modes of operation, because we have much to learn from them. The truths which the Free Church is now holding up to the world, for which she is bearing testimony by suffering, are truths essential to the vigour of spiritual life in the Church and its members. They are truths which we all admit, but which we have let slip. We have not felt as we ought that Jesus Christ is our Lord; that he must reign in us and over us, as individuals and as a community; His priestly, more than His kingly office, has filled our minds and bearts. We should take both, and live by both; we must live by faith not only in His atonement and intercession, but also in his authority and protection. He is our Master, and we must have no other. Feeling personally our short comings in this matter, we have thought it might be useful to call the attention of our readers to the truths which this Scottish movement has brought so prominently to view. The plans also adopted by the Free Church for the support of the ministry, and especially for the support of schools and the promotion of religious education, are worthy of the serious consideration of the Churches in this country. We have a similar work, and on a larger scale, to perform; and it is well to ask, whether we cannot learn something from them, as the best way of doing it. Our second object was of course to minister what little we could to aid the cause of the Scottish delegation to this country. This, however, is a very subordinate matter. With such principles at work, and with such men engaged in her service, we have no doubt of the success of the Free Church. Her cause is the cause of Christ, and must succeed. Its success cannot be materially promoted or retarded by the few thousand dollars, more or less, which American Christians may see fit to give. But it is of immense importance how we feel on this subject. To be hostile or to be indifferent, would be a sore calamity. We have heard,' said the eloquent delegate from Wales to the Scottish Assembly,' that Christ is suffering in this country, and we have come to look upon the bush that burns and is not consumed.' If Christ is there suffering in his Church, we must all admit that it would be for us a grievous evil not to believe it, and not to feel and manifest our sympathy."

I am sure my fathers and brethren will all feel, that had we done nothing more than been instrumental in bringing our views before the American Churches, and calling forth such statements from these eminent and influential men, and which may be regarded as pervading the best portions of the American Churches, it is well worth all the toil, and trouble, and inconveniences of the mission. (Cheers.) But I must now come more directly to the objects for which we were more directly sent to America. We set out by the authority of this General Assemby, for the purpose of calling forth the sympathy and liberality of the American Churches, for the purpose of promoting union and intercourse with their Churches, and gaining such information as to their education as might be useful to us in the circumstances in which we are now placed. I have first to advert to the amount of funds contributed. This has not been very large or very abundant; and some, perhaps, may be disposed to regard the result with a measure of disappointment; but at the same time I must say, when one attends to all the circumstances of the case, the contributions have been as liberal as we had reason to expect. Before the deputation left this country, we had received L.3000 in aid of the Free Church from America; since we went there, L.6000 had been sent home,-making in all L.9000; and we may confidently expect some thousands more. This, however, cannot be ascertained, and will, in all probability, depend on the recommendation which it is believed the Assembly of the Old School Presbyterians will give for a collection at its meeting at Louisville, Kentucky, where Mr Chalmers of Dailly, and Mr Lewis of Dundee at present are. The amount of the contributions would no doubt have been increased, had we been able to bring any thing like an adequate agency and a system of organization to bear upon the cause. I believe the great body of the congregations would have been willing to give a collection, if we had been able to send men among them to preach and explain our sentiments. You are aware that the great success of our labours, under God, so far as collecting money in England was concerned, lay in this, that we were able to visit that country with thorough agencies and organization. The mere existence of a kindly feeling on the part of the evangelical Churches in that country, would not

have led them to make contributions, unless we had sent men to preach in their pulpits, and speak at their public meetings. But there was a greater difficulty in embracing a country so wide, so large in extent, and at so great a distance from our own; but I have no doubt that, had we been able to bring the same agency and organization to bear on it as on England, they would have contributed as largely in proportion to their means and numbers as the evangelical Churches in England. They have, moreover, more than the Churches in England have, pressing and urgent demands upon them. The American Churches have a difficult and arduous work before them, in providing religious instruction for a widely-extended and rapidlyincreasing population in the west, where there are many stations in which the suc cess of religion is exposed to many obstacles; and they are doing a great deal to accomplish the work to which, under Providence, they are called,-animated as the great body of the ministers are by a desire to promote the glory of God in the conversion of sinners,—and impressed deeply with a thorough conviction that the prevalence of personal religion and the fear of God is necessary to the success and prosperity of this national institution. (Hear.) Not a few in the American Churches were also disposed to doubt, when they looked at the state of their own western territories, and the numerous and urgent demands for assistance from these quarters, whether, as a mere pecuniary question, our case was much stronger than their own, and accordingly they were accustomed to contribute to our funds, not so much under any deep or strong sense of the superior urgency of our case in a pecuniary point of view, but just as an expression of their sympathy and brotherly kindness. We met, however, with some instances of singular liberality, and it is nothing more than an act of common justice to mention one individual, who stands pre-eminent for his munificence, Mr James Lennox of New York, who has contributed nearly L.3000 to our cause. (Cheers.) When he read the January number of our Missionary Record, he was struck with this idea, that it was very possible our missionaries in India might be exposed to difficulties till money could be raised for their maintenance, and he, immediately on this occurring to him, transmitted the sum of L.500 to our India Mission. (Cheers.) Of him I can say, that he is not only a man of great wealth and liberality, as his deeds prove, but a most intelligent and accomplished Christian gentleman. In regard to the mere matter of money, when we consider the inadequacy of their resources, and the great extent of the demands which are constantly made upon the churches on account of their own necessities, their contributions to our cause are as liberal as could have been expected from them, unless indeed there had been specially called forth by the Spirit of God a higher standard of giving than has ever yet been exhibited in their churches. There is much need for a higher general standard of giving in the churches of the new as well as of the old world. (Applause.) There was need for a higher standard of giving in the church of Corinth, even when they had the apostle Paul among them, as we find from his admonition to them in the 8th chapter of his 2d Epistle. Though they abounded in faith, in knowledge, and in love to the apostle, it appears that they were deficient in the great duty of Christian liberality. I have yet the hope, that remarkable as the efforts of the Free Church of Scotland have already been, she will yet present to the world a much higher standard of giving than she has hitherto exhibited, and that she will thus promote more largely and effectively the cause of Christ, and the welfare of his church. (Applause.) I could mention many pleasing and interesting instances of sympathy and regard for our church on the part of persons in humble life and comparatively poor circumstances, and whose prayers were earnest on our behalf. I scarcely met with anything while in America, which to me was more delightful than such circumstances as those to which I refer. There are many persons there who are natives of Scotland, who left home at an early age, yet still retain an ardent attachment to the church of their fathers. Such persons have watched the progress of events here with the deepest interest, and availed themselves of the earliest opportunity which was afforded them of contributing according as God hath prospered them, to the furtherance of our cause and the cause of Christ. I was particularly struck by one instance of this kind which occurred in New York. An old man, upwards of eighty years of age, called upon me while there. He was dressed in a blue coat,

the old Presbyterian blue—(applause)—and with a shepherd's plaid on his shoulders. He said he had walked three miles to come and shake hands with me. (Applause.) He was a native of Moffat, and he was well acquainted with the father of our respected friend Dr Welsh; and he rejoiced at the part which Dr Welsh had been honoured to take in reference to the Free Church of Scotland. At one of the last places I visited, I was waited upon by an individual, a gardener, a native of Scotland. He said he had attended our meeting the day before, and contributed a few shillings; but he could not all night get out of his head the thought of those of his countrymen who were compelled to worship God in the open air, on the highways, and on the sea-shore; and he came to insist upon me accepting an additional contribution of two pounds. (Applause.) There are more instances of the sympathy of such persons to the cause of the Free Church; but I must notice another expression of kindness and good feeling, not for one portion only, but towards the whole body of the Church. We held many meetings, and of course detailed the hardships and persecutions to which our people were subjected in many parts of the country, and which never failed to call forth the deepest sympathy and burning indignation. (Applause.) Such atrocities as the forcing of the people to worship on the road-sides, or within high water mark on the sea-shore, led to a proposal which was made to me, and the question was this," Why do not your whole 700 congregations come out here in a body, and settle in some of our western states?" (Great applause and laughter.) Such persecutions had done much good to America, and it was a great blessing to that country that so much of it was settled by the English Puritans, the Scotch Presbyterians, and the French Hugonots, while both previously and since, a very different class of persons had gone out. The Americans generally entertain a high respect for the Scotch Presbyterians, as well as for the Irish Presbyterians, whom they distinguish by the title of Scotch Irish-(a laugh)—and I have met many persons who, without any joke, but in perfect sincerity, entertained the question of the whole Church coming out in a body to the western states, where they would get as much land as they chose,-a location as large as Scotland itself if they required it, and possessing a soil of great fertility, not merely on lease, or under certain conditions, but a purchase out-and-out at five shillings an acre. (Applause.) The answer I gave to such proposals was this,-but the Assembly may give a different one if they choose, my answer was this,-that we could not consent to abandon Scotland to Erastians and Moderates (applause ;) and from the many tokens we had experienced of the favour of God, we entertained a well-grounded hope that the Free Church of Scotland will be honoured in largely promoting the cause of Christ, and be a blessing to the people of the country. We trusted that Scotland would yet be honoured in furthering the cause of Christ, as it had already been, and that it would exhibit many more instances of God's special protection. We entertained these hopes, and were encouraged to entertain them with confidence, and therefore we could not abandon Scotland, however severe for the present were the hardships we were obliged to suffer. Perhaps no one in this country has excited a greater degree of sympathy in America than Janet Frazer. (Great applause.) They were acquainted with her case; they knew the trials to which she had been subjected; and I have brought home many expressions of cordial regard and sympathy for her. (Applause.) We have, besides, been entrusted with several donations for her. I hold in my hands a pair of silver spectacles to be presented to her. (Great applause.) They are the gift of a Scotch woman in New York, who desired me to send them to Janet with a letter, which, as it is open, I will read:-Dr Cunningham here read the letter, which expressed high admiration of Janet's conduct, especially when contrasted with that " of her neighbour, the Duke of Buccleuch." (Great laughter.) They have no proper sense, Dr C. remarked, of the distinction of ranks in America. (Laughter.) Janet Frazer is, I believe, a member of the Secession Church, but this only makes her conduct the more noble. (No, no.) I now understand that Janet is actually a member of the Free Church. I believe there have been some donations made expressly for her. Dr Burns has a gold ring for her, and on one occasion we received a donation of L. 10, to provide, if necessary, communion vessels for Janet Frazer's church; and if these are

needed, there will be a claim to that extent on the funds received from America. It is a general opinion in America, and I concur in it, that Janet Frazer is a far more noble person than the Duke of Buccleuch, and the utmost cordiality and sympathy is everywhere expressed for her. With all their sympathy for our sufferings, and their indignation at the conduct of our oppressors, our American friends entertain a feeling which I am not surprised to find actuating them, regarding the part which these men have acted. They are not altogether sorry to see the infatuated conduct of these men. They entertain the hope and expectation that their conduct will yet recoil on their own heads. There was no observation more often addressed to us than this, "These Dukes of yours must be great fools"-(laughter and applause)" they must be ignorant of the history of America, and even of your own country, or they never could have imagined that by such conduct as they have pursued, they would be able to injure or put down your cause. The only result will be the securing of permanent benefit to the Free Church, and most likely injury to themselves; but this they have not sense enough to see." (Great applause.) When I was asked why they would not give us sites for our churches, I gave them this answer, and it has already been partly realized,—I said, the men could not conceive of such a thing as principle; and were counting upon the severity of winter, and by keeping the people exposed to the weather, thought to drive them back to the parish church; but I believed that when they found they could not succeed in this, they would be compelled, by the force of public opinion, to grant sites for our churches." I explained that our present object was to build, during the summer months, as many churches as would hold, on the approach of winter, the whole of the adhering population. But the benefits of our mission are more valuable to the Free Church than the mere pecuniary results. I think that, in the extracts which I have read, there will be found enough to establish the fact, that there are other important results to be realized. We have gained much information, which will be of great use to us. We have received the utmost encouragement to persevere in our exertions; and have experienced a kindness which must strengthen our hands and encourage our hearts in the work we have now on our hands. We have learned some things which will serve us as beacons to warn us in the course which we take, and much from which we may derive useful lessons. As I have no doubt there will yet be ample time for future discussion on these points, I will not attempt to go into all of them at present. I may yet have opportunities of entering into many points to which I have not now alluded. If my friend Dr Welsh will permit me, I may be able to give some details and information, on the point of education which my visit to America will enable me to give. On the subject which is to occupy the attention of the Assembly to-morrow, the state of religion,—I may find an opportunity of using some of the information regarding that subject which I was enabled to collect in the course of fulfilling my mission. In the meantime, it only remains for me to give some account of my colleagues, and state where they are all at present. Mr Lewis had gone on a visit to some of the southern States, but had returned to Kentucky and the north-western States. Dr Burns had visited the middle States, and was gone to Canada, where he had been received with open arms, and had met with that reception to which his long and important services in behalf of that colony justly entitled him. By the last letter I received, it appears that he had collected about L. 1000, although he had not been either at Quebec or Montreal. (Loud applause.) Mr Chalmers was at Boston when I was there. He had been at Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and some of the middle States. The Boston friends were so highly pleased with Mr Chalmers, that a vacant church there had seriously proposed to give him a call. How Mr Chalmers may act I do not know, but suppose that he will think that this country still opens an ample field for his utmost exertions. I was very much indebted to my friend Mr Ferguson, the elder of the church, who accompanied and returned home with me, and I hope you will hear him for a few minutes. I have now only to say in reference to the whole results of the mission, that I thank the Church for sending me out to America. I rejoice at the opportunities of observa

tion which I have thus enjoyed; and I trust that many benefits will arise from what has been done, that it may lead to much mutual intercourse on our mutual interests. I am happy on my return, to find the Free Church in such a vigorous and prosperous condition. It is delightful to find so much unity and harmony existing among all its members, and that all its operations are conducted with so much vigour. And I can venture to assure you of one fact, that many of the people of America will receive the accounts of your success and exertions with deep thankfulness to Almighty God for what he has done for you, and what he is doing by you, and that they will continue to abound in prayer that his blessing may still more abound towards you. (The Rev. Doctor sat down amidst long continued applause.)

Mr FERGUSON having been called upon by the Moderator, shortly addressed the Assembly. He said-After the lengthened and interesting statement to which you have listened from Dr Cunningham, in reference to the proceedings of the deputation, I will not trouble the Assembly with any lengthened remarks, but will compress what I have to say in a few sentences. I should have felt it my duty, in the first instance, to express the gratitude with which I recall to mind the many acts of kindness we received, and the cordiality with which we were welcomed everywhere in America. I should have been delighted to have expressed my feelings of gratitude in this respect; but Dr Cunningham has dilated on this in language so appropriate, and in a manner so feeling, that I deem any such expression on my part unnecessary on the present occasion. Suffice it to say, that I agree in every word he has said on the subject, and give my ready and cordial adherence to every sentiment he has stated in reference to it. Then, as to the general question, there are so many topics which present themselves in connection with this matter, that it is difficult to know what to speak upon, or where to begin. I shall, therefore, make a few random remarks and bring them into order as I go along. And I am encouraged in following out this course by the manner in which the Assembly received the mention of the name of Janet Frazer. (Laughter.) In addition to what Dr Cunningham said about the present and donations sent to this individual, I have to mention that I have myself been honoured to be the bearer of some of these presents. I received several volumes of books from a minister in America for Janet Frazer, as a mark of esteem for her generous and Christian conduct; and in regard to the gold rings, Dr Cunningham has mentioned that Dr Burns had been entrusted with one, but I am far more privileged, for I have been entrusted with no fewer than two. (Laughter and applause.) Not only this, but I can tell the Assembly a farther instance of the respect and admiration with which the people in America viewed the conduct of Janet Frazer. I chanced to be called to address a meeting in a small village in New England, the population of which almost entirely consisted of Scotsmen, and might be called a colony of Scotsmen. Upon the morning after the meeting was held, I observed an unusual bustle amongst the females of the place. At the meeting on the night previous, I told them the anecdote of Janet Frazer in good broad Scotch, as I knew from the constitution of the meeting that it would be easily understood. Well, then, as I said, next morning I observed a great bustle among the female portion of the commnnity. I did not understand at first what was the cause of such a commotion, nor was I made aware of it until, as I was stepping aboard the steamer about to leave the place, a gentleman, who had charge of the works in the village, came and told me that the females of the village had, on that morning, collected fifteen dollars, and that he was desired to give it in charge to me to be taken to Janet Frazer. (Loud applause.) I could mention many instances of the same kind of generous sympathy exercised towards the Free Church. One in particular I will mention, which struck me forcibly. We had been announced as about to visit a certain city, and a lady who had heard of our coming, but who was to all appearance on her death-bed, seemed to take a deep interest in our proceedings. The most fervent wish she expressed was, that she might be spared until the deputation reached the place. Previous, however, to the deputation arriving, she felt her end drawing near; she called a friend to her bed-side, and after giving instructions as to what donation to give them, she desired that friend to tell the deputation, that before