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PRESBYTERIAN

MESSENGER.

THE great thing in the Church is Christ, the eternal deity of Christ, the blood of Christ, the Spirit of Christ, the presence of Christ among us. The great thing is Christ, but there is also advantage in a certain government of the Church. I am a Presbyterian, not only of situation, but of conviction and choice. Our Presbyterian way is the good middle way between Episcopacy on the one side, and Congregationalism on the other. We combine the two great principles that must be maintained in the Church-Order and Liberty: the order of government, and the liberty of the people.-MERLE D'Aubigne.

325 Presbytery of London..............................................
Lancashire..................................................

was found impossible to still by reasoning, and the peace of the Church seemed to be threatened with a serious interruption, desirable as uniformity appeared to me to be, I could not but think that it would be purchased too dearly, at the price of increased irritation and discord, and therefore I deemed it right not to require that degree of rubrical strictness which I had spoken of as greatly to be desired."

is bound in common honesty to fulfil the | the name of either the Pope or the Bishop of
condition on which he receives it." When London. And no wonder; because it is the
Archbishop Laud went to Scotland with King office more than the man that is regarded,
Charles I., he found no religion at all there; and ecclesiastical dignity more than personal
no surplices, no altars in the east or any- character. But who has not heard the name
where, no bowing, no responding; in short, of THOMAS CHALMERS?
"no religion at all that I could see, which
grieved me much." Poor Laud! And now in
1846, the Bishop of London complains that
there are only sixteen churches in the metro-
polis where daily prayers are performed!—
O PIETAS LONDINENSIS !

The remainder of the Charge related to
the building of additional churches and to
the maintenance of the clergy.

66

Did no poor

In other words, my Reverend Brethren, a strict compliance with the Rubric is good, and it is not good; I think some of you should observe it, and some of you should not; although you have all promised, at least twice over, invariably to do so! Could anyOn this last point a most original idea was thing be more shuffling and more facing struck out. While the inadequate provision both-ways than all this? If the Rubric be made for the inferior clergy was much to be right and good, why not enforce it? If deplored, yet the poverty of many was an enwrong, why not petition the State for a revi-couraging sign of the state of the Church. sion of the Formularies of the Church? It "Many of you, Reverend Brethren, labouring is truly humiliating, not so much that the in the spirit of self-devotion and self-sacrifice, Bishop should give such a Charge, as that the scarcely enjoying a present immunity from clergy should silently listen to it. It is said want, add to the other marks and tokens of a good soldier on parade, that he only of an Evangelical ministry, that melanopens his mouth twice, once to answer to choly evidence which an apostle urged for his name, and once to bite off the end of his the genuineness of his own commission-' in cartridge. Are the clergy of the Anglican all things approving ourselves as the minisChurch in their "Synodical Meetings" merely ters of God in much patience, in affliction, like soldiers on parade? Was there no man in necessities, in distresses." of Protestant spirit and Christian courage to Approving ourselves!" rise and give utterance to the feelings which Presbyter think at that moment of the must have moved in many a breast in hear- Bishop's Palace at Fulham, and the mansion ing this Episcopal Charge? How different in St. James's-square? of the 2001. or 3007. from the Synods and Assemblies of the Pres- paid as the fee for the consecration of every byterian Churches;-where all are equal as church? of the valuable Bishop's lands brethren; where clergy and laity deliberate round the Edgeware-road and other parts of and vote together; where there is freedom of his barony? Did no misgivings cross his thought and liberty of discussion; where Lordship's mind as to the genuineness of his Christ alone is acknowledged as Lord and own commission, if distress be a mark and Head of the Church, and the Word of God token of it? As we do not believe that the appealed to as the rule of faith and practice! Bishop often has truth plainly spoken to him, The best part of the Charge was that re- we shall take care that he sees this number of lating to the errors of Popery, and "the the "Messenger;" and we advise his Lordstrongly Protestant tone of the Charge" has ship, before he next meets his clergy, to read been praised in no measured terms. Why, the charge which the Apostle Paul gave to what else could be expected from a Pro- the Presbyters of Ephesus, as it is recorded testant bishop? But after disposing of in the twentieth chapter of the Acts. He Popery, the attention of the clergy was called will find there subjects of higher importance to matters semi-Popish; such as the duty in- than observance of the Rubric, authority cumbent on them of celebrating Divine of the Church, canonical hours, and conseservice on days appointed by the Church, and crated buildings, "Take heed, therefore, also of having daily prayers in the churches. unto yourselves, and to all the flock over "In this respect," said his Lordship, "I am the which the Holy Ghost hath made you sorry to say the inhabitants of the metro-overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he polis are worse off than they were a century ago. It appears from the work, Pietas Londinensis, published in the year 1714, that there were then daily morning and evening prayers in no fewer than forty-two churches in London and Westminster, besides St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. As far as I can collect from the last annual returns, there are not more than about sixteen churches or chapels in the metropolis in which there are daily prayers. I will not stop to inquire into the causes of what I consider to be a change for the worse, but I cannot help observing that where money has been left by pious persons for the performance of daily service, the receiver of such payment

hath purchased with his own blood." "Ye
know after what manner I have been with
you at all seasons; serving the Lord with all
humility; teaching publicly and from house to
house; testifying the Gospel of the grace of
God; warning every one night and day with
tears; yea, ye yourselves know that these
hands have ministered unto my necessities,
and to them that were with me." What
would the apostle of the Gentiles have
thought had he appeared in the Cathedral
Church of St. Paul, so named after him; had
he witnessed the pomp and ceremony, and
heard the Charge delivered to the clergy by
his apostolic successor!

Perhaps many of our readers do not know

We have been much struck in observing, from the public journals, the way in which Dr. Chalmers and his brethren in the north were engaged, at the very time that the Pope and Cardinals were planning political schemes at Rome, and the Episcopal clergy of London were submissively listening to the Charge of their diocesan Bishop.

On the 15th of October Dr. Chalmers delivered an address "on the most effectual methods of diffusing a thorough education, both Christian and common, among the working classes of Edinburgh."

It appears that for two hours he addressed a crowded and delighted Meeting with all his wonted animation and fervour; and never did eloquence produce a deeper impression on an audience than in this, which may be the last public appearance of Dr. Chalmers. It is indeed with melancholy interest we read toward the close of the reported speech these words :--

"There is one thing personal to myself which I beg leave to state, and that is, that I am under the physical necessity of declining coming. This is about the last time that I to make any public appearances in all time will ever address such an assembly. My rea son for stating this is, that the moment it was heard that I was going to address a Meeting in this place, many proposals were made to me to address Meetings elsewhere. I hope it will be understood that I have not physical there, as the task unfits and unnerves me for strength to address assemblages here and work for days after. This is the last time I will address any Meeting beyond the limits of the West Port, which I regard as my peculiar province."

Long may Dr. Chalmers be spared among us! His sanctified genius and practical wisdom have had more influence on the moral and religious advancement of society than can be easily estimated, or than is likely to be at all appreciated by his contemporaries. But men of the next generation will look back to him as the greatest soul of these our times, and will profit by that sagacity and expe rience which is now too lightly valued. His life has been one of intense and unremitting

labour; much of it in public view, but by far the greater part unknown and inconceivable, except by the communities who have been the object of his care, and the most kindred spirits among his fellow-labourers. And who does not admire the noble dignity and Christian greatness with which the venerable man closes his illustrious public career, and declares his purpose to devote his remaining energies, and the evening of his life, to the superintendence of the most wretched district, the Shoreditch, or St. Giles',-of Edinburgh, as his " peculiar province ?"

"There is at present," says Dr. Chalmers, a problem, a question, which is exercising our legislators and our statesmen. They are going to devise something like a method of education. All are becoming awake to the

subject. Our population have been miserably neglected during the last half, or perhaps the whole of the last century, and the consequence has been, that they have fallen into such masses of irreligion and ignorance as people had no conception of, until there had been instituted a statistical survey upon the subject. There is a great deal of delusion abroad in regard to the Christian state of any city. When the bell rings, and when you see the streets overflowing and all in motion, and when you perhaps find twelve or twenty churches with overflowing congregations, you may conceive this is truly a Sabbath-keeping city; but be assured that if you just betake yourselves to the plain arithmetic of the subject, by going to any of the plebeian districts, whether in Edinburgh or in Glasgow, the general or average result will be, that you will find that not one in eight go to any place of worship at all. Again, there are patches, whole streets, whole parishes, where you will not find one in ten,-not, perhaps, one in fifteen, that go to any place of worship. I know of some myself,-whole lanes and

streets, where there are not one in twenty, in some places not one in thirty or in fifty, of the whole population who go to any place of worship. That is the real state of the matter. No doubt a great many churches are remarkably well filled; but, along with this circumstance, there is a contemporaneous phenomenon, which has completely escaped our notice till of late, and that is, that thousands and tens of thousands, within the reach of the sound of the Sabbath bell, are utter strangers to the faith and following of Jesus."

VISITATION OF PRESBYTERIES.

I shall be happy to afford it in so far as I may
have been able to understand the mind of the
Committee.

I remain, Rev. and Dear Sir,
Yours, very truly,
ALEX. GILLESPIE,

(Signed)

To the Rev.

Clerk of the Presbytery of

Convener.

EXTRACT MINUTE OF COMMISSION OF SYNOD.

IN our last number we referred to the Reso-
lution of the Commission of Synod, that
deputations should be appointed to visit the
several Presbyteries of the Church, with the
view of promoting the schemes of the Church
by Associations or otherwise. A Committee
was appointed to prepare a plan by which
We now
this object might be carried out.
give the result of the deliberations of this At London, the 7th day of October, 1846:
Committee; the circular sent by the con-At which time and place the Commission
vener to the clerks of the different Presby England being met and constituted,-Inter
of Synod of the Presbyterian Church in
teries; together with extract minutes of the alia,
proceedings of the Commission of Synod, and
of the Committee appointed to superintend
this important business. We trust that Pres-
byteries, and each congregation, will mean-
while be preparing for the visit of the depu-
tations, and will do all to facilitate their
labours and further this object.

London, 12th October, 1846. hand herewith the Resolutions adopted by a Rev. and Dear Sir, I have the pleasure to Committee appointed at the late Meeting of the Commission of Synod, to arrange for the visitation of Presbyteries, with a view to promote the Schemes of the Church, and I have the consideration of your Presbytery at its to request that you will bring the same under next meeting.

From the period of the Deputations' going out being postponed until after the middle of January, abundant time is afforded for proper arrangements being made by each Presbytery, and it is hoped that, from the same cause, ministers appointed on the Deputations will be put to less inconvenience.

Dr. Chalmers then referred to the various means in operation to meet this lamentable condition of the mass of our population. Ragged-schools, church building, preachingThe Committee were decidedly of opinion stations, and especially the labours of city that the duties of the Deputations could not missionaries, were useful as far as they | be efficiently discharged unless the members were absent for two Sabbaths; but they will be put to no trouble in procuring supplies for their pulpits, it being part of the plan, and from which the Committee expect good to result, that there should be an exchange of

went:

"But nothing," he said, "could ever meet the existing evil but the carrying out of the territorial system, according to the genius of the Presbyterian Constitution, where, in a given manageable district, there is a fully equipped church, and a fully equipped school, the man who ministers on the Sabbath acting pastorally during the week; with an eldership subsidiary to the minister and auxiliary to him; together with a well-appointed agency, consisting of Christian men and women, bringing the whole of the influence of their moral suasion to bear upon the respective families in the sub-districts assigned to them. Be assured that there is no other method to recover our degenerate population, and if this method be not tried, I venture, with all confidence, to predict that every other method will prove a failure. This was the very system which obtained in Edinburgh and all the towns in Scotland in the days of John Knox, and for a hundred years after; and certainly religion was in as fully a flourishing condition in those days as it is at present."

Thus have we shown how Pope, Bishop, and Presbyter were employed in that October, 1846; and we leave our Readers to judge, which of these three men is most like a successor of the apostles, and a minister of Jesus Christ; and which of the ecclesiastical systems, represented by them, most resembles the Primitive Church, and is most in accordance with the Word of God.

pulpits between the members of Deputations
and others, as each Presbytery shall arrange.

The Committee have not thought fit to give
any opinion as to the propriety of having
collections, either after the sermons preached,
or after the public meetings; this they would
rather leave to the discretion of the several
Presbyteries or congregations. The collection
for the Home Mission will fall to be made
shortly after the visit of the Deputations, and
the Committee incline to think that it will be
most expedient to adhere, in regard to it, to
the day appointed by the Synod; but the
Deputations will, of course, endeavour to
procure donations and subscriptions to the
Schemes, and the opportunity will be favour-
able to promote the circulation of the
Presbyterian Messenger."

66

It will be necessary that, previous to the Meeting of Synod, the Presbyteries of London and Lancashire nominate those members that three northern Presbyteries; and though, are to undertake the duty of visiting the strictly speaking, this visitation will require the sanction of the Synod, yet, not doubting that such will be readily accorded, it is hoped that these Presbyteries will, in good time, make all necessary arrangements as pointed out in the sixth Resolution, so that the their bounds on Sabbath, the 25th of April. members of Deputations may preach within

Should you require any farther information,

It was moved by Mr. Gillespie, seconded by the Rev. William Nicolson,

"That it appears very desirable to the Commission that the several Presbyteries of of promoting the Schemes of the Church by the Church should be visited, with the view the formation of Associations or otherwise. That the Presbyteries of London, Lancashire, and Newcastle-on-Tyne be visited previous to and that the following members of ComPresbyteries as soon as possible thereafter; the Meeting of Synod, and the remaining mission be a Committee to prepare a plan by which this object may be carried out, viz.:The Moderator, Mr. Donald Fergusson, Dr. Brown, Mr, Nicolson, Professor Lorimer, and Mr. Gillespie.-Mr. Gillespie to be Convener.

Which Motion was carried unanimously. Extracted from the Minutes of the Commission of Synod, by

PETER LORIMER, Clerk, pro tem.

EXTRACT MINUTE OF COMMITTEE ON
DEPUTATIONS.

At London, the 9th day of October, 1846 : their appointment, and was constituted with -which day the Committee met in terms of prayer. Present, Alex. Gillespie, Esq., Convener, in the chair; Rev. Dr. Brown, of Brampton; Rev. Donald Fergusson, of Liverpool; Rev. William Nicolson; and Rev. Professor Campbell.-Mr. Fergusson acted as Clerk.

The following Resolutions were submitted to the Committee

"1. The Deputations shall consist of two members from each of the Presbyteries of London, Lancashire, and Newcastle-uponTyne, and who will require to be absent for two Sabbaths from their own pulpits.

"2. The following shall be the members of Deputations: .From the Presbytery of London, Messrs. Nicolson and Wilson; from Lancashire, Messrs. Munro and Fergusson; from Newcastle, Messrs. Blackwood and Duncan.

"3d. The said members shall be appointed as follows;-Messrs. Munro and Blackwood to visit London; Messrs. Nicolson and Duncan to visit Lancashire; and Messrs. Wilson and Fergusson to visit Newcastle.

"4th. The Deputations shall preach in the places assigned them on Sabbaths the 24th and 31st January next; and besides do what in them lies by week-day meetings and pointment, otherwise to promote the ends of their ap

"5th. The said Presbyteries shall be forthwith apprised of this appointment, and requested to make the necessary local arrange. ments, for receiving and aiding the Deputations; and in order to complete such arrangements, each of the said Presbyteries shall be requested to hold a Special Meeting on Wednesday, the 20th January, and the members of Deputations are instructed to

appear at such Meeting of the Presbytery | lution for many days together, he was enabled | manly life and high-hearted chivalry, has diswithin whose bounds they are to labour. to place all his dependence on the Saviour's appeared from our Assemblies; now that his "6th. That immediately on the rising of finished work; and notwithstanding the cordial aspect and spirit-stirring eloquence the Synod, six members of the Presbyteries of London and Lancashire, viz. three from fulness of strength in which he had been auditories; now that the sanction of his name will no longer be reflected from delighted each, shall proceed, two by two, to visit the stricken down, and the multitude of under- and the continual comfort of his presence are Presbyteries of Northumberland, Cumber- takings to which his presence seemed essential, withdrawn from us; now that his graceful land, and Berwick-upon-Tweed; and that he felt no clinging to this world, nor any fear union of affability with patriotic elevation, such Presbyteries should, previous to the of dying. He closed his active and useful his rare blending of practical talent with Meeting of Synod, make arrangements for receiving and aiding the Deputations. career at Carnock House on Friday the 30th classical refinement, and rarer union of stedOctober, and has left an example how possible gladden and instruct only the memories in Farther, that they be requested to hold a fast principle with unruffled urbanity, will Special Meeting of Presbytery in the week it is to combine uprightness with amenity, which he lives, we rejoice in the blissful after that in which the Synod meets, at which and to abound in personal friends whilst still assurance that brighter scenes have rethe members of Deputation may have an discharging public duty. ceived him, and holier services engage him. opportunity to attend. As a greater grief could scarcely have befallen us than to hear that he was gone; so a greater joy could not have mingled with that grief than to hear that it was in the faith of Jesus that he died.

7th. The Deputations are to have a special reference in all their operations to the terms of the instructions contained in the deliverance of commission by which they were appointed."

These Resolutions having been considered seriatim, the Committee unanimously adopt the same; recommend the Presbyteries to carry them into effect with as little variation as possible; and request the Convener to transmit copies thereof to the Clerks of the different Presbyteries for their direction. Closed with prayer.

ALEX. GILLESPIE, Convener.

THE LATE MR. P. M. STEWART, M.P.

OUR readers are too well aware of the heavy loss which the Free Church of Scotland and the Presbyterian Church in England have sustained by the death of Mr. Patrick Maxwell Stewart. He was Treasurer of the Caledonian Asylum, and one of the Treasurers of the Scottish Hospital, and by his judicious and popular administration, rendered the greatest service to the two principal national charities in the English metropolis. As a Member of Parliament he was constantly alive to the interests of the constituency which he represented; and his ready attention to every local claim secured for him so much respect and affection, that many regretted the political or ecclesiastical necessity which would have compelled them, in future elections, to oppose a member who did as much service to Renfrewshire as he did honour to Scotland. Many of our readers have heard him in public, and are familiar with his graceful, sprightly, and vigorous eloquence, enforced by his manly bearing, his benevolent countenance, and that good humour and selfpossession which in scenes the most trying never forsook him. And those who had the privilege of his personal acquaintance will never forget that joyous-hearted sincerity and continual kindness which made all around him so happy; nor can they hope to meet often the same conversational union of classical acquirement and general intelligence with good taste and good feeling, bespeaking at once the man of business, the scholar, and the gentleman. But prized as he was by all his friends, there were those to whom he was more precious still. It was under the roof of his mother that he died, and the only wish to live that he felt during his last illness, was the wish to minister for a little longer to that mother's happiness. With the clear prospect of disso

The relation in which we stood to him will

Your Ladyship's obedient servants, (Signed in name and on behalf of the Presbytery of London,)

of

None have more reason to mourn his de-
parture than ourselves. There was no Scheme
of our Church into which he did not cordially
enter; and there was no occasion on which
the services of a popular speaker or an influ-
ential advocate were needed, but the services be our apology for having told his honoured
of Mr. Stewart were most frankly and ener-parent how much we loved, and how long we
shall lament, her illustrious son; nor shall
getically rendered. At the last Meeting of we, whilst that loss is still so heavy and so
the London Presbytery the feelings of the recent, presume to suggest to your Ladyship
members were embodied in a Resolution, and topics of consolation. The God of all grace
entered on the minutes; and a Letter, of which Himself comfort you, and, in due time,
the following is a copy, was transmitted to through the infinite merits of our only
Saviour, bring you again into the
the Dowager Lady Shaw Stewart :—
presence
those who sleep in Jesus.
16, Exeter Hall,
With respectful sympathy, permit us to
London, Nov. 10, 1846. remain,
MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LADYSHIP,-Seldom
has any event filled us and our people with
deeper sorrow than the dispensation with
which it has pleased the Lord, in His ador-
able Providence, to visit you and your family.
Many of ourselves natives of North Britain,
we could not fail to admire the patriotism,
enthusiastic but enlightened, with which this
gifted representative of Scotland pled every
national cause in public, and gave soul and
efficiency to the various Institutions for pro-
moting the welfare of Scotch residents in
London. In common with hundreds of our
countrymen, we often, in the management of
these Institutions, owned the happy influ-
ence of his wisdom, sagacity, and im-
perturbable self-command, whilst we felt the
contagion of his zeal; and we know not
where to find another, who to equal dis-
interestedness, shall unite equal popularity.
But it is in our ecclesiastical capacity that we
most tenderly mourn his loss, and shall
longest miss his presence. Whilst devoting
all his energies to the cause of the Sister
Church in Scotland, he never lacked, at least
he never grudged, time for the service of
our own. We had no scheme of Christian

philanthropy to which he did not contribute.
We seldom held a public Meeting which was
not cheered by his presence, or animated by
his accomplished eloquence. And we have
no congregation within our bounds which did
not recognise a ready friend and tried bene-
factor in Mr. Patrick Maxwell Stewart. Then,
all his contributions of time and substance,
advice and influence, were given with such
hearty good-will and unaffected kindness,
that they were doubly blessed, and endeared
himself whilst they advanced the cause. And
and how small our importance in this vast
when we recollect how few were our numbers,
community, we can the more highly appre-
ciate the noble motives which prompted such
generous self-denying services; though such
was the warmth of his generous nature, that,
could he have desired any earthly recom-
pense, we believe that he found it in the
honour and affection in which he knew that
every English Presbyterian held him.

And now that his form, so redundant with

JOSIAS WILSON, Moderator. The Dowager Lady Shaw Stewart.

PASTORAL ADDRESS
TO THE CONGREGATION WORSHIPPING IN
BRUNSWICK CHAPEL, SHELTON, (HANLEY,)

STAFFORDSHIRE.

THIS congregation having applied for admission to the Presbytery of Lancashire, was formally recognized as a Congre gation, under the jurisdiction of that Presbytery, on the 4th of Nov. last. A Committee of Presbytery was appointed, who prepared the following PASTORAL ADDRESS to the Congregation, which was read on the 15th November, by the officiating clergyman, the Rev. H. L. Berry :

Dearly Beloved,-We have been deputed by our brethren of the Presbytery of Lancashire, to greet

you affectionately in the Lord's name, and to enposition which you now occupy, as a Congregation courage your hearts in the new and interesting under our charge.

We have not been unacquainted with the views and intentions which have, for some time back, been ripening among you. All your movements have been observed with deep interest, by that Court of our Church which has deputed us to address you, and we hailed with joy the progress which you appeared to be making towards clearer and sounder conceptions of the mind of the Spirit in the matter of ecclesiastical discipline and polity.

But whilst we did rejoice over you, ye are yourselves our witnesses, that in all this matter ye were the parties to apply to us, and that unsought

we came not among you.

We came however without gainsaying, as soon as ye sent for us; but we are assured that ye will bear us record, that, in our outgoings and incomings among you, our language and our actions have been calculated to engender and foster none

other than a spirit of brotherly love towards all that are of the household of faith.

When ye enquired of us as to our views, we spoke not to you regarding them in a corner, but before many witnesses,-yea, and before gainsayers