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the Synod of Maryland in which at present 25 or 30 dollars are collected, where $100 might be annually raised with all possible ease, and that by the system above recommended. Let it but be tried and then we might educate every indigent young man who applies and assist every poor church that would call upon us for help. Let the innovation be introduced, and the mighty experiment be made whether it would be "oppressive to our people" for them to contribute out of their overflowing substance one single cent a week!

CLERICUS.

INTERESTING TO PROTESTANTS.

BRUSSELS, June 10th, 1829.

Through the blessing of God, I am again permitted to address you from this City, and in tolerable health. On my way from Calais I spent a night at Tournay, and had an interview with the Rev. Mr. De Faye, who superintends the distribution of the Scriptures in that district. He employs a Hawker, who exposes the copies for sale in the villages around. It sometimes happens, he says, that the Priests take up the books, examine them, and exclaim, "These are Protestant Books good for nothing but the fire." I encouraged him to extend the circulation by every possible means, and not so much regard the price obtained from such a poor and ignorant population, as the act of having placed Gods word in the hands and before the eyes of those who never handled it nor saw it before, and where there is a prospect of its being perused, In the conferences which I have had with our dear friends here, they also bitterly lament over the stern and systematic opposition of the Catholic Clergy, and the gross Ignorance of the people, who seldom fail at confession to make it known when a testament has been given them, and this generally leads to these being deprived of it. Let us hope that we shall be favoured to see in Belgium something like the spirit of inquiry now so powerfully raised in France in favour of the sacred Scriptures. One pleasing instance of good done, is, however contained in a letter from an English Lady residing at Spa. "Yesterday," she writes "a venerable peasant, aged 82, met my husband and said, "Pardon the liberty I take, but I have long desired to have an opportunity of thanking you for the Gospel of St. John, which you gave to my son, some years ago, in the Wood; it has been my companion ever since. I read when I walk by the way-I meditate upon it; my mother valued her Bible, but when she died, her relations got it. When I lost some of my children I grieved and offended my God, but' added he, and he wept as he said it, "the Gospel of St. John has taught me better things; and now if it shall please God to take the rest I know that they are his, and not mine. I learned to read, ten years ago, with very little difficulty.

On the 26th of September, I reached Dijon, on my way from

Lyons, and made an acquaintance of the newly appointed Protestant pastor of that place, M. de Fontin. The following day I heard him preach an excellent sermon to about 120 people, assembled in a large back room in a yard. This was his second sermon to the small, now rallying Protestant flock of Dijon, who have never enjoyed the privilege of a Pastor since they were scattered at the Revocation of the Edict of Nentes, and remarkable it is, that the first time they met for worship, after this long separation, it happened to be in the very same hall in which the then Bishop of Dijon saved their ancestors from the massacre of St. Bartholomews Eve! Three poor Artisans, I was told have been the instruments used by Providence for bringing about this resurrection of the protestant cause in Dijon. It is supposed that nearly one-third of M. de Fontin's hearers, on the Sunday that I heard him preach, were Catholics.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD OF MARYLAND.

In our last number, we published the Minutes of this Synod. In the manuscript, the name of the Rev. J. Winter was inadvertently omitted, among the names of the Ministers present, and when the proof-sheet came into our hands, the omission escaped our notice, as we were just preparing for a journey of several weeks.

The Rev. Charles F. Schaffer, having accepted of a call from, and taken charge of, the Lutheran Church in Carlisle Pa. which is within the jurisdiction of the West Pennsylvania Synod, requested of the President of the Synod of Maryland, agreeably to Chap. 10, paragraph 4 of the Constitution, a certificate of his honorable dismission, which has accordingly been granted.

The Rev. J. Kehler of Madison Va. Rev. J. Medtart. of Martinsburg V. Rev. L. Eichelberger of Winchester, Va. and Rev. D. Eyster of Middleway, Va. ardenly attached to the General Synod and its Seminary, being impelled by their consciences, to be attached to no body which is not decidedly in favor of these institutions, have requested of the President and Secretary of the Synod of Maryland, to be continued members thereof and they are hereby continued as such.

The Rev. J. Kehler, baptized during the last year 51, administered the Lord's Supper to 50, buried 15, and has one Church and a Sunday School.

The Rev. J. Medtart, baptized 40, confirmed 46, administered the

Lord's Supper to 185, Buried 13, has 3 Churches and 2 Sunday Schools.

The Rev. Mr. Sackman of Louden, Va. has not united with any other body, and wishes to continue with the Synod of Md.

The following is a correct list of the clerical members of the Synod of Maryland, according to their age in office.

Rev. Dr. Kurtz, David F. Schæffer, M. Sackman, A. Reck, B. Kurtz, J. Kehler, J. Winter, M. Wachter, N. B. Little, J. N. Hoffman, S. K. Hoshour, J. G. Morris, J. Medtart, J. Albert, D. Eyster, S. Eichelberger, H. Bager, H. Haverstick, Francis Ruth.-Editor,

GENERAL SYNOD AND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.

That our General Synod and its Seminary, have succeeded beyond the most sanguine anticipations of the friends of these grand institutions is an axiom, if ever there can be one. It is equally certain, that the blessing of God, rests in the highest degree upon them.

When a Jew, or a Turk, or a Free-thinker, or a real Ignoramus speaks against and acts against, the General Synod of a Church, or its Theological School, it is perfectly in character, and no one dare look for the contrary. They must naturally oppose, or refuse to aid such institutions, as are calculated to unite members of one religious denomination, and which in their very nature extend the Redeemers Kingdom. Hence we need not be astonished, that professors of Christianity, who had been in the opposition, are gradually diminishing, or endeavor to cenceal their deformity. But there are still some misguided individuals. Some, forgetting that man is fallible, seize upon the least trivial imperfection in the operations of these institutions, to justify an opposition, but these will we trust soon behold in their own course of conduct, so many deficiencies, as to be anxious to conceal them, and thus pass over less important imperfections in others. Others, influenced by that child of hell, Pride, may take occasion to justify opposition because certain individuals have been particularly engaged, in sustaining these institutions, but such will soon see, that they who have been the active members, spent their time, talents and money, without any personal reward and with the sole view of promoting the interests of the Church. Others may object to the term General-that it is not a scriptural term &c.

but these when enlightened by the truth, will seek to hide their faYes, they will cease viewing an Ecclesiastical body, created by the people and under the control of Lay-men, as a Monster.

ces.

66

True it has been whispered, that if some Ministers, aid the General Synod, they must lose their bread. Be it so, and Gerhard, determined to do his duty, if he should lose his bread. Read his hymn Befehl du deine Wege." But Gerhard, did not lose his bread, his Master rewarded him with an abundance, for his faithfulness. Thus will he now sustain his Servants. We however deny that the people of a Christian community, will oppose Synod or Seminary if the Ministers give the character of each, to their people, as they are bound to do.

What would be thought of a Military or Civil officer, were he afraid to declare the true state of matters, and pursue measures, called for, by the cowardly and ignorant? In this our beloved Republic, We the People would soon hurl such a miscreant from his post. And, is the salvation of a soul, of less importance than temporal matters? Arise then, if there are any people, who give bread to a Minister, who is afraid to do his duty, lest he lose his bread -arise, if the Minister does not impart to you, instruction as to your Christian duties in general, & discharge that unfaithful steward, or require him to repent. Save your own souls, by sustaining men, who will at all risks, do their duty. In the Lutheran church the People rule. Your General Synod and its Theological Seminary, as your property, is under the control of Lay-members, and if they find any institution in the church curtailing their rightful liberties, or not calculated to promote the welfare of souls, they have the power to annihilate them.-Editor.

LETTER OF THE REV. B. KURTZ.

In assenting to the wish of the Rev. B. Kurtz, that the following letter from him, be inserted, we cannot but remark, that the error which he notices, occurred no doubt, from the circumstance, that he only requested to enter his protest, against the resolution adopted in reference to Streit's legacy. Errors are unavoidable, in recording the proceedings of a body, especially when the Secretary is obliged to note them in haste whilst discussions are going on. We recollect

that a very accurate Secretary, some years ago, stated in the minutes, that a certain member had been elected President, when we were actually chosen.-Editor.

Hagerstown December 9th, 1830. TO THE EDITOR OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN INTELLIGENCER.

F Dear Brother-In looking over the minutes of the last Synod of Maryland, held in Taneytown, as published in the Intelligencer for the month of December last; I noticed a mistake in the Resolution respecting Streit's legacy, which I think, justice to the parties concerned, by all means requires to he corrected. The Resolution alluded to, reads thus: "Resolved, that the proportion falling to this body, should, after the example of our sister Synod of est Pennsylvania, go into the funds of our Seminary, Rev. B. Kurtz ONLY IN THE NEGATIVE, requested that his protest against the above resolution, be spread on the minutes." It is a fact that I was decidedly and conscientiously opposed to the foregoing resolution, and after its adoption, requested that my protest against it should be recorded; but it is not a fact that I alone was in the negative. There were nearly a half dozen of the brethren with whom I had the ho nor to vote in the negative on that interesting question, and in justice to myself as well as to them, I humbly conceive this fact should be made public in order to rectify the mistake. I am not at this moment able to recollect all those brethren, but the following, it may be relyed upon, were in the negative with me, Rev. Messrs. Haverstick, Little, Winter, and Bacher.

Hoping you will do me the favor to publish these few lines, or at least the substance of them, in the next number of the Intelligencer. I take the liberty to subscribe myself respectfully and affectionately yours &c. B. KURTZ.

TWENTY-SIXTH REPORT OF THE BRITISH AND FOR

EIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

As the British and Foreign Bible Society is, to a greater or less extent, connected with nearly all the principal Bible societies on the continent of Europe and in other parts of the world, except the United States, a statement of its proceedings will give a tolerable view of what is doing to supply the various Christian and heathen nations of the world with the sacred volume. As brief a view as possible of the labors of the various societies, from which accounts are contained in the report, will be given here.

BIBLE SOCIETIES ON THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE. Germany-In Elberfield and Hesse-Cassel, societies have distribu ted 8,950 Bibles, and 1,100 Testaments.

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