country than the church. If we have seen enough,-if we have obtained decisions enough for the regulation of our conduct,—and if these encroachments shall be multiplied indefinitely,-in that case it may be matter of question, whether it may be necessary, or whether it is the duty of the church to continue this harassing and distracting litigation,-whether she is not entitled to go to the supreme power in the state, and say, Here are principles established which are fatal to the church; we never can submit to them; they necessarily imply that we must be thrust out from connection with the state. If you have any doubt of the law, you can consult the lawyers who are employed to advise you, or you can obtain the opinion of the supreme court. It concerns you as much as it concerns us. We have been spending our time, our patience, our money-we have been exhausting our energies-we have well nigh exhausted our means in the attempt to maintain the constitution of the church, and to resist the aggressions of the civil courts. We have got decisions which satisfy us to our heart's content-we have got decisions enough for the regulation of our conduct if you refuse to relieve us; and it is for you to say whether you would like an establishment such as this decision implies. We can go to the supreme civil power, and to all parties in the country, and say, Look you to the constitution--look you to the Revolution Settlement and the Treaty of Union-look you to the history of our church-look you to the Black Acts which were repealed at the time of the Unionlook you to these, and then say if this is the church which you have established-if this is the constitution which you meant that church to have? Or suppose you do not wish to enter upon those questions, we ask you, Is this, as now set forth, the church you now wish to have? Here it is, cut and dry, ready for you. The decision of the Lord Ordinary may be made final in a fortnight, making it competent for the civil courts to control the ecclesiastical-to reduce and to set aside, to oppose and to contradict them in matters of deposition. Is this the church which you wish to be the Established Church of Scotland? Why, then, prolong this harassing warfare, why cause us to go from court to court, wasting the means and the energies with which we might advance the cause of the kingdom of Christ? Tell us at once the terms of the constitution we are to have, and we shall know how to act. But tell us this your decision under a sense of your responsibility to that great God by whom "kings reign, and princes decree justice," tell us under a sense of your responsibility to the nation of Scotland, whose independent legislature was secured by the faith of treaties which are now given to the winds-tell us under a sense of your responsibility to the kingdom of Great Britain, whose institutions are shaken to their centre by the invasion. We are bound to represent to the supreme power these considerations; and we are bound to add-and I say, that the more I consider this controversy, the more this feeling is pressed upon me-we are both entitled and bound to add—both to the Legislature and to the nation at large—that this matter concerns them still more than it does the church. Undoubtedly the prospect is painful, to contemplate the Established Church leaving the position which she now occupiescompelled to renounce the advantages which an establishment gives for the preaching of the gospel. There is pain in the thought which contemplates the infliction upon the church of such a catastrophe as this. But I will say, that looking to the affairs of the world-looking to the sad state into which even the Established Church has allowed the country to fall-looking to the need there is of even a wider preaching of the gospel-looking to the progress of error, and that, too, more and more every day, so far as the influence of the powers of this world is concerned, I must say that I have no fear for the Church of Christ if she were cast off to-morrow. But our duty is to bear our solemn testimony to the rulers of this great land, that they have now, it may be, the last and final opportunity to save-not the church from ruin, for I believe that the Church of Christ would subsist without, nay, against the state-but that they have the last opportunity of preserving to the people of Scotland the only class of ministers for whom the people themselves care-the only class of mi. nisters who can serve the purposes of the State itself-the only class of ministers who have influence enough to arrest the fearfully rapid progress of the principles of evil, and to uphold the principles of right government. Let us be done with speaking as if we were afraid of ourselves-as if we deprecated the calamity in relation to ourselves merely; let us be done with speaking as if the sole question was, whether our minis

ters are to eat their bread in their manses, or to retire to humbler habitations. Let us be done with this; let us go to Government and tell them, It is your duty to relieve the church-you have now a last opportunity to do so; and if you will not, the mischief which is impending will fall, not upon us, but upon the state which you govern. It will be an overt act of the state refusing the right of Christ to reign in bis own house. It will be an overt act of the state declaring that, so far as they are concerned, there shall be no scriptural alliance between the church and the state at all. These are solemn views; and I trust that the church will fully lay them before our rulers-that she will not go to them with a humble and almost whining petition, such as she has before presented, beseeching the state as for mercy's sake, and begging that the bread may not be taken out of our mouths-that the state will relax our fetters, and give us space to breathe. I trust that we shall go before the Govern ment and the country, setting forth, not what we want, as if it were merely to relieve our own consistency, and to allow us to remain in connection with our manses; but setting forth what the state should do-to attend to our claim of rights, and at once and for ever to set us free from the fetters with which we have been bound ever since the act of Queen Anne was passed.

The motion was then agreed to.

The Commission met again on Thursday, Mr CARMENT of Rosskeen, in the chair.

MEMORIAL TO GOVERNMENT.

Mr DUNLOP produced the memorial prepared in accordance with the vote of the previous day, and said, that he did not expect the Commission to agree to every sentiment of it, but simply that it should re-appoint the committee to revise and make such verbal alterations on it as they might deem expedient. He did not wish to resume the discussion of last night, but he would urge that there were other reasons besides those brought forward on that occasion for calling the attention of the Government to the claim of right. It was the evident design of their opponents to let the document fall without answering the principles of law which it brought out. Not one word had been said in answer to these principles, founded on the clearest statutory enactments, securing the rights of the church, and on the marked difference between the constitution of England and Scotland in this respect. These two consti

tutions were entirely different. For a century and more, Scotland had been engaged in contending, and at last successfully, against the supremacy of the monarch in the affairs of the church. Successive acts were passed, excluding that supremacy. Yet, in a late decision in the House of Lords, one of the judges had asserted in the coolest manner, the perfect assimilation of both constitutions in this respect, and that the presbyteries of the church of Scotland were in the same position as the bishops in England, and subject, like them, to have their sentences revised by the civil courts of the realm. The injustice and unconstitutional character of such a principle ought to be brought under the consideration of the Government. He would suppose that an act of parliament were now passed, declaring that the government of the church of England should be vested henceforth in the archbishops and bishops, and declaring that the crown could no longer exercise supremacy in its ecclesiastical concerns, nor interfere in matters of heresy, &c; would this act make no difference in the decisions of the courts of law? Would it not alter the authority which these courts were in the babit of vindicating, under an entirely different state of things? It was their duty to press these considerations on the Government, especially with reference to the great contrast all along visible in the constitution of the two churches. At all events, not having had their deliverance on the subject of our claim of rights, we must now know what is their will and pleasure in regard thereto, for the guidance of the church. All that is known about it is contained in the Secretary of State's answer to the Lord High Commissioner-that he had not felt himself called upon to intercept it in its way to the throne. Mr Dunlop then read the memorial, and moved its re-transmission for the revision of the committee, which was agreed to.

STATE OF THE POOR.

Dr CANDLISH reminded the house that it had been agreed to take up to day the papers from the Paisley presbytery on the state of the poor. At the same time,

considering what the Assembly had formerly done in reference to the matter, he did not see that any good was to be answered by pushing it at this time.

Mr DUNLOP moved that the Commission deeply sympathise with the sufferings of the working classes, and feel increased anxiety because of the prospect of its increase during the winter in the present condition of trade, and that the Commission urges on presbyteries and sessions the duty of making every necessary inquiry into the condi tion of the poor in their respective localities, and to adopt such steps as may be necessary for their relief, and that the committee of Assembly be enjoined to take measures, by communicating with Government or otherwise, for devising means to alle viate the distress.

Some discussion followed, when Mr Dunlop's motion was agreed to, and the Com mission separated.

APPOINTMENTS, &c.-The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. H. M'Diarmid to the church and parish of Acharacle, Presbytery of Mull, vacant by the translation of Mr Cameron to Logierait.

The Rev. Mr Fowler of St Luke's, Glasgow, has been presented to the church and parish of Ratho.

Lord Torphichen has presented the Rev. Mr Walker to the church and parish of Mid-Calder, vacant by the death of the Rev. Dr Sommers.

The Queen has presented the Rev. Daniel Cameron of Bridgegate Church, Glasgow, to the church and parish of Ayton, vacant by the death of the Rev. George Tough.

The Rev. Mr M Culloch of Haggs has been appointed by the Crown assistant and successor to the Rev. Mr Dempster of Denny.

CALLS.-On 3d November, Mr John M'Duff's, to Kettins. No dissents.
On 10th November, Mr Stewart's, to Killarrow, Islay. Sustained.
On 24th November, Mr Fowler's, to Ratho. No dissents.

On 24th November, Mr Reid's, to Chalmers' Church, Glasgow. No dissents. ORDINATIONS, &c.—On 24th September, the Rev. Mr Gilchrist was ordained to the church and parish of Orwell, Presbytery of Dunfermline. Mr Dalziel of Canmore Street Church, Dunfermline, presided.

On 25th September, the Rev. Mr Tannoch was ordained to Kinross Church. Mr Marshall of the North Church, Dunfermline, presided.

On 28th October, the Presbytery of Aberdeen inducted the Rev. James Stewart to the pastoral charge of the South Church and parish. Mr Spence of St Clement's presided.

On 3d Noveniber, the Presbytery of Laucashire ordained the Rev. Joseph R. Welsh to the holy ministry, and admitted him to be minister of Oidham Street Church, Liverpool. Mr Munro of Manchester and others presided.

On 10th November, the Presbytery of Edinburgh ordained the Rev. James Mauson to the Dean Church. Mr Gregory presided.

On 30th November, the Presbytery of Glasgow ordained the Rev. Mr Dennistoun as minister of the Scotch Church, Montego Bay, Jamaica. Mr M'Letchie presided.

DEATHS.-On 16th September, the Rev. William Rogers, minister of Rescobie, Presbytery of Forfar.

On 25th September, at Mid-Calder Manse, the Rev. John Sommers, D.D., minister of that parish, in the 78th year of his age, and 48th of his ministry. On 12th October, at the manse of Flisk, by Cupar, the Rev. G. Marshall, minister of Flisk, in the 68th year of his age, aud 42d of his ministry.

On 5th November, at South Knapdale Manse, Argyllshire, the Rev. Duncan Rankin, in the 73d year of his age, and 48th of his ministry, and for 36 years minister of that parish.

On 8th December, at Glasgow, the Rev. Dr Lockhart of the College Church, Glasgow, in the 82d year of his age.

The Proceedings of the General Assembly 1842 extend to upwards of 300 pages in this
volume, and reference is made to the separate Index relative thereto, p. 310.

Almanac, Ecclesiastical, 1842, 152; and Christian Theology, 597.

Evangelical Training, by William Munsie, Illustrations of Scripture (Rev. Dr Pax-