, 1877-01-06
Glasgow letter.
From hc Letter.


general assemblies in Edinburgh, my
digrrssOn, which | trust was neither un-
necessary nor uninteresting, concerning
the recent history OF our Scottish
churches, and their present relations to
each other, occupied 50 muah space MS
ta prevent my intruding further on your
indulgence ut that time. | now fulfil
my promise of briefly skctchng the do.
ings and sayings OF the three sacred
meetings
And to begin. as is due, with the
State Church, the opening of whose as
srmbly constitutes the annual gala.day
of Edinburgh, corresponding to the
Lard Mayors day in London. This
church possesses, inter alio, this advan.
tcac over its sisters; that it has two
heads, the one in heaven, the inevitable
l.Oid Jesus, and the other on earth in
the person OF Her Britanic Mjrsly. A
pyiori, you might he inclined to doubt
whether such an Arrangement could be
smoothly worked, and he apI to quote
the proveib thnt, when two ride on
horseback, one must ride behind The
Church, believe, can satisfactorily rec.
oncie the paradox; but to an unprcju-
diced on locker it is quite plain that the
Lord Jesus has to take the flunkcy's
part. 1t is the representative of Her
Majesty, His Grace the Lord High Com
missioner, MS he is styled (who is always
noblcman holding the princi pies Of the
political parry for the time being in
power, whose acts alone render legal
the opening or closing ot the assembly.
This gentleman, who resides during the
sitting of the assembly in the palace OF
IIulyrood, holds there grand lcvee IN
the morning Of the opening, and then
goes in procession, accompanied by u
military escort, the magistrates OF the
WY IH 'h'l' i'''n' wv IlCiSIi cJ''' clC's
to old St. Giles Church, through streets
lined with soldiers AMI police, with
much laundering of cannon and Nutter.
Ing Of flags, to hear sermon preached
by the retiring moderator on the part of
the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Commits
sioncr on the part of Her Majesty, de-
clare the Right Reverend and Right
Honorable Court opened
The most interesting debate on the
U. p, Synod (as its assembly is called)
turned on the use of untrrmented wine
in the celebration OF the communion.
One or two stout tcetotalers in that
Church have been in the habit of passing
the cup or leaving the church after par.
taking OF the bread, for which conduct
they were communicated. On appeal,
their accommodation was confirmed,
although kirk sessions were recommend
ed to deal lenicntly with persons Of con-
Su'chtIOus sCTuplcs.
In two, at least, out of the three as.
semblies, reports were handed in on the
conversion OF the Jews These, like all
OF their kind tor the last eighteen hun.
dred years, were more hopeful in the
statement of their future prospects than
encouraging or the record of their past
successes One of our liberal papers
here has recently imported an editor
from London, and he Is scarcely yet nc.
oIimated he occasionally makes remarks,
continuance of the like of which will
nssuredy bring him few raps across
the knuckles. In commenting on the
above reports he complained of their
sameness year after year, and recon.
lnended the introduction of some novel.
ty. II the reverend fathers and brethren
JAILED to strike out anything of this
Kind, he would suggest to them the de.
STABILITY ofa scheme for constructing
railway to Jerusalem, with branches 20
Jericho and elsewhere, shares in which
might be taken up instead of the present
contributions to scheme which yielded
no returns
nnI. N,l.