ADVERTISEMENT.

THE Church of the Secession has now existed for upwards of a hundred years, increasing gradually in extent and influence. The original congregations were only four.-The United Associate Church alone, at the present time, numbers well nigh four hundred congregations ;-has about eighty preachers, labouring in stations, or constantly pervading the country in all directions, to proclaim the word of life, and inculcate the duties of holiness ;—and, while she aids, with funds or with agents, not a few Missionary Societies, at home or abroad, in their labours of love for the good of mankind, and is connected with various congregations or churches, which have sprung from the Secession, in Ireland, in the United States, and in Nova Scotia, she has also Missionaries and Congregations of her own in Canada and the West Indies, founded by her exertions, and sustained by her supplies.

That such a body,-while her congregations are supported solely by the contributions of their members, profess evangelical sentiments, promote the principles of ecclesiastical purity, and exercise the rights of popular election,—must exert, upon the community at large, an influence deeply interesting, and extensively powerful, is not to be denied. Nor can it fail to be manifest, that the state, the spirit, the operations of such a large and increasing Association should present an object of enlightened curiosity to every inquisitive mind, as well as of deep interest to every lover of gospel-truth, and to every friend of religious liberty. And, we apprehend, it may be affirmed

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without presumption, that even the Politician and the Legislator cannot fulfil his duty to himself, or to his country, if he remains wholly ignorant of the rise, the progress, the constitution, and the administration of a Church (the SecessionChurch), whose principles and efficiency cannot but enter, largely, into the elements of the national condition; whose voice will be heard, in some measure, directly or indirectly, in the senate itself; and whose bearing and biasses must go, in a considerable degree, to modify the laws of our country, and the character of its society.

Yet, for the last fifty years, no common or connected account of the affairs of the Secession has been presented to the general public; her statistics and transactions having been, for that long period, either shut up in the minutes of her courts, which are accessible to comparatively few; or are to be gleaned from the perusal of scattered and fugitive Pamphlets and Magazines, which are not easily collected; or to be learnt by correspondence with those, who have been conversant with her past affairs, and whose number is of course incessantly diminishing. A full, accurate, and impartial view of her history was therefore, on many accounts, to be greatly desired.

This desideratum the Rev. John M'Kerrow, an intelligent, talented, and very respectable minister of the Body, has supplied. With laborious assiduity, he has searched the records of the Secession,-perused those historical documents, which have been put forth by herself, from time to time, in her different branches ;-availed himself of such publications, on various subjects, controversial, doctrinal, or hortatory, as fall into the hands of few, but are necessary to give a complete and satisfactory view of her spirit and transactions;—sought information from every person, and every quarter, whence it might be obtained, and has now formed all into a continuous and interesting narrative, which has secured the approbation of those who are best acquainted with her annals, and which, it is hoped,

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will be felt to be an object of curiosity, if not of partial favour, to every liberal mind. To the republication of the former account, he has added, (to complete the higher statistics of this religious community,) a new chapter connected with the literature of the Secession, which, it may be presumed, must augment the interest of the work; may perhaps surprise some; but will not fail to gratify the candid and philosophic of all ranks, by showing, that learning is not confined to any one class of society, or to any one section of the Christian Church.