Star.
London, England, 1826-09-21 00:00:00

PARISH CHURCH OF NEILSTON, NEAR.

GLASGOW.

For a number of years a set ioos misunderstanding has
existed between the Rev. Mr. Fleming of Neilston, and
a m of the heritots of his parish. This disagree-
went has recently occasioned consequences that ate at
once novel and highly interesting, not only to the inha-
Fta-nts of that parish, but to the nation at huge, as they
intimately involve the character and privileges of the
Chu.o of Scotland. Complaints without number were
snide of the want of-Church accommodation for the ra-
pidly incte. sing population; but nothing was done tol
enlarie the accommodation. The pat ish contains about
7000 inhabitants ; there is room in the Church for only
816 individuals, eighteen inches to each. A number
of the news ate appropfiated to the heritors, and exclu-
sive of.them there are about 400 seats that are annually
let by public roup to the parishioners. As was to be
expected, the scarcity of seats always caused a keen
competition, which was at times attended with disagree
able altercations among the hearers. Pews were some-
times let, as high as 20s. for each individual they would
accommodate, and the average of the whole generally
ran about 10;. for every sitter. This burden was com
paratively little Irk in prosperous: times, when trade was
good and money abundant; but when dullness and dis-
tress pervaded the commercial world, and numbers of
the poor and pi .us workmen, thrown destitute of em-
ployment, owed their miserable existence to the bene-
volence of their wealthy neighbours, they found it im-
possible to raise the money requisite to pay for seats in
the Church. They held a meeting on the evening of
Saturday, May 6, to consider what was best to be done
in such a distressing riilemma. The rights of the hearers
to the seats they had taken expired on the 28th of May,
add at this meeting it was unanimously resolved, that,
" they would not. take seats for the ensuing year, and
that they would go to the Church as formerly and take
possession of any empty seats that were formerly rouped.
And farther, that they would subscribe a little money
to be kept by a treasurer, for :he purpose of defending
any person that might be prosecuted for going to the
empty seats in the Church, and if not required, to be
given to the fund for Church accommodation." Ano-
ther meeting was appointed to be held on the 13th.
It appears that the heritors had been aware of what
would be the result of this meeting, or had proceeded
with unusu ,c dispatch in taking legal measures to defeat
the above resolution ; for though the meeting did not
break up till after nine o'clock, early on Sunday morn-
ing an interdict from the Sheriff-Depute of Renfrew-
shire was posted on the church door, whereby " all
perso s were prohibited and discharged, who had not
authority from the private petitioners, from entering to
or taking possession of the private petitioners' seats in
the Church of Neilston—and farther prohibited all per-
sons who had not authority from the heritors of the
parish of Neilston, from entering or taking possession
of the seats of the said Church pertaining to said heri-
tors." The unexpected appearance of this imperative
legal instrument caused an indescribable sensation
through the parish. On tile Tuesday following Mr.
Fleming fell sick, and was confined to bed for seven
weeks. During his illness a petition was prepared and
signed by upwards of nine hundred petitioners, praying
that Di-s ne Service be performed in the Church-yard,
as on sacramental occasions, until said interdict either

be removed, or the Church made sufficiently large, so
that all classes may meet together to worship, without
controul or intimidation. This petition to the moderator
and session of the Church of Neilston was dated the
Stith of May, and, as already mentioned, had upwards
of nine hundred signatures attached. In compliance
with the wishes of so respectable a body of his parish-
ioners, Mr. Fleming has since performed Divine Ser-
vice in the open air. On entering the Church-yard, a
casual visitor is deeply impressed with the scene before
him : he sees the church doors open at the usual hOurs
of public worship, but on entering finds it empty.—
Tin ning an angle of the building, he observes the con-
gregation met among the graves of their forefathers,
paying the most implicit attention to the truths of the
sacred volume, and to all appearance utterly regardless
of the pelting of the " pitiless storm." The assembly
I•as naturally an unique appearance: some are seated
on forms, chairs, stools, and tombstones ; others leaning
against the wall that surrounds the premises, or sup-
ported by their umbrellas. The church-yard lies in a
fine valley. On the north the view is bounded by the
village of Neilston ; in the other directions at a short
distance are high hills, whose bleak summits are covered
with heather, and the whole most forcibly recals the
mind to a most important period in Scottish history. It
reminds the spectator of the martyrs, those dauntless
men who assembled in glens and sequestered places, to
worship Gnu according to the dictates of their con-
sciences. How long matters may rent tin in their pre-
sent disagreeable state in Neilston it is impossible to say.
On Sunday fortnight a heavy shower came on during
sermon, and Mr. Fleming having directed his hearers
how to arrange themselves so as best to shelter each
other, said that they must not be dismayed by the in-
clemency of the weather. They must "prepare their
minds not only for the approaching winter, but for a
dozen or a score of them, for never would he enter the
doors of the Church, not only till the interdict was re-
moved, but till the poor were permitted to hear the
glad tidings of salvation without money and without
putcha,e."

An American Paper has a long account of a Female
Preacher, who has drawn admiring audiences near
Little York, Ilaltimote. She is from Massachusetts, is
named Miller, and eighteen years of age. Her entri
is thus described She approached, with a firm step,
the stage which had been elected for her convenience.
After removing the bhnnet, which reft her head com-
pletely uncovered, except by a beautiful suit of black
Lair, modestly braided, she stood forth to her auditors.
Her countenance was serene, her mind to all appearance
perfectly tranquil, and her manner unusually attractive.
She commet.ced by reading horn the Bible. Sue read
the 11) mn, wb'ch followed, beautifully correct. The
last line of the fluid vet se—' Behold, behold the Lamb,'
was inimitable. Her prayer was admirable, the lan-
guage chaste and classical, seemed to come ft urn her
very soul, while her whole appearance induced the be-
lief that she felt herself in the presence of GOD, utterly
unconsckus of human observation. The sermon we
tl,re not descant upon, we are iticaphl,, not to say un-
v. of such an undertaking. Suffice is to say, from
the fi!st word uttered, even unto the last, stie had the
'tendon of her audience rivctted upon her.'
'fife Duke de CiintsEur., Minister to Louis XVI.
u,ed to say, speaking of the covetous dibposition of the citizens of
Genevaa—" If you see a Genevan throw himself out of a window,
you may threw yourself out after hint ; you wW be sure of gaining
Si least five per cent. by it."