perience, I can never forget. The solemnity of my ordination to the sacred office, cotemporaneous and coincident in circumstance with my relation and familiar intercourse with you, calls up to recollection every feeling of solemn friendship. It is true we separated; but it is also true it was with great reluctance on both sides. The argument of the presbytery, predicated upon the public interests of the church in the north, never prevailed upon me, until I saw in God's good providence a prospect that you would be supplied with a better pastor. My late visit to Coldenham was intended as much for my own gratification and edification as for yours. I had heard nothing of the troubles among you, only that your pastor had left you; for your loss in that I sympathized with you, but little did I think that the accuser of the brethren had suc ceeded so far as to fire the sanctuary, and threaten to burn down to the ground the synagogue of God in Coldenham.

On your memorial lately presented to synod in Philadelphia, August, 1831, little was said directly, still to it, and the subject of it, frequent allusions were made. It is an unhappy fact, that the ministers of our church, the members of the constituted synod, are not entirely agreed on the best method of applying our principles. On the principles them. selves there is but one opinion; they all earnestly want Bible reformation; they all agree as upon a matter which admits of no argument, that a Christian cannot consistently hold office when his investiture therewith cannot be

had without first swearing to support immoral principles incorporated with worldly constitutions. They admit even more, that where the case is doubtful, it is our obvious duty to abstain. In the same manner all agree that we should never sit in judgment unless we can be allowed to judge for the Lord, and speak out our decision by his word. You will agree upon these great principles too. Why not hold with one another holy fellowship on these great principles? I am somewhat afraid that you fail in the discharge of some relative and religious, duties you owe to one another, and to God, or the contest would not run so high. Are you uniform and fervent in your closet and family devotions? Attention to these duties, and the enjoyment of fellowship with God therein, will tend very much to spiritualize your minds, and wean you from the world and guard you against its snares. On the other hand, if any of you do sin by any act of sinful conformity, it will dispose the rest to restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, if possible, and if that cannot be done, to proceed in cautious manner in the administration of discipline. We should always remember that the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wisdom is profitable to direct; the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated. O friends, cultivate with great care this meekness of wisdom; this charity which vaunteth not itself, and which is not easily provoked.

Hasone member of your church

voted at the town election for town officers? has another assumed the character of a jurist? I do not say you should, if these things are so, feel no concern; but you ought, before you publish as faulty such matters abroad, know exactly how the matter stands. There are two ways of telling the same story, and neither of them positively false. In Philadelphia I was told that two of our ministers sat on a jury in the city. I confess it started me a little; but I recovered myself, and on inquiry, I found they only assisted in an inquest. When reports of a brother's irregularity in any respect reaches our ear, we should see himself as soon as possible, or ascertain by a friend how the matter stands.

If such a course is not pursued, you may depend you will be perpetually harassed with mutual animosity, hard feelings, hard language; the enemy will in that case have a cheap and easy triumph. "Speak not evil one of another, dear brethren, lest ye be destroyed one of another." Re. member, dear friends, it is not your own character only, and your own comfort that are implicated. The influence of your principles upon surrounding socie. ty, the standing of your church, the honor of your Savior; all, all is at stake. Give not way to evil passions. Still I would not have you to relax discipline, and mutual watch for one another-integrity and faithfulness to the common cause which you have jointly taken up, and solemnly sworn to support. But this I have long considered a maxim in the government of the church, that no

process should be instituted until other means, if any such be in our power, be tried in vain. Let it always be with real and manifest reluctance, that a charge is ublicly preferred. This should particularly be the case when the scandal is purely in the eyes of the church; if the crime be as the apostle says of the Corinthians' case, not so much as named among the Gentiles. The case is some different. Still we are not to make public opinion the rule of our duty, or of our discipline. No, let the rule of our former attainments be strictly ob. served, and advances to perfection be made on every occasion offered. For this purpose we should carefully consider and diligently study the history of the faithful contendings of our worthy predecessors; make ourselves familiar with the arguments they used to defend their principles, that we may defend them too. I have often been struck with the arrogance and self-sufficiency of little folks, who would prate against the principles and opinions ons of ancient venerable men; as if the mere circumstance of these are on the antiquity of their works, or of some words out of one in modern times, their arguments are unworthy of examination; and because I cannot answer some objection that may be framed against them, therefore they can. not be answered. The acts bear. ing upon the subject of your me. morial are explicit, and the argu. ments accompanying them, I think conclusive, in relation to the cases contemplated; these acts have not been repeated.

(To be concluded.)

general opinion of the church is found to agree thereto.

When overtures, transmitted by the assembly have been received, the presbytery, at a previous ordinary meeting, appoints the particular day on which such overtures are to be considered: in like manner when an overture originates with a presbytery, the member who proposes them gives notice, at a previous ordinary meeting, of his intention to do so. In expressing an opinion upon an overture, nothing more is ne. cessary than simply to approve or to reject it. Any changes that are suggested upon it are generally disregarded by the assembly. The adoption of them is equivalent to the transmission of a new overture. The proposition transmitted for the consideration of presbyteries remains as it was sent, till the more general opinion of the church has been obtained upon it in the state in which it is transmitted. Hence the more simple and unincumbered that an overture is, the better.

Separate Register.-In consequence of the act of parliament for raising and establishing a fund for a provision for the widows and children of the ministers of the church of Scotland, &c., presby. teries are required to keep a sepa. rate register, for recording the names and parish churches of all the ministers of the respective parishes, the dates of their ordination or admission, the dates of their marriages, the names of their children, the time of their children's death, the time of the deaths of ministers, the names of their respective widows, and the dates of the marriages or deaths

of ministers' widows residing within their bounds. This register is regularly signed by moderator and clerk, and submitted, with the minutes of presbytery, to the examination of the synod; and the annual lists are made up from it, which must be transmitted from presbyteries to the trustees for managing the fund.

Ordinary meetings of presbytery. The election of the members of assembly renders two meetings of presbytery indispensable in the course of the year. The number of meetings held de. pends usually upon the local business to be transacted. Some presbyteries meet once a month. Presbyteries have the power of meeting when they please. But it is necessary, before the meeting is closed, to resolve when the next meeting is to be held, to enter this resolution in the minutes, and to cause it to be publicly intimated by the officer; otherwise the presbytery is defunct, and, without the intervention of the superior court, has no power to reassemble for business.

Pro re natâ meeting.-A pro re nata meeting of presbytery is called by the moderator, either on his own motion, when any thing has occurred which appears to him to require the assembling of the brethren before the time of the ordinary meeting; or on application made to him by some of the members of presbytery, with a statement of the grounds on which the application is made. He may refuse to grant it; but the responsibility of doing so rests upon him, and at the first ordinary meeting the whole of the circumstances will be brought before

the presbytery. When a pro re natâ meeting is called, letters of intimation, both of the day of meeting, and of the subject to be discussed, are written to every member. The notice must be sent to them a sufficient time be. fore the day appointed for the meeting. The moderator states at the meeting the circumstances which led him to call it; and the presbytery, in the first place, pronounces its judgment upon his conduct in doing so. No other business but that for which the meeting was called can be trans. acted at it.

The clerk and the officer of the presbytery are of its own appoint

the year.

Constitution. The synod is opened by the moderator of the preceding synod, who preaches a sermon suited to the occasion. After public worship is finished, he intimates that the synod is to meet, and he constitutes it by prayer. The roll of the synod is then made up, the presbytery which stood first on the roll at the preceding synod being put last, and that which was in the second place being called first. "Every member of all the presbyteries within the bounds of the synod is a member of that court, and the

same elder, who had last repre. sented the kirk-session in the presbytery, is its representative in the synod ;" and, on producing a proper extract of his election under the hands of the session-clerk is entered on the roll.

Correspondents." Neighboring synods correspond with one another, by sending one minister, and one elder, who are entitled to sit, to deliberate, and to vote with the original members of the synod to which they are sent."* They must have a regular commission from their own synods to act as correspondent members, and on its being produced and read, their names are added to the roll.†

Correspondent members are sent only to neighboring sy nods. It is unconstitutional to send them to presbyteries within their bounds.‡

are

Correspondent members appointed at the first diet meeting of the synod. Every synod must have at least two meetings for the dispatch of business.

Moderator.-The roll being made up, a new moderator, who must be a minister, is chosen. The mode of choosing him varies in different synods. The general principle is to take the moderator from the oldest of those ministers who have not filled the chair. The moderator is changed at every periodical return of the meeting of synod.

Order of business. The minutes of the last meeting of synod are then read over, and such matters as require to be noticed are taken up in their order. A com.

* Hill's View of the Constitution, p. 83. † Assembly 1829, sess. 9. Synod of Glenelg Assembly 1812, Session 7. Grant, Synod of Orkney.