis-ing thus directed your attention, which is the spesippi river on the west side, a few miles above St. cial object of my letter, to this field of labour, I Paul, is navigable for boats of a smaller class than conclude with the hope and the prayer that the those running below St. Paul; hence the advantage humble views expressed herein, may find a hearty to St. Paul in reshipping-and hence a point where concurrence on the part of those whose privilege it all the several branches of mercantile, mechanical, is to aid in so delightful and so glorious an entermanufacturing, and commercial pursuits, will con- prise-Church Extension. I am very respectfully, centrate, and will continue to multiply. Besides, your obedient servant, that mammoth water-power at the Falls of St. Anthony, which has already attracted eastern capital, will contribute to the business and importance of St. Paul, the distance between the towns being only about seven or eight miles, the one being above the Falls, and the other below, and on the same side of the river. Time will be when these towns will be almost united; at all events, the commercial importance of St. Paul is increased by the manufacturing importance of St. Anthony. St. Paul, too, is the capital and seat of government, and will probably remain so for many years. The mercantile interests are here concentrated, mainly, for the country high up on the Mississippi river; extending its arms of trade to the Red river settlement of the north; a distance of six hundred miles to the north-west, and even into the dominions of Lord Selkirk, beyond the American line; then in the west and south-west is the beautiful and fertile valley of the Minnesota, into which the Anglo-Saxon race is pouring its flood of emigration. Turning to the north and north-east, we have that inland ocean, Lake Superior, with its mines and fisheries, and in all the intervening distance, forests of white and yellow pine, the resources of all which combined, when fully developed, will produce a trade almost incalculable at the present day. This, of course, will attract population. But the day is not far distant, when the great enterprise of the age, the railroad system, will penetrate these forests, and bind, as with shackles of iron, the trade of the pineries, and lakes of the north, the Mississippi and Red rivers of the north-west, and the Minnesota of the west and south-west, with St. Paul, it heing the head of navigation of the greatest river of the continent. This vast region of country, whose common commercial centre nature has indicated, by the rush of emigration to St. Paul, will probably continue without a parallel, it having increased ten fold or thereabouts in three or four years, and must, in the nature of things, become the largest town on the river above St. Louis, for the good and valid reason, that no other town on the Mississippi naturally centres the trade of such an extent of country; then in St. Paul, as in St. Louis, the church has a work to do; her glittering spires should keep pace 66 Below, the readerwill find an admirable letter from one of our beloved brethren labouring in Wisconsin. He was undoubtedly divinely directed in the choice of his weapons of warfare. God's word is a fire and a hammer." O that we, who bear the sacred office, felt and confided in its power more. "THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT," there is none like it. While some are forgetting its use, may all in our Church prize and accomplish themselves in it more. Feb. 16, 1853. The past three months, however, has been a season of peculiar trial and perplexity. It is just a year since we dedicated our new house of worship. That dedication was followed by a precious season of spiritual refreshing, the hallowed influences of which remained in the Church for a long time. But as these passed away, the great adversary of souls seemed to make a new and desperate attempt to regain the ground he had lost. He seems to have appeared personally and almost visibly in our village, in the form of what is commonly called the "Spiritual Rappings." They came in upon us like a flood, and for a few weeks it seemed as though all the barriers of truth and reason were broken down. "Mediums" and "Spiritual Circles" multiplied on every side. The writings of Swedenborg and A. J. Davis were in great demand, and were circulated from house to house. Skepticism and Universalism increased at a fearful rate-for the "Spirits" are all Universalists. For a time I hardly knew what to do. Of all modern errors and delusions this, while it is the most monstrous, is at the same time, I must confess, practically one of the most difficult to meet of any I ever encountered. Of course When you meet a Rationalist, or a Bible Universalist, or a Socialist, or even a Mormon or an Atheist, you have at least some firm ground on which to base an appeal either to his reason or his |