from the Old Kirk, and founded the Free
Church.]

[Pageheading: A SERIOUS CRISIS]

_Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria._

DRAYTON MANOR, _30th December 1842._

Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and rejoices
to hear that your Majesty approved of the letter which, with your
Majesty's sanction, James Graham proposes to write to the Moderator of
the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Sir Robert Peel fears that there is too much ground for the
apprehensions expressed by your Majesty in respect to future
embarrassment arising out of the position of the Church Question in
Scotland.

Sir Robert Peel saw yesterday a letter addressed by Dr
Abercrombie,[118] the eminent physician in Edinburgh, to Sir George
Sinclair,[119] declaring his conviction that the Secession of
Ministers from their Livings would take place to _a very great
extent_--would comprise very many of the Ministers most distinguished
for learning and professional character, and would meet with very
general support among their congregations.

Sir Robert Peel has little doubt that a serious crisis in the History
of the Church of Scotland is at hand, and that the result of it will
be greatly to be lamented; but still he could not advise your Majesty
to seek to avert it by the acquiescence in demands amounting to the
abrogation of important civil rights and to the establishment
in Scotland of an ecclesiastical domination independent of all
control....

He is very confident that your Majesty will feel that in the present
state of the controversy with the Church of Scotland, there is
peculiar reason for taking the greatest care that every minister
presented to a Crown Living should be not only above exception, but
should, if possible, be pre-eminently distinguished for his fitness
for a pastoral charge.

[Footnote 118: John Abercrombie (1780-1844), one of the chief
consulting physicians in Scotland, and a great medical writer.
He left the Established Church.]

[Footnote 119: Sir George Sinclair (1790-1868), M.P. for
Caithness-shire, was a supporter of the Anti-Patronage
Society, and joined the Free Church.]

[Pageheading: HISTORICAL READING]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

BROCKET HALL, _30th December 1842._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He has been
much delighted this morning by receiving your Majesty's letter of
the 28th. He was the mor