If there was rebellion in refusing to abandon Dr. Chalmers' non-intru would have been the CHAP. VIII. to act under the motion of Dr. Chalmers he was, at the 1859. very least, declaring that, let the civil courts say what they might, his lordship's non-intrusion was a principle that "cannot be abandoned," and in the face of which no presentee would be settled by the church. His point of resistance was considerably in the rear of that occupied by Dr. Chalmers, but it was still outside and in advance of what Lords Brougham and Cottenham had declared to be the line of the civil law. If there was rebellion in refusing to surrender the one position, there was rebellion in refusing to surrender the other. And yet it was in these circumsion, there stances Lord Dalhousie ventured to charge the supreme ecclesiastical court-which he had entered for the first refusing to time in his life only a few days before, and of which he was lordship's. probably the youngest member-with rebelling against the law of the land. His lordship gave himself no time to reconsider the sentiments he had uttered, for after telling the house, if not with all the dignity at least with all the confidence of a prophet, that the church had "already rung out her knell as the established church of Scotland," he immediately withdrew; and by thus setting to the other office-bearers of the church a conspicuous and influential example of contempt for her authority and laws, he did his best to sow the seeds of that ecclesiastical insubordination, to which undoubtedly is due whatever fulfilment his prediction has received. same in abandon his A glance at the other this Assembly. Before leaving this important assembly, it may not be measures of out of place to glance for a moment at some of its other proceedings. They will serve to show that the stand the church was now making for the integrity of her constitution, however it might have cooled the attachment of certain statesmen and secular politicians, had been drawing more closely around her the affections of her own people, and the esteem of other branches of the church of Christ. The prosperity of extension scheme. 1839. independence resolution of 1838 had broken up those con- CHAP. VIIL ferences in London, at the house of a certain great political chief,-in which, for some months before, much interest had been expressed in the cause of the extension of the church of Scotland. It exerted, however, no such chilling influence among the people of Scotland themselves. And, accordingly, in the assembly of 1839, Dr. Chalmers had to Continued report, as the contribution for church extension made during the Church the preceding twelve months, no less a sum than £52,959. It was in the course of that same period a new fund had been commenced, of whose origin and prospects Dr. Chalmers spoke in the following terms. The extent of spiritual destitution, and the consequent call for additional churches, being found to multiply the demands on the ordinary fund greatly beyond its means of meeting them,"on revealing," said Dr. Chalmers, in his report to the assembly, "the difficulties of our scheme to him who from the first has been its most munificent supporter, Mr. William Campbell, of Glasgow-practised in business, and with a sagacity in devising liberal things only equalled by the open-heartedness which prompts and actuates him onwards to the noblest sacrifices, and leaves us at a loss whether most to admire the largeness of his benefactions or the largeness of his views,-this truly patriotic friend of the church of Scotland has suggested a plan, which now that it has been put, though as yet partially, into operation, bids fair, if only prosecuted with sufficient energy, to bring our enterprize into its desired haven. The proposal is to contribute, at the rate of £1 or more, for each of the next hundred new churches not begun to be built previous to the publication of the assembly's church extension report of 1838; or for any smaller number of new churches which subscribers may choose to fix upon." This supplementary fund, though but newly started, had already reached the Mr. William Campbell of Glasgow, and the sup plementary fuud. politicians CHAP. VIII. munificent sum of £27,000. If peers and politicians thought 1839. Peers and the church of Scotland less worthy of countenance because of her non-intrusion and spiritual independence, those who Assembly's knew the practical worth and working of these principles had arrived at a very different conclusion. relish the proceed. ings; but not so the members of the Church. The synod Deputation to government. of the hindered them from grappling with the case. It was under an act of this assembly, too, that a large body of presbyterians, which had been long separate from the establishment-the burgher synod of original seceders -returned to the communion of the national church,"the beginning," as Mr. Candlish, the mover of the act, trusted, "of that ingathering by which the church of Scotland might yet be the church of all the people of the land.” Nor was it only from brethren at home this assembly received testimonies of fraternal regard. The presbyterian church in England-the presbyterian church in Ireland-the presbyterian church in Canada,-had each of them appeared by their deputies in the assembly of 1839, for the purpose of cultivating friendly relations and a closer alliance with the evangelical and reforming church of Scotland. Not long after the assembly rose, a deputation from the committee appointed under the motion of Dr. Chalmers, proceeded to London. Unhappily for the success of their mission, the government then in office were not strong. The weakness Able to command but a bare majority in the house of government commons, and liable to be out-voted any day in the house of lords, they could not afford to take a decided course on almost any question that was likely to involve much difference of opinion. There can be no reasonable doubt that to this cause was mainly due the hesitating, half and half course which they followed on the affairs of the church of Scotland. The veto-law had been passed by the assembly in 1834, with the express concurrence of the Scottish law officers of the crown. If the church had erred in believing that this law made no invasion of the legal rights of patrons, CHAP. VIIL Special obli gation under government lay, to unsettlement dertake the 1839. she erred in common with the highest authorities she could consult upon the question. Even, therefore, if it had not been as it was-substantially the same ministry and the which that same political party that were still in power in 1839,-the circumstance now stated would have entitled the church to expect the prompt assistance of the government in extricating a great national institution from difficulties growing out of a measure to which the proper legal advisers of that government had given their deliberate sanction. of the Church's difficulties. report made by the depu August comi tation to the This is a consideration to which sufficient attention has never yet been paid. It is not improbable, indeed, that Lord Melbourne, and his colleagues, felt its force, and that in more favourable circumstances they would have acted accordingly. The timidity and irresolution, however, which, through their want of parliamentary strength had become a general characteristic of their public policy, would not suffer them to grapple with the case boldly and at once, and as its urgency and importance demanded. At first, it is true, the negotiations of the committee wore a very promising appearance. When the commission of assembly met Favourable on the 14th of August, shortly after the deputation returned home, the report of their proceedings that was laid before it was of a nature to encourage the best hopes of a speedy and satisfactory settlement. First, there was produced an official communication from Lord Belhaven, the queen's commissioner to the preceding general assembly, in which his lordship made the following gratifying statement: "I beg leave, at the same time, to mention to you, that I had Communica the pleasure of accompanying the deputation to the heads the Queen's of the government, and I feel myself entitled to say, that er, Lord a strong desire was expressed both by Lord Melbourne and Lord John Russell to effect a satisfactory settlement of the question respecting the presentation of ministers; they both expressed their decided intention of making such mission. tion from Commission. Belhaven. CHAP. VIII. arrangements as would enable the queen's patronage to be 1839. exercised according to the veto-law: and Lord Melbourne stated that he would instruct the lord advocate to confer with the procurator of the church on this most important subject, and to draw up the heads of a bill to be laid before the cabinet as soon as possible, in order that the measure may have full consideration before the next meeting of parliament. I hope this will be, so far as it has gone, satisfactory to the church; it is extremely desirable that as much unanimity should exist as can be obtained, and I hope all parties will see the propriety of uniting, in order to effect a satisfactory adjustment of this very important matter." How little this just and patriotic sentiment of his lordship was responded to by the moderate party, or at least by many of its most influential members, will presently appear. The statement made by Lord Belhaven was reiterated in the report of the non-intrusion committee. That report The report of was given in and read by Dr. Chalmers: after noticing the trusion com- steps taken with a view to obtain the concurrence of members of parliament, and of the patrons themselves, in support of the object which the committee had been appointed to prosecute, it proceeded as follows:-" First, we can state our having received the assurance of the government that they were fully impressed with the importance of the subject, and would give it their most serious consideration, and that they would give instructions to the lord advocate to prepare, along with the procurator, a measure to be submitted to the cabinet. And for those who might desiderate something more definite, and as they perhaps feel, more substantial Confirms the than this, we have the satisfaction of announcing, if not Lord Bella- yet a specific measure by the legislature, at least a specific and most important concession to the views of the church on the part of the government. They have authorized us to state, that in the disposal of those livings which are at the non-in mittee given in by Dr. Chalmers. statement of ven. |