VOL. IV....No. 8.. PITTSBURGH, AUGUST, 1836. WHOLE No. 41. WESTERN FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. The Board of Directors of the Western CIRCULAR LETTER. IT devolves upon us, by the appointment of the Board of Directors of the Western Foreign Missionary Society, to address you in its be. half, under circumstances of unanticipated and extraordinary embarrassment. and their churches at home were deeply inte. rested, the inquiry naturally enough arose, whether the church, by her General Assem bly of one year, could bind herself in a contract which would be, in its essential princi. ples, beyond the control of her Assemblies of other years; and whether she could do that by her agents which she had power to do herself. It need hardly be said, that these questions admitted of but one answer. The acts of the Church, by her General Assembly, like those The General Assembly of 1835, as you are in the case of any other representative body, doubtless aware, appointed a Committee, to assume different forms, according to the sub. treat with the Synod of Pittsburgh on the sub- jects to which they refer. When they belong ject of the transfer of the Society, with all its to the class of contracts involving pecuniary missions and its funds, to the supreme judica- considerations and the rights of others, as tory of our church; and authorized and em- where the Assembly accepts donations and powered that Committee, if they could obtain bequests, to be used or held in trust for particterms which to them appeared satisfactory, to ular objects, the irrepealable obligation of the ratify and confirm a contract to that effect. engagement is apparent to every mind, and is At the last annual meeting of the Synod, that recognized in every court of justice. The so. Committee submitted, with an authentic certi-cond inquiry admitted, if possible, a still more fication of their appointment and of their ple. obvious solution than the first, as the General nary powers, certain propositions and articles Assembly, by its Trustees and Boards of Directo which they were prepared, in the name of tion, was every year making bargains and exthe Assembly, to accede; and which required ecuting trusts not less permanent or responsithe virtual relinquishment of the Synod, from ble than that which was now contemplated. and after the assent of that body to them, of The Synod, therefore, in good faith, entered all jurisdiction over the Society and its opera. into an engagement, which it was foreseen tions; and appointing the existing Board by would in the mean time necessarily occasion the joint authority of the Assembly's Commit. a serious interruption of business, and eventeo and the Synod, to continue its superinten- tually prove a heavy pecuniary loss to dence until a new Board should be appointed. the Society, if the operations were not The Synod, impressed with the belief that promptly carried forward by the Assembly. there were interspersed through various parts As the Society was sustaining no unpropitious of the Presbyterian church, a large number of missions, and was possessed of funds far beour body by whom an ecclesiastical organiza-yond all present demand, the Board did not tion for Foreign Missions was earnestly desir. ed; and whose zeal, energy, and affectionate co-operation, in the work of sending the Gospel to the Heathen, could be secured only by such a plan; and sensible that no one Synod could properly claim the right to direct the operations of an important branch of Christian enterprise in which many others were equally in terested, and which they were expected to sus. tain, came to the determination, after protract. ed and prayerful deliberation, to accept the overtures of the Assembly; and did forthwith, as all parties fully understood the act, fulfil the only remaining condition of the contract. To the Synod, as they were invited to form an ar rangement in which their missionaries abroad look upon it as an act of condescension on the part of the church, to adopt the Society as its own; and as the Board had uniformly main. tained towards their fellow-laborers of the American Board the most amicable relations, they did not think of giving offence, even to its most ardent friends in the communion of our church, by co-operating in an arrangement which could only put the advocates of ecclesiastical organization on a par with their brethren, while it would obviously increase the amount of good to be achieved. The General Assembly, as you have doubtless heard, after a protracted discussion, re. solved not to fulfil the provisions of this ar rangement, or receive the Society which had thus been transferred to them. When that shown that a refusal to countenance such a portion of the Board of Directors, who were board at all, might not be equally construed to then present in Pittsburgh, found the mission-mean that the Assembly expected all its Presbyary operations of the Society thus left unpro- teries and churches to patronize that Institution; vided for, and themselves without the opportu- nor was it shown that the other Boards of the nity of consultation with the Synod, they re- Assembly have ever been able to make such a sumed their deliberations, and adopted a reso. use of their authority. lution, inviting those members of the Assem- 3. It was urged, that it should be the purbly who had voted for the transfer to unite in pose of all Christians, in sending the Gospel an expression of their views as to the course to the Heathen, to lay aside all denominational proper to be pursued. Such a meeting was peculiarities, and present Christianity to the accordingly convened, and resolutions were heathen only in those aspects in which the unanimously passed, recommending to the opinions of all evangelical believers agree. Board to resume its functions; expressing it But the same brother, who so eloquently urged as the sense of the meeting, that every one this theory, did, in a previous argument, on then present should use his influence within the same subject, attempt to show that the the bounds of his respective Presbytery to American Board was more of a Presbyterian make the condition and the wants of the Wes- than a Congregational Institution; and consetern Foreign Missionary Society known to the quently liable to the same objections which churches, and obtain for it all possible funds, were preferred against ours. The argument both from contributions at the monthly con-itself, if just, would have gone as truly to subcert, and in other ways, to be paid over to the vert all existing missionary Boards as to oppose Treasurer of each Presbytery, and by him the reception of ours, since no one of them pretransmitted to the Treasurer of the Board-tends to act upon the principle which is sus"That, in resuming the work of missions, the tained. of the same." Western Foreign Missionary Society is herc- 4. It was urged (and these four comprise by assured of our confidence and zealous co-the principal objections which were mentioned operation; and that where suitable agents can in the debate) that the reception of the Board not be obtained to visit the churches we will under the care of the Assembly would be inencourage the members of our Presbyteries to consistent with pledges already given to the undertake voluntary agencies for the benefit American Board; and, at least, it would imply a want of confidence in the wisest and best conducted missionary institution on earth. But those who supported the measure, and some who opposed it, denied the propriety of pursuing any such course of reasoning. Thus, without going further into particulars, it will be seen that the Assembly did not profess to have discovered in the character or operations of this society any thing which should induce its former friends to withdraw from it; ner should the course and issue of a discussion in which its constituted officers took no part, array the prejudices of any portion of the community against it. As the decision of the General Assembly may possibly be thought to have originated in some objection to the Society itself, or the character of its missionaries, and may thus be construed to its disadvantage in its future operations, it may be proper to say, that, with the exception of one of the speakers, who animadverted with some severity upon the Committee for having received, as a missionary under its care, a brother not in connection with the Presbyterian church, nothing was said which could justly impeach the credit of the Society before the Christian public. It was indeed urged against its adoption by the supreme ju- Of the decision of the Assembly itself we dicatory of our church, that it might involve forbear to speak. For the majority in this us in collision with the American Board, and case we entertain great respect, as brethren produce division and strife; but it was not al- and fellow-laborers in the service of our Lord. leged that the Society had, in past years, in. We attentively listened to most of the discuscurred this imputation; nor was it shown that sion, and we have since carefully, and we hope Christian candor and fairness required the candidly and prayerfully, weighed the reasons church to oppose an ecclesiastical Board on embodied in their answer to the protest of the this ground, while it unhesitatingly encouraged minority; and we confess our surprise that, on a voluntary in other words, that this difficul- grounds to us so insufficient, they should have ty, if it should prove one, ought to annihilate thought it their duty to suppress, by efforts so our institution only, while it encouraged and strenuous and by a majority so small, (110 to supported that of our Congregational brethren. 106,) a plan which could hardly fail to insure 2. It was said, that, if the sanction of the a more universal diffusion of the spirit of forGeneral Assembly were given to a Board of eign missions, and to promote, in the present Foreign Missions, that board might claim, one cited state of our church, a feeling of harits authority, the aid and co-operation of such parts of the church as desired to give their support to the American Board; but it was not mony among its members. What if the preceding Assembly had been indiscreet, and had conferred upon its committee "unwarrantable and improper powers?" It does not invalidate ing injustice to the friends of this measure, to a contract, that it was prematurely or unwise- suppose that their preference of an ecclesiasly entered into, (Psalm 15:4) nor does it prove tical arrangement implies any such want of that the object itself is inexpedient. What if confidence. It would certainly be deemed una majority of the last Assembly preferred a kind to impute to our Congregational brethren, voluntary to an ecclesiastical organization, motives like this, when they exhibit their pretheir concurrence in the adoption of the society ferences. So far as good men are persuaded involved no sacrifice of opinion, and left them to believe that such an intention is cherished at full liberty formally to decline all co-opera- by us, as a Society for Foreign Missions, they tion with any but the American Board. Nor may be expected to withhold their sympathies is this all. The constitution of the Prosbyte- and their prayers from us; and, as we are now rian church manifestly contains the presump- required to go on with our labors, it stands us tion, that operations of this kind are to be car- in hand to fortify ourselves against every inju. ried on church-wise, (Form of Gov., chap. 18,) rious prejudice. We may then confidently and consequently presents the impossibility of say that we have, as individuals and as a Board, securing a general ecclesiastical organization, never published a wordt hat could, by fair conbut through the General Assembly. Now struction, be made to express the slightest when almost all the larger denominations of suspicion of this kind. This society has inevangelical Christians both in Europe and deed held out to such as preferred our form of America, including the church of Scotland operation to the other an invitation to co-opfrom which we derive our origin, have adopted erate in sending the gospel to the heathen; the ecclesiastical form of foreign missionary but it has spoken of the American Board in operation, it is hard to see how a conscientious the highest terms of respect and confidence. member of a Presbyterian Assembly, bound by his ordination-vows to study the prosperity of that church, should feel himself required to prohibit that church from embodying its yet unapplied strength in the most important of Christian efforts. That, in a course to us so unexpected, our brethren sincerely intended to glorify God, and promote the salva tion of a perishing world, we would not deny; but, it is our persuasion, that, on cool reflection, they will find occasion to regret that the influence of excited feeling on other and irrelevant questions, has unduly obtruded itself into one which makes a solemn claim to sepa rate and dispassionate consideration. In the present state of our church, could such a decision be expected to increase the amount of effort for benighted lands? In so far as it disappoints the wishes of probably at least one. half of the Presbyterian church, it should be met with the candor, meekness, and charity, which become the followers of Christ, at all times, and which especially befits this sacred enterprise. In the course of argument pursued in the Assembly, there was one point which we seem required to notice. Portions of letters from one of the Secretaries of the American Board, recently published, were read in the debate to show that the Presbyterian church had no occasion to withdraw its confidence" in the wisdom and fidelity of that Board; and it was generally understood that these letters were intended to bear upon the decision which the Assembly were expected to make of the question of the appointment of the new Board. Whether this was strictly proper after the committee had given its pledge to the Synod in the name of the Assembly we will not pretend to say. Our only object is to say in reference to this matter, that it is certainly do To assume it, therefore, as true that all desire be to abandon the work altogether, and for ever deprive the perishing heathen of that amount of good which hundreds of churches might be expected to yield if they had a Board of their own election. We desire now to proceed on the same principles with which we commenced. And as we prize harmony and good feeling, and mutual co-operation in the work of the Lord, above almost every thing else, and have no desire whatever to involve this great enterprise with any collateral controversy in the church, we object to the idea altogether, that our present and future cxistence should be held up to the churches in this light. And, if a future General Assembly should be willing to own us among its real friends, we hope and pray that it may never be thought or said that it cannot be done without a breach of good faith to that excellent Board, and the excitement of suspicion as to its wisdom and fidelity. We wish to do the work which they cannot do; but we also wish and pray that they may grow and prosper more and more in the affections of all good men. The fact, that of the two decisions which the last Assembly (to say nothing of the preceding one) had on this question, at different periods, one was for, and the other against, the proposed measure, is sufficient evidence, that the operations of neither can be safely suppressed. In this broad land where churches multiply by hundreds every year, and the resources of religious men by thousands; and which, ere long, must send its missionaries by hundreds annually to the four quarters of the globe, who will pretend to say, that there should be but one channel, and all ecclesiastical preferences should be suppressed, in order to the accomplishment of this end? Which would be the most evangelical liberality, to attempt to bring all denominational differences to bend to this, and curb and fetter their action until they should, or to urge one and all of them to be up and doing, to hasten the great consummation with all their might; and to do this with the expectation that all hurtful prejudices would gradually vanish away, as the great work would grow upon their hand, and nation after nation come forth into the light and liberty of the Christian redemption? Is it a matter of doubt to any candid observer, whether the foreign missionary operations of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as such; the American Baptist Church, as such; and the Protestant Episcopal Church, as such; are destined to exert a benign influence upon the entire character of these respectable denominations? Could there be any prospect of, or would there be any utility in, their consenting to drop all their respective peculiarities, and unite in one association whose principles should comprise no one distinctive feature of either? Would they ever come together by being required to wait until they could thus agree, and, in the mean time, leave the entire Heathen world to perish in their sins? Why then should it be thought or represented as sectarian-as unworthy of our character as liberal-minded Christians, to desire to see the Presbyterian Church, as such, organized and embodied in this great and precious service? In view, then, of the circumstances in which we are now placed as a Society, and a church, by the aspect of the world-by the example of sister denominations-and by the decision of the last General Assembly, let us, Beloved Brethren, arise with new energy and zeal, to prosecute the too-much neglected work of Foreign Missions. Let not the disapppointment of our plans, and the unexpected counteraction of our reasonable wishes, fill our minds or the souls of our people with discouragement and despair. If our eye is single-if our intentions are sincere, we can present the pressure of our circumstances before the throne of God with increased confidence. Our brethren, who, by such immense exertions, were barely able, after several of our friends had left their posts, to vote down the contract, will, on reflection, see how impossible it is for us to secure a general ecclesiastical organization but through the General Assembly, and they will become convinced that nothing can be gained to them, much less to the cause of Foreign Missions, by attempting to prevent it; throwing upon themselves, as it must, a great amount of responsibility, and giving no additional accepta. bility to the Board for whose sake they profess to do it. If we are active, and prompt, and prayerful, in the cause; if we bring the Foreign Missionary enterprise before the minds of our people, and before God, with a growing conviction of its importance, Heaven will listen to our supplications, and the Redeemer of Israel will provide. A question like this will lose nothing by standing on its own naked merits before the church and the world; and our church will, in due time, award to us with little opposition, that organization which it would have been undesirable to gain by a bare majority. In the mean time, the Board of the Synod will resume its duties and go forward, relying upon the pledge of active co-operation given by the brethren from all parts of the church, in the meeting to which we have referred. From the spirit of that meeting, they hope and trust it. may be a year of great results. In the provision of missionaries and assistant missionaries, as well as in the collection of funds, and the diffusion of missionary intelligence, much aid may be rendered to the Executive Committee by individual ministers, and by Presbyteries, in all parts of the church; and thus aided, the Board hope, to keep pace with the growing energies of the churches. We affectionately entreat our Brethren in the Ministry, in the Eldership, and in the commu and with his skilful medical adviser, he had come to the determination to set out immediately for Calcutta, and thence take passage as soon as it could be obtained, for the United States. This course was strongly recommended by his physician, Dr. M'Gregor; nion of the church, to come up to the help of the Lord; and countenance, with their contributions, their prayers, and their best energies, the attempt which must now be made to secure such an organization and concentration of effort in this work as these eventful times require. Our church has surely strength and vigor enough to throw off the obstructions as appears from a note which he addressed to Mr. Lowrie, expressing the opinion, that which oppress her, and take her place among those sister denominations by whose ecclesia sea voyage across the ocean to the United astical appointment the trumpet of the Gospel States, and a residence of two years in this is sounding in Burmah, in Africa, in Greece, country, would probably be the means of and the wilds of America. In the former, restoring his system to perfect health. This what conquests over a dark and cruel super-note, accompanying Mr. Lowrie's letter, stition have our Baptist brethren begun to re- was received at our Mission room, and both alize, and what trophies of their piety and have since been published in the Christian zeal are our Methodist brethren endeavoring Herald. Mr. Lowrie expresses submission to rear up on the shores of paganism? Una- to the will of God, gratitude that he had wakened by these and other examples, is our been brought to those parts of the earth, body to sit still, or to append its contributions and hope that he "will live and die a misto another institution, and never make its sionary.' voice distinctly heard in the great and eventful day of the conversion of the nations? This enterprise is God's and not man's; and every Christian, and every denomination, must expect to forfeit the richest influences of his grace, if there be neglect and defection when the chief Captain of the hosts marshals his forces for the day of his power. Ye watchmen of Israel! what of the night? Are not the circumstances of the world eventful! Are they not such as to show that all our Sabbath schools should be nurseries of the missionary spirit? that our monthly concerts should be replenished with the spirit of grace and sup plication, and that all our judicatories and churches, in hope, in zeal, and activity, be as those who wait for the coming of the Lord? Surely then our church will arise, and not remain inactive, to wait for the realization of a As some time has elapsed since I wrote to beautiful theory of missions, or for fear that you, I feel disposed to collect some broken she may offend others by fulfilling the com- fragments of a Journal, to send for your peru. mand of Christ herself. May the God of mis-sal. Since I wrote to brother John from Be. sions pour out his Spirit upon us-raise up nares, very little has occurred on our passage many devoted, heroic missionaries for the which would interest you. work, and cause the blessing of many ready Amen. to perish to come upon us! ELISHA P. SWIFT, Cor. Sec. Pittsburgh, June 27, 1836. MISSION TO NORTHERN INDIA. ADVICES FROM MR. LOWRIE. From the letter of Rev. John C. Lowrie, published in the last number of the Foreign Missionary Chronicle, it appeared probable, that, if his life should be spared, he would continue a year longer in the Missionary field of Northern India. But from a letter of more recent date, (Jan. 7,) we learn, that, after further consideration of the subject, and consultation with the brethren of the Mission, val of Mr. Lowrie in this country; and the We now daily expect to hear of the arrihope is entertained that his health will be recruited, or fully recovered, in his native clime; so that he may be able to return with renewed vigor to the important field of his missionary labor; or, if Providence order otherwise, may be efficiently employed in our American churches in promoting the great cause of foreign missions. JOURNAL OF REV. JAMES WILSON, Addressed to his Parents in Ohio. Cawnpore, October 15, 1835. MY DEAR AND HONORED PARENTS: Death and Burial of a Mohammedan. One incident, which to us was interesting and solemn, was the death of our kitmutgar, (that is, a person whose business it is to set the table, attend to concerns immediately around it, and see that things are kept clean.) He was a Mohammedan, an old man. He spoke no English. He appeared to be a sincere disciple of the Prophet. It was painful to see him wasting away for weeks immediately before us, while we were able to say nothing intelligibly to him about the great interests of his soul for eternity. Sometimes we addressed a few words to him, and once or twice got others to converse with him who could speak his language with fluency. He seemed to be a com. plete fatalist-considered it as the "will of Allah" that he must die, and means were |