and a regenerated church. Nor will any here, it is hoped, feel displeased when I add, in conclusion, that I look back with gratitude to this national recognition of the Reformed Church of Scotland-in one sense the mother of us all-as the launching of a goodly vessel, which has, since that time breasted many a wave and weathered many a storm; and which, in the simplicity of its original constitution, embodying as it did, in their leading points. the Calvinism and the Presbyterianism of our country, may yet prove, in spite of our lamented divisions, a rallying-point at which all the friends of truth may meet, forming a united church, which, under the auspices of the Captain of our Salvation, may yet lead the van among the churches of the Reformation. FATHER CHINIQUY. THIS apostle of the Canadian Reformation, who is now in this country, thus speaks of his sufferings for conscience' sake, and of the work the Lord is enabling him to do in Canada: Now, my dear friends, these laws which the Church of Rome has passed in the days of her strength have never been repealed, and the spirit which has passed these laws has never been extinguished entirely. As soon as we had left the Church of Rome, our friends of that church not being able to take our lives because we had renounced the dogmas of that religion, tried to come to the same thing by another way. Imme diately they began to bring me before the courts of justice, and they found false witnesses who swore against me, to prove, in their way, that I was guilty of every crime which a man could commit. During three years I was brought before the courts of justice of my country for many iniquities, the worst of them being that I was accused publicly of having set fire to a church. I have seen fifty-three witnesses swearing upon that. I have been accused of having killed a man, and thrown his body into the river to conceal my iniquity. This was said, but of course could not be proved, and God in his mercy has always kept me safe from my enemies. But it is a marvellous thing. The first intention was to send me to the penitentiary or to a scaffold if these crimes could be proved against me, and if they could not, their intention was to ruin me by these constant suits. I have expended no less than 10,000 dollars to support my honour and prove my innocence before the courts of justice of my country. This is not all. In the very same time men were trying everything to destroy me, and of course to destroy the confidence which my countrymen, the new converts, had in my honesty. God, who is always just and holy and merciful, tried us in his wisdom. Our fields, which had given to us the richest fruits, ceased to give us anything. The very year after I left the Church of Rome we were tried by a terrible famine, our fruits were destroyed by drought. We did not get enough, I think, to live three months in our colony. That first year we could support that visitation of Providence in some way, because we kept something from the former years. We had the hopes that the second year would come with more blessings, but we were disappointed. The second year came upon us, and that year our fruits were not destroyed by drought, but by constant rains. That year I do not think we raised enough to live three months. That second year I have seen things that could not be reported-awful sufferings, people falling down for want of food and almost dying: but God in his mercy has always sent enough, and I have not seen one actually die in want, but you understand what a terrible thing it was for me. Then I began to try to get something by mortgaging what I had. I got some money in that way to save the poor from perishing of hunger, and to clothe the naked, but when the day of payment came I had nothing. Then my bills and the bills of my countrymen were bought up by our enemies, and they came at us, and I have seen my bed sold by the sheriff, and everything I had-the very table on which I took my meat taken away from me and sold in the public market-chairs and every thing taken away to be sold. Then I remained with nothing at all; and I was glad of it. Oh! there is a true pleasure when we can make some sacrifice for the sake of Jesus Christ. There was only one thing that troubled me, I must confess to you. It was when my dear library went away, which cost me 1,100 dollars, and was sold for 47 dollars. But I kept my dear Bible, and read there how Jesus said that for his sake we should be ready to give up everything fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters, and all that belongs to us; and then, on my knees, I read in that book that after we had given up all for his sake, he would give a hundred-fold in this life and an eternity of happiness after this life. On my knees, with my dear Bible in my hands, I said to Jesus, "Now my dear Saviour, my dear Jesus, for thy sake in that terrible struggle we have given up everything; now, what wilt thou give us?" And Jesus has been faithful to his word. For a friend whom I renounced I have found a hundred friends; for a 331 After sister whom I have renounced I have found to end; and the more he read the more sixteen or It would be an interesting thing to tell you the story of some of their conversions, but it would be too long. I will bring only a couple of facts by which you will judge how God has been good and merciful, and by which you will understand that extraordinary work of conversion of that whole people. And then you will glorify the Lord; you will not speak of me; you will not pronounce my name in that great work; you will say, The Lord has done that; it is his mighty hand and his mercy." day a woman had to leave the settlement, One the colony of Illinois, to go to Canada to get something. She was a good, respected Roman Catholic woman. she had forbidden her children to read the Before she left Scriptures, or to come to our chapel, and they had promised to obey their mother. One of the children was a young lad about seventeen, a very intelligent young boy. Coming to the school, a few days after his mother had left, he got from a friend a New Testament. Through curiosity he brought it to his home to read it, but when he was there and opened the book, he trembled, and did not dare to read a single line. He was trembling, for his dear mother had forbidden him to read it, his church had forbidden him, and he was afraid to commit so great a crime. The book remained on the table that day. He came to school, and his young friend asked him if he had read the Testament, and he answered, "No." But he went back and took the dear book again, and by a dispensation of Divine Providence, he opened the book at the 15th chapter of St. John. You remember that in that chapter Jesus says to his disciples, "I will not call you any more my servants; I will call you my friends." He was so struck with these words that he could not go further. He read them again, and could hardly believe his own eyes. read the whole chapter, read it a second time, read it a third time, and was more and more surprised. He could not sleep that night at all; he was constantly repeating to himself, "Is it possible that Jesus, my Saviour and God, does love me so much that he calls me his friend? Oh, I never understood that before;" and he said to himself, "How is it that my priest forbids me to read such a book ?" the morning he rose up, for he had not In slept at all, and read in his New Testament till he went to school. After school was over he took the holy book again, and read again and again, and from beginning Christ, and asked him to send his Holy Spirit to enlighten him, that he might understand the divine words of that book. And God in heaven heard the voice of that child, and he was enlightened, and had not gone through the whole book till he was converted, sincerely converted. He came to me in tears, and with a prayerful heart ; and oh I would wish to be able to speak to you in French here, to tell you his feelings! dinary things he told me which God had Oh how happy he was, and what extraor wrought in his soul and heart! He was sincerely converted, went back to his verted two brothers and a dear sister. father's house, and in a few weeks conAfter this the good mother came home. As soon as she saw the Bible on the table you may understand what she felt. Oh, the poor mother, she was out of her senses. "Is it possible," she said to her boy," that you have taken that soul-destroying book? Oh, my dear child, is it possible that you forgot the word of your mother in such a way ?" The young child said to his mother, "Oh, for God's sake, don't trouble yourself about this book; it is the most precious book, and on, if you knew what that book has done for me!" The mother went to the priest and inquired what to do, and when she came back she said to her boy, "My dear child, you have only to choose between going away from me and burning that soul-destroying Bible; I do not want to rear apostate children and educate a generation of Protestants in my house; you will go away immediately or burn that Bible." had not expected such a thing from his The poor young man mother, but she was in earnest; she repeated her warnings, and the poor boy saw that there was no alternative, that he must leave his father's house or burn his his lips and to his heart, bathed it with his He then dear Bible. He pressed his dear Bible to tears, and raising his voice to Christ, said, "Oh, dear Saviour, now is the moment of the struggle; oh, Saviour of my soul, come now and strengthen my heart!" And having his Bible in his arm, he went to his dear mother, and pressing her to his breast, told her, "Dear mother, you know I do love thee; oh how hard it is to leave my I cannot live here with my Bible, I must go father's house when so young. But since away. Farewell, dear mother, farewell!" and bathing her in his tears, he pressed her to his heart, and went away immediately. But the mother was thunderstruck. She to cry, and she said, "Oh, Mr. Chiniquy, yes, I do love Jesus Christ with all my heart." And she spoke with such earnestness that she drew tears from my eyes. I fell on my knees; I understood that the Spirit of God had come down on the little girl, that he had taught her the ways of salvation, that Jesus had manifested himself to her. And this young girl has been the means of converting her whole family. That is the way that these conversions are going on all around me; that is the way that God, in his mercy, is bringing one and another of my dear countrymen into the ways of salvation. CHINA. THE eastern mails have brought further in. telligence concerning the rebels of Nankin, -their objects and their principles. Five Englishinen, of whom the greater part were missionaries, had visited the outposts of the rebels near to Shanghai. They were introduced to an intelligent gentleman, a subordinate king, with thirty thousand men under his command. He expressed his goodwill to foreigners of the western sea, and his anxiety that they should conduct their trade in peace. The second in command at Nankin was formerly a student of the London Missionary Society's Institution at Shanghai. He left that city five years since for Hong Kong. He remained there for some time, and visited Nankin, with the consent of Dr. Legge. He is now the second king at Nankin, and had made inquiry after the missionaries, and especially Mr. Roberts, who is still in Southern China. did not expect such firmness in her boy, and after he had made some steps out of the house she ran after him, overtook him, and taking him by the hand, said, "Do not go away, dear child, and I will never speak against your Bible." And the young soldier of Christ, as a conqueror, with his dear Bible in his hand as a trophy of his victory, came back and now they are all converted in that house. This is one fact among a thousand as interesting. I will bring you another, by which you will un derstand that this great work is not the work of any man. I do not see any man working there. I do not work; I am only the witness of the mercies of my God and of his power. A young girl, not more than ten or twelve years old, came to me not long ago, in a moment when I did not expect anybody. I had forbidden any one to come, for I was very busy; but she forced her way into my room. She was bare-footed, and covered with rags, but a fine-looking girl. I said, "My child, what do you want ?" With trembling voice she told me, “Oh, Mr. Chiniquy, I came to ask you for God's sake to take me into your house." "What is it you want?" "Only to be nearer the chapel, in order to hear more the Word of God, and have more opportunity to attend the public services." Now, I did not remember to have seen that little girl. I asked her name, and she told me. Then I answered, "My dear child, how is it you can wish to live in my house when your father and mother are still in the Yes, sir," she said, they are in the Church of Rome, but I do not belong any more to that church." I was surprised exceedingly to hear that this little girl had left the Church of Rome, and The general officer who received the her father and mother still in that church. Shanghai men believed in the Bible as the "How is it," I asked, "that you left the source of his faith, and accepted copies with Church of Rome?" She took from her much gratitude. The gentlemen who were breast a little New Testament-one like with him for a short time were satisfied that, this of mine-and showed it to me, and while he had not clear and distinct ideas told me, "Mr. Chiniquy, I am coming to respecting "the divinity of the person of the school here, and got this little New the Redeemer," he believed in the atoneTestament from a friend. I have read it ment, and based his creed on the Scriptures for the last three months, and I think there as the only rule of faith. He was reputed is nothing so good in all the world as this to be a benevolent man, desirous to avert little book." "My dear child," I said, bloodshed. The Kwangsi men were con"What have you found in that book?" sidered by this deputation sincere Christians, "Well, sir, I have found that Christ, the with whom the movement is less political Son of God, came to save me." "And than religious. They are more energetic what have you found more?" "Well, I men than the Chinese of the coasts, and have found that I must believe in him, and love him." "And do you love Jesus Christ?" Well, she took some moments to answer; she was surprised at my question. I said to her a second time, "Do you love Jesus Christ ?" "Oh, yes, sir," she replied, "I do love Jesus Christ." "But," I asked a third time, "are you sure that you love Jesus Christ ?" She began Church of Rome?" 66 have always retained some degree of independence. The deputation believe that the insurrection has now attained formidable strength, and the British Consul at Shanghai requires from all British subjects complete neutrality between the parties.—Witness. THE ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN MESSENGER. A VISIT TO THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES OF BY THE REV. PROFESSOR M'Crie, d.d. HAVING spent a considerable part of my vacation during the past summer in visiting our Northumbrian churches, I send you a few notes of the observations I made, in the hope that they may prove not uninteresting to your readers, and serve to correct some misapprehensions which, I suspect, prevail on the subject, particularly in the south. In giving a brief account of my tour, I may commence with Warrenford, a small village beautifully situated on the Warren, the stream from which it derives its name. In the immediate vicinity is Twizel House, the seat of Mr. Selby, the celebrated naturalist, one of whose splendid works on Natural History was published at the enormous price of one hundred guineas. Some of the finest trees in England, planted by Mr. Selby, adorn the place. Towards the sea may be observed Bamborough Castle, where there is a large educational establishment under the patronage of the English clergy. The castle, now their property, overlooks the Fern Islands, inseparably associated with the gallant enterprise of Grace Darling. For my own part, I confess that, on visiting the spot, I could think of nobody else. A monument is erected to her memory in the church-yard of Bamborough, where she is represented by a stone figure in a recumbent posture, with an oar in her right hand. Grace, I was glad to learn, was as humble a girl as she was heroic. She never wore the jewels that were showered on her by admiring visitors; and steadily refused, though tempted by a large sum, to make her appearance for a few seconds in a fancy boat on the boards of a London theatre. In the opposite direction is Chillingham Park, famous for its wild cattle. The "meeting-house" in Warrenford is one of those unseemly buildings so common in the last generation, being nothing more than a square of four walls, perforated with four square windows, and covered in without spire or belfry; exhibiting that total want of good taste, which was considered in these days essential to Presbyterian simplicity. As it is, it presents the only exception to the lovely scene with which it is surrounded, where the trees rise in variegated forms of beauty, and "the little hills rejoice on every side," or as it reads in the original, "are girded with joy," shooting up into spires, and festooned in nature's own drapery. The adjoining manse, old but commodious, lies sweetly in a garden on the banks of the stream. the Sabbath, which happened to be the Communion day, the church was No. 155.-New Series. 22 On filled by a large and respectable country congregation. I was struck with the earnest attention of the people. During the interval tea and coffee was served in the school-room to those who had come from a distance-a happy innovation on the old practice of adjourning to the ale-house. I was delighted to find the congregation prospering so well under the energetic ministrations of their pastor, one of the alumni of our college. When Warrenford was the only Presbyterian place of worship within a large circle, the communion roll stood very high; and even now that other churches have sprung up around it, though at some miles distant, the congregation is numerous and increasing. Dr. Hutchison, the former incumbent, was a good man of the old school, addicted to prophetical studies. In his Exposi tion of the Revelation, he calls himself "Minister of the Scotch Church." There is hardly a Scotchman, I believe, in the neighbourhood; but the Doctor, no doubt, wished it to be known that, like Abraham, he was "a sojourner in a strange land," and following the moderate policy of the last century, he would have his Church to be regarded as a stray branch of the Church of Scotland, which had run over the wall of the Border, but had no design to take root in the garden of "our sister establishment." Strange stories of the Presbyterian ministers of those days who resorted to England (very different men from the good Doctor) abound in the locality; and if one half of them be true, it is amazing to think how Presbyterianism should have survived in any form in the north of England. With such birds of passage, ever ready to take their flight across the Tweed as soon as a snug parishi-kirk could be found for them, the English clergy could hardly find occcasion to quarrel; they allowed them, like the sea-gulls that visit the neighbourhood of Crookham at certain seasons, to pay their visit and pick up their worms unmolested. It is otherwise now, when an English Presbyterian Church is springing up around them in an organised form and earnest spirit, embracing the great body of the community. I visited Branton merely on Presbyterial business; but saw enough of it to impress me with the conviction that Presbyterianism is, in fact, though not in law, the established form of religion in the district. Branton is a small, rural village, but most of the natives of the adjoining country resort to the Presbyterian Church, which is at some distance from it. On an adjoining eminence stands the beautiful mansion (for so it may more properly be called than the manse) of the worthy minister. Here I had the pleasure of meeting almost all the brethren of the Presbytery of Northumberland, all happy and harmonious, and glad to meet each other every two or three months; and after a tough contest in the court, which elicited, on the part of the brethren, no mean display of Presbyterian order and oratory, followed by that pleasant scene of Presbyterial parity, a Presbytery dinner, I took my leave of Branton, more deeply impressed than ever with the strength of our cause in Northumberland. I may here mention that I had, on a previous occasion, visited Glanton, which lies in a beautiful and richly-cultivated valley beyond Branton, and was highly gratified to find there a prosperous congregation, under the ministry of another of our licentiates, lately settled among them. It was easy to see in the eager attention of the people to the word of life, in their efforts to promote the comfort of their pastor, in the establishment of prayermeetings, schools and classes, that they had taken a new start in the right direction. Alnwick is one of the oldest Presbyterian Churches in the north, the manse, church, and churchyard, all bearing witness to long standing. Under the ministry of another of our licentiates, the congregation has increased |