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the reason why the call was not formally made out and put into his hands by his Presbytery.
The Church being now received under the care of the Philadelphia Presbytery, may be considered as forming one of the Presbyterian family, and as such, claims to be regarded in that light. Holding in common with all Presbyterian Churches their distinctive doctrines, which they are devotedly attached to from a conscientious belief of their Scriptural validity, as well also as Christ as its head, God blessed forevermore, and all his ministers as one in Him, and among whom none may claim any superiority over another, for all are brethren, Jesus himself the elder brother—the chief and only Bishop of the Church universal.
From the most reliable information that Ave are in possession of, the Church, at the time it was dedicated and received under care of Presbytery, comprised a membership of 123 persons. Mr. Gloucester has, in his address, assigned the reason why it was that the congregation, in its communion members, were so few; but there may be another reason, and that one is common to all Presbyterian Churches as a general thing, they grow slowly, for the evident reason that the claims of the Gospel as preached by Presbyterian clergymen, are addressed more to the conviction of the conscience and understanding of the people, than to the prejudices and passions; hence, it may be presumed, that they are not very successful pioneers in a new enterprise they are, however, good cultivators, and though their growth may be slow, yet they are sure and steady, striking root deep down in the virgin soil, that no rude blast nor passing storm can uproot nor tear from the regenerated sinner's heart, the doctrines of grace once implanted therein by power divine. Thus we account for the seeming
