body, united together by a common doctrine and a common discipline. As such they should watch over the interests of one another, for they are accountable for one another. And where this is lost sight of, one of the best features of Presbytery is lost. It is, perhaps, in her discipline that the Presbyterian Church has the special advantage of every other; and it should be gratifying to the friends of the Synod to find her discipline reviving with her doctrine.

We shall close for the present by noticing, in addition to the Overtures that have been quoted, one other important measure of the Synod, namely, "That a Committee be appointed to take into consideration the entire course of education, at present pursued by candidates for the ministry in connexion with this church, and report thereon to the next meeting of Synod." In a future Number we shall call the attention of our readers to the very interesting and important subject contemplated by this appointment, only remarking, in the meantime, that similar Committees have been appointed, by both the Secession and Covenanting Churches, without any knowledge of one another's inten. tions. The urgency of some common necessity seems at once to have been felt by all; and we trust their common, though not united, labours, will do much to establish the principles of an improved and healthy system of minis, terial education.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN. : SIR,

ALLOW me, through the medium of your pages, to call the attention of the public to the present state of the Scottish Missionary Society, and its urgent claims on our increased exertions in its behalf. Before entering on this subject, however, I would wish to notice an article on Missions which appeared in your Number for February, more particu larly addressed to the Students and Licentiates in connexion with the Synod of Ulster. 29 The ba

It may be urged as an extenuation of the conduct of our Students and Probationers, that the want of a Missionary Society among ourselves, has prevented them from going out as Missionaries to the Heathen. But, Sir, if any of our young men ever aspired to the high and arduous situation of a

Missionary, why have the repeated calls of the Scottish Missionary Society not been attended to? Why have the appeals of the London Society been so urgent, and so often without success? You ask, "How can our Licentiates go, unless they be sent ?" I answer, how did Mr. Waddell go? How did he act when he became convinced that it was his duty to go and bear the tidings of salvation to the Heathen? Are we to be told that the Directors of the Scottish Missionary Society received him, and enabled him to go out, while they would reject the offers of our Students, who, when at College, have contributed to its funds, and advocated its claims? Undoubtedly, Sir, the Society would rejoice to know that our Students were beginning to exhibit so decidedly, that they had the cause of Missions at heart-that they felt themselves personally concerned. There can be no hesitation, Sir, but that any of our Students who would devote their labours to the instruction of the Heathen, would be received by this Society with open arms. If the Society in Scotland were to decline the offer, still there is an open field,- Go to the London Society, Its funds are open to the Orthodox of all communions,-its Mission Stations are numerous. Here is a field open to our Probationers. Let it not be urged as a plea for young men staying at home who would wish to engage in the labours of a foreign mission, that we have not a Society at home to support them. If the Societies which I have just mentioned reject them, then indeed, but not till then, can they offer such a plea.

But, Sir, I ask with you, why have we not a Society to send out Missionaries to the Canadas and our other Colonies? Why have we not a Society supported by our Clergymen and Elders, from which our Students might claim support? If all our Clergymen and Elders were to rouse themselves to a sense of their duty,-if they were to use all their endeavours to excite a spirit of Missions in their Parishes, we should soon have funds wherewith to establish a number of Clergymen in our Colonies, where from the multitudes of emigrants from Ireland and Scotland their labours are most anxiously required. Still if with all our exertions it should appear that our contributions would not support an efficient Mission, let us cultivate a closer intimacy with the Society in Scotland. Let us use more diligence in procuring subscriptions for it, and we shall enable it to act with more vigour in those countries in which it is at present engaged, and also to form other Stations of equal utility and importance.

It may appear to some that I have been severe on the characters of our Licentiates, and that I have in fact accused them of wanting personal religion, and feeling an interest in the propagation of the Gospel. I do not bring such heavy. charges against them. As I have already stated, there are many among them who would do honour to any church. This I am fully aware of. My acquaintance with our Students is limited; but still I am aware that among them there are many who have the interest of the Gospel at heart. I do not accuse them of want of personal religion, but it appears to me an extraordinary circumstance, that religious young men should be engaged in the cause of Missions for such a length of time in College, without making more determinate and useful efforts in forwarding that cause after finishing their education. You very truly remark, that our Ministers and Elders are culpable in being so backward and lukewarm in this Christian duty. But why have not our Students, who have had the cause of Missions brought home to them while at College, used more zealous endeavours to rouse up the people to engage heart and hand in this philanthropic and glorious cause?

If our Students and Licentiates would come forward, in those congregations where the Ministers and Elders have been negligent, and propose to them the formation of auxiliary branches, I cannot conceive what objections could be urged against the proposal. There are none of our congregations so poor, but that they could contribute something, however small; and if a Society were but once formed, and a Missionary spirit kindled in the breasts of the people,—if their minds were once awakened to the importance of the duty, and the responsibility under which they are placed of contributing their mite to the treasury of the Church militant on earth, such objections as poverty and want of means would in time fall away, and the offering, though small, would come from a heart interested in the work, and praying for its success. Let the Clergy of the Synod infuse such a spirit as this into the breasts of their flocks, and we shall have more piety, more godliness and vital religion diffused throughout the length and the breadth of the land.

1

To those who are engaged in the cause of Missions, the desponding state of the Scottish Missionary Society must be matter of serious concern. Its funds are at the lowest ebb, bills to so great an amount have been drawn on the Treasurer, that unless the Christian public, who are aware of the situa

tion and utility of the Society, come forward with prompt and effectual assistance, its labours may be cramped, its usefulness. suspended, the Word of God withheld from those who are anxious to hear concerning the Saviour, and the means of support withdrawn from a number of pious and zealous Clergymen who have no other means of subsistence than the supplies of the Society.

In no period of the Society's history have its labours been crowned with more signal success. The dark inhabitants of the West Indian Islands have felt the power of the Gospel. The Missionaries in Jamaica are not sufficiently numerous to occupy all the stations that present themselves, and they are calling for assistants to go over and help them. Churches have been erected at considerable expense, congregations of awakened and attentive Negroes have been assembled, and wherever the Missionaries go, they are received with delight. Had the Society not been so successful, its expenditure would not have been so great, and its claims on our Christian benevolence would have been proportionably smaller; but should we not rejoice that our exertions may, under the blessing of God, be made the means of conveying a knowledge of his word to those who are sitting in darkness, and in the valley of the shadow of death-should we not rejoice that our individual contributions may be the means of raising up a moral and regenerated people, out of a class of society whose minds were sunk in ignorance and all the darkness of Heathenismshould we not rejoice that we have an opportunity of assisting a society whose objects are to declare the glorious Gospel of the blessed God to institute Christian schools-to erect places of worship-to collect Christian societies, and thus to banish Pagan vices, Pagan abominations, and Pagan cruelties from the earth? Oh! Sir, if we have one spark of the love of Christ within us, if we can thank God for the gift of a Saviour, or appreciate what he has done for us, ought we not, like the woman of Samaria, immediately to make known his power and willingness to save to the uttermost all who come unto him? Shall it be told of us that we make professions of attachment to the Saviour, and that amid the profusion of temporal mercies with which it has pleased the Almighty to bless us, we discourse of his love and our obedience to his commandments, while we neglect the fulfilment of his command to evangelize the nations? As long as there remains a country or a nation that has not heard the tidings of salvation, we are guilty of neglecting his mandates. It is not to

be supposed that we who enjoy the light of revelation, can make a distinction between the commands of the Saviour, that we consider ourselves bound to obey when desired to commemorate his death in the sacrament of the Supper, or when told to respect our neighbour's property-that in obedience to his commandment, we consider it right to observe the principle of an undeviating adherence to truth; yet by what process of reasoning have we discovered that we are guiltless in neglecting a duty which he has most positively enjoined on us? If we admit that the commandments of Christ are obligatory, we must acknowledge that they are all binding; then how can we reconcile it to our consciences that we obey him, if we live in the habitual and daily neglect of the last important command he gave on earth? It is because we do not feel ourselves personally concerned in what the Saviour has effected for mankind, that we carelessly avoid engaging in this duty which involves so momentous results, which ought to attract our liveliest attention, and call forth all our energies.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has enjoyed much of the divine favour; but if we look to the Missionary labours of the Synod in a foreign land, as a test of its gratitude, we shall be led to conclude that those favours have not been duly appreciated. Now that the divisions which lately agitated the body are at an end, our Clergymen must certainly feel themselves called on to advocate the cause of Missions more earnestly than they have ever yet done. True it is, there are noble examples among our congregations of zeal in the cause of the Redeemer; but, alas, too many of our Ministers, and more of our Elders, do not feel themselves called on to act as strenuously in this cause as they could, and as they ought. One will not exert himself, another will not take the lead of his Minister who has not formed an auxiliary in the parish, a third, with all humility, confesses that he is too humble to effect any thing in so arduous a cause, a fourth has no money to spare, and a fifth leaves all such things to the clergy; and thus, through our indifference to religion and the interests of the Church of Christ, the great duty of evangelizing the nations is neglected, or done in such a manner that it is not done at all. We cannot expect that the Almighty would look down from Heaven with approbation on the conduct of those who thus voluntarily close their eyes to their duty and the commands of the Saviour. To some, Sir, this language may seem strong, but would to God it