The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-25 00:00:00

EVENING EDITrO74.

14.1 MK ANI I'lll4 MIN 18TRItS
OF STRATIIisOGIE.

The Commission of the General Assembly has passed
over without deposing the seven ministers of Strath..
hoeie. indeed, under the rernit to the Commission from
the last Assem.oly, this step—for what the ministers had
dove—was perhaps not within the Commission's power ;
but then the brethren of Strati bogie did not even obey
the citation id the Assembly to appear at the bar of
the Commission, and they refused to p:ead to the libel
with which *they have now been served. Here, therefore,
there was " enough and to spare " of fresh contumacy
to warrant instant deposition, yet it came not. Th.
Commission of the 11th December 1839 suspender/ the
seven ministers, because they respectfully reported that
they intended to obey the law of the land. " How are
the mighty fallen!" The Ceminission of the hAu-
mist 1840 ordered the same men to be served with a
libel, beeau e they had opinly and contumactuus/9/
set at defiance the laws and authority of the Church
But there is a reason for all this. The dominant party
in the Church are great " waiters on Providence ;" and
it is particularly coincident that at present they should
pause to see what the chapter cf accidents may bring
forth. Public opinion is already bearing hard against
them for their resistance to the law of the land, and
their tyranny towards their brethren, and they DAMI
NOT venture to advance. Tile moderate party, with
the views which they entertain of a Commission and its
powers, did not seek of that body to acquit the seven
idmisters, and pronounce them, as they are, loyal sub-
jects of her Majesty, and not less liege and faithful sons
of the Kirk, as by law established. They sought no
more than delay in serving the libel, until the next As.
sembly should meet ; and for this we observe that they
are accused by the Scottish Guardian of having relin.
quished the high ground they took at the last Assembly ;
and LordAbordeen is exultingly asked where his prophecy
is, that the I:2th of August would witness a fearful
schism in the Kirk.

• And why has it not Clone so ? Because the
ruling party had not the courage to carry out their
principles in the Strathhogie case. They pretend that
they have dealt leniently with the Seven Brethren, and
have libelled them, to give them room for repent-
ance! It was n ell remarked by Dr. Bryce that libels__
have a very different object iii vie v---namely, to give
the accuser an opportunity to make good his charge—
the accused to establish his innocence ; and as it pre-
sumes innocence until guilt is proved, we lesve it to the
wiseacres of the Kirk to say how a locus penitentice can
have place.

But the great schism threatens the Kirk from ano
ther quarter. The Commission has ordered the Prey
bytery of Irvine, svho are now under interdict by the
Court of Session from dividing a parish quoad sacra,
to proceed in doing so, nothwithstanding this interdict.
In this case the interdict is at the instance of a layman.
This is most fortunate ; for in the Strathhogie case
the ministers, though they obtained it, have been re-
strained from calling for the punishment attached to its
violation, from a very natural reluctance to put their
brethren into prbon. Mr. Cunningham, of Lamshaws,
will be restrained by no such feeling ; and through his
Counsel at the Commission he intimated, fairly and ho-
nestly, that if the interdict is broken the utmost penalty
of the law will be exacted. Broken it will be, it there
be any "virtue extant" among the ruling party in the Kirk,
and although it is lamentable to see such things going. on
in the Kirk, every peaceable subject must be gratified at
the prospect of witnessing the law vindicated in Scot•
land, which in the Strathbogie matter has been so
grossly trampled upon by Reverend Doctors of Divinity,
Honourable Justices of the Peace, and Magistrates
of counties, acting as Elders of the Kirk.