The holy house is still beset

With leaguer of stern foes;

Wild thoughts within, bad men without,

All evil spirits round about,

Are banded in unblest device,

To spoil love's earthly Paradise."

And should not therefore all we who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and desire to promote His gracious design for the unity of His Church, be much more banded together, not only to defend the earthly, but to secure the possession of the heavenly Paradise?

THE NOVEMBER MEETINGS.

THE time is now rapidly approaching for the great annual meeting of the Church, for it is the only meeting at which the Church as a Church is convened for the transaction of business. We wish in no way to speak disrespectfully of our Spiritual Fathers, for many of them concur with us "ex animo" in opinions, on this matter. But there can be no doubt that the Synods of our Church, as at present constituted, are mere class affairs. Their decisions are entitled to our most unfeigned respect, and as being the Executive and Legislature of our Church, claim our most complete obedience. But still we, the Laity, have no parcel or concern in them; and, therefore, it is but natural that we should attach more than ordinary importance to this said annual gathering, in which we have at any rate something to say. Before going further, however, we think it only honest to remark, that in the matter of Finance our Spiritual Fathers have a good deal too much to say—that very unnecessary odium is most unintentionally thrown upon them in passing and considering grants before they come up to our annual meeting; and we trust that the day is not distant when by legislation they will be removed from this false position. From this let it not be at all inferred that because we, the Laity, are excluded from all voice, both in the Executive and Legislature, therefore, we should have the exclusive management of the Finance of the Church. One injustice does not justify another injustice. By all means let both Bishops and Clergy have a voice in the distribution even of our own money; but still we cannot conceal from ourselves that a great deal of their influence has been injured by being too much mixed up with financial affairs. However, we are advocating no change; upon the contrary,

we are deprecating all change at present, and the less we hear and talk of reforms, so-called, at present, the better.

There is no disguising that the November meeting will be a very anxious one. Upon its decisions will hang very much the success of the financial movement to which the Church is committed. We trust that the provinces will have sent in their money in time upon this occasion, so as to enable the Committee upon Claims and their advisers, the Committee upon Funds, to arrive at a right conclusion as to the various grants to be made. We trust that the past will be forgotten, and that there will be no recurrence to or discussion of the proceedings of last year. The only matter strictly before the Committee upon Claims and the General Committee is the distribution of grants for the current year; and to that we trust the meetings will strictly adhere. All else is irrelevant and wasting valuable time. We trust also, that a minority will bow to a majority, and that after the decisions are passed every one will use every exertion to support the majority in the deliverance they may come to. Too much praise cannot be awarded to the Com mittee upon Funds for the labour they have bestowed upon this matter. At a great sacrifice of time to themselves, they have taken upon them the invidious task of adjusting the grants previously to the meetings; and if it be said that they have no legal power to do so, it is clearly the duty of some small body to arrange the work beforehand, more especially, as any such adjustment is subject to two checks afterwards. We trust that unanimity so far as possible, good feeling, and brotherly love will characterise the proceedings. The work in hand is the work of God. Let all meet, conscious of the importance of the task assigned to them. The representation is complete. Every diocese is represented. The Laity and Clergy are there from every congregation in the Church; and surely a system of finance can be determined upon consistent with the requirements of the Church, and such as can command the confidence of the country.

The canvass throughout the Church will, we trust, have produced such results as will remove the reproach from off our Church, and no longer will it be said that the richest communion in Christendom pays the smallest income to its clergy. We trust, that our Communion has entered upon a new era-that coldness, apathy, neglect, and want of spirituality will be replaced by a godly energy combined with prudence and Christian love-that instead of the look of scorn pointed at us, and the taunt that we are the Communion who talk the most and do the least of all the religious communions in Scotland, we shall be "like a city set upon a hill," the recognised Church of Christ in Scotland, "fruitful in good works," and "always abounding in the work of the Lord."

THE charge of the Bishop Coadjutor of Edinburgh, though brief, was very suggestive; and we cannot but look upon things in Edinburgh as hopeful in the extreme. Recent articles which appeared in our columns have demonstrated that the liberality of Edinburgh has been principally bestowed upon the provinces-that it has given in fact nearly two-fifths of the whole income of the Church Society. This generosity cannot be too highly commended, but still charity begins at home; and we do trust there will be no farther difficulty in raising the £500 to enable the All Saints Mission to go on. A great reform is needed in the incomes of the clergy in Edinburgh. It has only to be pointed out we feel assured, to be rightly adjusted. What weighs down the resources of Edinburgh like most other towns is the practice of seat rents; and we do hope one of the reforms looming in the future under the auspices of the Bishop Coadjutor, is free and open churches, and the introduction of the offertory principle. We are by no means anxious that such an undertaking should be rashly entered upon. We, on the contrary, wish it should be conducted upon the principle of most gradual progression.

The Bishop's plan of starting a Mission Chapel is worthy of every consideration; and under one so well versed in the administration of an English parish cannot fail of success.

What has been the besetting evil of Edinburgh has been its congregationalism—the independence of and want of co-operation amongst churches. We trust that the day is not distant when this besetting sin of our Church will be eradicated. We shall then realise the importance of our mission as a Church, and fulfil some of the objects which the Church in Scotland is commissioned to accomplish. Then Foreign Missions will be no Utopian dream. We shall regain the affections and the respect of the people of Scotland. It is at best only a day deferred, and will arrive, when we prove ourselves worthy to undertake the task.

THE CHURCH IN IRELAND.

THE oriental origin of the Church in Ireland, the evangelisation of Ireland by the great St. Patrick, her long independence of the Roman See, when, with the exception of the Eastern Church, Christendom appeared hope

lessly trampled upon by that vast corporation, all impart to the Church of Ireland an interest to Scottish Churchmen to which no other Church can attach an equal claim. There is much also in her present position that suggests a common interest. Both Churches are small minorities, and they are exposed to the persecutions to which all minorities are necessarily doomed.

The late assaults to which the Church in Ireland has been exposed are worthy of the serious attention of Scottish Churchmen.

We are much indebted to the Rev. Alfred Lee for a pamphlet upon this subject which in fact nearly exhausts it, and he thus winds up his argument "From the foregoing, it will be seen that the Church in Ireland is the old Church of the country; that it is the same in doctrine discipline, and government as the Church founded by St. Patrick; that it is the rightful possessor of the titbes of Ireland; that it has been ecclesiastically one with the Church in England for nearly eight centuries; that the temporalities of the two branches of the Church must stand or fall together, for that an attack upon the one is virtually an attack upon the other; that the Church has not lost ground in that country since 1832, but has relatively increased; and that if it has absolutely lost in numbers, it has lost infinitely more of its revenues in proportion; and that, instead of being a source of weakness or discontent to the Irish people, as is stoutly .but most erroneously asserted by those who seek her destruction, the Established Church is in reality the strongest bond of union between the two countries, and, in the words of Edmund Burke, 'a great link between holding fast the connection of religion with the State, and preserving the connection between England and Ireland.'"

Anxious as we are to think well of Mr. Gladstone, we cannot but consider that his policy as regards the Irish Church is not either intelligible in itself, nor consistent with his position as a Churchman. The Irish Church, to our mind, cannot be sacrificed, unless we are prepared to sacrifice the Church in England. As a voluntary body, we profess no peculiar attachment to the Establishment principle, but so long as Churches are established, and cannot be upset without a revolution, and for no apparent object but that of gratifying the political spleen of sectaries, we feel bound to uphold them.

In spite of our proximity to Ireland, the intercourse between the Irish and Scottish Churches has not been so intimate as could have been desired; but our Irish friends may be assured that no persons look with greater interest than we do upon their movements.

The Connaught movement we hailed as the most striking proof of renewed life within the body, and any blow levelled at her we shall regard as levelled at one of the lealthiest branches of the Catholic Church.

7

THE BISHOP OF ST. ANDREWS AND HIS ASSAILANTS.

THE recent attacks upon the Bishop of St. Andrews in the columns of the Courant we cannot but deeply regret.

No one has entered upon such a controversy with less of the odium theologicum, or in more of a forbearing and Christian temper. We regret, therefore, that our Presbyterian friends should show such bitterness of feeling as has been developed in the columns of the Courant.

We trust, however, that no Churchmen will retaliate in the tone that has marked the correspondents of the Courant.

It is true that the Courant declares itself not responsible for the opinions of its correspondents, and we should be sorry to believe that it sympathises with sentiments of such avowed hostility towards our Church, conveyed in so scurrilous a tone; but still we cannot help thinking that the Courant makes a great mistake in inserting communications which contain not an atom of reasoning, but are mere invectives suited to the calibre of a Radical newspaper.

We believe such senseless attacks show the weakness of our opponents; but still, in a matter of such deep import, it is matter of great regret to all serious minds that so bitter a tone should pervade communications touching the very foundations of our Faith. All that we can say to those of our Church engaged in this controversy is, "Return good for

evil."

THE ENGLISH CONGRESS.

THE proceedings of the Church Congress in England cannot but be watched with the deepest interest. The Court of Appeal, the Education Question, the relations to Foreign Churches, the reconcilement of the Church to an age of enquiry and controversy, the increase of the Episcopate, were the leal ing topics which engaged discussion. The admirable paper of the Bishop of St. Andrews upon our relations to Foreign Churches will be read with peculiar interest.

We rejoice in the friendly sympathy shown to our Irish sister in her hour of trial and of difficulty.

The opening sermon of the Archbishop of York was truly worthy of his reputation.

All the discussions, whether upon Courts of Appeal, Education, Increase of the Episcopate, or other points, went to show how superior in many respects the position of our Scottish Church is to that of Churches under the control of the State. That there are many advantages attendant upon an Establishment we willingly grant: but still we hold that a voluntary body