There is one limitation to this influence, however, which ought to be stated. Should any ecclesiastical body so far swerve from the principles of truth and Gospel order, as not to be in fellowship with the great body of the Presbyterian and Congregational churches in our land, that fact would cause its recommendations not to be respected by the Executive Committee. As cases may occur in which the feeble churches may not be aware of the existence of any board of Agency, or Committee of Missions, through whom to apply for aid, a general provision is made, that applications may be vouched by any two ministers of known and approved standing, who can certify to the facts of the case. If the information thus given is not sufficient, other facts are sought by the Executive Committee, through private correspondence. Such, briefly, are the relations of the American Home Missionary Society to the various organs through which the community seeks to act out its missionary feeling. It will be seen that this plan secures the united action, in the missionary work, of those, whose views of doctrine and church order admit of co-operation, and whose interests in the great field are essentially the same. This com bination insures a homogeneous policy as to the manner and amount of appropriations, and the qualifications of missionaries; it has discouraged sectional feelings, and diffused throughout each part an interest in all the rest; and thus has formed ties between the West and the East, along which have passed, from the latter to the former, a silent and invisible current of moral influences, if possible more valuable than all pecuniary grants. At the same time, the connexion of the Parent Society with the various Associations that act with it, is such as to secure to them entire freedom in the missionary work, in their respective spheres, and an influence beyond them, in cultivating the waste places of our common country. With such facilities for action, shall not this Society be made a still greater blessing to our country and to the world? What hinders such a result? The field is open, wide open, and—thanks to the King of Zion-his youthful heralds are coming forward to enter it. For many years, the evidence of a missionary spirit in the ministry has not been so cheering as it is now. And shall this rising enterprise be repressed? And those churches-which it has cost thousands of money and years of labor to build up, who are struggling as they never struggled before, and who must sink, beyond the hope of rescue, if not relieved soon-shall they perish? Shall that grand coalition of skepticism, fanaticism and Popery, for our moral ruin, which seems rapidly approaching, be consummated without a united, a determined effort to prevent it, by destroying its elements and pre-occupying with the truth, that broad field over which it hopes to walk, sole lord and master? Correspondence of the A. H. M. S. IOWA. THE LORD BISHOP OF DUBUQUE. Our readers will recollect that Dubuque is the episcopal residence of the Catholic Bishop, Dr. Loras; and they have also been apprised that strenuous efforts are making to bring the mining region in that vicinity under papal influence. Within 25 miles of Dubuque, on both sides of the Mississippi, there are already nine churches; besides other stations where priests officiate occasionally. A discussion has recently been going on between the Bishop and a Baptist clergyman, in the course of which, the former published a card in the secular papers, over his own signature, in which he advanced the following propositions : 1st. Catholics abhor all kinds of idolatry. 2d. Catholics honor but do not adore the Virgin Mary. 3d. It is false that Catholics give any money to priests, or to the Pope, for the absolution of sins or for indulgences.* 4th. It is * This reminds us of certain groggeries in a town where the sale of ardent spirits was forbidden by law. “We sell no liquor here; O no! But if any of our friends call, and give us a trifle to help us along ; we will not be so uncivil as to let them go away without a friendly treat." Or it is like the refreshment gardens, in some of our cities, where the license laws are evaded by charging sixpence for admission, refreshments gratis. Precisely like this is the trade in pardon and indulgence. Witness the extracts concerning the “Leopold Foundation" in our last number. There the Pope expressly stipulated as follows: "Trusting in the mercy of Almighty God, and the authority of Peter and Paul, his apostles, we grant to all the truly penitent co-operators in this society, who shall confess their sins, and partake of the feast of the Lord's body on the day on which they shall be received into the society, full indulgence and remission of all their sins. Also, we grant full indulgence to them after they shall have been cleansed from the pollutions of life by holy confession, and received the eucharist, on the eighth day of December, also on the day of the feast of St. Leopold, and once every month, provided that every day during the previous month, they shall have said the Lord's prayer, the salutation of the angel, and the words, St. Leopold, pray for us,' and in some public church have said pious prayers to God for the harmony of Christian princes, the extirpation of heresies, and the glory of Holy Mother Church." false that the Catholics hold that the Pope is personally infallible. 5th. Catholics hold that faith is to be kept with all men. A correspondent says: The Bishop is preaching a series of sermons on Wednesday evenings, which Protestants are especially invited to attend, and many do attend. The first sermon was on the use of the Scriptures by Catholics; the second on the inthe first was published last week in fallibility of the Pope. A synopsis of pamphlet form and in the paper. In that he states, "that God's revealed word consists of two parts, the written and unwritten word; and these two are of equal authority, and have been lic clergy are bound to read and pray equally revealed by God. The Cathofrom the Scriptures every day; but there is no such general obligation incumbent on the laity; it being sufficient that they listen to it from their pastors. The laity may read in the original or approved modern versions, but with due submission to the interpretation and authority of the church! (a precious privilege truly!) The command to 'Search the Scriptures,' and the commendation of the Bereans, related to the Old Testament. The reading of the Old Testament was profitable, but Timothy, though familiar with the Scriptures from his youth, learnt his faith in Jesus Christ from Paul, (implying that the laity must take their articles of faith from the priests and not from the Bible.). Great evils, heresies, impieties, rebel Now, to whom is all this promised? To "the penitent co-operators" "received into this Society." And what is necessary to this character? The constitution says as follows: gages daily to offer one Pater and Ave, with the "Every member of this religious institution enaddition, St. Leopold pray for us,' and every week to contribute a crucif; and thus, by this small sacrifice of prayer a..d alms, to concur in the great work of promoting the true Faith." and indulgences; but whoever does certain things, Thus, the Priests do not take pay for absolution payment of money included, gets the absolution and indulgence into the bargain! lions, civil wars, &c. have resulted from an unrestricted reading of the Bible in vulgar languages." Such is the substance of the sermon, in which the Bishop says, "that Protestant sects scarcely agree in any one thing, except in persecuting the Catholics." And all his effort seems to be to excite the sympathies of the community by holding them up as suffering persecution. But you will desire to know the effect of all this. I answer his object is in some measure accomplished. A considerable number of Protestants attend on his preaching, and his shallow arguments affect some. They have lately placed an organ also in the Cathedral, and seek to attract Protestants there by their fine music, and the Bishop says by so doing, "they may hear and receive the true doctrine." MISSOURI. Send us Ministers. From a Missionary in Polk Co., Mo. There are ten or more counties in the bounds of this Presbytery, which have no minister of our denomination. In many of them a Presbyterian never preached. There are many such fields at the West. If these fields are not occupied by the Home Missionary Society, they will remain as they are for many years to come. I repeat the call, so often made, "Send us ministers!" "Send us the right kind of men" men of deep-toned piety, and men of good common sense, and if they only haye ordinary talents, we shall gladly welcome them here. Here are many destitute fields, where men of common capacity can do much good, From Rev. W. T. Dickson, West Ely, Mo. Presence of the Spirit. Since my last report, we have great reason to bless God for the presence of his Spirit. On the 11th of November, we commenced a series of meetings, which, amid inclement weather, we continued for several days. The attendance was not so great as it would have been, had we enjoyed a favorable season. But notwithstanding the discouragement, we have reason to thank God, and take courage. About twenty, during the meeting, manifested anxiety for the salvation of their souls. Most of these, we hope, have received impressions, that may prove abiding through the influence of him that will not quench the smoking flax, though they have not all come out yet on the Lord's side. We think it best to exercise much caution in receiving members to the church. We have therefore adopted the plan of having frequent conversations with them, after they have professed to experience a change of heart, before publicly admitting them to the privileges of God's people. This we do to avoid the painful necessity of disciplining unruly members. On the first day of the new year, we met to remember Christ. It was a solemn and interesting season. Ten were added to the church on examination, and two on certificate. Of those added on examination, nearly all are in the morning of life. One had been a distiller, having learned the business in New-York city. When he met the session, he said he had often been seriously impressed on the subject of religion, but knew that he could never be a Christian while he followed such an occupation. He appears now to be fully sensible of the evils inflicted on society by his former employment, and has determined never to engage in it God's dealings with us, as a church, again. Such is since my last report. May what we have recently experienced be only the earnest of a greater blessing. a brief account of From Rev. E. P. Noel, Bolivar, Mo. Fifteen individuals have made profession of religion during the year, in the field of my labors, and four have been added to M. church on examination. Twelve others have been hopefully converted where I with other safety. brethren have been permitted to preach || multitudes are gathered into the ark of There has been an unusual attention to religion and religious things in this county, for the past year. The Spirit has doubtless been moving upon the great deep of the hearts of the people, preparing the way for the preaching of the Gospel. And "he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." The year past has been a year of hard labor. The field being so large that I have had to travel about three thousand miles. What can the churches do, if Home Missions are not sustained? We have only raised nine dollars and thirty-seven cents for Home Missions, which has been paid over to the Missouri Dom. Miss. Soc. Times are so hard, and money so scarce, that many comfortable livers find it difficult to get money to pay taxes. The churches would be liberal if they had the means, but property will not bring money. Corn at 37 cents per barrel, and wheat at 25 cents per bushel, finds few buyers. While times remain thus, what can we do for the cause of benevolence? We bless the Great Head of the church for the Home Missionary Society, to aid feeble churches in sustaining the means of grace. Without the fostering hand of that Society, the feeble churches at the West cannot live. None but He that knows all things can tell the good that that heaven-born institution has done at the West. Let your imagination pass over this great land, and see the churches that have been built up by its missionaries: go mingle with those little flocks, and sing with them the Bongs of Zion, and hear the missionary, with tears in his eyes, and a Savior's love in his heart, warn sinners to flee the wrath to come,-and you will be prepared to bless God for the Home Missionary Society. Go travel over the wide, uncultivated fields of the West and you will learn that the H. M. S. has much yet to do, before these perishing We have one Sabbath school of about twenty scholars with a library of about 60 volumes. We find difficulty in this new county in getting up and sustaining Sabbath schools. First, we can seldom find a house convenient for the school to be taught in; and, second, There is difficulty in obtaining suitable teachers. There are many good men in the churches at the West that are not good teachers for the Sabbath school. Never having enjoyed its advantages themselves, they are not so well able to impart them to others. The Sabbath school is the place to raise up efficient members for the church. From Rev. J. T. Tucker, Hannibal, Mo. Temporal trials and spiritual blessings. My labors in this town commenced Nov. 1840. I found a church organized, but weak and dispirited, having for nearly a year been destitute of a stated ministration of the Gospel. A house of worship, of convenient size, had been erected and enclosed, but within was wholly unfinished. For some months, my pulpit was a rough plank placed across two saw logs, and the seats of my hearers were a singular medley of all sorts of unsightly fixtures. We began in weakness, and in weakness have toiled onward. But though most severely straitened with hard, and still harder times, until little of worldly treasure has survived to us, God has blessed us, beyond our hopes. During my first year here, we finished our house neatly and comfortably; and immediately, the Lord himself was pleased to consecrate our temple by a delightful outpouring of his Spirit. And once again has the same rich blessing visited us during the year now closing. In these two revivals, and at the intervening seasons of communion, we have received sixty-one members by profession. Most of whom have honored their profession of piety, though a few have disappointed our expectations of their steadfastness. During the same period, thirty-one have joined us by letters from other churches. We have reason to bless the Lord, that, while in temporal things he has seen fit sorely to chasten us, in spiritual mercies he has greatly enriched our inheritance. The past two years have indeed been a season of unprecedented revival in the churches of this section of our state. It has been the privilege of several of us, stationed on these frontiers of Zion, to labor together in protracted efforts, which have been the means of adding between 3 and 400 members to the number of God's professing people. Many of these seasons have been to us as "the days of heaven." Visit of the Roman Bishop. Our enterprising and promising village has at last drawn the notice of his reverence, the Roman Catholic "Bishop of St. Louis," and he has very lately honored us with a visit, introductory, I doubt not, to a farther acquaintance. Being directly on the Mississippi, 150 miles above that city, and admirably located for commerce, of course we could not always escape this infliction. It is coming, but we are not at all alarmed. There are but very few Romanists here. The bishop, therefore, undertook in his blandest, most conciliating manner, to state and defend the position occupied by his church. He delivered two public addresses, both of which I attended and noted. Here is a specimen of his doctrines : Protestants contend that the Bible is the only and sufficient rule of faith and practice. Roman Catholics deny this, except as the Bible is interpreted by a priest. Catholics affirm that in matters of religious faith, a priest cannot err, though in other things he may. Therefore, says the bishop, religious doctrine is not a subject for every one's investigation!-but for the priest's alone, as its infallible expounder! God pardons sin, not on the penitent's supplication for mercy, but through the priest, as his appointed agent of absolution. The Catholic church has always been the defender of free principles of government against tyranny! Almost every existing despotism of Europe is a Protestant kingdom! The Pope can exert no influence on the Roman Catholics of this country, detrimental to our institutions, if he would; therefore, all the hue and cry against Catholic designs on our liberties is calumny, falsehood, persecution! [Consequently-shut your eyes, my dear friends, he might have added—and fear not, that in your slumbering heedlessness, we the staunch advocates of civil and religious freedom, will not molest you.] Can Americans be deceived by such falsehood and sophistry as this? From a Missionary. Pray for the afflicted Missionary.. The past three months have been to me, a season of peculiar affliction and trial. On the 14th of Sept., I was attacked with bilious congestive fever. It was unusually severe this year, and proved the messenger of death to very many in this region. My wife was attacked with the disease on the same day with myself, and in one week was carried to the grave. So sudden was her departure, that I had scarce ten minutes notice, though lying sick in the same room;-and then she was entirely insensible. But though she was not permitted to express her views in the immediate prospect of death, her life affords the best of evidence that she "slept in Jesus," and has joined the bright throng who "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." This sudden and unexpected bereavement, in my weak state, brought me to the borders of the grave; but the Lord raised me up and enabled me to say, "Thy will be done.” My recovery, however, has been very slow. I was confined to the house but two weeks, and was then able to ride about and visit in the congregation for two weeks; when I was attacked with ague and fever, which reduced me to a state of weakness, that, in connection with the extreme severity of the |