for it is our wish that Presbyterianism should prevail, because we think it is best calculated to give the gospel to the world. It will be ever joyful to us and to you, dear brethren, that the Church is growing in grace among your people and ours, and that they are zealous in the prosperity of our Zion. The proceedings closed with prayer.

OVERTURES ON SUSTENTATION AND ON SUPPLEMENTAL FUND.

The Synod called for the overture on a General Sustentation Fund from the Presbytery of Cumberland, and the overture on a Supplemental Fund from certain members of Court; which, having been read, it was moved and seconded, and unanimously agreed to, that both overtures be remitted to the following Committee:-Messrs. Nicolson, Wilson, Professor Campbell, A. Munro, D. Fergusson, Dr. Paterson, Duncan, J. Anderson, Gardner, Huie, Welsh, and Burns (Ministers); and Messes. R. Barbour, Gillespie, Hamilton, Major Anderson, Glover, Wake, Pickett, Nisbet, and Adam (Elders); Mr. Barbour, Convener,—with instructions to consider both overtures, and to frame such a measure on

the matters contained in them, as may enable the Church to place its ministers in more comfortable circumstances, and to report.

At a subsequent diet the Synod called for the Report of the Committee appointed to consider the overtures on a General Sustentation Fund, and on a Supplemental Fund; which Report, having been given in by the Convener, bore that the Committee would recommend to the Synod, to approve of the principle of a General Sustentation Fund; but, inasmuch as it would require considerable time to carry forth such principle into practical operation, while the overture on a Supplemental Fund, as now recommended by the Committee, can be carried into immediate effect, recommend that this latter-mentioned overture be adopted. The Report having been received, the Synod took into consideration the overture on a

Supplemental Fund, which is of the following

tenour:

"Whereas it is essential to the maintenance of religious ordinances in our congregations that competent sustentation should be provided for the ministry; and whereas it is desirable, towards the accomplishment of this object, that some such plan as that embodied in the following regulations be adopted: :

"1. That it is extremely desirable, that no or

dained minister of the Synod, having the charge of a congregation, should receive a stipend of less than one hundred pounds per annum, together with a manse or house for the accommodation of

his family.

"2. That, in order to carry out this important object, the stipend of ministers under one hundred pounds per annum, be supplemented out of the Home Mission Fund, subject to the following regulations and conditions :

when built, to be charged against the funds of the congregation.

owed to participate in the benefit of the fund,

"5. That in no case shall any minister be al

whose time and labour are not exclusively devoted to his pastoral work.

"6. That in all cases when a vacancy occurs in a congregation receiving aid from the Home Mission Fund, all previous stipulations are to be regarded as having terminated; and where assistance is required, a new application, prior to the appointment of a minister, must be made to the Committee, in conformity with Rule 3.

"7. That no new Mission station be sanctioned by Presbyteries where assistance is required, or likely to be so, from the Home Mission Fund, without the concurrence of the Committee, or the sanction of the Synod, or its Commission. 8. That Wigan, in Lancashire, and Haltwhistle, in Northumberland, be exceptions to the rules and regulations herewith; and, always excepting the rights and powers of Presbyteries, that it be left to the decision of the Committee what arrangement to make with those congregations, or with any other special cases or circumstances that may occur,-the Committee to report specifically on all such cases to the Synod.

"9. That in order to raise funds for the carrying out of this important object, Presbyteries be again enjoined to see that associations are immediately formed in every congregation within their bounds, in support of the four schemes of the Church; and, where it is possible, that deacons be appointed to superintend them; and that, at Presbytery of the amount raised for the different least every quarter, a statement be given in to the schemes by each congregation; an extract of which, as far as relates to the Home Mission, to be transmitted to the Secretary or Treasurer of the Committee, by the Deacons' Court, or Association. "10. That Presbyteries be enjoined to see, that in all those congregations applying for or receiving aid, Deacons' Courts or Committees for managing the pecuniary affairs of the congregation, be as soon as possible instituted, which Courts or Committees of management, shall take sole and exclusive charge of all moneys accruing from pew rents, church-door collections, or other sources for the sustentation of the ministry, keep regular accounts of the same, and report quarterly their receipts of income during the preceding quarter, to the Secretary or Treasurer of the Home Mission. That said Courts or Committees, of which the Trustees of the Congregation shall be ex officio members, shall exhibit to the Presbytery of the bounds once a quarter their accounts duly made ure Presbytery, they shall be authorized to apply up, and on

and disbursements, and the increase and decrease

to the Treasurer of the Home Mission for the quarter's payment of the grant condescended upon as available for their congregation, which money shall be paid to the minister by them.

"11. That immediately after the rising of the Synod, the Committee be empowered to receive applications, and as soon thereafter as possible, to make grants, subject to annual revision. "Wherefore, upon these premises, it is hereby humbly overtured to the very reverend the Synod of the Presbyterian Church in England, now sitting, in Manchester, to take this subject into their consideration, and to do therein as to them in their wisdom may seem meet.

"ROBERT BARBOUR, Man.
"JAMES ANDERSON, Minist., Morpeth.
"JOHN T. PATERSON, Sunderland."

OVERTURE FROM THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERY

TO THE SYNOD OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN ENGLAND.

At a Meeting of the Cumberland Presbytery, held at Workington, on the 17th March, 1846, the adoption of the following overture was moved by Mr. Burns, of Whitehaven, and unanimously agreed to; and Dr. Brown, of Brampton, was ap pointed to support the same, at next meeting of Synod.

"4. That it be an instruction to the office-bearers of congregations which have no manses applying for aid, as soon as possible to raise funds, and erect, free of debt, a suitable house for the minister. But the Committee are not to allow the rent of a dwelling-house, or the interest of a manse,

"1. That as many of the poorer Congregations are not able to support their ministers, it is most desirable that means be adopted by the Synod to establish a Central Sustentation Fund, out of

which all the brethren will receive their necessary

support.

unite the richer and poorer brethren more closely

2. That such a fund would greatly tend to

together in the bonds of brotherly love and Christian unity; and would lead ministers and people to feel more their mutual dependance on one another, for the support of the Gospel, and the enlargement of the Redeemer's kingdom. "3. That it is manifestly impossible that some of the brethren can keep themselves out of worldly embarrassments, by which their useful. ness is greatly hindered; and that to keep them and their families out of debt, it is absolutely ne cessary that the Rev. the Synod take this matter into their prayerful consideration, with a view of making an effort to establish a Sustentation Fund, which will secure the comfort of the wealthier brethren still, and raise their poorer brethren from the sufferings and hardships they are now called to endure to a more independent position, for more effectually carrying out the mind of Christ as ministers of the Gospel." Extracted from the Minutes of the Cumberland Presbytery.

M. HARVEY, Clerk. Mr. ROBERT BARBOUR, (after some remarks upon the past history of the Presbyterian Church in England, said,) Moderator, if we are to have men sent amongst us to speak the Divine truth, it is our duty to place them in a comfortable and independent position. I submitted to this house is all that ought to be do not say that the measure which is now done, and I must say that for my own part nothing would gratify me so much as to know that we could do much more. The provision which is contemplated, though it may not do all I wish to see done for our ministers, I hope will place them in a much better position. We shall do away with one stigma that is cast upon us, and we shall be able to say that we have no ministers who receive less than one hundred pounds a year, and more than that, that such minister ought to have a private dwelling. I hope that it will raise the stipends of ministers in other countries, and that it will have a great moral influence upon the ministers themselves. I wish my brother elders to understand me that we ought to have done more than we have hitherto done. We must feel it a great privilege and gratification to have

raised such ministers from their inferior position. One principle stated in the Report is, that we should impress on this house the importance of establishing through the congregations deacons, in order that they may look after the financial schemes of the congreI know there are difficulties. We ought not to gations. This, I say, is an important thing. shut our eyes to difficulties. The congregations are not to avoid difficulties, but they must go the right way to work to get rid of them. In respect to the principle whether the Supplementary or Sustentation Fund is the best for our Churches, this is a question which will require some consideration; but I will state the principle with reference to our position as a Church. Taking it in every point of view it appears to me that the supplementary principle is the wiser course under present circumstances. We can, however, see how it works for a year or two. In order to carry out this object additional funds will be required. I have no fear that they will be provided, for I think the way in which we have gone on during the last six months fully justifies me in saying that it will be done. I therefore move that the overture on a Supplemental Fund, as also the regulations embodied in it, be adopted and passed into a law of this Church.

Mr. BURNS.-Moderator, I was appointed to support the overture on a Sustentation Fund, but after what has been said I feel it unnecessary to detain the house by any ob

years of age, for whose benefit such schools should exist; and the proportion of those children who were not receiving instruction in the shorter Catechism in any of the day-schools which they were attending. To these queries, they regret to state, that only forty-three returns were made, out of about seventy that might have been expected; so that the abstract which the Committee were able to make up, and which was soon after published in the "Messenger," was by no means so perfect or complete as they could have desired. That abstract will again be submitted to the attention of the Church in the shape of an Appendix to this Report. The Committee, at present, only crave the attention of the Synod to the following facts derived from it :

Estimated number of children under

fourteen years of age

Number of day-schools provided In the following proportions:

In the Presbytery of Berwick

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Northumberland

10,000 21

2

Newcastle-on-Tyne Lancashire London The following large and important towns stand thus: Birmingham, no school; Sunderland, none; Newcastle, none; Liverpool, none; London, none. That is to say, with the exception of Manchester, which has five schools, all the other great seats of trade and influence, occupied by our Church, are unprovided with schools in which her children can be taught her own principles.

The number of our own children attending the twenty-one day-schools returned, is 858, i. e., less than one in ten of the whole estimated number of our children.

With these returns before them, the Committee saw that two distinct objects must thenceforward occupy their attention.

I. The sustentation of schools already existing.
II. The institution of new and additional
Schools.

1. The objects contemplated this year in the school sustentation department, have been to enable those congregations who are already provided with day-schools, to support them better than they have hitherto been supported, to put them on a more efficient footing with regard to teachers, and to surmount the strong oppo sition with which they have in some cases to contend in the schools of other denomina. tions. One way of accomplishing these objects is evidently to improve the salaries offered to teachers. In many cases these salaries were found to be exceedingly low, and inadequate; in many instances even these small salaries could only be made up by making the fees inconveniently high, and higher than those of other competing schools, a circumstance which gave the latter an obvious advantage, and made it difficult for our schools to keep the field, or even to retain in connexion with them the children of our own poor Presbyterian families. The only remedy for these evils was the formation of a central fund, out of which grants might be made annually, to raise the salaries of the teachers to a moderate height; by which means, better qualified men might be secured, and, when secured, retained; and also, the rate of fees, in those cases where they were too high, reduced to a more convenient scale, without making the salary of the teachers lower, or even as low as before.

To draw out the liberality of the Church in behalf of such a fund, the Committee prepared an address and appeal, in anticipation of the day fixed by the Synod for a collection in aid of day schools, viz., the second Sabbath of August, which address was printed in the "Messenger," and also in a separate form for distribution. The result was very encouraging. A sum of between two and three hundred pounds was immediately put at the disposal of the Committee, and that sum has since increased to 3441. Os. 9d., an amount which has proved more than adequate to meet all the cases which have come before the Committee for aid. Forty-six congregations out of seventy-four upon the roll of Synod, have made collections for this fund; a number, showing at once how much has been done in the way of interesting our people in this object, and how much-and it is plainly a good dealstill remains to be accomplished. Before proceeding to vote away these funds, the Committee deemed it necessary to issue a second schedule of queries, to all those ministers who had dayschools connected with their congregations; with the view of possessing themselves of the particulars of every case in which application should be made for aid, and of regulating the amount of

In reference to these grants, the Synod will be gratified to observe that they were applied for only in cases where assistance was really neces sary. There are several other schools on the Synod's list, for which no application has been made, because they are eithr self-sustaining, or because the congregations with which they are connected are able and willing to support them without aid from the fund.

II. We come now to the second department of the Committee's business, viz., the institution of additional day-schools in connexion with the Synod.

The business of this department divides itself into two portions. New schools may be formed in two ways; either some convenient room may be rented, and classes commenced there on a tem porary footing, till school-houses be provided; or, where such accommodation is not to be obtained, school-houses must be built, and permanent arrangements made at once. The Committee have here, therefore, two distinct objects to pro

sccute:

1. The aiding of congregations in commencing day-schools, where no assistance in building is required; and

2. The aiding of congregations in erecting new school-houses.

In regard to the former of these two objects. some progress has already been made. In the last mentioned schedule a query was inserted, intended to ascertain the cases in which it was deemed practicable, with the aid of the Committee, to institute new Schools. This inquiry had the effectf bringing out six cases, in which the want of Schools was severely felt, and in which it was considered practicable to make a hopeful commencement. The Committee felt that it was a point of much importance to give all the encouragement in their power to cases of this kind, and they accordingly agreed to the following grants, to be paid when the proposed new schools are commenced. Presbytery of Berwick:

Norham Tweedmouth

Presbytery of Northumberland: Long Framlington

Presbyte y of Newcastle:

Falstone

Presbytery of Cumberland :

Brampton Whitehaven

15

15

grants for sustaining schools already formed, and grants to aid in the institution of new schools, affords an excellent opportunity for elevating the standard of education in these schools. The grants might be made dependent upon certain conditions, or they might be accompanied with certain requisitions, having for their object the introduction of improvements into the management of the schools, either in the shape of better qualified teachers, or a better description of school-books, or a more intellectual and effective system of instruction. This is, surely, an opportunity of effecting improvements which ought not to be let slip. In truth, it becomes the positive duty of the Synod, to take care that the liberality of our people should be applied only to the support and institution of schools which are really useful and effective. From the returns before them, the Committee are persuaded that there is much room for improvement in many of the schools already existing; but the Synod has not yet formally entrusted them with any power or discretion in this matter, nor is the Committee possessed of sufficiently accurate information in regard to the condition of these schools, to be prepared to annex conditions or requirements to their grants, even if it had the power to do so. These remarks suggest two recommendations, which the Committee would now submit to the Synod.

1. That power should be given to the Commit. tee so to use the funds entrusted them, as to make the allocation of them the means of improving the condition of the schools.

2. That a Deputation should be appointed to visit all the existing schools, this summer, with the view of ascertaining exactly their present edu cational state and arrangements, so as to enable the Committee, in making the grants of next year, to make such stipulations as may be applicable to each case.

If the powers sought for in the first of these re commendations are granted to the Committee, it would be necessary to make the grants voted next year prospective, and conditional upon the fulfil ment of the stipulations required. These stipula tions, of course, would require to be of a moderate kind, and such as might reasonably be expected to be fulfilled without too much difficulty. We can not hope to raise our educational standard to the highest point at once, it can only be done gradualty, in the case of schools already established. The Committee may hope to gain their object more rapidly in the case of new schools which they assist in commencing; for there is no reason why the best school-books, and the best system of teaching, should not be introduced into such schools at the very outset.

It might, also, be advisable, next year, to transmit the grants made, in half-yearly instalments; and it should be distinctly understood, in every

case,

that the grants are not made to individual teachers, so as to give them a claim to them, whatever may be the faults which the Sessions may have seen reason, since the date of former grants, to find with them the grants, in every case, are to be understood as made to the schools, and to be at the disposal of the respective Sessions, for the purposes of salary to the teachers,-the Sessions having the responsibility and the power either of paying the sums entrusted to them to the teachers at present in the schools, or of reserving them for other teachers more efficient, whom they purpose to appoint, provided always, that these new ap pointinents be made within the financial year. It should also be understood, that applications for grants must be renewed and reconsidered from year to year, and that the Committee, by making a grant in any one year, do not come under any obligation to continue it longer than they see ex

Church.

It will be obvious to the Synod, that the allocation of these two classes of grants, viz.,

With respect to the object of aiding in the erection of new school-houses, the Committee have not been able, as yet, to accomplish much. They prepared, it is true, an extensive scheme for raising funds for this purpose, which they submitted to the Commission of Synod, which sat in Manchester last July, and which was approved of by that body. But the advocacy of the scheme by a deputation was postponed at that time, it being judged more immediately urgent that the atten tion of the Church should anew be called to the claims of the College and Home Mission. Nor has the proposal to bring forward this schoolbuilding scheme been since renewed; on the contrary, the Committee, at a meeting held November 25, 1845, unanimously agreed that the scheme should be still further postponed, on the ground that there was not a sufficiently encourag ing prospect of its being carried out effectually in

taking a step so very painful to his own feelings. I most deeply lament that Mr. Stevenson should be in circumstances to find it necessary for a time (and I do fondly hope but a short time) to remove from the active superintendence of this scheme. A more influential convener than Mr. Stevenson this Church could not supply in connexion with that scheme-nor is there one who takes up the subject with more enthusiasm; there is no one who would more willingly spend and be spent in this service than our late Convener. I think we ought to offer up special prayer for our friend's recovery, and for the recovery of another member of the School Committee, who is detained by personal affliction-I mean Mr. James Hamilton.

Mr. JOSIAS WILSON.-Moderator, no one can know the anxiety of that man and his feelings with reference to this scheme but one who is on intimate terms with him. You bring the subject of the school system forward. He dreams about it at night, and he talks of it by day. I look upon a deputation as a very important suggestion. I think that two or three, or four inspectors ought to be appointed to inspect the schools. regret the absence both of Mr. Stevenson

cannot be with him an hour but he is sure to

and of Mr. Hamilton.

MAJOR ANDERSON.-Moderator, I dare not sit silent and listen to that part of the Report which states that the Building Fund would be suspended. The establishment of schools must ever be dear to my heart. I know that when we have been permitted to tell the people in that part of the country where I reside that we would build a school for them, and open it on the old Presbyterian principle, and establish it on the old Scotch system, the intelligence was always joyfully received; and if we could open such a school to-morrow, we should have a most numerous attendance, and it would be a most important assistance to the Church. This is a subject that has engrossed our attention for years; but we were oppressed by an incubus of debt, and we could not carry it out. If it was possible to carry this Building Fund out, I believe that its effects would be exceedingly beneficial.

Professor LORIMER.-Moderator, one reason that was urged against the continuance of the Building Fund was the largeness of the scheme. I think that if we had proposed to raise a fund for building fifty schools we should have had much better success than in an attempt to raise a fund for building one hundred.

Mr. GILLESPIE.-Moderator, this matter has been considered in London and it has also been considered in Committee, and, for my part, I differ with some of the speakers. I am quite sure that if we set about it energetically, with the intention of working it out, we could raise very soon and as easily money for a hundred schools as for fifty. But the circumstances that led the Committe in November to delay this matter have not disappeared. We do not give up the scheme; but I do not recommend that any movement should be made with regard to it at present. With regard to Mr. Stevenson and the convener ship, I know that he has a tender feeling with reference to the efficient discharge of any duty that he undertakes, and that to continue him in office in his present state of health would be causing him to do more than would be agreeable to his feelings, indeed I think he would feel hurt by it.

The Moderator put the motion, which was carried, and prayer having been accordingly offered, the house adjourned at four o'clock.

REFERENCE FROM THE PRESBYTERY | rectory for Ordination," already referred to,
OF LONDON IN THE CASE OF MR.
HUNTER.

[As there was no reporter present during the discussion on this reference, we may here give a short summary of the arguments employed by Professor Campbell, Messrs. Munro, Lamb, D. Fergusson, Gardner, Storie, &c. in support of the principles of the motion that We refer to the reasons of dissent (hereunto appended) for the arguments used on the other side, and to the answers (drawn up by Mr. Nicolson) to these reasons for a further exposition of the principles maintained by the Synod.

was carried.

case.

after very minute regulations concerning the mode in which ordination is to be administered in this Church, it is decided (sec. 10.), that ministers ordained" according to the form" in use in the Church of England, are to be "admitted without any new ordaination," because ordination received in that Church is

66

held, for substance, to be valid." From this passage, it is plain, that ministers whose ordination may not be disputed in their own Churches, may yet, if they apply for admission into this Church, require to be "admitted with new ordination;" and that just upon the simple principle that the question here is not what is essential to ordination generally, The facts of the case were shortly as follows: but what does the Presbyterian Church re-Mr. Hunter, an Independent minister, ap-quire to the ordination of her ministers. It plied for admission to the Presbytery of Lon-will be further borne in mind, that in the don, and that Presbytery appointed a Com- Church of England presbyters are ordained mittee to examine into the case and to report. by the laying on of the hands of at least three The Committee, in the course of their en- or four officers, the prelate included. Again, quiries, found every reason to be satisfied within section 11, it is decided that, "in case any Mr. Hunter's personal character, but ascer-person already ordained minister in Scotland, tained also that he had not been ordained by or in any other reformed Church, be designed the imposition of hands. The Presbytery on to another congregation in England, he is to judgment, referred the whole case to the Sy-here, within which that congregation is, a suffihearing this report, without expressing any bring from that Church, to the Presbytery nod, and appointed Mr. Nicolson to state the cient testimonial of his ordination, &c., &c." reference. Such are the simple facts of the The Church of Scotland, at the time when this rule was formed, it is well known, orThe arguments in favour of the motion dained with imposition of hands; and so did has to decide is not what is essential to ordi- as any one may easily ascertain by consulting were to this effect: The question the Synod all the reformed Churches on the Continent, nation, nor is it consequently called upon to their Confessions. Indeed, with the exception pronounce any decision upon the validity or of a few obscure "sectaries," all the Churches invalidity of ordination in other Churches. in the world at the time, required or practised ordination in Independent Churches, for ex- the laying on of hands was a scriptural rite, That the Synod does not deny the validity of imposition of hands in ordination. Whether ample, has been demonstrated by the fact that and so proper, if not necessary, to be retained, various ministers ordained by Independents was never a question between the Presbytehave already been admitted into this Church.rians and the Independents in the Westminster do the standards of this Church require of all The only question before the Court is, What her Courts and of all her ministers? This question can easily be answered. In the Form of Church Government" (one of the standards of this Church), in the chapter entitled "Touching the Doctrines of Ordinanation," it is said "Every minister of the Word is to be ordained by imposition of hands and prayer." Again, in the chapter entitled Touching the Power of Ordination," it is said "The preaching presbyters orderly associated either in cities or neighbouring villages (that is in Presbytery assembled as the first section states,) are those to whom the imposition of hands doth appertain, for those congregations within their bounds respectively.' Both these statements are repeated in the next chapter, entitled "Concerning the Doctrinal Part of the Ordination of Ministers," and in the chapter next following, headed "The Directory for the Ordination of Ministers," rules minute and stringent are laid down for the performance of the solemn act of ordination, in which it is required that every minister set apart to his holy office in this Church should be " ordained by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery."

to lay on hands; whether other ministers, as Assembly, but only, who are the parties entitled the Presbyterians maintained, or the Churchmembers, as in certain instances, the Independents contended, all acknowledging, that the rite was scriptural and so proper in itself. If the 11th section, therefore, is to be interpreted by the light of history, it is clear, that imposition of hands is required by the Westminster Standards even in the case of ministers admitted from other Churches. The importance they attached to the rite is manifest from the frequency with which, as we have already seen, it is mentioned, and may be further discovered from section 12 of the "Form of Church Government," which is as follows:"That records be carefully kept, in the seve ral Presbyteries, of the names of the persons ordained, with their testimonials, the time and place of their ordination, of the Presbyters who did impose hands upon them, &c."

Nor do we think that undue, that is, unscriptural, importance was attached to the rite; at all events, it will be seen, from a passage given in the sequel, that Calvin did not think that there was. We are aware that it has often been attempted to make a distinction between the

rite and the substance of ordination.
(To be continued in next number.)

So far, then, as ordinations administered in this Church are concerned, there can be no question that imposition of hands is regarded as indispensable. But another question arises; Printed by ALEXANDER MACINTOSH, of No. 20, Great Newin the case of ministers of other Churches London, and published by JAMES MACINTOSH, of No. 47, Church-road, De Beauvoirapplying for admission, is it required that square, in the parish of Hackney, at the Office, No. 16, they too must have received imposition of Exeter Hall, Strand, London, by whom communications hands? The "Form of Church Government" to the Editor (post-paid) and advertisements are received. Friday, May 29, 1846. already quoted has decided this point also, Sold by HAMILTON, ADAMS, and Co., Paternoster-row; and determined that all such applicants must have received imposition of hands, or must receive it, before they are appointed pastors of congregations in this Church, In the " Di Advertisements received not later than the 20th of each

Co., 21, PRICE PER ANNUM, Stamped (to go post-free).... Four Shillings. Unstamped .. Three Shillings.

month.