and I find that Scotland is thus supplied with places of worship, and clergymen of the Established Presby terian faith: Cong. Min. 900 970 55 Chapels in the Highlands de. 7 38 7 1000 1070 Scotland thus exhibits, by a close enumeration, one thousand places of worship, and one thousand and seventy ordained and regularly-officiating clergymen, for a population, after dededucting about 340,000 for Dissenters, of 1,750,000 persons,* at a cost, if the estimate I have made above is correct, (and I believe it is rather above the truth,) of little more than 250,000l. a-year. same manner as that of the Assembly over the Presbyteries and kirk-sessions under its inspection. The doctrine, the discipline, and form of worship, are precisely the same in this Synod as in the Established Church. And the chief reasons which they had in the year 1732, and which they still 55 have, for their separation from the Established Church, are set forth in a short suminary of principles which they published in the year 1820, to be"The sufferance of error on the part of the Established Church, without adequate censure: The settling of ministers by patronage, in reclaiming congregations: The neglect or relaxation of discipline: The restraint of ministerial freedom in testifying against maladministration; and the refusal of the prevailing party to be reclaimed." To persons at all acquainted with the history of this sect, it is very clear that they could very soon be amalgamated with the Established Church, were it not for the despotic law of patronage, which, as it has hitherto most unfortunately been administered, has tended to alienate a considerable proportion of the population of Scotland from the Established Church, and prevented the voice of the people from being heard in the appointment of the established instructors, whom they are, notwithstanding, obliged by the law to pay. Wherever the right of presentation, which is possessed by an oligarchy contemptible in point of numbers, has been exercised with discrimination, and with a due regard to the feelings of the people, it has been found that dissent either dwindles into insignificance, or drags on a sickly and precarious existence. The magistrates of our large towns, for reasons to which I have already adverted, now take special care in the appointments to the vacant livings in their gift; and the consequence is, that dissent is there making no progress, nay, is rather on the decline. To the honour of many patrons, and particularly those of the female class, a similar care is beginning evidently to be taken in appointments to country parishes; and even patrons whose regard for religion is held even by themselves at a very low estimate, are cautiously looking out, in spite of political engagements and partisanships, for young men to fill their churches I now turn to the Dissenters, who, I will confess, are rather my favourites, although I have not the honour of belonging to their body. The United Associate Synod of the Secession Church (as the greatest body of the Dissenters have chosen to designate themselves) require of their candidates for the office of clergyman precisely the same course of education as is required by the Established Church; namely, a four or five years' attendance and study of the ancient languages, mathematics, belles-lettres, and moral and natural philosophy, at some of the Scotch colleges, and an attendance afterwards, during five years, on their own Professor of Theology, by whom the same doctrines are taught as those in the theological chairs of the Established Church. The United Synod, in reference to the members who adhere to its communion, corresponds to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Its jurisdiction is exercised in the A vast proportion of this latter number (exclusive even of very young children, and superannuated and bed-ridden persons) will not, and, in a great measure, from want of church accommodation, cannot receive religious instruction publicly at all. land. Quakers, Unitarians, Baptists, Jews, and a few other nondescript sort of sects of religionists, exist in small numbers in some of the larger towns in Scotland. In the numbers of congregations and ministers, these sects respectively stand thus : 1. United Associate Synod of Cong. Min. the Secession Church 328 275 3. Original Burgher Associate 4. Constitutional Presbytery. 6. Reformed Presbytery 46 32 10 16 82 80 27 18 7. Scottish Episcopal Union 66 70 Union . 9. Independents, or the Con- 10. Roman Catholics • of Other sects uncertain, but 6 not probably exceeding. 50 40 760 657 however, thirty-five congregations and In this enumeration are included, clergymen in England connected with the United Synod, and other five in who will draw a good sum from their Ireland connected with the thirdnamed class of Dissenters. We shall therefore find, after making this deduction, that there are, as near as can be calculated, (and I vouch for the correctness of the ten first-mentioned classes of this list,) about 720 Dissenting congregations in Scotland, and nearly 620 Dissenting clergymen. The discrepancy between the numbers of congregations and clergymen arises from the circumstance of a good many of the congregations being unable to give full support to a regular clergyman, although the people keep together in the different places, and re ceive such occasional supplies of instruction as their own means, or the disposition of their respective churchcourts, can afford to them: some sects have no clergyman. These six hundred and twenty Dissenting clergymen enjoy incomes from their respective congregations, on an average, I believe, of about 1301. or 1351. a-year, including in this the estimated yearly value of a house and garden usually provided by the congregation, which may be worth 157. or 201. yearly, making the actually paid money-stipend about 1107. or 1157. a year. But in towns containing above 10,000 inhabitants, the incomes are much larger-in some instances amounting to three or four hundred ayear. Some congregations of the Scottish Episcopal Communion receive much support from a number of the oldest and most wealthy families in this country, as well as from rich English families, who are now emigrating into Scotland in considerable numbers every year; and the income of a part of their clergy, derived from voluntary contributions, is more than double that of the average sum received by the clergy of the Established Church from a compulsory assessment. Notwithstanding these instances, however, I do not think I err much in fixing the average income of the 620 Dissenting ministers of Scotland at 1301. a-year each. This will give a little more than 80,0007. a-year, voluntarily paid by the people of Scotland for religious instruction, in addition to the 250,000. which they are forced by law to pay to the Established Church; a sacrifice scarcely any part of which would they have been called upon by their consciences to make, had it not been for the disgraceful re-enactment of the law establishing the right of patronage, in 1712. The Dissenters in Scotland seem to be extremely inattentive to the statistics of their various churches. A good lesson in this respect might be derived by them from their brethren, the Methodists, in England. At the Annual Conferences of these Methodists, the clergymen from every congregation in their connexion, carry or send up the exact number belonging to each congregation, the numbers that have died, or have joined in their communion, and various other details of extreme importance, if properly considered, to the prosperity of their association. By tables of the kind, which may be easily drawn up from such returns, the state of a whole church, or of any particular portion of it may be seen at a glance. One great end would be served by demanding such an annual return from every clergyman in the communion of the Scottish Dissenters-they would all be stimulated to the utmost to do their duty faithfully and zealously, not only as in the sight of their God, but in the sight of every member of their own church, and in the sight of the world. Such statistical details, and full reports of all the proceedings of their church courts, should be regularly printed and distributed among their own flocks, and in the world at large. This conduct is what the state of national opinion now demands. But in the absence of such tables, which I trust the Dissenters need not be ashamed to produce, I shall state what are their numbers, with as close an approximation to truth as my present data and inductions will permit. I have found that the whole congregations amount to 720. It has been seen that above one hundred of these are without pastors, because they cannot fully support them. Now I conceive that none of these hundred congregations can contain above two or three hundred individuals, and indeed that, if I am right in my statement, that 1301. is the average income of a Dissenting clergyman, I am of opinion that it may fairly be deduced from this fact, that the average number in each of the 720 congregations is 500 souls, or 100 families of five persons each. The persons who compose the great majority of Dissenting congregations belong to the lower grades of life; and when I say that each of the five hundred individuals, young and old, who compose a congregation, can only afford to pay about 5s. a-year for the support of a clergyman, besides 2s. a-year for the sup port of the poor, by a weekly contribution of a halfpenny at the door of the church, which I know to be the practice and the pride in these congregations of the poorest man in them, I shall come very near what I considered to be the average stipends of the clergy. Five shillings a-year from each of 500 contributors yields 1257. a-year for the support of the pastor, and upon this understanding I may safely say, that, on an average, each of the 620 congregations with fixed pastors, contains 500 persons, and that hence the whole Dissenting population of Scotland, who have fixed pastors, must amount to 310,000, and with the addition of the 100 congregations which have no pastors, and which may probably be taken at an average of nearly 300 each, we shall find that about 340,000 persons belong to Dissenting sects in Scotland. I rather think that this is considerably below the truth; but it is impossible to attain positive accuracy in such a calculation, unless the respective classes of Dissenters should undertake to order a census of their people. Let me venture to hope, that they will see the propriety of such a measure, both for their own satisfaction and that of the public. their pious and useful labours in the midst of their congregations.” The Dissenters are often taunted with the violent animosities which are sometimes produced in their congregations by a division of sentiment as to the choice of a pastor. For my own part, I confess I like occasionally to see a little wholesome squabbling, when it is not carried too far; at all events, I prefer being occasionally exposed to the chance, which in practice is but rare, of some pretty fierce discussion, whether I carried my point or not, to the dead calm, and slavish and irreligious lukewarmness, which is almost uniformly produced in a congregation when a patron, perhaps a reckless debauchee, or something no better, thrusts into their pulpit a person whom they never saw before, and who, coming upon them as from a polluted hand, may well be suspected, notwithstanding afl certificates of due qualification, of participating in the debasing qualities of his patron. Bolton, June 11, 1825. Such a body of Dissenters in the midst of an Established Church, although apparently set in opposition to it, is yet its greatest friend. The utter apathy into which persons, with BEFORE I submit some additional a sure and steady income, are seen so often, nay, so uniformly to fall, when not roused by opposition, or contrast to their own conduct, would have long ere now shed its drowsy influences upon our Established clergy, to a much greater extent than it has done, had it not been for the positive knowledge and zeal of Dissenters, whom they saw around them, with no such advantages of a sure and permanent income. It gave me no small pleasure to hear this same sentiment come from the lips of two of the most sincere and able friends and ministers of the Church of Scotland, at a public meeting last summer. They acknowledged, with that true liberality which is always characteristic of the Christian whose heart is on the right side, the obligations under which the Church of Scotland lay to the Dissenters. "These men," said Lord Balgray, on the Bench, a few months ago, when he had occasion incidentally to speak of the non-established clergy, "These men seldom come before us and the public in this Court; but I, as well as many others, can give my testimony to the silently beneficial effects of VOL. XX. 2 Y SIR, remarks in defence of Ordination Services, I wish distinctly to avow my hostility to all those corruptions which, under the name of religious observances, have arrested the progress of truth, or linked it with degrading superstitions. As friendly to moral emancipation from all spiritual dominion, as either your correspondent Mr. Johns, (pp. 282-284,) or his auxiliary, R. A. M. (pp. 280-282); as jealous of all foreign interference, whether of ministers or laity, with the internal affairs of our religious communities; and as desirous to see the abandonment of all anti-christian practices, I feel myself called upon to re concile these views with the continu ance of the service which has originated this discussion. It may be proper also to premise, that as I did not adopt, and do not approve, so I shall not feel myself bound to defend, those corrupt ceremonies which the pomp and supersti tion of rival churches have appended to this service. The Romish and En glish and Calvinistic clergy, in the performance of Ordination, assume an authority which appears to me as uñ warrantable as it is delusive. Such pretensions were altogether disclaimed by the gentlemen who assisted in the Bolton Service, and ought not in fairness to have been brought forward by Mr. Johns as its "ghostly" accompaniaments. From a Dissenter, who has himself witnessed, perhaps felt the effects of bigoted misrepresentations, better things might have been expected than the pertinacious assumption, in the face of probability and of fact, that "priestly domination" was attempted-that his brethren joined in a voluntary observance of superstition." Perhaps your correspondent at Manchester was only taking a prospective glance at the service; supposing, as the vulgar do of apparitions, that, although the demon of priestcraft were banished for the present, it might again reappear and take possession of its old haunts. These fears are set forth in the following manner : Mr. Ba ker assures us that no encroachment is made upon liberty by the new system of Ordination which he advocates. We will give him credit that none is intended. But who will assure us that in its progress it will not unfurl the ensign of ghostly power and authority?" As well might an objection be raised against any thing, however expedient and valuable, on the possibility that "in its progress" it might be abused and perverted. The intellectual character of the present age does not lean to the adoption of idle ceremonies, much less to the endurance of spiritual tyranny. The main question we have now to consider is, not whether an inaugural service may be conducted in a rational manner for this, I presume, is admitted on all hands-but whether the time and the occasion of a new connexion between a minister and a congregation, be not admirably calculated to impress upon them the nature of their mutual obligations. In this view, notwithstanding the "Remarks" of one of your correspondents, I am still of opinion that the same ends could not be so well attained in any other way. However superior the talents, however great the advantages of education, which may be enjoyed by candidates for the ministry, there will be few, I feel persuaded, like R. A. M., who will not see the expediency and benefit of being recommended to the favour of God by a public act of devotion, and of receiving from their reverend fathers in the ministry lessons of experience and wisdom. No young men can enter upon so arduous an office without requiring such friendly advice and encouragement, at least without being assisted by them. Both from their habits and age, they can have had few opportunities of knowing the world: and whilst the unguarded levities of some might lead them into circumstances of trouble, inconsistent with their office and character; the studious habits of others might absorb some of that time which should be devoted to the fulfilment of the private duties of a minister. It is unnecessary to dwell upon the various difficulties incident to inexperience, which might be diminished, if not prevented, by judicious directions properly given; and while this reason alone proves the necessity of such a service, it answers an objection against its frequent occurrence, that no general advice already on record respecting the objects of the ministry, can be so forcible as a charge drawn up for every particular occasion. This adaptation of the instructions to the minister, united to the presence of the people, who are to expect from him their fulfilment, and of strangers who assemble to witness the voluntary contract, and of his fellow-labourers in the vineyard, who join in the solemn prayers for his success and happiness, all concur in fixing upon his mind, in a way which could not otherwise be so impressive, the public and private duties of a public teacher of religion. Perhaps it may be argued, that the directions might be communicated in a private letter: and so they might. Circumstances might render such a course preferable; but generally they will be most efficacious when delivered in a place of public worship, and accompanied with public prayer. This manner of delivering them will also afford a proper opportunity for reminding the congregation of their peculiar duties, which could not be done in any other way, without devolving upon the minister, who, for various reasons, is restrained by his situation from saying himself what might properly enough be said by others. The form of this service, and the time for its observance, have been |