uality which savoured his whole conversation." The biographer of McCheyne said of him, "He was the likest to Robert McCheyne of any I knew." His health being delicate, Mr. Hewitson travelled for a time in Germany, where he mourned over the decline of religion and the unsabbatized Sunday of the land. On his return, he was designated as a missionary to Madeira, with the hope incidentally of recovering his health in that salubrious climate. The work of grace in Madeira has been called "the greatest fact of modern missions." Eight hundred exiles, leaving their native land for the sake of Christ, were the fruit of that work. Dr. Kalley, a pious physician, was the instrument in the hand of God in commencing the revival of religion. When Mr. Hewitson reached Madeira, there were about thirty converts from Popery, and a great preparatory work had been done. This young minister entered upon his labours in times of persecution. All the religious meetings were obliged to be held with more or less secrecy, in consequence of the civil prohibitions. At the first communion, held by him in 1845, a few weeks after his arrival, about twenty were admitted to the church. As the religious interest grew among the population, Mr. Hewitson, whose declining health, as well as the increasing persecutions, warned him of the necessity of withdrawing, adopted the wise expedient of forming a divinity class from among the choicest of the converts, and of carrying them through a regular course of theology. Ultimately, persecution triumphed. About eight hundred Christians were compelled to take refuge in Trinidad and other West India islands. Some came to the United States. Mr. Hewitson returned to England. The following is a short extract from a pastoral letter he addressed to the persecuted brethren before they left Madeira. "If we have Christ we have all-without Christ we have nothing. You can be happy without money, without liberty, without parents, and without friends, if Christ is yours; if you have not Christ, neither money, nor liberty, nor parents can make you happy. Christ, with a chain, is liberty-liberty, without Christ, is a chain. Christ, without any thing, is riches-all things, without Christ, is poverty indeed." Mr. Hewitson, in 1846, visited the exiles in Trinidad, whom he organized into a church. On his passage home, he was the means of converting one of the sailors. On his return he was called to the Free Church in Dirleton, about twenty miles from Edinburgh, where he laboured in a declining state of health about two years. His ministry was a fervid and an effectual one. Here, as in Madeira, it was the Bible preaching of Christ, which the Spirit blessed in its application to the conscience. Mr. Hewitson was an eminently consecrated minister. He gave himself wholly to his work. "He who would do some great thing in this short life," writes Mr. Foster, "must apply himself to the work with such a concentration of his forces, as to idle spectators, who live only to amuse themselves, looks like insanity.' Mr. Hewitson lived for Christ and his cause. A few weeks before his death, when his soul was exercised about his flock, he made the following verses, which a friend wrote down. No more I help that vineyard's growth, No more I reap that harvest field; My call to hasten home is seal'd: Shall I then preach the Word no more? God's will be done! His last words were, "O, my people!" He bore them upon his heart in his dying agonies. He went to his rest on August 7th, 1850; young in years but old in service, one of the most remarkable ministers of his age. Review and Criticism. Portraiture of the Domestic Life of the Rev. Legh Richmond. R. Carter & Brothers, New York. This "domestic portraiture," is one of the finest specimens of biography, illustrating one of the most important of subjects, through the life and example of one of the best of men. At the present day, when so much is said and done pertaining to education, the work in question deserves a thorough and candid perusal by all who are called upon to investigate its topics. It is also emphatically a household book. Fathers and mothers, would that we could persuade you to look into the interior life of Legh Richmond's home! The remarks of the editor, Rev. E. Bickersteth, interspersed throughout the volume, are judicious, evangelical, and impres sive. The introductory essay is an educational gem. Unless we have mistaken the good sense and piety of our Church, this excellent volumepublished in handsome style by our friends, the Messrs. Carter-will be found on many a centre table, if it be not already there. The great want of our day is thorough, Christian household training. We want Legh Richmonds in our Zion. Incidents in the Life of a Pastor. By WILLIAM WISNER, D. D. Charles Scribner, New York. This is an earnest, spirit-stirring book, written by a faithful pastor, much engaged in his Master's service. It is inferior, in our judgment, to Dr. Spencer's Pastor's Sketches in theological learning, discriminating skill in casuistry, and serious, humble views of practical religion. The two books are types of New and Old-school theology. Dr. Wisner makes many remarks to which an orthodox, Old-school Calvinist would take exceptions. He is evidently a new-measure man, also; and therefore to be regarded with suspicion. We had some thoughts of writing an extended review of this book, but on the whole prefer not doing so. There is much to admire in it; and its perusal would in many respects be interesting to almost all. But it lacks the sober heart-dealing, and the thorough inculcation of the doctrines of grace which render Dr. Spencer's book so valuable. As it is, however, it is a far better production than if it had been put to press fifteen years ago. The wiry edge of "Evangelism" has been considerably worn off by the attrition of years. The new measures and doctrinal views of Dr. Wisner may undoubtedly do good, but at a very high cost. A man may proclaim his "2000 converts," without alluding to, or knowing the mischief permanently wrought against religion. We have no disposition to be hypercritical, but we feel bound to enter a protest against that system of religious administration which has accomplished so much evil in Western New York. THE MINUTES OF THE TWO ASSEMBLIES. We have given under the proper head of Religious Intelligence, p. 487, a detailed abstract of the statistics of the two General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church.* Those tables have cost us a great deal of labour. The Minutes of the Old-school Assembly fail in several particulars to give full satisfaction. In the first place, we regret to see the names of members introduced into the records as movers of this or that proposition. The object of records is to preserve the action of the body, not to show the agency of individuals in shaping its details. The Minutes of the Assembly have almost uniformly been kept on the principle just stated. Occasionally a Permanent Clerk has attempted the other plan, but its prosecution has been in the end abandoned. In the second place, our minutes are not kept on a uniform plan. For example, sometimes the mover's name is inserted, and sometimes it is not. There is even a want of uniformity on the same topic; as "the Committee of Elections reported," and then "Dr. Plumer from the Committee of Elections reported." The former is believed to be the correct method. In the third place, a want of care occasionally appears, which makes havoc with official decorum. For example, after the resolutions of the Board of Education, as acted upon and passed by the Assembly, we find added in conspicuous lines, "All which is respectfully submitted, A. W. LELAND, Chairman." This ought obviously to have been erased. out. In the fourth place, too many errors have crept in, both in making up and in printing the Minutes. The blunders in the names of ministers are not "few and far between." These we have not time and space to point We proceed to more important errors. In the "aggregate of Presbyterial Reports," Wyoming is put down with 10 instead of 12 ministers; Burlington with 6 instead of 5; and West Texas with 5 instead of 6. These errors, when corrected, would swell the aggregate to 2029. On the other hand, there are not less than thirteen ministers whose names are We are compelled to omit the details of the New-school body until next month. The results are appended to the Old School statistics. down twice; and probably there are a few others in the same predicament. The responsibility of these errors rests somewhere among the different clerks. The names of ministers who are twice enrolled, are J. K. Wight, A. W. Loomis, J. Quarterman, M. S. Culbertson, (all down twice last year also,) D. W. Eakins, H. J. Coe, J. Smith, E. D. Maltbie, H. Davis, S. J. P. Anderson, C. R. Gregory, F. D. Harris, and L. Hughes. There are said to be several ministers, whose names are not on the roll at all; among them C. W. Nassau. After all these corrections so far as ascertained are made, the aggregate of our ministers is 2017, instead of 2027; namely, one not down, and two not added in, against thirteen twice down. In the Minutes of the New-school Assembly, the only error discovered is an unaccountable and somewhat remarkable one. The ministers in the Synod of Michigan number 97 in the Presbyterial Reports, and 97 in the Summary, if correctly added up. The addition, however, is wrong, being only 80. So that the New-school Church numbers 1507, instead of 1490, as proclaimed by their Stated Clerk; or, deducting Dr. Brinsmade, whose name is erroneously retained on the roll, as he belongs to the Old-school Assembly, the true number of New-school ministers is 1506. think our brethren ought to drop Dr. Brinsmade's name out of gratitude to us, if for no other reason, for having added 17 names to their roll. Dr. Brinsmade's church is also erroneously added to the list of churches, and thus the aggregate of communicants is 506 more than it ought to be. Deduct this number from the aggregate reported, and the New-school will only number 139,570 communicants, which is 227 less than last year. We In the fifth place, there is a deficiency of statistical information in the Old-school Minutes. The time and place of meeting of half the Synods are omitted, and even the names of some of the Stated Clerks are not given; whereas in the New-school Minutes these items are all recorded without a single exception, even to the names of the Moderators of the Synods. The New-school Minutes are also far superior to those of our own body in the plan of the Summary of the statistical tables, as any one can see by inspection. And furthermore the superiority of the New-school Minutes appears in the alphabetical list of ministers, containing references to their Presbyteries. This list takes up only 7 pages; and as the Oldschool body is about a third larger than the New-school, a similar list would occupy not more than 11 pages. A far better plan, however, of publishing the alphabetical list, is to append the post office address in full, as well as the number of the page referring to the Presbytery. An annual list, with the post office address, has the advantage of being a record of annual changes easily accessible. It would also prevent the insertion of the same name twice in the Minutes, a sufficient reason in itself for this improvement. We trust that public opinion will call for an alphabetical list of ministers hereafter. The type of the Minutes this year has been wisely reduced; and if the alphabetical list had been inserted, the size of the volume would have been only about what it was last year. We have made these criticisms with the greater freedom, because the whole subject of ecclesiastical records is one of very great importance; and it is our duty, as journalists, to point out frankly and courteously the prominent defects of all publications which fall under our notice. Elements of Thought. By Isaac TAYLOR: William Gowans, New York. Isaac Taylor's thoughts are almost always elements of truth. This volume is a convenient text-book for the understanding of abstract terms, &c. Che Religious World. STATISTICS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. In the following tables, 1. Teachers are kept distinct unless they are Pastors. 2. Pastor Elect is counted as Pastor. 3. D. M., chaplains and colporteurs counted as S. S. 4. Where a minister is engaged in any official work, as agent, &c., W. C. is not counted. Wheeling New Jersey Indiana Illinois 148 225 113 636 840 1474 1610 771 786 456 326 245 381 205 321 522 428 940 505 132 50 58 280 2017 2675 543 210,306 10,852 10,994 On account of want of space, we are compelled to postpone the New-School Statistics until next month. We add, however, the aggregate, in order to compare the two bodies. COMPARISON OF THE OLD AND NEW-SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES. N. B. In the Old-School Minutes, 52 ministers and 20 churches are unmarked. In the New-School Minutes, 22 ministers and 61 churches are unmarked. |