warning the people against the evils of intemperance was prepared for distribution at the same time. Again, in 1847, a still more decided course was taken. Immediately before the meeting of Assembly a conference was held of those ministers and elders who were specially interested in the cause, and it was resolved to ask the Assembly to appoint a standing committee charged with the duty of dealing with the subject. The language of the report becomes more emphatic. Intemperance stands in the way of every attempt to reclaim the irreligious. In many cases it is not unlike the demoniacal possessions common during our Lord's public ministry. Something must be done to cast out the demon of drunkenness. The Free Church is spoken of as standing between the living and the dead; "God seems in a very pointed and impressive manner to be saying to this Assembly: 'Cast ye up; cast ye up; prepare the way; take the stumbling-block out of the way of my people!"" To give effect to these views, the Committee was strengthened, and from time to time various suggestions were offered. Temperance societies and abstinence societies had for many years been at work, and in all their best efforts we ought to bid them God speed. For the Church, however, in her Assemblies and other courts, it was necessary carefully to consider what was incumbent. Dr. Cunningham, speaking as one who had long supported the temperance cause, laid down the principle that the Church, in her character as a Church, should abstain from broaching schemes or plans except in so far as they had the express sanction of God's word.* It was the duty of the Church to give more attention to the subject than she had yet done, in order that she might see her way calmly, deliberately, and conscientiously, to the adoption of the principles and plans of action best fitted for dealing with the evils of prevailing intemperance. Year after year the subject was brought forward, and different lines of action were suggested. The Committee of the Assembly was enlarged in order to have in every Synod a sectional committee instructed to counteract * Blue Book, 1847, p. 245. the evils of drunkenness, each in its own district seeking at the same time to enlist the sympathies of the general public in the cause of temperance. The House of Commons was approached with a view to having a better licensing system introduced, The ministers of the Church were enjoined to give prominence, in their pulpit ministrations, to the Scriptural denunciations of the sin of drunkenness. Kirk-sessions were called upon to exercise greater faithfulness in dealing with such offences, guarding the purity of the Church and her members from such vicious indulgence. Ministers, and office-bearers, and people were solemnly admonished to give the testimony of their personal example in favour of temperance, leading lives of strict sobriety, and bringing all their influence to bear for the suppression of the enormous evils of intemperance. Thus the Free Church, in the commencement of her work, sought to deal with this gigantic evil, which every one felt was the great obstacle in the way of all movements for the moral and religious welfare of the community. It was impossible to contemplate without the deepest pain that widespread ruin which intemperance was causing among large masses of a degraded population-its fatal influence in paralysing and making of no effect the efforts of the Church and the ministry of the Gospel. The great duty lying on all Christians to combat these evils has been steadily kept in view, and never has it been more deeply felt than it is at the present day. As time passes on, men are becoming more alive to the great urgency of the demand that the whole Church should combine in one united movement, striving, by their efforts and their prayers, to suppress the widespread evils of intemperance. LVIII. SABBATH SCHOOLS.* DURING the first year of her separate existence, amidst the toils and cares of the Disruption, the Free Church was enabled to show the deep interest which she took in Sabbath schools. When her great scheme for week-day scriptural education was set up in May, 1843, a committee was at the same time appointed with instructions to "direct special attention to Sabbath schools as one of the stated congregational means of grace." At the Glasgow Assembly in October the subject was again referred to, and in 1844, amidst the fervour which followed the memorable sermon of Dr. Charles Brown, a report was given in, and a memorial was at the same time presented from 176 male teachers in Edinburgh, calling attention to the great importance of the work. During the following year efforts were made to obtain fuller information, and returns were received from 420 congregations, who reported that they had 916 Sabbath schools in operation, with 50,472 scholars and 4248 teachers, while in not a few cases manifest tokens of spiritual blessing were spoken of in connection with the work. Again, in 1846, progress was reported by the Convener, Mr. Manson, who described the deep and prayerful interest awakened throughout the Church, and the large amount of earnest labour which was devoted to Sabbath schools. At that time, however, it was felt-as ever since it has been-that the work of the Committee was not so much "to undertake separate * In this section we have been largely indebted to notes kindly furnished by Mr. William Dickson, whose labours for the last forty years deserve the grateful acknowledgments not only of the Free Church, but of every friend to the cause of Sabbath schools. operations of their own" as to endeavour "to excite a deeper interest in the spiritual welfare of the young," keeping the subject before kirk-sessions and the higher courts of the Church. In 1849, a change took place, when Dr. Candlish was appointed Convener, with Mr. Maitland Heriot of Ramornie as Vice-Convener. Fresh energy was thrown into the work. Presbyteries were corresponded with to stir up their interest; ministers were appointed to preach to the young; normal classes were formed for the training of inexperienced teachers; helpful books were supplied to the teachers and cheap Bibles to the scholars, and aid was given for the formation of libraries; and last, not least, the editing of the Children's Record, which had been begun in 1845, was in 1850 entrusted to Mr. William Dickson, whose life-long labours have been devoted in its pages to the godly upbringing of the young. It was not long, however, till Mr. Dickson was called to take a more prominent place, having been induced in 1855, on the personal solicitation of Dr. Candlish, to undertake the Convenership of the Committee. The difficulty which hampered every movement was the want of funds, and for some time little could be done beyond issuing an occasional circular, gathering statistics, and presenting an annual report to the Assembly. In 1860-61, a season of revival came-a time of blessing for Scotland; a marked work of grace appeared among the young, and at once the interest of the Church in her Sabbath schools received a new impulse. One effect of this was seen in 1868, when the Assembly took the strong step of enjoining ministers, presbyteries, and synods to see that complete returns of the work should be sent up from year to year. This injunction took effect, and Mr. Dickson, in the report of 1869, was able to begin a practice which more than anything else has stimulated and advanced this department of the Church's work. In the annual schedule of queries, information had been asked on all points affecting the management of the schools-how the teachers were trained-the lessons prepared-prayer meetings held-missionary contributions raised-the Children's Record circulated-what hopeful indications there were of spiritual results, &c. &c. On these and many other points, statements were received full of most valuable details, setting forth the methods which had been found most effective in the different localities. But how was all this information to be turned to account? It occurred to Mr. Dickson that the most important hints and practical suggestions scattered through the various returns might be digested and classified, and embodied in the Annual Report in such a way as to awaken the interest of the Church. No sooner was this done than Mr. Kidston of Ferniegair, himself a veteran Sabbath-school teacher, on reading that first report (1869), saw the importance of putting a copy into the hands of each of the teachers who were actually engaged in the work, and at once offered to defray the needful expense. The practice thus begun has ever since been continued, and in this way every practical hint which the yearly report contains-many of them fresh and suggestive-has been brought under the notice of every teacher, all new ideas of any practical value being at once made known in every Sabbath school throughout the Church. The Report now embraces returns from more than 3000 Sabbath schools and Bible-classes, and is put into the hands of 17,000 teachers. In many cases it has been the custom, shortly after the Report has been circulated, for the minister to have a conference with his teachers for the purpose of going over the suggestions, and considering how far any of them might be utilised in their own school. The work has come to be one of no common magnitude, and the results have been in the highest degree advantageous. It may not be without interest to record the names of those generous friends of the cause who have year by year enabled the Church to present all her Sabbath-school teachers with this small but kindly recognition of their loving labours 1869 Mr. W. Kidston. 1870 Mr. W. Henderson, Aberdeen. 1874 Mr. John Cowan, Beeslack. 1875 Mr. George Martin, Auchindennan, |