supreme military power, have made, and have foreshadowed, important changes in the political and social condition of the slave. These events have come to pass under the wise government of the Ruler of the nations. God has made himself known by acts of righteousness, and by that wonderful overruling which has wrought in thoughtful minds the belief that the exodus of the bondman is at hand.

It is fitting, then, that this body again give expression to their convictions in regard to the character of the war, and the duty of Christian citizens in the emergencies which the progress of events has forced upon the nation: therefore,

1. We reaffirm our unalterable belief that the cause of the Government and of the loyal States is a just one; we express our sympathy with the President of the United States in his position of peculiar trial and grave responsibility; and we exhort all Christians within the bounds of the Synod to pray without ceasing that God will give to him wisdom and strength for the right performance of his high duties.

2. Believing that Providence is shaping events for the extirpation of slavery from the land, we heartily welcome the proclamation of emancipation by the President. Receiving it as a measure of military necessity, we yet gratefully record our admiration of that Divine government which makes this measure harmonize with the demands of justice and the requirements of Christian love; and we pledge all our influence in support of a policy so eminently wise and just.

3. Inasmuch as we believe God is punishing the nation for its sins, and is seeking its reformation, we earnestly desire that the army and navy, the exponents and the arms of the nation's strength, may be purified from all vices and crimes which may provoke the Divine displeasure and render them unfit instruments for the execution of the Divine purposes. Therefore, we lament that so much intemperance, and profanity, and neglect of the Sabbath, and indulgence of brutal and revengeful passions, exist in these branches of the public service, and especially that so many who are intrusted with places of command are chargeable with these grave offences. And we earnestly pray those who have the requisite authority to remove from such places all those who thus dishonor God and injure the national cause.

The New-School Presbyterian Synod of Illinois, October, 1862.

1. The Synod of Illinois continues to sympathize with the Government of the United States in its efforts to put down rebellion and restore the supremacy of the Constitution and laws.

2. We recognize the desolations of civil war as tokens of the displeasure of God kindled against us on account of our sins.

3. The principles of the word of God and the history of God's dealings with other nations forbid us to hope for the turning away of his wrath without national humiliation, confession, and repentance.

4. In this view, we rejoice and give thanks to the great God, in whose hands are the hearts of kings and presidents, that he has inspired the President of the United States to issue that grand proclamation which is at once (1) a war measure which strikes at the very life of the rebellion, and also (2) an act of national justice which will, we trust, go far to propitiate the wrath of God.

5. As slavery and its champions have forced this war upon the country, we shall regard it as a signal illustration of God's retributive justice if he shall cause the war to result in the utter extirpation of slavery and in the humiliation of all who have sought or helped to perpetuate or extend it. The prospect that we may become in truth "the land of the free" - one people, from ocean to ocean, and from the lakes to the gulf - is a prospect grand enough to inspire the sublimest hopes and nerve us to heroic endurance of the horrors of war.

6. To our brave defenders in the field, to the sick and wounded in our camps and hospitals, to those who languish in the prisons of the enemy, to the loyal men and women whom war has driven from their sanctuaries and their homes, to all those among us who mourn the loss of dear ones fallen as martyrs in our holy cause, we extend assurances of our sympathy and of a constant remembrance in our prayers.

7. We believe it to be the duty of all good men to frown upon all attempts to weaken confidence in the Government, or to divide and distract the loyal people of the country. The efforts of scheming politicians and selfish demagogues, and of an unprincipled or disloyal newspaper press, to give aid and comfort to the rebellion by dividing our people, and raising up a reactionary party that would sell justice and liberty and barter away all that is most sacred in our institutions for the sake of the personal aggrandizement of a treacherous and short-lived peace,  ought to receive the indignant condemnation of all who fear God and love justice. None but a righteous peace can be permanent.

8. We solemnly declare it as our conviction that this war should be prosecuted with the utmost vigor until every traitor lays down his arms, until every State returns to its allegiance, and until all the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, and especially the rights of free labor, free thought, free speech, free press, and free worship shall be secured to every loyal citizen of the republic.

9. We enjoin upon our ministers and elders the duty of instructing the people in the great first principles of the Bible concerning the conditions of God's favor to nations, and we exhort them to expound and enforce the teachings of the gospel concerning the brotherhood of men and the inalienable right of every man made in the image of God to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is the disregard of these principles and teachings which has brought all our woes upon us; it is only by a return to them and by their hearty observance that we can hope for enduring national peace and prosperity.

10. We exhort all our people to personal humiliation and repentance, to earnest prayer, to constant vigilance, and to a cheerful endurance of the burdens of taxation, and, if needs be, of the perils of the camp and the field.

11. Finally, we repeat, with the emphasis of convictions strengthened and emotions intensified by a year of conflict, the language with which we closed our action on this subject one year ago, - viz.:

We urge all the members of our churches to sustain with a generous confidence the Government and all who do its bidding, and cherish such a view of the momentous importance and sacredness of our cause that they shall bear with cheerfulness all the sacrifices which the war imposes, and, whether it be long or short, cheerfully pour out, if needs be, the last ounce of gold and the last drop of blood to bring it to a righteous issue.

The Upper Wabash Conference of the United Brethren Church, September, 1662.

Whereas the Church of the United Brethren in Christ is anti-slavery in principle, as set forth in Sec. 22, Dis.; and whereas there are found among us members who, in this dark hour of our country's peril, are sympathizing with rebellion by opposing those who stand to advocate and defend the anti-slavery principles of the Church, by refusing them their support: therefore,

Resolved, That we earnestly admonish those who may be found among us operating against the spirit, letter, and intent of Discipline (Sec. 22) on slavery, to consider the duty they owe to God, their country, and the Church of their choice, to cease to manifest a spirit so contrary to the teaching of the Church on this subject.

Resolved, That it be enjoined on the circuit preachers to labor in the spirit of meekness with those who are found acting in opposition to the spirit of the gospel on this subject, and strive to bring them to a sense of their obligations, and, should they refuse to desist from such a course, to expel them from the Church.

Resolved, That we heartily sympathize with our Government in striving to maintain the principles of civil and religious liberty against slavery and rebellion, and pledge to it our prayers, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor; and should there be found any among us who cannot respond to these sentiments, or who are found sympathizing with traitors in any respect whatever, we admonish them, in the spirit of brotherly love, to desist from such a course, or cease to remain in membership with us.

The Central Methodist Conference of Ohio, April, 1863.

Resolved, That, in the judgment of this Conference, the declaration of war, the marshalling of arms, the desolation and confiscation of property, the robbery on land and the piracy on sea, the loss of life, the blood that has already drenched the soil of Virginia and Missouri, are all attributable to slavery as a cause.

Resolved, That, as the secessionists have forfeited, by rebellion, all rights under the Constitution and laws, their slaves have a right to go free; and we hope the whole policy of the Government will be shaped to this result.

Resolved, That, in the judgment of this Conference, the Proclamation of General Fremont, declaring the emancipation of the slaves of all rebels against the Government, is of paramount importance in the present crisis, and meets the hearty approval of this body of ministers, and, we believe, of all undeluded friends of the Government.

Resolved, That we shall never cease to pray for our armies and navy now engaged in war in defence of our country; and we shall look forward with hope and faith, when our hills and valleys shall shout, and our mountains shall echo back the glad response, Universal emancipation from slavery and rebellion!

The New York Methodist Episcopal Conference, April, 1863.

Whereas the Southern rebellion, gigantic in its proportions and unparalleled in its wickedness, continues to imperil the existence of this republic; and

Whereas our national life is intimately identified not only with the cause of civil and religious liberty in the world, but also with the best interests of the kingdom of Christ, - for, so far as we may judge, our nation is a choice and chosen instrument for the extension and establishment of that kingdom on the earth; and

Whereas in a crisis like the present it is the solemn duty of every citizen to rally to the support of a cause so unspeakably important and glorious: therefore,

Resolved, 1. That, as members and ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church within the bounds of the New York Annual Conference, we cheerfully renew our vows of uncompromising and unconditional loyalty to the United States of America, a nationality we are proud to acknowledge, and resolved, with the blessing of Heaven, to maintain.

2. That it is our duty, enforced alike by the word of God and our Book of Discipline, to submit to and co-operate with the regularly constituted civil authorities, and to enjoin the same upon our people.

3. That while we do not deny, but rather recognize and defend, the right of our people to discuss the measures and policy of the Government, at the same time we would counsel that, in the present critical condition of public aflFairs, this right is to be exercised with great forbearance, caution, and prudence.

4. That the conduct of those who, influenced by political affinities or Southern sympathies, and under the pretext of discriminating between the Administration and the Government, throw themselves in the path of every warlike measure, is, in our view, a covert treason, which has the malignity, without the manliness, of those who have arrayed themselves in open hostility to our liberties, and is deserving of our sternest denunciations and our most determined opposition.

5. That slavery is an evil incompatible in its spirit and practice with the principles of Christianity, with republican institutions, with the Peace and prosperity of the country, and with the traditions, doctrines, and discipline of our Church; and our long and anxious inquiry, What shall be done for its extirpation? has been singularly answered by Divine Providence, which has given to Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, the power and the disposition to issue a proclamation guaranteeing the boon of freedom to millions of Southern bond-men.

6. That we heartily concur in this proclamation, as indicating the righteousness of our cause, securing the sympathies of the liberty-loving the world over, and, above all, insuring the approbation of the Universal Father, who is invariably on the side of justice and freedom.

7. That we find abundant reason for gratitude and encouragement in the recent revival of the nation's patriotism, in the maintenance of the public credit, in the change of public opinion abroad, especially in England, and in the gradual, but we trust sure, progress of our arms.

8. That we cordially accept the President's recommendation to observe the 30th day of the present month as a season of solemn fasting and prayer, and that, assembling in our various places of worship, we will humble ourselves, and earnestly supplicate the great Ruler of Nations to forgive our national offences, to guide, sustain, and bless our public rulers, to look on our army and navy mercifully, giving success to our arms, so that this infamous rebellion may be speedily crushed, and peace, at once righteous and permanent, may return to smile on our American heritage.

9. That our interest and sympathy for those who represent us in the field continue unabated; and that to all those who are suffering in consequence of the havoc or desolation of this terrible war we offer our sincerest sympathies and our Christian condolence.

10. That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to the President of the United States, and that they be published in "The Christian Advocate and Journal."

East Baltimore Conference, March, 1863.

Whereas the war which has been devastating our beloved land for the past two years still continues, and whereas silence might be construed into indifference in such a crisis: therefore,

Resolved, By the East Baltimore Conference, in Conference assembled, that we reaffirm our loyalty to the Government, and our most unflinching devotion to our country in the hour of her peril.

The Baptist Association of Illinois, June, 1863.

In the midst of many dangers and reverses which have overtaken our arms during the past year, we yet have great reason for thankfulness, not only for important victories vouchsafed to us, but for a far juster conception, on the part of the masses of the people, of the great moral issues involved in the struggle. We bless God that he has taught us by the rod of disaster that there can be no peace until the claims of Him whose right it is to reign shall be recognized and obeyed.

We cordially support the administration in their efforts to put down the rebellion, and hail with joy the proclamation of emancipation, believing that when we as a nation shall "keep the fast which God hath chosen," "that our light shall break forth as the morning, and our health shall spring forth speedily."

We recognize human slavery now, as we have heretofore done, to be the cause of the war and its kindred evils, and we reiterate our convictions that there can be no peace and prosperity in the nation until it is destroyed.

We feel that the hope of our country in the suppression of treason in the revolted States, and in our midst, lies not merely in military successes or in military orders, but in the incorruptible virtue and the profound devotion of the people to the principles of the glorious gospel of the blessed God.

We deeply sympathize with our brethren who have gone to fight the battles of our country, with such as are sick and wounded in the hospitals, and with those who have been bereaved because their loved ones have been stricken by the hand of death while connected with the army. We pledge to our brave soldiers everywhere our sympathies, our prayers, and our utmost efforts that they may be sustained in all their troubles, and that they may be abundantly successful in the great task committed to their hands.

The Conference of the Western Unitarian Association, held at Toledo, Ohio, June, 1803.

Whereas our allegiance to the kingdom of God requires of us loyalty to every righteous authority on earth: therefore,

Resolved, That we give to the President of the United States, and to all who are charged with the guidance and defence of our nation in its present terrible struggle for the preservation of liberty, public order, and Christian civilization, against the powerful wickedness of treason and rebellion, the assurance of our cordial sympathy and steady support, and that we will cheerfully continue to share any and all needful burdens and sacrifices in the holy cause of our country.

Resolved, That we hail with gratitude and hope the rapidly growing conviction among the loyal masses of our countrymen that the existence of human slavery is inconsistent with the national safety and honor, as it is inconsistent with natural right and justice, and that we ask of the Government a thorough and vigorous enforcement of the policy of emancipation, as necessary alike to military success, to lasting peace, and to the just supremacy of the Constitution over all the land.

Presbytery of St. Louis (Old-School), June, 1863.

Whereas violent resistance to the authority of civil government, without adequate cause, is, by the teaching of Scripture and the standards of the Presbyterian Church, a sin against God; and whereas our fellow-citizens now in rebellion against our national and State Governments, among whom are found a number of our own church-members, have never experienced any wrong or grievance at the hands of those in authority that could justify a resort to armed resistance to our established Government; and whereas it is the duty of those who rule in the Church to guide the flock in the way of truth and righteousness and warn them against error and sin: therefore,

Resolved, That we, the Presbytery of St. Louis, acting upon a sense of duty to the churches over which we rule, do hereby earnestly entreat and warn all members of our churches to abstain from all participation in the present rebellion, or from giving countenance and encouragement thereto by word or deed, as such participation, countenance, or encouragement involves sin against God, and will expose those engaged therein to the penalties of ecclesiastical discipline.

Presbytery of Ripley, Ohio, April, 1863.

Resolved, 1. That while the terrible judgments of God are inflicted upon the Government and people, there should be universal reformation. That all sinful practices should be abandoned, and that all systems of oppression and wrong should be abolished. Among these are intemperance, Sabbath-breaking, and slavery. These have been the most prominent sins of the nation.

2. That we recommend to the churches under our care to observe carefully the fast proclaimed by the President, to be kept on the 30th day of the present month.

3. That, as civil government is an ordinance of God, it is the duty of all persons to obey civil magistrates in all things that do not contravene the law of God.

4. That, upon full investigation, it is evident that the Government inflicted no wrong upon the slaveholding States, and that the rebellion of the slave power against the Government is the most enormous and criminal known to the world, and that the present calamitous war has been forced upon the Government, and, consequently, that it is the duty of all citizens to sustain the administration in suppressing the rebellion and the slaveholding combination by which it was instigated.

5. That disloyalty to the Government, as it tends to anarchy, robbery, and murder, is one of the highest crimes against God and man: consequently, that class of men in the free States who sympathize with the rebels of the South, oppose the administration, and aim to sustain the slave system, which has caused the murder of hundreds of thousands of the most brave and noble men of the nation, and has brought upon the whole country the most terrible calamities, are among the most depraved, dangerous, and abominably wicked men existing on the earth.

The General Convention of Congregational Ministers and Churches of Vermont, June, 1863.

Whereas our beloved country continues to be the scene of an unprincipled and wicked rebellion, the object of which, as openly avowed by its leaders, is the overthrow of the Government established by the wisdom, the toils, and the sacrifices of our fathers, the dismemberment of the Union, and the establishment within our limits of a Confederacy founded upon the enormous wrong and outrage of human slavery: therefore,

Resolved, 1. That we reaffirm the principles and declarations relating to this subject, as set forth in the last meeting of the Convention; solemnly renewing our pledge of fidelity to the Government in the present fearful crisis, and of our unwavering support by all lawful means at our command.

Resolved, 2. That as "the powers that be are ordained of God" and submission to them is expressly required by the Divine will, and as the existing administration of our Government, rightfully appointed, constitute for us "the powers that be" for lawful government, we recognise the imperative duty of all classes of citizens to render to the administration, striving in its appropriate sphere to put down the rebellion, their hearty support and co-operation, such duty being involved in their allegiance to God.

Resolved, 3. That we cordially approve of the proclamation of emancipation, issued as a war measure by the President of the United States, whereby millions of the enslaved are declared free, and promise is given that, as a nation, by the dreadful discipline of war, we are ere long to come to the realization of the truth so prominently set forth in the Declaration of Independence, that all men are equally entitled to the privileges of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." And we rejoice to recognize the rapidly increasing favor with which the afore-said proclamation is regarded throughout the loyal States of the Union, and by many who at first doubted its expediency.

Resolved, 4. That we highly commend the measures which have been adopted for the comfort and instruction of the slaves who, by means of the war and the President's proclamation, have availed themselves of the priceless boon of freedom; thus laying a foundation for their elevation to all that ennobles and blesses our common humanity.

Resolved, 5. That we tender the expression of our admiration and thanks to our soldiers who, at their country's call, with patriotic ardor, rushed to the field of danger to struggle for our national life. We assure them that whatever we can do for their comfort in camp and hospital shall be done; that when permitted to return to their loved homes, they will receive a hearty welcome; and those who shall have sacrificed life in our army and navy in the noble cause will long live in our grateful remembrance. And we tender our warmest sympathy to all the families who, by reason of this wicked rebellion, are mourning for fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons whose faces they see on earth no more.

Resolved, 6. That we commend the President of the United States, his Cabinet, and all to whom great public trusts are committed, to the special Divine guidance; that we acknowledge God's justice in our national calamities, and would humble ourselves under his mighty hand; and we earnestly beseech the God of our fathers that, instructed and purified by the things which we suffer, we may as a nation be established in truth and righteousness, and become indeed a light and blessing to the world.

The annual convention of the American Baptist Missionary Union held its forty-ninth anniversary, at Cleveland, Ohio, May, 1863, and passed the following paper. The President of the meeting was Hon. Ira Harris, Senator in Congress from New York.

The Committee appointed to prepare resolutions on the state of the country reported, through its chairman, Rev. Dr. Dowling, the following:-

Whereas the officers and members of the American Baptist Missionary Union, at their last annual meeting in May, 1862, unanimously adopted a series of resolutions characterizing "the war now waged by the national Government to put down the unprovoked and wicked rebellion that has risen against it, and to establish anew the reign of order and of law, as a most righteous and holy one, sanctioned alike by God and all right-thinking men," and also expressive of their conviction that "the principal cause and origin of this attempt to destroy the Government has been the institution of slavery; and that a safe, solid, and lasting peace cannot be expected short of its complete overthrow:" therefore,

Resolved, That the developments of the year since elapsed, in connection with this attempt to destroy the best Government on earth, have tended only to deepen our conviction of the truth of the sentiments which we then expressed, and which we now and here solemnly reiterate and reaffirm.

Resolved, That the authors, aiders, and abettors of this slaveholders' rebellion, in their desperate efforts to nationalize the institution of slavery and to extend its despotic sway throughout the land, have themselves inflicted on that institution a series of most terrible and fatal and suicidal blows, from which, we believe, it can never recover, and they have themselves thus fixed its destiny and hastened its doom; and that, for thus overruling what appeared at first to be a terrible national calamity, to the production of results so unexpected and glorious, our gratitude and adoration are due to that wonder-working God who still "maketh the wrath of man to praise him, while the remainder of that wrath he restrains." - Psalm lxxvi. 10.

Resolved, That in the recent acts of Congress, abolishing slavery forever in the District of Columbia and the Territories, and in the noble proclamation of the President of the United States, declaring freedom to the slave in States in rebellion we see cause for congratulation and joy, and we think we behold the dawn of that glorious day when, as in Israel's ancient jubilee, "liberty shall be proclaimed throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof." - Leviticus xxv. 10.

Resolved, That as American Christians we rejoice in the growing sympathy of the enlightened portion of our Christian brethren in Great Britain and other European nations with the Government and people of the United States in this righteous war; and that, while we cordially thank our friends across the water for all expressions of their confidence and approval, we embrace this opportunity of assuring them that, within our judgment, the United States possesses within herself the means, the men, and the courage necessary for the suppression of this rebellion, and that, while we ask no assistance from other nations, we will brook no intervention or interference with our national affairs while engaged in this arduous struggle, which we believe will soon be completely successful in utterly suppressing and subduing this rebellion.

Resolved, That we hereby pledge ourselves as ministers, and as Christians and patriots, to sustain the President of the United States and his associates in the administration by our prayers, our influence, and our personal sacrifices, till this rebellion shall be subdued, and peace, upon the basis of justice, freedom, and Union, shall be again restored.

Missionaries on the Rebellion.

At the twenty-third annual meeting of the Mission to Western Turkey, the Rev. William Goodell, D.D., the Rev. William G. Schauffler, D.D., and the Rev. Cyrus Hamlin, D.D., were appointed a committee to draft resolutions on the state of our country. They reported the following, which were unanimously adopted by the mission:

Constantinople, May 30, 1863.

Resolved, 1. That, although we have been many years absent from our native land, yet we entertain the most loyal feelings towards our Government, and assure the President of our being in full sympathy with him, and with all loyal citizens in their efforts to suppress the great rebellion.

2. That, having given up to this cause some of our best and most promising sons, and one of our former missionary associates having fallen a sacrifice to it (Rev. Mr. Dunmore, near Helena, Arkansas), we are still ready for any further needed sacrifices for our country, and we earnestly pray that God may inspire all our fellow-citizens with true Christian patriotism, to smite this rebellion with "the arrow of the Lord's deliverance," not, as Joash, thrice, but "five or six times" until it is utterly subdued.

3. That we recognize the righteous judgment of God in calling our beloved country to this reckoning of blood for the national sins of slavery, oppression, greed, and political corruption in high places, and that we regard national repentance, and the abandonment of these and other sins characterizing us as a people, as the only way to recover national safety and prosperity.

4. That whereas God has vindicated in so remarkable a manner, and before an attentive world, his glorious justice and mercy in pleading the cause of four millions of down-trodden, degraded, and despised slaves;

And whereas the Government has abolished slavery in the District of Columbia, and prohibited the same in all the Territories, and the President, as commander-in-chief, has issued his proclamation of freedom to the slaves of rebels; and whereas the prejudices so long cherished in our country by the white population against the colored race are evidently yielding to the imperious pressure of providential circumstances under the Divine discipline administered to our nation;

Therefore it is the clearest duty of all loyal citizens to fall in with this wonderful march of freedom and providence, and to count no sacrifices too dear in order to attain a solid peace upon the basis of universal freedom and equal rights.

5. That the courage, fidelity, sagacity, patient endurance, and absence of cruelty and vindictiveness, exhibited so generally by the colored race, under exasperating wrongs hardly paralleled in history, entitle it to the respect and sympathy of the civilized world.

6. That the distinct recognition which the President, Senate, and many officers of the army and navy have made of God and his law, of the Sabbath, and the necessity of prayer, is to us a matter of devout gratitude.

7. That it is our Christian duty to pray daily and earnestly for the President and his Cabinet, that they may have wisdom, energy, and firmness equal to this crisis; for the officers and soldiers of the army and navy, that they may do valiantly for the Lord of hosts; for the millions of distracted Africans, that they may show themselves to be men fighting for freedom and a home, and in abstaining from bloody and lawless retaliation of wrong; for the deluded people of the South, that they may speedily renounce the tyranny of the slave-lords; and for the bereaved families of fallen patriots.

And may the God of peace shortly bruise Satan under our feet, and redeem our souls from deceit and violence.

J. F. Pettibone, Chairman.
Tillman C. Trowbridge, Secretary.

The following resolutions were passed at a State Sabbath-School Convention, Dayton, Ohio, May, 1863. They show the earnest Christian sympathy of Sabbath-schools throughout the nation with the country struggling with a gigantic rebellion, and were prepared and offered to the Convention by Rev. B. W. Chidlaw, a veteran in the cause of Sabbath-schools, and a faithful chaplain in the army.

Whereas our Sabbath-schools are so largely represented in the army and navy of our country, by our former associates in the Sabbath-school work, superintendents, teachers and scholars, now in the service, cheerfully and heroically bearing the burdens of duty and suffering, fighting for the flag, and living by the cross;

Resolved, 1. That the Ohio State Sabbath-School Convention, assembled in the city of Dayton, expresses its cordial greetings, and earnest sympathies with our brethren in arms.

2. That we urge upon every Sabbath-school at once to open and maintain a correspondence with its absent members, to cheer and encourage our loved ones in the camp, on the deck, or languishing in hospitals.

3. That we earnestly desire that all the children of our brave soldiers and noble sailors should be gathered into the Sabbath-school fold and taught the way of salvation.

4. That we would encourage all who at home have drilled in the Sabbath-school army and studied the heavenly tactics, to fall into line, and establish a Sabbath-school in the camp, and keep its banner waving for the spiritual benefit of themselves and comrades.

The Reformed Presbyterian Church, December, 1862.

The Rev. A. M. Milligan, of New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, and the Rev. J. R. W. Sloane, of New York, waited upon the President of the United States, and, on behalf of the Reformed Presbyterian (Old-School Covenanter) Church in the United States, presented to him the following address: -

To His Excellency Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States.

We visit you, Mr. President, as the representatives of the Reformed Presbyterian, or, as it is frequently termed, "Scotch Covenanter" Church, - a church whose sacrifices and sufferings in the cause of civil and religious liberty are a part of the world's history, and to which we are indebted, no less than to the Puritans, for those inestimable privileges so largely enjoyed in the free States of this Union, and which, true to its high lineage and ancient spirit, does not hold within its pale a single secessionist or sympathizer with rebellion in these United States.

Our Church has unanimously declared, by the voice of her highest court, that the world has never seen a conflict in which right was more clearly wholly upon the one side, and wrong upon the other, than in the present struggle of this Government with the slaveholders' rebellion. She has also unanimously declared her determination to assist the Government, by all lawful means in her power, in its conflict with this atrocious conspiracy, until it be utterly overthrown and annihilated.

Profoundly impressed with the immense importance of the issues involved in this contest, and with the solemn responsibilities which rest upon the Chief Magistrate in this time of the nation's peril, our brethren have commissioned us to come and address you words of sympathy and encouragement; also, to express to you views which, in their judgment, have an important bearing upon the present condition of affairs in our beloved country, to congratulate you on what has already been accomplished in crushing rebellion, and to exhort you to persevere in the work until it has been finally completed.

Entertaining no shadow of doubt as to the entire justice of the cause in which the nation is embarked, we nevertheless consider the war a just judgment of Almighty God for the sin of rejecting his authority and enslaving our fellow-men, and are firmly persuaded that his wrath will not be appeased, and that no permanent peace will be attained, until his authority be recognized and the abomination that maketh desolate utterly extirpated.

As an anti-slavery Church of the most radical school, believing slavery to be a heinous and aggravated sin both against God and man, and to be placed in the same category with piracy, murder, adultery, and theft, it is our solemn conviction that God, by his word and providence, is calling the nation to immediate, unconditional, and universal emancipation. We hear his voice in these thunders of war, saying to us, "Let my people go." Nevertheless, we have hailed with delighted satisfaction the several steps which you have taken in the direction of emancipation; especially do we rejoice in your late proclamation declaring your intention to free the slaves in the rebel States on the 1st day of January, 1863, - an act which, when carried out, will give the death-blow to rebellion, strike the fetters from millions of bondmen, and secure for its author a place among the wisest of rulers and noblest benefactors of the race. Permit us, then, Mr. President, most respectfully, yet most earnestly, to urge upon you the importance of enforcing that proclamation to the utmost extent of that power with which you are vested. Let it be placed on the highest grounds of Christian justice and philanthropy; let it be declared to be an act of national repentance for long complicity with the guilt of slavery; permit nothing to tarnish the glory of the act or rob it of its sublime moral significance and grandeur, and it cannot fail to meet a hearty response in the conscience of the nation, and to secure infinite blessings to our distracted country. Let not the declaration of the immortal Burke be verified in this instance: - "Good works are commonly left in a rude and imperfect state, through the lame circumspection with which a timid prudence so frequently enervates beneficence. In doing good we are cold, languid, and sluggish, and of all things afraid of being too much in the right." We urge you, by every consideration drawn from the word of God and the present condition of our bleeding country, not to be moved from the path of duty on which you have so auspiciously entered, either by the threats or blandishments of the enemies of human progress, nor to permit this great act to lose its power through the fears of timid friends.

There is another point which we esteem of paramount importance, and to which we wish briefly to call your attention. The Constitution of the United States contains no acknowledgment of the authority of God, of his Christ, or of his law, as contained in the Holy Scriptures. This we deeply deplore as wholly inconsistent with all claims to be considered a Christian nation or to enjoy the protection and favor of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is above all earthly rulers. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the one mediator between God and man, through whom alone either nations or individuals can secure the favor of the Most High. God is saying to us in these judgments, "Be wise now, therefore, ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that trust in him. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted."

This time appears to us most opportune for calling the nation to a recognition of the name and authority of God, to the claims of Him who will overturn, overturn, and overturn, until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. We indulge the hope, Mr. President, that you have been called, with your ardent love of liberty, your profound moral convictions manifested in your Sabbath proclamation and in your frequent declarations of dependence upon Divine Providence, to your present position of honor and influence, to free our beloved country from the curse of slavery and secure for it the favor of the great Ruler of the Universe. Shall we not now set the world an example of a Christian state, governed, not by the principles of mere political expediency, but acting under a sense of accountability to God and obedience to those laws of immutable morality which are binding alike upon nations and individuals ?

Praying that you may be directed in your responsible position by Divine wisdom, that God may throw over you the shield of his protection, that we may soon see rebellion crushed, its cause removed, and our land become Immanuel's land, we subscribe ourselves, in behalf of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Yours, respectfully,

J. R. W. Sloan,
A. M. Milligan.

Messrs. Milligan and Sloane were introduced to the President by the Hon. John A. Bingham, M.C., of Ohio. They were very cordially received.

General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, May, 1863.

Whereas there is a God revealed to man in Holy Scripture as the Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, and Moral Governor of the world; and

Whereas nations, as well as individuals, are the creatures of his power, the dependants of his providence, and the subjects of his authority; and

Whereas civil government is an ordinance of God, deriving its ultimate sanctions from his appointment and permission; and

Whereas it is the duty of all men to acknowledge the true God in all the relations they sustain; and

Whereas there is no specific mention of the authority of God in the Federal Constitution of the United States of America, the fundamental law of their existence as a nation; and

Whereas that Constitution and the Government which it organizes and defines are now undergoing the trial of a defensive civil war against a rebellion of a large portion of its own citizens and for its own national existence; and

Whereas the exigencies of the war have brought the authorities of the nation, civil and military, subordinate and supreme, to formal recognitions of the being, providence, and grace of God and of Jesus Christ bis Son, to an extent and with a distinctness such as the country has never witnessed before: therefore,

Resolved, 1. That in the judgment of this Synod the time is come for the proposal of such amendments to the Federal Constitution, in the way provided by itself, as will supply the omissions above referred to and secure a distinct recognition of the being and supremacy of the God of Divine revelation.

Resolved, 2. That in the judgment of Synod the amendments or additions to be made to the national Constitution should provide not only for a recognition of the existence and authority of God, but also of the mediatorial supremacy of Jesus Christ his Son, "the Prince of the kings of the earth and the Governor among the nations."

Resolved, 3. That, as several articles of the Federal Constitution have been and are construed in defence of slavery, Synod do earnestly ask the appropriate authorities to effect such change in them as will remove all ambiguity of phraseology on this subject, and make the Constitution, as its framers designed it to be, and as it really is in spirit, a document on the side of justice and liberty.

Resolved, 4. That Synod will petition the Congress of the United States, at its next meeting, to take measures for proposing and securing the amendments referred to, according to the due order.

Resolved, 5. That Synod will transmit a copy of such action as they may themselves adopt to the several religious bodies of the country, with the respectful request that they will take order on the subject.

Resolved, 6. That a committee be appointed, composed of a member from each of the Presbyteries in Synod, to whom this matter shall be referred, and whose duty it shall be to correspond with such Christian statesmen and other individuals of influence as they may find disposed to further this dutiful and momentous object.

The General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, May, 1863.

Whereas this General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the United States of America cannot conceal from itself the lamentable truth that the very existence of our Church and nation is endangered by a gigantic rebellion against the rightful authority of the General Government of the United States, which rebellion has plunged the nation into the most dreadful civil war; and

Whereas the Church is the light of the world, and cannot withhold her testimony upon great moral and religious questions, and upon measures so deeply affecting the great interests of Christian civilization, without becoming justly chargeable with the sin of hiding her light under a bushel: therefore,

Resolved, That loyalty and obedience to the General Goyemment, in the exercise of its legitimate authority, are the imperative Christian duties of every citizen, and that treason and rebellion are not mere political offences of one section against another, but heinous sins against God and his authority.

Resolved, That the interest of our common Christianity, and the cause of Christian civilization and national freedom throughout the world, impels us to hope and pray God (in whom is all our trust) that this unnatural rebellion may be put down, and the rightful authority of the General Government re-established and maintained.

Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with our fellow-countrymen and brethren who, in the midst of great temptation and sufferings, have stood firm in their devotion to God and their country, and also with those who have been driven, contrary to their judgment and wishes, into the ranks of the rebellion.

Resolved, That in this time of trial and darkness we re-endorse the preamble and resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church at Clarksville, Tennessee, on the 24th day of May, 1850, which are as follows: -

Whereas in the opinion of this General Assembly the preservation of the Union of these States is essential to the civil and religious liberty of the people, and it is regarded as proper and commendable in the Church, and more particularly in the branch which we represent (it having had its origin within the limits of the United States of America, and that soon after the blood of our Revolutionary fathers had ceased to flow, in that unequal contest through which they were successfully conducted by the strong arm of Jehovah), to express its devotion, on all suitable occasions, to the Government of their choice: therefore,

Resolved, That this General Assembly look with censure and disapprobation upon attempts, from any quarter, to dissolve this Union, and would regard the success of any such movement as exceedingly hazardous to the cause of religion as well as civil liberty. And this General Assembly would strongly recommend to all Christians to make it a subject of prayer to Almighty God to avert from our beloved country a catastrophe so direful and disastrous.

On the subject of American slavery, your committee submit that we should not view it as if it were about to be introduced, but as already in existence. We do not hesitate to declare that the introduction of slavery was an enormous crime, surpassed by few crimes that have disgraced the history of the world, and that there are at present great evils connected with it, and that we believe will more or less be connected with it while it exists. As to the remedy for these, the greatest and best minds of our country and the world have greatly differed and been much perplexed: therefore we would recommend to those who in the providence of God have been placed in connection with this institution, to continue prayerfully to study the word of God, to determine their duty in regard to their slaves and slavery; and to those who are not thus situated, that they exercise forbearance towards their brethren who are connected with slavery, - as the agitation of this subject at the present time in that part of the Church where slavery does not exist cannot result in any good, either to the master or slave. Touching the subject of American slavery as set forth in the memorial before us, your committee are not prepared to make the simple holding of slaves a test of church-membership, as they understand the memorial before them to propose.

Resolved, That we disavow any connection with, or sympathy for, the extreme measures of ultra-abolitionists, whose efforts, as we believe, have been, and are now, aimed at the destruction of our civil Government in order to abolish slavery. The committee would say, in conclusion, that the report herein submitted be agreed upon as a compromise measure, to unite the whole energies of our beloved Church and harmonize all our interests in the future, and to bind the entire membership of our Church, if possible, in close bonds of Christianity and fellowship.

The Presbyterian General Assembly (Old-School), May, 1863.

Your committee believe that the design of the mover of the original resolution and of the large majority who apparently are ready to vote for its adoption, is simply to call forth from the Assembly a significant token of our sympathy with this Government in its earnest efforts to suppress a rebellion that now for over two years has wickedly stood in armed resistance to lawful and beneficent authority. But as there are