D.D., as Convener of the Committee on prevailed in his denomination in reference Union with the United Presbyterian Church, to the United Presbyterian Church, he in England, appointed by the Synod of the stated that while there might be some English Presbyterian Church at its meeting ministers and individuals less favourable to in Sunderland in April, 1854, several union than others, the denomination generally ministers and elders of these two denomi- had the highest respect and esteem for the nations met here this morning at ten o'clock. ministers and people of the United PresbyThe friends of each church first conversed terian congregations in England. together for a few minutes apart; and when The Rev. JAMES PRINGLE then gave a the whole afterwards assembled in Conference, similar statement concerning the principles there were found to be present, of the Com- and status of the United Presbyterian mittee of the English Presbyterian Synod, Church in England, and stated that a feeling the Rev. Drs. Hamilton, of London, and prevailed very generally among the congre Paterson, of Sunderland, the Rev. Messrs. gations south of the Tweed that union among Weir, of London, and Trail, of Manchester, evangelical Presbyterians in England was and Messrs. Robert Barbour, of Manchester, desirable, though truth compelled him to and Alexander Gillespie, of London, elders; add that the ministers and people connected -of the United Presbyterian Presbytery of with their congregations and presbyteries Carlisle, the Rev. Messrs. Peter Carruthers, in England felt a very strong attachment of Longtown, Alex. Leitch, of Wigton, and to the parent Synod in Scotland. R. S. Drummond, M.A., of Carlisle ;-of Rev. ERSKINE FRASER supplemented Mr. the United Presbyterian Presbytery of Lan- Pringle's address by a brief statistical cashire, Drs. Hugh Crichton, of Liverpool, and Wm. McKerrow, of Manchester, the Rev. Messrs. Jas. Towers, of Birkenhead, and R. S. Scott, M.A., of Manchester, and Messrs. Joseph Herald and John Palmer, elders; of the United Presbyterian Presbytery of London, the Rev. Robert Redpath, the substantial agreement between the two M.A., and Mr. John Geekie, elder;-and of the United Presbyterian Presbytery of New. castle, the Rev. Messrs. James Pringle, of Newcastle, and Erskine Fraser, M.A., of North Shields. The Rev. Dr. Hamilton having been unanimously called to the chair, requested the Rev. James Pringle to commence the proceedings with prayer for the Divine direction and blessing. The Rev. Wm. Trail, M.A., and the Rev. R. S. Scott, were then appointed Clerks of the Conference. Dr. HAMILTON opened the conversation with a brief sketch of the history of the English Presbyterian Church; of the appointment of a Committee of the Synod of that church in April, 1854, to promote union with the Presbyteries of the United Presbyterian Church in England; and of the present condition and prospects of the English Presbyterian denomination. He stated that the number of charges in that church, including stations, was 90; that the number of ordained ministers, including two professors, was 78; that the number of probationers was 5; that it might be assumed there was a Sabbath school in connection with each congregation; that the denomination had three foreign missionaries in China, and one in Corfu, who was partially employed as a chaplain to the troops; and that the number of day schools was between 40 and 50, some of which had two or more teachers, while others included a complete system of schools for infants, juveniles, and more advanced pupils. As to the feeling which The account of the United Presbyterian Church in England; after which the conversation became general, every member of the Conference taking part in it, and with great freedom and frankness expressing his views and sentiments, not only in reference to denominations, but also in reference to those topics concerning which differences of opinion exist, or may be supposed to exist, and which will have to be most carefully considered before any cordial and satisfactory union can be accomplished. This conversation continued until three o'clock, the hour at which it had been previously agreed that the Conference should adjourn; and the following gentlemen were appointed a committee to meet during the interval, and to prepare a series of resolutions to be laid before the Conference in the evening, viz.:~Dr. Hamilton, the Rev. Messrs. Pringle, Scott, and Trail, and Mr. Alexander Gillespie, elder. Mr. Scott to be convener. The meeting was then closed with prayer by the chairman, the Rev. Dr. Hamilton. verbal alterations had been suggested, they were adopted unanimously as follows: 1st. It was moved by the Rev. ROBERT REDPATH, seconded by the Rev. JOHN WEIR, and resolved, "That this Conference, recognising the obligation resting on all the friends of the Redeemer to cultivate the spirit of brotherly love, is further impressed with the duty which devolves upon all denominations, substantially the same in doctrine and discipline, to unite in one church organisation for the promotion of the great work committed to them by their Head and Lord." 2nd. It was moved by the Rev. Dr. M'KERROW, Seconded by ROBT. BARBOUR, Esq., and resolved, "That after full and explicit conversation on various points of difference, this Conference rejoices in the large and substantial union which exists between the two bodies represented in the Conference, and in the prospect which is thus afforded of an eventful union without any surrender of principle." 3rd. It was moved by the Rev. Dr. PATERSON, Seconded by the Rev. Dr. CRICHTON, and resolved, "That, with a view to exhibit the existing harmony, as well as to expedite the desired issue, the Conference would affectionately suggest to ministers and congregations of the two churches the desirableness of cultivating meanwhile fraternal intercourse in the way of ministerial exchanges, and such other good offices as may bring the two bodies more frequently and more closely together." And, 4th. It was moved by the Rev. PETER CARRUTHERS, seconded by ALEXR. GILLESPIE, Esq., and agreed, that the following members of the Conference be requested to follow up the consideration of the whole case, and to communicate, before the 1st of April next, to the two chairmen of the Conference, any information and suggestions which they may think conducive to the desired union, viz. :-The Rev. Drs. Hamil ton, M'Kerrow, and Paterson, the Rev. Messrs. Pringle, Redpath, and Trail, John Collingwood Bruce, LL.D., and Messrs. Robert Barbour, John Geekie, and Alexander Gillespie, elders. The Rev. Dr. HAMILTON then said that he wished to propose the following additional resolution for the adoption of the Conference, and the motion having been seconded by the Rev. R. S. DRUMMOND, it was unanimously resolved, "That the Conference cannot part without recording the delightful fellowship which the members have enjoyed with one another, gratefully acknowledging the good hand of their God upon them, and the grace of his Spirit, in the vouchsafement of so much candour, forbearance, and brotherly love, which they would devoutly hail as a The Rev. Mr. REDPATH suggested that the resolutions adopted by the Conference should be inserted, if possible, in the United Presbyterian Magazine, Christian Journal, English Presbyterian Messenger, Evangelical Magazine, Evangelical Christendom, and in such other periodicals and newspapers as the members of Conference might be able to secure their insertion; and it was agreed that the resolutions should be advertised in the Manchester Daily Times of Friday, the 12th inst.; that 500 copies should be printed on slips from the types of that journal; that 20 of these should be sent to each member of the Conference, and that each one should use his influence to get the resolutions printed and circulated as widely as possible, The Rev, JAS. PRINGLE, the chairman for the evening, next expressed the satisfaction which he had felt in the proceedings of the Conference, and in the sentiments of charity and affection to which utterance had been given by the members of both churches; and at the close of his address the Confer ence, on the suggestion of the Rev. Mr. CARRUTHERS, joined in singing the 133rd Psalm. The Rev. ALEXR, LEITCH was then requested to engage in prayer, and the chairman dismissed the Conference with the Benediction. WILLIAM TRAIL, M.A. Obituary. THE REV. WILLIAM MACINTOSH. We have this month the painful duty to perform of announcing the death of one of the most devoted of the alumni of our college in London, who bade fair, had his life been prolonged, to become a bright ornament of the Presbyterian Church in Australia. The Rev. William Macintosh, minister of the Presbyterian Church, Mount Ararat, Victoria, died, after three months of intense suffering, on the 18th January last, in the 34th year of his age and the first of his ministry. From a long article in The Mount particulars. Ararat Advertiser we glean the following gregation urged forward the building of the church. On the 10th February, His parents occupied a respectable 1859, he was solemnly ordained to the place in humble life in the neighbourhood work of the ministry, by the Presbytery of the Clyde, in Scotland; but in 1836 of Ballarat. High hopes were enterthey removed to Brampton, in Cumber- tained that he would long be spared to land, and there, while engaged in the spread abroad the name of Jesus in that common pursuits of life, our young friend beautiful and romantic spot. Up to the enjoyed the faithful ministration of the end of October, he gave himself asRev. Dr. Brown. About 1846 he was siduously-alas! too assiduously-to the induced to give himself to Christ, when work of the ministry. Forenoon and attending a missionary meeting; and from evening he held forth the word of truth that time every thing became subservient to the people of his charge. The afterto the love of the Saviour. Early im- noon was for a time spent preaching pressions were deepened and vitalised, in the open-air at the neighbouring and he resolved, God helping him, to give "Digging." The Sabbath-school, the himself to the work of the ministry. Bible-class, the lectureship, and the His desire was to go to the heathen, and, prayer-meeting, all received a share of to carry this into effect, he devoted all his attention. His weekly lectures were the time he could spare to the study of very successful, and led to the estabthe classics, under the direction of his lishment of the Mechanics' Institute. pastor. He gave himself also to many He was most exemplary in his attention ways of usefulness in connection with to pastoral duties, and preached octhe Sabbath-schools and prayer-meetings casionally in destitute localities at a disof the congregation. In 1851, Dr. Brown removed to Liverpool, and was succeeded by the Rev. P. R. Crole. Still Mr. Macintosh continued faithfully and zealously to work for Christ. To Mr. Crole he was an invaluable auxiliary At Mr. Coulthard's academy, Croft House, he received great assistance in carrying on his studies. In 1853 he commenced a regular course of study for the ministry, by attending the Presbyterian Theological College, London. During the recess in each year, he spent his time in helping on the work of Christ at Brampton, and tokens of his success remain to this day. His college life was marked by devotedness to the work before him; and when the time came for licensing him to preach the gospel, the Rev. Dr. M'Crie declared that he never assisted to send forth one to the ministry better equipped than he was. After preaching in some of the vacant congregations with much acceptance, and having received an appointment for Australia from the Colonial Committee of the Free Church of Scotland, he was married at Brampton, in August, 1858, to a member of the congregation, who had for years been a fellow-worker with him there. On the 15th September Mr. and Mrs. Macintosh embarked at Liverpool for Victoria, and arriving at Melbourne in December, he was sent almost immediately to labour for a time at Ararat. In a few weeks he received a unanimous call, and, stimulated by his zeal, the con tance. All this time, as is now manifest, he was more or less a sufferer. The end of October brought him very low. His last public work was to go to a meeting of Presbytery at Ballarat, and plead the cause of his people for a share of the grant for building purposes; and it is pleasing to know that he did not plead in vain. In returning home he suffered untold agonies. After that he kept his bed for a week. Again and again he seemed to rally. Still he was wasting away. Dysentery became chronic, and inflammation supervened with great power on the Sabbath before his death. It is enough to say that he "endured as seeing Him who is invisible." Not a murmur escaped his lips. Often he would say to his now bereaved partner, "I am wearying, wearying to get away." To all inquiries whether he had peace with God, his unvarying answer was, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." He had no care or anxiety on his dying bed; he knew he was going home. Up to the very moment of dissolution he enjoyed fellowship with the Saviour. His last act was to kiss his wife and child, and then-he was with his Saviour. Thus fell asleep our dear brother at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, the 18th January, 1860, in the thirty-fourth year of his age and the first of his ministry. The prevailing feature of his character may be said to have been a faithful transcript of that heavenly charity or love described by the inspired penman. He was gentle as a lamb, kind, and courteous. He had a good word to say to every one, and for every one. Between himself and the whole congregation there was implicit confidence, and their loss will be long and painfully felt. The Committee did every thing to make him and his family comfortable. Throughout all his illness very great kindness was shown by every one. The Rev. Mr. Homan, minister of another church in Ararat, was unceasing in his kind and brotherly sympathies, and will long be remembered by the widow, whose heart he cheered by the word of prayer and by the promises of the Saviour. And Dr. Galbraith, too, was not merely the medical attendant, doing all that could be done with overflowing love, but the Christian brother also, trying to comfort a departing brother's soul. In all that concerned the good of this “goldfield,” Mr. M. took a foremost part. He gave a helping hand to the hospital now in the course of erection, and the Mechanics' Institute is mainly owing to his labours. By his people he was greatly respected and highly esteemed for his work's sake and for his own sake. His brethren in the ministry loved him with a real love; and, indeed, so amiable, so gentle, so full of goodwill to everybody was he, that he could not be known and yet not loved. CALVINISM AND PRESBYTERIANISM. Ar the recent meeting of our Synod in Sunderland, a diet was specially devoted to the celebration of the Centenary of the Reformation. We take the following passages from the able speech delivered by Principal Cunningham on that occasion, regretting that the limited space will not permit us to do more:-In thinking more immediately of what may be called the Scottish Reformation and its main leading features, there is no difficulty whatever in at once laying our hand on what may be said to constitute its great characteristic features. Its leading features are plainly Calvinism in doctrine, and Presbyterianism in government and worship. And what we think we have special reason to give God thanks for is just in substance this, that John Knox and those associated with him were instruments employed of God to impress Calvinistic views of doctrine and Presbyterian views of worship on Scotland so deeply and thoroughly, that no other system of doctrine, and no other form of government, to this day has ever been able to take root there. (Applause.) There and laxity, but never a public profession has been much corruption, abuse, heresy, to any considerable extent in Scotland of ment. I think it can be no difficult matter any other system of doctrine or governto show that a man like Calvin, at the time of the Reformation, placed as he was, and a man of his prodigious powers of mind and thorough knowledge of everything connected with ecclesiastical matters, with prodigious power of intellect, strength of will, firmness of purpose, thorough integrity it can be no difficult matter to show that Calvin, taking a view of the existing condition of things, and looking back on the causes that led to it, would very soon come substantially to the same conclusion as this, that in surveying the vast system of Church, and over the whole world, which heresy, idolatry, and tyranny over the whole was doing so much mischief, and which seemed to be established in such fearful power,-I say such a man in such circumstances would soon come to this conclusion that really the only effectual way of going to the root of the mischief was just at once to go back heartily and decidedly to the Calvinism and Presbyterianism of the New Testament. (Applause.) And that was just the sum and substance of what Calvin was led to conceive and propound, and enabled in a large measure to effect. (Applause.) This was just the substance of the Scottish Reformation. John Knox took the same view of these matters, and was enabled to establish in his country the same system, and thereby confer important benefits on his country and upon mankind. Other views, coming short of this, might delight the people and induce a better state of things by a large reformation and improvement on the state of things, but Calvinism alone and Presbyterianism alone could go to the root of the matter. I believe it is only in the great leading doctrines of Calvinism that even those great principles which almost all evangelical Christians profess to hold can be said to find their full and distinct and thorough development. We cannot fully and thoroughly understand-so far as man can understand the matter at all--we cannot form clear and definite views of the sovereignty of God as ruler and disposer of all things, including the eternal destinies of men; and cannot form an adequate conception of the person and work of Christ, its real value and suitableness and efficiency; a full and adequate idea of the work of the Spirit, and its adequacy and sufficiency for its objects-except by embodying what we think on these points in what form the ferred a boon of unspeakable magnitude on leading principles of the Calvinistic system. mankind; or rather, the Lord used him as No system but Calvinism can intelligently his instrument in doing that work, and give these truths a right place-the sove- thereby conferring most important benefits reignty of God, the efficiency of Christ's on the human race. This is the place work, the adequacy and completeness of the Calvinism occupies in the history of the Spirit's work. Now, it was just by the cor- Church of Christ; and so far as Calvin was ruption of these great leading views that enabled to bring out Calvinism in doctrine, the Church of Rome had perverted the and Presbyterianism in government, and scheme of salvation. They virtually deprive and in so far as these views were adopted the sovereignty of God, the work of Christ, on the authority of God's word, they did and the agency of the Spirit, of the place exert a most important and wholesome inwhich the word of God assigns to them fluence on the Church of Christ. There in the salvation of sinners. It is then has never been anything since the apostolic Calvinistic views of these things that age to be compared with the full manialone go to the root of this gross perver- festation of the power of God's truth in sion of the way of salvation that obtains so forming men's characters, bringing out largely in the Church of Rome. In regard their highest characteristics, and fitting to the work of Christ, how could that sys- them to enjoy the inheritance of the saints, tem of sacramentalism and formalism, which than what we see in the Reformed churches obtained in the Church of Rome, be tho- so far as the Calvinism and Presbyterianroughly dealt with except by going back to ism of the New Testament was adopted by the plain, candid, unadorned simplicity of the them. (Cheers.) I would refer, in illustraNew Testament Church-by overturning the tion of this, to what many of you must idea of an opus operatum in the sacraments, know well enough-the history of Swiss and leaving man's salvation solely on their Protestantism, Dutch Protestantism, French being brought into vital connection with Protestantism, English Puritanism, and the Lord Jesus by a true and living faith, Scotch Presbyterianism; all these were the and representing the Church as simply the direct and immediate fruits of Calvinism means of leading men to Christ-overturn- and Presbyterianism in substance the ing altogether the tyranny of the Church Calvinism and Presbyterianism which form of Rome, and bringing out that beautiful the great leading features of the Scottish compound of what may be called an aristo- Reformation. And in addition to all that, cracy and democracy in the Church, as we have the whole sum and substance of forming the real constitution of the word of God. Thus it may be slfown that the only way of attacking the root of the mischief in the Church of Rome was just to fall back on the Calvinism and Presbyterianism of the New Testament; and this was what Calvin was enabled to do. Perhaps the one most indispensable thing, in order to remedy the greatest evils of Popery, and take out of the way those things that bear most directly with injurious influence on the salvation of sinners, was to restore the Apostle Paul's doctrine of justification, and bring that out in opposition to Rome. That great work the Lord was pleased to require of Luther, and to enable him to perform. But there was a work which in one respect may be said to have been of a higher kind, and for which Luther was not competent, viz., the work assigned to Calvin, and which in substance was this-to bring out fully and distinctly the Calvinism of Augustine and the church of the fifth century in his day— to connect this with the doctrine of justification by faith as taught by Luther, and thus form an entire system of theology as set before us in the word of God. Calvin was enabled to do that work, I believe, under the direction and guidance of God's Spirit; and by doing that work he con the Presbyterianism, ay, and of the Congregationalism also, of the United States; for that is substantially Calvinism, and their differences in Church government are more attenuated than here. We can appeal then to these various nations and departments of history as really exhibiting the true and proper effect of Calvinism and Presbyterianism when really adopted on the authority of God's word, and intelligently carried out. These surely are considerations which may impress us with a deep sense of the magnitude of the results thus achieved, and the boon thus conferred, and the debt of gratitude we owe to God, and to men employed as his instruments. Christianity by these means has been brought out more fully in its true character as a system of salvation, grace, and holiness, than ever it has been since the apostolic age; and I am firmly persuaded that it is just by the Calvinisin and Presbyterianism of the sixteenth century and of the apostolic age, that the great events for the future of the Church, which the word of God leads us to expect, are to be accomplished. (Cheers.) |