REPORT OF SUB-COMMITTEE.

The Sub-Committee having met at Offices of the Free Church, 7th May 1866,

Sederunt-Dr. Duff, Convener, Dr. Begg, and Dr. Bannerman, agreed to report as follows:

From the views expressed and generally approved of at the joint meeting of the different Committees, held on Monday, 30th April last, it appeared that the object of the proposed Professorship is of a broad catholic comprehensive kind, viz., to unfold from the Bible, and vindicate God's grand design with reference to the redemption of a lost world, whether Jew or Gentile, through the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the regenerating influences of the Holy Spirit; to expound and enforce, from the precepts and the examples recorded in Holy Scripture, the duty and the privilege of all true believers to assist, by means of prayer, counsel, pecuniary contribution, and personal services, in the promotion of this Divine design; and, from the same source of inspiration, to exhibit the varied motives and encouragements to its vigorous prosecution, till the whole earth be filled with the knowledge and glory of the great Jehovah. By way of illustrating and exemplifying the scriptural design, principles, and encouragements thus set forth, vivid sketches ought to be furnished of the primitive and apostolic process of evangelization; of the missions of the Middle Ages, by which Christianity, though considerably degenerated from the primitive model, gained notable triumphs over various barbarous races; and of the world-wide field of modern missions, in which the gospel, restored to its pristine purity, has been freely offered to all kindreds and nations and tribes and peoples on the face of the habitable globe. In addition to all this, brief outlines ought to be supplied of the mythologies and distinguishing characteristics of the leading branches. of the family of man; with notices of the necessary qualification of those who would expect to labour, with hopeful success, amongst them.

The great object, as regards the Professorship, being thus to unfold the scriptural principles that underlie all missions to the unevangelized masses, whether home or foreign; to enforce the duties and privileges connected with the furtherance of them; and to infuse a true missionary spirit ;-it was never intended that any such portion of the time of students should be allotted to the subject as would in any way materially interfere with existing arrangements. Only a small proportion of them would ever be expected to go forth into the mission field; but it is believed that ministerial

services at home would be vastly augmented in efficiency, were all pastors imbued with the principles and spirit of Christian missions. The number of lectures, to be delivered at the outset and at the close of the theological curriculum, must therefore be regulated wholly by circumstances; attendance upon them would not necessarily involve any preparations in the way of private reading for examination either by the Professor or by a Board; while the particular times set apart for the delivery of the lectures would be determined entirely, under the authority of the Assembly, by a mutual understanding between the Professors of our different Theological Halls.

As explained at the joint meeting, all specific instruction orspecial training intended for those who may offer their personal services for the mission field, will be given in the Missionary Institute, to be established apart altogether from the College Professorship. In that Institute it is proposed to have a hall, in which lectures may be delivered by missionaries from all parts of the foreign mission field, as well as by ministers who have large experience of mission work at home; with class-rooms, in which the elements of different languages may be taught, as well as systematic readings carried on in connexion with the geography, history, ethnology, mythology, habits, manners, and practices of unevangelized peoples and nations. In such an Institute, also, there may be apartments for the temporary residence of candidates for the mission field, as well as the permanent residence of retired and disabled missionaries, who yet, in many important ways, might assist in carrying out the various objects contemplated by such an Institute.

From the above representation of the nature and objects of the Professorship, it will be understood that the pecuniary support of it will in no ways interfere with the present College funds, and that the teaching of the Professor, and the attendance of the students, will not affect the existing curriculum of study.

ALEXANDER DUFF, Convener.

Free Church of Scotland.

REPORT

ON THE

AGED AND INFIRM MINISTERS' FUND

BY

SUSTENTATION FUND COMMITTEE.

MAY 1866.

THE Committee beg respectfully to refer the General Assembly to the Report presented to the General Assembly of 1865, and also to the Abstract of the Accounts of the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund for the year ending 31st March 1866, included amongst the printed accounts of the Church laid before the present Assembly.

It was the desire of the Committee, and it is understood also of the General Assembly of 1865, to make full use of the Income arising from Interest for the benefit of Aged and Infirm Ministers and of their Congregations; the Committee accordingly in their last year's Report made an estimate of the probable income from this source, their estimate being £2076, and a life-burden and expenses they estimated at £146, leaving a free fund of £1930, but which would be increased to £2200 if a large legacy due but not paid was taken into view; they further pointed out that the grants actually payable from the Fund amounted to £1478, so that there was an available Surplus Income from Interest of £722, taking into the account the large legacy referred to. The General Assembly on this Report awarded new Grants to nearly the full extent of the Surplus.

Yet on referring to the Abstract of the Account of the Fund year to 31st March 1866, it will be seen that the income arising

from interest has not been exhausted. It has amounted, less Income-Tax, to £2091, 19s. 10d., while the life-burden and expenses have amounted to £120, 19s. 5d., leaving £1971, 0s. 5d., being £229 less than the Committee estimated; but the Grants paid have amounted only to £1639, 13s. 8d., leaving £331, 6s. 9d. of interest unexpended. This result appears to the Committee to arise from three causes, namely:—(1.) As the Grants are generally paid at the half-yearly terms of Whitsunday and Martinmas, and as the General Assembly does not meet till after the first of these terms, the first half-yearly payment does not embrace the new Grants; (2.) Owing to deaths a small portion of the Grants fall during the year; and, (3.) From unavoidable delays in calling colleagues or obtaining assistants, some of the new Grants are not applied for. These causes are likely to continue in operation

every year.

During the past year the following ministers receiving Grants have deceased, namely:

:

Rev. A. Flyter, Alness,-Grant £80.

Rev. D. Grant, Forres,-Grant £75.

Rev. C. R. Matheson, Kilmuir Easter,-Grant £80.

The General Assembly of 1865 remitted to the Sustentation Fund Committee to consider whether any improvement could be made in the distribution of this Fund, and also to consider and report to next Assembly whether it would be desirable to make any alterations on the constitution of the Fund, as regards the future unconditional Legacies and Donations.' Having taken up this remit and sent it to a Sub-committee, Mr. Brown Douglas, elder, made the following proposal:

With regard to future Legacies and Donations, my suggestion is, that the time has now arrived when, with propriety, a portion of these may be applied to the object for which this Fund was raised. I would not urge too precisely any definite plan, but would strongly venture to press the adoption of the principle, leaving details to be adjusted, and submit that some such course as the following might be tried :—

1. The interest on the capital of £62,000, to be applied for the present in the support of the beneficiaries now on the Fund, and of those who may be appointed to vacancies; or of so many of these latter as the whole interest on the Fund may be capable of supporting, relieving the Sustentation Fund as much as possible.

2. The capital itself to be augmented by the addition of Legacies and Donations destined to be accumulated; and by another source, as explained in the following

3. The probable average life of aged and infirm Ministers should be ascertained. It may be 6 or 7 years. If so, £100 a year may be assumed as the probable charge for supporting each Minister, without burdening the Sustentation Fund, and £600 would be sufficient for the maintenance for life of an invalided Minister. But for greater security, and also for accumulating further capital if desired, let £800 or £900 be set apart; and for every £900 of undestined additional capital, let an additional Minister be taken on the Fund. Should the future gifts to this Fund be on the average of the past ten years, £3600 may be taken as the yearly

average; if two-thirds be undestined, £2700 would remain for the support of three new invalided Ministers and for accumulation; and, on the average, this additional number might be placed on the Fund if their claims admitted each year, besides supplying the vacancies which may occur by death. Or the alternative plan might be adopted of accumulating onethird or one-half of future capital, and setting apart the rest, £600, or so much for each invalided Minister, according as the value of his £100 a year annuity may be ascertained by the report of an Actuary skilled in such questions. The sphere of the usefulness of this Fund would then be greatly enlarged, the Sustentation Fund relieved, and the desired accumulation to £100,000 only postponed for a few more years, while aid would be given at present to those poorer Congregations whose interests must be very injuriously affected by their Ministers being wholly or partially invalided, and who, without this Fund, can scarcely secure the right discharge of pastoral duty.'

The Sub-Committee carefully considered this; but, in the meantime, they were not prepared to recommend that any change should be made in the present practice of capitalizing all legacies and donations; the Committee were, however, of opinion that it would be right to expend in the great object of the Fund, the whole income arising from interest, after paying therefrom the expenses and a life-interest with which the Fund is burdened, and feeling that this will never be accomplished under the present system, they came to the following resolution :—

'The Sub-Committee, finding from experience that, from the delay which unavoidably takes place on the calling of a Colleague, or obtaining an Assistant, and also from the falling in from time to time of grants previously given, and from other causes, there has been annually a considerable portion of the income from interest not expended, and being of opinion that it would be proper to expend, annually at least, the full amount of the interest in carrying out the purposes of the scheme, think that this may best be accomplished by the General Assembly annually allowing grants to an extent greater than the amount of the income of the year from interest by a sum not exceeding £600-the amount of grants in excess to be regulated by the condition of the Scheme each year, and in particular by the number of new grants-the excess to be smaller when the new grants, in cases where Colleagues and Assistants are yet to be obtained, are few.'

The Sub-Committee further had under their consideration

1. Whether, when a member is wholly invalided and unfit for any duty whatever, it would not be advisable that his whole income be derived from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, or until the Fund is in a position to bear that--whether his grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund should not be largely increased, so as to allow a larger proportion of the Sustentation Fund to the colleague performing the whole duty?

2. Whether, when a minister has been forty years and upwards ordained, his grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund should be so much enlarged as to make his income from that source, and from the Sustentation Fund, equal to the amount of the dividend? and