ated by the
Assembly, and of one member, who may be either minister or elder,
nominated by each of the fourteen Synods of the Church. The committee
meets once a month in Edinburgh, and is usually attended by about 60
members.

This is scarcely the time or place to enter into an exhaustive account
of the finances of the Free Church, or we might pursue these
observations until we had traced the mighty river that now is, to the
small and comparatively insignificant stream from which it took its
source. The Free Church has set an example to the world in fiscal
arrangements, showing what steady determination, backed by courage and
sound judgment, can eventually accomplish. Not only had the Free Church
to provide means for supporting its ministers, but also for building
places of worship, manses or parsonages, and elementary schools. Since
the Disruption, the Church has built 920 churches, 719 manses, and 597
schools, the total amount raised towards the general and local building
fund during the twenty-six years intervening between May, 1843, and
1869, being L1,667,714. Three Theological Colleges for the training of
candidates for the ministry, and two large and flourishing Normal
Schools have also been provided.

Ministers of the gospel may be divided into two classes. There is the
warm, enthusiastic, emotional evangelist, who flashes across the
ecclesiastical horizon like a meteor, and creates a temporary
"sensation," so to speak, among the dry bones in the valley of vision.
Then there is the more steady-going preacher of the Word, who maintains
an even pace throughout, turning neither to the right nor to the
left--whose _forte_ is to conserve the truth, and keep it alive where it
has once been found. In the latter category we may include Dr. Buchanan.
He is not by any means a brilliant preacher, in the ordinary acceptation
of the term. He does not draw the multitude about him. He is no
Boanerges of the Temple; but he is a giant as regards a firm grasp of
doctrinal truth. He never evolves new shapes or fantastic theories, "won
from the vague and formless infinite;" but he "proves all things," and
"holds fast that which is good." If he is not an essentially popular
preacher--and this is a merit which even his most partial admirers would
scarcely venture to claim for him--he is edifying and didactic, and few
ministers are better qualified to build up and consolidate a church.
Rather too stereotyped (if we may hint such a fa