abolition of patronage. Dr Cooke was supported by Mr Wallace of Denny, and Drs Brown, Edgar, and Stewart, all of whom spoke in the most decided and heart-stirring strain in support of the principles for which our church is now contending. In regard to the Marriage question, the Assembly adopted a series of very judicious resolutions, deprecating any legislative enactment which involved an invidious distinction betwixt Episcopalians and Presbyterians, assumed the power of Parliament to dispense with a solemn oath, and might be pleaded in vindication of a violation of the seventh commandment. The utmost harmony and enthusiasm prevailed throughout this Assembly, and the whole proceedings were conducted with that calmness, dignity, and consistency which might have been expected from so important a body. IN THE COURT OF SESSION. The Culsalmond case has been decided, by which an interdict has been granted, prohibiting the church courts from administering ordinances in the parish of Culsalmond. The judges, who were Lord President Boyle, Lord Gillies, Lord M'Kenzie, and Lord Fullarton, delivered their opinions at length, especially the latter, whose speech occupied three hours in delivery, and who differed from the other three, and maintained that, by the statute law, the subject of the sentence complained of was purely ecclesiastical, that the Court of Session had no ecclesiastical jurisdiction, either by statute or by usage,—and had no title to interfere or suspend and review what was purely an ecclesiastical judgment. These views, his Lordship illustrated at great length, and with great judgment, force, and perspicuity. The principle of this decision goes to annihilate the independent jurisdiction of any ecclesiastical court, and to make Presbyteries, Synods, Assemblies, merely subordinate courts to the Court of Session. The decision will of course be taken to the House of Lords by appeal, and, if confirmed there, then there can be no longer a supreme ecclesiastical court in Scotland. The question, as to legality of the Commission, though it had been debated by the counsel at the bar, was reserved for future decision. Perhaps, when this shall have been discussed, the legality of the General Assembly will next be the subject of judicial examination. This at least seems the course to which events are now pointing; and if they are ultimately to come to this, the sooner the crisis is developed the better. IN PARLIAMENT. There were, on the 15th March, two very important discussions with reference to our church;-the one took place on the motion of Sir Andrew Leith Hay, for production of the correspondence relative to the obnoxious settlement of Mr Wylic at Elgin, in op position to the expressed wishes, in favour of Mr Stewart, of threefourths of the communicants, all the elders except one, the magistrates and town-council, a majority of the burgh proprietors, and six out of eight heritors representing L.4600 out of L.6300 of valued income. This motion was negatived without a division. In the course of the debate Sir James Graham defended the Government, and announced that they had come to the determination not to introduce any legislative measure, but to enforce the law as interpreted by the civil courts. He was followed by Mr Fox Maule, who nobly vindicated the claims of the church. The other division was on a motion, by Mr Campbell of Monzie, for a committee to consider the principles of the Church of Scotland, and inquire into the causes of collision betwixt the supreme courts of the church and the supreme civil courts. This motion was lost, on a division, by a majority of 77, (139 to 62), 28 Scotch members voted on this occasion, of whom 16 supported the motion, and 12 opposed it. The inference from these discussions is, that the present ministry who, while in opposition, were unceasing in their attack on the then government for bringing forward no measure to remove the existing difficulties of our church, now that they are in power, mean to adopt the very same policy. While out of office they attempted, by the means of Lord Aberdecn's bill, to damage our church, while in office they perhaps expect, by withholding a measure, to do the same. We shall see. A contest in courts of law is, indeed, both a tedious and costly contest, and withal sufficiently irksome to weaken, if not to withdraw the cordial support of some timid friends; but, after all, even politicians may find that they have miscalculated the party whom they are now so cruelly opposing. Let our church never forget that she has liberties which no power on earth must be permitted to wrest from her. Let her submit to the vexation of protracted law suits, but let her not shrink from stedfastly maintaining her principles, be the sacrifice what it may. And let her again raise her ancient protest against the law of patronage, and call on the British nation to remove this root of bitterness, and she may yet survive the threatening storm; or if so be that she sink under it, it will be in a grave full of honour, and amidst the prayers of thousands who will never cease to remember the church of their fathers. APPOINTMENTS.-The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. James Tod to Lochlee, presbytery of Brechin, vacant by the translation of Mr Inglis to Edzell. Mr John Johnstone, preacher of the gospel, Greenock, has been elected minister of Old Monkland, vacant by the death of the Rev. William Thomson. Hercules Scott, Esq., of Aberdeen, has presented the Rev. D. Macdonald to be assistant and successor to the Rev. Dr Rose, Inverness. The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. William Reid, minister of Inverteil, (described in the Gazette preacher of the gospel,') to the church and parish of Kettle, presbytery of Cupar, vacant by the death of Mr Barclay. The Rev. Alex. M'Glashan, Glasgow, has been elected to the pastoral care of St Andrew's Scottish Church, London, vacant by Dr Crombie's translation to Aberlemno. Macleod of Macleod has presented the Rev. Angus Martin, missionary at Boisdale, South Uist, to the church and parish of Duirinish, Isle of Skye, vacant by the translation of the Rev. Archibald Clark to Ardnamurchan. The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. David Sutherland, preacher of the gospel, to the church at Strathy, presbytery of Tongue, vacant by Mr M'Gilvray's translation to Dairsie, Fife. The Crown has presented the Rev. Robert Nisbet to be assistant and successor to the Rev. William Menzies, minister of Lanark. The Town-Council of Glasgow have presented the Rev. Mr M'Letchie of St Thomas's Church, Leith, as assistant and successor to the Rev. Dr Lockhart, of the College Church, Glasgow. The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. William Alexander Corkindale to the church and parish of Ladykirk, presbytery of Chirnside, vacant by the death of the Rev. George Robertson. The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. James Cochrane to the charge and office of second minister of the church and parish of Cupar, vacant by the death of the Rev. John Birrell. The Rev. James Morrison, preacher of the gospel, has been elected by the heads of families minister of the parish of Newark, presbytery of Greenock. The Rev. Mr Gregory has been elected minister of Roxburgh Church, Edinburgh. The Duke of Montrose has presented Mr Pearson, preacher of the gospel, nephew to Principal Haldane, to the church and parish of Strathblane, racant by the death of Mr Buchanan. The elders and members of the Scottish Church, Workington, have elected Mr Thomas D. Nicholson, licentiate of the presbytery of Dumfries, to be their minister. The Duke of Buccleugh and Queensberry has presented the Rev. William Burnside Dunbar, assistant minister of the New Church, Dumfries, son of Mr Dunbar of Applegarth, to the church and parish of Westerkirk, vacant by the death of the Rev. James Green. Sir Neil Menzies, Bart., has appointed the Rev. Mr Irvine of Foss to the church and parish of Fortingall, vacant by the death of the Rev. R. Macdonald. The Rev. Walter M'Gilvray, of St Marks, Glasgow, has been elected minister of Hope Street Gaelic Church, Glasgow. CALLS.-On 28th December, Dr Ralph's to Aberdour. No dissents. On 31st January, Mr Tweedie's, to Tolbooth Church, Edinburgh. No dissents. On 2d February, Mr Wylie's, to Elgin. Sustained. On 16th February, Mr Nisbet's, as assistant and successor to Mr Menzies, Lanark. No dissents. On 24th February, Mr M'Letchie's, as assistant and successor to Dr Lockhart, of the College Church, Glasgow. No dissents. On 24th February, Mr Johnstone's, to Old Monkland. No dissents. On 20th March, Mr Todd's, to Lochlee. No dissents. ORDINATIONS.-On 13th January the presbytery of Linlithgow met at Livingston and ordained Mr John Laing, preacher of the gospel, as assistant and successor to Mr Robertson. Mr Gordon of Falkirk presided. On 13th January the presbytery of Stranraer met at Sheucl.ane, and ordained the Rev. Robert Donald to that new church. Mr Bell of Leswalt presided. On 18th January the presbytery of Brechin met in St John's church, Montrose, and ordained the Rev. Thomas Hastie to a charge in Launceston, Van Dieman's Land. Mr Nixon presided. On 20th January, Mr Hugh Mackay, preacher of the gospel, was ordained to the pastoral charge of Milton church, vacant by the demission of Rev. Dr Duncan, one of the General Assembly's missionaries to the Jews. Mr Macmorland presided. On 10th February the presbytery of Glasgow met in Wellpark church, and ordained Mr M'Kinlay, son of the late Dr M'Kinlay of Kilmarnock, to the pastoral charge of that church and parish, vacant by the translation of Mr Smith to Dumbarton. Mr Duncan of Kirkintilloch presided. On 10th February the presbytery of Glasgow met in Greenhead church, erected by the Church Building Society, and ordained Mr Underwood to the pastoral charge of that church and parish. Mr Sommerville of Anderston presided. On 10th February the presbytery of Chanonry met at Fortrose, and ordained Mr Fraser to the new church and parish there. Mr Kennedy presided. On 17th February, Mr John Robertson, preacher of the gospel, was ordained in the East church, Perth, and set apart for the pastoral charge of the Presbyterian church at Bothwell, Van Dieman's Land. Mr Touch of Kinnoul presided. On 24th February the presbytery of Dunfermline met at Aberdour, and inducted the Rev. Dr Hugh Ralph of Oldham Street church, Liverpool, as minister of the church and parish of Aberdour. Mr Thornton, Milnathort, presided. On 2d March the Rev. Simon Mackintosh was ordained third minister of the church and parish of Inverness. Mr Sutherland of the East Church presided. On 10th March the Rev. William King Tweedie was inducted, by the presbytery of Edinburgh, to the Tolbooth church and parish, Edinburgh.` Mr Thomas Clark presided. DEATHS.-On 13th December the Rev. Alexander Gardiner, minister of Fergus, presbytery of Hamilton, synod of Canada. On 20th December, at the manse of Glass, Mr John Cruickshank, one of the seven deposed ministers of Strathbogie. On 24th December, at Westerkirk manse, presbytery of Langholm, the Rev. James Green, minister of that parish. On 12th January, at Dumfries, the Rev. Robert George Home Robertson, minister of Ladykirk, presbytery of Chirnside. On 1st February, very suddenly, at Cupar, the Rev. John Birrell, minister of the second charge of that parish. On 3d February, at Strathblane manse, the Rev. Hamilton Buchanan, minister of that parish, aged 36. On 13th February, at Lesmahagow, presbytery of Lanark, John Wilson, D.D., one of the ministers of that parish, in the 78th year of his age and 46th of his ministry. On 13th February, the Rev. Robert M'Donald, minister of the parish of Fortingall, presbytery of Weem, in his 72d year. On 13th March, the Rev. Peter M'Kichan, minister of Lochgilphead. THE PRESBYTERIAN REVIEW. JULY 1842. No. LVII. ART. I.-Narrative of a Mission of Inquiry to the Jews, from the Church of Scotland, in 1839. Edin. 1842. Pp. 730. THOUGH there had been nothing important in the errand of our travellers, nor in the results of their expedition, the intrinsic merits of this volume would have found for it a multitude of readers. The abundance of its information-its lively pictures of places and of people its pleasing succession of wayfaring incidents-its extent of survey-and the classical elegance and benignant simplicity of its style, render it such a delightsome book, that some will read it through, who have little care for Israel. But it possesses special claims on the Christian reader. Its authors travelled with the Bible in their hands, and with eternity in their eye. They looked at people as they passed along, with something of the same feelings as Paul, when his spirit was stirred in sight of actual idolatry, or when he went over to help' the Macedonians. Even Christian travellers are too apt to talk of different countries as if the main distinction were, that the one wore turbans and the other beaver hats; or at the utmost, as if the mosque, the temple, or the church made all the difference. Seldom do we see that heartfelt concern which the reality of their situation should inspire. You see it here, and at every step find yourself in company with Christian travellers. And if the reader be one in whom the Spirit of Christ hath so supplanted the instincts of birth and prejudices of education, as to make him feel a patriotism towards the Jews,-if he have faith enough to entertain hope concerning Israel, and love enough to remember him still, he will much enjoy the book which breathes |