Dr BLACKIE, Glasgow, seconded the motion. Having very properly recognised the importance of providing the students attending the College in Edinburgh with instruction in Natural Science, the Church might now very appropriately consider the claims of the students attending our other Colleges to the enjoyment of a like privilege. Feeling that the students in Glasgow were placed at a disadvantage in this respect as compared with their brethren in Edinburgh, a few friends in the West obtained the sanction of the Senatus of the Glasgow College, and of the College Committee, to institute a course of lectures on Natural Science in connexion with Natural Theology. The lecturer, Mr Keddie, a wellknown and highly-esteemed elder of this Church-(applause)—has carried on his prelections for two sessions, very much to the satisfaction both of the Professors and of the students. At the close of next session the arrangement for this course of lectures terminates, so that the interim provision thus made for Glasgow must then cease. It is not desired, and it is not desirable, that all our students should become expert naturalists; but it is desirable that they should all be possessed of such a knowledge of Natural Science as shall prepare them for encountering infidel objections to revealed religion, based upon the facts of Natural History, and as shall guard them against being too easily led away by the many spurious and false speculations put forth by scientific naturalists, tending to sap our belief in the truth of the Scriptures. He (Dr Blackie) highly approved of making the lectureship interim for three or five years, as by that arrangement the Church could secure the highest talent which the country could produce. (Hear, hear.)

Mr BROWN, Dean, hoped the Assembly would not abandon the Natural Science chair set up by the advice of Dr Chalmers, Dr Welsh, and others. The reasons for instituting it after the Disruption were tenfold stronger now. (Applause.) Certain questions of importance had lately arisen in Physical Science, and one or two new lines of inquiry were exciting interest in the scientific world, which would unquestionably bring science into collision, but only into seeming collision, with revealed truth. These would ultimately tend to more glorious manifestations of the harmony of the Word and the works of God; but in the meantime it was the duty of the Church still more to watch vigilantly over these questions. There was a prospect of a collision between infidelity and truth. Their very home missionaries had these questions to meet among the artisans; and if these questions were pervading society to such depths, surely the ministers of the Church should be sent forth fully equipped and prepared to deal with them. (Applause.)

Dr N. PATERSON said, if the financial difficulty were shewn to be not insuperable, he would advocate a deliverance of the Assembly sanctioning the institution of these lectureships in all their Halls. If facilities were not given for the study of Natural Science, many of their young ministers would make a most disgraceful appearance in trying to cope with scepticism. In his opinion the preaching of the word derived great force from the discoveries of science rightly applied. If the ghost of David Hume could appear, he (Dr P.) should like to see what he would say for himself (a laugh) since these discoveries had more than ever proved that, as there was a creation, so there was a creating God, who has made so many manifestations of Himself. He should feel ashamed of the Free

Church if her young men were allowed to grow up in ignorance of these things; and he cordially supported the motion.

Dr R. BROWN, Aberdeen, did not see any necessity for these lectureships. He did not undervalue Natural Science, but it was true that there was a great difficulty in finding men who had cultivated it successfully, and who brought their acquirements to bear on theology. He thought it would be better that the consideration of this matter be deferred, and such a temporary measure as that proposed not proceeded with. He moved "That the Assembly, having considered the overture, do not deem it expedient to make any additional provision for the teaching of Natural Science in the Theological Colleges."

Mr MACAULAY, Inverteil, seconded the amendment.

He was one of

those who attended Dr Fleming's class, and if any man could make that class interesting and useful, Dr Fleming was that man; but the impression left on his own mind was, that the students knew a little about everything, while they possessed no real knowledge of anything. (A laugh.) Surely the ministers of the Free Church were as able to gather from superficial and profound works as much knowledge of Natural Science as the mechanics in the workshops of the country-(applause)-and surely to make use of the facts so acquired, and to turn them to right account, the great requisite was, that they should grasp those general principles which must necessarily be brought before them in a course of apologetics, and applying them to the facts of science, convert them into the most efficient arguments against the opponents of the authority of revelation. Considering that both in arts and theology the curriculum was as full as it could well be,―believing that theology should be studied as theology, and that it should not be combined with the gathering up of minute details in Natural Science, leaving these to be gathered up in the universities, he thought, instead of the Assembly sanctioning the continuing of the lectureships, it would be desirable for the Church to recommend their students to attend the Botany, Chemistry, and other classes,—a step which he was aware had been taken voluntarily by a number of these young men. Many of them thought that attendance on the class of Natural Science was pretty much a waste of time, and tended to distract their attention from the great objects to which they had consecrated their lives. As to Mr Findlay's argument about the last year of the philosophical course being selected for attending these lectures, his opinion was, that a thorough acquaintance with Natural Philosophy was better than a superficial knowledge of Natural Science. The money spent on these lectureships would be more profitably devoted to the endowment of theological chairs. If the Professors were first made comfortable, and any funds remained over, by all means let them be appropriated to this purpose; but there was no reason why the money should be spent on lectureships, for which many did not see any pressing occasion. He had witnessed the death-beds of professing infidels, and had administered the consolations of the gospel to those renouncing infidelity. Only last week, one who had been an infidel for years had applied to him for admission to the communion, and he was won to the truth by the grand argument from the internal character of Scripture in its adaptation to the moral wants of man. The most powerful and commanding argument is that which presents the provision for the fears of the conscience, and the suitableness of Christ to guilty

beings, and next to that, the argument of a living personal Christianity, going down to these infidels, not to debate with them, but to deal kindly and faithfully with them as brother-men believed to be in most fatal error, was the most effectual way to meet infidelity. These men understood a manly, friendly grasp of the hand, and appreciated loving counsel. In magnifying the importance of an acquaintance with Physical Science, the Church was in danger of undervaluing Moral Science, and the mighty power of the internal and experimental argument for Christianity. (Hear, hear.)

Mr MILROY contended that the concessions in the statements of his young friend who had just spoken embodied substantially the arguments on which they based the propriety of giving every countenance to lectures on Physical Science. Mr Macaulay had admitted that these classes produced a taste for Natural Science, which was in itself an immense result. His friend might have added, that they opened sources of individual enjoyment to their ministers, which was a pleasing relief from their severer studies. To his (Mr Milroy's) mind the financial difficulty was made too much of a bugbear, and he hoped the Assembly would adopt the motion.

Mr FRASER, Paisley, supported the overture, because it did not ask the Assembly to institute any new scheme of theological preparation, but only to consider how the work, begun fifteen years ago on the recommendation of some of the greatest minds in the Church, could be best promoted. During the preceding generation general attention had been almost exclusively fixed on metaphysical questions, but now it was being fixed on different sections in Natural Science. They could not enter an intelligent and reading working man's house without finding scientific works on his table; thoughtful young men were deep in Darwin's last book; and no sooner was a new theory propounded in the British Association, or elsewhere, than it was discussed, through the facility given by the press, in every little meeting; so that there never was a greater necessity for teaching Physical Science than now. (Applause.) It became the Free Church to meet the exigencies of the times. There was a large section of our non-church-going population, possessing vigorous and cultivated intellects, occupying a platform between the sunken masses in the midst of which our missionaries laboured, and the congregational masses in the midst of which ministers toiled, hitherto completely neglected, and that platform might to a great extent be influenced by the teaching of Natural Science. Ministers might, in their classes of young men, remove popular fallacies; and these young men, communing with their neighbours and companions, would benefit many beyond home mission effort. (Applause.) The argument of Mr Macaulay about Natural Science not giving peace on a dying bed, applied to all the departments of literature and philosophy. (Hear, hear.) These were not the agencies to give peace to the spirit; but it became the Church to meet those instrumentalities which were drawing away the minds of many from the truth by parallel and overmastering instrumentalities. Mr Macaulay also proceeded on the erroneous assumption that the Assembly were about to institute and maintain scientific chairs. Lectureships were all that was meanwhile asked; and when the University Commissioners saw their earnestness in this matter, they might be the more readily stirred up to action.

He held, with Lord Brougham, that they could not separate the

science of Natural Theology, Natural Science, and Revealed Religion. Under the present arrangement, they had the anomaly of the students of one college passing one examination, and those of another passing another. The money-difficulty in the way of remedying this was slight, because if their people knew the moral value of this teaching, the money would be freely supplied. In Glasgow they had merely to be asked, and they gave it most readily, which shewed that the laity were interested in imparting this education to the students. He admitted it was difficult to get a person thoroughly read up in science and profoundly submissive to the Divine Word. They had in Glasgow, however, a lecturer in whom men of science of the highest authority had the utmost confidence because of his scientific attainments, and in whom Christians had the utmost confidence because of his deep experimental piety. (Applause.) No one who knew Mr Keddie and his character, either as a man of science or a Christian, could help honouring and loving him. (Applause.) To hear him conduct a prayer-meeting in the midst of a few of the sunken mass, is to make the listener feel that the students, called into contact with his mind through the teaching of science, enjoy an unspeakable privilege, and that the Church will ultimately reap the high advantage. (Applause) The vote was then taken, when there appeared,

For Mr Findlay's motion,

For Dr Brown's,

Majority for Dr Brown's,

140

142

2

The Assembly renewed the remit to the College Committee to make such interim arrangement for the teaching of Natural Science in the New College, Edinburgh, as they may find expedient.

STUDENTS AT FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES.

The Assembly took up an overture from the Synod of Argyle, with reference to this subject, praying the General Assembly to enact that henceforth this Church shall not formally recognise attendance at foreign universities as equivalent to attendance at her own Halls, for any part of the regular curriculum, but shall judge of every such case, when it occurs, as exceptional, and upon a view of the particular circumstances. Presbytery of Stranraer overtured to the same effect.

The

Mr DOUGLAS, Bonhill, asked whether the overture sent down to Presbyteries by last General Assembly, anent the attendance of students at foreign universities, was to be considered along with those now read? Mr WILSON said, the Committee for classifying returns to overtures laid their Report on the table this morning. He moved, "That in accordance with the Report of the Committee for Classifying the Returns to Overtures sent down by last Assembly, the General Assembly find that the overture sent down by last Assembly anent students at foreign universities has been approved of by forty-four Presbyteries, that it has been disapproved of by twenty-five Presbyteries, and that two Presbyteries have made no return. The General Assembly accordingly dismiss the Overtures now upon the table; and the General Assembly, with consent of a majority of Presbyteries, convert the overture anent students at foreign universities into a Standing Law of this Church."

Professor GIBSON said he would have been disposed to have assented to the motion without proposing any amendment, had it referred only to the

overture sent down last year; but as it was coupled with the proposal to dismiss the other overture, he felt himself in a difficulty. Had that overture been brought before the House simply as an overture by the Synod of Argyle, he would have been prepared to move in terms thereof; but coupled with the other, the matter was somewhat complicated, and he felt compelled to move that the overture be not enacted into a standing law of this Church. According to the present law of the Church, any student attending a foreign university was entitled to appear before a Presbytery of this Church with the certificate of his attendance on those universities, which would be of the same value as certificates from any of our own Universities. The overture sent down was framed on the principle that that was not a safe state of things, but he believed that that was not the remedy, and that the overture as it now stood was very defective, and not at all safe. He did not object to their students going to foreign universities at any period that they liked, but he did not think the mere provision of having attended two years at their Hall was at all a safe one in the present state of foreign universities. Every one who had attended to the subject knew that for nearly a hundred years the state of the foreign universities had been such that they could not entrust a child of their own to receive religious instruction in any one of them. (Hear, hear.) Every one knew that their philosophy was of the most dangerous kind, that, generally speaking, their theological views were based on their philosophy, and that not only from the chairs in the universities, but even from the pulpits, the most dangerous views were taught, both in matters of theology and criticism. Every one knew, moreover, that their opinions were not only dangerous in point of theology, but of morals; and on these accounts he could not consider their certificate sufficient. The return to the overture from the Presbytery of Glasgow proposed that their students must attend the full curriculum in their own Theological Halls. (Hear, hear.) He believed that in the whole of the Presbyteries this overture was considered an improvement to a certain extent; but it provided that they were to receive the certificates of men of whom many of the Presbyteries knew nothing. Again, there was no sufficient security that the students should be completely instructed in the German language before they went there. How was that to be ascertained, when many of their Presbyteries could not read a word of German? (A laugh.) The provisions were impracticable. Unless the students had that qualification, they would have to be two years, and probably the whole time there, before they would be capable of knowing what the German professors had been speaking about. But what he chiefly rested on was, not the danger of letting their students go there, but that they should not go without having attended the full curriculum at their own Halls. It was not right to send away their students just at the time when they were least competent to decide on the great religious questions, and when it was most necessary that their opinions be known and directed. When they came before the Presbyteries, they must answer the questions quite correctly, but it could not be known that these were their own views. (Oh, oh.) Gentlemen may cry Oh, but every one who knows anything of the matter, knows that the questions are to ascertain knowledge-not belief. Besides what he had said, this overture provided for students going to those German universities, when in point of fact, they refused to receive a certificate, except in a special