assembled their troops, forced Perth, surprized Stirling, and, continuing their march, seized upon the Capital. Wherever the Protestant army came, every relic of the Romish superstition was destroyed; yet, in the midst of this frenzy against superstition, into which the people had been goaded by repeated acts of treachery, it is satisfactory to every Orthodox Presbyterian, to reflect, that "few of the Roman Catholics were exposed even to any personal insult; and not a single individual suffered death." Were pride permitted, we should reflect upon the record with pride; but pride was not made for man. But we are lawfully permitted to reflect upon it with gratitude to the over-ruling providence and restraining grace of God. From the days of the youthful and pious Hamilton, to those of the ardent and devoted Renwick, the Martyrs of Scotland form a long, a melancholy, yet a glorious catalogue. The blood of her sons has flowed freely on the solitary moor, and the crowded scaffold. Yet, in the day of her power and her. victory, she hath inflicted no vengeful retaliation; though zealous for the truth, she hath never persecuted her enemies; but still lifts to heaven a hand unstained with blood shed for conscience' sake.

The lords of the Congregation now determined to fix their residence in Edinburgh; and, at a meeting of the inhabitants, Knox was chosen their Minister, and immediately entered upon the duties of his office. But a variety of circumstances having weakened the Protestant army, the Queen, by a sudden march, advancing to Edinburgh, compelled the lords to submission. Knox was anxious to abide with his flock, but the lords, apprehensive of danger, would not permit him to remain within the power of the Regent. Having, therefore, accompanied the retiring lords, he travelled over the greater part of the kingdom, preaching the Gospel of salvation with such zeal and success, that multitudes were led to reject the Romish superstitions, and embrace the pure and simple doctrines of the Reformation. Enraged at his success, the Queen offered a reward to any that should apprehend him or put him to death. Relying also upon the troops she had received, or expected from France, she proceeded to fortify Leith, eject many of the inhabitants, and finally to seize upon the Church of St. Giles, and again set up the Romish worship. The lords expostulated in vain. Finding her obstinate, they proceeded to deprive her of the Regency. But, in

their attempts to recover Leith, were defeated by the French troops; and, after various disasters and disappointments, were forced to abandon Edinburgh and march for Stirling. The energy and eloquence of Knox, under the blessing of God, alone sustained their drooping spirits. His wisdom also directed them to seek aid from Elizabeth of England. Aware of their expectations from that quarter, the Queen determined to anticipate its reception by striking a decisive blow. She accordingly ordered her army to march to Stirling. During the march they obtained some advantages over the Protestants, upon which the impious woman exclaimed, "Where is now John Knox's God?" But "the triumphing of the wicked is short." An English fleet sailed into the Forth, and laid siege to Leith, both by sea and land. During the siege, the Queen died at Edin. burgh, and the French soon after capitulated. The Congregation assembled in St. Giles, on the 19th July, 1560, to return thanks to God. Knox was again reinstated in his office in Edinburgh, and the itinerating Ministers located in particular stations. A parliament was assembled in the August following, and by the suffrages of the nobility and representatives of the Burghs, Popery was abolished throughout the kingdom. The Ministers were also appointed to draw up a Confession of Faith. In forming this Confession, Knox had the principal share. It was ratified by parliament, with only three dissentient voices, the Earl of Athol, and Lords Somerville and Borthwick, who assigned, as their reason of dissent, "that they would believe as their fathers had believed."

Knox

After the dissolution of the parliament, the reformed Ministers proceeded to consult upon the constitution of the church. A commission was soon after issued by the council of state, authorizing Knox, and other four Ministers, to draw up a plan of ecclesiastical government. and his associates immediately commenced their works, and, after much labour and earnest prayer, produced the "First Book of Discipline," which, having been submitted to the General Assembly, was adopted, and continues till this day to constitute the ground work of Presbyterian Church government.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

190

INCREASE OF CONGREGATIONS UNDER THE CARE

OF THE GENERAL SYNOD OF ULSTER.

THE church of Christ is essentially a Missionary establishment, incorporated by the Lord Jesus, its head, under this charter: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matt. xxviii. 18–20.

One of the most obvious duties, therefore, of its members, is to disseminate the Gospel that has been committed to their care; to found new societies on the principles laid down by their Divine Head; and to labour unceasingly, in the use of the prescribed means, for the extension of His kingdom, both at home and abroad. In proportion as this duty is more or less zealously discharged by a church, may we easily determine its degrees of relationship to the "church of the living God." The society that refuses to adopt and act upon it, belongs not to the body of Christ. It may "have a name to live," but it is assuredly dead. It may retain the outward form and lineaments of the body of Christ, but the Spirit which guides and animates the frame, which is essential to its growth and usefulness, is fled; and nought but a cold, and lifeless, and decaying form remains. "He who has no desire," it has been well said, "to proclaim the Gospel abroad, has none to proclaim it at home, and has no belief in it himself; whatever professions he may make are hollow and hypocritical. Bodies of Christians who make no efforts to Christianize others, are Christians but in name; and the ages in which no attempts are made to send the glad tidings to the Heathen countries, are the dark ages of Christianity; however they may suppose themselves enlightened and guided by philosophy and moderation."-Hints on Missions, by James Douglas, Esq. of Cavers, p. 106.

Whenever" the glory of the Lord" shall arise upon such a torpid church, the very first indication of spiritual life she will manifest, will be in her endeavours to propagate the principles, and extend the reign of the Gospel of her Living Head, so far as her influence and ability

may permit. Missionary labours, whether on foreign or domestic fields of exertion, will become the delight of her members. The deplorable state of the Heathen, once perhaps unpitied and unknown, now awakens her sympathies, and draws forth fervent prayers and generous contributions, and zealous labours in their behalf; while the wretched ignorance, the formality, the lack of divine knowledge and of Gospel ordinances, under which multitudes of her own members live and die at home, and which may have been formerly unfelt or disregarded, become the subjects of deep lamentation, and their removal the objects of her liveliest solicitude. She now awakes from her slumber, and bestirs herself in the great work of supplying the spiritual wants of her people, by the more extended and zealous preaching of "Christ Jesus, and him crucified." As their indifference gives way before faithful application of divine truth to the heart, they associate themselves together, that they may more fully enjoy the ordinances of the Gospel, and live under the more immediate guidance of an affectionate pastor. New congregations are formed; new places of worship are erected and filled with attentive hearers and humble worshippers; and the church thus "lengthens her cords, and breaks forth on the right hand and on the left." These are some of the happy evidences of an awakened church. May they be more and more manifested in this our day; and be accompanied by the powerful corroboration of holier lives, meeker tempers, more spiritual views, and more devoted labours in the ministers and members of our church!

These reflections naturally occurred to us, when we sat down to compare the present with the former state of the Synod of Ulster, in reference to the increase of the congregations under its care. This increase has been extremely variable. At some periods in the history of our church it has been very rapid; at others it has been scarcely perceptible. But at every period we can discern a very obvious connection between the prevalence of the truth and the extension of the church. In proportion as the former was professed with sincerity, and maintained with firmness, the latter advanced with marked success. when the influence of error was predominant in our ecclesiastical councils, the erection of a new congregation, was a rare event; and when it did occur, it was, in too

But

many instances, the consequence of faction, and not the result of religious feeling.

At the restoration of Charles II. in the year 1661, when Prelacy was established in Ulster on the ruins of Presbytery, there were sixty Presbyterian congregations in the province, possessing ordained ministers, together with several others that were then vacant. Notwithstanding the severities of persecution, which the church endured, immediately subsequent to that event, but which afterwards gradually subsided, the number of her congregations had increased, at the Revolution, to nearly ninety. When tolerated and endowed by King William, these still continued rapidly to increase; so that, at the separation of the Antrim Presbytery, within a period scarcely exceeding thirty years, not less than sixty congregations had been added to her communion; being at the rate of one congregation erected every half-year. From this period, however, owing to various concurring causes, to which we cannot now allude, they have increased at a much slower rate; for during the next ninety years, the addi. tional congregations amounted to thirty-seven, being an increase of only one congregation in every FIVE half-years. Doctrinal error, with its invariable attendant, spiritual indifference, had contributed no little to paralize her energies, and reduce her to this state of barren and lifeless formality.

Since the commencement of the present century, how. ever, the truth has been making silent, but extensive progress through the body, and gained new adherents among both ministers and people. The effects of this revival were in due time manifested, especially in the increasing desire evinced by the people who were living either in insulated and remote districts, or on the outskirts of overgrown congregations, to be formed into new societies, and to take upon themselves the consequent burden of erecting meeting-houses, and supporting separate ministers. At first this good work advanced but slowly. It had to encounter the opposition of the lukewarm, the timid, or the interested. It was discountenanced even by several really pious ministers of the body; who, owing to the prejudices of their earlier days, imbibed, when the church was prostrate under the power of spiritual indifference, were led to view the erection of new congregations with jealousy and alarm. It soon, however, triumphed over every obstacle; and, during the last ten years, above forty congregations