audience; Turner was so disappointed and mortified, that he was entirely out of tune to add a word of exhortation, and told Speece to close the services, for he had nothing to say. As soon as the people had dispersed, Speece seeing Turner somewhat out of temper, said to him, "What is the matter with you now?" He replied, "Brother Speece, I do not like your preaching at all; if I could use such language and sentiments as you have at command, I could prostrate all before me. But you go. drawling along, letting your words drop out of your mouth, like stones out of the tail of a cart. Why do you not fire, man? Put in more powder, and fire clear, and then you may expect to do execution." This was characteristic of the two men. Dr. Speece would often tell this anecdote, as descriptive of Turner, for the amusement of his friends and himself.

As the writer, during the latter years of Mr. Turner, lived at a great distance from him, and had but little intercourse with him, he has scarce any information further to give. He became very corpulent and unwieldy; and at last, very infirm and inactive. He died like a Christian; his last end was peace. He left a wife and several children. Two of his sons became ministers, one of whom survived him. He died before he could be numbered with old men; but at what time and age, is not recollected. He was a bright and shining light, and many were willing, and rejoiced to walk in his light.

ARTICLE V.

Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, with an Appendix. A. D. 1854. New York: Published by the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, pp. 183.

One of the ablest, and now amongst the oldest of our active. ministers, one who is almost unrivalled for strength and acuteness of mind, said to us immediately upon the adjournment of the Assembly, "I have been a commissioner, I think, to fifteen

Assemblies, and this is one by itself. I believe I never knew one but this, in which something unpleasant did not occur, something to give pain, something to excite apprehension." This was the well-nigh universal feeling. The Assembly closed its sessions with every heart softened. Tears of thankfulness, love to the brethren, love to the Church and its exalted Head, were so near the eye-lids, that a word almost would have caused them to overflow. Yet there were strong men who had borne scores of winters in the service of the Redeemer; middle-aged, roughened with the severity of conflict; young men, bright with the joyousness of hope. There were the lawyer, the politician, the physician, the merchant, who had turned aside from the busy scenes of life, to mingle in deliberation with their ministerial brethren. It was an Assembly girded for effort, rather than emotion, which had come prepared for every thing that might happen, and, if necessary, to withstand error or wrong action. But it found itself, under an overruling Providence, and through the wisdom and kindness of the captains of the Lord's Host, overcome, not to the yielding of truth and righteousness, but by the sincerity of earnest desire to do right, by the warm attachment of honest men to the Church, and by the considerate wisdom which gathered, as into a common stock, the opinions of our entire body, that we might learn from hence the proper methods of an onward progress, as well as of a rational conservatism. Never did a body of two hundred men more beautifully exemplify that wisest of all maxims, festina lente. And the result was so unexpected; to be called to rejoice, instead of to grieve; to congratulate, instead of to condole; to high and holy thanksgiving, instead of sackcloth and ashes; that those whom misfortune would only have made more stern and unyielding, could not choose but be filled with softened gratitude at the greatness and unexpectedness of God's favors. The sword that could never have been forced from the right hand by any violence or opposition, fell voluntarily, when brother felt the pulsations of the heart of brother, when amidst gushes of kindly feeling, we could hardly remember, so auspicious were the issues, wherein we had differed at the beginning, or how or by whom were brought about the happy results.

The Assembly convened in its ancient and time-honored place of meeting, the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, on Thursday, May 18, 1854, at eleven o'clock, and was opened with a sermon by Professor D. Howe Allen, D. D., the Moderator of the last Assembly. The spirit of the sermon was most admirable, and it gave a key-note to the proceedings which, we doubt not, had an influence through the entire sessions. The text was, 1 Cor. ii. 2, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." The theme was, The Comprehensiveness of the Doctrine of the Cross. The Introduction referred to the source of the power of the Apostle as a preacher, "He grasped the great thought wrapped up in the words, Christ crucified, it filled his whole being and absorbed all his energies. He bowed beneath its weight, saying, it is enough. Let this one idea fill my soul and govern my life." The points dwelt upon were, The Comprehensiveness of the Doctrine of the Cross:

I. In Theology.

II. In History.

III. In Philosophy.

IV. In Adaptations to the immediate necessities of the ministry:

1. To the peculiar spirit of the age.

2. To the ends of moral reform.

3. To the special mission of the ministry, the conversion of souls, and the sanctification of the Church.

The Peroration dwelt on the deaths of the past year, especially those of Rev. James Gallaher, Rev. Charles Hall, D. D., and Dr. Gilbert.

This discourse was in one respect especially, an exponent of our Church. There was nothing old-fashioned about it. It recognized every discovery in science, every improvement in society; it acknowledged the necessity of a quick adaptation of all our operations to the spirit of the age; but at the same time, it anchored the Church upon the great doctrines of grace as the only hope of the country, for government and true improvement, as well as for the renovation of the soul itself.

The Assembly was organized by the election for Moderator, by acclamation, of Rev. THOMAS II. SKINNER, D. D., and for

Temporary Clerk of Rev. ROBERT W. PATTERSON, of Chicago. Rev. HENRY DARLING, of Philadelphia, was elected Permanent Clerk, in place of Rev. Dr. Gilbert.

Two hundred commissioners were present, and five delegates from corresponding Churches.

CHURCH ERECTION.

The first important matter that was matured by the Assembly was Church Erection. Of the one hundred thousand dollars directed to be raised, for this object, by the Assembly of 1853, near eighty thousand had been secured. The Assembly presented its thanks to the Committee for their efficient services, and adopted the following permanent arrangement in regard to the fund:

CHURCH ERECTION PLAN.

The Church Erection Committee, appointed by the General Assembly of 1853, after a full consideration of the trust committed to them, beg leave to report the following PLAN for the proper control and management of the Church Erection Fund:

PREAMBLE.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, now holding its sessions in the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, having, through the liberality of the congregations connected with this body, established a fund for the purpose of aiding feeble congregations in erecting houses of worship, do hereby adopt the following Plan, under which this fund shall be held, administered, and used:

ARTICLE I.

This fund having been committed to the General Assembly as a special trust, no part of it, as now established, nor any additions which may hereafter be made to it, shall ever be used for any other purpose than that of aiding feeble congregations in connection with the General Assembly in erecting houses of worship; except so much as may be absolutely necessary to defray the expenses incident to the administration of

this Plan.

ARTICLE II.

The custody, care, and management of this fund, and of all securities kind belonging to it, or growing out of it, together with all claims, dues, and property that may at any time pertain to it, and all

of

every

additions that may hereafter be made to it, by donations, bequests, or otherwise, shall be committed to a Board of Trustees, to be called "The Trustees of the Church Erection Fund of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America." The Board shall

consist of nine members, four of them being ministers and five of them elders, in connection with some Presbytery or Church under the care of the General Assembly, who shall reside in the city of New York, or its immediate vicinity, and whom the General Assembly shall elect by ballot, on a nomination to be made at least one day before such election. The Trustees shall continue in office until the election and induction of their successors. The certificate of the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly shall be necessary, to entitle a Trustee to take his seat as a member of the Board, which certificate it shall be his duty to furnish as soon as practicable after the election.

The Trustees first elected shall arrange themselves into three equal classes. The term of office of the first class shall expire in one year from their election; that of the second class in two years; and that of the third class in three years. After the first election, the General Assembly shall annually elect three Trustees, to supply the place of the class whose term is about to expire, to hold their office for three years, the same persons always being reëligible; and each General Assembly shall also, by election, supply any vacancy in the Board, caused by death, resignation, or otherwise. If any Trustee shall, during the term for which he is elected, cease to be connected with a Presbytery or Church under the care of the General Assembly, he shall thereby cease to be a member of the Board; and the vacancy shall be reported to the next General Assembly.

ARTICLE III.

The first meeting of the Board shall be held on the second Tuesday of June next, in the city of New York, at such place and hour as the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly may appoint, who shall preside until the Board is organized by the choice of its President.

ARTICLE IV.

The Board shall make their own By-Laws. They shall annually, at their first meeting after the adjournment of the General Assembly, elect one of their number President of the Board; and shall appoint a Secretary, and a Treasurer who shall give security to the Board for the faithful performance of his duties. They shall keep complete books of record and account, in which shall be recorded all their proceedings, and the true state at all times of all matters relating to this fund; which records and accounts, or any part of them, shall at all times be open to the inspection of any committee appointed by the General Assembly for this purpose. They shall also keep full and correct copies and files of all the correspondence which may be conducted or received by them, or in their name ; and shall annually present to the General Assembly, not later than the