law, that it is uncompromisingly holy and unbending. Moreover, we read that not one jot or tittle shall pass from it, until all be fulfilled. How then can the violator of law claim heaven? He is an out-law by his own act and choice. When we have once sinned under the divine law, we must suffer the penalty for sin. Here comes in the wonderful plan of salvation, revealed in the Gospel. No creature could be our substitute, in this case, for every creature is bound to obey the law for himself. But God, the lawgiver, is revealed as existing in three Persons, and One of these, the Son of God, becomes man, and by a perfect human-divine life and an awful death upon the cross, becomes our substitute. God lays our sins upon his head, and we are allowed to accept of his obedience and death in place of our own. The law is thus magnified, and the sinner saved. And a new and supreme love to the Saviour is wrought in the soul by the Third Person of the Trinity, and the life of Christ, through the Spirit, pervades the soul of him who was a sinner, and now is a child of God and a brother of the Redeemer.

But those who refuse to come into this arrangement remain outlaws from the government of God for ever.

ARTICLE IV.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1859.

The sixty-fifth General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church met in the Central Church, Wilmington, Delaware, May 19th, 1859. The session was anticipated with general interest, in consequence of the impression that denominational questions of great importance would be discussed, especially those relating to Church Extension and Home Missions. Dr. THOMPSON, the retiring Moderator, opened the sessions with a sermon from 1 Tim. 3: 1: "This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." The sermon took the ground that ruling elders, as well as ministers, are bishops, in the scriptural sense. The work was defined to be the preaching of the Gospel; its end, the conversion of men. The bishop is to have oversight of the flock, and to feed them. This work is good, inasmuch as it is honorable, hard, pleasant, remunerative, and promoting the glory of God, in the salvation of men.

The Rev. ROBERT W. PATTERSON, D. D., of Chicago, was chosen Moderator, by a large majority.

PRESBYTERY OF KANSAS.

The action of the Church Extension Committee, in sending an exploring missionary to Kansas in October last, has already resulted in the formation of a new Presbytery there. This Presbytery was recognized by the Assembly, placed in connection with the Synod of Iowa, and 2 per cent. of the Church Erection fund specifically appropriated to it.

CHURCH ERECTION.

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The report of the Board was read by Dr. M'LANE, the Secretary. The whole number of churches aided is 119; the amount appropriated, $43, 118, about 42 cent. of the fund, which is about $108,000. These appropriations have secured about $300,000 worth of church property. $67,000 of the fund is still on hand, unappropriated.

An overture had come from the Presbytery of Iowa City, and a memorial from individuals, proposing that aid should be allowed before the organization of a church; and also an overture from the Presbytery of Des Moines, asking for an additional fund for church building in cities. The report of the Board was against both these plans. The report of the Standing Committee on Church Extension, to whom the report of the Board was referred, approved their course in general, and their replies to these applications.

A debate, somewhat desultory in its character, but involving the whole question of the wisdom of the Church Erection plan, was carried through portions of the sessions of the Assembly. As there is some doubt in different parts of the Church on this point, we give a slight sketch of it:

Prof. BAILEY, of Illinois, stated that the Fund hardly met their wants in the West, especially in large and important places. $500 was too small a sum. $1000 or $1500 would be greatly more useful, with a little more latitude as to the debts upon the church. Yet he was not prepared to say that he would make an alteration. He would like a discussion of the subject.

Mr. THOMSON, of Minnesota, came from the northwestern frontier, the Presbytery nearest the North pole, the little Benjamin of the Presbyterian Church. He would give them an example of what was wanted.

He knew a Church which erected a building, and contracted a debt 18 months ago, on which they are paying 3 per cent. a month. Now if some of this $67,000, invested at low interest in New York, could be invested in good securities, in Minnesota, on church property, it might yield more to the Fund, and help them at the same time.

Dr. KENDALL said that this idea had occurred to him. 12 per cent. could readily be obtained in the West on securities perfectly undoubted.

ELISHA TAYLOR, Esq., of Cleveland, made a warm hearted speech as to his interest in the fund, the difficulty of obtaining it, his deep gratitude to God when it was made up, and his fears lest it should be dissipated. We must not, he thought, be in too great haste to alter our arrangements. The trying time had not yet come. We had been disbursing the fund, but the disbursements had not been paid back.

Mr. LACEY, of California, complained particularly of the fact that his constituents had received no part of the fund, because their titles to their church property were not absolutely certain. He declared that those titles were as good as any in California, and he thought it hard that the Trustees of the Church Erection Fund demanded a degree of security that no other persons expected.

W. H. BROWN, Esq., of Chicago, spoke strongly in favor of abiding by the plan of the Trustees. He had been very familiar with operations in real estate at the West. It would not do to loan money there with the expectation of being able to lay hands on it immediately when wanted. Sound titles should be insisted upon. In new countries, business is not done very accurately. If the Trustees began the loosening of their rules, the fund would soon be scattered to the four winds.

Dr. M'LANE and Mr. GRIFFITH, of Brooklyn, who are members of the Board, explained the necessity of strictness. They would gladly help California, and all the West, if they could. The object of the fund was not to build handsome or expensive churches, but to meet the primary wants of new countries. $500, with what could be raised in any place, would shelter any church, would meet the first necessity. As the country expanded and the Church increased, friends are always raised up who will help to build finer churches.

Mr. JENKINS, of Philadelphia, Mr. BROWN, Mr. SPENCER and others, wished an additional fund to assist in building better churches in important places. No action, however, was taken on this subject, and the report was adopted, and the rules of the Board confirmed by a very large majority.

Messrs. RANKIN, JENKINS, of Ohio, and PRATT also took part in the debate.

THE SOUTHERN SYNODS.

The United Synod of the Presbyterian Church, formed of the brethren who seceded from our body, presented a request, at the Assembly last year, for a portion of the Church Erection Fund, which was referred to the Trustees. The Synod of Mississippi sent an official request to this Assembly, desiring to dissolve their connection with us. The former subject was referred to the Standing Committee on Church Extension, and the latter to the Committee on the Polity of the Church.

The former Committee reported that there was no power to alienate the Church Erection Fund, and if there were, that the United Synod had contributed nothing to it. It is unknown to us as a body. The contributions came from the individual Synods, and they only could properly make any request in regard to