at home, that they would at all events carry the spirit of missions into their whole work, and be instrumental in fostering that spirit wherever God might cast their lot. He was sure the chair would not be long in operation till such a report as that they had just listened to, that in some congregations there was not more than half-a-farthing contributed in aid of Foreign Missions, would cease to be heard. He hoped, indeed, never to hear such a report again, for unquestionably such a report could not have been presented, if the pastors of congregations were entering heartily into the cause, and endeavouring to diffuse an interest in it. Might he not also say that the institution of this chair would tell for good even on the professors? They too need to be reminded of this great cause. They were too apt to sink down into the routine work connected with some portions of controversial theology and other things relating to their respective departments; and it would be well for them by the very presence of an evangelistic professor to have their minds recalled to that great cause to which their attention had been so nobly directed. He rejoiced in it for himself, and, he would add, for his brother professors. He had no doubt it would tell upon the lectures of the professors in their various halls, where they were continually reminded of the object of this institution; it would serve as a monitor to direct their minds towards this great object, and make them anxious to imbue their students with a missionary spirit. He thought the way in which this professorship had been brought about, that noble offer of £10,000 from men many of whom were not members of their Church, but all of whom he believed were connected with the missionary field of India-he believed and hoped this great offering so presented would tell powerfully on the spirit of the young men attending their halls, and call forth in them a suitable response. (Applause.) Here were these Christian men coming forward, then-Christian men who knew the great work to be done, whose hearts and sympathies were with the work, who had confidence in the Free Church-they came forward and said, "We will give this from our substance in order to encourage you in this great enterprise. We lay this freely and willingly on the altar of God for your benefit, will you not give in proportion; will you not respond to this offer on our part by giving yourselves, as God will enable you, to this field?" He hoped such a response would be given by not a few. Then there was the direct good to be accomplished through the possessor of this chair in actually preparing those who gave themselves to the work for their future labours, hearing such prelections and ultimately enjoying such training as would tend to fit and qualify them in some degree for their proper duties. And for all these reasons, and in response to the noble, heart-stirring address they had just listened to, he hoped there would be not one dissentient voice as to the adoption of the report—that there would be a unanimous agreement as to the necessity for a Chair of Evangelistic Theology, which might well enough be called the Duff Chair, but which, he supposed, Dr Duff would rather prefer to be called the Chair of Evangelical Theology. (Loud applause.)

Dr MURRAY MITCHELL then moved the deliverance:-"That the General Assembly approve of the Report of the Committee on Foreign Missions, and record their thanks to the committee, especially to the convener, whose appearance with a considerable measure of recruited health in this Assembly is hailed with exceeding joy and thankfulness. The Assembly rejoice to hear of the continued and increasing marks of divine favour

with which the missionary efforts of this Church have been blessed both in India and Africa. In particular they rejoice that the additions to the native churches during the past year have amounted to 297, and that the native church in Calcutta has become self-sustaining, an example which they trust will ere long be followed by other native churches both in India and Africa. The Assembly renew the recommendation of former Assemblies for the promotion of Foreign Missionary Associations in the congregations in which they do not as yet exist; and they earnestly recommend the adoption by Presbyteries of such means as may secure the establishment and efficient working of such association. The Assembly fully approving of the suggestions of the report as to the establishment of a General Mission Building Fund, and recognising its importance in the furtherance of mission work, remit to the committee to mature a scheme for the accomplishment of this object, such as may not interfere with any of the existing financial operations of the Church. The Assembly authorise the committee, if they see cause, to increase the allowances to the widows and children of missionaries to the same extent to which the allowances of those on the home widows' scheme are now increased, and earnestly recommend the fund for the widows and orphans of missionaries to the sympathy and support of the Church. The Assembly adverting to the decease during the past year of two of the senior missionaries-Dr Mackay and Mr James Mitchell-while they deeply feel the loss of such devoted men, record their heartfelt thankfulness to the God of all grace for the long and faithful service which they performed, and they commit the widows and families of those who have thus fallen in the high places of the field to the tender mercy of Him who is the Father of the fatherless, and the Judge of the widow. The Assembly learn with the deepest regret that the urgent call for additional labourers is not responded to so as even to fill up the places of those who are falling; and they earnestly trust that this lamentable deficiency will be speedily supplied by a fresh kindling of missionary zeal among our students, probationers, and ministers. Finally, the Assembly anew commend this great scheme to the earnest prayers and efforts of all the members of the Church. The Assembly approve of the report of the committee on the proposed professorship, and record their thanks to the committee, especially to the convener."

On the motion of Principal CANDLISH, the Assembly approved of an overture being transmitted to Presbyteries, to the following effect :

"The General Assembly, considering the importance of all ministers of the gospel being deeply impressed with a sense of God's eternal purpose with reference to the evangelisation of the nations, and the paramount duty and distinguished privilege of manifesting, by unceasing prayer and effort, sympathy with the Lord Jesus Christ in the prosecution of that glorious design, in the consummation of which alone He'shall see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied,' and considering that this object may, by the divine blessing, be greatly promoted by the establishment of a Professorship of Evangelistic Theology in connexion with our theological halls; considering also that a sum of £10,000 has been subscribed by friends of missions, and is now available for the permanent endowment of such a professorship, did and hereby do, with consent of a majority of Presbyteries, establish a Professorship of Evangelistic Theology, the Professor to be chosen by the General Assembly of 1867, and to be a member of the senatus of the New College, Edinburgh, but to lecture also,

from time to time, on subjects connected with the duty and privilege of spreading the gospel throughout the world, in the other colleges, in conformity with arrangements to be made by the College Committee in concert with the authorities of each of these colleges. Further, with a view to put the General Assembly of 1867 in a position to complete the plan as proposed by the contributors of the £10,000 in the event of this overture receiving the consent of the Presbyteries, the General Assembly having respect to the act anent the election of professors, recommend to such Presbyteries as may approve of the overture, to report their approval to Committee on the Election of Professors, and authorise that committee, if they shall receive such reports from a majority of Presbyteries, to announce the fact publicly to the Church, in order that Presbyteries and Synods may exercise, as they may see cause, the function with which they are invested by the aforesaid act. And with this the Assembly recommend that the Presbyteries should consider the overture at the earliest possible meeting."

SATURDAY, June 2.

The Assembly met at half-past ten o'clock.

REPORT OF COLLEGE COMMITTEE.

Dr HENDERSON gave in the report of the College Committee, (No. V.) In giving in the report Dr Henderson briefly referred to the absolute recessity of the Church making an effort to clear off the debt at present lying on the buildings. With regard to the attendance of students, he said the number of entrants was under that of last year, but the aggregate was about the average of former years. It seemed to be matter of complaint in all Christian denominations that the supply of students was inadequate. For their own part, they had not much cause of complaint, at the same time they ought to look out for a better supply of students to meet the exigencies of the present times. He referred to the munificent bequest of their lamented friend Mr Maitland, who ever took a deep interest in everything connected with the Church, whose voice was not often heard, but whose works were seen and felt continually, as one who-more than most men-followed closely in the steps of his Lord, who went about doing good. Mr LAUGHTON, Greenock, moved as follows:-"The General Assembly approve of the report, and record their thanks to the committee, especially to the convener. Farther, the Assembly sanction the grant, out of the College Fund, as recommended in the report, of £150 per annum to the Lecturer on Natural Science in the Free Church College of Glasgow." He said there could be no doubt the efficient teaching in the theological halls was, humanly speaking, what the Church had to depend on as regarded its prospects for the future. He hoped, therefore, at some future time this subject would have a more prominent place in the business of the Assembly, when they could have a large assemblage present. In regard to the question of their theological institutions, they had only to look at this report to feel that it was not much to their credit as a Church. That there should be a debt of nearly £2500 on these institutions was not much to their credit, all the more so that the College Committee was the only one which had a balance on the wrong side of their account. salaries of the professors were certainly not what they ought to be; and there was no adequate provision for college libraries, without which these

The

institutions could not attain a proper state of efficiency. He considered there was no fund for which endowments might more reasonably or safely be invested than in connexion with the theological institutions. He should be sorry if the Sustentation Fund or Foreign Missions were provided for by endowments, as these were objects which called forth the spiritual life of the Church. But only comparatively few could fully appreciate the importance of theological education. There was only one other subject he wished to refer to. Unquestionably the number of students was below the requirements of the Church. The whole number who had passed the exit examination last year was 43. Now, it required little calculation to show that this was not what the Church required. There were 900 churches in connexion with the Church, and it was not an extravagant calculation to say that nearly 30 ministers were required every year. They were getting only 40 a year, and that left only a margin of 10 for the requirements of the colonies, for missions, and for England, not to speak of the considerable percentage who could not succeed in the ministerial calling. But it was hardly reasonable to expect that they should have a sufficient supply of students until an adequate support to the Christian ministry was provided. (Applause.)

Dr BEGG seconded the motion. He did not think it was so hopeless by any means to get additional endowments for their colleges as some seemed to suppose. He was afraid there was an impression abroad, for example, in regard to Glasgow in particular, that the college was sufficiently provided for. (Hear, hear.) That, however, was a mistake, and the sooner the Church was disabused of that impression the better. He did not despair yet of seeing important bequests left for this important object, provided the attention of the Church was steadily called to it. He had an idea also that, as they had obtained manses for their ministers, they should have houses for their professors. (Applause.) He always looked back with interest to the College Square of Glasgow; and why should they not have a College Square in connexion with all their colleges! (Continued applause.) Another object which he thought of great importance was, that some better arrangement should be made in regard to the lodging of the students. He believed that could be accomplished if some of their friends would set about it, both in the way of giving the students better and cheaper accommodation, with some more effectual supervision than existed at present. (Applause.)

Dr BUCHANAN concurred with Mr Laughton in hoping that this subject would in future receive a more permanent place and more thorough advocacy than it had received for many years. They heard last night, from their venerable father Dr Duff, a most eloquent and powerful pleading for students enlisting in the great work of our Christian missions to the heathen. But there was something else required before such an appeal could be made as effectual as they would desire. If they were to have divinity students on obtaining their license volunteering to enter the ranks of foreign missions, they must first have an adequate supply of students in their halls. They had not that at present; they had scarcely ever had it except in one or two exceptional years. It was very desirable for this purpose that the hearts of the Christian people in the Free Church should be stirred up on this important subject, that they might realise the privilege of giving not merely their money but their sons to the service of the gospel. There was another point to which he wished to call attention,

namely, to the utterly inadequate endowments of the colleges. It was really most discreditable when they had to look from time to time over the Church for the best men in the ministry, in order to fill their theological chairs, that they had to ask them not only to obey the call of the Church to take that important duty, but they had to ask them to do so at a great sacrifice. These ministers had to make sacrifices which must disqualify them from doing their duty to their wives and families. In Edinburgh, their professors had only £400 of an income, and for that they proposed to get the best men from the pulpits of the Church to undertake the training of young men for the ministry. In Glasgow they had less-only £350. When they considered the expense of living in such cities as Edinburgh and Glasgow, it was impossible for any one who thought of this subject not to know to what straits their professors must be reduced. It was discreditable to this Church not at least to use the means in their power to arrest the attention of their people on this subject, and endeavour to press it home upon their hearts and minds. (Applause.)

Dr CANDLISH said, with regard to the college in Edinburgh, they had abstained from any effort in the direction of having the debt cleared off, in consequence of the provision that undestined legacies should go to clear it off. But while there were many undestined legacies before that resolution was passed, they had had none since unfortunately. (Laughter.) The motion was agreed to, and the report approved.

THE WALDENSIAN COLLEGE AT FLORENCE.

The Assembly next took up the following overture from the Presbytery of Edinburgh :-" Whereas the Waldensian College at Florence may be relied upon as an efficient and orthodox institution for the training and instructing students of theology, it is humbly overtured by the Free Presbytery of Edinburgh to the ensuing General Assembly, that they sanction the recognition of that college by the Presbyteries of the Church, as adequate to supply one or two sessions of the theological curriculum, on condition of the terms of Act V. Assembly 1860 being complied with."

Sir H. W. MONCREIFF, in submitting the overture, said, attention had been directed to the subject by a case which came before the Presbytery of Edinburgh. He further stated, that an old law existed in the Church which permitted students to attend foreign universities, and have that attendance counted in their period of study. An act was passed in 1860 to regulate that privilege, and prevent it being abused. Now, if they allowed attendance at any foreign universities with respect to which they had not adequate ground of being confident of its management, then a fortiori they should allow the same privilege to such a college as the Waldensian College, which they had every means of knowing was rightly conducted.

Dr GIBSON had great objection to the adoption of this overture brevi manu. His idea was that they should allow their students to go anywhere they pleased to study, but he would not take a certificate from any foreign university, still less from a small college newly instituted, in place of certificates from their own Divinity Hall.

Sir H. W. MONCREIFF said, the Presbytery of Edinburgh did not ask that any motion should be carried brevi manu, and he doubted much whether it would be in their power to do so. The only thing the Presbytery proposed they should consider was, why they should shut out that