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Calvin upon the subject of ceremonies in general, and on the government of the Church in particular. Calvin, he said, was more of a Reformer than a Dissenter. assigned to modes and forms their due place, holding them to be subordinate to the substance of the Gospel. His sympathies were all with the Puritan or reform ing party within the pale of the English Church; and what he mainly sought from them was, to secure the faithful preaching of the truth, and the instruction of the young throughout the land. The early bishops and Reformers of England, on their part, entertained the highest respect for the persons, the opinions, and the orders of the reformed clergy abroad. They consulted them in the preparation of the formularies of the English Church, and to John Knox that Church owes the rubric which explains the posture of kneeling at the Sacrament to imply no adoration to the elements, or to any corporal presence of Christ in them. The Doctor then alluded to the attempt made to establish Presbyterianism in England during the reign of Elizabeth by Cartwright and his party, which he held to have been premature and unhappy. He then proceeded to examine the reasons which prevented the development of the Puritan spirit in the Church of England. It was generally alleged by Prelatic writers, that the English Church embraced the monarchical form of government, because England was a monarchy, as the Genevan Church assumed the republican form because Geneva was a republic. But, in point of fact, the reason why the English Church went no further in reformation was, that she was not permitted to reform herself. Had she enjoyed that liberty, she would doubtless have followed the example of the other Reformed Churches, who spontaneously developed themselves into the Presbyterial form. The wonder is that she did not adopt the same representative principle which appears in the old Saxon forms of the tithings, the hundreds, and the wittenagemote, which bear a very close analogy to the Presbyteries, the provincial assemblies, and the General Assembly of Presbytery. But the English Church was overborne by the despotic authority of Elizabeth. She became monarchical because such was the will of the monarch. After speaking of the diametrical opposition of the Reformation to the hierarchical and priestly pretensions of the Church of Rome, which began to creep into the English Church during the reign of Elizabeth, and came to a height in the days of Laud, the lecturer showed how the Puritan element of the English Church, freed from the despotic incubus of the State, was developed into the Calvinistic

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and Presbyterian form, at the period of the Westminster Assembly. We of the Presbyterian Church in England, he said, claim to be the legitimate representatives of that reforming party. The true origin of Presbyterianism in England must be sought, not in the history of Dissenterism, but of the Church of England. At the close of this part of his subject, the Reverend Doctor made an appeal to all the orthodox and Evangelical parties, both within and beyond the pale of the Establishment. The lecture concluded by an estimate of the state of doctrine in England, in which, after describing the character of Puseyism, some reference was made to the hereticism which has crept into the ranks of Nonconformity; and the lecture closed with an appeal to the grand principle of the Reformation,-reverential submission to the dictates of inspiration,-and a warmly expres sed hope of a more general union among the friends of truth.

The lecturer was frequently interrupted by the applause of his audience; and when he sat down, Dr. Hamilton rose to express the great pleasure and admiration with which every one present had listened to so masterly a lecture, and to request Dr. M'Crie, in the name of the whole auditory, to consent to the publication of a performance which was felt by all to be so appropriate and seasonable in its subject, so learned and able in the way that subject had been handled, and so richly fraught with right feeling towards all of every name who hold and profess Evangelical principles. The assembly broke up about nine o'clock, greatly gratified with the whole proceedings, and full of anticipations of benefit to result, under the Divine blessing, from Dr. M'Crie's labours in London, not only to the Presbyterian Church in England, but to the general interests of Protestant and Evangelical truth.

On Tuesday evening, November 18, the friends of Dr. M'Crie in London gave him an entertainment at the Milton Club, in Ludgate-hill. The dinner was of a very superior description. The chair was occupied by Alexander Gillespie, Esq., Convenor of the College Committee, who was supported on the right by Dr. M'Crie, and on the left by the Right Hon. Lord Panmure ; and among those present we observed Dr. Rutherford, of the Royal Military College at Woolwich; Lieut.-Col. Anderson, R.H.A.; Professor Leoni Levi, of King's College; Patrick F. Robertson, Esq., M.P.; James Robertson, Esq.; Thomas M'Clure, Esq., of Belmont, Belfast; Patrick Johnston, Esq.; David Blyth, Esq.; John Thomson, Esq.; John Hill, Esq.; James Watson, Esq.; James Alexander, Esq.; Dr. A. P. Stewart; A. T. Ritchie, Esq., of the Scot

tish Equitable Life Office, who acted as Secretary to the Committee of Arrangements; the Ministers of the Presbytery, including those of Brighton and Southampton; the Rev. R. H. Lundie, of Birkenhead; and about 200 other gentlemen.

The healths of the Queen, and Prince Albert, and the rest of the Royal Family, having been enthusiastically honoured,

The CHAIRMAN gave "The Army and Navy," which was received with loud and long-continued applause, and paid a high compliment to Lord Panmure for the zeal and efficiency he had displayed since he became a member of Her Majesty's Government, and the head of the War Department. He also referred to Colonel Anderson, as one whose face had long been familiar to them in their churches and church-courts, and expressed his pleasure at seeing him still amongst them, so hale and hearty, after his long term of service. True, though he shared in the glories of Waterloo, he had not participated in the dangers of the Crimea, but three of his sons had; one of whom, Major Anderson, was not only following in his father's footsteps, but might be said to be treading on his father's heels.

Colonel ANDERSON, R.H.A., acknowledged the toast, on behalf of the army, and spoke in the highest terms of its present efficient state, under the able administration of the Noble Lord. As he saw so many of his Reverend friends present, he would make one observation, to which he wished to call their particular attention, and that was, the regretable infrequency of their allusions to the army and the navy in their prayers. He had often, as a Presbyterian, been twitted with this omission, and pointed to the superiority of the service of the Church of England in this respect. The gallant officer concluded by expressing his high gratification at the improved tone of the army in religious matters.

Lord PANMURE.—Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, I certainly thought, on the present occasion, to have been permitted to have passed this evening as a spectator rather than as one who would be called upon to address this Meeting; but my Honoured Friend in the chair has associated my name with the Administration in a manner which will not permit me to be entirely silent. It gives me, Gentlemen, great gratification to find The Army' received by such a company as this with so much enthusiasm. There was a time, when I first entered the service, when nothing was held in less esteem in the army than a man who endeavoured to introduce into the service those Christian principles to which Colonel Anderson has adverted; but I have lived to see the principles of Christian soldiers force themselves upon the notice of

those who cared for none of those things, and command estimation in the sight of the whole nation. Let me, Gentlemen, only | refer you to the deep interest which the entire country took in the case of Captain Hedley Vicars (loud applause), to convince you that the nation now knows that a man need not be a bad soldier because he is a good Christian. The Chairman has been good enough to allude to the state of the army when I came into the Administration. He has told you, however, that I havestated elsewhere, and which I now repeat, that I found many paths already traced out, and I had nothing to do but to walk therein, and there were others which I had chalked out for myself. I rejoice to think that the army has returned home from the Crimes in as good a state as ever the army of this country has been-soun1 in health, not deteriorated in morals, and such as any Christian man may now venture to send his son into. The army is no longer that loose profession which it once was. Men now attend to their education in the army, and every opportunity is given to them for cultivating religious principles and know. ledge in the army, and none need now be either ashamed or afraid to let his son enter the service. Gentlemen, the efficiency of that army is a point which the nation ought carefully to attend to; for though, in the providence of God, we have sheathed the sword, I regret to think that the time has not yet come when we can safely hang it up against the wall. No, Gentlemen,' though now at peace, we must for some time to come be prepared for war; and I do think that the country will not grudge its resources being expended, if by that sys tem of preparedness we can command and place upon a better footing and security the blessings of peace. I do not believe that the army likes war. I believe there is no man who likes war less than those who have to carry it on in their own persons. Let it not, therefore, be supposed that we keep up the army because the army is fond of war. We keep it up to defend our national honour, and to secure our national institutions, and to maintain for us that liberty with which we not only worship our God, but hold up our heads as one of the greatest nations of the earth. Permit me to say with what pleasure I find myself in such society as this. I believe this is the first time in my life that I ever sat down in this way amongst a company of Presby terian "true blues." I hail the Meeting, Gentlemen, and I rejoice to form one of you. I hail the occasion on which you i meet to do honour to your present guest. At the same time I must say that I rather grudge him to you on this side of the Tweed. And had my wishes been carried

out you never would have got him. But, Gentlemen, here he is, and I, for one, bid him God speed in the office which he has undertaken, for I delight to think that the interchange between the Free Church of Scotland and the Synod in England is so systematically set upon a footing altogether satisfactory to both parties. Gentlemen, I rejoice to unite with you this evening in doing honour to one who so worthily bears a name which must for ever live in the hearts of our fellow-countrymen, and in the history of our native land. (The Noble Lord resumed his seat amidst loud cheering long continued.)

The CHAIRMAN, upon introducing the toast of the evening, "The health of the Rev. Dr. M'Crie," spoke to the following effect::

I went to the last Meeting of our Synod with a heavy heart. I missed there the presence of one with whom I had long been acquainted, and whom I highly esteemed; who had often rendered us much service in our Church Courts, and who was an ornament to the Chair which he filled in our Theological Institution. What course was to be pursued in regard to our College, and how the vacancy occasioned by the death of Professor Campbell was to be filled, were questions of grave consideration. Even after the Synod had given a deliverance, and empowered the Committee to appoint a new Professor, the matter was surrounded with many difficulties; for where was the man, and how were we to get him? But, "setting a stout heart to a stey brae," the Committee addressed themselves to the duty confided to them. We held frequent consultations, and I believe each of us had in his mind the sort of man that we required. At last one of us said, "If we could only get such a man as Dr. M'Crie;" when another, more bold, responded, "And why not Dr. M'Crie himself?" We found ourselves immediately at one; and, upon communicating with our friends in the country, it appeared that they were equally unanimous. So we opened a communication with Dr. M'Crie, and the result was his hearty acceptance of the Chair. The mere fact of the appointment has of itself greatly raised us in the estimation of our friends in Scotland. Dr. Candlish, though he has not ascribed to us "absolute wisdom," has said that we have shown " consummate wisdom," and many of his co-Presbyters seem to think that we have, at least, shown more wisdom than themselves; and we have tonight heard the expression of an opinion which I highly value, not only in matters of war, but in a matter such as this. The Noble Lord has said, that such is his estimation of Dr. M'Crie, that, had he had his will, we "should never have got him."

Now, we do not wish to be regarded as "robbers of Churches," but we are very glad that we have got possession of Dr. M'Crie; and, what is more, we mean to keep him! But, passing from this, I augur the best results from the appointment of the Rev. Doctor, who not only brings to us a name highly honoured for his father's sake, but who, from his own acquirements, and ripe experience, is so well fitted for the office, and who, I trust, by the blessing of God, will be enabled to train up young men who will advance the cause of our Church in England, and not only of our Church, but the cause of the common Master of all Evangelical Churches. I believe, also, that the Free Church will derive benefit from Dr. M'Crie's settlement in London, not merely in the way already indicated by Lord Panmure, in our giving licentiates in exchange for those we receive from the North, but that questions will arise in which he may render essential service here, possessing, as he does, the confidence both of England and Scotland. The assemblage here to-night has much exceeded our expectations: greater numbers I have seen at some of our soirées, but a Presbyterian dinner like this we never had before. Such an attendance cannot be otherwise than highly gratifying to the feelings of Dr. M'Crie; but I think I may say that you will best show your regard for him by giving your confidence, your prayers, and your pecuniary support to that Institution with which our respected Father is now identified.

The Rev. Dr. M'CRIE returned thanks in a speech full of interest. He expressed himself much gratified with, and deeply grateful for, the cordial and enthusiastic welcome he had met with. Considering the honour they had conferred on him, by placing him in his present position, he felt that he ought rather to have been the entertainer than the guest on this occasion. He was quite sensible how much of all this honour he owed to the name which he bore. It had been said, and he feared with too much truth, that he who succeeded to his father's repu tation required to be a greater man than his father, to be considered great at all. Judged by this rule, he could not aspire to greatness; but he had some claim on their sympathy, for while he that inherited his father's riches had only to spend them, he was obliged not only to keep up his father's legacy, but expected to make a fortune of his own. As for his position as Moderator of the Free Church, which had been referred to, he

did not undervalue that honour; but he hardly knew in what capacity he now stood in regard to that office-if, indeed, he could be said to be standing at all, and not rather to be hanging, like Mahomet's coffin, between the heaven of England and the earth of Scotland. He then referred to the main object of the Meeting, which he held to be properly a demonstration in behalf of their College, and he hailed it as a pledge of their determination to place that Institution in a position worthy of the Presbyterian cause in England. One thing he was anxious about was, to impress on the minds of Englishmen the fact that, though Scotsmen were Presbyterians, yet Presbytery was not peculiar to Scotland. For this purpose he should like to see an international congress of Presbyterians assembled in London, composed of representatives from different countries. If they could prevail on a Merle D'Aubigné to come as the representative of Continental Presbyterianism, Professor Hodge as a type of American Presbyterianism, a Cooke to stand for Ireland, and a Cunningham for Scotland, to tell Englishmen what Presbytery has done and is doing in these parts, they would see that it was not such a small and contemptible thing as some of them imagined. (Cheers.) Another object he had much at heart, was the introduction of intermediate schools in some of the larger cities of England, on the plan of our higher academies in Scotland, in which our English Presbyterian youth might be trained in those branches which might prepare them for entering on the study of theology, and compete with others in ministerial learning. He hoped to see some scheme for this purpose organized, and had no doubt they could secure the services of our best Scottish teachers to begin with; and the advantages of such a system as he had in his eye would soon be appreciated in Eng land. (Hear, hear.) To the large-hearted and liberal laymen of our Church, he would suggest the advantages of prizes and bursaries, which might be limited to a certain number of years, without sinking the money for ever. He expressed his hope that the eyes of England might yet be opened to the value of scriptural truth and order. England's Reformation had been consecrated by

much precious blood. Surely she would never forget her own primitive and martyred bishops. He concluded by propos ing, Prosperity to the Presbyterian Synod of England," which was received with much enthusiasm.

The Meeting was afterwards addressed by Professor Lorimer, Dr. Hamilton, Dr. Weir, Messrs. Chalmers, Alexander, Robertson, Maclaurin, Dunwiddie (student), and others. On the Motion of Lord Panmure, a vote of thanks was cordially passed to the Chairman, which terminated the proceedings of a pleasant, and, we trust, profitable evening.

ST. GEORGE'S, LIVERPOOL.-The following Resolutions of Session have been sent to us for publication:-The Session having resumed the consideration of the communication from the Presbytery, of date the 3rd September last, calling upon the minister and Session immediately to discontinue the use of the organ in this congregation: It was resolved: I. That the terms in which the Resolution of the Presbytery is couched, appear to imply | that the minister possesses and is entitled to yield an authority in this matter separate from cannot regard as constitutional doctrine, the and independent of the Session, which they whole of the procedure in this case being the unanimous act of a Court whereof the minister is only the moderator. II. That, while the particular case of the use of an organ in this congregation was never heard or decided by the supreme Court, and while the procedure of the Presbytery in this matter is in the face of repeated dissents and complaints to the Synod, against the findings of the Presbytery, -the Session take their stand on their constitutional right to have their case adjudicated upon by a Court, superior alike to the Presbytery and Session, and await the decision of that Court.

ford, were lately examined by Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools. There were upwards of three hundred children present, five pupilteachers, and two assistants. The following one of the teachers:was written upon the parchment certificate of

SALFORD.-The Presbyterian Schools, Sal

"The school under Mr. Edwards is still on the increase, and is conducted, particularly in the upper classes, with much vigour and (Signed) "J. D. MORELL,

success.

"Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools. "Nov. 12, 1856." The Boys' School in Mount-street is an old building, not in good condition. It is in contemplation to enlarge and render it more commodious, and more extensively useful to the humbler classes in that locality.

Macintosh, Printer, Great New-street, London.

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