that the burden of adjudication was not necessarily laid upon them, that the very next clause in the Trust Deed to that which regulates the form of proceedings before the Presbytery, is a provision, that" if the London Presbytery shall neglect or refuse, for one calendar month next after any matter shall be so referred to them as aforesaid, to declare their consent to hear and decide on the same; then the complaint shall be referred to the consideration of" (the parties really interested, namely,)" the seat-holders of the said church at a general meeting." Now, as the ground of complaint against Mr. Irving is not false doctrine (such complaint the trustees specially guard themselves from the imputation of making), but the interruptions, as they are called, of the public worship; to whom could the complaint have been with so much propriety referred as to the seat-holders ?-We have presumed that this clause was unknown to the Presbytery. They inspected the original Deed, yet might have overlooked it: This might have been negligence. But, since writing the last few lines, we regret to observe, on reference, that the Trustees have, most properly, taken express care to state it in the body of their com plaint. What this amounts to, we leave to our readers to decide. In making the above remarks on what we do not hesitate to call a perversion of all the forms and all the essentials of justice, the guardianship whereof was on this occasion assumed by, but, had it regularly come before them, would have been improvidently committed to, most incompetent hands-incompetent both in a moral and intellectual sense-we have carefully abstained, as far as possible, from remarks on individuals. It is much to be deplored, for it is a mark of our innate depravity, that men in a body, and therefore removed from individual responsibility and remark so far as regards their fellow-creatures, will ever be liable to fall into acts which they would have cautiously avoided in their individual capacities. We condemn the Presbytery-for their acts, we condemn them. We say not one word of the individuals composing the Presbytery; neither of those who distinguished themselves either by violent or more discreet animosity, nor of those who in taking part in the proceedings could not conceal the sparks of former regards still latent and alive. However, they have taken their part, and to God must they answer individually, not only for the incidental acts on which we have been last remarking, but for that principal crime which, in ignorance as we trust, they have committed. As to the promoters in this unhappy affair, when passion has subsided, and the common and universal affections of mankind begin to operate, bitter and severe must be the reflections with which their breasts will be disturbed. All have partaken of Mr. Irving's hospitality; all profess great personal regard for him; all of them know that he has never hoarded a shilling, and that his stipend as a minister is his only support: they not only bring no charge against his moral character, but eulogize it in the highest terms; they bring no charge against his doctrine, "but restrict this their complaint to the matters set forth therein" (p. 6); yet, for an irregularity, at most, in the service of the church, and an irregularity which has excluded nothing and broken down nothing, they cast Mr. Irving and his family upon the world, depriving him, as far as in them lies, of all means of support. But is he without support? Oh no! he stays himself upon his God, and beneath him are the Everlasting Arms. "I have been young, and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread." And the time is short. Mr. Irving carries with him his attached flock; and such a shelter as is needed for this short time will be easily provided; and such means of support as their pastor needs, they esteem it a privilege to furnish. The towers and pinnacles of the building from whence they have been ejected may aptly symbolize the antiquated church, garnished with man's devices, which has cast Mr. Irving out; but the plain and hasty building which will now be erected will better suit with our condition of "strangers and pilgrims" here below, and more fitly symbolize that "house not made with hands," whither we hope speedily to arrive, the "city which hath foundations, whose maker and builder is God.' TO CORRESPONDENTS. We have received a continuation of the Journal of Rev. Joseph Wolfe, but not sufficient to make a sheet, and we therefore defer its publication till a further portion arrives. It commences from Semnan, the first considerable town of Khorassan, 30th September, 1831: the succeeding dates are, Dowlat Abad, 2d Oct.; Bustan, 3d Oct.; Deh Mullah, 6th Oct.; Detshe, 8th Oct.; Rhana Rhode, 13th Oct.; and lastly, Ain Abad, in the province of Khorassan, 16th Oct. 1831; where he thanks God for having led them through the most dangerous road without accident, and says that from thence to Herat the people and roads are better. We have received the following sums for the use of this zealous Missionary : C. Barber, Macclesfield Mrs. Cowley.. £1 0 0 2 02000 0 5 Relief Church, Glasgow 12 2 K. Z. intimates that "circumstances have occurred in the case of the person at Clothall, mentioned in our last Number, which render the whole transaction more than simply equivocal." Of these circumstances we have not heard, and shall be obliged to K. Z. if he will inform us. And we take this occasion most earnestly to request all our readers to do us the kindness, nay, the justice, of correcting any mistatement into which we may inadvertently fall. To Truth we wish to devote ourselves: not to any party. Some Correspondents wish us to point out from time to time the new publications of interest. We will endeavour to comply with their wishes; but to do it conscientiously involves greater difficulty than they apprehend, for the right conduct of such a Journal as this absorbs nearly all our time. INDEX TO VOL. V. Campbell, Rev. J... Cambyses Page 2 ........ 121 120 .......... 84 174 125 ... Canons Causes Célèbres 158 Change on man.... 391 423 385 Christ of God 232 .... I 53 90 368 148 134 246 20 Christ the Morning 9 23 .. ...... .... .... ..... Darius... ... ...... .... Dagon's temple 441 .... Page Delegates sion.. 145 lon Doctrine of Spiritual Gifts 404 Page 1 Grandier.. .......... Half an hour...... 376 243 .......... 19 Head over all...... 246 366 .......... Heaven 3 .... .... Heavenly city...... Maclean, Rev. H. B. 384 1 Marrow of Divinity 133 263 297 Mockery I .... Jacob ..... 123 Jeremy Taylor 270 63 319 .... .... .... Ignorance ..... Infidel Rome.... 357 of Rev. xiv. 306 .... of. 123 283 .... L'Estrange. ... .......... 2300 Page 9 Name of beast..11, 281 279 ...... 22 Passover 283 Philip Perazim |