as one of those men, not very rare in this country, who, though almos entirely self-taught, have, by the force of their genius and industry, raised themselves to considerable eminence in literature or science He was the son of a country weaver, at a place about six or seven miles northeast of Dundee, where he was born about the year 1781, and where he received the humble rudiments of education at a country school. Leaving the school in early youth, he plied the loom for several years, until, being drawn for the militia service, he became a soldier for four years. From his earliest youth he discovered an insatiable desire for knowledge of every description, and all the hours which he could spare from the business of the weaver or the soldier he earnestly devoted to the perusal of books. He used to mention that, before he left home, he was much indebted to a gentleman who lent him some volumes of the Encyclopædia Britannica, where he indulged at large his taste for variety, and that in the towns where his regiment was stationed he always contrived to find a good supply of books. By these means it happened that, by the time his militia service of four years expired, he had acquired so much knowledge that he was emboldened to undertake the duties of a village school in the south of Fife. His quickness of apprehension was great, and his memory extraordinary, so that his knowledge was very various, indeed almost universal. Besides other accomplishments, he had acquired considerable skill in the art of drawing, a respectable acquaintance with arithmetic and mathematics, and great facility in English composition. He also wrote verses with ease. He was soon appointed to the situation of drawing-master in the academy of Inverness, and afterward in that of Dundee, where he was not long in being transferred to the more intellectual department of arithmetic, theoretical and practical, and English composition. He remained for ten or twelve years in Dundee, where, beside his occupation as a teacher, he contributed much to the local newspaper, conducted for some time a monthly periodical, published a novel, and, becoming a member of the Town-Council, engaged fiercely in the cause of Borough reform. His pen was very satirical, and procured him many enemies. He at last left Dundee for London, where he could find a wider field for his talents as a literary adventurer. There he lived entirely by his pen. At first he acted as a reporter to the newspapers of the debates in Parliament. He afterward became a literary hack, engaging in all such works as, by the popular interest of the subjects, might be likely to prove remunerative. In this most laborious course of life, he became a very voluminous author. Perhaps his works that excited greatest interest were: "The Modern Athens," "Babylon the Great," and "Feathered Tribes of the British Islands." With all his industry and talent, he was constantly in poverty; and he died, exhausted by his mode of life, before he reached the age of sixty, leaving the widow of a second marriage in poor circumstances."—MS. Memoranda of Professor Duncan. APPENDIX, I.—P. 268. TEXTS FROM THE JOURNAL.-Sept. 30th, 1812-Sept. 3d, 1813. Matthew i. 23; ii. 10; iii. 17; iv. 10; v. 44; vi. 14, 15; vii. 7, 8; viii. 2, 3; ix. 6; x. 32; xi. 27; xiii. 46; xiv. 27; xv. 8; xvi. 23; xvii. 20; xviii. 15; xix. 6; xx. 26, 27; xxi. 22; xxii. 37; xxiii. 37; xxiv. 44; xxv. 40; xxvi. 41; xxvii. 54; xxviii. 18. viii. Mark i. 17; ii. 17; iii. 35; iv. 40; v. 19; vi. 50; vii. 7; 34; ix.; x. 52; xi. 23; xii. 30; xiii. 37; xiv. 38; xv. 39; xvi. 16. Luke i. 74, 75; ii. 14; iii. 8; iv. 4; v. 12, 13; vi. 46; vii. 47; viii. 21; ix. 23; x. 20; xi. 13; xii. 15; xiii. 34; xiv. 33; xv. 7; xvi. 13; xvii. 10; xviii. 1; xix. 10; xx. 35; xxi. 33; xxii. 19; xxiii. 34; xxiv. 49. John i. 12; ii. 25; iii. 6; iv. 24; v. 23; vi. 37; vii. 38, 39; viii. 31, 32; ix. 41; x. 27, 28; xi. 25, 26; xii. 26; xiii. 34; xiv. 13; xv. 2; xvi. 14; xvii. 20; xviii. 11; xix. 30; xx. 31; xxi. 19. Acts i. 11; ii. 33; iii. 26; iv. 12; v. 31; vi. 3; vii. 59; viii. 5; ix. 36; x. 43; xi. 18; xii. 24; xiii. 38, 39; xiv. 22; xv. 9; xvi. 30, 31; xvii. 27, 28; xviii. 27; xix. 20; xx. 32; xxi. 19; xxii. 16; xxiii. 1; xxiv. 16; xxv. 25; xxvi. 18; xxvii. 25; xxviii. 31. Romans i. 16; ii. 2; iii. 21–56; iv. 20, 21; v. 1, 2; vi. 1, 2; vii. 24, 25; viii. 1; ix. 16; x. 11; xi. 6; xii. 1; xiii. 8; xv. 13; xxvi. 20. I. Corinthians i. 9; ii. 14; iii. 22, 23; iv. 7; v. 8; vi. 19, 20, vii. 32; viii. 3; ix. 24; x. 13; xi. 26; xii. 3; xiii. 7; xiv. 40; xv 58; xvi. 13, 14. II. Corinthians i. 24; ii. 16; iii. 5; iv. 18; v. 17; vi. 2; vii. 1 viii. 9; ix. 7; x. 4; xi. 2; xii. 9; xiii. 5. Galatians i. 4; ii. 20; iii. 26; iv. 19; v. 16; vi. 14. Ephesians i. 13, 14; ii. 18; iii. 12; iv. 26; v. 2; vi. 10. Philippians i. 11; ii. 12, 13; iii. 13, 14; iv. 6. Colossians i. 14; ii. 6, 7; iii. 2; iv. 12. I. Thessalonians i. 4; ii. 12; iii. 13; iv. 3; v. 23. II. Thessalonians i. 11; ii. 10; iii. 5. I. Timothy i. 15; ii. 5; iii. 13; iv. 15, 16; v. 22; vi. 17. II. Timothy i. 7; ii. 24; iii. 15; iv. 2. Titus i. 7; ii. 11-14; iii. 2. Philemon 5. Hebrews i. 3; ii. 3; iii. 6; iv. 16; v. 14; vi. 12; vii. 2; viii. 10; ix. 28; x. 23; xi. 6; xii. 28; xiii. 5, 6. James i. 12; ii. 10; iii. 17; iv. 11; v. 8. I. John i. 9; ii. 3; iii. 3; iv. 19; v. 11. II. John 6. III. John 11. Jude 24. 4; x. 7; xi. 15; Revelation i. 5, 6; ii. 7; iii. 1; iv. 11; v. 12; vi. 17; viii. 4; ix. xii. 10; xiii. 10; xiv. 12; xv. 3; xvi. 7; xvii. 14; xx. 13; xxi. 3; xxii. 14. xviii. 8; xix. 6; APPENDIX, K.-P. 271. "The Fifeshire Auxiliary Bible Society was originated about this period in Cupar, and, as was to be expected, Mr. Chalmers lent it his vigorous aid. Admiring the system of penny-a-week subscriptions for that and similar institutions, which had been suggested and acted upon a short time before, by some maid-servants in Aberdeen, and which put it within the reach of every class to contribute to the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom, and was likely to bring in far more to the Christian treasury than the annual guinea or five guinea subscription of the more wealthy, he established a branch association in his parish in aid of the Bible Society, in which I had the privilege of co-operating as its original secretary. The Aberdeen Servants' Association, now referred to was established on 16th August, 1809. The constitution of the society was to admit as members 'such female servants of decent character, and other females of good report, of different religious denominations, as might be inclined to join them' Each member was to 'pay 1s. on admission, and the like sum, or what she could afford, at each quarterly meeting afterward, to the funds.' Ministers favorable to the society were invited to attend the quarterly meetings to give necessary information and advice; and in February, 1811, there were 110 members, meeting statedly on the first Wednesday of August, November, February, and May. Their first donation of £20 was given to the Edinburgh Bible Society, and about the same time £20 1s. was given to aid the missionaries at Serampore in translating the Scriptures. This is understood to be the first association of adult females for promoting the objects of the Bible Society, although its remittances were not limited exclusively to that institution, but occasionally aided the funds of various missionary and school societies. From August, 1809, to March, 1820, the aggregate amount of their subscriptions exceeded £220, and the number of subscribers at the latter date was about 150. The rule as to contributions was afterward modified to the payment by each member of one penny a week. They met at a stated hour every Saturday evening, and each paid her penny; and such was their punctuality, that though many of them came from a distance, the time occupied in the payment seldom exceeded five minutes. This plan so pleased Dr. Chalmers, that he de termined to act on it in his parish to the very letter. The subscriptions were limited to a penny a week; and if any wished to give more, they might do it by way of donation, or in the name of other members of their family. In this he set an example, for besides giving his own name and that of his sister, who then kept his house, I think he added the names of all his brothers and sisters as subscribers. I do not remember how much was raised during the first year, but I know the amount collected by myself was very considerable, and encouraged him to recommend the adoption of the principle over the length and breadth of the land, as by far the most efficient means for the raising of funds, and as giving an opportunity to the humblest to contribute-an element in the plan to which he attributed the very greatest importance."-MS. Memoranda by the Rev. Dr. Brown of Brampton. Upon submitting a proof of the journal of this period to the Rev. James Borwick of Rathillet, he has made upon it the following remarks: As the pages I read were, if I mistake not, consecutive, and as it would seem they include all that you have felt it necessary to say about the Kilmany Bible Society—at all events, down to the time of Mr. Johnstone's death-I fear the information you have obtained on that subject is limited. I would not like to see the palmy days of Kilmany so represented, or the ministers whose co-operation and zeal tended so much to the prosperity of the above institution brought before the public eye only, or almost only, in the light of what would appear to have been some misunderstanding. I am quite safe to say, that whatever may have been the offense, if any, on the one side, or the unpleasant feeling on the other, it must all have been amicably adjusted by the parties themselves. It never rose above the surface. The Kilmany Bible Society was a model for its peacefulness. It embraced all parties in the parish and some of the members of Mr. Johnstone's congregation in other parishes, and its machinery was the best that could have been obtained. Under the influential presidency of the late Mr. Gillespie of Mountquhannie, an Episcopalian, who was ever at his post, and delighted to witness the harmony which his presence was well fitted to promote; with Mr. Edie, Kilmany, a churchman, and Mr. Anderson, Star, a seceder, as respectively treasurer and secretary-farmers who are still spoken of as having been 'walking Cyclopædias;' with the alternate meetings at Kilmany and Rathillet, the addresses of the ministers of both places, still held in lively remembrance, and the amount contributed in this thinly populated district, rising some years to about £40, the Kilmany Bible Society was, in the share in which the doctor had in it, perhaps the first fruit which his parish, as a whole, afforded of his changed ministrations, and is still spoken of as having been one of the best monuments of his zeal and success while here. "I may mention that a manuscript copy of one of his addresses to the society is in the possession of the present Mr. Gillespie of Mountquhannie. I may also state, as showing the kindred feeling of Mr. Johnstone in regard to such schemes of Christian enterprise, that he preached the sermon before 'the Dundee Society for propagating the gospel among the heathen,' at its first general meeting, 18th October, 1796-a sermon which was published at the request and for the benefit of the society. "The Kilmany Society was in some measure broken up shortly after Dr. Chalmers left the parish. There was a want of co-operation -I need not say more as to the cause-and after a considerable time it ceased to exist. Within the period of my own ministry here, there were magazines sent to me, and addresses to the society, from the Moravian and Scottish Missionary Societies. This was owing, I believe, to the fact, that after the society had virtually ceased, its spirit was alive, in some measure, in this congregation and in individuals in the district, and that, conjunctly, they forwarded occasional contributions; and I can add, that to the impulse formerly given by the society to the cause of Christian union, is to be traced, to a great extent, the harmony which is now manifested in the neighborhood in our Tract Society and Sabbath Alliance. It would be easy, indeed, to show this in various ways, and in some cases to find the good influence handed down from father to son." us. APPENDIX, L.-P. 401. "I do not stop a moment at the consideration, that though we should exclude Mr. Ferrie from the charge of Kilconquhar, the Court of Session would find him to be legal proprietor of the stipend. Should this ever be suffered to enter as an element into our deliberations, we would be fallen indeed. It is our part to walk in our integrity, nor to suffer the allurement of civil advantages, or the threat of civil deprivations, to divert us by a single inch from the onward path which lies before When we exclude a man from the charge of a parish, we do it on grounds which are purely ecclesiastical. On these grounds we are the alone judges; and when the emoluments of the parish come to be talked of, I resent it in precisely the same way as I would resent an attempt to pervert my judgment by an act of bribery. Let the stipend go as it may, I would not suffer it to mingle its influence with our deliberations for a single moment. Whatever be our judgment on the present question, I should think it foul scorn if the stipend of Kilconquhar were to shake us out of it. This is a most degrading argument; it insults me. It is hanging up a scare-crow, and then bidding me look at it and be quiet. I shall suffer no authority on earth to lay such fetters upon my conscience; and sitting in judgment, |
