now sainted friend, the late Rev. Dr Philip. My last visit was to him at the Hankey Mission Station, a few days before I quitted the shores of Africa. His frame was then helpless as infancy; but, he said, with a pathos and solemnity worthy of his best days-" You are going home; I'll give you a word to the churches. Tell them that there has been too much talking and too little action-too much excitement and too little prayer-too much of man and too little of God. The world will never be converted at this rate." Amen, and Amen. The moderator then pronounced the benediction, and the large meeting separated.

MISSION BUSINESS.

Caffraria.-The Synod, at its meeting on Thursday forenoon, proceeded to consider a special Report of the Board of Missions giving an account of the circumstances which led to the sending out of a Commissioner to Caffraria, of the things which he did in Caffreland, of the Report which he submitted to the Board, and of the decisions of the Board with regard to said Report. As this document referred to a variety of matters, some of them involving questions of delicacy, the Synod proceeded to the discussion with closed doors. On the motion of Dr Beattie, a committee was appointed, to withdraw and prepare a minute on the subject for recommendation to the Synod. Dr Beattie, as convener of this committee, subsequently reported that the committee had unanimously agreed to recommend to the adoption of the Synod the following motion:-"That the Synod received the report of the Foreign Committee of the Board of Missions on the Mission to Caffraria, and that, without entering into all the matters contained in the voluminous documents on which it is founded, agreed to approve of the diligence of the committee-of the zeal, diligence, and self-denial of the Commissioner, the Rev. Henry Renton, in the discharge of the arduous duties entrusted to him-and not to disturb the final decision, in cumulo, to which the Mission Board came in the case of Mr Niven, and in which he expressed his acquiescence"- This recommendation was unanimously adopted by the Synod.

Application of Mr Garnet.-The Secretary requested the direction of the Synod, on an application to the Mission Board from the Rev. Mr Garnet, a minister of colour, belonging to the Presbyterian Church of North America, who wished to be admitted into the United Presbyterian Church, and sent out as a missionary to Jamaica. After some discussion as to points of form, it was unanimously agreed that the Mission Board should communicate with the presbytery to which Mr Garnet belonged, and receive him into the church, if, on examination, he were found to be properly qualified.

Presbytery of Ireland.-The Secretary read an application made to the Board of Home Missions from the Presbytery of Ireland, requesting them to supplement the stipends of two ministers there. He did not consider that they had any authority to do so, but sub

mitted the case to the Court for their advice.

The Rev. Dr YOUNG, of Perth, said, that the committee had power to give missionary grants to that presbytery, but had no power to put them on the same footing for supplementing as the churches at home. How could they do so, unless they put them under the same injunctions in relation to this matter which our own congregations are under?

The Rev. JOSEPH HAY, Arbroath, moved-"That the Synod, while desiring the prosperity of that presbytery as a sister church, and willing to aid them in missionary work, as far as may be deemed proper, yet as the rules of supplement of stipend embrace only the congregations of the United Presbyterian Church, they cannot be extended to them, or to any other sister church."

The Rev. Dr BAIRD, of Paisley, seconded the motion, which was agreed to.

Second Congregation, Errol.-The Secretary of the Board of Missions reported that under the Synod's remit of last year respecting an allowance to the Rev. Mr Russell of Errol, the Home Committee of the Board had recommended the Synod's Treasurer to pay a sum of L.30 from the Synod Fund. The Synod approved, and agreed that a grant of the same amount be paid to Mr Russell for the current year.

Retiring Members of Mission Board.-The Secretary read the names of the retiring members of the Board. Among them, he said, was the Rev. Mr Gorrie of Kettle, now deceased. They had lamented deeply the loss which they had sustained in his removal. He had been regular in his attendance, took a deep interest in the business before them, was candid and explicit in his statements, and his judgments had ever been listened to with much respect and attention. The Secretary also noticed the obligations they were under to their chairman, Mr James Young, for the able manner in which he presided over their proceedings.

Vote of thanks to the Mission Board.-It was moved by the Rev. Mr Pringle, and seconded by the Rev. Mr Marshall, that a special expression of thanks be tendered to the members of the Mission Board, and especially to Mr James Young, the chairman, and Mr Somerville, the secretary of the Board. The Moderator accordingly, addressing these two gentlemen, expressed the great obligations under which the church lay to the Board, for the wisdom, fidelity, and diligence with which they discharged their highly onerous duties; and stated, from his personal experience, that the labours of the gentlemen composing it had exceeded in amount anything which, but for that experience, he could have believed.

Mr YOUNG, in a few appropriate remarks, acknowledged the compliment.

Vote of Thanks to Mr Renton.-It was moved by the Rev. Mr Marshall, Coupar-Angus, and seconded by the Rev. Mr Pringle, that the thanks of the Synod be given to the Moderator, the Rev. H. Renton, for the great and important services he had rendered to the church in undertaking, and so admirably

The Rev. Mr HEATHER was heard at a subsequent sederunt. He felt deeply indebted to the United Presbyterian Church for the kindness and courtesy with which he had been received by the ministers in the places and towns which he visited. They wanted to raise L.1120, and from the United Presbyterian Church in the towns which he had visited, they had received already L.600. Within the last few years about 21,000 Irish Romanists had left Popery, and betaken themselves to Protestantism, but he did not mean to say that these 21,000 were now in Ireland. During the last few weeks the movement had greatly progressed, and, he believed, they could now number 26,000 converts from the Popish creed. He pointed out evidences of reform and improvement in several parts of Ireland, accompanying his statements with amusing and interesting anecdotes, taking one or two facts from Connaught, two or three from Munster, and some from other districts. He concluded by saying that there seemed to be before all the societies an open field which they could not overtake. The society which he represented employed 97 agents, who laboured in 1134 stations. It occurred to him that, observing the deep and growing anxiety of the United Presbyterian Church to do something for Ireland, if this Synod would pay eight or ten agents, their committee would have no objection, he thought, to select these agentsconverted men-and take them under their superintendence, until this church might see their way clearly into the country with a distinct organisation. These agents would cost from L.25 to L.40 a-year, and would send their reports to this church once in two months or once in three months, as might be thought proper.

Mr MACGILL, of Glasgow, said he took it for granted that a great movement was going on in Ireland, and that there was a loud call on them to assist in it. The great difficulty, however, was the present state of the funds of the church. For the purpose of suggesting a means of raising such funds as might be necessary, he would move the following as the deliverance of the Synod:-" That they agree to express the deep interest felt by the Synod in the subject of missionary effort in Ireland, and their sense of the obligation to prosecute such efforts in so far as the church may furnish funds for this purpose; agree to remit the subject to the Mission Board, and request them to consider whether funds may not be advantageously solicited in promotion of this object from the young people in the congregations of the church, and that the thanks of the Synod be given to the Rev. Mr Heather for the interesting statements he has submitted."

Dr SMART seconded the motion, which, after some discussion, was agreed to unanimously. The MODERATOR conveyed the thanks of the Synod to Mr Heather.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH FOREIGN CHURCHES.

Dr ANDREW THOMSON, the convener of the

committee on Foreign Correspondence, gave in their report. The correspondence during the past year has been confined to Geneva and France. The committee had determined to invite correspondence with the ancient church of the Waldenses. Its doctrinal character, its church-polity, and its freedom, as well as its dangers in the midst of enemies, rendered it just such a church as ought to have cordially held out to it the right hand of christian fellowship from the churches of Britain. The committee had fulfilled the Synod's instructions, to send a deputation to the meeting of the French Synod in January last. That meeting followed so soon after the last violent revolution in the affairs of France, that they had hesitated for a little about sending any deputation. But on receiving from M. Monod, an assurance of the intention of the Synod at least to attempt a meeting, that foreign deputies would run no very imminent hazard, and that the presence of deputies from British churches would at once be useful and refreshing, they had hesitated no longer. The Rev. Henry Angus, of Aberdeen, who had represented the Synod at this meeting of the French brethren, wrote:-" The delegates were about thirty in number, and better specimens of the christian pastor and evangelist, for their devotional spirit, their brotherly love, and their devotedness to their work, in many respects so very difficult, it never was my happiness to meet or mingle with. Their sessions were throughout, and without exception, characterised by the utmost freedom as well as tenderness, mutual confidence, and charity; and I shall always retain a fragrant, and I hope an edifying, remembrance of them." Though no interruption had hitherto been offered to the preaching, or the more private evangelistic labours of the brethren in Paris, yet they had reason to be alarmed at the state of the law in regard to religious liberty_in France, and at the intimacy between the Jesuits of France and its present ruler. In the departments remote from the capital, persecution had already begun. Protestant teachers had been expelled from their schools; colporteurs, whose only merchandise was the word of God, had been condemned for selling bad books; and evangelists had been cast into prison for preaching the Gospel. Six congregations had, within the last year, applied for admission to the union. One of these had been refused, the other five admitted, and the churches belonging to the Synod now number eighteen. Each of these churches had been visited during the year by a committee of Synod. Some of them have, during the year, made considerable additions to their membership. The multitude of fellowship meetings in these infant churches, and the remarkable spirit of liberality evoked among them since their secession, were specially noticed. One little flock, composed of only thirty members, and these poor, raised L.50 for the support of its pastor, besides contributing in a similar proportion to the other funds of the Union.

M. DURAND, of the Belgian Evangelical Society, or Belgian Missionary Church, then

addressed the Synod. After adverting to the religious state of Belgium, and to the efforts of the Romish clergy to stop the study and circulation of the Scriptures, M. Durand continued:-In 1837 the Belgian Evangelical Society was formed. Its three principal aims are,-1. To circulate the Word of God, and other good religious books, by means of colporteurs. 2. To establish schools, in which the children may be taught sound christian principles. 3. To support ministers for the preaching of the Gospel, and to establish evangelical churches. The benediction of God has abundantly rested upon the work of that Society. In Belgium, fourteen Protestant flocks are in connection with it; the members of which are almost all converts from Popery. But we soon felt a need of an organisation between the churches themselves, to give them a sort of common life. That was effected by an application of the Presbyterian principle; and therefore we are at the same time an Evangelical Society, and a Presbyterian Missionary Church. We adopted a confession of faith, written in 1518, viz., that of Guy de Bres. We are thus fighting in Belgium, not for new doctrines, but for the good old Protestant faith. We are protected by the laws and constitution of the country. But that liberty is a grant of a strong political party, called in Belgium the liberal party. I trust the Synod will accept, Moderator, the christian and fraternal salutations of the Belgian Missionary Church. May we ever be united by one faith, one love, and one desire, namely, to labour for the advent of the kingdom of Christ!

M. F. MONOD, who was next introduced to the Synod amid applause, began his address by saying that every time he had the honour of finding himself in this place, he felt it more and more to be a great pleasure and a high privilege; but more especially perhaps at this time did he feel grateful--in a country where the air he breathed was that of religious liberty. He regretted much that many of their brethren in France could not successively appear before them, so as to convince the Synod by their own ears that they all spoke the same language-the language of faith in the truth as it is in Jesus. But they did not speak the language of this country, and that formed an almost insurmountable barrier. He hoped, however, that this obstacle would be overcome by degrees, as it was their wish that some of their theological students should come over to Edinburgh for a year or two, to take advantage of the science and experience of our professors, and learn our language-and become ties more and more strong between their church and ours. He expressed much regret that his esteemed co-deputy from France (Mr Buscarlet) was not present, who, in consequence of the Synod having met about a fortnight earlier this year than last, which he did not anticipate, had not been able to provide a substitute in time. He thanked the Synod for the deputation to their Synod in January last, and it was with great pleasure and much encouragement that they received the words

Before

of instruction from their esteemed brother, Mr H. Angus. After expressing a hope that at the next meeting of their Synod, to be held in August 1854, in the department of Du Tarn, deputations would be full amongst them, he proceeded to relate some facts concerning the work of God amongst them during the past year. They always opened their meetings of Synod by reading their Confession of Faith. One-fourth part of the whole of their receipts was set apart for the work of evangelising their own country as well as beyond it, as the Lord might prosper them. For preparing agents for this purpose some bursaries had been established. After referring to the fraternal affection which existed among their churches, and to their union amongst themselves, he said that their general progress had been slow, but regular. last Synod, their churches numbered about 1000 members, now they counted about 1300. They had contributed about 30,000 francs in seventeen months for gospel ordinances, being an average of L.1, 4s. per head. He adverted briefly to the various objects to which this money was applied, and then stated that, from the churches in this country they had received from May 1851 to May 1852, L.114, 7s. 1d., and from individuals during the same time, L.50, 16s. According to the recommendation of the last Synod, the Missionary Board had sent them L.300, making in all received from this country, L.465, 13s. 1d. From May 1850 to this day they had received from the same sources altogether, L.967, 16s. 4 d., which was a great boon, and by which they were in a great measure kept up. Nevertheless, this help was far from meeting all their wants. With reference to his own congregation in Paris, the members in full communion contributed towards the expense of the congregation, L.3, 13s. per head, and notwithstanding all that, there was a deficit of L.200-the expense being L.360, and the contributions L.160. If their churches showed cause for much humiliation before God, they also showed cause for much thanksgiving; for there was within them, faith, zeal, activity, and a spirit of self-denial. Their churches were realising in a greater and greater measure a privilege which he never experienced in the state-paid church, of which he had been a minister for thirty years-he meant that real christian intercourse, that intimate regular fellowship with members of the same body, feeling that they are members of the same body-that the joys of the one are the joys of the other, and the sorrows of the one the sorrows of the other. During the last nineteen years 3,500,000 copies of the sacred Scriptures had been disseminated in France, and 15,000,000 religious tracts. Colporteurs to the number of 200 had been engaged in this work. The Evangelical Society had eighty-six agents at work; their receipts during the last year having been L.6000, and their expenditure L.7000, leaving a deficit of L.1000. Such seed must bring forth fruit. They had on the Protestant side to struggle with some sectarian spirit, more especially coming from the Plymouth brethren; but the

great obstacle was Jesuitism and Popery. A law had been enacted on the 25th day of March last, especially designed against them he thought, forbidding any public meetings, for whatever purpose or object, of more than twenty persons, without the consent of the government; but they had not yet applied that enactment openly. Another law had been passed on the 26th March last, sic volo sic jubeo, which destroyed the last vestige of the Presbyterian form of government in the Old Reformed Church of France. M. Monod then alluded to the shutting of a Protestant school in St Maurice, by the authority of the colonel by whom, under the state of siege, they had been governed; to the expulsion of two ministers beyond the boundaries of one of the departments, by a simple act of the general, one of whom was imprisoned for remonstrating with him. Reference was made to the practice of priests invading the deathbeds of Protestants who might reside in a Catholic family, and, after they had lost their senses, declaring that they died Roman Catholics. This was done in the case of the widow of Marshal Soult, and of Prince Paul de Wurtemberg.

Dr ROBSON expressed regret that this Synod had not, like the other Synods of the country, a fixed day of meeting every year, and that in consequence they had been deprived of the presence this year of Mr Buscarlet from Pau. He then read a letter from the Evangelical Society of Geneva, appointing two deputies to the Synod, and expressing a hope that they would arrive in time for the meeting. He expressed great gratification at the instances now mentioned of self-denial on the part of the poor working people who formed the members of the churches in France. These showed that the parties to whom they were sending help were worthy of it. They must strengthen their hands and encourage their hearts, till, by the blessing of God, they might be the means of regenerating poor, unhappy, enthralled France. They had listened with the deepest interest, too, to the statements made by M. Durand; and he said that the cause in Belgium, though that had scarcely been referred to, was in trying circumstances, as respected pecuniary matters. Dr R. quoted from the letter, appointing M. Durand their deputy, which stated that, unless sufficient help was rendered, the cause of God must materially suffer, and many of their agencies must be withdrawn. Their brethren in Belgium, therefore, had not only claims upon their sympathy, but upon their pecuniary support. They ought at once, he thought, to recommend a collection throughout all the churches in aid of the labours of their brethren on the Continent.

Dr BEATTIE did not know where this committee were going to end. They would soon have deputies, he thought, at the meetings of the Synod from the Waldenses, from Hong Kong, Calabar, and a hundred other places; and who would not be glad to see them? He rejoiced to hear again the voice of M. Monod; and surely no member of this court, after they had encouraged these churches in France so

long, would think of abandoning them now. He moved the adoption of the committee's report, that thanks be tendered to them for their services, and that they be encouraged to proceed. Mr France seconded this motion.

Dr M'KERROw said that they had every encouragement to increase the aid hitherto given to these churches of France, and if M. Monod would only go round amongst their congregations, he had no doubt that he would double the amount. He hoped this court would recommend to the Mission committee to continue, and if possible increase, the amount given to those churches. They ought also to send some assistance to their friends in Belgium.

Dr ROBSON then moved-"That the Synod appoint a collection to be made throughout all the congregations on behalf of the Evangelical churches on the Continent, leaving the Mission Board to allocate the result of such collection as their respective claims may seem to them to require."

The MODERATOR remarked that the aid which had been given to the brethren on the Continent had been accompanied with a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit.

After further discussion, the following deliverance was come to:-" The Synod express their high gratification with the addresses of their foreign brethren, and agree to recommend that a collection be made in the month of June throughout all the congregations of the church on behalf of the Evangelical churches on the Continent; and remit to the Mission Board to allocate the sum thus realised, with such additional sum as may to them seem to be required by the claims of the three sister churches, and direct the Mission Board to prepare a short statement to be read from the pulpits when the collection is intimated, stating the claims which these churches have on the liberality of our people."

The MODERATOR, in name of the Synod, returned thanks to Dr Thomson and the committee, and also to the deputies (Messrs Durand and F. Monod). In addressing the latter, he said, "You have won our confidence and sympathy, not only from the simplicity and correctness, but from the earnestness and scripturalness of the principles and sentiments which you have addressed to our hearts. I may say that no deputies who have spoken to this Synod have obtained a more deserved response."

Dr THOMSON intimated that the churches in Nova Scotia had remitted to him within the last fortnight, about L.20 in behalf of the brethren in France.

The following were appointed the committee on correspondence with foreign churches:-H. Renton, Dr Struthers, Dr Robson, Dr Beattie, John Ker, W. Thomson, J. L. Aikman, G. Johnston, H. M. Macgill, Dr A. Thomson (convener), A. G. Ellis, J. Marshall, D. Anderson, W. Lambie.

COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC QUESTIONS.

Dr JOHNSTON, of Limekilns, submitted