At the request of Dr Candlish authority was granted to the Presbytery of Edinburgh to hold a meeting to-day, in order to transact some business that would come before the Assembly in due time.

[See Appendix.]

UNION WITH THE ORIGINAL SECEDERS.

CONVERSION OF THE JEWS.

Mr MOODY STUART having read the report,* introduced Messrs Wingate, Smith, and Edward, missionaries to the Jews, recently expelled the Austrian dominions.

Mr WINGATE then addressed the Assembly. They (the missionaries) were here to-night, driven suddenly and unexpectedly from the scene of their labours by the Austrian Government, which has been wont to be called the right arm of the Pope. They have considered it necessary not to pause and yield quietly under this act; for they felt that, unless they had returned and caused to be asserted the principles connected with the subject, the interests of multitudes, whose personal safety is involved, might be sacrificed, whom they wished might have more complete protection in the exercise of their calling. Present circumstances brought back to mind what the Church did in connection with this mission in 1838 and subsequent years. The Church, in obedience to the command of the Saviour, had gone to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel. That was an act of faith, and there was no fruit; but now they could thank God for fruit, and tell of some results of eleven years' labour. When they contrasted that period with the present, there was abundant cause for gratitude on account of the success that had attended their labours. The deputation which the Church had sent forth when they returned could only tell of dry bones, but now there was an army-a small one, it was true,-raised up to testify for the truth. In Pesth, Constantinople, Jassy, Lemberg, Berlin, and latterly in Amsterdam, living churches had been raised up, more or less numerous. During these eleven years a number amounting to about 200 souls had been introduced into the Christian church, through the labours of this mission. At the time he had mentioned the church had no children under Christian instruction, but last year there were no fewer than 1200 Jewish children receiving such instruction in connection with the operations of the mission. When the missionaries were first sent to Pesth, their commission was to the English community, numbering 300 souls, but chiefly to the 300,000 Jews scattered throughout the various towns and villages. It was a mission in which their hearts might well have failed; but the nature and magnitude of the work had only led them the more to place their confidence in God. In 1843 the Spirit had been poured out on many Jews in Pesth, and a living church had been raised up, whose testimony continues to spread. At that time there was a native agency, which had since been labouring for the dissemination of the truth, comprising colporteurs, teachers, and, in some cases, ministers of churches. The agency chiefly employed in the kingdom of Hungary was the first of these, colporteurs; and it was interesting that, during the whole period of the missionaries' labours, but especially since the late war, their work had been greatly successful; and, during the last twenty months, no fewer than 15,000 copies of the Scriptures had been distributed, or rather sold, for payment had been received for nearly the whole of them; and had led to the conversion of not a few of those who bought them. He might safely say there had not been a syna

*For Report, see Appendix.

gogue of the 300,000 Jews where a testimony had not been lifted up, and an intimation given to accept the great salvation. One had been raised up who founded a school which, at first, was attended by four, but now-or at least last year-numbered 370 pupils, with six teachers. Here a thorough Christian training, in all its branches, was imparted. The effects have been blessed in many instances, not merely to the children, but, through them, in some measure to the parents also; and thus a most effectual Jewish Mission was still going on in the kingdom of Hungary notwithstanding the expulsion of the missionaries. In conclusion, they should not be surprised that they had, in carrying on this work, come in contact with Antichrist. The conversion of Israel was connected with the downfal of that system, and Popish opposition should therefore only lead to increased exertions in this work. (Applause.)

Mr SMITH said, It was now possible to review the history of the Pesth Mission as a whole, as they had seen its commencement, progress, and in a sense, its conclusion, and might estimate somewhat of its actual results. Till that mission was established, Hungary, in its religious history and condition, was shrouded from the eyes of the rest of Europe; but the cloud has been rent asunder and pregnant blessings disclosed to view; and though the curtain of night had again descended upon it, what a change had taken place within the last ten years! What a difference between their first and last sight of Hungary! Mr Smith contrasted the state of feeling on the missionaries' arrival in Pesth with that evinced at their departure. He paid a warm tribute to the excellence and worth of the members of the small Jewish church that had been raised up in Pesth, and related one or two instances of their emotions at the departure of the missionaries. On a calm review of the past, they could not but remember that, had there been no cause for joy, there would have been little cause for sorrow,-nay, that the ground of their sorrow was exactly equal to the ground for their joy. The first period of the Mission was peculiarly a period of conversion and concentration; the second a period of general diffusion and dissemination. And he would point to the fact that the peculiarly converting period commenced just when the Church was nearing the breakers of the Disruption; and there was the best reason to believe that, in the measure of our faithfulness in testifying for the crown rights of the Redeemer,-fornational Christianity on scriptural grounds, -in that measure had God helped them in their efforts for the conversion of the Jews. Mr Smith concluded with a warm appeal in favour of the energetic prosecution of this important and interesting scheme.

Mr EDWARD said,-He had thought, when he left Lemberg, that there would be no one to take up the work; but, shortly after his arrival in Breslau, he received a letter from an individual who had formerly resided in Vienna, which city he had been ordered to leave and proceed to the place of his birth-Lemberg. This individual was under the influence of Christian principles, and would no doubt, however unwittingly on the part of the Austrian Government, advance the work of the gospel; and he had been rejoiced to find that the Word of God was being inquired for, and the Old and New Testament, read over a large extent of country, a result which he never could have anticipated. The generation with which they had to do was one, generally speaking, hovering between the Bible and infidelity. After remarking on the importance of the work to be accomplished in this point of view, the speaker briefly detailed several cases of conversion, and said, the impression that the Continent of Europe was inaccessible to the

D

gospel, and that Continental Jews were so far gone in Rationalism as to be irrecoverable, must not be allowed to influence them. As long as God extends the day of grace they should not relax their exertions, and they would always have a hold upon the Jews so long as the Mission was efficiently maintained; and he hoped present circumstances would only increase, instead of diminishing, the Church's interest in the great work of Jewish conversion. (Applause.)

Dr DUNCAN next addressed the House, first alluding to the cheering nature of the business that had opened the evening's proceedings, and expressing his delight at the thought that, under the providence of God, the union amongst the various branches of the Reformed Church which had been so long and so anxiously looked forward to, was now bidding fair to be realised. He next alluded to the intimate connection that had hitherto subsisted between the Free Church and the Protestant Churches of Hungary, where, though the iron hoof of arbitrary power had crushed the civil and religious liberties of the people, and the Jesuits were installed in full power and authority, the heart of the country was still beating warmly towards Protestantism and freedom. He concluded an eloquent address by commending distressed and down-borne Hungary to the prayers, sympathy, and assistance of the Free Church.

The CLERK stated that there were three overtures on the table anent oppression on the Continent, which it was thought might appropriately be taken up just now.

Dr DUFF, who was received with applause, said, that at that late hour of the evening he would beg, simply as a matter of form, to move the adoption of the report that had just been read in their hearing by the respected Convener of the Jewish Committee. He believed that he but expressed the sentiments of every individual present when he said, that there could be but one feeling amongst them of intense sympathy towards their beloved brethren the expelled missionaries from Hungary. (Applause.) When they reflected that these men had been labouring for ten years under the immediate inspection of a sort of ubiquitous government, which was continually, through the agency of an Argus-eyed police, marking their every footstep, it seemed almost a miracle that they should have escaped so unscathed, and that not even a colourable charge could be vamped up against them. (Hear, and applause) They had come, burning and shining in their purity, out of the conflict, and shown themselves to be possessed of an amount of wisdom, discretion, and genuine prudence, which all must rejoice to see displayed in such troublous times. (Applause.) The recent history of the Hungarian Church brought before them the commencement of a great conflict with the Man of Sin. One important thrust had been given to him here this evening, and it was but the commencement of a series; and he (Dr Duff) trusted and believed that the Assembly would distinguish itself by thrust after thrust, sederunt after sederunt, at this arch enemy of Christ and his kingdom. (Applause.) To-morrow a deputation from Ireland would address the house, and one of the members of that deputation, Dr Dill, the author of an able work on the disease of Ireland and its remedy, would address the Assembly, and bring the state of that country before them in such a way as to arouse those feelings that existed in the heart of every member of the Church, and required but to be awakened in order to rush forward in an impetuous torrent, overwhelming in its enthusiasm. (Applause.) It was a peculiarly remarkable fact that everywhere Popery was manifesting herself as the natural enemy and obstacle to

the propagation of the gospel. In the South Sea Islands, on the plains of India, and wherever there was mischief to be done, and a work of God to oppose, Popery was to be found. After illustrating the pernicious influences of Popery on inquiring minds, in a few observations, Dr Duff concluded by saying that the expulsion of the missionaries from Hungary was the noblest testimony which could have been borne to their zealous ministrations, and to the power and influence of that religion which the Austrian Government had thus acknowledged to be incompatible with the maintenance of despotism; and that though the imperial emissaries might think they had effectually crushed Protestantism, silenced its witnesses, and buried the seed of truth, and rendered themselves secure in the undisturbed enjoyment of their sensual delights and untrammelled power, yet suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, would the earthquake shock overtake them that would lay them in ruins,-the voice would be heard that was to call them to their reckoning. The great stones rolled on the tombs in which they supposed they had for ever buried the truth would be shattered to atoms, and the seeds would spring up and shoot onwards, till they covered the hills and the valleys of Hungary with the foliage and the fruitage of righteousness. (Loud applause.)

Mr BROWN of Largo, in seconding the motion, said, that in connection, not with the report, but with the subject of it, he begged to express it as his clear conviction, that wherever such transactions as those which were so serious as to have reference to the expulsion of our missionaries from Hungary, or the atrocities of Florence or of Rome, were brought before this house, they were urgently called upon to express their sentiments upon these intrepidly and distinctly; and in this way to bring the influence which they possessed, which was not small, in rectifying and enlightening, and guiding the public mind, and which would thus come to bear upon the Government of this country, and thereby upon the Governments of other countries,―(hear, hear),-who, although they might not be disposed to yield anything to a sense of justice or of religion, might be constrained to do that which was right from a regard to their own interest and reputation. At any rate, they should see to it that they were no longer represented by ambassadors, who occupied that time which ought to be devoted to the public in setting masses to music for the repose of the souls of Catholics. (Hear, hear.) In doing so, he did not think that they would be going a single step out of their own province. As British citizens they were entitled to speak out their mind freely; but as a Christian Church they were most urgently called upon to bear their testimony against all religious intolerance and persecution, and for them to be silent, or to give forth an uncertain sound in this or in similar cases, would, he was persuaded, be alike contrary to all the interests which they felt, and to that course of duty which they were imperatively bound to pursue. (Hear, hear.)

The following deliverance was unanimously agreed to :-

"The Assembly approve of the report, and record their thanks to the Committee, and to Mr Moody Stuart, their Convener, for the zeal and fidelity with which they continue to discharge the duties entrusted to them. Farther, the Assembly express their sympathy with the brethren of the Jewish Mission lately returned from Pesth and Lemberg, under the trials and privations to which they have been subjected. The Assembly rejoice, at the same time, in the success which has already attended the labours of His servants, and desire to regard it as the earnest of a more abundant outpouring of the Spirit of God on His ancient people, and as an encouragement to the

Church to go forward in the blessed work of testifying to Israel, of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah promised to the fathers. The Assembly re-appoint the Committee on the Conversion of the Jews, Mr Moody Stuart, Convener."

Dr CANDLISH said that this motion only exhausted a part of the business brought before them to-night, and that they resolved to reserve consideration of the other matters until a future opportunity. He believed it was the wish of the Committee for the Conversion of the Jews to have a private conference of the house, partly with a view to receiving communications from them regarding their brethren abroad that could not well be made public at this critical time; and partly also with a view of consulting as to with the present critical state of the Mission. He had intended to propose, the concurrence of the Committee and of their respected friend Dr Keith, that the conference should have been held to-morrow (Saturday) forenoon; but he felt that at this late hour of the night, and many members having left, it would not be doing justice to this important subject to name to-morrow, and he would therefore leave the appointment of the time till some day in the middle of next week. After the conference was held, he thought it would be the duty of the Assembly to resume consideration of the subject of the expulsion of their missionaries, and of the overtures on the table to which the Clerk had referred. He thought it would be the duty of the Assembly to consider the propriety of memorialising Her Majesty's Government upon the subject of the expulsion of their missionaries; for although that had been done already, and done in a regularly effective and admirable manner by the Committee for the Conversion of the Jews,-(hear, hear), and although they had responded to a letter from Her Majesty's Foreign Secretary, which he (Dr Candlish) did not choose to characterise (hear, hear)—in a manner that conferred exceeding credit on the Committee and on its Convener, nevertheless he thought it right that the Supreme Court of the Church should take up the matter, and come into the field in the way of dealing directly with the Government. (Applause.) And he also thought it was their duty to take into consideration the oppressions and sufferings to which Christian brethren were subjected, with whom they were called upon to sympathise; but he would suggest that all these matters be allowed to stand over till a future sederunt.

The suggestions of Dr Candlish were unanimously agreed to; and the Assembly adjourned at half-past eleven o'clock till next day at eleven.

SATURDAY, MAY 22. 1852.

Irish Deputation and Evangelization of Ireland: Speeches of Dr Duff, Dr Coulter, Dr Dill, Dr Cand lish, and the Moderator-Case of Maryculter and Bourtreebush-Synod of Glenelg.

The Assembly met to-day at eleven o'clock.

With reference to that part of yesterday's minute, in which the Assembly delay their judgment in the Commission from the Presbytery of Dundee, Dr CANDLISH moved, that in respect of the Declaratory Act 17. 1847, "anent the constitution of Presbyteries, and their representation in the General Assembly, the Assembly find that the Commission ought to be sustained, and do hereby sustain it accordingly."

Mr GRAY of Perth seconded the motion, which was agreed to.

Various applications for sanctioning of charges were given in, and were referred to a Committee.