The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-26 00:00:00

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/./2

ERAL ASSEMBLY.
PATRONAGE.

On Monday, Mr. Cunningham, one of the Non-Intrusion
Ministers, moved the following resolution That the Ge-
neral Assembly, having considered the overtures anent pa-
tronage, resolve and declare that patronage is a grievance, has
been attended with much injury to the cause of true religion in
this Church and kingdom, is the main cause of the difficulties
in which the Church is at present involved, and that it ought to
be abolished." The Rev. Gentleman made a long speeeh in
F, support of his motion, and concluded in the following wordi;—
" If they looked to the support of the great body of the people
of Seorland, which was, after all, next to the Providence esf
God, their main stay, they must lift up their voice against
patronage in every lot m. If the Church of Scotland should now
shrink from the say to which she was plainly and manifestly
called from fears, doubts, and difficulties, he was persuaded
in his conscience, she would give an open and palpable
proof of her unworthiness for the position in which God, in
his Providence, bad placed her. Whether, therefore, they
looked to the blessing of God, or to the support of their people,
the plain comae was to adopt the motion now belore them. If
the Church should now be mean enough, or base enough, to
refuse to ask for the abolition of patronage, I for one have very
little hope that she will ever get out of her troubles. 1 Wiese,
and the belief has been lately strengthened, that she will perish,
and in a great measure deserve to perish, for she will 'serials
unpitied and disgraced.
Mr. BUCHAN, of Kelloe, seconded the motion, though lie
could not go along to the lull extent of the views of the Rev.
mover as to the bearing which Scripture had upon the question.
They had heard of many schemes of late, but they had all been
" abandoned, and the fact was that they had now unlimited pa-
tronage, and so the Church was driven into a corner. The
question was, therefore substantially, whether they would
have unlimited patronage, or no patronage at all. 1.10-
doubtedly he would say no patronage. lie had from
Ins youth been attached to what was called the Conservative
party, but lie regretted he could not approve of the conduct of
that party, in regard to the Church at the present time. Never
were there any statesmen that had entered into power with a
greater opportunity of securing a nation's gratitude than had
the present Government: they had the power of healing the
divisions in the Church, but he deeply regretted, and it pained
him to say, that they had evinced no dispositian to that de-
sired consummation; but he could not forego the hope, that they
might yet view these matters in a different light. One of the
blessings of this country was a free press, but in this particular
instance, that freedom had led to much misrepresentation, by
disguising from those in the South the real state of foeling in
Scotland as to the present position of the Church.
The PROCURATOR said it was with great reluctance
that he had been prevailed on to undertake the task of
proposing the amendment on this occasion. He was
welt aware that it was the unpopular side of the question.
which was a thing that one did not naturally like, and he was
also reluctant in meeting the very able speaker who, he under-
stood, was to make the motion. But if Mr. Cunnii gham.
failed to convince even the gentleman who seconded Lis
motion of the soundness of his views, he could not be surprised
that he should not have convinced him. He was no out and
out admirer of patronage—he was not prepared to say that it
was the best mode that could be devised; on the contrary, he
had always thought that some method might be devised which.
would resider it safe to abolish patronage. He might
say that his view had one advantage, that was,
that he was defending that which existed ; and accores-
ingly it did appear to hint that his Reverend Friend
bad tailed to make out that argument by showing what he would
substitute for that which existed. He was now standing up it.
support of an existing institution—an institution which, except-
ing an interval of Prelacy, and also the interval from 16.1.9 to
1660, had existed 300 years ; and it also existed during that
interval of Prelacy, but of course not along with a Presbyterian
Church. Patronage, as stated last year by Dr. Cook, had its
origin in the party who built and endowed the Church, reserving
the right of presentation to himself. What was more natural
and proper than that the State, when it came to establish re-
ligion, should consider what sect it would adopt ? He was not
saying patronage was good in itself; but was it not natural that
the Stata should see that the system of religious doctrine should
remain which they intended to endow. He would assume that
patronage was very bad, although he' was perfectly satis-
fied that it was net the worst method in which a minister
could he appointed—still he had not imagined Instil to .day that
his Rev. Friend Mr. Cunningham and his party bad ever held
that popular election was a good thing. The lower classes,
giving them the credit fur belie, the best in any country, hail
riot the means of making the choice—they could not know the
man until they got him among them, and, in his opinion, to
give them the election, would be a worse mode than even the
existing mode of patronage. But if they simply brought forward
a motion for abolishing the Act of Queen Aurae, then it same
to popular electien. Accordingly the motion inertly rested on
a vague resolution, and the Mover did not show what was to
conic in the place of patronage. lie might allude to an
analogous case which would be well understood, via., what.
would be thought of any Reformer of the Radical party,
making in sonic such instance as they had done lately, a mo-
tion in the House of Commons that the present system of re-
presentation was the worst that could be imagined, and there-
fore that should be put an end to. Would be find a seconder
if he did not propose what was to follow ? Would any man.
except those as wild as himself, listen for a moment to a scheme
that would throw the country into anarchy and confusion by
sweeping away the existing Parliament without leaving any ins
, its place? This day he (Mr. C.) had told them six times over
that he had established his argument from Scripture. Now,
had they heard anything more than that quotation? The
question was, what his Rev. Friend intended to substitute,
He wished Mr. Cunningham would tell them what he
wanted—he held they were entitled to know what was wanted.
If even the Church and people of Scotland were so decided
for the abolition of patronage as had been represented by hie,
Rev. Friend and ethers, he could not help holding it a liaise
singular, that out of the 82 Presbyteries only twenty-five kiad
sent overtures to the Assembly on that question, and nut of
all the people of the Church there were not above 20,000 in-
dividual petitioners. He would move as an amendment—
" That the General Assembly having considered the overtures,
find that it is inexpedient in present -circumstances to adopt
the motion."

A great number of speakers followed, among others Dr,
Chalmers, who expressed his determine icn to vote against
patronage, but at the same time gave a strange proof of his con-
viction, that the people were the best judges of a clergyman's
qualifications. We can make no sense of his argument, but
possibly some of our readers may. In our opinion, his argu-
ment -was in favour of patronage , but they are infinitely tutor
mysterious than any of the most absurd speeches of Olivet
Cromwell. These are his words, they effectually show tht
spirit of :—lle had no they
in the entirein-
fallibility of the popular voice. The principle on whie:i he,
however, contended for the popular element in the matter was,
that by it the Church Courts, if the congregation were honest
:Ind sincere, were enabled to collect an amount of opinion
%%filch was the best and the surest guide for them in the choice
and election of a minister to a parish. %%lien he spoke of the
popular conscience, he spoke of the religious chareter of a.
people which was ascertained, not the promiscuous multitude who
may he congregated within a parish. He believed this systerv.
of household or resident election was as bad as high-hantej
patronage. A godless and secular democracy over-ridiriy, the
Church and the. Christian people, would be just as , tiateftd
as the supremacy of a godless and Reuter arii.tocracy.
To the Church Courts belonged the highest and most 'important
part of this matter. By the exercise of more strictness, and a
greater degree of watchfulness, they could so raise the qualifi-
cations of the students, that the dangers to be apprehended Irons
a perfectly uncontrolled popular election need no longer be
entertained. By placing the initiative in thq hands of the
Church Courts, they would act and react ,fin each other in the
most admirable manner, and the peor.;le might look with confi-
dence for a very superior class ea clergy under tkis rule. On
the other hand, the history of patronage, receiling as it is
undubitable confirmation by what is going on, gees to show
that it is not limited, and cannot be limited in its operation.
Like the Grand Turk, it will admit of no rival near its throne.
On all these grounds, and for the reasons stated, he had arrived
at the conclusion that the question can only be clearly and cone
sistently settled by the entire abolition of patronage.
Mr. Ito lIERTSON, of Ellon, would not have spoken on this
occasion, had it not been for the allusion made by Mr. Cun-
ningham in the opening address on this subject, to a concession
made by him last year upon the question now before the House.
He still adhered to the exact terms of that concession, and.
whenever lie saw. a modification of patronage embodied in any!
Act on the principle of that concession he would vote for it,
come from what quarter it might. He agreed with Mr.
Cunningham that the question mast be discussed and deeded
on the ground of principle. We have to do ath patronage as
it stands, and to deal with it as it exists under the system which
we see before us. Mr. Cunningham went on the sionsideration
that no parties except the two he mentioned ought to be con-
sidered in this matter, and assumed that the power which he
insisted belonged to these two parties could belong to no
other party whatever, although it might be distributed,
according to circumstances between these two. But Mr. CADY-
ningham had neglected to attend to another element in the
' consideration of it, which could not be ottittcd unless he went
to the legitimate conclusion which its omission implied, and
proved that the Christian Church could not be an Established
Church at all. Unless such were the effect of his positions, he
must admit another element into the question, the introduction,
of which, as he would endeavour to prove, did' not in any re..
speet deprive the Church Courts or the people of the rights,
which belong to them. The other clement, however, must vse
attended to. He supposed the case of a corporate body carat).
fished in the country, invested with the whole wealth of the
country ; the power of distributing that wealth exclusively
made to belong to it ; and that its acts were riot to be brought
under the review of the civil power. This he conceived only re-
quired to bp applied to the circumstances of the Church.
't'he difficulty in this case was found to be that the peo-
ple and also the Presbytery founded on an unlimited
right of controlling the law, and the litter insisted that th..y
were not required to put forward more than a conscientious
idea of duty as a reason for what they did. The aide of the
House to which he belonged considered the Church Courts, in.
this case, to be acting without defined control ; and they wishe&
on the principle laid down by Lord Bacon, that these Constr.
should be compelled to give a reason for their decisions.
opponents forgot the important fact, that it was the danger of
the Church to commit error as well as others. The fallibr,lity
of the Church was equally an element in this matter, cop a de-
served to be considered in its discussion. He did not ate ach his
faith in all things to the example of the primitive Churel,es. Ad -
herence might be proper to the primitive Church in dr essential
partsof their faith, but he did not know that this (',lurch with
its Presbyterian system, rules, and forms, was mod ailed exactly
after the model of the primitive Church. So. long, how-
ever as the Church in its primitive era remained a voluntary
Church, its spiritual concerns were not under ti,e power of the
Roman Government. But when it secured tire sanction of that
power, what was the consequence? Wouldlit be maintained
that while the Church was admitted to retai,., the property of the
State in virtue of the connection then formed, it ought to have
the power of disposing of that property 'without reference to the
law of the State? It had often beer said in the course of this
agitation, that the Church would, be put down by the State;
but he considered it equally clear that the Church may put
down the State. The experienee of past history justified this
idea as much as it did the other. The 'Church did put
down the State. It first became the rival, and afterwards the
superior power; and were he to draw an inference from the
existence of the Church in such circumstances, and in such
a position as regards the civil power, he would conclude that an
Established Church is not consistent with civil government,
Principal Dewar, Dr. Boyce, Dr. Cook, and some other
speakers of inferior note followed, when, on a division, the votes
were,—
For the abolition of patronage ......... 216
Against the motion ................... ...... 147
Majority ......... ........ —69
Mr. CUNNINGHAM then moved that a Committee should be
appointed to prepare an Address to the Queen, and petitions to
both Houses of Parliament for the abolition oepatrenage.
11.22_111.1,,,minne

The General Steam Navigation Company's British,
steam-ship Earl of Liverpool, Captain H. Lomax, landed her
passengers at London-bridge Wharf, from Ostend, yesterday,
at one o'clock. She passed the Bruges at Sea Reach, not-
ithstanding the latter started from Ostend an hour before.
VESSELS SPOKEN WlTlL—Cantab, Liverpool, to R.
Grande, sth tilt., lat. 1, lon. 20 ; Eleanor, from London, 14th
ult..; lat. 6, lon. 23, by the Vulcan, arrived off Hastings.
Bolivar, of Bristol, for Africa, 10th inst., lat. 39, lon. 12;
Ruse, bark, of Guernsey, 15th inst., lat. 39, lon. 13, by the
Janet, arrived at Falmouth. Margaretha, schooner, 7th ult.,
lat. 1 N., long 22 W. ; Maria, 13th ult., lat. 4, lon. 21, the
Columbine, arrived at Liverpool. Esperance, from Martiniquip,
Milt
I‘arsrcehil
?el: leaky, lat. 40, lon. 6, by the Phcenix, arrived at