of moral as well as political causes, led to the neglect of this salutary provision. And although there has been a growing attention to the subject for many years, it is only during the last three that it has been fully and generally discussed. In 1832, those who wished to give full effect to the case, were defeated, but not without throwing considerable light on the just and legal claims of the people, and arousing the friends of practical godliness over the whole church. Overtures were poured in to the Assembly of 1833, formidable from their numbers, and resistless from the determined spirit by which they were animated. Those who had before opposed us, now took lower ground; they were willing to grant the full exercise of all we have above described, knowing that nothing less would be carried. But the movement party, confident of their strength, and many of them anxious to render unnecessary any general discussion on the law of patronage as existing under this check, raised their demands. Dr. Chalmers came forward with a motion, giving an unconditional veto to the people, and which was lost only by a small majority. But a very large minority is seldom willing to sit down under a defeat; the question was again renewed this year; and for the first time, after a long series of years, the evangelical party, as they are sometimes called, carried this, and all the leading questions on which they divided, their own way. lowing extracts from the printed minutes of Assembly will explain what has been done on the subject-- The General Assembly called for the overtures relating to the calling of ministers. The overtures from the Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, from the Synod of Aberdeen, and the Presbytery of Inverness, were read. After reasoning, the following motion was made and seconded-That the General Assembly having maturely considered the overtures, do declare that it is a fundamental law of the church, that no pastor shall be intruded on any congregation contrary to the will of the people; and that in order to carry this principle into full effect, the Presbyteries of this church shall be instructed, that, if at the moderating in a call to a vacant pastoral charge, the major part of the male heads of families, members of the vacant congregation, and in full communion with the church, shall disapprove of the person in whose favour the call is proposed to be moderated in, such disapproval shall be deemed sufficient ground for the Presbytery rejecting such person, and that he shall be rejected accordingly, and due notice thereof forthwith given to all concerned; but that, if the major

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part of the heads of families shall not disapprove of such person to be their pastor, the Presbytery shall proceed with the settlement according to the rules of the church; and farther declare, that no person shall be held to be entitled to disapprove as aforesaid, who shall refuse, if required, solemnly to declare in presence of the Presbytery, that he is actuated by no factious or malicious motive, but solely by a conscientious` regard to the spiritual interest of himself or the congregation; and resolve that a committee be appointed to report to a future diet of this Assembly, in which manner, and by what particular measure, this declaration and instruction may be best carried into full operation. It was also moved and seconded, That the General Assembly adhere to the declaratory laws of last Assembly-approve of the report of the committee of last Assembly for preparing regulations-and direct Presbyteries to proceed in terms thereof. The vote being called for, it was agreed, that the state of the vote should be first or second motion; and the roll being called and votes marked, it carried first motion by 184 to 139, and therefore the General Assembly declare in terms of the first motion. A committee having been appointed, regulations were prepared and afterwards agreed to. The above, with the regulations, was also converted into what is called an interim act; that is, an act having for the time the authority of law; but, in conformity with a standing rule of our church, it must yet be approved by the majority of Presbyteries, before it be adopted as a part of the constitution of the church. Respecting the result of this ordeal, few fears are, however, entertained. Modifications may be introduced, and, perhaps, ought, but the principle will not be lost sight of. And thus have we virtually attained to the full enjoyment of this valued and valuable privilege. It opens widely the door of access to popular and acceptable ministers; and it has already produced a moral impression, and given an impulse to other healthful measures of great, though subordinate, importance,

After obtaining so satisfactory a decision on this point, it was not to be expected that any considerable number of members would seek to agitate, at least for some time, the remaining question of patronage. Some were of opinion that patronage, in these altered circumstances, could scarcely be called an evil; and many who thought differently, yet felt it due to the measure achieved, that it should be allowed a fair trial before any farther change be adopted. And hence, although a small party did urge the duty of attacking this

part of the system also, their motion was negatived by a large majority.

IV.-On Chapels of Ease. It may, perhaps, be necessary to mention, that, in consequence of long neglect on the part of both the church and government, our population, especially in` manufacturing districts, greatly exceeded the means of grace provided by the Establishment. In these circumstances, places of worship connected with the Secession and other dissenting bodies, greatly multiplied. But many who could not obtain church accommodation within the Establishment, and who were still warmly attached to the church, began, especially towards the end of the last century, to exert themselves towards obtaining seat-room in connexion with their mother church. They built places of worship-had these received by Presbyteries, and latterly by the Assembly-had ministers settled in them-and the ordinances of religion dispensed, wholly at their own expense; while they were bound to contribute the whole or a stipulated sum out of their collections, for maintaining the poor of the parish. Yet after making these sacrifices, their ministers had no seats in our church courts, and the discipline of their congregations was conducted by the parochial session. Such were the erections called Chapels of Ease,' and which amounted last year to sixtyfour in number. For several years past, these circumstances had occupied the attention of many in the church; and the ministers of the chapels had themselves repeatedly petitioned the Assembly, as to their anomalous circumstances. Another class of erections, called 'Parliamentary Churches in the Highlands and Islands,' that is, churches endowed by government very much as your own are, and which amounted to forty, were embodied into the church itself in 1833. This gave an additional impulse to the movements already made in favor of chapels; and overtures on the subject were poured into the last Assembly from all quarters of the country: the same Presbyteries which overtured on the Call question, generally supporting this also. The result of these movements in our late Assembly will appear from the following extracts: The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, without a vote, approve of the Report of their Committee, and did, and hereby do, enact and declare, that all Ministers already inducted and settled, or who shall hereafter be inducted and settled, as Ministers of Chapels of Ease, presently erected and established in terms of the Act anent Chapels of Ease, of 1728, or prior thereto, by authority of the General As

sembly, or by the Presbyteries of the bounds, are, and shall be, constituent members of the Presbyteries and Synods within whose bounds the said Chapels are, or shall be respectively situated, and eligible to sit in the General Assembly; and shall enjoy every privilege as fully and freely, and with equal powers, with Parish Ministers of this Church; hereby enjoining and requiring all Presbyteries, Synods, Church Courts, and Judicatories, within whose bounds the said chapels are, or shall be situated, to receive and enrol the said Ministers as members thereof, and put them, in all respects, on a footing of Presbyterian equality with the Parish Ministers of this Church, giving, granting, and committing to the said Ministers the like powers, and authority, and privileges now pertaining to Ministers of this Church, within their respective bounds: And further, the General Assembly did, and hereby do, remit to the Presbyteries within whose bounds the said Chapels now established are situated, to allot and assign to each of the said Chapels a territorial district, and to erect such districts into separate parishes, quoad sacra, from the parishes whereof they at present form parts; and also to take the necessary measures for selecting and ordaining, according to the rules of the Church, for each of the said districts to be erected, a body of Elders, who, with the said Ministers respectively, may exercise sessional jurisdiction within the same: And the Assembly instruct Presbyteries to be cautious not to assign a more populous district than it seems possible to attend to; provided always that it shall be understood that the Chapels to be erected into Parishes shall first have been constituted according to the laws of this Church, for which purpose it will be open to Chapels to apply, if not so constituted already.' Various arrangements will still be necessary before due effect be given to the above Act. But without entering into the consideration of these, it may be stated, that three very important ends will be served by it. First, the ministrations of word and sacrament, and the exercise of discipline and government will thus be greatly promoted, in sixty-four-and if we include what was done last year for the Parliamentary Churches in one hundred and four of our congregations. Secondly, these hundred and four congregations, with their pastors and kirksessions will thus add greatly to the power and moral influence of the church, being consolidated as an inseparable portion of the church herself. And lastly, a door has thus been, virtually opened for the return and entrance of other branches of our mother Zion; some of which, though long separated

I

from her, are still unalienated; or if they were so for a time, again look towards her with kindly and respectful feelings. I need scarcely mention, that several sections of the Secession have had the matter of a reunion with the Church of Scotland under consideration for some time. And I may add, that the Synod of the Old Light Burghers are, at this very moment, sitting in Glasgow on this among other matters. It would be out of place to enter into explanation on this subject. But all who are acquainted with the circumstances of our church, will readily perceive, in the admission of unendowed congregations, an important principle which may be variously applied. V.-On the subdivision of Presbyteries and Parishes.

1. On the subdivision of Presbyteries. In my former paper, I made some remarks on the special character of Presbyteries, as originally formed in the Church of Scotland. Holding the opinion which I there expressed, that a Presbytery ought to be especially a meeting of Elders, teaching and ruling, for prayer and consultation;'-it may be expected, that I should think a meeting of twenty or thirty ministers, and as many elders, too large. Yet to such an extent had a number of our Presbyteries grown. And the consequence was, that instead of consultation about the spiritual interests of parishes, they were, and in many cases still are, almost entirely courts of review, and of routine business, begun and ended with prayer. We are yet able only to state, that the division of Presbyteries has commenced. The Presbytery of Paisley was divided by last Assembly, and a committee was also appointed to consider the propriety of dividing the Presbytery of Aberdeen. From the spirit at present abroad in our church, we have little doubt that other divisions will gradually follow; and should this turn out to be the case, we anticipate from it a rapid accession of activity and moral vigour, in whatever concerns discipline and ministerial faithful

ness.

2. On the subdivision of Parishes. This is even more important than the former. The largeness of a Presbytery may, and we think does, interfere with the confidence and free intercourse necessary to useful consultation; but when a parish is too large, it will necessarily remain without due cultivation. The minister may continue faithful to as many as he is able to reach, but those whom he is unable to reach, will, in these circumstances, be uncared for; or he may divide his labour among the many, but he will to the same extent dilute his influence, rendering it insufficient to any. Even supposing that