The Rev. Mr. Forbes addressed the assemblage, and eloquently and strongly insisted upon the right of every man to worship his God according to the dictates of his conscience, perfectly uncontrolled by human authority, however specious and alluring it might be attempted to exert such. The solemn event was closed with prayers and the usual benedictions. The church was completed in an unprecedentedly short time; for a building like it to be ready for service in less than six months was, prior to that time, unheard of. Nevertheless, opened it was on the 7th May, 1848. The Rev. Thomas Hastie preached at n a.m., and the Rev. Mr. Huie at 8 p.m. It is a notable fact that thefirstbell cast in the colony was hung in the tower of the John Knox Church in November, 1850. It weighed 135 pounds, and was fabricated at Langlands' Foundry. On the 19th November, 1849, the third anniversary meeting was held in the church, the chair being taken by Dr. Drummond, and addresses delivered by the Rev. Messrs. Forbes and Huie, with Messrs. Everist and Dunlop. The necessity for the erection of a school-house was strongly enforced ; its estimated cost was ,£200, in aid of which ,£70 was immediately forthcoming. A great acquisition was received in the person of the Rev. John Gardiner, sent out by the Colonial Committee of the Free Church in Scotland. He arrived in January, 1850, and on the 27th preached in the Church. The foundation stone of a building as chapel and school-house was laid in Latrobe Street on the 17th December. It was to cost ,£600, and in due time was opened. By the end of the year the Free Church had three conventicles in full work, providing space for 920 persons, and habitually attended by 680. A snug little church was opened at Brighton on the 21st April, 1851, and increased interest was manifested in other quarters. An irreparable loss was sustained by the death of the Rev. Mr. Forbes at the newly-erected manse adjoining the church, on the 12th August, 1851 ; and some affecting details of this universally esteemed minister's last moments will be found in a subsequent part of this work. Since the foregoing appeared in print I have received the following from a correspondent subscribing himself, " One W h o Knows " :— " I think you have fallen into an error in stating that there was a Presbyterian Church opened in Brighton in 1851. I remember M r . Forbes preaching in the residence of the late Mr. William Wilson, St. Andrew Street, Brighton, on a week-day afternoon about that time, and I believe that was the only occasion that M r . Forbes did hold any Divine service in Brighton. T o the Rev. Samuel Currie belongs the honour of establishing the Presbyterian cause in Brighton. M r . Currie was then in charge of the South Yarra Presbyterian Church in which he used to preach morning and evening, and in the afternoon for a considerable time he addressed a crowded congregation in a small house in William Street, Brighton. M r . Currie frequently walked from South Varra to Brighton. Occasionally some one would meet him with a conveyance, and on all occasions some of the congregation would drive him back. After M r . Currie had been preaching for several months, without receiving one penny for his services, the Rev. Mr. M'Veane announced by advertisements that he was to preach on a certain Sunday afternoon in the old English Church, Brighton. A number of Mr. Currie's congregation knowing that the place he had been preaching in was too small, and not knowing that M r . M'Veane was preaching in opposition to M r . Currie, went to hear M r . M'Veane, and consequently Mr. Currie had a very small congregation. After service was concluded he consulted with those present, and it was agreed that he should relinquish the cause which was a heavy drag on him, and had cost him a great amount of labour. M r . M'Glaughton followed M r . M'Veane, and was at last settled in Brighton, and under his ministration the congregation erected the church which n o w stands in Wilson Street ; the land on which it was erected was kindly given by M r . William Mills." THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
In the course of 1848, there were symptoms of another outflow from the main branch of Presbyterianism, a stream but slightly differing from the original waters. Ministers who had by degrees dropped in, and followers cohered, and thefirstcongregation was formed by the Rev. A. M. Ramsay. After a time others followed, a Synod was constituted, and the Protestant Hall was fixed on as the temporary Head-quarters. ThefirstSynodical assemblage was held there on the 22nd January, 1850, presided over by the Rev. A. M. Ramsay, as Moderator, with whom was associated the Rev. W . Jarrett as Clerk, and the Rev. Messrs. T. E. Richardson, from Portland, and L. M'Gillivray, from Belfast. The attendant Elders were Dr. P. M'Arthur, Messrs Walter Adamson, B. Bell, and J. Coltheard. A report of a very encouraging nature as to this section of the Church was submitted, and after the disposal of some miscellaneous business the Sederunt adjourned.
