afterwards for a part of Canada; for which twofold object he left his sphere of labor in Great Britain, and proceeded to Canada. As a consequence the history of this church has been linked intimately with the progress of the Congregational cause in Canada East, and the eastern portion of Canada West. Eight of its members have gone into the Christian ministry; the servivors of whom are now actively laboring in some part of the Lord's Vineyard.

In a few years after Dr. Wilkes' entrance upon the pastorate, galleries were erected in the church, and other improvements made; and, moreover, the debt was paid off early in 1843. The second church was formed of members of this church, amicably leaving for the purpose, under the pastorate of Rev. J. J. Carruthers, D. D., now of Portland, Maine. The place being incapable of enlargement, and there being no room left for extension, it was determined to erect a new, more commodious and larger edifice, and to dispose of that in St. Maurice street. As none of the pews were sold, but the property was that of the church this could be legally effected with ease. An eligible site was purchased on Beaver-Hall Hill, and the present church building erected. It seats with ease 1100 persons. There is a little peculiarity about its management which ought to be stated. No one has individually any right of property in the building; it belongs to the aggregate body, the Church, the members of which only have any vote in relation to it. The seats within the building are free to all. This was deemed important because of the great influx of strangers to the city from time to time, who are often deterred from attending a place of worship from fear of incommoding regular attendants. It is therefore prominently laid down as a rule, that strangers have as much right as ordinary occupants to enter any pew in the building. And to make this abundantly clear, there are no pew rents. Yet it was not deemed well to have families unnecessarily inconvenienced, therefore with the above understanding, such portions of pews as they could occupy were allocated to families and individuals. The support of the institution, as a whole, including pastor's salary, interest of debt, and general current expenses,

are provided for by weekly voluntary contributions. Parties put down their names for so much per week; a convenient mode of paying it is provided, and they bring it up to the house of the Lord every Lord's day, 1 Cor. 16: 2. Seven years experience has proved to this church that sufficient funds for all the above purposes are more easily and cheerfully raised this way than by the old method of pew rents and subscriptions. The contributions are thus not in proportion to the space occupied, for sometimes a poor man occupies a large space with his family, while a rich man has no family to bring to God's house; but they are designed to be in accordance with apostolic rule, "As God hath prospered you." Four years ago the debt on the building was eighteen thousand dollars; at the close of the present year it will probably stand eight thousand.

During the present year, Zion Church has been linked in historical associations with the melancholy massacre of the 9th of June. Under its roof Gavazzi lectured. Against its strong stone walls a Popish mob came with shouts of hate, and acts of outrage and violence; and in front of it respectable and unoffending citizens were shot down, under circumstances the most mysterious and extraordinary conceivable. To this hour inexplicable mystery hangs like a funeral pall around that catastrophe.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.*

[The following paper was received from Rev. T. M. Post, after subsequent pages were in type, and is inserted on account of the deep and wide-spread interest felt in the movement it describes.]

The First Trinitarian Congregational Church, of St. Louissupposed to be the only one in active existence in the State of Missouri originated less than two years since, from the Third Presbyterian Church of St. Louis; a large portion of which thought that by adopting the Congregational organization, they would both increase their own usefulness, and meet an obvious want of the city; which—with all ecclesiastical forms from Mormonism to Papacy, embraced within it and with its population of an hundred thousand, many of them originally from Congregational connexions-had not a single Congregational Church within its limits. It was decided by a vote of sixty-two to twenty-four of the church members, and embracing a larger, proportion of the pecuniary support of the church, to make the proposed change. The church property which was only sufficient to pay to private stockholders about 80 per cent. of their investment, was purchased by the majority, all who wished to withdraw being paid for their stock at a higher valuation than the majority who purchased, offered to sell their own. The church was organized with the announced purpose of erecting a new place of worship in a situation more central and favorable for the new enterprize, and more convenient for those who wished to engage in it. Twenty thousand dollars were subscribed for this purpose before the organization, and a lot in the most pleasant

portion of the city has since been purchased for $13,000. Failure to effect an anticipated loan at the East, and an unwillingness to bring a heavy debt on an infant church, have induced a delay in building. But notwithstanding the disadvantage of this delay, which is felt to be a serious one, and notwithstanding antagonistic influences of various kinds attaching to it in its early history, the church has had a steady and healthful growth in strength and numbers and general prosperity.

The church was organized in March, 1852, with twenty-five members. It now numbers 129.

It has had thus far great internal harmony, no cases of discipline, and has enjoyed one revival of religion. It has in it large corps of Christian young men, who are active in the various enterprises of the city. Its Sabbath school has twenty four teachers and one hundred and thirty pupils. In addition to its contribution to the general objects of Chistian charity, it sustains a city Missionary.

CONGREGATIONALISM IN CHICAGO, ILL.*

Under the impression that once so generally prevailed, that Congregationalism could not or ought not to exist in the U. S. out of New England, no effort was made to plant the system of the Pilgrim Fathers in what is now the principal city of the North-west. Presbyterianism was allowed to take entire possession of the ground, and appropriate to itself all the elements of Congregationalism there. The First Presbyterian Church was founded in connection with the labors of a Congregational minister, (Rev. Jeremiah Porter, now of Green Bay,) in March, 1833, and was composed, with the exception of one individual, of those who were members of Congregational Churches, and that individual is now a deacon in the First Congregational Church of Chicago. The Church grew rapidly with the growth of the city, embodying in itself all the Presbyterianism and Congregationalism of the place, (the latter having always been by far the largest.) Subsequently a second and a third Presbyterian Church were formed, in connection with the New School body, and ultimately, also, an Old School organization, a large portion of the materials of the latter being also Congregational.

It was not until 1851 that any movement was made to establish Congregationalism on a distinctive basis; and it was then by a forced process on the part of the Presbyterians that it was brought into being.

* Received too late to insert in its proper place, and is here necessarily abbreviated.