their more extensive knowledge of the world, are likely to have a degree of influence, when settled over congregations, composed, in a great measure, of a certain class, than others who have not had the same advantages of rank and station in early life. Yet, in the present state of society, when the ministry does not hold that conventionally dignified place in public estimation to which it is entitled, the labourers in the spiritual vineyard may be expected generally to be raised from a comparatively humble grade of society. This was the case in the primitive age; for "not many wise men after the flesh, not many noble were called" to this honourable and important work; but the great Head of the Church chose "the weak things of the world to confound the things which were mighty;" and he put the "treasure into earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power" might be evident "to be of God and not of man." Some of the greatest ornaments of the Church, and the most useful labourers in the Gospel-field, have been raised from low estate. Who could have predicted of such persons as Robert Morrison and William Milne, when they left their humble secular callings for the sake of Christ, and from yearning love to souls, and were struggling under the greatest difficulties to acquire that amount of education which should fit them for even the lowest office in the evangelical field, that they should become men of renown in their generation?" But so it Both of them became profoundly learned in general literature and science, and especially in the knowledge of the Chinese language, in which they surpassed all Europeans of their time. The joint labours of Dr. Morrison and Dr. Milne, in translating the Scriptures into that difficult and mysterious language, are well known; and the Chinese dictionary of Dr. Morrison has gained him an honourable name in the highest walks of literature, and brought him to stand even before kings. was. Now, some of our own students are as promising to all appearance as those great men were in the early part of their career, and resemble them in their struggles to advance themselves in the midst of crushing difficulties. And who can tell to what usefulness and eminence they may one day attain, if their talents are properly nurtured, and if they are cast into situations where their energies may be developed ? Our Church has not hitherto attended to this matter as it ought. A few exhibitions or bursaries have indeed been granted by some wealthy individuals, who are always ready to every good work. But this is not enough. A permanent bursary fund should be raised by our people at large in every congregation, and distributed on a scale of sufficient liberality to such of our students as stand in need of this aid, so that they may not be under the necessity of interrupting their studies, and weakening their energies, by resorting to teaching, or any other employment, as a means of support, either in whole or in part. When they once enter our College, they should be placed in circumstances enabling them to devote their undivided attention to their studies without external causes of anxiety and care. Our students may be ranged under three classes: first, those who are in such circumstances as to be able to defray all their expenses while at College without extraneous aid. It were desirable, for a reason already stated, that we had more of this class; secondly, students who need only partial assistance; and thirdly, such as have no resources of their own, and cannot look to their relatives for assistance, but who, if they are to be educated at all, must have all their expenses defrayed for them. Out of this last class may be expected to arise men of the greatest eminence in the Church, if we are to judge of the future by the past-men who, in their straitened circumstances having been taught to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, are prepared to labour more abundantly than others in the vocation to which they are called. I leave it to others better skilled in the details of business than me to devise some definite plan for carrying into effect in all our congregations some such scheme as has now been suggested. I know that there are in our College students at the present time, who, unless some additional assistance is given them, will be obliged to suspend their studies at the end of the present session. Will our congregations allow such a deplorable issue-the blighting of the fondest hopes of young men of devoted piety and excellent promise? Will the elders and deacons of the Church not arouse themselves in this sacred cause? Will ministers stand aloof, and withhold that countenance and encouragement which the holy aspirants to the ministry have a right to expect at their hands? Will they not rather deem it a privilege and an honour to foster struggling, sanctified genius and heaven-inspired inspirations? The importance of a native ministry for our churches in England has often been stated, and cannot be denied. But matters are very different in this country from what they are in Scotland; and unless some encouragement is held out for promising young men of piety and talent, we cannot expect to raise a succession of ministers, from among ourselves, for the supply of our churches. Let us see what is done in this matter by other denominations in England. In the sphere of my early ministry, in a remote rural situation in this country, there were two young men whose hearts God had touched, so that they felt a strong desire to enter on a course of preparation for the sacred ministry. But they had not pecuniary means to support them through the curriculum of a Scottish University; and circumstanced as I then was-for there was no regularly organized Presbyterianism in the country-I could not assist them, and was, therefore, compelled most reluctantly to withhold any encouragement of their views. On my removal soon after to a distant part of the country, these young men, having no other alternative, asked the advice of some neighbouring ministers of the Independent denomination, by whom their views were immediately encouraged; and by their recommendation, they were both admitted, with only a very scanty amount of preparatory training, into one of the Independent Colleges, where they received board, lodging, and education gratuitously, one of them for the space of four, and the other of five full years-not sessions, and for about two-thirds of that time they received an allowance of generally one pound a Sabbath from the congregations in the surrounding district which they and their brethren were accustomed to supply in rotation almost every Lord's-day. This enabled them to dress in a manner becoming their station, and to provide a good supply of books for present and future use. Many of those students were in far more comfortable circumstances, as to pecuniary matters, than they afterwards were when they became pastors of poor congregations. One of the young men now referred to, who has recently entered on his eternal rest, ministered for a number of years in one of our cathedral cities; and the other has for about twenty years been the respected minister of a congregation in a town in one of the Midland counties. The fathers of both these individuals, now venerable in years, still act as office-bearers in one of our own Presbyterian congregations; and our denomination might have had the benefit of the faithful labours of their sons, had our Church at that period possessed the means of assisting them in their studies. Hoping that some vigorous steps will be taken without delay, for remedying this defect in the financial part of our system of ministerial training, I beg to subscribe myself, Mr. Editor, Yours, respectfully, SEXAGENARIUS. P.S. I should be doing injustice to our esteemed Professors, were I to close this paper without bearing my heartfelt testimony to the deep interest they ever manifest in behalf of their students, and the great exertions they are at all times ready to make to obtain pecuniary assistance, in the form of exhibitions, or bursaries, for such of them as require it. Presbyterian Church in England. HOME MISSION AND SUPPLEMENTAL FUND. In its usual course, as confirmed by the appointment of last Synod, the general collection in behalf of the Home Mission and Supplemental Fund, falls to be made on the THIRD SABBATH of the month of FEBRUARY. All amongst us, who love our Zion, and to whom the upholding, or the extension of the Gospel, in its Presbyterian form, in this land, is dear, are, as we fondly believe, looking forward, with solicitude and hope, to Sabbath, the 20th instant as the season of annual collection for what may well be regarded, without any invidious comparison, as the most important scheme of our Church. Looking, as we do, at the fact, that the expenditure is, even with the most rigid eco nomy, gradually rising above the income, as may be seen from the Report last submitted; at the expenses which have, during the current year, been incurred by aid granted, in one shape or another, to congregations recently formed; as well as at the wide field that lies untouched before us; and feeling the financial necessities that press us, we would respectfully solicit the sympathies of our ministers, office-bearers, and people, in behalf of the scheme; and would earnestly plead, as for Christ's sake, that there be an outpouring both of prayer and liberality, on the approaching occasion. ALEXANDER MUNRO, Convener. Grosvenor-square, Manchester, Hanley, or Shelton, Rev. J. M. Scotland, per Mrs. Geo. F. Barbour : Mrs. Barbour Mr. Neil Fullarton, Arran.. £2 0 0 0 10 0 2 0 By Mrs. Pesqué, Glasgow:- ..... do., do. Adam Mackay. A Friend Archd. Clark Mrs. Adam Mrs. Pesqué 090000G 22 12022180 6 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 18 6 0 10 0 ..... Several Friends Charles Long Two Children at the Grange, DEAR SIRS,-You will oblige our congregation by an emendation of the short notice of our affairs in your last number. The note stated, that before you should have gone to press again, we should require to pay the whole sum for our new church; and the intention was to call in the few outstanding contributions. I have been giving pulpit recommendations of the "Messenger," which its accuracy and aid, in points touching so nearly local interests, will materially help to be successful. Allow me now to add, that about fifty pounds of law expenses have come unexpectedly upon the congregation, in addition to other burdens before borne, solely for the Church's sake. May we beg the Church's aid, by small donations, to have this common debt cleared off at once. Your insertion of the above, I beg you will not postpone, the Church at large being con5 1 6 cerned. I remain, &c. ALEX. MURDOCH. 82 32 ............. PRESBYTERY OF LONDON. THE Presbytery of London met in the Presbytery-house on Tuesday, January 11, 1853; and after the usual devotional exercises by the Moderator, Mr. Berry, Reports were given in from the vacant congregations within the bounds. Mr. Chalmers stated, for the station at Windsor, that Mr. Henry Cook had undertaken to supply there for the current month. Professor Lorimer reported from Brighton, that on the whole the congregation was in a prosperous condition, and animated by a cordial and hopeful spirit. They had not yet resolved to call a minister, though several of our own had preached to them, as well as some brethren from the Free Church, one of whom (Mr. Henderson, of Melnathort), he was happy to state, had promised to occupy the pulpit at Brighton for the next four weeks. Professor Campbell rejoiced in the prospect at length enjoyed by his friends at John Knox's Church, and would say no more at present but that they had taken all proper preliminary steps for calling a minister, so that he had now the very pleasing duty of requesting the Presbytery to appoint a day for that purpose. The Presbytery accordingly resolved to meet there on Wednesday, the 19th-Mr. Ballantyne to preach and preside. Mr. Duncan laid on the table two overtures; the first, anent the calling of interim Synods, and the second regarding the sitting of Presbyteries during the meeting of Synod. The former overture proposed that all interim meetings of Synod should be henceforth discontinued; and that if it be deemed necessary the powers of the commission shall be extended to embrace those cases which have hitherto given rise to such irregularities. The other overture was grounded on the unconstitutional character of those Presbyterial meetings, which are called by authority of the Synod during its own sederunt, and when it is not possible to give all the members of the Presbytery due intimation; since the elders who are members of the one court are not necessarily members of the other. Mr. Duncan proposed certain restrictions to provide against any abuse of this unconstitutional anomaly. After some conversation in which Dr. Hamilton, Mr. Chalmers, the two Professors, and others took part, objecting generally to the latter of these overtures, they were finally remitted to a Committee, Mr. Duncan convener. Professor Campbell stated with regard to the moneys formerly collected for the projected church in Westminster, that he had written to the Treasurer twice and received no reply to his civil communication. He, therefore, requested that the Committee should be reappointed, which was agreed to. Chelsea... John Knox's London-wall Southwark Greenwich Chadwell-street Hampstead ...... PRESBYTERY OF LANCASHIRE. MANCHESTER, Jan. 5th, 1853.-After being duly constituted, the Rev. Thos. Robinson was appointed Moderator for the next six months. Collections for the School and College Funds were announced. The Clerk submitted two documents to the limited guarantee of 1007. per annum of stiPresbytery for their direction, the one, an unpend to Chalmers's Church, Manchester, by one of the trustees of the said church; the other, a limited guarantee of 1507. per annum for three years only by some of the trustees and managers. After consideration, it was moved, seconded, and unanimously agreed to, that the following articles be transmitted to the trustees and managers of said church for their signature, viz. :— the lately ordained minister of 1. That the trustees and managers of Chalmers's Church, Manchester, do hereby guarantee to the Rev. Andrew Inglis, lately ordained minister there, an annual stipend of not less than 1007. 2. That they also agree to guarantee an additional sum of 50l. per annum for three years, 3. That in giving this undertaking, it is understood, that, after defraying the ordinary expenses, Mr. Inglis will have the benefit of any increase in the revenue of the congregation beyond the prefixed sums. An Interim Report on Session Records was given in and read by Mr. Cromar, the Convener. The Committee was re-appointed with former instructions. The Report of the Committee on the Directory was given in and read by Mr. Forster, the Convener. The Report was remitted to the Committee, which was re-appointed, with instructions to print as many copies, with the alterations and emendations suggested, as would be required for the use of the Presbytery; and the Presbytery resolved to consider the same at the next Meeting, to be held at Manchester on the first Wednesday of February next. The Home Mission schedules of Bolton and Chester were produced and attested. The Rev. Geo. W. Adam, of Leeds, was empowered to take the usual steps towards the election and ordination of elders for his congregation. On the application of the Rev. A. Thomson, of Bradford, Mr. Adam was appointed an additional assessor to his Church Session. |