LETTER TO MR PAUL, 179 



imperatively demanded by my duties in the bank office, 

 and, in about a week after, was able to despatch the 

 manuscript of my pamphlet to the respected manager of 

 the Commercial Bank, Mr Robert Paul, a gentleman 

 from whom I had received much kindness when in 

 Edinburgh, and who in the great ecclesiastical struggle 

 took decided part with the Church.' 



This is the letter, addressed to Mr Paul, which 

 accompanied the pamphlet. 



'Crornarty, 13th June, 1839. 



c I feel deeply interested in the question which at 

 present agitates the Church. It is a vital one ; and 

 unless the people can be roused to take, part in it (and 

 they seem strangely uninformed and woefully indifferent 

 as yet), the worst cause must inevitably prevail. They 

 may perhaps listen to one of their own body, to one 

 who combines the opinions of the old with those of the 

 modern Whig, and who, though he feels very strongly 

 on the question, has no secular interest involved in it. 



' In this hope I have written the accompanying letter, 

 which I now submit to your perusal. May I request 

 you, should you deem it fitted in some degree to accom- 

 plish what I have intended, to put it into the hands of 

 some publisher interested in the welfare of the Church, 

 and of influence enough to secure to it an extensive cir- 

 culation. Humble as my name is, I think it will secure 

 to me a good many readers in our northern districts ; 

 in those of the south I am of course less known, but as 

 I occasionally contribute to Chambers 's Journal, the 

 readers of that extensively circulated periodical will re- 

 cognize me as an old acquaintance, and may be led by 

 curiosity to listen to what I have to say on the subject. 

 A fair hearing on the part of the people of the Church, 

 of the common people, at least, is surely all the cause 



