already given in. This report consists of three parts. The first refers to our past proceedings; the second to the subsisting state of the Church; and the third to our prospective arrangements. First, then, as to the past proceedings of the Committee, the Assembly will bear in mind that the principle on which the Committee was called to act was that laid down to last Assembly,—that it was the duty of the Church, as far as possible, to provide a supply of the means of grace for the whole of her adhering population. This, I crave you to bear in mind, the last Assembly distinctly recognised as the duty of the Church,-that they would not merely provide for the then existing ministers and congregations, but that, through Divine grace, the whole population of the land that desired it should enjoy the means of grace in common with the Free Church. Again, you will bear in mind that, before our separation from the state, by deputations, and the excitement that was then prevailing, the minds of men were stirred, and a large demand was created for the preaching of the gospel by the agents of the Free Church. This must be borne in mind, that the Assembly may understand what our business was, and what was the difficulty of it.. The Committee found the Church in a position limited as to the number of ministers who had gone out of the Establishment,-limited as to the number of preachers adhering to her communion; but the Church was bound to give supply of ordinances, as far as possible, to the whole of the adhering population; and that population had been so stirred and excited by the agitation of the privileges of the Church, that they were every where ready to listen to their ministrations. This was the difficulty with which the Committee had to struggle-this was the problem which they had to solve the supply of a large and still increasing demand, with a greatly inadequate supply; and this explains much of the difficulty which the Committee has experienced in carrying on the object for which it was appointed, that we were working out the insoluble problem of how one loaf of bread was to do the work of two; or how 100 ministers and probationers were to do the work of 200. This was the problem we had to solve; and in the struggle to work it, we had to give and take-to withdraw a man there and send him here; so that, if possible, a competent provision might be made for the wants of the adhering population. The Committee early felt the necessity of calling the attention of the various Fresbyteries to this subject, that they might concentrate their supplies, and economise their resources, that they might go as far as possible. We addressed to them a circular on the subject, which I shall now lay upon the table, with the view of still farther meeting the exigency. The Acting Committee appointed deputations to visit various districts in Scotland. The account of their visit to the Highlands has been already given in. The deputation to the Lowlands has brought back most interesting information, and they have discharged the great duty in the several districts they visited, of preaching the gospel, of holding meetings, and of explaining the principles of the Free Church. I have only further, in reference to the past proceedings of the Committee, to advert to one or two difficult and delicate questions which the Committee had before them. The Committee had before them various applications, with regard to the sanction. ing of charges. It was devolved upon the Acting Committee, with the sanction of the Presbytery of the bounds, to sanction these charges; and they were sent to this duty without having any system of rules laid down, such as they trust will guide them for the time to come. In consequence of this deficiency, instances of irregularity may have occurred, and charges may have been sanctioned where farther deliberation was desirable. The Committee was also asked to interfere in the matter of calls. I request the special attention of the Committee to this. This matter did not fall directly within the scope of their own proper department. There were only three cases which they made exceptions from their general rule. One of these was the call to Auchterarder, and I am sure the Assembly will consider that the Acting Committee did not step out of its province when it gave advice to this important station, and desired that the minister who received the call should accept it. Considering the marked position which the people of Auchterarder occupied in the eyes of the Church and the country, and the services which that congregation rendered to us, by its standing firm and true to the Church in all its contendings, considering that any failure or division would be hailed by our opponents as a

triumph, these circumstances led the Church to interfere so far as to interest themselves in the acceptance of the call from Auchterarder. In the other two cases we merely gave our individual opinion as to the importance of the different places, but reserving all their functions and duties to the respective Presbyteries. The only other matter before us was the consolidation of different churches. I will not dwell at length upon this; suffice it to say, that the Committee were forced to entertain the question, how many churches they could sanction to be posted in one place. Wherever it was practicable, they recommended the union of small congregations, to prevent the necessity of having more congregations than was absolutely necessary placed in one locality. This part of our task required particular delicacy; but the Committee felt that it was not reasonable to expose the Church to the risk of having more churches than were necessary in one particular place, considering the amount of demand made upon the Church from all quarters for supplies. I may mention, farther, that, in order to meet the exigency of the case, the Committee availed themselves of the assistance of students and catechists in a small portion of the Lowlands, and to a still larger extent in the Highlands. There are twelve of these probationers in the Highlands; and I again repeat, as part of the report, what I stated, that the Committee feel greatly indebted to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland for the seasonable aid they afforded this Church in sending over a number of their ministers to supply our destitute localities. We have had from twenty to thirty of these Irish ministers over here for the last few months. Their services have been most indefatigable; they have preached forenoon and afternoon, and often in the evening, of every Sabbath; and they considered themselves quite affronted if they were not allowed to preach every day during the week. (Cheers and laughter.) In regard to the second part of our report, which relates to the statistics, to a certain extent, of the Church as it at present subsists, these statistics may not be to a fraction accurate, but they will be most carefully revised before the Report is formally printed; but, at the same time, I believe they give an approximation to the truth; and it may be interesting to the Assembly, and to the Church at large, to know, as far as the returns enable us to tell it, what is the actual state of the Church, as to the extent of the number of her labourers, and the number of her congregations. I will give them in one or two tables; and first, as to—

CONGREGATIONS.

Number of adhering ministers,

Number of congregations supplied with ministers since the disruption
Number of congregations with ministers called,

Number of congregations still unsettled,

Number of preaching stations,

449

47

29

90

139

754

Probationers ordained since the disruption,

432

18

15

465

30

20

Probationers adhering at the time of the disruption, and not yet ordained, . 110 Probationers licensed since the disruption and not yet ordained, There are, therefore, 432 who have not left their old charges, and it will thus appear that we have, at this moment, about 754 stations to be supplied. Of these, upwards of 600 are fixed congregations, and several others nearly ripe for the calling of ministers. To meet the 754 places where supplies are to be given, we have 465 ministers who left the Establishment, 30 probationers who have been ordained since, and 240 probationers,-in all from 600 to 700 labourers. With the materials I have before me, I could give some interesting details regarding the necessities of the Church at this moment. I could give some reports as to the difficulties in which

ministers and Presbyteries have found themselves, in consequence of the lack of súpply. The amount of labour devolved on the ministers of the Church generally, and certain ministers in particular, in giving supply is, I am sure, such as none of us could have anticipated almost as possible; but the lateness of the hour prevents me from reading to the Assembly any of the documents on this head now in my hand. And now, Moderator, be ore I pass from the state of matters relating to the existing state of the Church allow me to say that there is a difficulty in the adjustment of the probationers, and ministers throughout the Church; that is to say, there are some Presbyteries supplied with more than their fair proportion, and others with less. I shall read the names of those Presbyteries which appear from the returns to be best supplied. They are,—

Those worst supplied are Kelso and Lauder, Lochmaben, Dumfries and Annan, Stranraer and Wigtown, Hamilton, Lanark, Forfar, Deer, Ellon, Orkney, and Shetland. On the subject of Deer and Ellon, I will read from a correspondence now in my possession. The first I shall read is from a memorial from elders, which says— "Within the bounds of this Presbytery, consisting of eight parishes, there are no adhering preachers at all. Mr Philip of Cruden, who is the only minister who has joined the Free Church, has to contend single-handed with a most active and powerful opposition, and a combination of clerical and aristocratical influence as is rarely to be found. This district and that of Alford have always been strongholds of Moderatism, which here exercises a power even over the minds of the people which it possesses not elsewhere."

I particularly refer to this as one of the instances in which we are specially indebted to a single individual. I believe that the Church of Scotland owes a debt of gratude to Mr Philip of Cruden, both for what he has done before the separation, and what he has done since. (Hear.) He has had to contend single-handed with the opposition of all the other ministers of the Presbytery, and by almost all the landed proprietors; and I need not remind this Assembly that the Presbytery of Ellon contains the ablest of the ministers now remaining in the Establishment. (Hear.) The next communication I shall read is an extract from a memorial from Deer :

"In this Presbytery only two out of fifteen ministers have separated from the Establishment. Of these two, one, from the delicacy of his health, is not available ordinarily for extra-parochial duty, and the other, being the only minister of the Free Church in the large community of Peterhead, has his hands more than filled with his own proper work. At the time of the Assembly, those interested in the district had secured, as they supposed, the service of five missionaries for the partial supply of its wants."

Similar letters are reaching us from various parts of the country. I mention this because I wish to ask from the General Assembly, if they are pleased again to appoint a Committee for managing their business, not summary powers, but some sort of discretion, by correspondence with Presbyteries, to get those that have more than their share to relinquish a few, to be given to those that are destitute of their equal proportion. I, of course, refer to the distribution of probationers. I think it necessary that our probationers be stirred up to the discharge of their duty in being willing to act in the service of the Church wheresoever the exigencies of the Church may require. I rejoice to bear testimony to the willingness and alacrity of the preachers in the service of the Church; but I must, at the same time, say, that a natural preference is felt for such comfortable districts as Edinburgh and Glasgow; whereas, I would rejoice if this Assembly would stir up the preachers to feel a preference for

such districts as Deer, Ellon, Orkney, or Shetland-(cheers)—and desire our preach-
ers more and more to feel that we are engaged in a high and holy vocation.
And our
preachers, if they are worthy to be preachers in this Free Church, should consider it
an honour to be sent to the utmost corners of the land for their Master's sake, and
in their Master's work. (Cheers.) I trust the preachers will freely place their ser-
vices at the disposal of the Presbyteries of the Church, with an entire surrender of
their own judgment, and with an entire willingness to go forth where their services
may be most needed, not consulting with flesh and blood,-not asking where they are
likely to obtain a comfortable settlement. The time was when this consideration
might have more weight with probationers; but now they ought to consider where is
the place that needs their services most, and where the souls of immortal men most
need the preaching of the everlasting gospel. (Cheers.) Now for our future ar-
rangements and first, as to the general principle on which the matter is to be con-
ducted, setting aside, of course, the Highland districts which have been, and which,
I trust, will continue to be placed, to a certain extent, under separate superintendence.
I say, therefore, that we are charged with two important works, the one subordinate
to the other, but still essential to the success of the other; both are of indispensable ne-
cessity. The first work in which the Church is called to engage, is to concentrate and
to condense the supplies. The first business of the Church now,--the first business
of the Presbyteries,—the first business of every one of our Committees, is to consider
how the available resources of the Church in preachers and ministers can be best
brought to bear upon the country. I am aware that this work implies considerable
difficulty, and consultation among the Presbyteries, and much dealing with the peo-
ple; because unquestionably it will be impossible to attend to all that may require
preaching stations during the winter, as we were able to do during the summer. It is
plain that the weather itself will raise obstacles to this. We cannot be at the ex-
pense of sending men through the country during the winter as we were during the
summer. The people will not meet with us in winter as they were wont to do dur-
ing the summer. Our ministers must have more time to themselves this winter; they
cannot undergo the fatigue, and the toil, and the harassing travel which they have
done, they must be left to their own homes. It is essential to the Presbyteries and
to the Committee, that they should attend to the concentration of their forces.
must occupy the strong posts,- —we must plant our ministers in important stations,
and we must deal with the people in the way of recommending a diminution of their
supplies, which is forced upon us by the exigencies of the Church. In this view,
the Presbyteries of the Church, as it occurs to the Committee, ought immediately to
set about the work of availing themselves of all their resources, and there can be no
doubt that the people will be found in all parts of the country so thoroughly reason-
able in the matter, as to acquiesce in any arrangement that the Presbyteries may
propose. The other work of the Committee and the Presbyteries, is in opposi-
tion to that which I have already described-the work of expanding the Church.
I believe that the first work, that of concentration, by which we endeavour
to strengthen ourselves in positions which are important, and which may be most
influential in the land, is the best preparative for the other, work-that of the
expansion of the Church, by which we may extend our influence all over the land.
In carrying these objects into effect, we must endeavour to make our existing
and available means go as far as possible. 1 propose, therefore, that the
Committee be re-appointed, or rather that the suggestion which was made should be
agreed to, that the Committee should be named the Committee for the Plantation of
Churches, that they should be instructed to correspond with the Presbyteries and
with the Finance Committee, and that it should be remitted to them, in conjunction
with the Presbyteries and the Finance Committee, to superintend the supplies, and
to determine on all cases connected with the erection of churches, according to rules
laid down. I have now to crave the pardon of the house for the imperfect report
which I have given in, rendered the more important because I have been anxious to
save the time of the Assembly. The materials in my possession are large and ex-
tensive, but I believe it would have required more time to communicate them than
can be spared by the Assembly. I have only, in conclusion, to call the attention

We

imperfects

of the Assembly, and through the Assembly the Church, and the country at large, to the prospect before us with regard to the supply of labourers for this abundant harvest. It has been truly said, on more than one occasion, that the difficulties in which the Church is involved are mainly to be ascribed to the unexampled and unprecedented success with which it has pleased God to crown our labours. (Great applause.) We are not here this night to complain of the embarrassments in which we find ourselves involved, in consequence of the excessive demand which we find ourselves unable adequately to meet. We proclaim to the Assembly and to the Church, that the excess of the demand for labourers over the supply-the excess of the thirst for the waters of life over and above the fountains which we have it in our power to open, is the cause for which we are thankful to Almighty God, and we regard it as a token for good that may well lead us to go on in the good work of the Lord. (Cheers.) We are called to consider as a token for good the readiness which the people have manifested all over the land to receive at our hand the gospel of Christ. We indeed are in consequence involved in embarrassments, from which we do not see very clearly how we are to extricate ourselves. We, indeed, both in respect to the means of support, and in respect to the men to be supported-both in regard to the money and to labourers-are reduced to straits and difficulties; but let us remember that this of itself is a ground of confidence and encouragement that God has spread before us a wide and boundless field of usefulness, and that he has reduced us to the necessity of saying, Help, Lord, for vain is the help of man. (Cheers.) In this position we now stand, and I trust this Church will have grace given her to acknowledge its position, and amid all her devisings and all her schemings, to know that she is doing no more than her duty. Let us remember that we are now, in the providence of God, brought into the position in which we are called to say, The Lord alone can provide; the harvest is the Lord's; the Lord's also it is to send forth labourers into the harvest. I desire to bring before the Assembly the sources of supply in regard to labourers, to which the Church may instrumentally look. We are to expect no miracle,-no baring of the Lord's arm in any unusual manner; that is, without the use of the usual means. Let us then see what are the sources for the supply of labourers, on which we depend. Now, I think we may rely on three distinct sources for the supply of labourers, at least there are three sources that may be distinguished. The first and chief of these on which we must rely ultimately and pre-eminently, as every Christian Church must rely on, for a suitable and adequate supply of labourers, is the piety of Christian parents, and the early devotion of Christian youth to the cause of the Lord. On this point, I think the parents in our congregations, and the young, need to be reminded of their obligations; and it were well if ministers more habitually pressed on the attention of their congregations the duty of parents to devote their children to the work of the ministry even in their early infancy, and the duty of the pious among the youth of the land to devote themselves early to this sacred work. (Hear.) In this way we would have coming into our colleges, with a view to the ministry, the godly youth of the land from all parts of the country. With regard to these, we look upon them as an essential source of our supply; and we shall hail every new instance of a parent, stirred up by a sense of the loud call the Lord is addressing to him, to devote and consecrate a child to his service,— every new instance of a young man turning away from the secular pursuits of worldly ambition, and consecrating himself to the ministry of the word in the service of a Church which has no higher prize to offer now than the prize of winning souls unto God. (Cheers.) And, with regard to that class of young men, we still would insist on their passing through the full curriculum-the entire course of study hitherto presented by the Church, both of arts and theology. We have no wish to hurry men prematurely into the work of the Lord. The age prescribed as essential to a man's being licensed is not certainly to be anticipated; and if any change were needed, it would be to make a man more mature before he took upon himself the functions of a preacher of the Word. With regard to all such, we would still insist on their completing their full curriculum of study, both in arts and theology. But, then, secondly, we are entitled to expect, as we have indeed already found, that there are men somewhat more advanced in life, though still young, who may have a wish that