sively, without a word of inquiry from any other party, some examination there must be. Now, being a tutor myself, I am more free than I might otherwise be to say, I cannot think that such a testimonial ought to be deemed satisfactory by the churches. They have a right to require more.

The question then is, "What more?" I answer the question by saying, that at least there should be a thorough examination by the committee in reference to all the points specified in the fifth head of consideration. I am not sure that I know the existing practice in our colleges, but I am disposed to think that the examination should be of a more formal and solemn character than perhaps usually prevailsthat the committee should go into a review, as far as their own knowledge and the record of their proceedings will enable them to do it, of the general spirit and conduct of the student about to leave; his habits of order, regularity, attention, &c.; his powers of application and acquisition; his ardour in the prosecution of his studies, and the amount of fruit he has reaped; his temper, prudence, knowledge of our ecclesiastical proceedings; power of governing men; his aptness to teach, voice, manner, &c. ;-that the committee, or others, should go into a general review of all these points, taking the opinion, of course, of the tutors, and, by requiring an unbiased judgment, constraining them to rise above those feelings of delicacy, which might possibly operate to draw forth a more favourable verdict, than the justice of the case demanded.

Such an examination as has been now suggested, though not requiring the personal appearance of the young brother, excepting in certain supposable cases, would prove, I think, of immense benefit. The prospect of being subjected to it, especially if conducted with blended Christian fidelity and tenderness, would prove a moral guard against many of the temptations to which our young brethren are exposed, of the most powerful kind. But it is not the only examination I am disposed to recommend. That of which I have as yet spoken, would be mainly adapted to enable the examining body to issue testimonials respecting the moral and religious character and attainments of our young brethren; those qualities of the mind and heart, which uniform experience has shown to be so essential to success in the ministry. In addition to this, I incline to think there should be another, designed to test their proficiency in those departments of literature and science through which their course of study has conducted them; and pre-eminently their biblical and theological attainments. The adoption of this, as a general measure, could not fail, I think, to be greatly beneficial. The prospect of having to undergo such an examination, and the thought, pressing upon the mind of our young brethren throughout the whole of their academic life, that the character with which they shall enter at length upon the

field of enterprise, must greatly depend on its result, would form a much-needed stimulus-I think, an effectual stimulus-to undying industry and mental effort; and thus habits, both moral and intellectual, would be gained and confirmed, far more precious to our students themselves, and to the churches which are to form the scenes of their labour, than any amount of knowledge, how great soever it may be, that has been gained during their period of study. I have said the prospect of such examination would prove an effectual stimulus. I will only add, that in a case in which it failed to do this, it would become tolerably manifest that the individual did not afford sufficient promise of usefulness in the church to justify the issuing of the customary testimonials.

But how should the examination be conducted? It might be conducted by the committee themselves; either by members of their own body, or by the tutors in presence of the committee; or, where this is practicable by another, and foreign body, at the appointment and request of the committee. The latter would, perhaps, be generally thought to be the fairest, the most impartial and satisfactory mode of proceeding; and yet it may be doubted whether tutors who are in the constant, perhaps daily, habit of examination, and who have acquired an expertness, not to be attained perhaps without considerable practice, in opening to public view the talents and attainments of the young brethren subjected to the examination, would not succeed better than comparative strangers. Somewhat would depend upon the form of the examination, whether viva voce, (to which I incline) or by written papers. The statements in this paper assume the examination to be the former, and are adjusted to that assumption; but every committee would adopt its own plan. Nothing more is intended to be urged than a bona fide examination.

An important question it is, Whether any, and if so, what, notice should be given to the students of the course which the examinators intend to take; the great subjects, or parts of the subjects, on which the examination will mainly turn. One thing is perfectly manifestthat it should be a fair examination; an examination adapted to ascertain and exhibit the amount of knowledge possessed, and of facility in the communication of it to others: which I hold it to be equally manifest it cannot be if it be conducted by questions previously prepared and given to the students, unless those questions be exceedingly numerous and multifarious, and a selection be made by the examinators ad libitum.

I incline to think our young brethren should be apprised, a short time before the examination, of the general course over which it is the intention of the examinators to pass. This would, perhaps, be a sufficiently rigid test of the proficiency of the students; and it would tend also to put upon an equality with others those, who, with equal stores

of information, perhaps even greater, have not an equal facility of producing them on the instant, especially if shrinking, and retiring, and appalled, as they must in some measure be, at the prospect of a trial on which they know such important consequences depend.

Taking these last points into account-the difference of constitutional temperament among students, and the superior facility of some in bringing out for instant use the stores of knowledge laid up in their minds-I incline to think that the testimonial, to which we have referred, should not directly emanate from the examining body when that body is other than the committee, but from the committee itself, who, receiving a report from the examiners, will frame the testimonial they give by the combined light of that report, and of the knowledge they have themselves acquired of the general character, habits, and attainments of their young brethren.

No. VII.

The Consideration of some Plans to assist Pastors, (and I would add, Churches,) in deciding whether to encourage the first proposals made for entering the Ministry by our younger Brethren; and to secure a more extended and effectual testing of their Qualifications, previous to their appearance before the Committees of the Colleges as Candidates for admission. By the Rev. Walter Scott.

I CAN truly say, I am sorry that the writing of a paper on this important topic has devolved on me, both because, whatever experience I have had in the introduction of young men to the pastoral office, I am sure that there are many of those whom I am now addressing who are better qualified than I am to do justice to the subject under consideration; and because I do not think that the evil, to which, by implication, it refers, has prevailed to so great an extent as some appear to imagine; neither, perhaps, do I entertain so sanguine a hope of success in the proposed attempt to remove it, as some of my brethren seem to do: consequently my views respecting the remedy may differ from theirs. It is only deference to their wishes and appointment, and a desire to assist, as far as I can, in promoting the important object of the present meeting, that have induced me to offer a few thoughts on the subject that has just been specified.

It is to the honour of Independents that they have ever been deeply sensible of the vast importance of genuine, and even superior piety in the ministers of the Gospel, and have made more vigorous and systematic efforts to secure this essential qualification, than, as far as I know, any other section of the professed followers of Jesus Christ have,

with the exception of the Methodists. It would not be correct to assert that they have held it in too high estimation, for this is scarcely possible but there have been not a few amongst them who have attached too little importance to some other things; who have disparaged natural talent, and learning, and mental cultivation, and study, and have expected the influence of the Divine Spirit in a way and to an extent which are not warranted by the representations of the word of God. They have, however, been right in requiring credible evidences of conversion, of the possession of the faculty of spiritual perception, and of real consecration to God, in those whom they have encouraged to undertake the Gospel ministry, as prime qualifications for that office. An unconverted ministry will be the bane of any religious society; and will certainly neutralise any other excellences or efficient instrumentalities that it may possess. If piety is in a low state in the ministry, it will never flourish in the church. We might just as well expect that the human frame will be in health, if the head is sick, or the heart faint; for the Gospel ministry is Divinely appointed for the nourishment and growth of the body of Christ. But those have acted most wisely, who have required, in addition to piety, as much of mental ability, and cultivation, and solid learning, as could be secured, in the ministers of the Gospel; for the more of these that eminent piety has at its command, the more extensive will be its salutary influence, and therefore the more efficient its operations. And however talent and learning may be abused, or found in a state of complete separation from moral excellence, we should be chargeable with slandering both it and them, were we to say that they are inimical to each other. There is rather a natural affinity betwixt them, however they may be divorced by sin, which is, as far as it prevails, the destroyer of order, and the perverter of union throughout the whole creation of God. Since religion is incontrovertibly a rational and a reasonable service, the greater the extent to which the powers of reason are possessed, the more natural, in one sense, religion must be; for as piety consists in the supreme love of infinite excellence, the greater the ability which any man possesses, in consequence of native talent and mental cultivation, to understand the works and the word of God, and the manifestations which he has given of his attributes,-with the greater intensity may the flame of rational devotion burn in his breast.

All, I apprehend, who have seriously considered the subject will acknowledge that, in many cases, it is far from being easy to form a correct judgment respecting the qualifications of candidates for the Christian ministry. The precious gold of piety and talent is presented in its native state, unwrought and unpolished, and mixed with more or less of dross, so that it is difficult to ascertain either its amount or its quality. A judgment must be formed, in some degree, of the fruit

from the blossom, and of the full crop from the blade just appearing above ground; no wonder, then, that anticipations are frequently not realised. The most solid piety and talent are not always the most showy confidence and liveliness of temperament may be mistaken for mental ability; and timidity and modesty, or untutored awkwardness and inaptitude, for dulness and incapacity; and yet the former may be connected with inferior, and the latter with superior mental powers. The one may be the gravity and quietude of the perched eagle, which can, whenever it pleases, soar to the skies; and the other, the pertness and activity of the sparrow, whose highest flight is to the house-top. Previous advantages of education, desirable as they are, may conceal native deficiency, and leave little room for future progress. Too much importance may be attached to some real, or supposed, natural disqualifications, as it regards voice, or manners, or bodily health. Demosthenes might have been rejected on account of his stammering, and Cicero because of his weakness of voice, or hurried pronunciation; and Doddridge, or Watts, because of the feebleness of his frame. Facts prove that some who have been at first repulsed, have been afterwards received, and have proved acceptable and useful; in some cases, eminently successful; and that others, who were highly promising, have disappointed the hopes which they had raised. Formidable obstacles may be surmounted, and great deficiencies supplied, by diligence and perseverance; and shining talents may be neutralised by negligence and sloth, so that it is difficult to prognosticate the future from the present. Sanguine and apparently well-founded hopes have been disappointed in some cases, and the expectations that were formed, far exceeded in others. Some of the most lamentable cases of failure have occurred in the case of those who, at the commencement of their course, seemed to be furnished with the most satisfactory credentials, as it regarded both piety and ability; their future course it was impossible for human sagacity to foresee, and, therefore, the occasional entrance of such into the ministry can never, I apprehend, be prevented. False professors, and, I suppose, false and inefficient ministers, found their way into the churches of Christ, and, doubtless, into the pastoral office, in the days of the apostles themselves; nor does it appear to be the will, or to enter into the plans of the great Head of the church, entirely to prevent such intrusions. In this respect, as well as in others, tares will be found amongst wheat till the harvest. I make these observations because there are some in the religious world who have passed, in my apprehension, uncharitable censures on ministers, and churches, and committees of colleges, as it regarded their care, or want of care, in their encouragement of candidates for the Gospel ministry; some who have expected more than human prudence could accomplish, and have condemned, when there is reason to hope our great Master will say, "They have