our mission, and indifferent to its work and his contribution to Mr. Matheson's little claims. Henceforth, there will be no book is full of the most instructive excuse for ignorance or indifference. Mr. matter, and will be read by all with deep Matheson's "narrative" — clear in style, interest. It is not our intention now to and methodical in arrangement-sets forth give extracts, or to explain further the all the facts which go to make up the nature of the work. We wish simply to history of the mission. It combines minute- bring it under the notice of our readers in ness with brevity, and sustains the interest order that they may at once secure it, and from beginning to end. And then, it is read it for themselves. In combination followed by an elaborate paper, on the with the letters that appear monthly in the "Social Life and Religious Ideas" of the MESSENGER, it will supply all necessary, Chinese, written by the Rev. J. Macgowan; materials to ministers and office-bearers for and by a few "Notes on Climate, Health, lectures and addresses, and we trust that and Outfit," from the pen of Dr. Carnegie. by these efforts it will scon be introduced Mr. Macgowan labours at Amoy in con- into every family connected with our nection with the London Missionary Church. It should become a household Society, but is a Presbyterian and an book. alumnus of our College in London; and

Bome Intelligence.

PRESBYTERY OF BERWICK.-This Presbytery met at Berwick on the 3rd of April. Sederunt:-Rev. R. Scott, moderator; Messrs. Fraser, Terras, Cant, Valence, and McLean, ministers; Mr. Robertson, ruling elder. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. Agreed in terms of the Synod's standing order anent the mode of appointing the Business Committee, that the Revds. John Fraser, Andrew Cant, and Robert Scott, be appointed members of the Business Committee at the ensuing Synod. Mr. McLean brought forward the motion of which he gave notice at a former meeting, which, not being seconded, was allowed to drop. Mr. Valence reported that the deputation appointed to confer with the office-bearers of Bankhill, Belford, and Norham, anent the establishment of associations for ministers' support in their congregations, had met with cordial and kind reception. Mr. Cant reported that he had, as instructed, intimated to Mr. Robinson the Presbytery's resolution; and forwarded medical certificates, and made application to the Committee of the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, for renewal of a grant to Mr. Robinson. Mr. Fraser, agreeably to notice given at last meeting, now moved:-"That the Presbytery in future meet at eleven o'clock a.m., and on Wednesday instead of Tuesday." This was not approved of. A Home Mission Schedule from Tweedmouth was produced and examined, and the Presbytery being satisfied that the amount stipulated, £70, is as much as this congregation, in present circumstances. can raise for minister's

stipend, ordered the schedule to be attested. The report from the Statistical Committee, in terms of the resolution at last meeting of Presbytery, was now read and carefully examined. Agreed that it be printed for circulation in the several congregations within the Presbytery's bounds. Adjourned to meet at Berwick on the first Tuesday in May next, at twelve o'clock noon.

BOLTON.-On Tuesday evening, March 13th, a tea-meeting was held in the Baths Assembly Room to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the St. Andrew's Young Men's Association, and was attended by about 150 persons. After tea the chair was occupied by the Rev. R. Mitchell, M.A., minister of the Presbyterian Church, and honorary president of the association. The chairman delivered an excellent address, after which the secretary read the report, and the following gentlemen spoke on a variety of suitable topics :-Mr. W. Park, Mr. J. Fullon, Rev. Mr. Gordon (Warton), Mr. Geo. Irving, Rev. W. A. P. Johnman (Darlington), Mr. Hay, and Mr. Anderson. A number of excellent pieces were given by the choir and other ladies and gentlemen who were present at the meeting, and Mr. W. Glendinning ably personated two Irish characters.

THE REV. R. H. LUNDIE, M.A.-The following memorial was read to the Presbytery of Lancashire, in the case of the Fairfield call:

"The undersigned were appointed by the congregation of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, to represent them at your Court with respect to the call recently given to

labours at present. The congregation
heartily approves of the proposals already
laid before Mr. Lundie by our Session to
relieve him of a part of his duties, and
otherwise to enable him to continue in his
charge comfortably. Mr. Lundie's flock
are highly attached to him, and should the
Presbytery now determine to remove our
pastor to Fairfield, we believe it will be ex-
ceedingly detrimental to the welfare of the
congregation we represent, and also of our
Church in this important place. In con-
clusion, we respectfully ask the Presbytery
to take this memorial into favourable con-
sideration, so that the call to Fairfield may
not be sustained.

"Birkenhead, 30th December, 1865.
"Signed by the Commissioners."

our esteemed pastor, Mr. Lundie, by the new congregation of our Church at Fairfield, and have deemed it advisable, under the circumstances, to lay their reasons before you for objecting thereto in this form rather than by oral statements. Mr. Lundie has held his present charge for fifteen years, and during that time his ministra tions have been highly acceptable to those who have been connected with the congregation. It is needless here to refer to the circumstances under which he took charge of our congregation; suffice it to say that they were accompanied with no ordinary difficulties, and the congregation had become exceedingly weak in consequence. The debt on the church and property amounted, together with legal expenses, to about two thousand pounds, which large sum was paid off, mainly through Mr. THE CUNNINGHAM LECTURESHIP, 1866. Lundie's exertions, in course of a very few-The first of the second series of lectures years. Following that, it was found that the schools connected with the church were unsuitable, and Mr. Lundie originated a scheme for the erection of a new building, which was opened free of debt in 1861, and cost upwards of one thousand pounds, and we are happy to add is now attended by nearly 600 scholars. About two years ago it became absolutely necessary to add to the accommodation in our church, and galleries were erected, and other alterations made, at an expense of more than eight hundred pounds, which has been defrayed, and now the property is in a substantial condition, free from debt. When Mr. Lundie undertook his present charge, we believe the number of sittings let did not exceed 200, whereas at the present time there are about 600. The Sabbath-schools and other associations carried on by the congregation are in a most flourishing condition, mainly through the constant care of Mr. Lundie; and a reference to the financial accounts of our Synod will prove that our congregation has greatly prospered under his sustained efforts. In addition to all these considerations, Mr. Lundie occupies a most prominent and worthy position in this community, and in his well-timed help to all good public objects, thereby upholds and tends to extend our church in Birkenhead in a manner that no stranger could expect to do for years, if ever; for we have pleasure in stating that Mr. Lundie is highly respected, not only by his own congregation, but by the community at large of all denominations. As it has been stated that a principal reason for entertaining the present call is the state of Mr. Lundie's health, and it may be advanced that the smaller charge at Fairfield will lighten his labours, we would take leave respectfully to suggest that possibly the efforts necessary to build up a new congregation may be as trying as his

was delivered on the 6th of March to a crowded audience, in the New Assembly Hall, by the Rev. Dr. James Buchanan, the subject being "The Doctrine of Justification." In a few introductory remarks the lecturer referred to the selection of this subject, indicating its suitableness for all ages of the Christian Church, and its near interest in every experience of the power of the truth, but specially its direct relations to prevalent forms of error-Rationalism on the one hand, and Ritualism on the other. He added, as another reason for the vindication of this truth at present, that on the part of many able and earnest men of the Church of England it was contended that Justification by Faith alone is not a doctrine of that Church, or of the Word of God and the early Christian teachers. The lecturer further explained that the historical part of the course would be alone embraced in the lectures, the statement and vindication of the doctrine being reserved till the whole was published. The first part of the historical sketch, embracing the doctrine as revealed to the Old Testament Church, was proceeded with, and justification as it may refer to an unfallen or to a guilty creature explained as historically presented in God's transactions with our first parents. At the close of the lecture, Dr. Buchanan illustrated the fulness of the experience of the Ancient Church in relation to this doctrine by numerous quotations from the Book of Psalms. The lecture was listened to throughout with much interest, and we have no doubt that that interest will be sustained to the close of what proves to be a valuable contribution to the literature of this important subject. In the second of the course, on the 9th, Dr. Buchanan gave an interesting and valuable historical review of the doctrine of Justification, in so far as the New Testament is concerned; traced the

relation between the Promise, the Law, and testant and Romish methods of Justification. the Gospel; gave an elaborate review and Dr. Buchanan showed how the Romanist analysis of the errors of Judaism in reference appeared to concede everything to the Proto the question; indicated the ground taken testants-that Justification was by grace, by by Christ and the Apostles in opposition to faith, and by the merits of Christ-and those errors; then gave an account of the yet, while conceding, or rather appearing to controversies that arose from the relation concede, all this, they reserved one point, between the Gentile and Jewish converts, and and in reserving it they reserved all. Justi lastly from the corruptions introduced into fication was by faith, the Papists admitted, Christian doctrine by the admixture of not a faith which appropriated Christ's heathen philosophies. The special topic righteousness wrought out for us, but a treated in the third lecture was the Patristic faith which imported Christ's righteousness doctrine on the subject of Justification. The into us, giving us a title to pardon and degree of importance to be attached to the eternal life. And so Justification was still opinions of the Fathers was carefully weighed. on the ground of infused righteousness; It was proved, by an appeal to them simply illustrating, as Dr. Buchanan remarked, the as witnesses as to a fact, that the doctrine saying of John Livingston, that the dividing had been fully recognised from the earliest line of a controversy may be as fine as a age after the Apostles, and that, by some of razor's edge, but on the one side of that the Fathers, a forensic as opposed to a moral line is God's truth, and on the other side justification was distinctly taught. The the devil's lie. In the last lecture of the critical value of the views of the Primitive Church was estimated and defended. Quotations were made from Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, &c., to show the rise of errors on the subject of Christ's person, and which tended to pervert and obscure the doctrine of Justification. The service which Augustine rendered to evangelical truth was illustrated, and his doctrine of efficacious grace as excluding ali merit i man was shown to have prepared the way for the doctrine of a free Justification. Reference was made to Anselm and Bernard as sustaining the evangelical view of the doctrine. The statements of the scholastic divines were also explained, with the errors to which they led. The special topic of the fourth lecture was "Indulgences." Dr. Buchanan, with great theological discrimination, traced the origin to the Roman doctrine of pardon, and to the distinction which Papists make betwixt the eternal and the temporal punishment of sin, and showed that indulgences were no accidental abuse, but a necessary development of an erroneous doctrine. He said that Luther, with intuitive sagacity, discovered the real origin of this monstrous abuse, and laid the axe to the root of the tree by attacking the false doctrine out of which indulgences grew, even that of Justification by works. The lecturer, at the close, briefly but clearly traced the distinction betwixt the Roman and Protestant doctrines on the head of Justification by works the one, by grace the other. The topic of the fifth lecture was the attempts made, at the period of the Council of Trent, to unite the Protestant and Romish Churches on the basis of an agreement betwixt the Reformers and the Baptists on the doctrine of Justification. The concessions made on both sides afforded an opportunity to the Jecturer admirably to illustrate, still farther, he irreconcilable difference betwixt the Pro

But,

series Dr. Buchanan shortly glanced at the
history of the doctrine of Justification by
Faith at and since the Reformation, bringing
prominently into view the remarkable uni-
formity of opinion on this subject of the
creeds of all the Reformed Churches. He
proceeded to consider at some length the
position of the Church of England, and ably
combated the views of those who maintain
that that Church has never accepted the
Reformed doctrine on this question, but
has adhered to what they call the Catholic
Apostolic doctrine. That opinion has been
founded mainly on the influence which
Melancthon and Bucer exerted over the
founders of the Church of England.
while denying that their influence was greater
than that of Luther, Calvin, or Knox, or
that it would have involved any such views
of the doctrine of Justification by Faith,
Dr. Buchanan contended that the Church
of England herself must be accepted as the
exponent of her views; and that her articles
and homilies, when interpreted in their
natural and obvious sense, were in full
harmony with the views of the Reformers
on this subject. Extracts were also read
from several of the leading English Re-
formers, and one from the "judicious
Hooker" was given, of special directness
and interest Dr. Buchanan forcibly alluded
to the indications of a season of special
trial to the Churches through the entrance of
forms of error, and referred to the proba-
bility that the Established Churches of the
country would either become the receptacles
of all forms of error, or, by the raising up
of some Cromwell, be swept away as the
nurseries of error and scepticism. Dr. Bu
chanan then intimated that the Council had
appointed Principal Fairbairn, of Glasgow,
to deliver the next course of lectures, and
that the subject was "Law, in relation to
the Divine Dispensations."

THE PROCEEDINGS OF SYNOD.

THE Thirtieth Synod of the English | Presbyterian Church met on the evening of Monday April 16th, in Regent Square Church, London, and continued its sittings till the following Thursday evening. The retiring Moderator, the Rev. R. H. Lundie, M.A., preached the opening sermon from Galatians v. 13. "By love serve one another." At the close of the sermon the Synod was constituted by prayer, after which the roll of members was called.

The Rev. R. H. Lundie after thanking the Synod for the kindness shown to him as Moderator, and remarking on the progress of the Church during the past year, proposed the Rev. T. Alexander, M.A., as his successor in the chair, which was unanimously agreed to. Mr. Alexander then delivered an address of considerable power on topics of present interest in the religious world. This address we give in full at another page.

The Rev. W. Keedy proposed a cordial vote of thanks to the retiring Moderator, which was warmly agreed to by the Synod and suitably conveyed by the new Moderator.

The junior clerk read the following statement of the ministerial changes that have takenlace during the past year :

Presbytery of Berwick-on-Tweed.—The Rev. Thomas Robinson resigned his charge at Etal on May 17th, 1865, and the Rev. George M'Guffie was ordained in said charge on January 10th, 1866.

Presbytery of Birmingham.-The Rev. Robert Lewers resigned his charge at New John Street, Birmingham, which charge has since been vacant.

Presbytery of Cumberland.-The congregation of Whitehaven has become vacant by the resignation of the Rev. Joseph Burns; and Carlisle, by the translation of the Rev. William M'Indoe to Free Martyrs' Church, Paisley.

Presbytery of Lancashire.-The Rev James Feths has been inducted in Douglas the Rev. Robert Mitchell ordained in Bolton; the Rev. R. H. Lundie translated from Birkenhead to Fairfield, Liverpool. Chester has become vacant by the resignation of the Rev. William Hunter, and Birkenhead by the translation of the Rev. R. H. Lundie.

Presbytery of London. The Rev. William Charteris was inducted in Alderney on the 11th of July, 1865. The Rev. James M'Gill was inducted in Bournemouth on the 30th of May, 1865. The Rev. Alexander Stewart, LL.D., was in

ducted in Guernsey on the 13th February, and their suggestions be reported to a 1866. The Rev. William Jeffrey resigned Committee of this Synod by the end of his charge 'in Guernsey. The Rev. W. October, who will be authorized to introCusin translated from Greenwich to Edin- duce any improvements they may think burgh on Sept. 26th, 1865. The Rev. advisable, that the book may be brought John Kelly resigned his charge at Tiverton up for approval at next Synod, the Comon November 28th, 1866, which charge mittee to be named afterwards." After has since become extinct. The Rev. some discussion the first motion was carried Hector M'Millan, formerly minister at by a large majority. Bournemouth, deceased in February, 1866. Presbytery of Newcastle-on-Tyne.-The Rev. Patrick L. Miller has retired from the pastorate of John Knox Church, Newcastle, and the Rev. Dr. Paterson from the active duties of St. George's, Sunderland. Dr. Paterson still retains his seat in the Presbytery and Synod. The Rev. W. A. P. Johnman ordained in Darlington.

Presbytery of Northumberland.-The Rev. R. H. Davidson was ordained at Glanton on the 31st August, 1865. Tabulated Statement.

The Synod spent the first hour, from eleven to twelve o'clock, in devotional exercises, which were led by Dr. Hamilton, Mr. J. Mathieson, Rev. J. Black, and Rev. D. Blelloch.

An overture was read from the Presbytery of London on the improvement of the collection of hymns and paraphrases now used in the congregations of the Church, which was supported by the Rev. W. Chalmers, who laid on the table a new collection of psalms and hymns, and moved as follows, seconded by Rev. A. M. Halkett: "That the Synod adopt the overture, and appoint a Committee in terms thereof, to examine said collection during the sittings of the Synod, and report before its rising." Mr. Alexander Gillespie moved, and Mr. W. K. Coubrough seconded, "That the hymn-book be sent down to Presbyteries;

While the foregoing business was proceeding, a telegram was received, and announced by the Moderator, intimating the tidings that the Rev. P. L. Miller, of Newcastle, had been taken ill there on Saturday, and had expired on Monday evening at eight o'clock, p.m. On the motion of Dr. Munro, the Synod, deeply solemnized by this mournful intelligence, and lamenting the loss of a brother so much beloved and respected, recorded their sense of the piety, devotion, 'and earnest labour which distinguished their brother during the whole course of his ministry, and their deep sympathy with the bereaved widow and children, whom they desired to commend to the grace and compassion of our God and Saviour. The Moderator, on the request of the Synod, offered up a solemn prayer. The clerks were instructed to send an extract of this minute to the bereaved family.

Mr. J. Watson having read the Report of Finance Committee, it was moved by Dr. Leone Levi, seconded by Mr. T. D. Thompson, as follows:-"Adopt the Report, re-appoint the Committee, Mr. Watson, Convener, and in the event of this Committee desiring a return of the amount raised for the support of the ministry, and for congregational purposes, Sessions are instructed to furnish that information."

The Synod then called for the Synod Fund Report, which was given in by Mr. Watson, on whose motion, seconded by Mr. Lundie, it was agreed "That the Report be received and adopted, and that a Committee, consisting of the clerks of the House, and the treasurers of the Schemes, be appointed to consider the subject of the treasurership of the Church, and to report to a future diet. Dr. Duncan, Convener."

Mr. James Watson gave in the report of Finance Committee. It referred to the financial condition of the various schemes of the Church, and especially drew attention to the unsatisfactory state of the Foreign Mission. Accompanying the Finance Committee's report is a tabulated statement of the receipts of the committees of the schemes, so as to give a comparative view of the congregational contributions to these schemes during the past four years. The committee state that the aggregate of the receipts of all the Synod schemes, from all sources, during the year has been