generations by various parties in Scotland eye of a returned missionary perhaps; and and England, referred to the Propaganda it would be of great importance to have at Rome, where there were 120 students missionaries with their wives and families speaking almost all the languages on earth. accommodated with rooms in the institute; Dr. Duff, in explaining the neces-ity for their experience would be of the greatest such an institution for Protestant mis- use to the young men. (Applause.) If sionaries, said that in going to India, thirty this system were carried out, I would have or forty years ago, it was impossible to provision for home missions as well as meet anybody to tell anything worth know- foreign. Mr. M'Coll, Mr. Tasker, Mr. ing about the missionary aspects of the Wilson, Fountainbridge, and others, might country. His own difficulties in this way come and lecture to students or others were prodigious; and it had suggested to not students, and imbue them with the him that if an agency were established at spirit of home missionary enterprise. Men home to prepare young men for the work, returned from missions to the Jews, to the it would be a mighty achievement. He had colonies, from Italy and the continent of often brought this subject before leading Europe, could tell their experience. Then men in the Church already, but it was the ex officio head of this institute would thought the time had not come. There naturally be the Professor of Evangelistic were in this country now returned mis- Theology. The professor would be consionaries and military and civil officers nected with our principal college, but he from India, who had made acquaintance could go periodically to others. Dr. Duff with one or other of the languages spoken then spoke of the pecuniary difficulty, for in that continent. He believed that in the new professorship must be endowed. Edinburgh at this moment they might get After some preliminary remarks on this almost every one of the leading languages point, he said- A few persons have been of India taught gratuitously to young men applied to privately, and as the result of willing to go to the mission-field. And correspondence and private interviews, I what an advantage and encouragement it am in circumstances, this night, to make would be for a young man to be able to an announcement to this Assembly. Last speak to a native of India, from the first year the subject was brought before the day he set foot in that land! Dr. Duff Assembly, and handed over to a joint-comwent on to show that it required young mittee of the Home and Foreign Commen of superior talents to go out as mis-mittee, with the Professors and College sionaries to India. He further explained Committee. They met to ether and dethe way in which the proposed missionary or evangelistic professorship would work. The courses of lectures should bring out prominently the duty of the Church to carry out Christ's last command, to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. The professor would also take out the sub-tance of the voluminous missionary literature, giving sketches of the history of missions, and describing the idolatrous systems and superstitions of the heathen world. And while, perhaps, not more than one out of twenty students might give themselves to the mission work, the rest, being instructed on the subject, would take more interest in it, and would communicate that interest to their people and stimulate their liberality. But, in regard to those who might have a mind to go forth, something additional was needed. A special training was essential, and it is on this account I always felt there ought to be a missionary institute, apart altogether from the College Professorship, the design of which would be this, to have a building, and in it a hall for lectures; rooms in which various studies might be carried on; languages, mythologies, manners, habits, and customs studied. There should be rooms in which students, candidates for the mission field, may lodg, trained under the liberat d, and came to the final co clusion that they could unanimously recommend to the Assembly to institute such a chair. The recommendation is before the House this night. And in order to let the House know our present position, I am warranted to make the announcement in the name of some fourteen or fifteen gentlemen, several of them-indeed, I believe, the major part of them, not members of the Free Church of Scotland at all-I am authorized in their name to say this, that if the General Assembly see its way to the institution of this Chair of Evangelistic Theology, they are wiling at once to come down with £10,000 for a permanent endowment. (Great applause.) This Free Church of Scotland has had many compliments paid to it, but I do not know whether any greater compliment than this was ever paid to it. It is not every day that £10,000 will drop as if from the clouds on the General Assembly; and the meaning of it is thissome of these gentlemen have been in India, and have noticed the wants I have hinted at. They felt the importance of the object, and they said-'We are not members of your Church, but we know it through your missions; we have confidence in your missions, and in the Church which has such miss ons; we have confidence in the orthodoxy of your Church, and we have some guarantee for the permanency of that orthodoxy in these changeable times. (Hear, hear.) We have such confidence in your Church and in your missions, that we are ready unconditionally to place at your disposal the sum of £10,000.' (Cheers.) If there be a Church under the sun that ought to come forward on a subject like this, and hail the opportunity of having such a professorship, it is the Free Church of Scotland. For three centuries the Church of Scotland has fought many of the noblest battles of the faith. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the most characteristic institution of Scotland, far more so than all our Parliaments and Courts of Session. I believe the history of the leading Acts of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland would be one of the mo-t noble histories of the world. The historian of the Westminster Assembly sleeps, alas, with his fathers; but we have still among us the historian of the Ten Years' Conflict -(cheers) and in his latter days, if he would turn his attention to the doings of the General Assembly for 300 years, I think it would be an epic poem, if written as he could write it. (Cheers.) I say, then, this Assembly is the very Assembly to take up this subject. Let me remind you of the object of the Ten Years' Conflict. The grand and central doctrine, for the maintenance of which the Disruption took place, was the supreme headship of Christ in his Church, and over all things for his Church-and therefore his kingship over the nations-sole King and Governor among the nations. Now, then, is not this Free Church of Scotland bound to maintain its own doctrine practically by carrying out the last command of the Saviour Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature'-the meaning of which is 'I am King and Governor among the nations, but the nations are in rebellion against me; go, then, in my name, and quell this rebellion, and with the sword of the Spirit in your hand, cease not from the contest till you have brought every rebel in the globe under subjection.' I entreat you to lay this to heart. We are on our trial at this moment; our credit, our honour, our consistency are on trial. Nothing has so astonished me in this country as this, that while this doctrine is avowed, so little is done for giving it practical effect over all the world. To-night you have heard that some who hold this doctrine show the amount of their obedience to their Saviour King by giving half-a-farthing annually for t' eex'ension of it among the nations. God will have a controversy with us if we do not awake to our duty here. People ask why it is that there is a spiritual decay and death among us. There are many causes, but I hold this to be one of them; for if this is the command of the Saviour, and we practically neglect it, how can we expect his blessing? Read the history of the Church for 1800 years. Whenever it was a missionary Church it flourished, but whenever it neglected the command of the Saviour it runk down into apathy, and gendered all descriptions of heresy. There is a vital connection between these two things-the practical maintenence and extension of this doctrine over the whole world, and the vitality of spiritual existence in the Church itself. Rise, then, to the height, the might, the dignity and glory of setting an example in this to all Christendom. If this professorship and institute be established, it will be a model to all the Churches of Christendom, for nothing of the same kind is established in Europe or America. You will take the lead in the Christian Churches, and in the evangelisation of the world. And in another aspect of it, how glorious to think that when we are apt to be overwhelmed by deluges of Colensoism, Mauriceism, and Stanleyism, and isms nearer home, the practical answer of this Church is this,- We believe in the Bible as Divine; we believe in its plenary inspiration as an absolute revelation from God; and we agree to establish this professorship to rear up young men, who at home and abroad shall proclaim these truths over the face of the whole earth.' (Cheers.)" VALEDICTORY SERVICE, A SERVICE was held in Regent Square Church (Rev. Dr. Hamilton's) on the evening of Tuesday, July 10th, for the purpose of taking farewell of the Rev. David Masson, and of commending him to the care of the Lord. Besides the devotional exercises, there were also short addresses by the Rev. Thomas Alexander, Moderator of the Synod, who presided, the Rev. Dr. Roberts, and one or two other friends. Mr. Alexander, in his remarks, said it gave him great pleasure to appear there as the representative of the English Presbyterian Synod. He enforced the duty that devolved on the followers of the Saviour to remember their missionary brethren in prayer, collectively and individually. Dr. Roberts, in his address, said that every art and science had special features to commend it; and applying this remak to the cause of Christian missions, he observed that it had special glories of its own. There was first the grandeur of the motive by which the missionary was actuated, and which prompted him to enter on the arduous undertaking. Many left home from avowedly interested motives. Some went to distant countries for the sake of seeing the world-some in search of knowledge, as did Pythagoras. Many in the present day faced all dangers and difficulties in order to add to their knowledge of different countries. Some went forth for the sake of worldly aggrandisement, and many for the pleasure of travelling, but the missionary had a nobler object in view. They might have seen the ships of all climes sailing down some mighty river, each with its distinctive features. The missionary ship had, however, a peculiar glory of its own, and in gazing upon it they could not but feel that those on board were actuated by purely benevolent motives. It was surely good to be associated with an enterprise in which they found pure benevolence and the love of God the ruling principles. The second peculiar glory of the missionary work was the nature of the message which the missionary had to convey. The ancient sects never sought to propagate their doctrines by preaching. Their course of procedure was to select a few disciples, in order to make them acquainted with the principles of the founders, but they had no idea of their general dissemination. With Christ and his apostles it was, however, different; for their message was for all. The third peculiar glory of missions was the effect pro iuced, and in treating of it he referred to the wonderful and beneficial changes which had been effected by the preaching of the Gospel. After bringing all these considerations to bear on the object they had in view, Dr. Roberts concluded by assuring their young friend, to take farewell of whom they had now assembled, that he might be sustained by the thought that there were many in this country in whose prayers he would be remembered. Mr. Masson delivered a brief address on the efficacy of prayer, and its importance to the upholding of a missionary's hands, and was followed by Dr. Hamilton, who introduced to the meeting the Rev. Dr. Stuart, of Virginia, and the Rev. Dr. Moore, of Richmond, two esteemed American brethren. Both of these gentlemen took part in the devotional exercises, as did also the Rev. Mr. Chalmers. The meeting was of a deeply solemnizing and interesting character. Bome Intelligeure. SCHOOL COLLECTION. THE annual collection in aid of the Synod School Fund is appointed to be made on the 19th instant, being the third Sunday of the month. This department of the Church's affairs occupied a large measure of attention at the late meeting of Synod, and various suggestions of the Committee for the improvement of the administration of the fund were adopted. One important effect of these, it is hoped, will be to give special encouragement and stimulus to those schools which afford to our youth the means of obtaining the elements of a classical education, and which are thus qualified to become feeders to our college and ministry. The following statistics in reference to the Day Schools connected with the Church were laid before the Synod : Total number of Day Schools 55 ... ... ... ... Ditto of Schools receiving aid from Government Ditto of Children attending Schools (not including North Shields and 5,256 £1,295 14 6 £248 10 0 ... Total amount of Government aid reported as received during the past year ... Ditto of Grants of School Committee in 1865 ... ... These statistics, while in many respects encouraging, are the best of all proofs how much room there is still left for progress in the Church's educational efforts. The number of our schools is still only the half of the number of our churches; and even of these there is still a considerable proportion of schools which are disqualified for participating in the Government Grants. To remove in all cases such disqualifications by the erection of better school-houses and the appointment of certificated teachers, is an object of great importance, which can only be attained by the aid of this Committee; and such aid the Committee can only continue to give if supported by the steady and growing liberality of the Church. In name of the Committee, PETER LORIMER, Convener. P.S.-Collections and Donations to be sent to the Treasurer, John Johnston, Esq., 67, New Bond Street, London, W. DR. WILLIAMS' LITERARY AND THEOLOGICAL SCHOLARSHIPS. To the Editor of the English Presbyterian Messenger. SIR, At the request of the College Committee, I beg you to give a place in your columns to the following information regarding Dr. Williams' Scholarships. If ministers and elders, and others interested in our College, would kindly bring it under the notice of students contemplating the ministry in the English Presbyterian Church, they might do good service. I am, London, July 20th, 1866. Dr. Williams' Trustees give notice that there will be six vacant Scholarships in the University of Glasgow for the next session. Candidates are required to present themselves in the Library, 8, Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London, on Wednesday, the 3rd day of October next, at ten o'clock precisely, for the purpose of being examined in the following course of study, with a view to ascertain their comparative merits, and to assign the vacant Scholarships to Euclid, first 3 Books. Greek Testament, Luke's Gospel. It will be necessary that each candidate should, at least a week before the day of examination, send to the Secretary a certificate proving that he is a native of South Britain, and at least sixteen years of age; that he should produce sufficient testimonials as to his moral character, and that he should satisfy the Trustees of his wish to be educated for the ministry amongst the Protestant Dissenters of South Britain, and that he has not graduated in any University. According to the terms of the founder's will, the preference will be given to sons of poor Presbyterian ministers equally qualified. II. DIVINITY SCHOLARSHIPS. These Scholarships are open to such students as shall have taken the degree of M.A. in one of the Scottish, or of B.A. in one of the English Universities, or in the University of Dublin. Candidates are required to produce certi those who may evince the greatest pro-ficates of moral and religious character, and ficiency: Livy, 1st Book. Cicero de Senectute, Virgil's Georgics. Horace's Odes, 1st Book. Latin Composition. testimonials as to general attainments, and to declare their decided wish and intention to pursue their studies during two years with an especial view to the Protestant Dissenting Ministry in such School of Theology as the Trustees shall select or Arithmetic, Algebra, including simple approve. Dr. Williams' Trustees give notice that three Scholarships of £31 10s. per annum each will be awarded after the examination of the candidates in the following authors and subjects: Homer. Xenophon (the Memorabilia). Plane and Solid Geometry. Conic Sections. Virgil. Cicero de naturâ Deorum. The Agricola and De Moribus. Germanorum of Tacitus. Wha eley's Logic. Greek, Roman, and English History. Locke on the Human Understanding. History, Geography, and Antiquities of the The examiners will have a due regard to the candidates' power of speaking clearly and reading with a just emphasis. The examination will be chiefly in writing, and will be held in the Library, 8, Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London, on Wednesday, the 3rd day of October next, and on the following day, commencing at ten o'clock a.m. precisely. Candidates are requested to send their applications, with the certificates and testimonials above referred to, to Mr. Samuel Cotton, 9, Tokenhouse Yard, London, at least a week before the day of examination. PRESBYTERY OF LANCASHIRE. The Pre-bytery of Lancashire of the English Presbyterian Church met at Manchester on Tuesday, the 3rd ult., the Rev. J. M. Ross, Moderator. The Rev. J. C. Paterson said the remit from the Synod, anent the admission of students to the study of theology, had not been received. It was manifestly inadvisable in these circumstances to proceed with the discussion of the motion of which he had given notice, and, with the leave of the Presbytery, be would defer it until next meeting. His request was agreed to. The title-deeds of Trinity, Manchester, and St. Andrew's, Bolton (Church property), were handed in to be deposited in the Presbytery's safe. Dr. Munro said that perhaps he might at this stage be allowed to report that the committee of which he was Convener had not been able, as instructed, to arrange and docquet the papers deposited with them for safe custody. He promised to use all diligence to have it done. He was exceed ingly anxious that all the deeds of the property of the Church should, and with as little delay as possible, be in the keeping of the Presbytery. No statement of the neces sity for this could be too absolute. For years he had laboured to accomplish it, an he was not without hope that they would at last. The Clerk was instructed to write to the sessions who had not deposited their title-deeds, reminding them of the injunction of the Presbytery. Mr. James Paterson reported that the Presbytery of Dundee and Chirnside had loosed Mr. Fordyce from his present charge, and in stru ted him to wait the orders of the Presbytery. He was greatly gratified at the prospect of Mr. Fordyce's settlement among them. He believed that he was likely to do a good work there, that he was a very capable man-the fit man for Cardiff. It was agreed that Mr. Fordyce should be inducted on the 1st of August. Mr. J. M. Ross to preach and preside, Mr. Bullock to address the minister, and Mr. W. K. Moon to address the people. Mr. Henderson reported that the call at Chester had been moderated in. Mr. Lewis, of Dudley, was the minister elect. The Birmingham Presbytery would in a week or ten days give a decision in the case, and, as it was obviously for the good of the Church and the comfort of all the parties concerned, he thought the Presbytery should meet on an early day to hear the report of their, commissioners, and take what action that report might make necessary. It was agreed to meet in hunc effectum at Liverpool, on the 17th inst. Mr. Gordon wished to call the attention of the Presby tery to the action of the School Committee with regard to Wharton and Swinton Schools. In their report to the Synod they said their claims were still under consideration; but though nearly three months had passed, he had not heard a word on the subject, and he was afraid the grants were to be withheld. This was a very great hardship, and might issue in the extinction of one of the schools. might not be a first-class school, but it was very necessary for the good of the congregation, and they were taking steps to improve the building and the teaching. Mr. J. M. Ross said it was very unwise on the part of the School Committee to withhold their grants, and in the circumstances a great hardship to the teahcers. M'Caw agreed with Mr. Ross, and moved that the Clerk be instructed to write to the School Committee, strongly recommendin; that the usual grant for the past year be made to these schools. This was agreed It Mr. |