The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-28 00:00:00

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

The following are extracts from private letters rela-
! ties to the occurrences which took pace on Sunday, in
the parishes of the seven Clergymen suspended by the
Commission of Assembly, and the service of the inter-
, diets issued by the Court of Session upon the Clergy
appointed to carry the orders of the Commission into
effect. It will be seen that the law in every instance
prevailed, that the agents of the Commission were not
allowed to cuter the Churches cr Courch-yards, to pro-
mulgate the edict of the Commission, and that in all the
parishes the people have displayed the utmost sympathy
and regard for the suspended ministers. To what a la-
mentable ebb these violent men have brought the au-
thority of the General Assembly in Scotland ! One of
the agents of the General Assembly having in vain ap-
plied in ►n my quarters fora place to officiate in, at last
was obliged to preach and pro nulgate the sentence in
the room of a public-house, and another officiated at the
door of a pubiic-house bet could get no hearers :
KEITH.--Mr. A bereromby Gyrdon from Aberdeen,
came up to this place from Fochabers, on Sunday
morning; and baying made a variety of attempts for a
place to discourse in, he at last betook himself to the ex-
periment of waiting at the church gate outside, and the
moment the bell began to ring for public worship, he
got a chair, and during the ringing of the bell, and
whilst the people were thronging to church, addressed
the audience. By this means an au-.lience of perhaps
100 or 150 individaals was collected. In his discourse
he justified the proceedings of the Cominissioo, con-
demned the seven ministers, and endear oured to show
that the chief characteristic of the Commission's sen-
tence was leniency.
After his sermon he read the sentence of the Commis-
sion, and then concluded by intimating that next
Lord's-day, Mr. Cunningham from Edinburgh, would
preach, and that in the meantime, it' any person wished
to be united in the holy bands of matrimony, he was
ready to perform the ceremony, or to baptize, or visit
the sick, Om

At Auntly, Mr. Walker, minister of the parish,
preached twice to crowded congregations. Mr. Simp.
son, (of Aberdeen) having in vain applied in a number
of quarters for a place to officiate in, at laq got a room
in the inn where be was living, and preached and
promulgated the sentence to about 150 individuals,
partly Dissenters and parlay persons attracted by cu-
riosity,

At
Betrophnie, Mr. Masson preached himselt.. Mr.
Clark, (of Inverness), who was appointed by the
Commission, sent a deputy, who officiated at the door of
the public house in the parish, hut without any hearers.
Mr. Grant did not arrive at Nlortlach till half-past
eleven, being within half an hour of public worship. He
was accompanied by Mr. H. Urquhart, writer, For-
res. Ou his appearance at the church gate, Mr. Ga-
therer, notary public, from Elgin, served the interdict on
him before witnesses. He received the copy, but, along
with his agent, maintained that the service was illegal
on Sunday, and refused to read it. They then made
very great efforts to see Mr. Cruickshanks personally,
and demand the key from him, but in this they did not
succeed, and a factor for taro of the heritors was present,
who told them distinctly that he would resist their
getting the keys ; and at length Mr. Grant addressed
the people, of whom there Was a very large collection,
stating the purpose of his visit, and that having
been interrupted in preaching in the parish church,
he would preach in the villago, whence he proceeded,
and held forth to a considerable number, but chiefly
stragglers from other parishes, who had come there
from curiosity. At the manse gate, as well as at the
conclusion of the service at Dufftown, he intimated the
Commission's appointment, reading at the latter place
the whotc p -oceedings, and intimated that in obedience
thereto there would be pre telling next Sunday at the
parish church. No disturbance took place, and the pa-
rishioners, rejoicing that Mr. Grant had been defeated,
quietly dispersed, evincing it the same time the strongest
feeling and attachment for their pastor. They seemed
disappointed that he did not preach, no service having
taken place in the church, which, under all the circum-
stances, and in order to prevent any disturbance, was
mash-1.-erect best.

TA:tr'vNlE-A minister of the name of Mr. Shanks ar-
rived on Saturday evening, as did the Sheriff Substitute
of the County on Sunday morning. It appears that
Mr. Shanks, being apprised of the interdict issued on
Friday by the Court of Session, and of the Parish Mi-
nister (Mr. Allardyce's) resolution to obey the law of
the land, and to occupy his own pulpit, felt the expe-
diency of avoiding all forcible attempts, and adopted a
different course. He intimated, by placards, that he
was to preach on the street, and followed up this inti-
mation by placing a table, a chair, and himself precisely
opposite to the parish church and its windows, at the
very moment when the parish minister entered his church,
followed by his people. Mr. Shanks, however, was not
witlout his audience. He had from 80 to 100 people,
composed mainly of strangers from surrounding pa-
rishes, whom curiosity had attracted, and by the mem-
bers of a small voluntary congregation who have a chapel
in the village, and whose precentor officiated to Mr.
Shanks. Both services Laving ended, the people (noted
in this district for their general quietude) departed to
their homes ; the parishioners demonstrating their respect
for their excellent and talented pastor by every becom-
;^7 expression of esteem.