to fear that they shall yet have to lament another disappointment, as the preacher's ultimatum was to be given in by the end of March; and as I thought you would write immediately thereafter, I conclude that he has declined the appointment. It has occurred to me that he might put off giving his final answer till after the meeting of Synod, that he might know on what terms he should come out. But as, even on that supposition, there has been time enough for me to be in possession of a letter from you, as you have not written, I infer that the person you applied to has declined to come.

My object in writing at present, is to make you aware of the extreme urgency of having Chatham immediately settled. It is quite impossible for the presbytery to give any effective supply, the distance being so great. The length of time during which Chatham has been a vacancy, and the destitute state of the country for many miles round, plainly show that that place has the very first claim upon a missionary church. I earnestly entreat the committee to send a preacher forthwith. I feel, personally, somewhat humbled that, after encouraging the congregation to expect a minister in the early part of summer (as I thought myself almost warranted to do by your letter), they are still left destitute. May I expect a reply, and a favourable one, as soon after receipt as may be convenient for you.

The Lower Canada presbytery were admitted into Synod as a fourth presbytery at our meeting in May.

I am sorry to have to inform you that our Magazine was given up in December, owing to the dilatoriness of the subscribers in paying for their copies. It is exceedingly difficult in this country to get payment for Magazines or newspapers. I hope to see it soon revived, but under a different editor. I have had my share.

I had written thus far when your favour of the 11th June came to hand. I am sorry to see that my worst fears are realized. All I can do is to urge, with all possible earnestness, that a preacher be sent off, if possible, IMMEDIATELY, for Chatham. Our church is positively at a stand still. We dare open no new stations, and are obliged to refuse applications. A congregation of Scotch and Irish presbyterians, about thirtyfive miles from London, wishes to be received into our presbytery, if we can give them a minister. They have a church, and are both able and willing to pay L.100 per annum. One of their leading members was with me yesterday, to consult as to what should be done. I could give him no encouragement, seeing there is such a difficulty in getting out preachers. I feel very grieved about this. The station is a very important one. I expect another application in a short time from a still more important station; and for anything that appears at present, I must give a similar reply. Hamilton is on the very point of giving up, after having built a very neat stone church. Richmond Hill is, if no supply come soon, likely to call Mr Dick; which, while one vacancy is supplied, another is made. You purpose to send three preachers annually,-six, at this moment, would not be enough.

The Synod, at their last meeting, resolved on attempting to educate young men for the ministry; I was appointed to superintend the education of such as might wish to become preachers. The academy or institute will go into operation in October. We have the prospect of commencing with three or four students, all well educated, of highly respectable talents, and of decided piety. The curriculum is a peculiar one, suited to our circumstances, and will prove, I think, very effective. I have the authority of the Synod for sending you a full account of it, which I will do as soon as I can find a little leisure.

Extract of a Letter from Rev. JOHN JENNINGS, dated Toronto, July 24, 1844.

In December last I wrote to you by appointment of presbytery, requesting that a preacher should be sent out to Richmond Hill, a congregation sixteen miles north from this, and vacant by the death of the Rev. Mr Jenkins. As the station is an important one, and gives every promise of being an excellent congregation, we were very anxious that a minister should be here early in summer. Since I wrote you, the appearances in that congregation are decidedly more favourable, even with our limited supply which we can give to them. They are building a manse, which will be very comfortable, with an acre or two of ground for a garden attached. The collections were about L.1, 5s. a Sabbath. As I said before, they will give a stipend at first of about L.70; but in a year or two, at most, I have no doubt but they will pay more than L.100. It is one of the most desirable situations I know of in this province, and with a young talented minister, I can pledge myself for its advancement. Be so good as reply immediately, and tell me what you can do, for they will not wait much longer, but will likely call some one who is now settled. Now, this will not be advantageous, for we cannot afford to have any of our congregations left destitute, and yet it must be the case if you do not send one, for we must have a minister in Richmond Hill.

But while I write especially for this place, I beg to urge on you the positive necessity that exists for a large supply of preachers: we would require in the different presbyteries, six at the very least. Our mission is withering for the want of supply. We are disheartened, our people are sick with hope deferred. In this presbytery we could now take and settle at once three preachers; and had we three more, we could open large districts where the gospel is scarcely ever preached, not even by the industrious Methodist, and until you send a liberal supply, our mission will be an expensive affair to you, or it must go down, and not only so, your money may keep us in existence, but we will never become energetic. If you would put it in my choice, whether to take L.1000 or ten preachers, I would take the preachers, independent of religious considerations, even on the score of economy.

But I have another reason to urge. The kirk party, at their Synod last week, divided on the Free Church question. The minority, twenty-two or twenty-three, have formed themselves into "the Presbyterian Church of Canada." They came out from popular pressure, and are kirkish enough; but they have the popular cry after them, and our people see little or no difference; now, they say, the Free Church at home is determined to possess this land if they can, and you may depend on it, if we have no preachers, that we will feel effects from which we will never recover. Their body is small, but the people will go with them if a Free Church minister takes the field. I say, send us preachers for the very existence of this branch of your church, and for the influence we would certainly have in breaking down church arrogance, clergy reserves, &c. Now is our time. This is your time. In church matters, as in the affairs of men, there is a tide which, if taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. And even throwing aside denominational considerations, we have a great work to do here, we have to spread that religion which teaches man the way of salvation. We have to preach the way to eternal life, instead of the way to the government exchequer. We have to show that christianity professed, may well be trusted in practice; give us preachers and your principles will be those of the country. It is a remarkable fact, that the great bulk of the Free Church people here are voluntary, and though those ministers who have come off would like to try for a picking of one

of the reserve bones, along with the Methodists, the people will not do so. The Free Church people are decidedly our length, in fact, in liberality many of them are before us, but the clergy are behind, and the people know this, and already talk of having a union with the Secession. All these pros and cons should tell you to send us preachers.

There is to be a large Free Church here. It is the popular thing just now, and may take away a member or two, but I am not afraid. Their spirit and liberality will do my folks good. We need it. I am on very good terms with them. They had the use of my church. I have been obliged to write this hurriedly for the mail, but I intend to send you particulars about my congregation and other matters very soon, which I have not time to do now. It will be a great favour if you could post a letter for me by the 1st September, telling me what you have done, and what we may expect. I am keeping considerably better in health, and I hope to have no attack of fever this summer. All the brethren are well, as far as I can learn. Mr M'Kenzie of Goderich has given up teaching, and been inducted into his old charge.

Extract of a Letter from Township of Hardwic.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SECESSION MISSIONARY RECORD.-SIR,-The following is an extract from a letter, dated the Township of Hardwic, 30th December, 1843, and lately received from a very worthy person who, for many years, was an elder in the United Secession Church, and who about three years ago went with a pretty numerous family to Barnet, State of Vermont, and has since removed twenty miles from that place. I send it that it may be read by our preachers or ministers who may be thinking, or ought to be thinking, of crossing the Atlantic. It has often astonished and grieved me that those of our preachers who have gone the round of our vacancies again and again, but have never received a call; that those who were once settled ministers, but are again, and have been for years, on the probationers' list; and that those of our settled ministers, if young and healthful, who feel themselves to be neither comfortable nor useful in their present situations, should not at once resolve to go to Canada or the United States, where they would soon find places, and might be twenty times more useful than where they are, and at least as comfortable. The call to preachers and ministers to go to Canada has been loud and frequent, and I fear cannot be disregarded by not a few without blame, and the call from the locality above-mentioned, well deserves their attention. If you deem the extract worthy of insertion, and give it a place in your pages soon, you will oblige yours, very truly, P. Q.

22d April 1844.

"In this township in which we live, viz. Hardwic, there are three places of worship; one Baptist meeting; one Congregationalist meeting; the third is a pretty large house, containing about 1100 sittings. It is well finished, with a belfry on it. It was built by a wealthy individual of a strange turn of mind. He would not grant it to any one denomination, but gave it as a gift to the whole town,-every denomination having the use of it their proportion of time. It was occupied by the Congregationalists for two or three years at first; but by and by the Methodists envied them of it, and laid in their claim to it. Then a strange set of fanatics started up, pretending to the influences of the Spirit, and speaking with tongues. They used to start up in this meeting and bark and howl like dogs and cry like cats, rolling on the floor to the disturbing

and breaking up of the meeting. Many of them were tried for such conduct, and severely fined and bound over to keep the peace. From their habit of trembling and rolling on the floor, they were denominated "Holy Rollers." They wore long beards, like the Jews. Liberty of conscience is inscribed on the front of this meeting; but I rather think it should be, No Conscience at all. After this disturbance the Congregationalists went and built a meeting-house of their own, so that they might worship in peace; but their peace has been but of short duration. A few wealthy individuals have used their influence in expelling their minister, the Rev. Mr Hubbard, not for any error in doctrine (for he is a sound and judicious preacher), but because he did not act out the orator enough; and they are without a preacher, and have been without sermon for a number of Sabbaths. The Baptist minister is leaving also. He is going to Burlington, to act as editor of a religious paper; so you see we are without a settled minister in this town. The people here-though there are exceptions-in general have no really solid views of religion, and are easily tossed about with every wind of doctrine. The holy Rollyism is all past now, and the Rolly appears now with a chin as smooth as any man. But this year there was quite a rush into the belief of Millenarianism, and many a one looked with anxious expectation, in the month of April, for the second coming of Christ. Now that is all past also. Again, they are forming a society called Non-resistants; that is, they will not resist in any shape. They will not carry arms even for defence; they will not even take the benefit of the civil law, either for protection or redress of wrong. They take the Saviour's command to the disciples, that when they were smitten on the one cheek, they were to turn the other also. Another class go a step farther, and will not kill any animal, nor will they eat any animal food. They pretend that there was no animal food eaten before the flood; that the antediluvians were more healthy and fair, and lived longer, than the carnivorous gormandizing flesh-eaters of the present day. But if to get fat and fair, and live long, is their only aim and design in such a system of abstinence, I think, judging from appearances, there will be very few Methuselahs among them; for they, in general, are a sicklylooking set, especially the hard working part of them.

"After reading this, you will be saying, alas! my friends, they have got among a strange people: I wish they may not learn of them their ways, especially the younger branches of the family.-Notwithstanding all I have said about the people here, there are a good many that have not bowed the knee to Baal. We have a good many solid and serious Christians here, and with these we correspond. Even these misguided and misled people that take up with such strange fancies, even they have something morally and constitutionally good about them. Many of them are very good neighbours, kind and obliging, tender-hearted, and easily affected. We want nothing here so much as a good, faithful and talented preacher, one who would declare to us the whole counsel of God; one that would deal out the thunders of the law to alarm, as well as speak of the wonderful love of the Saviour, to encourage and draw sinners to Christthat they may be brought to a right knowledge of the way of salvation. Were any young man of talent coming out here as a missionary, I make no doubt but we could raise the half of his salary the first year. Perhaps, in the course of two years, a congregation might be drawn together, that could support him respectably. The people here, in general, are in pretty good circumstances, and, if they were drawn together, might support a minister well. We are still members of the church of Barnet, where we go occasionally to hear sermon, and especially at the sacrament. It is twenty miles off, so that we cannot attend very often. Congregational church as long as there was sermon.

We attended the There never was a

better time for an able preacher to come into this town than now: there is a wide field open to the harvest."

To the Probationers of the United Associate Synod.

DEAR BRETHREN,-The Committee of Synod on Foreign Missions desire to lay before you, with affectionate urgency, the claims of the cause of Christ in other lands, and to solicit for these claims your calm and prayerful consideration. We are induced to do so by the frequency and earnestness with which we have been importuned for aid, by the labourers who are already in the field, and the difficulty we have experienced in endeavouring to procure the services of preachers willing to meet these reiterated calls for help. Indeed, seldom is any communication received from the missionaries which contains not a pleading for additional workmen. It is matter of much regret that the funds at our disposal are so limited, as greatly to fetter our exertions for the supply of this lack; but it is grieving, too, that deficiency of funds is not the only difficulty with which we have to contend. Agents also are wanting. We are not without hope that it needs only a plain statement, in faithfulness and love, to call forth from the probationers of our church such a response as shall remove the latter obstruction; and, in this hope, brethren, we come before you with the present appeal: nor can we help adding, that it might do much to revive interest in the missionary cause, throughout our churches, and to replenish our treasury, could ministers go before their people, pointing to agents willing to devote their service to the Saviour, in a foreign field, and waiting only till the church should furnish the means to send them forth.

Circumstances lead the committee to direct attention at present especially to Canada. From the missionaries there, we are receiving continually most pressing solicitations for additional preachers. Agreeably to an arrangement sanctioned by the Synod at their late meeting, the committee have engaged to send out, if possible, two or three agents immediately, and as many during every subsequent year, while the field remains unoccupied, to be employed under the Synod of Canada, as they conceive the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom may be best promoted. But our power to carry this arrangement into effect depends much on you. And shall it not be to the reproach of those who have professed to give themselves to the Lord's work, if the church shall have it to say, We are willing to send, but none are ready to go?

Dear brethren, let us entreat you to place together, and seriously contemplate the two following facts: First,-From the other side of the Atlantic, a cry is heard, "come over and help us"'-a field is there white to harvest; the labourers who have entered upon it are more than duly tasked, yet cannot overtake the work; some parts of the field they cannot reach at all, and those which they have reached can be but imperfectly reaped, because so many spots divide their care; and they are looking anxiously to you for aid. Secondly,-In this country there is a numerous band of labourers to whom the church finds it impossible, notwithstanding the extension of Home Missionary operations, to give anything approaching full and constant employment in the vocation to which they have devoted themselves. In Canada, congregations call for preachers: in Scotland, preachers call for work. Does not the conclusion seem irresistible, brethren in the Lord, that it is the duty of some of you to answer by cheerful consent to the request for labourers, "that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want, that there may be equality." You have given