to resemble that of a tree, which is rooted in the same place, and whose progress is marked by the thickening of its trunks, and its expanding boughs, and its increasing lottiness of stature, and not to have its progress resemble that of a tree, which is, every now and then, taken up by the root and planted in a new place. This kind of progress would be bad for the health of trees, even though it should remove them from one end of an estate to the other end, and I cannot but think, that persons who are every now and then rooted up from their fundamental beliefs, are more noted for change than progress. Indep. I think there is a great deal of truth in this. Stability of mind is surely essential to progress, and men never begin to advance until they are settled, as a tree never begins to grow till it has taken root. same time, I think there was truth in Dr Balmer's remark. At the Orig. Sec. I too was struck with that figure. Without admitting the justness of its application I thought it very fine; and as I had observed the total want of originality in all Dr Balmer's compositions, that his best sentiments were only old ones newly varnished, that even his heresies were borrowed, and that his figures were all formed mechanically, like waxen flowers, and did not spring up, alive and beautiful, from the soil of a rich imagination, I was as much surprised that so fine a figure should be found in his works, as if I had discovered, a cedar or a pomegranate, growing on the Scottish bills. But in course of time I saw reason to say concerning this fine figure, "Alas, that it has been borrowed from Dugald Stewart,' so that it does not represent the attitude in which Dr M'Crie was presented to Dr Balmer's imagination, but it is merely a picture, that he has cut out of a book and pasted on his back, which may be done, any day, to the greatest of men, by the very weakest. United Pres. But the figure may be true though borrowed. You really do seem to think that because things are old, therefore they are excellent. This is worshipping antiquity: this is a species of puseyism: it is making the fathers a rule: and why not go back to Augustine, and Ambrose, and Jerome, as well as to Knox, and Melville, and Henderson. Orig. Sec. I am quite willing to go back even farther than that; I am prepared to go back to the days of the apostles. No religion that is new, is the true religion. Truth is older than error, just as God was before Satan, and every system is false that is not as old as the bible, and cannot be proven from the bible. "To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to these things, it is because there is no light in them." Whether a system be old or new, whether its adherents be few or many, whatever earnestness may characterise its disciples, however full of love, and peace, and joy, however strong their faith, however abundant their labours, it is all nothing if their sentiments cannot stand the test of God's holy word. As I must be going at present, with your consent, I should be most happy at some future time to bring our respective sentiments to the test of Scripture. Morris. I shall be most happy to bring the subject to this test; and hope, that our two friends here who have said little to-night, may also be present to favour us with their views. Indep. I shall be exceedingly happy. United Pres. And I too shall be in attendance, if possible, at whatever time you shall appoint. The Danger of an Uncertain Sound: Or, Doctrinal Defection Apprehended, with special reference to the Rev. Mr Purves', Jedburgh, Sermons, touching some points much controverted at Present. By the Rev. WILLIAM SORLEY, Minister of the Gospel at Selkirk. Though a year or upwards has elapsed since the publication of this volume, through some mistake it did not reach us till after the publication of our last number. Having read several reviews of it in other periodicals, some of them very favourable, and some of them so unfavourable as to be scarcely civil, we felt anxious on having it put into our hands to see how the matter stood. After an attentive perusal, without any personal or party bias towards either of the reverend gentlemen mentioned on the titlepage, we feel constrained, both by a sense of justice, and by duty to a friend, of sound doctrine, whom it has been attempted to place in a false and odious light, to declare, that in so far as we are capable of judging, the work before us is highly creditable to Mr Sorley's abilities as a theologian, to his proficiency as a writer, and to his self-command as a controversialist. It would appear that the Reverend Mr Purves, while sound in the faith himself, is very unsound in the policy which regulates his proclamation of the truth. He considers that there are some doctrines, the fundamental doc. trines indeed of gospel truth, as that word has hitherto been understood, are not parts of the gospel to be preached to sinners, and these he sets aside, and preaches only to converted persons, and he does so because he found these doctrines stumbling to his people when they became anxious about salvation. The intention of Mr Purves in doing this may be good, but we apprehend the course adopted by him is quite unscriptural and dangerous. The Bible nowhere makes such a distinction; it is all addressed to sinners; and to resolve to be quiet concerning several portions of it, because these are not relished by some persons at a certain stage, must, we are afraid, be reckoned as an attempt to take away "the offence of the cross," and to make the gospel cease to be "" a stumbling block and foolishness" to the carnal mind. That gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation," ever will be offensive to unconverted men, even though awakened; but it is the very quality of offensiveness, in certain of its articles, which reaches to the inmost recesses of the soul, stops every mouth, and makes man dumb in God's presence, and causes him to cry for mercy, as a thing utterly undeserved; and, therefore, though removing these may make the gospel more palatable, it will make it less powerful in the thorough conversion of the soul. The remarks of Mr Sorley are sound, judicious, and as it appears to us, necessary to the vindication of truth, which is not less in danger where the man is sound, if the minister avowedly and on system withhold a large and important portion of divine truth from his ministrations. The doctrinal opinions of Mr Sorley are firm and enlightened: he appears well read on the subjects which he discusses, and having matured these, obviously, by silent, deliberate and continuous reflection in his own mind, they have nothing of the flurried manner, and of that extravagance of tone and statement which characterise and throw discredit on so many works about controversial divinity in the present times. The style of the work is suitable to the subject, having principally one fault, that not of being too finished, but of having too much of the appearance of being finished. Throughout, he treats his opponent with a candour, and a politeness that is so very marked as to be almost finical. Expressions of disapprobation are conveyed in a style of courtesy so poised and formal as to be quite amusing, and to fill one with astonishment that the volume should ever have been characterised as harsh and repulsive in its tone but coolness is sometimes fully as provoking as its opposite. It is quite apparent, that of the two men, Mr Sorley is the friend of sound doctrine, and when that is the question, there would be something pitiful and cowardly, and indeed contemptible, if the acknowledged personal excellence and ministerial diligence of Mr Purves should induce us to attempt to put the latter in the right and the former in the wrong; conceiving that, to do so, would be a perversion of that justice which is demanded of all the judges of books, as well as of all the judges of men, and believ ing that, with any Calvinist, this would have been to love a man more than the truth of God, we have given what to our judgment appears a fair, candid and unbiassed opinion on the subject. But our readers can test the matter for themselves. RELIGIOUS AND MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE. FOREIGN. In Belgium, the Evangelical Society continues its operations, amid much difficulty, arising from its embarrassed finances. The number of persons now employed in its service, as ministers of the gospel, teachers, and colporteurs, amounts to twenty four. But these are not sufficient for the work to be done. Preachers are earnestly called for in places which manifest a feeling and sense of their religious necessities. Well qualified agents too, have offered their services to announce the gospel, and yet, notwithstanding all these favourable circumstances, the Committee finds it impossible, from the want of funds, to extend their labours as they desire to do. In Holland, the friends of the gospel, who have seceded from the Reformed Church, as countenanced and supported by the State, have succeeded in erecting twenty free Christian schools throughout the kingdom, the other schools which proceed from the government being entirely deprived of positive Christian principles. They are also attempting to raise a seminary for educating Christian schoolmasters, there being no such seminary in Holland up to this time. EUROPE. The work of evangelization the principles of the Reformed Church on the Continent-Openings for the spread are manifest.-Rome, I repeat, has run of the gospel. One immediate effect of out her course, and the reign of the the progress of Revolution, on the Conti- gospel will spread throughout the earth. nent of Europe, has been to lay an arrest Let us labour in a spirit of faith, and we upon the work of evangelization, and, shall see great things!" indeed, upon all missionary labour. Politics have entirely engrossed the attention of men; and, from the stirring and exciting influences connected with them, turned away their minds from the interests of the soul and eternity while the financial embarrassment and uncertainty that everywhere prevail, have dried up, to a very great extent, the sources on which they depended for their support. On this account the three great institu tions of evangelistic labour on the Continent the Evangelic Societies of Belgium, France and Geneva, as well as other missionary institutions, are at the present time much embarrassed and impeded in their operations, from the deficiency in their funds. They have even been compelled to diminish the number of their agents, and to abandon some of their stations. Such a state of matters, it is to be hoped, will only prove temporary, and be succeeded, as the excitement and agitation subside, by increased effort and enlarged liberality. Never was so wide a field laid open. Never were opportunities enjoyed more favourable. And it is gratifying to find that the friends of truth on the Continent are alive to the responsibility resting upon them, and full of hope as to the future. "Our prospects for the future," says the French correspondent of Evangelical Christendom," are cheering. All things prove, as I said at the commencement of this letter, that Romanism is mortally wounded. It has an appearance of life, but in its fundamental principle it is dead. traditions are rejected by the humbler classes; its false dogmas are abandoned; its clerical hierarchy can no longer sustain itself; its ceremonies are turned into ridicule. The entire Papal edifice is like an old tower, which threatens to fall at the first gust of the storm. There will thus be a wide field opened for us. Already some symptoms of adhesion to Its At Frankfort, on the Maine, a society has been formed by a number of Christian friends, the object of which is described in the following extract: "Some of our brethren have agreed to call upon professing Christians, individually, in order to persuade them to live henceforth consistently unto Christ; others will visit the indifferent or worldly; others deliver addresses, and make use of the press to bring religious topics prominently before the public; others assist the Bible Society by distributing the Scriptures and tracts; others intend to address the young by means of Sunday schools, religious services for young persons, and Bible classes." A weekly meeting is held every Tuesday evening, at which the members report their proceeding or experience and demissionary ministers, with unrelenting receive encouragement and advice. 64 "In Bavaria," says another continental correspondent, Protestantism is at length free de facto, as well as de jure, and its recognition effected in Austria, that most strongly-guarded of all the strongholds of bigotry. It was but last summer that a gentleman travelling through Austria, was deprived on the frontier of several religious books, although he stated truly that they were solely for his own use. His Bible would have shared the same fate of the other parts of his travelling library, but for the circumstance of its being well worn, and having his name stamped on the binding. Now, a free press will permit the unhindered circulation of the sacred scriptures, as well as other publications deemed heretical under the old regime; and as people are often more greedy of that from which they have been long debarred, it may be, that controversial works will find acceptance in Austria proportioned to their novelty within the empire. As another characteristic sign of the times, it may be mentioned, that the only religious confession now at all exposed either to insult or injury in Vienna, is that one which formerly lorded it so arrogantly over the consciences of the people. The only buildings which suffered from popular fury during the memorable 14th and 15th of March, were the villa of Prince Metternich, and the Ligonian monastery, the two representatives of political and ecclesiastical oppression; and the only clergy who now need police protection in Austria or its dependencies are those of the Roman Catholic persuasion, who are believed to be Jesuits." We regret that we have still to add Switzerland to the list of the intolerant and oppressive. In the Canton de Vaud the persecuting decree of the Council of State, forbidding, under severe penalties, all religious assemblies. held out of the Established Church, and not authorised by law, continues to be executed, especially against the oppressed and suffering UNITED ORIGINAL SECESSION. rigour and cruelty. Already eleven of their number, among whom is the Rev. C. Baup, Vevey, have been driven from their flocks, some of them in very trying and affecting circumstances; while the Rev. M. Scholl and Madame Vinet, widow of the late Professor Vinet, have been sentenced to a fine of fifty francs each and costs. And this decree has been still farther sanctioned by a late meeting of the Grand Council. "Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name. O deliver not the soul of thy turtle dove unto the multitude of the wicked; forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever. Ps. lxxiv. 18, 19." ASIA. India. Missions of the Free Church of Scotland. These missions prosper at the various stations where their agents are employed. At Calcutta, Dr Duff records another conversion, and directs attention to a number of eligible stations, where native evangelists, might be advantageously employed, were the means provided for their support. At Madras, Ummani Ummah, an aged widow of fifty years, the grandmother of Unnum, now Joanna, the first of the caste girls who applied for baptism. has herself been baptised and admitted a member of the native congregation. The Rev. Mr Anderson preached from Titus iii. 5, and administered the ordinance. Having elicited from her a confession of her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in answer to a variety of questions which he addressed to her, he asked her, "Now, is it your desire to be baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ?" "Yes," she replied. Mr Anderson offered up prayer, and then said :-"Your original name is Ummani Ummah; but I will now give you a Christian name, though that is no part of the ordinance of baptism: Sarah I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." DOMESTIC. The Synod of United Original Seceders met at Edinburgh on the 2d day of May, and was opened by the Rev. Robert Shaw with a sermon from Mat. xxviii. 20. "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. The Synod was then constituted with prayer by the Rev. John Aitken, moderator. The Rev. James Black was chosen moderator at the present meeting. We deem it unnecessary to give a full report of the Synod's proceedings, but select the cases of more general interest. The report of the Mission Committee was read by Dr M'Crie. It stated that the Committee have still been unsuccessful in finding a suitable person to engage in missionary labour; that they had sent £40 to the Evangelical Society of Geneva, and the same sum to the Belgian Evangelical Society, for the support of colporteurs; that these sums have been received with the utmost gratitude by the societies mentioned, and have been applied to the support of two colporteurs in France by the Geneva society, and one by the Belgian society, from whom regular reports have since been received, interesting extracts from which were read. The report also stated that some of the congregations strongly urged the necessity of the Synod at this meeting taking some step for applying the funds already collected to missionary purposes, and the Committee pointed to Ireland as a field for missionary exertion, equally clamant and accessible. After full deliberation, the Synod approved of the report, reappointed the committee, with the addition of the Rev. Mr Anderson, with instructions to continue their donations to the Evangelical Societies of Geneva and Belgium, to make enquiries with regard to an individual who had been mentioned as suitable for missionary work, particularly to ascertain his character and talents, and his willingness to connect himself with the Original Secession Church; and in the meantime, that the committee should give from the funds £100 for the employment of catechists and teachers in Ireland. The Campbell Street congregation, Glasgow, having given a call to the Rev. Robert John Watt of Stranraer, after parties had been fully heard, the Synod agreed without a vote to continue Mr Watt in his present charge, while, at the same time, they deeply sympathised with the Campbell Street Congregation in their present circumstances. The congregation at Kirkintilloch having given a call to Mr John Blakeley, which was opposed by a numerous party, and the Presbytery of Glasgow having sustained the call, the case was brought before the Synod by a protest and appeal of certain members of the Presbytery. After all the parties had been fully heard, the Synod, by a majority, found that the call as before them, is a regularly constituted call, sustained the same, and enjoined the Presbytery of Glasgow to proceed to carry it into effect according to the rules of the Church. The Committee for correspondence with the Reformed Presbyterian Synod gave in a verbal report, and laid before the court certain propositions which had been drawn up by the joint committee. After a free and harmonious discussion the committee was re-appointed, and it was remitted to them to prosecute the business as they have opportunity, availing themselves of the suggestions which had been expressed by the brethren. Upon motion, a committee was appointed to take into consideration and devise some means for securing a more general attendance of ruling elders, both in the superior and inferior Church courts. The committee to consist of Mr Sandison, convener, Dr M'Crie, Mr Stevenson, Mr Manson, and Mr Meek. The committee on the mutual assistance fund gave in a very satisfactory report, and the thanks of the Synod were communicated by the moderator to the Committee and their convener. The committee was re-appointed, Mr William M'Crie, convener. The next meeting of Synod is appointed to be held in Davie Street Church, Edinburgh, on Tuesday, the 1st day of May 1849. Mission Schemes of the Free Church.— From the Report on Missions presented to the late meeting of the General Assembly of the Free Church, it appears, that notwithstanding the unusual difficulties of the past year, the contributions to the missionary schemes prosper,-that is, the contributions to foreign missions of the Church, is greater than at any former time. Last year the sum total was L 43,327: 9:1, while it has reached this year to L.47,424 : 15: 111⁄2. Add to this sum the contributions made throughout the year towards the Education Scheme, the Continental Churches, and Sabbath Observance,-together with contributions raised by sundry societies, |
