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his arrival, and wished that I had brought two more with me, as they want teachers very much..

One group

Meanwhile, they had literally run off with my children. was running up from the beach towards the town with one of them; another group with another; and, to crown the whole, the little infant, whom they had not seen before, was taken out of the arms of the nurse, and lost in an instant amid a crowd of loquacious sable damsels. The woman who had the charge of the child, and whom we had brought from Scotland with us, now lost all command of herself, and, supposing that she had fallen into the hands of savages, was like to go distracted for fear the infant should receive any injury ; while another band of negroes crowded round her, and assured her of the child's safety, in a language which she could not comprehend. She was carried by the people to the house of one of my members, where she found every comfort ready for her and the children.

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An incident occurred which is here worthy of being noticed. A gentleman from Glasgow, who had come out to this island for his health, happened to be present on this occasion, and on his inquiring what was the meaning of the great crowd which he saw on the beach, he was told it was the negroes rejoicing at the return of a Missionary. He replied, that wherever he had been in Jamaica, he had heard that the negro was an ungrateful creature; but, after what he had now witnessed, he would never believe that again; and if ever he returned to Scotland he would let it be widely known what he had witnessed with his own eyes, of the gratitude of the negro towards the Missionary, whose long absence he deplores, but whose return again fills him with joy and gladness.

On the evening of the same day, I myself reached Lucea, having left Mrs Watson at Mr Waddell's, and rode all the way on horseback, a distance of upwards of 30 miles. I was afraid to expose Mrs Watson, in her weak state, to the first shock of a meeting with our Lucea friends, and, therefore, I proceeded forward alone. It was a beautiful moonlight. night when I entered the town, and I thought that, under cover of the night, I would get into the town without being recognised, and thus get safe to my lodgings and meet the people quietly next day, but never was a man more woefully disappointed. The very second house I passed, there were some people sitting outside the door, conversing in the Cool, clear moonlight, which they often do in this country, and by them I was recognized. The hue and cry was given, "Parson do come! parson do come; we minista! we minista! we see him out of we own eye," I was obliged to dismount, and was carried into the house. The report having spread through the town, the house was filled with people, and in every way which you can conceive, did the poor negroes compliment me on my safe arrival amongst them again, mingling with their compliments the most ridiculous expressions,-complaining of my long absence,-had doubts of my return, and blessed God that "Him bring me back." One person said," Ha, parson! you run away,-you go hide în de bush; but Massa Jesus send one maroon after you, and him carry you go come back a wee countrie! God bless you, mi Massa; me glad for see you once inore; Chi! you looks well for true; me see you at last; we habe you now; we no let you go back a England any more." As I was very fatigued, I asked them to allow me to go forward to where I intended resting for the night. The streets were crowded; my horse got frightened with their coming so close to him at all quarters; and, with great difficulty, noise, and confusion, I reached my lodgings, where I found all the children well, and every thing right with our newly arrived friends.

It is extremely gratifying to find my people in the state they are. The Church has been crowded to excess every day since my arrival. Their

anxiety to hear the Gospel is undiminished, and the regularity of their attendance greatly increased. On the whole, I see a very manifest_improvement rapidly going forward amongst the negro population. Such has been the increase of attendance at my Church every Sabbath, that we have been obliged to make a temporary addition to its length, by throwing out a projecting terrace of 30 feet, until such time as we are able to erect our galleries. These were commenced yesterday, and when finished will be of great importance to our Church. At a meeting of the congregation. at which several black men spoke, it was resolved, that all the seats should be rented at a rate not exceeding two dollars a-year, and not less than 3s. 4d. for the inferior ones. It was also resolved, that a collection for the enlargement of the Church, by erecting galleries, should be made once a-month, and that the congregation should erect a suitable monument over the grave of our deceased Missionary, Mr Leslie. Our first collection was made last Sabbath for the galleries, amounting to £13, aud this is to be done monthly, until the work is accomplished. The sum of £7 has also been collected for Mr Leslie's tomb-stone.

There are only three cases in which I will be obliged to exercise discipline, after all the time I have been away. I am at present engaged in examining every member of the Church personally in private, before dispensing the Lord's Supper. I have gone over about 60, and have nearly 100 to speak with yet. There are 30 new applicants for admission to the Church, 22 of whom, I think, will be admitted. Our Sabbath-school for male and female adults, is attended by about 200 every Sabbath, at 12 o'clock, the children, 90 in number, attend at 2 o'clock. I preach to a congregetion in the mountains every Friday evening. I have also been one Sabbath afternoon at Green Island, where the people are as interesting and as anxious for a minister as ever.

While the warm and affectionate reception which Mr. Watson and his family received from the negroes could not fail to be highly gratifying to him, it presents to the Christian public powerful encouragement to increaaed exertions in their behalf. In what country, whether Christian or heathen, would the messengers of Divine mercy meet with such a hearty reception? It almost reminds us of the reception of the Apostle Paul by the Galatians of old: "Ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus: I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them unto me." And shall the friends of religion in this country neglect to send to the poor negroes the messengers of Divine mercy, when they give them a reception which is scarcely paralleled in any other part of the world? Even the Galatians, affectionately attached as they were to the Apostle Paul, were, in no long time, "bewitched," and misled by false teachers; and if we shall at present neglect the negroes in our West India Colonies, and leave them to themselves, it is not improbable there may, at no dtstant period, arise among them "men speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them,"-"grievous wolves who shall enter in among them, not sparing the flock." Of this there are already some symptoms. As the most effectual means of checking the progress of error, and of preserving them from these evils, let us then send among them, and send without delay, able and faithful men, to give them sound Scriptural instruction,— to guide them in the paths of truth, of righteousness, and of peace.

Obituary.

DIED, on the 21st inst., Mr. William Shaw, of Ballyvallough, brother of the late Rev. Joseph Shaw, of Larne. For many years he was a ruling elder in the congregation of Ballycarry, and, with unwearying diligence and assiduity, endeavoured, by the grace of God, to discharge the important and solemn duties of his office. Ardently attached to the doctrines and discipline of the Synod of Ulster,-the Zion of his fathers, he took a

very active part in her contendings for the faith, in 1829; and very thankful was he to the Great Head of the Church, for having crowned the humble labours of himself and his brethren with such signal success. He took a deep interest in the progress of the Redeemer's kingdom, not only in the church where he worshipped, but throughout the world,—the friends of religion and morality might always reckon on his ready co-operation in every enterprize of Christian benevolence. He was a lover of good men, and was never more happy than when joining with them in spiritual conversation, prayer, and praise. His love to Jesus, in whose Divinity and Atonement he gloried, expanded his heart, and incited him to win souls to his Master. The rising generation engaged much of his labours, and most fervent prayers. He was an indefatigable Sabbathschool teacher; and in the district in which he lived, was the instrument of making many acquainted with the oracles of God. He sat as a member of the Synod of Ulster, at its last meeting in Belfast, and was only a few days returned to his family, when God, in his inscrutable providence, was pleased to call him away from his amiable and pious wife, and his young and interesting children, to a crown of glory, that fadeth not away. In such a dispensation, may we all hear the Lord saying, "Be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

LITERARY NOTICE.

Refutation of Dr. Henderson's Doctrine in his late work on Divine Inspiration with a Critical Discussion on 2 Tim, iii. 16. By the Rev. A. Carson, A. M.

Mr. CARSON has often rendered good service to the cause of truth, by his writings. . Of all his works, however, we most highly admire and most warmly recommend his publications on the subject of Inspiration. He has been the honoured instrument of setting the public opinion of the Church right on that fundamental question. Before his time, respectable writers, such as Dick and Pye Smith, were puzzling themselves and their readers with distinctions and explanations of the nature of inspiration. Mr. Carson has seized upon the plain testimony of Scripture itself, and, reiterating its position that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," he has proved, beyond the possibility of reply, that the inspiration asserted of one passage of Scripture is asserted of the whole, that however any part is inspired the whole is inspired; and that every part strictly the Word of God, as much as were the Ten Commandments engraven by his own finger on the stones that were given to Moses. We long ago read the strictures of Mr. Carson on this subject, and our mind was com pletely settled by his arguments. It is with no small satisfaction we observe, that his views are making rapid progress through the Theological chairs and the pulpits of Scotland. DrChalmers has avowed the same sentiments with Mr.Carson on this subject, and we were well pleased to find that popular and distinguished divine placing the name of Carson in conjunction with his fellow-labourer in the same work, Haldane, on the pages of one of his late volumes, as men in whose views of inspiration he acquiesced, and as the best expounders of this subject, in late times. But our pleasure has been diminished, by witnessing the falling away of so many leading men, among the English Independents, on this subject, and the tenacity with which they cling to their errors, after they have been so ably exposed, and satisfactorily refuted. It is grievous to find such a man as Dr. Henderson, a Teacher of Students, holding so fatal an error as that which he has espoused on this subject. We pray that his mind

may be opened by means of these pages of Carson. Error on this sub-, ject will not long stand alone. Already is that becoming manifest. Many of the English Independents are relaxing their views on the sound doctrines of Calvinism. They have been useful in their day, but we begin to fear that their deep interest in the politics of the world is injuring their religious character, and will turn them aside from the course which they have hitherto pursued. To see such a man as Dr. Pye Smith come forward as the public apologist and supporter of such a nuan as Joseph, Hume! To see piety patronising profanity! What may we expect from such things? We warn our brethren that they stand on a dangerous eminence, at this fearful juncture of affairs. And our prayers for them is, that they may be preserved from error, and made faithful witnesses for Jesus Christ. The following remarks, on the general treatment of the question of Inspiration, we cannot withhold from our readers :

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On all sub

"But our opponents treat the testimony of God, 2 Tim. iii, 16, just as the geologists treat it with respect to the creation; and on the authority of their own views of the phenomena, they take on them to force the compliance of the words of the Spirit. Some geologists may teach infidelity from the phenomena of the earth, while others, less bold, are contented to force a meaning on Scripture language that will accord with their doctrine. In like manner, from the facts and phenomena of Scripture, some may deduce the conclusion, that the Scriptures cannot be from God; while our opponents attempt to hold both their philosophy and the testimony of God, by forcing the latter into a meaning that will secure the former. We abhor this conduct equally in all. jects equally, let God be true, and let all men be liars. When the geologist brings forward his facts and his phenomena, I am quite undisturbed. I admit your phenomena, I observe, but I deny your interpretation of them. It is possible that you may err in assigning the cause of them; and that in some things you are wrong, I am assured by the Divine testimony. I trample on your philosophy, if you bring it to overrule the Word of God." So say I to these theorists on inspiration. I have God's testimony that all Scripture is inspired. This testimony must be understood according to the meaning of the phraseology, interpreted by the laws of language. To this, no facts or phenomena can be contradictory. You must, then, misunderstand their language."

"The generality of Scripture critics are so licentious in their improvements of the text and translations, that if their suggestions were attended to, hardly a single verse in the Bible would remain unaffected. To make alterations, seems in them to be a mere exercise of ingenuity. They seem to forget that it is the word of Jehovah that is in their hands. That their boldness may be under the less control, they have laboured to shew that the words of Scripture are not inspired, and some of them, that much of the matter itself is merely of man. It is lamentable to think, that even God's own people have in this learned the way of the Canaanites, and he that ought to tremble at the word of the Lord, is not less adventurous than the most determined heretics. They have learned to make Scripture by conjecture, and to invent theories to make void the word of God, as freely as if they were attempting to solve the phenomena When a passage, as it stands, is not in unison with their theory, there is nothing easier than to force it to compliance by the torture; or if the witness is intractable, to dismiss him as an impostor, and substitute one that is more complaisant to their system. If this spirit is not counteracted, it will destroy Christianity under the Neological pretence of solving difficulties."

of nature.

THE

ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN.

No. XCVI.

SEPTEMBER, 1837. VOL. VIII.

THE PRESBYTERIANS OF ULSTER IN THE TIME OF CROMWELL.

(From Dr. Reid's History of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.)

IN October following, an unpropitious change for the Presbyterians took place in the administration of the affairs of Ireland by the appointment of new Commissioners; Cromwell, though now employed in Scotland, being still continued in the office of lord lieutenant, and Henry Ireton, his son-in-law, being constituted his lord deputy. To these Commissioners another Independent teacher, Mr. Samuel Winter, minister at Cottingham in Yorkshire, was appointed chaplain; he was soon after made Provost of Trinity College, and resided there constantly, till ejected at the Restoration. He also officiated at St. Nicholas' Church in the city. One of the "Instructions" given them was, to afford all due encouragement, and to appoint a competent maintenance "by way of stipend out of the public revenue,"-not however for ministers, whom it was now the evidence of superior light to decry, but—" for all such persons of pious life and conversation as they shall find qualified with gifts for the preaching of the Gospel :" at the same time, they were directed to put in execution all orders of Parliament against not only Popish recusants, but against "all delinquent and scandalous ministers." In consequence of the proceedings of the Scots, by whom Charles II., after solemnly swearing the Covenant, had been crowned at Scone, on the 1st of January, 1651, the Presbyterians of Ulster were looked upon with increased jealousy, and their conduct vigilantly observed, lest the interest of their national sovereign should be revived by them in Ireland. The ministers were, in a particular manner, subjected to rigorous treatment. They were violently excluded from their pulpits, their subsistence was withdrawn, they were in continual danger of

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