16 GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT INVERNESS. only in the refusal of sites, but in the cause assigned for that refusal. I care not for the injustice that may be done to some individuals among us-I fear not for the injustice that may be done to myself-I care not how we may be branded as agitators, disturbers of social order-I care not for the violence of expression that has been used to designate alleged violence of expression on our part. I have been familiar with them all for years-I have had the honour of being maligned in high places before now and I care little, and my friends care just as little, for the imputations that have unjustly been cast on us; the great day of account will reveal the purity of motive and the purity of principle. I care not to be judged by man's judgment-to my own Master I stand or I fall. But I cannot express the deep sense I entertain of the wrong that has been done to my fellow-countrymen, to my fellow-Christians of Scotland, by having the refusal of what was so justly their claims imputed to me, and to those who have been called, like me, to bear the brunt of the battle, the heat and burden of the day. It is a sad thing for us to think that we stood between our beloved people of Scotland and the attainment of their just, their inalienable rights. It is a cruel thing to be branded as the sowers of sedition when we preached all over Scotland that Gospel which-(and none should know it better than our own Scottish proprietors)-is the only security for peace on earth-for loyalty to the Queen, as well as loyalty to Christ. But it was more cruel still that these oppressors of the people-these deniers of the people's rights-should turn round and say to us, that we are standing between the people and what they ask. Let them make a sacrifice of our characters, if that will serve their ends-let them make a hecatomb of our bodies, if that will satiate their malice-let them prostrate my name in the very dust; but, for the sake of honour, for the sake of high principle, for the sake of the Scottish name, let it not be said that the nobles, and princes, and great men of Scotland, were so affrighted by a few hard speeches, uttered by a few headstrong men-as if there was cause of danger to the commonwealththat they should turn to the people of Scot. land, who were not responsible for their hard words, and visit on them our sins and our condemnation. The Assembly adopted the following deliverance: "The Assembly heard an Interim Report of Committee on Refusal of Sites, which was given in verbally by Dr Buchanan, to the effect that petitions had been presented to both Houses of Parliament on his subject, agreeably to the resolu tion of the Assembly in May. Farther, that a deputation had proceeded to London in terms of the Assembly's appointment, and that they had met with much encouragement from public men, but had not been equally successful with the site refusing proprietors. The Assembly also heard reports of certain of the deputations appointed to visit the Highlands and Islands, in regard to the continued refusal of sites in the districts which they had visited The Assembly approved of the report, and commend the diligence of the Committee: enjoin Presbyteries to report to this Com. mittee without delay, all cases within their bounds where sites are still refused, with the particular circumstances connected with the refusal; as also to report all cases wherein sites have been offered in objectionable situations, or on insufficient tenure or objectionable conditions; whether the said sites have been accepted or refused, together with all the circumstances connected with such cases; instruct all congregations by whom sites are still required, or Presbyteries, in their names, to make respectful application to the proprietors, taking care that they show all reasonable willingness to accept sites where they shall be at once most convenient for the people, and least objectionable to other parties, and that they report their having done so to the Committee, who, if they are satisfied, shall second these applications in name of the Church, it being understood that said applications shall be for churches, manses, schools, and schoolmasters' houses: and farther instruct Presbyteries to report to the Committee the names of all proprietors who have granted sites within their bounds. And the Committee are hereby appointed to make a full report to the Commission in November." Dr CANDLISH called attention to those cases of the refusal of sites which will involve the Committee in considerable expeuse. The Committee, as originally ap pointed, was the Committee on Ross and Sutherland; but now the object is more general; it is a Committee for the relief of extreme cases of suffering for conscience' sake. He mentioned this that the Church might see the necessity of replenishing the funds of this Committee. They would be obliged to incur considerable expense in providing a suitable yacht for Mr Swanson, and in supplying several congregations with tents. He proposed that it be a special injunction to the Committee to take steps for providing accommodation, either by sea or by land, to those congregations who are suffering from refusal of sites; and again he commended the object to the attention of the friends of the Church. The Assembly instructed the Committee accordingly. RELATIONS TO OTHER CHURCHES. Deputations appeared from the Presbyterian Church in England, and from the London Lay Union, and addressed the Assembly. The Rev. PETER JONES, an Indian Chief, and Missionary to the North American Indians, also addressed the Assembly. APPLICATIONS FROM OTHER CHURCHES. The Rev. ARCH. HERON, of the Irish Presbyterian Church, was admitted as one competent to accept a call in the Free Church. Dr CANDLISH gave in the report of Committee on applications from other Churches, which recommended that the Rev. John Shoolbraid and the Rev. Wm. Eyval, of the United Secession Church, should be admitted as ministers of the Free Church. As the applications of these gentlemen were before the Assembly in May last, it was recommended that their period of probation for a year before they could accept a call should be held as beginning in May last. The Committee recommended that the Rev. James Boyd of the United Secession, and Mr James Young, also of the Secession, should be admitted to the Free Church.-The report was agreed to. The Assembly was closed with a very admirable address by the Moderator. PRINTED BY M'COSU, PARK, AND DEWARS, DUNDEE. ་ Free Church of Scotland. REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON SATURDAY, MAY 30, AND MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1816. REGARDING THE RELATIONS OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, AND THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES OF AMERICA. REVISED. EDINBURGH: JOHN JOHNSTONE, 15 PRINCES STREET, M.DCCC.XLVI. only i assign injusti among be dor be bra ordersion th violenc been fa had th places friends that ha day of a and the judged ter I st the dee has bee my fell the reft impute called, tle, the sad thit tween the atta rights. the sow over Sc should l propriet on eart as loyal still tha deniers round a tween t them m that wi hecatom their ma the very for the i was cau land, wh words, i The A liveranc "The 4 Committ verbally! tions had liament c tion of th putation Assembly with muc had not fusing pr reports of visit the 1 continued they had report, an mittee: et mittee wit where site EDINBURGH: BALLANTYNE AND HUGHES, PAUL'S WORK, CANONGATE, AND 3 THISTLE STREET, PRELIMINARY. THE following brief summary of the proceedings of the Free Church of Scotland, in reference to slavery in America; and its bearing upon the relations which ought to subsist between the churches there and the church at home, will put the reader in possession of the whole case, as it stood prior to the discussion in the General Assembly 1846. We shall do little more than give the official documents in their order, I. The first notice of the subject, in the proceedings of the General Assembly, is in the following terms : At Edinburgh, 24th May 1844. The General Assembly having called for the overtures on slavery from the synods of Lothian and Tweeddale, and Glasgow and Ayr, said overtures were read. Overture on Slavery in the United States of America. "It is humbly overtured by the Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, to the venerable the General Assembly, That they take into their serious consideration the propriety of addressing, in a friendly and brotherly spirit, the Presbyterian and other churches in the United States of America, on the subject of the continuance of slavery in that country, and the countenance alleged to be given to it by professing Christians and religious communities." Overture from Synod of Glasgow and Ayr. At Glasgow, 1st May 1844. "That the Assembly would take into serious consideration the duty of this church, transmitting to the Presbyterian churches of America an earnest remonstrance in refe-rence to the sin of slavery, so generally practised in the southern states of that republic." The Assembly appoint a committee to take the subject of these overtures into consideration, and to report to the Commission, who are hereby empowered to do in the matter as they may see cause. It will be observed that this step was taken immediately after the visit paid to the churches in the United States of America, by Dr Cunningham and others, as a deputation from the Free Church of Scotland. The object of the deputation was partly to obtain information respecting the educational, missionary, and other schemes of the American churches; but, chiefly, to explain to brethren there, the causes of the recent disruption of 1843, and to awaken their sympathies on behalf of the ministers and people, who suffered together, on that occasion, for conscience sake. The deputies to America had much friendly intercourse with Christians of all denominations, and particularly with the only assign injust amon be doi be brai ordersion tl violen been f had th places friends that hi day of and th judged ter I s the deci has be my fell the ref impute called, tle, the sad thi tween the atta rights. the sov over Sc should proprie on eart as loya still tha deniers round a tween i them I that wi hecatom their ma the ver for the the Scot nobles, land, we uttered was cau that the land, wh words, condem The A liveranc 4 Presbyterian churches. They had no scruple in this, although they were aware that these churches did not act upon the rule of excluding slaveholders from communion; and, upon this principle, when they went to the southern states, they did not hesitate to cultivate the acquaintance of ministers and congregations of the Presbyterian churches there, notwithstanding the admitted fact that slaveholders might be members. Both before the visit of the deputies, and through their means, considerable sums were sent to this country by congregations and private Christians in America, including the southern as well as the northern states. Thus this church was brought into connexion with the churches of America, whose sympathy and liberality she experienced. In these circumstances, it was instantly felt that she had a duty to discharge towards them, in reference to their manner of dealing with slavery. It was known that these American churches did not act upon the principle of excluding all slaveholders, as such, from Christian communion; and the Free Church was not prepared to say that they ought immediately to do so, or to renounce their friendship because they did not. But some thing seemed necessary in the way of remonstrance or brotherly counsel, and hence the overtures from the two synods, and the appointment of a committee to consider them. II. Accordingly, on the 11th September 1844, the committee thus named by the Assembly, gave in the following report, which speaks for itself: The committee, though not yet prepared to submit a full report, or to offer a final and decisive judgment on all the various matters more or less directly involved in the remit made to them, deem it right, in present circumstances, to lay before the Commission their unanimous opinion in regard to the general subject of the overtures remitted to them, and its bearing on the relations presently subsisting between this church and the evangelical churches of America. 1. As to the subject of these overtures, the institution of slavery itself, and the continuance or toleration of it in the bosom of a professedly Christian community, the committce are assured that but one feeling prevails among all the members of this church. In its own nature, slavery in all its forms is to be regarded as a system of oppression which cannot be defended. Natural reason, sound policy, a sense of justice between man and man, as well as the whole tenor and spirit of the Divine Word, and especially of the dispensation of the gospel, concur in condemning it; and it is the glory of Christianity, that hitherto, in proportion to its advancing and prevailing influence, slavery has been mitigated, relaxed, discontinued, and finally extirpated and abolished. It is therefore with the deepest pain that every rightly constituted Christian mind must contemplate the continued and tolerated existence of slavery in the United States of America; and, apart from the feelings which cannot but be called forth by the mere fact of this practice of slavery being allowed, in a country making her just boast of the maintenance of equal liberties and equal rights, there are aggravations apparently in the American usage, particularly in the provisions made for the keeping up of the supply of slaves, in the obstacks interposed to their moral and religious education, and in the laws applicable to the protection of the rights of masters, which must characterise American slavery as one of the most deplorable forms of that evil, peculiarly calling for the exertions of a sound Christian philanthropy in regard to it. 2. While these are the sentiments which, as the committee are assured, universally prevail in this church, in reference to the institution in question, it is right that it should be borne in mind, that the responsibility of it cannot be regarded as lying exclusively at the door of the American States, but must to a large extent be shared by our own country. The recollection of our own colonial slavery, with its African slave-trade, is too recent; and the facts which connected American slavery, in some of its worst features, with British customs and laws, in use before these States became independent, are too palpable |