Farther a permanent plan for raising funds should contemplate the interest of the contributors themselves. Disinterested benevolence has no existence in God's creation, except in the metaphysics of some philosophical divines, and therefore all expectations of help from its exertions must be disappointed. This has not perhaps been sufficiently attended to. The interest of contributors has been too remotely connected with the object which they were called on to support. Their obligation to support the ordinances of the gospel among themselves, has therefore stood in the way of their doing any thing to send them abroad. Let then the interest of the contributors be a distinct and visible part of your plan, if you wish to succeed.

Let every congregation, settled and vacant, which pays into your fund, and only they, be entitled to receive assistance out of it, when they become unable of themselves to support gospel ordinances.— In order to create a fund for this purpose, it would be necessary that congregations should contribute for a certain time, or the sum required in that time, before they could be entitled to receive any thing out. I shall say three years, more or less. Each congregation willing to contribute, ought to fix a certain sum which they will pay annually, according to the number of communicants. For example--50 cents per communicant, more or less, as themselves may find expedient. Farther-I would say, if a congregation, after becoming a contributor, should fall in arrears to a certain amount, say the amount of three years, it should forfeit its title to the fund, until renewed as at first. Let the proportion of assistance to be given be regulated by the number of congregations depending on the fund at the time, and the rate at which they have respectively paid in. Let the congregation needing help, apply through the medium of its own Presbytery; who shall make a special inquiry into its circumstances; and if they appear to Presbytery to justify the application, it shall present their claim to Synod. These, and similar points, would have to be determined by judicial enactment, and due pains taken to make the plan understood before putting it into operation.

I shall only add, in the way of planning, that public begging requires a particular talent, which all men and women do not possess. Special care should be taken to appoint such only as have a talent for this business. If a congregation, or session, appoint a person to it who is naturally of a modest and reserved turn, and who would perhaps give a dollar out of his own pocket, rather than hear his own voice asking a cent from his neighbour; they ought neither to be surprised nor offended, if he puts off to

the last, setting out on this business; and if he be very unsuccessful when he does.

I am not so vain as to expect, sir, that this method will be much more successful than others tried already, or that its intrinsic merits entitle it to much attention; but if it shall draw the attention of some able correspondent to the subject, and something more worthy of adoption shall be produced, my labour will not be lost. This much may however be said, that the plan now proposed does not appear of itself to be impracticable. It is in the power of the smallest society to give something. The assistance which the weak would receive in this way would come from the strong. And is not this expressly their duty? "He that hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in that man." And surely, when it is not one, but many, standing in need, not of provision for the body, but the soul—not for time, but eternity-the case is much stronger. The assistance which the needy would in this way receive, would in some degree be the fruit of their own industry in contributing to the fund: if they sowed sparingly, they would reap sparingly; but if they sowed bountifully, they would reap bountifully. Would not this, therefore, be an honourable way? Weak congregations, by paying into such a fund, would be laying up much more for the time of need, than their contributions would amount to. Would it not, therefore, be an economical way. To show what might be done—

Were each communicant in the Associate church, as per statististical table, which must be far below the real number, to contribute one cent a week it would amount in three years (the term supposed ere they would be entitled to receive any thing,) to the sum of $13,932, the interest of which at six per cent, $835 92 added to the annual subscription, would be $5479 92. Suppose that $200 would enable each congregation entitled to this fund, to pay for constant sermon, this one cent a week would secure (so far as money can,) constant sermon to 27 congregations! Who can tell the amount of good to the many thousands of old and young!!

Were such a plan in operation we might reasonably suppose that it would be a metive to some to hold by their profession, to others to endeavour to organise themselves into a regular society, and to societies already organised it would be an encouragement to exert themselves to obtain a settlement. It might facilitate the division of large congregations where that measure might be deemed necessary and expedient. It might be some encouragement to young men to come forward to the ministry, as it would

multiply opportunities of serving the gospel cause, and also the means of support. While they ought not to enter the ministry for filthy lucre's sake but of a ready mind, neither are they to expect miracles to support them. It might also enable some already in the ministry to devote their time and talents exclusively to the duties of their office, who are, in present circumstances, obliged to attend to other pursuits.

It is surely much to be regretted that when opportunities of extending the influences of a scriptural profession are multiplying beyond any precedent in the history of the Associate church, that the Synod should be without both the men and the money necessary to embrace them. The Associate Presbytery of Cambridge at its recent meeting in September, had petitions from four new places, for a supply of sermon. Perhaps there is not an individual in communion with our church, who would not acknowledge it to be his or her duty to bring the situations of these four places before the throne of grace, and without hesitation essay the duty itself; and does not this infer an obligation equally strong to keep every cent we can spare over necessary purposes, in order to send them the blessing we pray for. I shall in conclusion only ask you, sir, to consider in what light Jehovah can view those persons who every day perhaps pray to him to bless a testimony for truth; to spread the gospel to the utmost ends of the earth; to send ministers to break the bread of life in destitute places, &c. and who are every day contriving how they may gratify their own taste, and aggrandise their own families, but who cannot contrive in a whole year to contribute a dollar to aid in spreading the gospel? Can he put them among the children? No; but with that hateful group of ice-hearted pretenders, who can say over human misery, "be warm, be ye clothed," but move not a finger to relieve them. How do these persons mean that God should answer their petitions? By creating money to the poor people, or an order of preachers who can live upon wind? Or in the same manner that he answers petitions for a plentiful crop? Which? Let conscience speak. "Any way he pleases, provided he do not trouble me." Over this we can only weep and pray with the prophet, "Nothing will come upon the land of my people but briars and thorns; until the Spirit be poured out from on high." May the Great Head of the church hasten this blessed effusion; then will the desart become a fruitful field and the fruitful field be counted for a forest; and not before, for it is: "Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord.” Sir, your obedient servant,

EGO.

Selections.

UNSCRIPTURAL FORBEARANCE, AND THE NOCREED SYSTEM ILLUSTRATED;

Extracted from "TRANSATLANTIC RECOLLECTIONS," published in the Christian Advocate.

Properly speaking, there are four denominations of Presbyterians in Ireland-the Synod of Ulster; the Southern Association; the Associate* Synod of Ireland; and the Covenanted or Reformed Presbyterians, who trace their original to the Waldenses.

Concerning the Southern Association we know very little, with this exception, that it is generally supposed in the north to be Arian; but whether it deserves this appellation as a body, or has got it in consequence of distinguished individuals belonging to it, who hold these sentiments, we will not take it upon us to say; though, for our part, we do conscientiously think, and unhesitatingly say, that any body which permits its members, or any of them, to proclaim and vindicate a doctrine contrary to its standards, does in this world deserve the stigma attached to those who avow such doctrine, and certainly will not be held guiltless before God. We would say with the poet

"He who allows oppression, shares the crime."

On this subject we are not left to conjecture, or to grope our way through darkness; for the Great Head of the church has commanded us, saying, "Come out from amongst them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing."I confess freely, that I am one of those who would think that I was polluting the mantle of charity, by covering with it the clean and the unclean. And perhaps this is one of the most effectual ways, in which the great adversary can injure the church of the living God. A brother sees something wrong in our standards of doctrine-he is too zealous and conscientious not to declare it wrong; but, yet he is a brother, and better that the ark of the covenant should get a little wrong touch, than that a good brother, who sets at nought his fathers and his brethren without hesitation, should be dealt with fully and fairly and fearlessly! Out upon such tender-heartedness say I; "let God be true and every

*We take the liberty to correct a small mistake of the author of the "Recollections," by striking out the word "Reformed," there being no religious body in Ireland known by the name of the "Associate Reformed Synod."The denomination intended is a branch of the Scottish Secession Church, which in Ireland as well as in Scotland was divided into the Burgher and Anti-burgher Societies. About nine years ago a Union was formed between these two bodies; and they are now known by the designation of "The United Associate Synod of Ireland."-ED. REL. MON.

man a liar;” let right continue to be right, no matter who says it is wrong. If we are not assured that our doctrines and standards are according to the word of God, why let us be very cautious in awarding censure to those who gainsay them, until by diligent and prayerful research we find out what is truth; but, on the contrary, if we have confidence in them, let us act so as to keep them pure, uncontaminated, and unadulterated. Against the practice so generally prevailing of permitting those to remain within the pale of our church who are opposed to our standards of doctrine and discipline, too strong a protest cannot be entered. I am the more particular on this subject, because I have seen and witnessed the effects of such dereliction. And I will now show you how far this unhallowed lenity, this kindness to a brother at the expense of being unfaithful to Christ, carried a respectable section of the church. I am sorry that I can say so little concerning the Presbyterians known by the name of the Southern Association, especially as connected with their reputed Arianism. This much I do know, that they and the "Presbytery of Antrim," a body of avowed Arians, are upon the best terms; and indeed the General Synod of Ulster recognise them so far, at least, as to admit them freely into their pulpits.

cr

A number of years have now elapsed, and their transactions are long ago recorded in heaven, since certain members of the General Synod of Ulster, in the north of Ireland, complained that their consciences were grieved and burdened, by reason of being obliged to adopt "a Confession of Faith." They spoke fluently and pathetically, and they spoke with effect, on the hardship of being necessitated to adopt a human and therefore a fallible Confession of Faith, when they had the Holy Scriptures, in all their fulness and purity, to which they were willing at any time to subscribe. Neither, they observed, did those unerring records of heaven require or impose such a duty upon them; and surely it was hard that brethren should impose a task upon their consciences which was not required by the law of God, and which to them was difficult to bear. They did not wish to be understood as insinuating any disrespect to the Synod's Confession of Faith, or that it contained a single doctrine which was not to be found in the Bible; but the Bible was the religion of Protestants, and by the Bible alone they wished to be bound. To say the least, the Confession of Faith was useless, and in some cases it might be injurious. If it contained nothing but what the Bible contained, where was its use? And if it contained less or more, its tendency was damnable, the Scriptures being the judge. And who! oh who dare say, that man, partial, ignorant, fallible