The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-24 00:00:00

THE TOLBOOTH CHURCH CASE.

This was the next case in the order of business ; but
before entering upon it, the Moderator and Dr. Simpson,
one of the clerks, withdrew from their respective offices,
on the ground that they were members of the Presby-
tery of Edinburgh, and thus parties in the case. Prin-
cipal M'Farlane in consequence occupied the chair dur-
ing the proceedings.
• The circumstances of this case are these :—The Rev'
George Smith of Penpont was presented to the Tul-
b'ootli Church by the Town Council of Edinburgh, and
his presentation sustained by the Presbytery. On the
day for moderating in the call, objections were lodged
by fifteen parishioners, two of whom subsequently with-
drew their names. The call, on the other hand, was
signed by thirteen persons, the same number as the ob
jectors. On Ist December last, the Presbytery found
the objections relevant, and that, though five in number,
they were substantially but three, viz., 1. That Mr.
Smith had been notoriously deficient in the duties of
Pastoral superintendence and domiciliary visitation, in
the parish of Penpont and Kilmarnock. 2. That his
sfyle of preaching and manner of expounding the Scrip-
Tres was not level with the capacities of the pa-
rishioners generally. 3. That the presentee was not a
qualified and suitable person for the Tolbooth parish,
considering its whole condition and circumstances. The
Presbytery agreed to consider the objections to the
mode of preaching first ; and two of the sermons deli-
vered by Mr. Smith in the Tolbooth Church were lodged
in the hands of the Clerk. At a subsequent meeting of
the Presbytery, the Counsel for the objectors failed to
give in a list of witnesses in support of the first objec-
tion, which was accordingly repelled ; and the Presby-
tery, after hearing the two sermons delivered from the
pulpit by Mr. Smith, agreed to the following motion, by
it majority of 14 to 6:—" The Presbytery, agreeably to
their resolution of the 13th instant, having heard the
Rev. George Smith, presentee to the church and parish
of Tolbooth, deliver from the pulpit of the same, and in
the presence of the congregation, two of the four dis-
courses formerly preached by him there, and objected to
by certain of the parishioners—and which two discourses
were considered by the Objectors as sufficient in point of
number, and suitable in point of selection for the purpose
of this meeting; having also fully heard the parties for
their several interests, and having thereafter duly con-
sidered and weighed the whole matter, having regard to
the whole circumstances and condition of the parish, and
to the spiritual welfare and edification of the people—
find, in the discharge of their functions, and in the exer-
cise of their authority and duty as ministers of the Goa-
Pei, and office-bearers in the Church, that the second
Objection is well-founded and substantiated, and that the
said presentee is not a qualified and suitable person for
the functions of the ministry in the parish of the Tol-
booth, and ought not to be settled in the same, in respect
that in the judgment of the Presbytery, the presentee's
style of preaching and manner of expounding the Scrip-
tures are not level to the capacities of the parishioners,
severally, of the Tolbooth, nor calculated to instruct and
siify them."
The case came before the Synod of Lothian and
Tweeddale on the 14th inst., when it was agreed, by a
majority of eighteen to nine, to "affirm the sentence of
the Presbytery, and dismiss the complaints and ap-
peals."
On the case being called, there appeared for the ap-
pellants, Mr. A. S. Cook, counsel for the presentee; Drs.
R. Lee and Bryce, of the Presbytery of Edinburgh, and
Dr. Bell and Dr. Cook, of Haddington, for the Synod.
For the respondents, Mr. Penney, counsel for the ob-
jectors ; and Drs. Muir, Simpson, and Clark.

After a number of speakers had addressed the Assem-
bly, Dr. Cook moved, that the Assembly sustain the ap-
peal, reverse the sentence of the Synod, and remit the
case to the Presbytery, with instructions that, having
sustained the call, they proceed with all convenient
speed to the settlement of Mr. Smith, according to the
rules of the Church.—(Great applause.)
An amendment was moved by Professor ROBERTSON,
to affirm the sentence of the Synod, but to remit the
case to the Presbytery, to give the candidate another trial.
On a division, there were, for Dr. Cook's motion, 137;
for Dr. Robertson's, 117—majority for settling Mr.
Smith in the Tolbooth Church, 20.
The result was received with mingled cheers and
hisses, but the cheers far predominated, and the As-
sembly adjourned at half-past one in the morning of
Wednesday.
FREE CHURCH ASSEMBLY.—SAME DAY.
The Assembly met at eleven o'clock,. pursuant to pre-
vious arrangement, for sermon and devotional exercises,
in relation to the state of religion in this country. The
sermon was delivered by the Rev. C. J. Brown, of this
city. At the conclusion of the service, .
Dr. CHALMERS rose, 'and said—I have been requested
to state to the Assembly what came next in the order of
,
the proceedings. But in doing so cannot refrain from
expressing my sense of the vast and unspeakable import-
ance of the services in which wri. have now been en-
gaged ; and, let me add, of such services being more
largely admitted than heretefre into the business of the
Assembly. lam almost afraid lest any feeble words of
mine should in any way disturb the impressions which
the preacher, or rather, let me say, the spirit of
God through the instrumentality of the preacher, may
have awakened -in the hearts saf. the audience. Oh
that we knew.what it ivas to have our minds exercised
into godliness, „so: as not only to understand,
but to experience the longings and labourings of
the Soul in• earnestness, and in following hard after
God! Withofit this we are but a vain show of a Church

—a body without .a soul; our sermons but as " sounding
brass and tinkling cymbals"—a mere uttering of the
words of sacredness,.while all heedless or unfeeling of
their Mighty import, because destitute of that faith
which is " the substance of things hoped for, the evi-
dence of things not seen."• And so we can speak—as
has -been most solemnly aid searchingly told us in the