which the foregoing extracts were taken. and fifteen months after the departure of Mesars. Mills and Smith, Rev. Gideon Blackburn, then of Nashville, Tennessee, visited St. Louis, and preached several times with great acceptance. During the fifteen months previous, there probably was not a single Presbyterian sermon preached in Missouri.

On the 7th of April, 1816, Rev. Mr. Giddings, the first Presbyterian minister who settled in this State, commenced his labors in St. Louis. He preached four or five Sabbaths in the city, and then spent four months exploring the State, and establishing churches where it could be done with a prospect of usefulness. He was sent out and supported by the Connecticut Missionary Society.

During this absence of Mr. Giddings, the Rev. T. Flint, from the same Missionary Society, supplied his place.

On Sabbath the 21st of July, he administered the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to the communicants present, although no Presbyterian church had as yet been formed in the territory. This was the first time Presbyterians in Missouri ever enjoyed the privilege of sitting together at the Lord's table.

The first Presbyterian church formed in this State was organized by Mr. Giddings, at Bellevue, on the 3d of August, 1816. It bore the name of Concord Church, and contained, at its formation, thirty members.

During the next month, Mr. Giddings formed the 2d Presbyterian Church in the State, at the Bonhomme settlement, with which Mr. Hempstead and wife and daughter united. The following extracts from a letter to Mr. Hempstead, written by a gentleman in Bellevue, will show how gratefully Mr. Giddings' labors were received in the country. It was dated June, 1816, and sent in answer to one introducing Mr. Giddings to the writer,

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"I rejoice greatly in having it once more in my power to hear the Gospel preached by a minister of our order. Mr. G. is well received by all the people here. I hope, with the favor of God, he will prove a blessing to many among us. “My dear friend, I cannot express the gratitude I feel to the Great Head of the Church for sending the blessed Gospel among us in this wilderness. I had regretted much the opportunities I had left behind me ; and had almost despaired of ever being again so happy. But, though sorrow may continue for a night, yet joy cometh in the morning

"I look forward to the approaching communion season with uncommon sensations of joy and gratitude. The very spot, on which we shall have set forth in lively emblems, the greatest exhibition

of love and mercy ever made to a fallen world, was less than fifty years ago, the haunt of savage beasts, or more savage men. What a change! This is the Lord's doings, and marvellous in our eyes.

"I thank you for the interest you take in our welfare, and hope that God, whose favor you have implored in our behalf, will give you the desire of your heart, and the satisfaction of seeing a church or ganized in Bellevue."

Mr. Giddings, from his first arrival in Missouri, wisely deemed it of the greatest importance to secure a good religious influence in this city. He had large congregations in the country, and as we have seen, his labors there were appreciated and greatly blessed, resulting, the first four months, in the establishment of at least two new churches, while in St. Louis his auditory was small, frequently very small. Sometimes he had only four or five hearers,

Although he was often almost ready to despond, and deem his undertaking here a hopeless task, yet his abiding impressions of the importance of the work before him, and his confidence in the faithfulness of God, sustained him in the resolution to persevere. On the 23d of November, 1817, a little more than a year and seven months from his landing in the Territory, he enjoyed the privilege of forming a Presbyterian Church it St. Louis. It was the first of any Protestant denomination formed in this city. The records of the St. Louis Presbytery show that it was constituted with nine members. Mr. Hempstead's journal twice mentions the same number. Our printed church manual informs us that it consisted of ten members, eight of whom were females. The written list of the names of members, made out by Mr. Potts, shows but seven at the organization. That omits Mrs. Hempstead and a Mrs. Brown. Messrs. Hempstead and Osborn, as all agree, were the only male members, and both were elected elders.

On the 30th of August, 1818, Rev. Messrs. Giddings and Matthews formed a Presbyterian Church at St. Charles. The congregation present on the occasion was very large, it being the first time the Lord's Supper was ever administered in the place, by Presbyterians. For seven years and a half from the organization of this church, the congregation continued to worship in the school room of Mr. Giddings.

The first public effort to erect a house of worship for this church, was made at a meeting of a number of citizens of St. Louis, at the house of Mr. Giddings, on the 11th of January, 1819. Mr. S. Hempstead was chairman and Thomas H. Benton clerk. At this meeting a subscription paper was put into the hands of a committee, who were instructed to procure subscriptions sufficient, if possible, to erect a Protestant house of worship in St. Louis. A constitution was adopt

ed for the government of the subscribers, and a Board of Trustees elected.

In the spring of 1820, Mr. Giddings went to Philadelphia as delegate to the General Assembly, and visited New England for the purpose of obtaining donations to aid in building the proposed church. On the 24th of July, he writes Mr. Hempstead from Connecticut, "I have not collected any money towards erecting a meeting house, and I think it will not be expedient to attempt it. *

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"There is a general impression that the people of St. Louis are able to build meeting houses for themselves. It would be necessary for me to state that the people are very poor, and full as degraded as the heathen, in order to succeed in making collections. As I could not, and would not do this, I found it would be useless to make the attempt to collect money."

In November, 1822, the Trustees resolved to take a deed of the ground on which this house stands. On the 25th of March, 1823, they resolved to commence building, and appointed Rev. Mr. Giddings their agent to contract for erecting a house of such size and plan as he should think best.

In March, 1824, they gave Mr. Giddings power of attorney to mortgage the lot and house, which had been commenced, for the loan of fifteen hundred or two thousand dollars, to be employed in finishing the church. He effected the loan by pledging his own credit and property, and taking the mortgage to secure himself. The house was dedicated on the 26th of June, 1825. The whole expense of the house and lot and interest of money employed while building, was over $8,000. The contributions of the citizens and sale of the pews had, on the 7th of July, 1826, reduced the debt of the congregation to about $5,000.

Mr. Hempstead writes in his journal, on the day the congregation first worshipped in this church—" I have to-day attended the dedication of the new brick Presbyterian meeting house, which is said by those acquainted with our western country, to be the finest and best built church in the West. Thus, by the blessing of God, I have been permitted to live to see what I have so much desired: and for which Mr. Giddings and I have exerted ourselves to the utmost of our abilities. Blessed be God! he has crowned our efforts with success, to build a house to his name."

They both manifested a self-sacrificing, persevering spirit, while toiling to secure the completion of this sanctuary, and the spiritual interests of this church and community, which should embalm them in the affectionate remembrance of this whole people.

Mr. Giddings continued the stated supply of this church nine years,

until the 19th of November, 1826, when he was installed pastor by the Presbytery of Missouri, then embracing all this State and Illinois.

In less than fifteen months from the consummation of this relation, on the 1st of February, 1828, he finished his laborious life on earth, esteemed and beloved by all his acquaintance.

As a token of respect and affection, the Trustees had his remains buried in a vault constructed for the purpose under the pulpit in which he had so earnestly endeavored to lead his people to be reconciled to God.

Mr. Hempstead writes in his journal, on the occasion, that at least 2,000 people attended the funeral, and that he had never seen so much sympathy manifested among all classes of people in St. Louis as on the death of this good man.

Five weeks after the death of Mr. Giddings, Rev. Wm. P. Cochran, now pastor in Palmyra, Mo., was employed to supply the pulpit for three months. During his ministry, on the 27th of April, 1828, the choir first took their seats in the gallery.

On the 20th of May following, Rev. Wm. S. Potts commenced his labors as a temporary supply. He continued his work in this capacity five months, until the 26th of October, 1828, when he was ordained and installed pastor of the church, by the Presbytery of Missouri, which still embraced the States of Illinois and Missuri. * He laboriously and faithfully discharged the duties of his office for six years and eight months, and was then, on the 26th of June, 1835, dismissed by Presbytery, at his own request, in order to accept the Presidency of Marion College.

On the 23d of July following, Rev. Wm. Wisner was called to the -pastoral charge of this church. He entered upon his appropriate labors on the 1st Sabbath of November, 1835, and, without being installed, remained in the service of the church, as far as his feeble health would allow, until May, 1837. The present pastor was called to take charge of the church on the 2d of April, 1838, and was installed on the 27th of June following, the church having been without an installed pastor three years.

The whole number admitted to this church during the life of Mr. Gidding, a period of more than ten years, was 69. Our records do not show that a single member did, or that but one was dismissed during this time. According to these records, the whole number received to this church from its formation to the present time, is 706:

*The Presbytery could not then have numbered more than ten or twelve ordained ministers. But seven were at its regular meeting.

A subscription was opened for the purchase of a bell in Aug. 1828. The bell was procured, weighing 878 pounds, and was rung for the first time on the last day of May, 1829. It at once made the congregation larger and more punctual,

on examination, 363, and on certificate, 343. Of this number, 67 have died, while members. No one before 1829, and in that year only one.

In 1832, the number of deaths in this church was eleven; in 1833, twelve; in 1834, seven; and in 1838, ten.

Of the original nine members, three have died while connected with the church, three have been dismissed, and three remain with us to-day. Ten members have been excommunicated and never restored. None of these were received during the first nine years of the church's existence. Four united by letter and six on examination. Five in 1832. Thirty-two members have been indefinitely suspended from the privileges of the church. Of these, twenty were received on profession of their faith, and twelve on certificate. Eight, (seven of them by profession,) were received in 1832.

Two of our members have entered the ministry while connected with us.

There are now 245 members of this church whose residence is known to the session, and 79 whom we cannot yet find.

In 1832, 128 persons (108 by profession and 20 by letter,) were received into this church. This is more than one-sixth of the whole number admitted. Of this 128, 58 have been dismissed-two to the 2d Church in this city; one has been ordained as a minister of the Gospel; five have been excommunicated, eight suspended; ten have died, and forty-six still remain on the list of members, the residence of only twenty being known to the elders or pastor. Out of little more than one-sixth of our whole number, we find onehalf of our excommunications, one-fourth of our suspensions, onethird of our unknown members, and less than one-twefth of those who are known.

A colony of twenty-nine persons, dismissed from this church, was organized into the 2d Presbyterian Church of St. Louis. in November, 1832; and another of eight persons, in connexion with others, was formed into the Des Peres Church.

In February, 1837, after the 2d Church had been in existence about four years, it was re-united to this church, with the intention of building a very large house, and having two co-ordinate pastors. When the 2d Church was dissolved, it brought back to this church 54 members, instead of the 29 who colonized.

During the past year, 74 have been received into this church, 42 by letter and 32 on examination.

Twenty-two have been suspended under the operation of a rule adopted by the General Assembly in 1825, as recorded on the 256th page of their minutes. Ninety have been dismissed. The deaths,