This is necessary to recommend religion to the love of others. If we profess religion, and fall in with the prevailing folly of our company, will this recommend us to their esteem? No, we become in their view truly contemptible. In our absence they will speak aloud their contempt. But mark the man who in his spirit and conduct maintains a regular regard to religion and virtue he commands esteem and respect even from the most shameless and corrupt. This adds weight and influence to his instructions. Men are convinced he is in earnest. When he is not guilty, nor awed by a consciousness of criminal base practices, he can warn against such practices with zeal and just indignation. A preacher of known disingenuity, covetousness, intemperance, and profanity is above all men deservedly contemptible. Though he could speak with elegance and propriety, his words are viewed as not coming from the heart. When his character is well known, it is amazing he can have such shameless impudence as to preach at all. Men know he lies and does not the truth. But that man who is "an example to believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in purity," commands the esteem of all, even the wicked not excepted. When he shows out of a good conversation his faith with meekness and wisdom, he will put to silence foolish and ungodly men.-Ordination Sermon, pp. 20, 21.

PEOPLE NOT EDIFIED.

Perhaps this is true. But why lay all the blame on one side? Is no part of it your own? Can you assert any one useless, incapable to do any good to the sincere and attentive? Teachers are all imperfect, for "Who is sufficient for these things?" After all such complaints, let us try our own hearts and tempers. Why was I not edified? Did I hear without prejudice and sincere attention? How am I to judge of edification? What is edification? Is it affecting the imagination, pleasing my humour and fancy? It cannot be this. In the New Testament it signifies improvement in useful knowledge, in love to God and mankind, as our Lord gave commandment. Now, by the most despised preacher was there nothing delivered that had a tendency to this most important end? Was there nothing fit to raise religious sentiments and affections? Can I assert this? No, certainly. Why, then, did I feel no benefit? May I not suspect that some base prejudice, some criminal affection in my heart, marred my edification?-Ordination Sermon, pp. 23, 24.

CHAPTER XCII.

THOMAS LEDLIE BIRCH, M.A. (1776-1798),

MINISTER OF SAINTFIELD.

1. The Obligation upon Christians, and especially Ministers, to be exemplary in their lives; particularly at this important period, when the prophecies are seemingly about to be fulfilled in the Fall of Antichrist, as an introduction to the flowing in of Jew and Gentile into the Christian Church. Synodical Sermon on Matt. v. 16. pp. 36. Belfast, 1794. M. C. D. 2. Physicians Languishing under Disease. An Address to the Seceding or Associate Synod of Ireland, upon certain tenets and practices alleged to be in enmity with all religious reformation. pp. 47. Belfast, 1796. A. C. B.

ON the 21st May, 1776, Mr. THOMAS LEDLIE BIRCH was ordained as minister of Saintfield in succession to Rev. Richard Walker. Though never raised to the position of Moderator, he preached before the Synod in 1794 a sermon on Matt. v. 16, which he subsequently published. It is a commonplace address, remarkable for nothing except for fixing on 1848 as the time of the fall of the Papacy. The Papacy did not fall at the time mentioned, but in that year a train of causes was set in motion which resulted in the overthrow of the temporal power of the Pope in 1870. Birch most probably borrowed the date 1848 from Fleming's Fulfilling of Prophecy.

The only other publication of Mr. Birch is an invective against the Seceders, who in his time were extending their evangelistic operations to Saintfield; but it does not suggest to the reader a very favourable opinion either of his good sense or temper.

Mr. Birch was in some way concerned with the insurrection of 1798, in consequence of which, when the bubble burst, he left Saintfield and emigrated to America. He died there on the 12th of April, 1808.

TESTING THE CONGREGATION.

Shortly after this, being told in a conversation with a supporter of Seceders in our place, that he hoped yet to see a Seceding preacher in the meeting-house of Saintfield, and [that] he believed it was the sense of the great body of the congregation, I replied I did not believe it was the case, but that it should soon be determined, for their minds would be taken upon the subject, and I should not desire to prevent the enjoyment of their wishes.

Accordingly the next Lord's Day, our meeting-house being remarkably full, and we having the celebration of the Lord's Supper very shortly in view, I observed to our people, before such a solemn approach we should be reconciled in our own minds.concerning what religion we intended to adhere to; and as I was informed that it was the desire of the great majority of the congregation to renounce the communion of the Synod of Ulster and the Presbytery of Belfast, in which they had been baptized, and many of them had renewed their covenant at the Lord's table, and become Seceders-and undoubtedly they had a right to choose for themselves-I should defer the appointment of the preparation for the Lord's Supper until I should take their sentiments upon the next Lord's Day; and if it was their opinion to become Seceders, as I thought it much better that one man should be put to a disadvantage than a community should suffer, and the meeting-house might suffice to contain them all, they had not any occasion to divide, as I would instantly resign my charge.

Upon the ensuing Lord's Day I took the minds of the congregation, and before the question was put I observed that I would look upon those in a more friendly point of view, and esteem them honester men, who would stand up for what they deemed truth, than if they should keep back contrary to the dictates of their consciences; and therefore such as were for becoming Seceders would be pleased to step out of their seats. Upon which not one person standing forth, the preparation was appointed the next Lord's Day, and the Lord's Supper was held upon the following; and though it was the winter sacrament, there was a greater number of communicants than upon any former occasion, and even all those who had subscribed for Seceders, except three or four, came forward to the Lord's table.-Physicians, pp. 11-13.

CHAPTER XCIII.

HENRY HENRY (1788-1840),

MINISTER AT GARVAGH AND AT CONNOR.

1. An Address to the People of Connor, containing a clear and full Vindication of the Synod of Ulster from the Aspersions of the people called Covenanters. [Written in the form of a Catechism, and in the name of Sanders Donald, late Sexton of Connor.] pp. 25. Belfast, 1794. A. C. B. 2. An Illustration of the Present Critical State of the Synod of Ulster, in three Letters: 1. To the Ministers of the Synod of Ulster. 2. To the Rev. Robert Black, Bounty Agent. 3. To the Elders of the Synod of Ulster. By a Presbyter, pp. 28. Belfast, 1802. M. Č. D. 3. A Letter to the Congregation of Connor. pp. 12. Belfast,

1812.

A. Č. B.

[Two Letters of Henry are published in an anonymous Life of George Robert Fitzgerald.]

HENRY HENRY was a native of Dunboe, near Coleraine. He was ordained as minister of Garvagh, in County Derry, on the 13th May, 1788. He had been settled there but a few months, when he accepted a call to Connor, in County Antrim, where he was installed on the 9th of December in the same year.

The Reformed Presbyterians, popularly known as the Covenanters, were then at work in that neighbourhood, and were attempting to make inroads on his congregation. In order to check their aggressions, the young minister, in 1794, published a pamphlet, in which he deals in a rough, popular style with such statements as the Reformed were in the habit of making, to the disadvantage of the Synod, and disposes of them in a

dashing, reckless, tomahawk manner. It is written in the form of question and answer, and was published in the name of his church sexton. A sexton can, of course, without any great loss, say bold things, to which a minister would scarcely care to commit himself; and the minister who held the pen for Sanders Donald took full advantage of his mask to tell the public all he wished, and perhaps a little more than he ought.

It was understood that Mr. Henry's sympathies were with the United Irishmen, and at the time he did suffer a short imprisonment; but he does not appear to have committed himself too far. Dr. Black, at a later period, in the heat of a Synodical debate, taunted him with receiving mercy from the Government, but Henry on the spot indignantly denied the charge.

Some years afterwards, when the classification system of endowing the ministry was proposed by the Government, he published a pamphlet against it, in which he inveighed against Dr. Black, whom he regarded as, if not its real author, at least its most prominent advocate in the Synod. His reasoning is not more convincing than that of Sherrard of Tullylish, but he discusses the subject with more force. In 1803, the increased endowment, which, owing to a change of Government, had been delayed since 1801, was officially announced, and it was found that the proposal embodied the following features:

1. Each minister on his ordination was to send a memorial to the Lord Lieutenant, asking for his share of Regium Donum, and this memorial was to be accompanied by a certificate, signed by two magistrates, stating that he had taken the oath of allegiance to the. Crown. This was a temporary regulation, evidently suggested by what had occurred during the late rebellion, and very properly was required as a sort of safeguard against the disgrace and evil of granting an endowment to a disloyal minister.

2. A graduated scale of endowment among the ministers, some receiving £50, others £75, and others £100, in proportion to the size of their congregations.