self being the chief corner stone. It was the owning and inculcating of these principles that gave our church, in those days, all her power and glory. In proportion as she abided in them, did her cause prosper in the land. When she declined bearing testimony to their truth, her prosperity was impaired and interrupted. Indifference, formality, and error with its attendant evils, discord and disunion, prevailed. She is now anxiously and zealously retracing her steps. She claims the sympathies and prayers of every Orthodox Presbyterian, in her struggles to regain her ancient purity. May this humble periodical aid her therein; and be the means of assisting her to return to the avowal and propagation of those evangelical truths, which we have here shown her fathers maintained, and in which they gloried.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

ORDINATIONS.-On the 1st Sept. the Rev. John Stewart, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Letterkenny, was ordained to the pastoral charge of the newly-erected Congregation of Port-Stewart, by the Presbytery of Route. The Rev. Joseph Bellis, of Dervock, preached from Col. i. 28. The Rev. John M'Loughlin, of Drumachose, explained and defended the validity and scripturality of Presbyterian ordination. The Rev. Dr. Boyle, of Dunluce, offered up the ordination prayer, and then delivered a most eloquent and impressive charge to Minister and people. After the conclusion of the services, all the clergymen who attended dined with John Cromie, Esq. who kindly and hospitably entertained them in his house.

On Friday, the 25th September, at Mountmellick, Queen's County, the Rev. Thomas Clarke was ordained pastor of the lately formed Presbyterian Congrégation in that town, in connexion with the Presbyterian Synod of the Secession Church. This Congregation is the only Presbyterian establishment in Queen's County, and was formed by the exertions of the Synod's Home Mission. Previously to the ordination, a sermon was delivered by the Rev. D. Stuart, of Union Chapel, Dublin, from Ezek, xvii. 22, 24. The Rev. Joseph Lowry, of Lissara, succeeded, and gave an account of the scriptural constitution of a church, and stated, also, from the Scriptures, the nature and right of Presbyterian ordination; and having, in connexion with the brethren present, ordained Mr. Clarke by prayer and the laying on of hands, concluded with delivering the charge to the Minister and people. In the evening, the Rev. John Coulter, Gilnahirk, Moderator of the Synod, preached from 1 Cor. ix. 16. "Necessity is laid upon me, yea, wo is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel." The services were conducted in a large room over the Market-House, the usual place of worship not being sufficiently spacious to accommodate the Congregation, which was numerous and respectable.

On Tuesday, the 29th September, the Presbytery of Ballymena ordained the Rev. David Hamilton, as assistant and successor to the Rev. Henry Henry, of Connor. A vast assemblage of people, amounting to upwards of 4000 individuals, attended, and the services of the day were commenced in the Meeting-House of Connor, by the Rev. Robert Park, A. M., Moderator of the General Synod of Ulster, who preached a highly appropriate and impressive discourse from Titus iii. 8: "That they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works." As the house was crowded to excess, and hundreds of individuals standing around it, it became necessary to retire to the adjacent green, where a platform was erected, and the services were resumed by the Rev. Henry Cooke, who addressed a solemn prayer to the throne of grace for a divine blessing on the assembly. The Rev. Robert Stewart, of Broughshane, then delivered a most eloquent and convincing discourse in defence of Presbyterian ordination, and having questioned Mr. Hamilton on the principles of his religious faith, and answers, the most satisfactory, having been given by him, the Rev. H. Henry offered up the ordination prayer, and Mr. Hamilton was solemnly set apart to the sacred office, by "the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery." The Rev. R. Magill, of Antrim, then concluded the services of the day, by giving the usual charge to Minister and people.

SABBATH SCHOOLS.-Under this most interesting head, we purpose, occasionally, to lay before our readers such information as may be calcu lated to increase the diligence of teachers and scholars, strengthen the hands of patrons and managers, and awaken parents to a due sense of their privileges and responsibility. During the last month, John Newton Coffin, Esq., the Secretary for the English department of the Sunday School Society for Ireland, paid a friendly visit to the North, We cannot better state the salutary results of Mr. Coffin's visit than in his own language, with which we have been favoured in his letter to a friend in Belfast. He writes thus:

"I can truly say, that, in my visits to Lisburn, Belfast, Antrim, Randalstown, Ballymena, Broughshane, Coleraine, Newtonlimavady, Londonderry, Strabane, Newtownstewart, Omagh, Carrickfergus, Killileagh, Downpatrick, Briansford, and Newry, in many of which places I had the pleasure, either of examining the children as to their knowledge, or of addressing separate schools, or many unitedly, with their teachers and friends, I saw much that was very satisfactory, and fully established the point, that the Sunday School system was extending; that it was improving; that many proofs were given of its having been a blessing to children, parents, friends, and also especially to teachers; and that we are justified in expressing a firm conviction, that, with the blessing of God, on the increasing exertions of our friends, we expect far greater things to be accomplished, and that Ireland, notwithstanding various hindrances, will, by scriptural education, yet resemble a field which the Lord has blessed. I was gratified in perceiving the teachers anxious to do more than merely impart a knowledge of letters, and that many of them aimed to keep in view the high object of Sunday School instruction, and were labouring for souls as those who must give an account. I indulge the hope, that by the formation of unions and associations for prayer and mutual instruction, this feeling will become more general, and that the whole character of Sunday School proceedings will soon be, both in appearance and reality, decidedly Christian."

STATISTICS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THe United States. -The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States has under its care, 19 Synods; 92 Presbyteries; 1,393 ordained Ministers; and 205 Licentiates; making 1,598 preachers of the Gospel; 195 candidates for the sacred office; 2,070 churches or congregations, under the spiritual government of so many sessions; and 162,816 communicants.During the last year, 14,846 were added to our churches on examination and the profession of their faith; and 3,155 were added by certificate from foreign churches, or were translated from one Presbyterian church to another. The whole number of communicants thus added, amounts to 18,001; and the actual increase of communicants since last year, after deducing for deaths, removals, and suspensions, has been 16,508. The additions of 1829 have exceeded those of 1828, by 1,906; and the actual increase of the year ending April 1st, 1829, has exceeded that of the preceding year, by the number of 5,485 communicants. Our increase of ordained Ministers last year was 108; but as 20 Ministers deceased, and several removed to sister churches, we may consider the addition of Ministers as having been 130. Of our Ministers, 40 are Presidents or Professors in colleges or theological seminaries; 3 are Chaplains in the aavy of the United States; and 15 are engaged in missions to the heathen.. Our increase of Licentiates has been 11, and of Candidates there has been a decrease of 47. In our last statistical year, there were baptized within our churches, 3,982 adults, and 12,171 infants, making a total of 16,153. baptisms; which exceed those of 1828, by 1,974.

The funds reported by our Presbyteries, as having been collected during the last year for sundry charitable purposes, are the following, viz. :— For foreign and domestic missions, 31,180 dollars, 53 cents; for the sup port of several theological seminaries, 10,054 dollars, 52 cents; and for the education of poor and pious youth, 20,390 dollars, 54 cents. These two last sums may be said to be for educational purposes, and amount to 30,445 dollars, 60 cents. The total of collections is 73,068 dollars, 26 sents.-Minutes of Assembly.

THE PRESBYTERY OF ARMAGH.-The very extraordinary proceedings of the Arian members of this Presbytery have attracted of late so much public attention, and such contradictory reports have gone abroad relative to their separation from the Synod, that we deem it right to insert the following correct statement of the subject :-The Presbytery consists of 14 Congregations and 15 Ministers, of whom 6 are Arian. These 6Ministers signed a requisiton to the Moderator, the Rev. Mr. Jenkyns, of Keady, requiring him to call a meeting of the Presbytery at Banbridge, on the 18th September, "for the purpose of taking such steps as they present nature of affairs may render necessary.' Their object was carefully worded in these general and ambiguous terms, seemingly that the Orthodox members might be kept in the dark as to their real designs, and either neglect attending, or come unprepared for discussing the point which it appeared the Arians had in view in calling the meeting. It was also so contrived, that the requisition did not reach the Moderator till the Sabbath evening previous, (the 13th September,) so that no time was allowed between the receipt of his summons, which would be a day or two later in reaching the Ministers, and the day of meeting, (Friday the 18th,) for the members of Presbytery, not in the secret, to consult their congregations and sessions, and have elders sent forward, instructed, to declare the

mind of the people on the question of separating from the Synod. The result of the Meeting corresponded with these manoeuvres; only ten Ministers attended, among whom were the six Arian requisitionists, and their Elders in full force. Though the Rev. Mr. Bell, of Clare, in a manner which reflects the highest credit on his integrity and independence, together with his Elder, Mr. Harden, a tried friend to Orthodox Presbyterianism, opposed their unconstitutional proceedings at every step, it was found hopeless to contend against a majority determined, by the weight of numbers, to carry every point, and to set law, precedent, and justice at defiance. They accordingly passed resolutions declarative of their separating from the Synod, at the same time retaining the name and records of the Presbytery of Armagh. Against these resolutions, a very firm and temperate protest was drawn up by Mr. Bell and his Elder, which, we are sorry, want of space prevents us from inserting. Another requisition, however, from the Orthodox Members having been forwarded to the Moderator to call a meeting of Presbytery, for the express purpose of deciding on this specific question, "shall we or shall we not continue in connexion with the General Synod of Ulster ?" and sufficient time having been given to the several congregations to consider this question, and send forward their representatives, the Presbytery assembled again at Markethill, on the 13th October, not a single member, having charge of a congregation, being absent. The result was such as may always be anticipated, when a fair and ingenuous application is made to the good sense and religious feeling of the Presbyterian people. The six Arian Ministers and their Elders, who were the first to introduce this agitating controversy among their brethren on their churches, were the only persons who ultimately separated from the Synod. These were Messrs. Mitchell of Newry, Davis of Banbridge, Arnold of Narrow-water, Nelson of Kilmore, Lunn of Carlingford, and Nelson of Dromore, who now no longer belong to the Presbytery of Armagh, or the General Synod of Ulster. In reference to their congregations it is right to state, that in two of them, Newry and Banbridge, a separation has already taken place, and the Orthodox Presbyterians, formerly in communion with them, now constitute two numerous and most respectable congregations under the care of the Presbytery of Dromore; a third, Carlingford, is the mere shadow of a congregation; and in a fourth, Narrow-Water, the majority of seatholders have already declared their resolution of adhering to the Synod. While, however, only a minority of six have seceded, the majority, consisting of nine Ministers and eight congregations, have resolved to adhere to the Synod. These are Messrs. Adams and Bell of Clare, Maclaine of Newtownhamilton, Beattie of Dundalk, Henry of Armagh, Jenkyns of Keady, (the Moderator of Presbytery,) Orr of Anaghlone, Borland and Fisher of Markethill, and the congregation of Tandragee, which is at present vacant. The Presbytery of Armagh now, therefore consists of these Ministers and congregations. We trust this statement will put an end to the silly vapouring of the Arian Ministers and their coadjutors, about the Presbytery of Armagh having separated from the Synod, as a body, carrying with them the name, records, and privileges of that Presbytery. They have certainly carried away the records-the property of the church, of which they are only a very small minority. Whether this procedure be a legal one, time may possibly show. It must at once, however, be recognized as neither an equitable nor honourable one.

THE Scriptures warrant us to conclude, that peculiar times demand PECULIAR DUTIES. In Matt. iii. 2, 10, the near approach of the kingdom of heaven, and the speedy exe cution of God's righteous judgments, are assigned as reasons for instant repentance; and in Acts xvii. 30, the contrast between the days of ignorance and the days of light, is introduced for the purpose of showing that "God NOW Commandeth all men every where to repent." Again, in Heb. iii. 7-9, "The Holy Ghost saith, TO-DAY, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provoca. tion, in the day of temptation in the wilderness; when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years." In Rom. xiii. 11, the peculiar duties of the times are earnestly recommended to the attention of the slumbering churches. These are addressed as knowing the time; that now it is high time to awake out of sleep," and they are urged to awake by the morning call of their Commander,- "the night is far spent; the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darkness; and let us put on the armour of light."

In addressing ourselves to the Presbyterian churches, we do not require to prove that our times are peculiar. Yet, as this address may, perchance, fall into the hands of some who know little of our history or circumstances, a brief enumeration of some peculiarities of our times may not be unacceptable.

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