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PATRONAGE

Anatomized and Detected.

O R. The Rife, Reign, NatureATendency, Ef- feds and evil Confequences of Patron agb <j laid open •, fome Objcftions notveed j and popular Eleftion in a few particulars vin^ dicated.

In a Letter from Jo H n H o w i e to the Elder/lap and Congregation of the Parifh g/FiKWlCK.

To which i« prtGxed, by w»y of IntroouSioo, A (hort hiuorical Narrative of the whole Procefs betwixt the People of Finwick and the Judicato- ries of the Eftablifhed Church, fetting forth what treatment they have received from faid Judicato- ries anent their confeat or choice in calling ot their own Minifter.

Pullifbed at the Deft e of the faid Parifh of Fin-auk.

Is/^xxfiii. 14- Wherefore hear the wjrd of the Lord,-je

fcorn/ul men that rule this people. .

Psal. IxxKii. ». H<m long -will ye judge unjufilj f Sec Lam iii. 3«5. To fubvsrt a man tn hit judgment, tin

l0L::iT7JhthTentereth not in b, the door into the Jheepfold, but climteth up fome other way, the fame it a thief and a rtbber.

GLASGOW:

Printed bv John Bryce, and Sold at his Shop, oppofite Gibfou'* "Wynd, Salt'M(irht.-~J'jto-

Jufl Published, and Said by John Brycs! Bookfcller, Salt-market.

The Second Edition of the

SCOTS BIOGRAPHY

Corrected tad Enlarged.

O Rf

A hiftorical account of the livei, memorable tranfaclions anc deaths of feventy two of the molt eminent Scoti worthier Noblemen, Gentlemen, Minifters and others, from Mr Pa trick Hamilton, who fuffered at St. Andrews Feb. 28th, 15*7 • to Mr James Renwick, who fuffered iu the Graft- mariet of Edinburgh, Feb. 17th, i683.

To th;s new Edition is added, An Appendix, containing a fliort hint of the wicked Uvea and miferable deaths of 78 of the mod notable apoftatei and wick« ed perfecutors, from tbe Reformation to the late Revolution

Colle&ed from hiftocical records, biographical accounts and o- cher authenticated writing*, the whole including a period of 1 near two hundred years.

By John K o w i 1. [Price Three Shilling* neatly Bound.] Fine Copies ditto. Three fhillings and Sixpence.

N B The Sobfcrrberl are defired to call at the Publifher where they will have their copies delivered to them in term of the Propofili.

Alio lately Publifhcd,

I. Shields' hiftory of the faithful contending of the fufTer- ing focietiei during the late perfection. Two (hilling? and fnpence,

I?# A collection of fermoni preached on th* mountains and muirs of Scotland, by Mtffrs. Cargil, Guthrie, Cameron, P:dco and other worthies. Tws (hillings and fi.<pcnce.

TO THE

PUBLIC.

ALTHOUGH Patronage, at Ieafr the obtruding of unqualified undeferviog, and undefired per ions on reclaiming congregations, is almoft become epidemical in Scotland, yet every reiterated aft or in* (lance of this kind that occurs in divine providence, affords new matter of (peculation and amufemeat ia this age, which, Athenian like, has a capricious fond- ncfs to hear or fee fometbing new.

As to the occafion, rife and publication of the fol- lowing papers, I am to advertife the reader that fome jconfiderable time after thiscontefl began, a Member of Seffion Signified his defire that I fhould help them iwith fomething of this kind concerning Patronage. Upon confidering the thing, I conceived, that as the jParifh of Fin wick had not hitherto actually felt the icallous claws of Patronage, the moil part of them [were then in a great meafure unacquainted with this I kind of warfare. Therefore, I drew up the contents of Ithe following MiiTive en Patronage, and fentit'o them in March 1780 : which proved fo acceptable to jthem, that fome judicious perfous in the Parifh defir- cd from time to time that it fhould be enlarged and ipublifhed. However, it was put off for fome time. In the mean while, it was thought proper, thac a (lion narrative of the whole affair betwixt them and the church judicatories fhould be drawn up, and the A 2 pobli-

Ji

t i* ]

publication delayed till the whole prccefs were fioift! ed; and, for that purpofe, having received their papei minutes and notes of prefbytery,I drew oat a fhortna rative as concife as was confident with the reader's ha* ing any trne idea of the matter, leaving a decifion (| either fide to the judgment of the impartial andcandi,

For this publication there needs no other apoloj I * than the antient Roman proverb, Audi ct altera | * p&rtem, i. e. Let the oppofite party be heard. J\ the people of Finwick had been mifreprefented in d I f ferent and diftant places, it was neccfTjry, nay, I hi I reafonable, that they fliould be allowed before ts k public to anfwer for themfelvcs. They (honrd r i heard before they be condemned for their condoi, c And can anything be more neceiTary for that purpo:^ i than to give a relation of fafts as they fiand, and (k& e their reafons why they could not fobmit to lordly F* 1 tronage ? — The principle of felf defence to thofe co^ i cerned may fufficiently warrant this, while a vindicH I tion of injured truth and a defire to inform the igcJ i rant, may rather be accounted the motives — Patt I thou art permitted to an/wer for thyfel}% faid king Ah I

pippa.

Let it farther be noticed, that, though this let I on Patronage be now much larger than in the ori.M Bal copy, yet it cannot rationally be expefted, trt tbe limits of a Miffivc can contain either a multipli| ty of particulars, or prolixity of- reafoning. Nor there much need here for it, after fo many detach pieces have been elaborately wrote and publifhed on t fubjeft. — So that they may be accounted only a fhi compend or fummary of the principal arguroe f gainO, and evil confequences of Patronage, for ! benefit of thofe who are not acquainted with th Publications. Some may think, that indeed my <■ fervations are too fliort. But many people have I great inclination to purchafe, and as little appetite I pcrufe bulky pamphlets of this kind ; and where b

!

[ v ] k vity is ftudied, confiflent with perfpicutty, there is :r this advantage, that the reader's patience is notfatigu- it ed wiih that fupcrfluous lumber with which heavy it and proli* performances are oftimes fluffed,

01

i| There is no qoeftion that as thefe pages are pub- fifhed by content, and at the defire of the committee, g elderfhip, and people of Finwick, that fome may :t wqnder, why one fo little concerned in the affair fhould i intermeddle fa far therein : but this needs be no ob- tl jection ; for I had not the moft remote thought of if any thing of this nature till fuggefted unro me (as i has been noticed). And, though the oppofing of It Patronage may in fome fenfe he accounred the common ■8 caofe ; yet I have been fo far from acknowledging the A authority of theft judicatories, or homologating any ct of their proceedings in the evils complained of, that I H have rather looked upon it as an opportunity offered, t in divine providence, to teflify againft their conduct d and career of defection and apoftacy. — For thiscaufe, no doubt, did thefe patronizing and patronized gen- tlemen think that they had an object here to fix their attention upon, there would be whole peals of indig- nation and refeotment rung out both againft the wri- tcr and his fmfcll performance. — But this affects me or the caufe nothing. Truth will be truth flifl, who- ever fpeak it. It is hoped thefe arguments have fcrip- tare to fupport them ; and for hidorical fact.*, they arcftubborn things, and will not jield tocvery wan- ton and impudent attack made upon them. It is to be lamented that every new year produces new mate- rials of this kind for ilhiftrating the bad tendency and woeful co&fequences of Patronage in the church of ScotUnd -ftefides thif, every controverted truthis the word of Ch rift's patience, and fo ought to be the word if the church's teftimony. Every part of our ence famous reformed covenanted conftitution (of which this is one) is well worth the contending for, becaeit it was ficc a»< 'jject was religion, which

of

r vi ]

of itfclf is of ail things the moft valuable ;— becaufe it has been flruggled for by the beft of men, who | fpared not all they had on earth even life itfelf, to I purchafe and fecure it ;-aod the oppofite of it, par- ticularly in the cafe of Patronage, isdefpotifm to the i higheft dLTrec. F^r thefe realons, if this fmall mite | of teftimony againft Patronage (hall fcrve no other porpofe, it will Hand on record as another additional wirnefs agninft the ^ranters, accepters, pra&ifers, fo- ; centers aod compilers with Patronage,

No doubt, my private capacity and want of a more enlarged degree ot literature, will render thefe pages ' below the tafte of clerical eloquence, accuracy, and fymmerry.— But is any thing more comely than truth in its native drefs ? And as no defigned miftake is in it, if any thing of this kind that I have beeo led into, appears in lenteucc, word or figure, it will be the more cafily pardoned by the indulgent reader.

And finally, if any thing therein (hall prove In fome degree uicful for the information, fupport and confirmation of one of the lean; of Chrift's myftical members, then the end is gained, and all my pains jJ amply rewarded. — For, that many may be fouud j}.in:lin% faft in that liberty wherewith Chrift hath > wade t "em free, .and earneiily contending for the faith ■

red wto the fih\U% is, ought, and, through \v grace, ill J I be the earncit and ardent defirc of

lochgoin, 7

John Howie. ;

[ 7 3

THE

INTRODUCTION.

THE Parifh of Fiowick was anciently a part of the Parifh of Kilmarnock. But its length ren- dering it inconvenient for people's attending gofpel- ordiaances after the reformation, (being above fevca miles at the extremity from its own parifli church). For this and other reafons, the heritors and others procured a disjunction, and built a very handfocac country church, which bears the d3teor 1643.

It is faid, that the memorable and faithful Mr jWiiliam Guthrie preached within its walls before it Jivis finilhcd. However, he was ordained their firft minifter, Nov. 7th, 1644. This church and parift* (Was at firft called New Kirk or New Kil-marnock. JBut it has now for a confiderab!e time been defigned and knowo only by the name of Finwick. Mr iGuthrie continued io the faitl:!ui difcharge of that jtruft committed unto him a ucmb^r or years; and jiodeed he was a turning arid a Jfjining light, and the (people in that corner w&e luiiiing for a /eafon to rc+ '(Ave in that light.

Alter the reiteration of Charles II. when therefl Df the faithful miniilers were thruft out about the pe*r 1662, he was, by means of Glencairn, th;a .-'lor, and other gentlemen, kepr iu Finwid or lomc year? : but, on account of the people that locked unto his miniftry from the idj cent bounds,

r bub to

( 8 )

Continue there no longer ; and therefore he was thrufl out and fufpeoded. At laft, he prevailed with the Curate of Calder for 5!. to undertake the dreary work, Accordingly, he came with a party of foldiers to Fia- wick, and upon the 14th of July 1665, intimated hisdepofnioQ. u The people (fays a hiftoriaa) were, Willing to have facrificed all that was dear unto them; in defence of the gofpel in adhering to him. Indeed; Mf Guthrie had fome difficulty in getting their affec- tion to him To far moderated, as to keep them from; violent proceedings againft the party who came to de* pofe him. They would a&ually have prevented the church from heing declared vacant, and were readj to have rejlfted even unto blood ft riving again/} Jin, hacj they been permitted *." However, the Curate made] little by this jaunt. For he never preached more;j but in a fhort time died in great torment of the iliac* paffioo. The church of Finwick, it appears, contl sued vacant until about 1672, that one Mr Thoma: Wayle one of the indulged, was appointed unto ir ^ He had, before the Reftoration, been minifter at Kirk i cudbright, and had fuffered many hardships after h<j was thrufl out of that charge. And indeed he wa amongft the beft of that denomination. Witocfs im two papers given in by him to the privy councij concerning thefe reftriciions and rules by them in joined upon the indulged, which he could not iij confeience obey. He caufed build feveral of th bridges in that parifh. The occafion was, that fej vera) loft their lives by water amongft that numej rons multitude that from the adjacent parts flocke<| . tohisminiflry. After he had been thereabout fouj years, the admioiftration of the prelates to©k place ii that parifh, one Mr Ogilvie being fome fhort tim j curate, then one Mr Crawford, and laft of all M Main.-— This parifh, from iis firft ereftiom till th M

timl I

* For 3 more copious account of *his, confult Wod hiftory, %tA. I, page 110. Mr Guthrie's treatife in pre lace concerning his 1/ic. And Scots Biography, p. 395.

( 19 ) Tod, Clk. Ps." The fcroll of the call aad paper of compeance was by them returned to the presbytery, and found figned by no perfon whatfoever, A large concurrence of perfons from the parifh of Fin wick at- itended this meeting of presbytery, and James Cuth- Ibtrrtfon elder in their name, gave in two papers flga- ed by him as their prefes, Signifying their ©ppofitioa to the fettleraent of the prefentee, which were read and ordered to ly on the table till next meeting of presbytery.

At next presbytery, Feb 6th, were produced and

'read three letters in a way of concurrence with the

'jjfatron from three non-refiding heritors, viz. CoL

'iMuir Campbel of Rowallen, Dr. M'Night, and Mr.

i'Banactpe of Gardrum. Upon the other fide, from

»jthe parifh of Finwick compeared, John Barr, Robert

'iirkland, James and William Cuthbertfon, elders,

fohn, Adam and Robert Brown, heritors, Alexaa-

er Gemmei, Robert Wardrop, Robert Dunlop,

•jAdarn Miller, John Fulton and John Blackwood,

•iheads of families. The papers tabled at iaft prelby-

*tery were called for and read ; the tenor of the Grit

yfras the minute of a meeting of the generality

'the parifh of Fiuwick, Nov. 23d, James Cuth-

ertfon being chofea prefes : they appointed the

bove named perfoos to appear at the prefbytery,

nd oppofe the fettlement ot the prefentee, figned by

^he prefes. The other paper contained their intenti-

n and defircs ; wherein, after (hewing that Mr.

^yd c'can have no call or concurrence unto this pa-

ifh for a paflor ; they come to obviate that objefti-

n, that they would accept of no minifter at all/'

hus : " It' it is the will of Almighty God, we want

30 be foon fettkd f becaufe we have no ftatcd ordi- nances in this place; ire. we can be fix'd, and give tour report to the moderator as to the particular nun' ata a regular time according to the conftiiution oi fhli jhurch in its reformed period, which we the mem* t*rs of the church are folemnly bound to by you ia C 2 ovr

( M )

e>ur fo'eron engagements, 6c. The prefbytery with-, cut a vote, "did and hereby do refer timpiiciter to, theenfuing fynod of Glafgow and Air, for decifion, the whole affair relating to the fettlemeut of Mr. William Boyd, probationer, prefented to the parifh of Finwick for their minifter, &c." About this time, tf\t managers of the affairs of the pariih wrote a very spirited letter atjd fent to Mr. Boyd, to which he re- turned no anfwer. It contains about nineteen queries ; end, tho* there* at full cannot properly be heie got iqferted, yet that the reader may have fome faint views what notion the parifh had of Mr Boyd and his mini- i1fy,Nl fball infer t, for a fpecimen, thefe few queries following.

£>uer. i. Is this manner of proceeding of yours,

when the people have no defire for you, any way a«

gTeeabie to the rules lajd down in the word cf God ?

$>uer. 6. Do you think that this way of being paftot

in a Parifh by a patron does not rob Chriil of his pre

rcgative, he being the great Lawgiver, Head anc

King of his church ? Shier, i 5 Does it not become

a people to be anxloufiy concerned about the choic<

of a pafior, that, by the blefling of God, may be

happy infirument of winning fouls to Chriil ? §hter

16. Is the reading of a preaching on a paper from

pulp t any way agreeable to the apoftolic rule? %uer

ro Do you fee or find in all the New Tcftament tha

Chrift or his apoftles gave orders to go and read th

gofpe!, but to preach it ? Lnftly, Do you think tha

this procedure docs not offend fome of thefe his littl

ones, and do you not obferve the. woe pronounced

But to return ;

The Synod of Glafgow and Ayr, April 10, 1781 took up the reference, at which compeared Mr Re bertfon of Parkhill, as Agent and Commi/Tioner fc the Patron and Prefentee ; and for the Parifh, Joh Ritchie, John Adam, and James Smith, heritor James and William Cathbcrtfon, elder?, Alexaod* Cemmel, Robert Lutilop, Robert Y/ardrcp, Ada)

Mi!.<-

( >n ) 3

MilW^f .John Falton, and John Blackwood, heads dt families. Parties on both fides being heard, fome of * the Parifh Cammiffioners fpoke at feme length, and to good purpc fe, upou that freedom o£ right purchaLd unto them by the church's Head, be.

April i i. the affair came to a decifion, ia which the vote was, Refer or Decide. It carried by a ma- jority, Decide. Upon which two motions were made: the firft, that the prelbytery of Irvine take Mr Boyd on trials, and proceed to his fet dement : the fecond, that as there was no concurrence of a Call, be. the Synod fhould fift all procedure in the affair. The votes being called and marked, the laft carried by a majority. The decifion as it (lands in the minutes inns thus. fi And therefore the Synod do fill ail pro- cedure in this affair of the fettlement of Fiowick, un- derflandinq thereby that the Prefcntee is laid afide, and the prefbytery of Irvine are appointed to inform right honourable Patron of finwick of this fkp cfrthe Synod, and to beg of him to prefent de novo [' The parties being called, and this fentecce intimated, the Agent for the Patron protefted and appealed to the next General Affembly for redrefs of grievances, offering to give in his reafons of appeal in due time. — . Upon which, Mr Patrick Wodrow in Kisqwj name, and in the name of all who ihould adhere to him, dil- feared from the fentence, and craved liberty to com- plain againft the fame to the next General Ajfonbly; MuTrs. David Shaw, William Dalrymple, John Cou- per, John Wilfon, H. Graham, Matthew Biggarfg James Wodrow, Wm. M'Gill, and Alexander Hut- chifon, minifters. Whereupon they took intlrumeots in, the clerk's hand, promiGng to give in their rcn! in due time. The Synod appointed MeiT.s. William Auid, Alexander Moodie and John II u (Tel to * anfwers to thele when given *•

Accor-

* As for the r?afon?of c:* thing worth noti:e

in them is touched a little in the coofidering the objcfH-

cej

C " ]

Accordingly the affair came before the Aflembly, M\y 30th, 1781 Both parties being heard, a mo- tion was made to rev^rfe the fentence of the Synod, aai remit the caufe to the prefbytery of Irvine to take in, and confider what udditional concurrence may be offered, and ufc thtir beft endeavours to reconcile the parifli to the Preientee, and. thereafter to proceed to the fertlement according to the rules of the church. Another motion was made, u To rcverfe the fentence of the Synod, — *nd fufhin the concurrence with the Prefentee> and appoint the prefbytery of Irvine to pro- ceed toward the fetrleraent of Mr Boyd with all con- venient {peed." — The AiTembly, without a vote, a- grc^d to reverb the Synod's fearence. The queflton was, Appoint or Remit; it being underftood that Appoiot cairied the fecond motion, and Remit the firiV It carried, Appoint. So the fecond motion was adopted, proceed to the fettlement with all con- venient fpeed, <bc.

From this judgment, the following members dif- fered, viz. Or Hunrer, Edinburgh; Dr Johnfton, North Leith ; MefT. Spankie, Falkland ; Buchanan, Stirling ; Davidion, Kippen ; Kemp, Edinburgh : Dumbar, Dunning ; Johnfton, Holywood ; Paul, Newbottle ; Walker, Cramond ; Ca)d, Cray ; Mar- tin, Monymid ; Wright, Trinity-galk ; Snodgrafs, Dundee ; Bryce, Log'e ; and Port Jardine, Bathgate ; Mochrie, C>!inond ; Nifbet, Montrofe ; Williamfon, Frowall ; Forloog, Ruiher^len ; Robertfon, Kirk- canel ; ThomfoD, Ornock ; Lyon, S'rathrniglo ; Lundie, Old Hamitocks : Dalgliefh, Ferry; Puriten, Craigs, mioifters. Bailie Miller, Canongate ; Bailie Orr, Paiflcy ; bailie Button, Dunfermline; bailie Walker, elders. An abbreviate of the reafons of dif- fent here follows.

" r. Be*

©nsin the followiigletter ; and For the arfwers, I could not obtain them, the only copy beiftg left in Edinburgh.

C 23 3

u 1. Becaufe the fentecce of the Afiembly fbflaia- log the Call to Mr Boyd, is contrary to the eflentiai forms and eftablifhed praflice of the church. There was Dot a fingle fubfcriptjoo adhibited to the paper intituled and produced as a Call Four letters from non refiding heritors were indeed laid before the Af- fembly, two of which were never judged of by the in- ferior courts ; and though the ether might have been admitted in aid of fubferiptions to a call, they could, in no confiftency either with equity or common fcakf be fuftained as a call, or received as an evidence of a concurrence, where no call exifted.

M 2. Becanfe, though there had been no obje&ioo in point of form to the call of the Prefentee, the fen- tence appointing the prefbytery of Irvine to proceed to thefettlcmcnt is in our opinion both unconftuu^o* nal and inexpedient. Itjprocceds on the concurrence of four non refidiag heritors without any regard to upwards of forty refiding heritors, to the whole el. . ders of the parifh, and to the great body of the pec- pie ; all of whom feem firmly united in oppnfing the Prefentee. To proceed immediately to the fettlcmect has a manifeft tendency to rivet theoppofition, and to render Mr Boyd completely ufclefs and unhappy as a xninifter of Finwick.

" 3. Becaufe, to have remitted the ciufe to the prefbytcry of Irvine in its prefent (late, as was propol- ed, with ioftructions to receive fuch concurrence as might yet be offered, err. raigfct have produced the beft efFedte on the future comfort, rdpeft and ufe- fulnefs of Mr Boyd in the pariih of Finwick.

fl 4. Becaufe the fentence is calculated to fupport and carry ou m:afures in the fettlement of roiuiftcr,, which, in our opinion, have a manifeft tendency to alienate the minds of the people of Scotland from the eftablifhed church, and to deftroy the credit and in- fluence of the eftablifhed clergy.

u 5. Becaufe fentences of this kind muft, in our apprchenfion, put an end to the confidence of the

people

people in the fnpremcecdefiaftical court, r.nd cf con* ftquence weaken the authority and effects of its dc.

The CommifTioncrs from Fimvick, John Ritchie, James Cnthb:rtfon, and Alexander Gemmil, cofcld not help thinking their caufe to be, in no fmall cegr e, injured by feveral members in this AiTembly ; but that the character of the parifh of Finwick wa>, by none more encroached upon, than by their own coun- tryman the Moderator, who charged them with fcVc- ral things ar.ent Mr Reid, (feme of which have been only meutioncd in their proper place) the falfity of which they could have there proven, had he been fo manly as to have ftated them in due time, when, with Paul, they were permitted to anfwer for thefa- felves ; but their diet of hearing being now ov^r, behoved to content themfelves for the prefent with this or the like filent folution : " O lofatuarcd clergy- man, to Ihift or exchange the chair of verity for an attorney's place, that thou mightit play the advocate againft a poor people who had nothing but their in nocence ahd fimplicity to recommend them. O be fooled churchman, to fpend thy ftiength, and ex hauft thy eloquence upon fuch a poor, naughty, fc ditious, turbulent and infignificant people as thou re- prefenteft them to be. But, had they fet up for free will, maintained the tenets of Laelius or Fauftus Sb- cinus, and reprobated the doclrme of original fin, would they not h;ivc been by far more acceptable unto thee?"

At.thefirfl: prefbytery after the aflemhly, except fome leafuniug, nothing more was tranfafted wi'h rc-

fpeft

f It were n?ed!efs her? to ebfervcunto acy think ir^g perfon, that although tkefe icafewi are in p,eneral mun, y*>t they nrver enter into the merit of the caufe, the wsrd of God, the reformed fl^ndirds of the church, the f) bt Ch rift's pucch&fe, or ih \ Zt *>'< rt - a. .

primitive and b«ft uv

( *J )

fpeft to the affair. At the next prcibytery, Aaguft 14th, the Commiffioners from the paiiffi got no hear- ing, becaufe they faid they had no right, the 2ffnr being ordered back to them from the Aflembly — • So they took Mr Boyd upon trial, in order for fet|Je. ment, Mr RufTil and other four elders difTented, and protefted againft this ; but to no purpofe. O&ober ad, ^he prefbytery again met, and heard Mr Boyd de- liver a difcourfe; the minifters all approved of it, which was the fubftance of all the was done in this matter at this prefbyter y.

At the two fubfequent prefbyteries, little occurred in the affair, excepting fomc reafoning, or rather ban- ter, betwixt fome members of presbytery and Fin« wick Commiffioners ; only Mr Boyd's trials went on. Eutat the next presbytery, March 19th, they told the Commiffioners, that, according to former agree- ment, Mr Boyd (hould no more come to Finwick to preach, till he got a letter figned by fome number of the pariOi for that purpofe. But in the afternoon's federant, they took Mr Boyd on his private trials, unto which all the Commiffioners, except the pref- bytery elder from Finwick, were refu fed accefs. His trials being over and approved, they agreed, that Mr Brisbane in Dunlop (hould go to Finwick upon Sab- bath come a fortnight, in order to ferve his edift, and the time of his ordination referred to next meeting cf presbytery.

• Accordingly Mr Brisbane fulfilled his appointment by ferving this (ham pretended edlfl, whereby the parifh were ordered to give in what objections they had againlt the life and do&rine of Mr Boyd to the next presbytery ; which was to be heldatlrvinevjprni the 7th of May following. A Committee being, by the appointment of a meeting of the parifn, ordered to draw up their objettiens,— ^the parifli of Finwick had no opportunity to know what Mr Boyd's life and praftice is ; and, for bis do&rine, they could not, iu ewfeieuce, go to bear ir, neither could thole who did D atfnd

( =6 )

attend, by reafon of his low voice In delivery, nnder- ilaod properly whether it was truth or error. There- fore they coadefcended upoQ the following particu- lars.

ljl, That he does not enter in by the door ap- pointed by the church's Head, that is, the free choice, call and confent of his pcopte -r but rather by the will and laws of man ; and therefore we cannot look upoa him as a lawful, fent minifter of Jefus Chrift f- ^°d» fays the Lawgiver himfelf, Whofoever entereth not in by the door, but dimheth up fame other way% the fame ts a ihirj and a robhtr. And without the confent of both parties no paftoral relation can be fixed betwixt a peo- pie and a paftor. A

Second objeftion ct reafon why the parifh of Fin- wick cannot accept of Mr Boyd for their minifter i*, Becaufe he reads, and does not preach the gofpel. For proof or illuftration of this, every intelligent per- fon knows, that reading the word is one thing, and preaching the gofpel is another. We have this com- miflion, to go and preach repentance and remiffion of Jhi% fometimes mentioned in the Old Teftameut, and often in the New. But ihew us one word of precept from the one end of divine revelation to the other, of a commlflion to go and read the gofpd. Several rcafons might be given in fupport of this ; as, that fuch as read are always of a low voice j and ofrimes more iiraiteued in the matter, as trufUng too oftea more to their notes than the afliih&ce and enlarge- ment of the Spirit. But what need is there of rea- foss ? It is the will and command of him who is the futn and fubftance of the gofpel Hfelf, to go and preach the gofpel, — Go ye into all the ivorld, and preach the gofpel to every creature. This alone may be a fuffi- ctent ground of plea for all his myftical members in the church militant. A

Third

t See this ohjeftion more follv proven in the following Jitter.

( 27 )

Third reafon Js, that, by reafoo of his weak voice and low way of fpeaking, we cannot hear what he reads or delivers, and fo can be no ways advantaged by it. For proof of this, faith comet h by hearing; bur no hearing, no faith ; for how can cne be pro- fited, while he is not able to make fenfe of one fen- tence to an end ? This can be little better than fpeak- ing in an uoknown tongae, or a founding brafs or a tinkliog cymbal. Several other objuftions might have been given, fuch as, the fettlement in the pre- fent circumftances will be inccnfifteot with the glory of God, the intereft of the gofpel, the edification of the parifh, the peace and harmany of others: As alfo, that Mr Boyd's conduft ali along has difcovercd that it is mercenary gain, the fbecc, rather than the flock that he defirt<?; (which isjuA the contrail of the character and difpofition of every true gofpei- feat roinifler), otherwife he would never have conti- nued this ftruggle to thrufl: himfelf in upon this pa- rifh, maugre all oppofition.

The above objections were given in to to the faid presbytery, may 7th, and by them heard and confideredj but were fo far from being fuftained, that fome of the members feemed clear for his ordi- nation, and even upon that day. However, it was by them agreed unto, to refer it to the enfuing Ge- neral AfTembly. And though it is difficult to fay, as things £0 now, what realons or objections really will be fuftained by the judicatories of the eftablifhed church againft a clergyman, one of their own deno- mination ; yet it is hoped, that the above, though properly neither of life nor dedhine, will (land the teft of God's word, and be fuftaincd as fufficient and relevant objections by all ferious and thinkiog peo- ple who have not loft all fight and fenfe of their jpfl rights, privileges and reformation principles.

Upon the former declfion of the piesbytery, the

pariih of Finwick appointed three of their number to

attend the General Afrembly, as thcif CQiriifo:fiioner$t

D 2 viz*

( 28 )

viz. William Cuthbertfon, elder, Robert Wardrop, heritor, and Aleiander Gemmil, to reprefent the heads of families i And, that no (lone might be left unturned, in order to obtain their juft aad rea- fooable defire, they agreed upon a petition or repre- fcptation of their grievance as the laft refource, to be given in by their commiflioners, the fum of which is as follows :

That they have been long deftitute of a paftor by having probationers prefented which they cannot own as their minifter ; that no docliioe can be ufe- ful from a perfon without concurrence, and who has difcovered no peaceable difpofition by accepting and holding faft a prefentation, when there is no gofpel door opened whereby he can get accefs unto the pa- rifli : when a man acts fo directly againft the intereft of the gofpel, the intereft and advantage of precious fouls, and his own profefTed principles and engage- ments, a congregation's diffenting from his fettlement upon thefe grounds, cannot be accounted caufelefe pre- judice : And, beyond all, it is the general com- plaint of this congregation, that, ty reafon of his weak voice and low way of fpeaking, they cannot hear him in the church of Finwick, and fo cannot be profited thereby, when they cannot make fenfe of a fentence to an end, be. And as there is a propofal of petitioning the parliament for the removal of pa- tronage, it is hoped the General Aflembly will not proceed, but rather reverfe the fentence of the laft aflembly; for, h.»ve not violent fettlements been the fatal fource of all thefe divlfions ? 6c. And we humbly crave, that you will not ftill purfue fuch meafures, ss muft inavoidably terminate in the difc-| latiou of this place of worfhip, and in the increafe of I diforder and cenfufion in the church of Scotland m| general, and in this part of the country in particu- lar. Let it not be faid, that the judicatories of the church, onto whofe immediate care and guardianftiip the religious privileges and iateidt of the people are

commiued

( 29 )

committed, are the only authors of hardfhips and grievances.

The above petition being marked by the commit- tee of bills, was, on the 29th of May, brought before the General AfTembly; and, after fome rea- foning thereon, was difmifTed as ioadmiilible ; as was alfo a memorial from the prelbytery of Irvine, praying, that the alTembly would, on account of the great oppofition which appeared in the parifli of Fin- wick to the fettlement of Mr William Boyd, ap- point a committee of their number to ordain him. The afTembly after fome debate came to the follow- ing ftate of the vote, '* enjoin the prelbytery to pro- ceed to the fettlement of Mr Boyd on or before the 25th of June next, and order all the members to at- tend ; or, on account of the fnuaricn of affairs in the parilh, delay the fettlement, that the prelbytery may have time to endeavour to conciliate the minds ct the people. It carried Enjoin by a majority of 72 againfl 49." And here the commiflioners from Fin wick found, that the members from their own prelbytery employed their parts fo well in favours of Mr Boyd's abilities and charaftcr, and to their prejudice and difadvantage, as made feveral of the members con- clude they were no indifferent friends to patronage. Shortly after this, the parifh received a kind cf mil- five defigned by the title of a written obligation fub- fcribed by Mr Boyd, declaring that he would allow them the choice of any licentiate after his ordination to preach in the pari(h church of Finwick, ana, to cnconr;ige them, give 15 1. of his flipends for his maintainance : That he, the faid Mr Boyd, fl\ou!J not infift on preachiDg there for four months after his crdiuation, &c. and after that, only once in the fortnight or three weeks ; Thai ho fhall ftllow I •fliftant toexch.tr.ee pulpits with any mioifter in the presbytery for difcharging the facraments of baptUm aad the Lord's Cupper; and that any perion orho

mjy

( fc )

nny have a child to . fhontd, upon a line of

their character from the elder, make application to a- ny miniftcr in the picsbytery for this privilege with- out application to him. Thefe offers, howevtr plau- at firft view, plainly import, that Mr Boyd real- s convinced, that his lettlcment was an injury ' h ; or elfe he was about to grant them nci her defirioguor deferviog: and weoM hive, in the like circum- -, tho&ght thi^ a ge&frotis offer ; yet thefe pro- pofj!s they absolutely refuf:d : for they thought they la ftrbggfe in oppofing pitv \ pitrfta's Curate for a kind of Bilhop, di(F:rence, that thofe who now occupy fho'p pay all the curate's h once a year or a quarter if they pleaie bat this paltry BiQiop would only pay apart, and it. Bat to 30 on ; Up^n joflc 1 8i!i the prelb/tery of Irvine took the affair again in hand. Some members were for having Mr RjjJ urdiiaed there that day; for, the longer -d, it would be the worfe. Others were for it deferred till that day right days, that thepatrod and abient members mi^t all attend upon previous : given then, aad that it ihould be at Irvine. The rcafon advanced f By a member, was,

thbogh they needed be in no timidity, having the civil law for a fere n or fliield ; £ct they did not choofe to pur themfelfc* in danger, or that any dif- iid be raifed to imped: the fettlement : to I] they fioally agreed ; and Mr Brifbine was to a him. From this fentence, that it was to beat J » vine, the moir pnt of the elders diffented, and took indrnmeuts in (he and all the tl I t.

rxcept one, ditlinted from his being ordained to Fin» ire But this difleot Wis refufed by . tl.ty Lid, it was not their , but the a(Te Accordingly, all

tie members of pre<by:ery, except Meflis, witband

and

( 3i )

and FullertoD, met id the couccif-chamber in the tolbooth houfe in Irvine, June 25th, and to grace the folemnity, from different presbyteries attended MffTrs. Thom2$ Clark, Egieftaji, John WTlfoc, Niirton, John Cooper, Lochwanch, and Rubers Boig from Paifley. Some few of the people of wick attended; fome cfwhom git in ; otheis had the door caft id their faces. According to th; attef- tatioD of thofe prefenr, * after reading the ailem- bly's appointment for their warrant, on j the t-sioutc of lafl presbytery with the diiTcru of Alexaade 1 I inuir, Andrew Brown, <bc. from o; theia

proceedings, without the formality of i 1 or a«

cy other ceremony, they proceeded to his ordination \ \ and that one man might not have all the honour of ifuch a npbfe, at leaft fingular, action, Mr Dow pur j the queftions in ordinary unto him ; Mr Lang - Largs prayed and laid hand firft upon him ; and !Mr Lawrie, the moderator, gave him his dire£ jby way of exhortation ; wherein, .imcsgft ( ithings, he exhorted him to faithfulocfs ia the jcharge of his duty, reminding him of the fai [watchman mentioned in Ezek, xxxiii. (sc. and faij, j though your cafe, fir, be not fo defirable as you and I we could have wiQied, yet you mud take ecu (for the days will come, when people wjljj not tr\ \found doflrine, having itching ears. Mr Max'vel Ifaid, there are fome of Finwick folk here, fir ; you imay give them their directions ; to whom Mr Lawrie jaofwered, if they be Mr Boyd's intended hearers, 1 lhave no objeclioo ; but if otherways I have nothing to do with them.

The action being over, the moderator <iflced the ;members, what cenfure fliou'd be inflifted noou Mr Bii(bane for not attending ? Mr Lai a fpeech (hewing that he had

\ Tljis relation i* in fch'V1 ©t thefe, who were C) - and : *

i:

( 3* )

ther, and moved, that a committee be appointed to commooe with him ; that, if he confeiTed his fault, he might again be received into the bofom of the church. Whether it was this mafterly fpeech, or i the joy of having got foch a remarkable folemnity r over, and with whole fkins, th^t made him laugh at fitting down, I cannot fay ; but his motion was not agreed unto ; but that Mr Brifbace and Mr Fullerton ^ fhould be pafTed, and Mr Boyd inrolled minifler of Finwick in the prefbytery book, and notice foot the ct Comraiffiou, that the ordination was over ; and fa the conclave concluded. All this was done with ^ fuch expedition, that the Pnortnefsof the time would be almoft incredible to relate,

The church of Finwick had (excepting the Sab bath that the pretended edict was ferved) been now thirty feven weeks without fermon — And therefore Mr Boyd the firft Sabbath but one after his ordinati- on made his appearance there. He had for his at fendants Mr Boig from Paiflcy, and fome people there from Kilmarnock and other places, which made up his fraall congregation *. But there was not one adult perfon in the parifli attended, except the bea- dle, who now labours under the dotage and inconve- niences of old age. The church doors, having pre- vioufly undergone a certain operation, could, by nc induftry of any man in the company, be got opened which made them at laft get in at a window, to gel fome of the doors unbolted and opened to make way for the refl of the company. It is alfo faid, he had a kind of officer or cooilable from Stewarton : whether he came for a life guard, while he went in proceiTion round the church, or out of curioGty, like fome of the reft, I cannot determine. However, there was no difturbance ; but they entered about 12 of the

dock.

* Somefty, there w*re in wbolr 40 or 50, and fome 7c or 80 pcrfons ; but 1 ru?e no; heard the voi\trc r. la yet ascertained.

clock, made two difcourfes, one from Ifa. ix. 6. the other Luke ii. 10. and by 3 o'clock, the interval in- cluded, all was over. After which they went off. Here was the conclulion or upfhot of a procefsot near three years exiftence and dependence, and a very odd one too. And a^4I have all along kept fo clofe by the text of the hiftory, excufe and bear with me a little, while I fiiut up the whole narrative with a few re- marks by way of obfervation.

Obs. 1. According to the directory for eleclioa of minifters, 16-49, ^e prtfbytery is to fend preach- ers for trial to the vacant congregations, and if they defire others, they are to procure them unto them. But here the parifli of Finwick could have, upon their utmoft interceffion, a hearing of none but the patron's Prefentees, and not them neither, till they had the prefentation in their por,ket.

Obs. 2. In the 7th and 9th of the queftiens a- greed upon by the General AfTembly 1711, which every miniiler engages to at his ordination, " Have you ufed no undue methods — in procuring this Gall ? Do you accept and clofe with this Call I" &c. plain- ly import, that every ordained minifter muft have a Call |. Bin here was one ordained to a parifli with. out the leait fubfeription of a Call from one individual inhabitant in it.

Obs. 3. In the form of church government con- tained in our Standards, which every minifler in the eftablifhed church mud acknowledge, if they owa themielves Prelbyterian, it is twice declared, •* That do man is to be ordained for a particular congregati- on,— if they can fhew juft caufe of exception agayift him." Agieeable to that aft of the General AfTembly 1736, which ordains, " That none fhall be intruded iato anv parifli contrary the will of the congreg:;: E I

t UnJefc they read Prefentation inftead ci call, 38 1$ af- firing was doLC at this ordination.

( 34 )

But here one throft in, maugre the will of the pa rifh and all objections and oppofitioo whatfoever.

OBs.4. According to the above- mentioned forrr of church government, every minifler is to be ordain ed in that church wherein he is toferve in pre-fence 01 the congregation, \vh02re to teftify their w'liingocfi to accept of him. But here one was ordained not oo« )y in abfence of the people, but even fome eight miles diftant from the parilh church and great body of the eongrtgation.

Obs 5. In the directory for the ordination of mi- lifters it is ord-red, that there be a folemn fnfl day kept that day, and a fermon preached to the people concerning the office and duty of a minifler of Chrift. But here one fet apart to that office, without one word of fermon: and whether a faft was either by the prelbytery enjoined or kept, — themfelves can beft aa- fwcr.

O bs. 6. This fettlement feems all along to hive had the civil Canftion for its bafis, and ecclefiaftical a&s founded thereon to fupport it. — Id like manner, 3t appears they could have no agreeable accefs unto a- ny;church or place of public worfhip to inftal uiai in that office, otherwife they needed never have taken the town council houfe to it, the place appointed to agitate and difcufs civil and political matters.

Lqftly, The prefentee all along made his advances of admittance in by climbing the ladder of a prefenta- tfon, and by the windows of patronage, fimilar to which they were obliged to get in at the window be- fore they and he could find admittance into the pa- rilh church of Finwick. All thefe things coofidered, with more that I cannot flay here to notice, I doubt if there can be an inftance of a fcttlemeot in every eir- vumfhnce fimilar to this produced in Scotland fines the reformation from Popery, at leaf! under the phafes of Prefbyterian church government.

Upon the whole, had my work or defign been a vindication of the people of Finwick, and not a hifto-

( 35 ) 4cal narration of fa&s, which every way ferves the purpofe, I could have advanced a number of well- -rounded reflections in their behalf.-— However, if :he teftimony of a third party, who is noway concern- ed the affair can be fuftained, I ftiall conclude with aoticioga few of thefe accufations laid againft them. And

ijl, It has been obje&ed by the appellants and dif- fcoters from the Synod's fentence iaft year, That no- hing will fatisfy the people of Finwick, if they be lot allowed to aft as patron themfclves', and fo de- prive him of his right of prefenting altogether — And if juft, why not ? The parifti of Finwickf To far as I inow, make no pretence to invade the natural, ci- ri\ or religious rights of any man. They afk no uore than what the law of God, right reafon, ani me praftice of the primitive churches allow ; and that is, A voice or free choice in the call of theif own ilrinifter, which has been abfolutely refufed them. — And it would be no eafy talk to perfuade them, that the Earl of Glafgow or his tutors, have any other 'right of prefenting, than pofftffion, even by the cU Ivil laws now in force, until he or they produce bet- Iter documents than what they have yet done, except* jing force. It is galling, indeed, to be thus trod jopon by the fan&ion of an iniquitous law ; but to be thus denuded of their moft valuable privileges upoa it mere chimerical pretence, fhould it be found t6 be ifo, were altogether intolerable.

idly. It has been faid, That the people of Finwick ihave not only been unreafonable in their demands, •but troublefome to the judicatories of the church.— Well, what of all that ? if there is any error in this, ithey have been attached to the eftablifhed church even unto an extreme, and borne their infolence even to a fault, until they were in a manner fet 'adrift and dri- ven from her *. They went from one judicatory to E 2 ano-

* That 'he abnve i* no wanton charge, thrcwo out at •andora, plenty cf evidence dur'jig this frccefs can be pro- duced

( 3« )

another, in order to obtain their juft defires, and all without fuccefs ; for, to their mortification, they have been made to behold, that in the place tfjudg: merit \ wickednefs was there* So that their dilatory difpofnion procured them nothing but vexation of fpinr. And

Finally y It has alfo been fhrewdly infinuated by fome members of thefe church judicatories, that they are a fort of turbulent, conteutious and litigious per- sons. This needs little or no further refkfrion than this, That, as the fruits of faithful Mr Guthrie's mi- niftry, the people of Finwick, for a long time, were in general accounted a very fagacious and religious people ; many of whom, for their faithfulnefs, en- dured a feries of hardfhips, and fome even death it- felf, during the perfecuting period ; which, doubt** lefs, yet calls for a teftimony from their offspring and fucceflfjrs. At prefect, although there are good and bad in it, as in all other places, yet it may bo faid, they are generally a calm and civilized people, and a number ol judicious and, I hope, reKgious per- sons yet amongft them. And for tumult or confufioa, do doubt, they have had fome provocation for it : Opprejfwn (fays Solomon) makes a wife man mad : fo that in a thing of this nature fomething difagreeablc

duced : for inftance, t member of Synod hft year, ther< faid to fome of Finwick Commiflioners, " Defert from th< 41 church of Scotland, and get a minifter of your own, it

4f God's name, and pay him." Another, at the fame

time and elfewhere, faid, "He believed them two (M ** Reid and Mr Boyd) to be the beft or moft famous mint #v(lers in the church of Scotland ; and if he were to d'u 41 iult now, he could proceed to fettle the laft in Finwick.1 --But as it is the public caufe and inrereft ol religion have in view, and not particular perfons, 1 forbear mop of this kind at prefent . — onlv I cannot help thinking th- firft of thefe to be a profanation of God's name ; and fo the laft, if they are not privileged with more fit and fuitabl exercife in their dying moments than Mr Boyd's ordinandi voik was, I ;m afraid it will prove but fcry uncom.'ort able and undcfiiable work.

( n ;

isflill ready to nppear. But where has a parirti cor*- tended as long, and with as little popular diflurbance, excepting the attempts of a few boys, of which there has been made no fmall handle againf! them ? But who in Finwick approves of fuch a condodl ? Every thinking perfon knows, that this is no proper way to redrefs their grievances, or to avail themfelves of their proper right and privileges ; for the wrath of man Ksrkcth net the right ectifncfs of GA.

And in a word, ffrew us a parifh that has fluck fp long together. What the termination of the matter may be as to religious fentiments,f I cannot fay: God alone can determine ; and time muft declare it. No doubt, they will be broke : fome will fall in again, and fome go to different parties, and perhaps fome to little or nothing, as in other parifhes who labour un- der the inconveniences and woeful coafequences of

patronage. May the Lord himfelf, one of whofe

titles and properties is, the Wonderful Ccunjel/cr, give them counfel and direction, in this critical moment, unto what (hall be for his own glory, teed to the good of the church, and their own comfort and eternal fal- vatioo at lafl:.

N, B. Mr

f As to this, rrom a meeting lately held in the parKh a- boat a fupply of preaching there have ariien various coa- jeclurtj and reports. The true ftate of the matter, as re- lated by the principal managers, feems to be ihis : That, as they had been Icng deftitute of the preached gofpel it was prcpoied, the minority mould fubmit to the majority in :heir choice in the call of afupply of preaching for fome months. In the mean time, every perfon was at liberty to fearch the different teitimenies, and to join that party unto which their own confeiences by the word of Gcd was direcled. — And when that time was elapfed, the minority might cither bring in their choice for preaching in orde* of courfe, or take the minds of the people in general again.

This paragraph is attefted under the hand? of the Pre-

fes and Ckrk of that meeting, and deiircd to be icfcrtei here.

( ?8 )

M. B. Mr Boyd and fome of his well-wifliers, July 2 i. made then fecond appearance at the church of Fiowick. The beadle, it is faid, delivered 1 ina up the keysi tnd retard to officiate any lopger. However, there could le noadmittance at either d;;or of wind: -w. Tins made t hem get an ax and hammer, and break an outer cafe of a window to get in The congregation was com* piled at forae 30 or 40. Here two things arc obfcrvable, fome of |Re6 i.nall congregations, both days, ieemed none of the bed either in cha* rafter o: b.haviour •, as alio, fome boys acted fuch a put this lall day, as no good man, 1 fup- pofe, will or uo approve of.

PA TRO-

I 39 1

P A T R ON AGE

A N A T O M J Z £ D, tffcn

Christian Brethren,

HAVING, with form degree ofpleafure, heard of yonr unanimous and ftedfafk refufal, once and again, to concur in the moderation of a Call to the pretended patron's Prefeni.ee, on account of his not intending to enter by the door, Chrift, that is, the call and invitation cf his fleck, bnt climbing upby virtue of aprefenration another way unto the legal benefice of the paulh of Finwick : which at once robs Chrift of his authority, sad his peop'e of their privileges. Therefore, in all humility, 1 would offer thefe few things following unto your confideratioa : not that I take you to be altogether ignorant of the evil nature, and bad tendency, or confequences of Patronage; but that you may be the mere and confirmed in ibeju-fl , wheretp

you have been for fome time embarked ; for, fays the apoftle, it is ago'jd thing that the heart be ejiablifbea^ Hcb. xiii. 9. And

First, In gen1.- ,\(ct That the

Lord Jefus Chri ounder of

lis church. Zh< limielt ; — for c:

<> laid, t , \ Co:

•

( 40 )

ieonftitution, liws and government, that Hie can adl mit of nopouiblc or fuppofable defect to be fuppli©! by the pretended wifdom and authority of men, with out the bigheft reflection and encroachment upon tb| wifdom and honour of him who is her great Head King and Lawgiver- — And as all her Ordinances, rule and policy are of divine inflitution, fo it mu-ft inevi tably and undeniably follow, that her origin is frotr heaven ; and therefore wholly exempted from th will, pleafure and authority of men to make fuch a! terations, laws and innovations in her cooftitution, a may prove molt fubfervient and conducive to their owi carnal intereft and local circumftances.^-She i$ on of the moft free and dignified focieties on earth. I; point of privilege {he "u called, — The city of the grea king : —beautiful for Jituation, the joy of the whole cart is mount Zion :- — hefhall choofe our inheritance for m the excellency of Jacob whom he loved : — walk abou Zion, and go round ; tell the towers thereof ; mark he bulwarks ; confuler her palaces i — for the Lord hat, chofen Zion, he hath dc fired her for his habitation^-* Pfalm xlviii. 2, 12. and exxxii. 13. How crimina mufl it thxn be for any fct of men, whether fecula powers, patrons, or apoftatizing church-men, to in vade or alienate any of her rights and immunities purchafed at no lefs a rate than the coftly and preci ous fhed blood of the eternal Son of God, who cam into the world, not only to ranfom and redeem he from the curfe of a broken law covenant, thedomini on of fin, and the intolerable yoke of Jewifh preicrip tions, — hut alfo to free her confeience from ever command and impofition of men, repugnant unto th laws of her fovercign Head ? And as it mnfl be rebel lion in the higheft degree ; yea, an invading of God1 throne, for afpiring mortals to ufurp the churcH' light, and make merchandise of what is not really ii their power to take or give away ; fo, I think, th confideration of this may be an enforcing argurocn and incitement to every true confefTor in Ghrift's king

don

( 41 )

(Jem, carn?ftly to contend for every branch of the :hurcb's right and their Chriftian liberty, efpecially at this critical juncture, when a fet of wicked gentry md corrupt church- men feem to have fo combined and confpired agaioft the Lords anointed and his heri- tage, that nothing will gratify their avarice and am- bition, unlefs they have the whole rights and liberties of the church engrofled into their hands, to difpofe, cut and carve thereon at pleafure. — Bur, fays the a- poftle, Let us (land f aft in the liberty -wherewith Chri/f bath made us free, and be net entangled again uith the yoke tf bondage, Gal. v. i. But

i

Secondly, And more particularly, I might brief- y Ibew you, that patronage is incoafiflent with fcrip- ture, without foundation there,~fubverfiveof ChrifVs kingly authority and efTeQtial qualities of his kingdom,

dcftrucYive to the natural rights of mankind, — ini- mical to the practice of the church in her primitive and pureft times,— objured in our covenants, — con- trary to right reafoo, — Jeftitutc of good order, — and of woeful confequences. And,

\ft, It is inconfiftent with divini infpiration, as is evident from many texts of fcripture, particularly thefe few following : — In thefe days Peter flood up in the midjlofthe difcipleSy and /aid, (The number of the names -were about an hundred aud twenty) A£rs i. 15. And they appointed (or pre/ented9 as Beza tranllates it) twot that is, u openly and by the voice of all the whole company,5' as he comments upon the word in the Uid Geneva tranflation : — with chap. vi. 2. Then the twelve called the multitude of difciples unto then, that is, the heads of the congregation of the Chriflia.s in Jcrufalem, and /aid, Wherefore, brethren, i: tut amongft you /even men of honeft report \ &c. "The pcrlons mutt be duly qualified ; the people r:rc to choofe, and the apottles to ordain. &c." a? Mr Hen- ry expounds the text, which muft hold good in choof* ing miniflers as well as deacons. Arid io ch-p. xiv. F 23,

( A* )

23. And when they had ordained, (or as the Dutch <J vines translate the words, If hen they in every ihurc. with lifting up of hands , had cfxfen them elders ; < more literally according to the Greek, They ordainink by the joint fuff rages of the people % prefbyters in ever\\ - church J. In confirmation of which, fays the apoftlci 2 Cor. viii. 18. But who was alfo chofen of the churchy to travail with us ; on which the faid Dutch divine! annotate thus : ,f The Greek word properly fignifiel a choice, which is made by lifting up or ftretchioi forth of hands ; fo that Paul had not only ordaincl this perfon himfelf hereunto, but alfo the churcbtl of Macedonia, &c." After whofe example, if w ihall credit the primitive hiftorian, theapoftles, difci' pics, kinfmen of Chrift, with one voice, choofe, 01 judge worthy Simeon Cleophas to fucceed James th Jul* to be Bifhop or Prefbyter of Jerufalem. — [J the fame manner wasone Alexander called to the (arm place, Anno 213*.

I might alfo add feveral proofs from the 0!d Tcf-

tament, would time and paper not forbid me. 1

Therefore, once for all, obferve, Dcut. i. 13. Take ye unto you wife men and underjlanding, &c. And, though this refpedb civil rulers and moral powers, yet can any rational being conceive that people iu choofing their fpiritual rulers {which refpefts both faith and manners, and the means of their falvatioo) fhould bz deprived of that privilege which political, flate* do enjoy ! — And, as for practice or example, ue find Solomon, Jehoalh, Hezekiah, Jofiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, &c. endowing, building and repairing the I temple at Jertlfalem ; and the centurion that built! the Jews a fynagogue : but, pray, did ever any of J thefe claim a power (and far lefs their heirs or affigns)] to nominate, prefent, or appoint priefts or teachers to officiate in thefe places of worfhip i f

2dly,\

* VideEufcbius Eccl. hift. Jib. 3. chap. it. aod lib. 6 * cbap 7

.f For this fee The plea of Scotland agaifeft Patron.^, page 5, *.

( 43 )

j 2diy9 As patronage is inconfiftent with fcriptu-:?, ! q it muft be a ftruflure reared up without the lend rountenance or foundation there. Forf from the : rreation of the world to the fealing of fciipture can- non, we find but three inftituted ways of appointing "Jnen uoto this office : i. God's nomination and im« ^nediate call ; %• Natural generation ; and 3. The Ipeople's call and election. But Scots patronage has ;rjo foun

j , *wWndation in any of thefe. Where flxall we thea .^od its origin ? Why, you will find it in the oki. Topifh cannon of the fee of Rome, and in the 10th. Jlf Ann. cap. 12. Which laws, having no better foundation than the arjtichriftian fupremacy of Rome -md Eugland, will juft as well free and relieve bcxh. ''"jranter and accepter of prefentations from the charge fB manifold encroachment upon, and facrilegious >obbiog the church of her juft rights, as the law %f the Jews could exempt their Sauhedrin aad their *)igh priefts from the awful charge of the murder of ;:he church's head, when they faid, We have a lawr 'tnd by our hw he muft die.

idly, Every fpecies of patronapc is fubverfive of fChrift's kingly authority, &c. I could produce a, 'number of inf.ances to demonflrate this; but (hall ,5' :onfine myfelf to what follows :

1. The Lord Jefus Chrift, by virtue of bis being ^IKiogand Head of his church, has the fole power of jjippointing office bearers therein: And he gave feme

\ipofiles, and feme prophets, and feme evangt lifts, and ^\fvne paftors and teachers. But here the patron takes •the throne, and nominates and appoints whom he ; thinks proper for that employment and office. \ 2. His kingdom is a fpiritual and independent king.- J dom. Chrift himfeif is the fole lawgiver thereof. —

The Lcrd is our judge % the Lord is our lawgiver, &c. 1 But here the patron's power is efhhlifhed by law : he

has no more to do but to fay unto this r^an, Got and

he goeth, and unto another, come, and he cometh.

Fa 3- The

( 44 )

3- The authority of Chrift removes all fuperiortty and diftinftions in his kingdom : all are on a level \ and fo will be before th( tribunal of the great Judge of the quick and dead. — Submit ycur/ehes vnto cm anct^r it: the fear of Gcd. But here lordly patron* by virtue of their pretended right, aflume a com« rnanding power over both the bodies and foals a: men.

4. Patronage not only fubverts Chrift's kingly au thority, but inverts the order of things in his fpi ritual kingdom : For, antiently, the term Patror was applied to the perfon who manumitted a flave and who in confederation of the favour, required fom certain acknowledgment from the freed perfon #; 0 one who protected or defended the caufe of the poo er injured, again ft fuch as oppreffed them. — Now Chrift himfelf has purchafed his church's freedor with his blood. He is alfo her advocate with th Father : and fo, in both fenfes, her heavenly ?a tron. So that fhe cannot, in point of her fpiritu. privileges, admit of another in hearen or in earth. - It is true, as fhe confifts of men and Chriftians, ft eftimes Hands in need of the patronage or protcftic of civil authority, both in matters civil and religious but, in this, they have no juft power to injure her i her proper rr;ht, either as men or Chrifti^ns. Bi here our Scots patrons have inverted the order ; fc inftead of defending her in her juft rights, they ha reduced her unto a ftate of abjeft flavery aod bo dage.

4ihly% As patronage is fubverfive of ChrifVs kin ly authority, fo it is deftro&ive of the natural rigr of mankind, the privileges of a free bora people, ai the laws of every well regulated fociety. For

1. Every rational perfon, come to year? of <Jifipi tion, has a juft right and natural power to choofe thi ou'a phyfician, lawyer, tradefman, fervant, con

# Compend, Jur, Impcrat. Juft. lib. i. tiv X7, it*

( 45 )

(font, or peculiar friend. Nay, he rauft be the befl judge by whom he is moll profited. I had almoft faid, better by experience, than the college of phyfi- cians, or of advocates either. Nor will the furnifti- ingof the phyfr?ao at the public expence, or ihe giv- ing of the medic es enervate this right, as may foo- lilhly be argued f. But here the moft judicious and knowing focietics of Chriflians are accounted, by the votaries of patronage, a giddy-headed mob. Give them no voice in political matters ; deprive them of their religious liberty : then what next ? Make them cyphers, and reduce them to a flate of infancy, or i- deotifm, which is worfe, feeing they can make no choice for themfelvcs.— Would any patron or minifier take it well, if any Chriflian, or all the hundreds ia a pariih, (upon whom they impofe) would prefume. to let them know, that they could not choofe their own chaplain, or waking-man, children's tutor or teacher :— they would do it for them. Sure they would not.

2. Hath not every free fociety a right to choofe or eleft their own members or office bearers ? And why fhould the church, which is one of the moft indepen- dent focieties under heaven, be precluded from this privilege, (by one, and only becaufe io provi- dence he was born heir of an eftate) a privilege which other free republics and corporations do enjoy ? — • Have they not as good a right to choofe their fpiritu- al guides, as to read their Bibks ? Hath not he who fays, Search the /captures, faid alfo, Faith cometh by bearing ; and how Jhall they heir without a preacher ? and how /ball they preach without they be fen t ? And can there be a lawful million without a call from God and his people i

3. Scots f Champion ficclair made an attempt to tTrphy his hpj lents oq this topic spsinft the people at the laft Alfcmbly, bit was ib unfortunate (as the moil nait of its advocates arc) that, ir.ftead of (raking it un<rU'erab!e, he rendered his Hloftrauoo ndiotlots, meriting only an aufwer of fOQttmpt,

( 4« )

3- Scots patronage U cor only defhuftive of the natural rights or mankind, but it tils fhort of the true nn*im of patronage itfelf, or even what the caauon Ihv requires as its foundation in other coun- viz, Patrcnum faciunt djsf aJificatio, fundus. He who ttakc? the grant, or buiirfs or endows a church, lias a light to prclent to the right of the -Now, iUe puifh churches in Scotland are not built by the pattons alone, nor are they endowed cut of any one private cfhue in the pariih : nay, nor even from the rents of rhc ( rpwo ; for the crown can- Dot alienate this without ccrofent of parliament. — But the building of churches and manfes, the be Ao wing of glebes and /riptods, &c. are a burden which, by law, equally affects all the heritors of the parifh — Thtir pockets can be the bed vouchers of this. So that all the tight a patron has in Scotland, rauft be, that he was born heii to, or putchafed fuch an elhte with money, and fo holds it of antient pofTeflion or cufloin ; for the tithes were declared, by aft of par- liament 1567. to be the patrimony of the church : and feeing they bJong to God and his church, Jure divino, it might be a qiuftion, how far it can be law- ful, if lawful at all, for any lay-man to difpofe of them at pleafure.

But, further, I might ofeferve, fuppofiog Scots patrons had once had a proper right (which we can- not rationally conceive they had) for it is long fince they forfeited th^ir title to that right; for, accord- ing to the caaoontfts, the patrons received the gift or grant from thofe ghoftly fathers, the pope and his bifhops, upon conditions uooe of which they have fulfilled, viz. that thej (hould reprv'r churches, and re* build them when deftroyed by any accident ; that they fhould prefer vc the ben^ice fr';m being dilapidated or mifapplied ; and flrjuld fee that the pafloro be pro- viicd with fufficiert rrnintainarace 5 and that they CjjuU not Icll the right ol patronage to others.

Now,

( 47 ) Now can it be faid, that ihcir claim upon thefe terms now ftands valid ? Once more od th;s particular, permit me to fay, thai Soots patronage fraods upon a more dangerous footing than even in her harlot lifter the prelatical church of England; for though the inferior clergy be there rdfo prelected by lay pa* trons, as in Scotland ; yet their fnperior clergy who bear all rale, have their immediate dependences u«» pon, and interefb connected with, the concerns cf ihe nation in general : wheier.s, in Scothnd, being parest baviog equal authority, and being equ illy dependent upon their refpe&ive patrons they have the fame rca- fons to ferve their different ioterefts ia their refpec- tive congregations.

$thly> Patronage is inimical to the pracVce of the church of Chrift in her prin itive and pureft time?. The firft ihree centuries, as is evident from fcripture and anlient hiftory, knew tittle or nothing of its ftf« cimting influence. The Dcmorhhenean, Ciceronian and Phitonian ages were onrj known by the futFrapes or hand ftretching out of the people *. But the bi- (hop?, by the increafe of their episcopal power, were veering 0 ill towards this point, till they grafped the people's right into their own hands altogether. In that fatal courfe they continued, till at la ft «.hc Pope, as univerfal bithop, fpoiled theib :>t it by afTaming the power of univerfal patrori too •. Btt! no word Qt lay patrons til Popery cme near its Zenith about the eleventh or Twelfth century. Then the popifh clergy becoming numerous, a let of ignorant Romifli priefts, in concurrence with the Pope, by an ima- ginary plenitude of power, fold thai right of prefent* ing which they had robbed of, into the

hands of gentlemen, that '. ikfmorcchi

* For this fee the filffrtge; o1 + The reader will find a a (ett^f lately piiblifiicd on

church biitety,

( 48 )

chcs tor> and beftow benefices upon, them. *thtxt were kings and princes alio, that contended with the clergy on this head, who exprefly founded fheir ti- tles likwifc oq the rights of the people againft them, namely, Henry the viii. of England, who caft off the Pope's fupremacy, afluming it to hicnfelf : by virtue of which he and all the luccccding kings of England* and now of Britain, are patrons paramount. But, in general at the dawn of the reformation, this hetero- geneous mocfler patronage began to evanidi, and the chriftian people began to retrieve their antient righr. The reformed churches in Germany all maintained the people's right in lefs or more, as their own con- feffions bear X- And no fooner did the morning- bluQi of our reformation begin to appear in Scotland, then patronage began by reitraiot to retire back into its gloomy regions ; which is evident both from afts of parliament and the books of good order and difcip- pline of the church. The book of common order, or order of Geneva provides thus ; u The minifters and 11 elders at fuch times, as there wanteth a minifter, " are to aiTemble the whole congregation, exhorting u them to advife and confider, who may beft ferve in 11 the room and office : and, if there be a choice, the €< church appoints two or three upon fome certain 11 days to be examined by the minilters and elders/1 £jc. In the firft book of difcipline compiled after this, in head iv. it is expreily faid, fi no man fhou!d y enter into the mioiflry without a lawful vocation :

1 which

t In the Beipick confeiTion the article of their belief is this, u we believe that the minifters, elders and deacout ou^ht to be called to thefe their funtfions, by Uwful elec- tion of tbe church, Sec." In the confeiEon of Helvetia and Switzerland it runs thus : " When it is God's true elec tion, ii is apprcven by tbe fuffrage of the people and Jay ing on of the hands or the nini{ters.,, The fynod of Mid leburgh decreed anno 1581 that the election of mimiters (hould be in tbe powsr of tiie chord) and uy fuffrage! lickiy in the temple. S?c forsi 0; or>

I 49 ) lf cdofiftcth in the ele&ion of the people, cxami- *' nation of the miuiitry, and admiffion by them u both. No minifter (hould be intruded upon ,c any particular kirk without their confent." la the fecond book of difcipline, chapter iii. and 12, The matter runs this : «' in the order of ele&ion it 15 €i to be efchewed, that any perfon be intruded In any 11 office of the kirk, contrary to the will of the con- " gregation to which they are appointed, or without ft the voice of the elderfhip. The liberty of elefti-

V on of perfons called to the ecckfiaflick function, f< and obferved without interruption fo long as ths €f kirk was not corrupted by Antichrifi, we defire €t to be reftored and reraioed within this realm. Si *• that none be intruded on any congregation by th$ ' " prince or any inferior perfon without lawful electtt M on, and the aflent of the people over whom the il perfon is placed, as the pra&ice of the apoftolick €i and piimitive church and good order crave/'

Thefe were the principles of our reformers on this head, which were afterward engrofled for their pre* fef vation in the records of the general aflembly, 1 58 1, and fworn to in the national covenant by peifons of all ranks betwixt 1580. and 1590. Indeed king James got prelacy brought in, and patronage with it reftored 1612. But no fooner did the fecond re formation take place in 1638, than the General Af- fembly did rejeft patronage in the very fame words of the 2 book of Difcipline above quoted.

Again, the church received feveral favourable afts from the (late until the year 16^9, when it was ut- terly abolifhed by aft of parliament in thefe wordf :

V The faid eftates being willing to promote and ad* •* vance the faid reformation forefaid, that every " thing in the houfe of God be Ordered accord^ 11 to his word and commandment", do therefore dif- 41 charge for ever hereafter all pruronage and prcfen- " tation of k'uls, whilk belonging to the king or a- •*' ny laick patron, prdbytery or any other within

G " th':

I 5° )

* this kingdom as being unlawful or unwarrantable " by God's word, and contrary to the doftrines and

• liberties of this kirk, and do repeal, relcind, " make void, and annul all gifts and rights granted u thereancnt and all former a£U made in parliament w or inferiour judicatory in favours of any patron or u patrons whatfoever $.

And thus patronage was brought trader a total e- clipfe, fettleoaents being carried on with the good will of the people, till it was again reflor^d with prelacy by aft of parltamtnt 1661. by Charles 2, and fo continued, till at the revolution that it was t J;en from patrons and lodged in the hands of inch heritors and elders as are qualified by law, upon their paying 600 marks againft the term of Martimas next f. Here the privilege of a chriftian people behoved to be a fe- cend time bought and fold for money, a fmall equi- valent indeed for the eyes of men's undci (landings, confidences and falvation. However, matters were more moderate for a time. But, like Nebuchadnez- zars tree, though the branches were cut down, yet the root of patronage remained firm io the ground, till 1712, wheu toleration and patronage were rellor- cd unto all their antient fplendour. And though another all was made in 1719, with this provision, that prefentatlons were of no force if they were not accepted by the perfon prcfented by the patron. But what effeft had this ? Who could refufe a (lately nnnfe, a ferule glebe and one or two hundred pounds of (Upends annually ? — Mr Chalmers broke the ice, adventured upon a presentation to the church of old ^lachir *, and, in a few years after, whole flioa^s of this herd followed his example. And here \i might be juftly obferved, that, fiocc patronage had its ex- iftence in the .world, popery, prelacy, ignorance, corruption and error has always (hiked along hand

in

§ Vide aft xxxix. AboliQiing Patronages of kirks March

( 51 ) io haad with it. u And now as the antient dtfpenf* iog power is revived, and tyranny, with its antient chains and other engines of flavery, has made its ap- pearance once more, is it not to be expefted that the fame confequeoces (hall follow ? Was it ever known, fioce the world had a being, that tyranny, civil or religious, produced any but the moft alarming effe<fts ? The mordent men are obliged, under civil as wclf as ecdefiaftick penalties, to pin their underftandings and conference unto a rich man's fleeve, and to be edified and faved by a minifter of another man's choof- ing, it is high time to take the alarm ; fpiritual ty- ranny has already entered ; ignorance and the hydra immorality will foon follow f."

6thly, This monfter patronage is abjured by our covenants. In the national covenant we are fworn to the books of difcipline, which maintain the peo- ple's right in thefe words: «f And we fhall continue in the obedience of the do&rine and difcipline of this kirk, be " In the Solemn league ?nd covenant, wc are bound to u the prefervatioo of the reformed re- ligion in the church of Scotland in doftrioe, worfhip difcipline and government according to the word of God and the beft reformed churches. " And " to en- deavour the extirpation of popery, prelacy, fuperfti- on, herefy, fchifra, profanenefs and whatfoever is contrary to found doftrineand the power of godlinefs." Now what elfe is patronage, at beft, but an old rot- ten exploded fupcrflition and condemned figment of the antuchrifttaa hierarchy of the church of Rome f

ytMy, I might aver, that patronage is contrary to right reafon alfo. For,

i. Can there be any thing more abfurd than that

this power, which is of a fpiritual nature, ftiould be

bought or fold with money, or conveyed in the fame

conduit with other civil inheritances ; or any thing

G 2 more

+ See an attempt to prove every fpectes of Patronage foreign to the nature of the church, 3cc. page (ruihi) 7$,

(5*) ©ore (hocking than, that this power (honld be devolv- ed into the hanJs of tv ^urch'6 enemies, fo that a DOtorious infidel, a biafphemer, a profaner of the holy fabbath, a deift, an atheiftical negle&cr of the worQiip of God private or public, an unclean whore- monger, a habitual drunkard, in line, one who rns cot *s much religion as, with the devil, to believe audi tremble, and, in a proper fenfe, without the pale of the vlfiblc church altogether, muft yet, if he be a pa- tron, make choice of pcrfons to be ambaffadors for Chr.ft and paftcrs to the fouls of his people.

2 Is it not unreafonably wild to the higheft degree, that a whole parifh of men and women (hould pia their confeience and underftanding upon one man's fleeve* becaufe he is rich, or perhaps has a thoufand pounds or two per annum ? Can fuch terrene qualk fications impower or qualify a man to treat his fel- low creatures or Chriiliaus like beajis that have no> underftanding ? or auchorife him to force others to bs edified by a prieft of his own dubbing ? Indeed thefe are qualifications that may enable him to overmatch his fellow creatures in their civil concerns, if God and nature has appointed it fo. Butf in mat ters of truth and error, fin and duty, every man mud ftand upon his own legs, and bear his own burden, otherwile the apoftles words are vain, to bis on ft maf* ter be ftandeth orfilleth, <bc. Rom. xiv 4. And

3. Doth it cocfift with common ftnfe or fmcerity that any body of men or women, who would put any due value upon their immortal fouls, and would put thtm under the care and tuition of proper fpiritaal guides for their eternal concerns, that they (liould put the choice of thefe iuto the hands of patrons, men who tor the mod part fcem to be altogether uncon- cerned and indifferent about the eternal concerns of their own fouls? And how can fuch be intruded with the care of others ! If therefore ye bdve not been Jaithfu! in the unrighteous mammon, wko u^Itcim* mit to your trvjl the true riches ? Luke xvi. 1 1 .

$:Vy:

I S3 J Bthly, This mongrel brute patronage, begot by the kings aad great men of the earth upon the nei- ther of harlot i and abominations cftke earth, is alfo deflitute of all decency, decorum and good order ia i the church. And,

i. The grantiog and accepting of prefentations open a door for fiinoniacal practices and other in- trigues of that nature : and whether a tongue bribe, an officious bribe, or ready caih be the currency, ii is all a matter.

2. It kindles commotions, fcattcrs congregation?, raifes divifions, oppreflive concuffions, and the moll obftreperous auimofnies, which oft times terminate la profecutions, appeal, protefts, &e. all which are oppofite to that good order and decorum required by ihe word of God and rules of his church, nay, it isexprefly contrary the obligation the accepter comes under at lieenfe when fwearing thefe words in the for- mula, %i And I promife I (hall follow no divifive cour- ts." And were there ever greater divifions and dis- turbance in the revoluiion-chnrch, than what has been occafioned by the graming and accepting of pre- mutations ?

3. It has all along been the laudable received max- im amongft all genuine preibyterians, that the consent or call of the flock is as neceffary to conftitute and £x ihe paftural relation as the cocfent of the minifter, feeing the tye is mutual and reciprocal. But here the validity of the prefentation is the only thing en- quiied into, and, if found with all its nlual formali- ties, all other objections and obiir unions are got 0- ver. And

4. This pernicious practice of patronage (for fo I may call ii) is the fole cccafion of fo many violent fct- tlcments and intrufions upon reclaiming congregation*, whereby headlefs mobs and lawlcis riots 1

railed which ft difagreeable and uocoiiuncn-

dable : but opbr'Jfion ^fay> the wife man) maketh a wife tr\an mid, Eccl vi 7. Got to fupprefs thefe, cr

rather

i 54 ;

rather to oppref? the peopk in their juft rights, a de- •achmeot ot milujry mcu muft be brought to inlrail the hireling into his benefice; aod fo, inftead of a congrefs of elders aod a joyful congregation, church aod church yard are guaided and lined with red coats; and, inltcad of the aprdolick cheirotouia or ftretching out of the hand in teftimony of their williognek, guns and fere wed bayonets are poifed up to welcome the incumbent to his pafloral charge. And, alas ! bow unbecoming are all thefe, with many other irre- gularities (thai I cannot ftiy here to notice or obferve unto you) difagreeable unto the minifterial character, and much more unto a piufcfled friead and follower of the meek and Jowly J< ius, who when he was reviled^ reviled not again, end -when he fuffered, threatned not% i Pet. ii. 23. Tnus patronage natively clathes with that divine injunction, Let all things be done dt- ctntly and in order, 1 Cor. xiv. 40. v 9thly% And laftly, patronage is attended with the inoft direful confluences. For, in general, it is not only itleif one of the errors coined by the church of Rome, but it and toleration are the very teeming (locks out of which a 1 other errors, corruption aod -profanity, like fo many lofty branches, rear up their towering heads. But more particularly in the

1 Place I obferve, it lays a foundation for an igno- rant lazy fort of miniftry ; for it is but feldom the ftady of a modern candidate for the miniftry new to be poflefled of, or to improve, thefe gifts which are calculated to edify the people ; experience has taoght them a more eafy and efie&aaJ way and method than this .• for, if a gentleman clad ia black has been Jo aufp'cious to get in to be a teacher of fome gentle- men's children, or has curried favour with fome no- bleman in the neighbourhood, thefe are fufficient qiulirlciiious to gain him a premutation to a benefice : and the patron can, by virtue of his difpenfing power, ■lake him pafi for ified man in every refpec"t.

Says a very lmart and witty writer on this point :

" Though

( ys )

'* Though this prcfcntce therefore be the arrantefl •• blockhead tfeat ever obtained a degree in an? of the fl four uoiverfities, he can inrtantiy dubb him the t( brighteft genius of the age, the very pink of eru- «' dirioo, and phenix of literature Though his •• prefentee may be better acquainted with Bailies u dictionary than his bible ; and as for fytiems of '* divinity, never read through the Weft-minfter con- w feffion of faith: yet a patron can pronounce him «' at once the mod flaming pattern of orthodoxy and «f piety in the church. Though, in paint of gifts u and^qualifications, a prefentee may be juft equal to 4C the talk of teaching a few fchool boys to conftrue u Horace, unfit to (peak, incapable of being heard €C beyond the third pew of a large hoafe, yet the pa- M tron by his fole pontifical imprimatur, ih*ll find 11 hiua fufficieotly qualified for undcr'-king the mod * numerous and important charge in Scotland J.M But *• 2. The granting aod accepting of prefcnratibisi/ ftrengthen the hands of wicked men in (h sg-

gard tyranny over the church : and raoft corrupt principles and enormous practices among gentlemen patrons go on, nolens vilens, without check or con- troui from thefe creatures of their own appointing. Nay, it lays the accepters under the egregious infamy of perjury, while they fwear to the coafd . .th as a teft of their orthodoxy, and tike the formula, both of which are contrary to patronage, not to mention practice and do£hiae. And how can they be anfwerable to God and his people, when engaged in thefe words at their ordination ? u 6 Are not zeal for the hotwur of GoJt love to J.'fus Chrijl. a defire of (aving fouh your great moth'? and chief inducement to enter into the fin: 51 ton zf the miniflry andriot worldly Aefigns and inter eft s "J - :. : any undue

methods by ymrjetvei or cti this call fn

And what a mere farce is ifcd * -n-

J Vid Patrons A. B, G, pa|

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gage in the ninth and laft article • in thefe words ! u, Do you accept and clofe with this Call, &c. ?" f when fometimes there is not the face of a call. While thefe ghoflly guides enter upon their charge with a raanifeft fallhood in their mouths, how can their life and doclrine prove advantageous unto others ? " For how can a man prove either acceptable or ufeful to a congregation, unlefs he be perfuaded from the heart that he is convinced of the truth he delivers, and that an unfeigned defirc of promoting their bed ioterett if the great and governing motive with him in under- taking this office of the mioiftry amoogft them ? and if thefe were his determining reafons for devoting himfelf to their fervice, many other difadvantagc9 would be looked over, and their ears would <at leaft fhould) be open to his inftrucYions." % Nor

3. Is this all ; error and profanity ftalks along with it. It difpenfes with, and admits men to the place of teachers, who are leavened with the errors of Pelagius and the Romifh church. — Nay, with the blafphemous tenets of Arias, Sociuus and Arminus ; which arc worfe : Did I fay worfe ! Yes, for papifta have only their worfhippingof God by idols and works j

of fupererogation ; box good works propofed as

the foundation of our acceptance wkh God; Rfpent I and believe ) lovt God and keep his commandments, all I which we (according to them) perform at any time in our ownftrengtb, then we may look for favour with I Cod, that fie will love us in return. Such is the doc- i trine taught by mauy of thefe p3tror>age heroc which overturns the gofpel plan of falvation, and j leads poor ignorant people blind fold into deftruclion. 0 my people j they that lead thee can fe thee to err, an/ defiroy the way of thy paths, — And, «' thu* the great- dt btauty of the reformation (iays one) is defaced :

in ft tad

t See thefe queftions at large *d t'*c folio volume of a£*» of AflVmbJy tor 17 1 1. J Candid coqein — traits* p«*g. »M

I 57 )

loftead of an, orthodox, learned, laborious, lively, pious, bumble, holy, felf denied, and exemplary mi- toiftry, the palpi ts are filled, and parifhes ceffrd, with an ignorant, indolent, dead, gracelefs, errone- ous, felf- conceited, faucy fet of incumbents, who know nothing but to make any pious mioifter yet a- mongft them the butt of their mod nngenteel buf- foonery ; and Who, however well they are qualified to ring the oratorical chimes with all the mufical ca- dence of Seneca upon virtue and difinterefted benev->- I lenee, are far enough from being exemplary in the moft ordinary focial virtue/ &:. * .

4. The holy Sabbath is oftimes greatly profaned thereby ; for, not to mention the playing on drums

land fifes by military men when guarding thefe in- cumbents on the firft Sabbaths of their admiffion, which has fometimes taken place^how greatly is that day abufed by people who from curiofity and worfe motives attend, even where this takes not place ? And what unfeeoily carriage and diforders have, thro occafion of this, in fome places been committed by people's gauding about for their own recreation and diverfion, to fay no more ?

5. The feals of the covenaQt are alfo, in confe- quence of patronage, oftimes by thefe incumbents proflitutcd unto lo«v and bafe ends : for inftance, if he is a man of an obliging temper, to gain the affec- tions of his parifhioners whom he has juftly offended, he will go and adminifter the feal of baptifm to their children even at their bed-fides, and perhaps without afkiog one queflion at them, even fo muchas, if they keep up the worfhip of Cod in their families, or not ?

t— And for the other facrament, the Supper, before the fet number of years prefcribed by the rules of tie church elapfe, left he (hould lofe his place, he will difpenfc it to a few, perhaps fome of the moft igno- rant and fcandalous in the parifh, and even to fome H

* Attempt, page 203,

( 5* )

tvho never attend him id the church from the one fa- crament to the other -.—And for vifitatioD and exa- mination,, in fome places, pec haps they muft wait for it until fome future period of their lite ; — not to men- tion fo many church cenfures that are by them bought or fold for a piece of money, in imitation of the Pope's abfolutioos and indulgences, more or lefs according to the circumftances of the delinquent. — Her priejis have violated my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and pro- fane, &c.

6. It is an abofe of that folemn appointment erf Chrift, Ordination in the church, which is a folemn fetting apart a perfoo by prayer and impofuioo of hands unto the (acred office of the miniflry untofuch a pariflb or people. Now, it were an infult upon com- mon fenfe to fay that they can be appointed or ordain- ed to this, where there is no call or confent ; and eonfequently ho people to be ordained to. So that prayer and laying on of hands become thus eflentialiy neceffary to give a title to the benefice or temporal e- molument, as the tefl aft makes the taking the facra- uaeut in the church of England an effential and ue- ceflary qualification for all that enjoy places of power and ttuft, civil and miliary. Both of which, are a manifeft production of facred inftitutions, and folemn appointments in the church of Chrifh

7. Another evil arifing from the right of prefenta- tions to the benefice with the countenance and con- currence ot church judicatories, is this : Becaufe with the Ephefian mechanic, 7hey know that by this craft tLy have their gain ; while thefe Deraetriuses fland their ground with the patron, to whofc nod they muft prove moft obfequious, there is hardly a miibehaviour or immorality that will caft them out of their office, or deprive them of their temporal living ; which, doubtlefs, is an enfnaring temptation to men of an extended confeience/ for rendering them lazy and carekfs with refpeft to people, charge, charaftet: or

timet

office If oae Is a good fpeaker, and caa play well* if a better Aipends occur, then that parifh may get rid of him. Bat if one of oar raodera readers With the above qualifications, then rtiat parifh and people muft have a pert for life. And, fare, there cannot be a greater plague to a poor church or people than an unfaithful, heterodox, corrupt, profane, dead and Imy miniftry, — For from the prophets of Jerufalem is proJaneTuJs gene out unto all the earth.

8 It not only renders the mioiftry bafe, mean and contemptible before a profane world, who are read/ on every occafion to depreciate and dtf efteem the gofpel and its preachers ; but incites men unto, an! confirms them in, Atheifm, Deifm, Sccpticifm, &c. ft makes thofe, who are ready to fnatch at every thing of this kind to keep them in countenance, conclude that religion and every thing facred, or divine reve- lation itfelf, are only whim, a«mere engine or fyfteni of prieftcraft to keep its villanics in credit. The pro- ductions of fuch ftuffare daily teeming both from the prefs and men's months in thefe days wherein we live. And

9 It breaks and fcatters congregations, when tte minifterial office is thus filled with a fet of indolent, idol fhepherds. Multitudes are provoked to leave their own parifh churches, fome of whom, to the de- cay of true piety and fcandal of all religion, are destitute of principle, aud live aimoft altogether without the flared means of grace : and this not only proves a mean of increaflng ignorance and immorality, but is an incitement to fall into the moft erroneous notions of feftaries, and even Popery itfelf, the north and fouthern parts of the kingdom not excepted *•

H 2 This

* Inftance the Parifh of Terreagles cafe, which was at the Afftmbly laft year, wherein there are a number of Pa - pifts ; and, through the dormarcy of their laft incumbent, land the ptoipe&of no better, are faid to be ftill on the [advance and increafe,— Such are the direrui effects of pa- tronage J

( 0© J

This evil is ftill more encouraged from the counte- nance lately givei. it by fupreme authority X •

10. I might obfervfc that it inverts, or turns up* fide down the very icfign of every true gof-

pcl miDiiler, whom CUiiil c^mmiflions and fends for tbe good of his church. For their language with the apcftle is, I feck not yours, but you— Rut here the language of thefe mercenary, time-ferving hirelings virtually is, 1 feek net ycu, but yours. — Put me i«/a the prieji's office, that I may cat a piece of bread.

1 i. And, though there were no more in patro^ cage, it is imprudent and injurious to the poor, e* fpecially houfholders. For, in a numerous auditory or affembly, a large collection is always expedled for the poor. — But what can be expe&ed from fome 201, 30, 40, or 50 perfons, and two thirds perhaps of them boys and girls, a^ fornetimes '15 the cafe. And how [hall the poor be maintained, unlefs the patron and his curate the incumbent do it ? which, indeed, would be but a trivial equivalent for the c^pulfion of the gofpel. And

12. or la/ily, Let me add, that daily experience teaches us, that thebiefliog of God does not attend their mlniftry : neither can it otherwifc be : for if he fhould blefs this, or apy other human inflitution, foifted into his church, he fhould go out of his owa , appointed way. But we are oilured from his word, that he will never countenance fuch bold cocteaineri , of his laws and authority.

' Alfo it ftrengthens the hands of the wicked, and is grieving to the hearts of the godly, and fuch as are . of tender confcicnce. And nothing. flra,uge, when, for certain they know, that thefe patron* cao neiiher ftcure them againft a wrong choice and its evil con-

fequencea

% Witnefs the declaration, read a few years 6nce, af- ter the devaluations of xht rapids' place of worfhip, pre fcrihing a certain penalty upon all who (houid difturb >iny ; religious meeting, and though others might have the k**u$- It, yet every one nii&hr fee this refpetfed popery.

( 6i )

fequenccs, when cold death (hall arrefl their bodies in the grave f; cor be refponfible for their fouls in the great day of accounts, when the fecrets of all hearts (hail be made rosnifeft by Jefus Chrift.

Andlikewife, it raifes and increafes the prejudice of many well-meaning people againft fuch, and fo can- not receive the cM vine countenance. No wonder they {hould be offended, when they fee a man chooling rather to climb, up by the window of a presentation and violence than entering by the gofpel- door ; whea they fee him go about to fecure a right or title ro the ftipend$ before they can have any proper accefs to bear, know, or have any inclination for him, thruft- ing in himfelf upon them -, while he cannot but fee that his fo doing tends to blaft his minillry, and deprive them of the choice of one whom they would own, reverence and love. For, as one well obfefves, u whatmuft they think of a man who tells a reclaiming congregation in word or deed, I'll be your miaiiler in fpite of your teeth ; Til have the charge of your fouls, whether ye will or not : and, if ye refufe ordinances and means of falvation from me, ye (hall have none ? Nay, come of your fouls whac will, though they (hould perifh in a ftate of igno- raoce and prejudice, I'll polTefs kirk, manfe and de- pends, and hold out another minifter from you. — Have they not ground to fufpefl fiuch a man of earth- ly mindedoeis, greed of filthy lucre, or, at teaft, or btiog more concerned for his own things than the- things cfjefm Chrift f* X

But, after all this, I might obferve tbofe objecti- ons that are or have been muttered up in favours of patronage. But as thefe are rather numerous thro

formidable,

\ This wings its way to its ainvghty fenrer, The witntft of its lictiOOS, now its judge ; That drops into the dark and DOifome gi^re, Like adjfabl.eii pitcher, ofnoufe. "rave- JMJr

J Will a,. ,. al teilimony, yag (miht) 54.

formidable, I Hvill coofiue myfelf to fome of thefe which are moft recent at prefent.

Object. It PxtfrtMge has beat a thing very antient in the church ; and even in the church of Scot- land. Here the ftrtl batrery opens againft the people's right. But, I think with (roallfuccefs. For

i. However aotient, it has no foundation ia fcriptore, nor foot fteps in the apoftolick age, nor e. ven cutii thefeventh centary, according to fome hif. toiians f. Nay, the Popifh churChitfelf fpeaks very ftnntiy in its juftificution. The provincial Council at Mcntr, 1549, acknowledges the injuftice and opprel- fion that attended it : yea, that wicked Council of Trent is made to own the great prejudice the church had fufta'med by patronage. Granting it is ancient, it mult at be ft be only an ancient evil ; feeing truth and equity caunot be pleaded for it as well as anti* quity. Bnt

2. Although the chnrch of Scotland was pcftered with it in her iofoat Hate after the reformation, what 15 all this to the purpofe I For they never left off wrcftliug ngamft it in its various (hapes till they laid it in its difmal grave, (as lias been already hinted). At the Revolution, it was reprobated by the claim of right, and teftified againfl by the Cotnmi (lion of the General Aflerably ia th^ir addrefs to the parliament, 1 7 12, % and an aft 1736 of the Aflembly hfdf. — An4 whata Ihame and rode li We blot is it fur us, after the nation had been fo highly honoured of tbe Lord as to be once happily freed from this yoke (as well as Oil.eis) of bondage, a yoke 10 hich neither we nor our. father f vere bbte to hear, — to lay the foundation, and rear up this cm fed Jeiu.ho again on the ruins of our ficred rights and riril born privileges — And yet our

fore-

+ For this conruh Euf^b. Eecf. Hill. lib. 3. and 6. Mr Pfne's chnrch hiftorv, pace 63. &c Turretioe De Jure l« f0|. t qJdt 14 * faid reprefenttibo and uidrefi it large folio vo- r Aflirntiy for 1712.

( <53 ) forefathers had a more plaufible pica for it thaaxvhat ie Can pretend to have dow, The people theo were j it ft emerging out of grofs Popifti darknefs ;— the minifters few; — thp gcmleicen were, for the moll part, a fet of knowing men, well affetfed to religion, attended gcfpel ordinances, and were the prime pro- moters of the reformation : nod fo, with the people's confent, could be a-: proper judges oF a qualified tnU nifter as the rude Plebeians could be. But is not the quite reverfc of that the cafe now ? And, I could with as much propriety argue, that the gentry, by. their wicked and vicious lives, have io turned the fcale of the balance, that they have not only forfeited their right to chcyofe for a whole congregation, but even for themfelves as individuals. For, if a perfoa be no church-member, nor attender on gofpel.ordi- nances, how can he be a proper judge in choofiog a minifter ?

And even in our reforming times, wheo there was. fome kind or fpecies of pafronage, were there any instances of prefentations lodged in the prefbytery's hands, — of letters of acceptance on the Sabbath dayf- — of any blank-tailed calls fbftaiaed, — violeot fettle' meats, — efcortings of mutque^eers. — iron fubjcclicn aod fteel obedience required ? Surely no ; fcijs the great Mr Alexander Henderfon, jyhen [peaking of this period, IC No man is obtruded upon the people §i here without their t^cir c^nieut and approbation, <# or without the voice of the eJdetfhip, Wh whom i% he is to ferve in the rrhn'ihy." AH thefe thing* Confidere\l, and much nty c :; at Icaonot ftay here toobferve, will iqalf that which is by fome called patrousgc fhea, and pitronage .now in th* prewar flate and tircumfianc&s of parifhes, to dirf/i as much (aljitinvulia) i% Kiaar frem Jemj[.i!jtm9Qi tbt l oj Cufb.in and the curtains of .

Obj. If. The right :/ pat? en ;■ ' perty to i»hkh fatrc'm ha" i > tbtir

( *4 >

i/lates, other wife tk Scots parliament % -when taking it' from them, 1690, would not have ordered them 600 marks for it, which /urn not with/landing was never paid them. [ anfwer ;

I. What right patrons have to prefcot has been al- ready in part ohlerved, viz, the fimoniacal bargain between the popifh clergy, who hid no right to fell it, and the priefl ridden anceftors of our mojern clai- mants or a compliment of it, from the king or bi- (hops. So that from the aft mentioned there can be no reafon for people to buy back that which they never fold. Nay, a right that Chrift the churche* head had paid the utmoft mite for ; and what parity is there in tfce claim of patrons ? not one Word of the divine law, but only the civil laws of the land io force in their favours : not a word of the rights of Chrilt s fpiritual kingdom: no, but the laws of men. But to come to the laws fuch as they are, it is the patron's fault the money was not paid, feeing the law provid- ed the legal execution of the aft at the patrons fuit a- gainft the parifti. But had the aft declared, that if it was uot payed againft fuch a time, the right fhould remain to the patron, doubtlefs it had been better payed. But

2. Granting them a right (which is not eafy tQ make evident) yet how can that claim be now legally revived agrainft the church, after (lie hath not only ob- tained het freedom from it by aft of parliament i6.|g; but even the above-mentioned aft 1690 became, by the aft of fecurity in the year 1707, an irrev<xable article of the union ? And it is uot eafy to conc< how civil property can make one a ruler in the church when it cannot conflitote him a member in it ; my kingdom is not of this world : or how men that are (o intent on mercenary gain by racking of rents, 6c. can, for the giatitfcaiico of ambition and a little worldly honour, be fo profufe as wantonly not only to throw away the 600 merks, but alfo retaia patron < age-at the lafHh e»pen;s ct the tno'mc ;s fum of one

a/lioa

( 65 )

ttilKori, two hundred and thirty fixthoufand and fiftfc poinds fterling annually, the computed charges of maintaining a Handing miniftry in Scotland raifed for the mod part upon the ruins of patronage . %

Obj III. Though the patron prefctits the per/on, the pre/by tery moderates a call whereby people have an^ opportunity put into their hands to chpofe their own pafior% his learning and qualifications are by them al\ fo tried% an editl ferved, &c. To this let me reply,

i/?f That, although I know no aft or fixture ia force amongft the archives of the church of Scotland at prefent, that allows any miniller to be fettled ia any congr ation without a call, yet, as the hands of a few, though none of the moft knowing or of the beft character in a parifti, the patron's fa&or and ground officer, or the names of two or three oon re- siding heritors, are foftaincd now to be as valid at the tail of a call, as the hands of the whole parifh, what better is this than no call ? Nay, as things go now, it is all a matter, whether there be a call or not • thefe gentlemen will tell you in open judicatory, thac a call is only a mere farce or that a blaok-call from fuch a parifli is a good compliment. Bar as fuch mock calls are neither vox populi nor vcxdti, the vpice of God nor his people, they can in no fenfe be called a call either in the fight of God or his cheich : fcr what fignifi*s this adhering call at beft ? For, if it is got, it is well : if not, the fcukment goes on with- I out

t This is ro groundlefs charge a* has been funpofc ed : in the ftate of the hceffioo added to P. HmcoifoD'a eonfiderations on patronage, republished 1773. the annu- al expence of the maintenance of the Burgher;, Ann- burghers, Relief, &c. is ettfrriated, upon amodeiaie c.\l- culation, at the lum of !■ 1,236 050, which fum rnuft oe augmented now, as there have i?e;n a numberof (cttlements (ince that time. It is here rationally argued by the efti* niator, that all this might be aedtd :o the W.d hoker* rent, would they give op with patronage ; fee page %C to the end.

( 66 J oo t It : Says a late learned lawyer, " The prefbyfery commonly makes fettlemeots upon a call, after the manner of the aft of parliament 1 690, but are not bound to that method, not even when the acl was in vigour ; for it leaves them to plant churches, tan* quamjure devohito, with the fame freedom that the bifhops might. The fovercigo rule is, to make fuch fcttlements as tend moil to edification, and in that view to regard the inclinations of the people or not, as feems moft expedient V Hereby the law of pa- tronage, or laws of the land, the people's right of choice is no way eflential : a principle very agreeable to the practice now in fafhion |. But let us next hear what a learned divine fays upon the plan of divine laws : The relation betwixt a paftor and a flock as relates muft be introduced at the fame time by mutu- al voluntary a£b of one another or of each party ; for cue of the retati as fuch without the other can have jao being or exigence %, <bc.

idly% The whole prerequifite parade muft, with fame face of religion, beobferved; the prefeutee'a learning and abilities muft alio be tried ; but who doubts of a gentleman's qualifications and education who has the addrefs to procure a premutation ! His judge* here are, for moft put, ftones ot the fame fabrick and babel building : we commonJy fay (accor- ding to our old country proverb) that one raven will

not

* Vide Advocate Macdowels inftitutes of the laws of Scotland, vol. 2. page 21*

f A glaring inftance of which we bad laft General Af- fembry when they voted the moderation of a call to be cf immemorial ansl conftitucional pratfice in this church, and ought to be continued : and at ihe lame time, foted a ief lement to Finwfck where there was no real call at all ; How they will get out of the nooze of inconhltency here 1 know not, but (ore this Sanhcdrin defer ves a medal from the faculty *of patrons fir this admirable addition to the fyftera of patronage.

X Dr. Qwen oa tlie true nature of a gofpei church p. 76.

( 67 >

nst pick cut another* eyes. And, thoT there ft ay be fome member or members chat would wifh, yet, to deal honeftly in the matter ; yet they are foon brow- beat, borne down and over voted. Aod grant he is caft in his trials (which, alas! is feldom now the cafe) then, with the ailiftance of his patron, a' pro' teft is takeo, aod an appeal for an inqueft of error is made ; and it muft to the aflembly, where the patron and prefentee gain their point ; the prefentee is either fiffjiled, or ordered to trials anew, which terminate in his ordination at laft. The like oft times become* the cafe in fafhioiog of prefentations and calls atfo §. And though a prefbytery or fynod fhould either evade the decifion, or pafs a fentence in favours of a parifh, (that the odium may fall upon the back of the Ge- reral Aflembly which is broader than theirs is to bear the maledictions of the people) yet they muft, at the orders of their fuperiors, proceed to the fettlement of the fame prefentee under the pains of threatned depofition. For fo obfequious are the dernier court of appeals unto the nod of the head patron in Eng- land X and his underlings in Scotland, that to rcfafe I % a pre-

% Inftance, the prercntee at Shots, who was orce and again judged unqualified or inefficient by the prefbytery. Bat on the patron's appeal to the Aflembly, he was by them at Jaft referred to the commiflion for trials (1766), who judged him qualified and more, fo he rnuft needs be fettled. And did not the Ailembly rererfe both the fen^ tence of the prefbytery of Auchterarder and fynod of Moray ordering them to take Mr Lawfon and Mr Smith on trials 1779: but what needs more inftances of this kind ?

\ Francis Hutchifon L L. D. in his confide rations on patrorage firft publifhed 1735* f*Tl that, of 950 the kirtf was in pofltfEon of the patronage of 550 churches, (which are now augmented in number by thefe gentlemen's eftatcs forfeited in the year 1745)* And of thofe remaining, '• there are not 150 parilhes in Scotland where the patron-. • u age is in any gentleman of confiderable eftair;, or natu*. u ral intereft in the parim, to whom it is of any real cor-/* '• fequence as to himfelf whether the miniiler he a ptrfon' JJ of lobriety, diligence, good abilities in his office Or not/* page 6.

( «8 )

t prefentition, or a concurrence K> fettle one of hfs or their thus dubbed prefentees, is by deed of action accounted a more onpardooable crime, than dronk- cnef«, or even uncleannefs it felf: fbr, while the perpetrators of thefe are affoiled, caieflTcd or at leaft overlooked, the other is depofed, drubbed or Cafhtered in a very odd manner; all which render; the divine law with them inferior and fubfervient to the law of patronage f .

But flop here : what needs thefe folemn mimicries? has not thecandidate preientee a right by their law to the benefice prior to call or ordination trials either ; which not only fupercedes the neceflity of a call, bat

iCft

f That the abort is now n'oncrrarge w'rh out proof, wai pet Meffrs fi— d and B — ne on account of refuting a prefers taiion fomc time ago by an acl of the General AfTembly declared, or rendered incapable of ever receiving a prefen- tation on the north fide of Tweed ? Was not Mr Gillefpie depofed by the AfTembly 175a for a fimpJe adtcfiefufal to concur at the fettlerocnt at D— — r. — -s? ? And was *ot Mr Finlay csfhiered to an acknowledgment before the bar and by them rebuked in the A&mbly 1775 for fet- ling Mr Thomlbn to the ftipends bgt not the charge of St. Ninitos (though in equity he could do no othtrways). Compare thefe with the cafe of Mr St— t mioifter of Cr-nf who was depofed by the fyood of Perth and Stirling for notour drunkenefs 176a or 1769, but inttontly rtftored to minifterial character and digcity by the Aflembly 1770. And was not Mr Nfbet minifter at Firth and Stenoes while living in notour adultery, cloaked or overlooked by his bre- thren maugre all Meffrs. Irvine and Tyrie could do; nay,the prrfbyterv fufpended them and aflb led the delinquent, who pcrfifted m that CQqrfV, until upon a petition of his panfh he was by a fenter.ee or the circuit court at. Invernels 1766, baniihed to the plantations.

And was not Mr C — -j\ minifter at Sy^> — n who wrote agaioft the people's right, &c. fo left of God amooglt o- thers of his irregularities in one of liis drunken bacchanal revels as to ge through the touo of Air about four o'clock in the morning plavmg on a tiddle with another of the fame crafr ; and tho' he was thus met amor phofed from the cha* racier of a minifter of Chrift to a town wake or miter, yet overlooked by his brethren t«li nov* he is fee co axe contempt ible to all men.

( <*9 )

oft times precludes a fairtrhil as well as a fair choice : fo that he ftaads their minifter by law, before the mt- deration of a call or ordination trials can be appointed* : Which beggars all defcriptton. — You know what handle the patrons agent made before the General Aflembly in favours of Mr Reid's qualifications from parliament 12. cap. 1 16. of James VI. 1 592, which or- daius, "that prefbyteries are bound and aftri&ed to receive and admit whomfoever qualified minifter pre- feuted by his majefty's laick patrons," acd 10/ h of Annse, i% that they be obliged to receive or admit fuch qualified perfon or perfons, as (hall be prefent- cd n But he fhould have minded that the General ^(Tembly 1696, upon better grounds, provided that none (hould feek prefentations to benefices with- cut advice to the presbytery in whefe bounds they ty on pain of being repelled as ret ambitus* Bat pray, what is it that conltitutes a qualified minifter in the eye of the law by which prcibyterian church govern- ment is eftablifhed ? Is it not the Lord's call, and the call and confent of his people, even fuch as our Lord and his apoftles doth defcribe •• faithful men, able to teach% keeping that trufi committed itnta them, rightly dividing the word of truth % by jound doc-* trine exhorting and convincing gainfayers, (hewing themfehes patterns of every good work,

And grant, that they are even qualified as they would, by their law, have it, are their eyes aod un- •derftandings mine? or are they infallible, that I (hould warr^ntably put out the eyes of cay underftand- ing, and yield implicit obedience to their approbation or choice ? Surely no ; no part of the cbtirch has a divine warrant to di&ate unto the uoderftandiog or confeience* of another. Indeed the old friar of Rome arrogates this power unto himfelf ; and if any judica- tory (be their denomination what it will) will cope jvith hia upon fuch pricciples, it avails little or no- thing whether their afts be dated at Rome or Con-

. .ace

I 70 J

ftance, Trent, Canterbury, or Edinburgh, feeing it will land them aud their cargo at the infallible Tee at laft.

3<i/y, An edift is for formality's fake alfoferved: but to what purpofe is that > for when relevant rea- fons or objtftioos are given in, and even fomeiimes a- gaiuft both life and doftrinc, they cannot be taken in, or fuftained when received f.

Odj. IV. Although patronages were removed, the people w'juld not agree in their choice : and what /cenes tf dif order and confujton would naturally enfue, while the votes of the dregs of the people are equal to thoje of the hcnor&ti et primores pletis, or greateft heritors in the parijh. Here a midge muft be magnified into a mountain, and the falling of a leaf becomes like the roaring of the fea, upon an imaginary foppofitioo. But,

i. Although it fliould feldom or never happen that every individual in a parifh fliould agree in the choice, yet it is the majority of voices that anfwers the end appuioted. — Neither has any popular diftur- bance that rm fallen out when and where the Chrif- tian people had their right of choice, had the hun- dredth part of the difagreeeble effe&s and confequences attending it, which falls out but in one or two pari- fhes of 900 ia half a century, in comparifon of what the daily invafions of patronage now produce, when al&nfr every parifh ofcoarfe comes to be grafped by its iron hand ; nay, what contention arifes amongft patrons thcrnfelves, when coping with one another : wherein it fometimes falls out, that thefe anti. patrons in oppofitioo to one another, will prelent two pre* fentees to one parifh at once, whereby procefles of de- clarations

+ Annnfcft other in ftancrs, Did not the people of C — b - — g u\vc in objections reltvaot againft the life and doc- tioe of the prefentee, and offer to prove them, and yet the prefhytery refufed theei, and though a fuperior judi- catory judged ihev were in the wrong to the people, yet no redrefs was obtained, the prefentee was confirmed.

< 7' )

chrations, protefts, appeals, &c. are taken : fo that a thoufand good confeqnences might, if needful, be produced, that has attended this ordinance or in£U- tution, to confroot one Angle fautafticai appearance of this in the inftitutton of the council of Tient.

.2. Should divifion or disturbance fall out among people at the choofing of their paftor, can that be a- fcribed to the inftitution, nature or praftice of the duty ? If, in that cafe, it would hold good in every ordinance or duty : nay, it would equally ftrike a- gainft the freedom of choice in every conftitutioa whatfoever. For when confufions fall out at the choofing of members to Parliament or Genera! Af- fembly, mud we then conclude the conftitution is o- vcrturned ?— • It muft proceed from fome other quar- ter, from fome piece ot bad management in the affair, men's humours, or the remains and emotions of cor- rupt nature. — But I rather incline to thick* that tho* thefe may be fometimes in the cafe, yet thefe divifions muft be one of the woeful fruits and confequences of our Cms and dreadful apoftafy from God, — breach of covenant, — contempt of the gofpel, — inooceat blood fhed, and unpurged and unmourned for ; — For the Jins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priefts9 the Lord hath divided them in his anger % he will no more regard them. But

3. To come to the laft member of the objection, the moft cootemptible begging Lazirus in a parilh has a foul of equal intrinfic value at (lake, with the greateft nobleman in it ; and if he be in the exercife of reafoD, or has not forfeited that right by a vitious life and converfation, why fhould he not, as well as the nobleman, have a choice in the means of his own falvation, feeing he cannot be furety for his foul ?— ■ for none of them can redeem his brother^ nor give a ranfomfcr him. And this may of itfelf alone be fuf« ficient toequipoife every argument or otjeflion upoQ this fcore wkatfoever.

Obj.

( 7V )

Obj V. It Is argued by the patron's agents, That * U the aft 1649, the right of nomination belonged

to the fr/Jbytery, — by the aft 1690, it was vefied in the kirk fej/isn and heritors,— ~undcr neither of which

was a call or concurrence of the people neceffary

This objeftion I think will fink by its own weight, and needs very little obfervation. — For

1. If we could warrantably admit of patronage. Dame or thing, I fhoald think that, in a lawful, wclN conftitutcd and regulated church, from the counte* nance of fcripture, the Prefbyterial elderfhip behoved to have fome plaufible plea for it. But then their work is to judge of the per fan chofen, aod not to cleft. It is true, that after the year 1638, the prefbytery did nominate a certain number of qualified perfoos, out of which the patron and people were to make choice of one ; but here the perfon behoved to be announc- ed qualified by the prefbytery, prior to the eleftioo, which was no rugged kind cf patronage ; yet it was ftill a grievance to the church, as is evident from the words of the general a/Tembly to the parliament 1649, upon their abolishing of that evil. Say they, M We €< do highly commend the piety and zeal of the e- %i ftates of parliament in promoviog fo oeceflary a 11 point of reformation." And fure wc muft fnppofe that that parliament and general aflembly had as good a right, and were as proper judges of what was mod agreeable to the rights and liberties of the fubjefts of Chrift's kiogdom, as the parliament 17 t2, or the ge- neral aiTemblies 1779.-80,-81,-0^-82. For, (while the one feems to have argued from, and followed the divine rule for their guide, — the other feems better acquainted with Eraftian laws than the Afts of the apoflles ; for they mufl either manage the argument from this or the other aft of parliament, or hear what the Lord Prefident and Lord Chief Baron have to fay, or elfc make laws of their own, and then argue from- them. — But if they /peak not according to this went, it is becaujc there is no light in them.

2. Ft*

J 73 )

%. For elders and heritors, it were reafonable that *hey have avote, and the firft vote in order too ; and if the majority goes into their choice, what need* more voting ? But for one or two more of theie to have a negative voice over a congregation, would be but to exchange one for a plurality, or one fpccies of patronage for another ; which power, I fuppofe, no judicious and confcientious fcffion ever yet claimed.

Obj. VI. It is alfo argued by the fame gentlemen* That the law gives the prefentee, if qualified, a law ful right to the benefice^ and no other call or concur* rence is necejjary ; — the legal purpofe of moderating a call is not to obtain the conjent of the people, but to hear their objeEfions. Credat Judceus Apella> let on* circumcifed Jews believe this : for I think it will haidly be fwallowed down by intelligent Cnrirtians ; common fen fe revolts againll it. However; Prefby- terian principles are once more panneled at Antichrift'g barr, and nothing brought forth to fuppor: the libel but the iomo Annae, and the pra&ice of the Af- fembiies of the eftablilhed church in her unhappy train of decifions for fome years part. I fhall only make a fliort obfervatioQ or two upon this. And

i. Grant, that the law gives a fufficient right to the benefice, what law is it that gives a right to the charge ? aod furea minifter muft make an odd figure in the church, without any people to minifter onto. K a man would caufe himfelf to be married unto a woman contrary to her will by violence, and perhaps in her abfence, would yoo not call it a rape ? And is net ike entering into the charge of a parifh, maugre all oppofition upon grounds reafonable andjuft, — a xnanifeft rape upon thefpoufeof Chrift ? — " The con- " fent and call of the flock (as one well obferves) is 11 as neceflary to cooflitute aod fix the mutual rela- •• tion as the coufent of the mioiftry, feeing the tic 41 if mutual."

i. If the moderation of a call is only to hear the

people's objc&ions, what end is the ferviDg of *n e-

K dirt

( 74 ) <K& for ? what a mock formality is this ? And if the prefentation gives a right to the benefice, without regard to the charge of a parifli, what need to pray, and lay hands upon one to qualify him to poffefs a good manfe, fertile glebe, and receive a large iYi* peuds, if it be not to profane and abufe a foleron or- dinance or appointment in the church of Chrift: ? — Je have corrupUd the covenant of Levi, faith the Lord of hofts) therefore have I aljo made you ccnten.p* tible and bafe.

Obj. VII. But fay forae of our free thinkers, This tf fettling vacant congregations with the certain forms §f church. government under the New Teftament is a thing ambulatory, that is left to the prudence of rulers toeflablifh methods for fettling congregations, as may teji fuit thefiate9 Sec. in the time and places wherein fhey live. Although this deferves no other anfwer but contempt, till they (hew us a patent under the broad teal ot Zion's king tor it, yet I (hall briefly in a few words obferve ;

i. Although civil focietics may have a right to make rules of regulation, providing they be net con- irary to the divine rule, the church or houfe of Cod has no power to make, alter, or model any cf her io- Aitntions, ordinances or divine appointments : no, thefe are already fixed and adjufted by her divine Head, and mutt fo remain until his fecond coming. Thus, after the Lord had (hewed the prophet Ezc- kiel the houfe, and all the ordinances and laws there of, fays he, and mark well the entry into the houfe. There could haye been no occafion for this, if they might have entered in by wajs diametrically oppofite •to one another, (bme of whom, deftitute of all good an<£ fyflematical order, can never be God t ,way : for God is not the author of confufvm, hut of feace, as in all the churches of faints.

2. It were (hocking enough to fuppofe, that Chrift, who is afon in and over his own hcufe, after he had redeemed her wjth his own blood, and

pur-

Purchafed all her privileges for her, mould leave ^er in fuch a maze of uncertainty here, Vs te*b% at the mercy or precarious humour of pope, pre- late, patron or corrupt church men, which might juftify all the encroachments hitherto madejby fuch upon her. Nay, it renders Zion's king and hk kingdom many degrees inferior unto the monarch* and their political governments in this world : For what emperor, king or ftateholder, but what has a Certaia code of laws and regulations formed and e- ftablilhed in his dominions for his fubje&s to be ruled and to walk by. But here the beautiful form and order of the church in her inftituted appoint- ments are rendered as various as the winds/ the phafes of the moon, or the fluctuating waves of thd fea.

Ob j. VIII The elders, the tenants and the lowir people are very improper eleSfors of their pafters9 Jee* ing they are fuch a fiufluating body, liable to be difi miffed in a few months, and have no right to^hoofe for their fucceffors * . What poor quibbling argument! will men, in defending a bad caufe, make ufe of, when driven to their laft refource, — fhife, — or wit's end I For

1. There is no elder, tenant or cotter I know, that has lefs than a year's leafe ; forae have 19 years, and fome twice and more that time. And has the patron or the minifter, or they either, one year or yet one day's leafe of their life ? So that the one is as liable to be difmifled in a tew months as the oth- er : and where is the impropriety of electing ? Or what becomes of the red of the heritors ? muft they be rejected becaufe they live amongft uncertain neigh* bours .; — But

2. Does the uncertainty of the place of a man'? refidence for the future utterly incapacitate him to ait for the prefent, cither in a civil, focial, or reli-

K 2 gl0Ps

* This objection was moved by champion S— — r 1^ Affcmbly.

( 7° )

fficus capacity ? He chufes for himfclfand not his ucceflbr. Otherwife every man mull be a perpetual flave, who is not bora a patron, heir to aa eltate, or acquires one, to tyrannize over another. It was a generous expreffion of that patriot ©f freedom, Col. Jtumbol, on the lcafibld, juft when his body was a- bout to be ciu and mangled in pieces, for attempting to retrieve the civil and religious liberties of his coun- try ; u 1 am fure, that there is no man born marked 4i of God above another : Goi never made the great- 41 er part of mankind ((aid he) with faddles on their ** backs aod bridles in their mouths, and fome few gl booted and fpurred to ride the reft. — But God ha* 41 wifely ordered different ftations, kings, having as u much power as makes them great, and people, as 44 much property as makes them happy f."'

But, after all, thefe patronized gentlemen tell us, Thatfuch is the law at prefent% and therefore they rec* ion them/elves obliged tojubmit to it ; ejpecially as by two decisions of the Court of ' SeJJion, one of which, when appealed, was confirmed by the houfe of Lords, % &c. A muffling cobweb falvo indeed, which has only the fluftuating and vibrating decifions of the Coort of Se/Iion and Briufh Parliament for a pedeftal of fup- port,— which renders its authors and the reft of the fraternity to be only mere tools to ferve the (late; for, by this way of arguing, the ftate may eflablifti popery or paganifin next year by a&s of parliament, the miniftry muft obey and fubmit to it, becaufe there are decifions and afts of parliament for it,— which, from their former conduft, would, it is likely, be the cafe, had they the trial and opportunity for it.

But what will thefe a£ts or decifions avail tbem or the Britifh parliament, when lifted before the awful and tremen^uous tribunal of the fovereigu judge of

the

\ Vide fih laft fpeech, Weflern Martyroltgy and hiftory of the fufferiogs of the church of Scotland.

X In their reafons of difl'eat to the Synod cf Grafgow and Ayr laft year.

(77 T

the quick and the dead, uho (hall come upon princes at upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth the clay, upon thofc who have (huffled their mortal heads below his glorious crown ; and all who have made or eftablifh- ed laws to the hurt or prejudice of his church and people, and have not ruled for him. Did fuch lean*- ed rabbins not know as nfuch as id pojfwnus qucdjurc pojfumus, — Men have no juft power to do iniquity ; . or wtihfrer it be right to obey God or man, judge ye. It miglc be a fmall come off in the matter. But I .am afraid it will be indeed found but a trivial ex- cufe in the great day of accounts, fhjpuld the righ- teous judge afk fuch, What entering had you to my church or vineyard on earth T How did ye treat my people ? How did ye acquit your [elves of that charge ye undertook? or what fuccefs had the gc/pcl under your adminijl ration ? To fay, Lord, we were lear- ned men, and behoved to have a piece of bread, and there was no other way of getting into this office but by * prefentuticn. The laws of the land ullowed it to he be/o, and there was no contending againfl thefe ; arid when thus fettled \ we were in no danger cf hfwg what *wc had obtained from our own indolency, mifdemea- noun or the clamant cries of the people under our cbjrgt9 which was a mean of making us turn carclefs and fe* cure, both as to theirs and our own charaSer ajid fair vation Might not the Judge juQIy reply, <l In fo much as I give you natural abilities, and a liberal education beyond many others, you were under the more obligation to aft a diiiinguiihiog part in the church for rac, not only to defend her iuftitutions, rights and immunities, but a!fo to rcjeft and repel fuch temptations in witnefling againfl the unjuft laws of men, when trampling upon the neck of my church and people." May he nor juftly pronounce this len- ience .upon fixh, H Becaufe ye cafl away the law cf the Lord of ho/Is p and dejpijedthe word of the holy One $f JfratJ: pwfoftsd my faciluary, corrupted roy ordi- nances

nances, rvould have none of my repfdof: therefore I -uiU laugh at ynir calamity, and mock when your fear comet h. Ye cringed before the great ones of the earth, tor filthy lucre's fake, not that ye might have an op. portuoity to reprove them for their vices, but rather 4b palfiiite rheir faults, and be fo gentleman-like as to follow their exaropi", (while the precious fouls of thofe under your charge ye little minded) : therefore I! hive one defrioy. lot and portion for ever." Upon the whole, I think it is as demonstratively ctrar as noon-dny, and obvious as a ray of the (on, th*t popular election is confident with fcripture, — founded in nature, — fuitable to Chrift's kingly autho- rity,— confonant to the piafTice of the Lord's church ana people, — Iworn to in oar covenants, — agreeable to light rcafon, — fertile of good order, and of the hibfl deluable confeq fences, and, I may add, con- tended tor and witbtffed unto by the mod eminent divines and reformers both at home and in the chur- ches abroad f . And therefore no pope, prelate, nor lay patron can warrantably wreft this power out of

the

4- I coulJ«nrr<^f of the above, produce a great many teftimonies of learned men, but for brevity's fake mud here ennrine royfcH to the T (-owng fpecimeni :

Luther in his Tratfate de inftituendis, &c. torn. a. fays, u I freely pivethisto the Popifh orders that thefe whorri they cat! prkfis are anointed and instituted by the authori- ty of rht biibDps, the confent or fnffrages of the people over whom they are plaeerl, betn^ neither required nof *mnip'.cd, whom rcverthelefs it chiefly concerneth, being the people of G^d, th*t no mm (hou)d be impofed upon xiihout their fufTi-age ; but he whom they have known and judged fit for triaKhould be cocfnmed." And on the nuig'n, 4< Themln'fkrs of the church arc to be chofen bf the confent acd fuffVagei of the people."

Cilvin in his Intlitut lib. 4, cap. 3. conclude* the 15th ftflion thus, M Thefore we <tteem that by the Word of God this is the lawful vocation of a m«niftcr, wbere thefe are created or ordainc i who ?v 1 meet by the confent

and approbation of the people, but other pattjrs are tp nitfidc in tie bh&idn, &c.,#

Cart-

( 79 ) the people's hands, (nor can they juftly alienate, con- fijgn or difpone this their ri^bt over to them) un- der the pains of running the dreadful t\ik ofnfurpkig the royal prerogative of Zioo's king, and opprerting his heritage, and fo falling uudcr this awful chargf, Thty break in pieces thy people % 0 LsrJ, and ajjlitl thine heritage : but here i* the penalty, / wifl pttnijb them that oppre/s thee.

And, now, dear brethren, before I conclude, let me with all humility offer thefe few advices following unto your coofideratioo, wherein (as the nrffivc is already lengthened out beyond intention) I (hail be as concife as pofiible. And

\ft% I fuppofe, it were quite fuperfiuous after fuch a noble, fpiritcd ftand againft patronage to ad?ife, or rather remind you to keep at a diftaace from every

one

^ Cart wright in his fpcon = '^p->7, ?a?e a.a6. fay?. C4 Tie right of the people is a part of that liberty p ire ia!pd by Chrift's blood, which Ihtchorch can no more alienate or' difpofe of, than me can transfer her inheritance of the king* dom of God, to which this hb.r v *%jt\tx

Great ftutherfoord in his hit due ighi tf pn&yteryg p% 465. fays, t% Every lawful means of entering into ths. mi- n.ftiy is warranted by a word of precept, pro mfe or prac- tice* The calling by the patron has neither word o: pre- cept, promtfe nor pra£t>cc in the wor i, a*d ftayeth Lot the confcience of the -nan of God that be did cot run aa- fent.

Mr Livingflon in his tetter from Rot o his panih

of Ancrum, fays, " I came tc» Arcum, — mci uaa the Lord's- call by your invitation, Downwards, mg of

th* patron and incunVurt, fays, *.' It r* a liele/iion renance fuch an intruded hue. ing. or j • /bat

they call, worfhip." 1 might *ifo cite, limeatidT

paper permit, Beza, Bullinger, Junius, Dar "us,

Zanchy, Peter Martyr, Hudfon, Manton, !; !ahs*

my, Pearibi), field, Calderwood. Durham, Pat Jamiefon ; but none more than the famous C*iil< {pie, wfco Before the VVeftruinfter y boldly mvntaired, that

the word crdaitud AS^ x*rn. i<. was truly ciiootlng in ike- original, importirg the people's fuffragc in eletfing their ownorlice bcar?TS — ee Saihc's le

( 8o )

one of thefe intruders, as well as that afiigncd tn Ffd- wick. Do nor flitter yourfelvcs, that, becaufe were only thruft ia npcgi others aod not upon you* you arc at liberty in this : no, the people have im- mortal fouls to favc equally precious in the fight of God Willi yours, and what has been their cafe form* erly feem* to be yours at prefent. And, tho' fome of thefe may feem to favour you, yet they muft all one way or another concur in the fettlcment at lad. They are all members of one collective body, and, ia fome cafes, all fowls of one feather, tho* not all alike guilty, and for the moft parr, daubers of the wall with the intemperate mortar of concurrence with this Amalekitiih generation of patrons, with whom the Lord hath declared he will have war from generation to generation. Nay, in fome fenfe, they are worfe. Thefe prefentees muft have a piece of bread : put me into thepriejVs office, that I may eat a piece vf bread : (a mean and local motive indeed). But what reward car* they expect here 'or hereafter for thrufting them in at the window of patronage ? Or how can you expect a wholefome or feafonable advice from thofe who, zxefoeii criminis, prime promoteis or pra&iiers of patronage, or reap advantage by their miniftry, who, at their infinite hazard, have rufhed into this of- fice to earn their bread, difplay their talents or grati* fy their own ambition and pride ? You know the Lord's mifiion and the call of his people make up a particular article, might I fay, the conftiiuent part, of the calling of a minifter of Chrift. And can you fay, that they have thefe ? Then hear the conclufioa from divine iufpiration. Ifent them not, nor comman- ded them ; therefore they fhati not profit this people at ail, Jiiith the Lord.

2d-y, Beware not only whom you hear, but alfo what you hear. Try the /pit its ; for many falfe teach- ers are gone out into the uorid. Arius, pelagius, So- cinus, and Armioius have thofe who teach in their fchools dally ; far v r. t tt they ca^ be C2I-

viftifti

f 31 J

uifts Id oOe place and Arminians In adorner, other* fpend all the cadence of eloquence ia exalting fht power of the intelligent mind, free will and the farcrit of good work* : do this and do that, (fay they), und run the whole cour/e of duties , and ye Jhall un- doubtedly obtain the prize. A third fort divide the merit and means of falvatioo betwixt Ghrift and the finner, and will tell you* that divine power will co- operate with our imperfect endeavours, if we are but ferious 2nd finccre therein ; -work and better work (fay they^ and what ye want, Chriji will make up s A fourth fort of trimmers, who, aUho* they do not preach barefaced and downright errori, yet, to ac- commodate themfelves to the tafteof the moft refprc- table in the auditory, approach as near it as poiTi- bie, and thhik they come clear off the field by hints and equivocal enpreffions. Nay, to ftich a pafs arc things brought now, that if any minifter maintain faithfulnefs in doctrine ano! difcipline, he is baffled tad brow beaten by them in the very place of judg- ment. From all of which you mud keep at a diftance, if poffible. Cleave to thefe truths that are moft at- tacked in your time, that fo you may be eftablifaed ia the prefent truth. Endeavour not only ftrength of judgment, but alio foundnefs in the doctrine of the gofpel : and keep your hands as clean of every defec- tion as poflible, and you (hall find the benefit and accomplifnment of that promife, The righteous Jha't walk on his way and he that hath clean hands, pall be jlronger and ftronger. And,

$dly, You have feen what treatment you have met with from thofe who fit in AaronS feat when craving the benefit of your juft rights sod privileges, accl you may have fome profpeft what you are likely yes to meet with from them : that is, inftead of having a redrefs you {hall be reproached and rediculed. But* Jet not this fear you at the duties of religion : no, you Biuft not become indifferent, but make application, unto the chief fhephcrd, who 'will, ioocer or later L rcd;<

fedrefs all your grievances. In the mean time, y)ti mud walk uprightly and wifely in the way of com- manded duty ; and cleave to the truth, and the truth Jball make you free. Study not only to have ftrong heads but couragious hearts, that lo ye may be the better able to fland out a trial : for I can aflure you, if your principles be right, your caufe is good, your xnafter 39 great, and Chrift the captain of falvatioa will go before you, ivho was made perfeft through filtering. But then.

^thly% Try your motives in this affair, and fee what they are, whether they will ftand the teft. Many, bow a days, are chagrined at patronage, only becaufe it comes to crofs their inclinations, but not as it is a dishonour to Chrift and an unfupportable yoke upon the neck of his church ; a yoke that you need never expert will be got off, till the chain be traced back to its primary, original link, the fuprtmacy. If this were removed, then patronage and all its concomi- tants that like fo many dead weights are lying u- pon the church would tumble to the ground. But if you can do no more in this, you muft pray, plead and contend for the liberties of the church, and re- inonftrate, witnefs and teftify againft every fmful en* croachment made thereon; but all in a way agreeable to the meafuring line of the fancluary, platform of the word, and the plan of your known profefTed prcf- bytcriat principles. — And, for your help in this, take a retrofpett view of what was the pi^ftice of the faints recorded in fcripture, and the laudable contendings of our renowned, reforming and fuffiring anceftors in thefe lands in the late reforming and perfecuting times; particularly, keep the doftrine, principle, aid practice of your proto miaifter the renowned Guthrie (whofe memory (half flourish in the duft) in your eye. He was one amongft a thoufind. Let it be your ftu- dy and pffidfoous care to walk by the footfteps of ChrifTs IfJock in former ages and generations that •vcre approved oi bj hio*, 'A* hjs th« apoftky let

us

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us walk by the fame rule, let us mind the fame things. And,

$thfyt Bear this injury, or whatever injuries you may have yet to meet with, patiently ; and do not give way to corrupt nature in refeoting them in an often* five way. They are indeed hard to bear ; but re- member that the wrath of man worketh not the righ* teoufhe/s of God. When you fee thefe men left of God to rob and fpoil the church of God of her rights and reformation principle*, end, judicatory after judicato- ry, making themfelves famous for cutting down the carved work cf the fmRuary, as fays the Pfalmift. But now they break down the carved work thereof &c. Break not out in a paflionate way againft thofe whs are but the poor inftruments of thefe diforders and confufions ; but look unto the Lord's hand in it. The Lord for our trial, and the chaftifement of our. fins, and mifimprovca mercies, may havefaid to thefe men, go and opprefs my heritage, and tread down the rights of ihi people, until they return unto me, or be cut off in mine anger. And, tho' they thruft in one of thefe men upon you, they cannot without a new fan&ion of law compel you contrary to the light of your own confciencc to hear him : and who knows but it may be better for you, at leaft fom^ of you, ere all be done, than if you had obtained your defire of the j \- dicatories of the church ? for we know, that all things work together for good to them that leve God.

6tbty, You muft mourn and not murmur over thefe evils : take with you words , and turn to the LorJt and fay unto him, take away all iniquity r we hape finned againft thee, perfonally, in families, congrega tions, and as a church and nation : and in Order \o profit by this exercife, I cannot direct you unto a better method than the exercife of the lamenting pro- phet in name of the church: fay, Wots me for rtiyt hurt, my wound is grievous. — My heart within me is broken, becaufe of the prophets. — Many faflors have fdefiroyed my vineyard, and trodden my ftrtiiti un \

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foot -r-They h&ve wade it defctate, and being dcfoUte* it mourneth unto me — Thy prophets havcfecn vain and foolijh things for the, and they have not difcovered thine in quit y : for theft things I weep, and mine eye runneth down with water, becaufc the (nemy prevail- elk.— But I will bear the indignation of the lord, be- fe I have finned agalnft him, until be plead my caufe% pnd execute judgment for me, hi will bring me forth U the light, and IfJjall behold his fight eoufnefs, Jer, x. rp. and xxiii. 9. and xii. 10. jTaro. xi. 14. an^ if 16. Micah vii. 9 ts?c. And,

7th'yf As we have now^ cf along time,- revolted and departed from the Lord, both as a church and as a nation. We have broken the bands afunder, and cafl the cords from us ; for which the Lord has given} the dearly beloved cf his foul into the hands of his ene- mies The church in thefe lands is now in bondage s fie has en her mournizLgweed : Zion fpreadeth forth her* mdi, end there is none to ccm fort her. When the great rren of the earth, the political and religious r Itrs of thefe nations, areraindipg only their world- \. eaTe, wealth, advantage, and grandeur, you mud cot ft?nd as neutral and indifferent fpc&ators : no, ?cu muft put to your liand, and, in your ftatioas, take a lift with poor, low, dejefted, and defpifoj 2ton. And, if ycu can da pore, (though we be 3 c©/cnant breaking people, yet we have a covenant- fceeping and prayer hearing God), you muft pray, . f.J pray fervently, that the time to favour her may come. Say with the pfalmilr, lift up thy feet unfa the perpetual deflation, even all the ills thine enemies have dene wickedly in the fanflwiry . Pray, that the crown may yet flourifh upon the head of our great Iminanuel ; that his large and great dominions may fee extended ; and that he may rid the neck of his church from under the yoks of her opprcfTors, whe- ther pope, prelate, patron, or haoghty chqrch men, jhat eeaa to put no higher eftimate upon precious 3ud mmoiui fju!s than their own worldly intereft

sad.

r>od preferment So that the wicked ©ay no m&c

triumph , and the men of the earth may no more opprefs* that he may r cal our bondage as ftreams in the fouth% Sthly, Amongft the other fruits of our apoft?cy one of the fpiritual judgments, that have feized tbi9 generation, is, a fpirit of contention and divifjon, /whereby religion is rendered tech a chaoc offend- meats as has reduced its prcfeflbrs unto an immenfe number of fets, fedlaries, divifions and fubdivifiojcs (witnefics for truth not excepted), and alrnoft every one pretending to be in the right, feme Joying, h, her* is Chrifty or io> he is there. So that many well neaning people who are convinced things are wrong; in the eflablifhed church, and would be content to lift up a testimony for truth, yet know not well what party to join with, whereby they are difcouraged ;n the way of duty. — If this (hall fall out to be your cafe, you mufi: not confult flefh and blood; that ie, your own worldly eafe and advantage. If you would make a right choice, you muft proceed in a folii e'e* liberate way upon rational and fcriptural ground?. You muft not fake up a principle or fenticneat npoa truft, or be led implicitly by men or the beft of men, Dor even truft confeience alone in this ; foi it is a xnaitcr of more importance than many are a-.v of. You'll fay, what then I why, you raufi sp;

BBto the Lord for light and dircflicn. Say,

with Dsvid, teach me thy ivay 0 Lord: I %iU zvctk in thy truth. Search the divine oracles, rhe only r of faith and manners, and the flandards and ref- tirnony of the reformed church of Scothtd, acd fee whofe principles are molt agreeable unto thefe, and what you find, upon an impartial enquiry, condcr cd by the fpirit of God there. Tbciafpired p found the advantages accruing from this, wh" made him fay, thy tcjtwionies are my delight, and my $Qunfc\kri. And,

La/t'y, My brethren, let me, on the whole, obfHft ou once more, toocy mightily unto the Lord In this

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critical juncture for light and direction in thli weighty :; and important affair. He has proJiifed to be a refuge t9 the opprejfed, and a toiver in troublous days. Id* |L deed, you may be borne down and overmatched by men in power ; and they may plead afts of parlja* meats and General AfTemblies for it. Nay, thefe low lifed hirelings may alcribe what oppofition they juftly meet with to a beiog peifecuted for righteoufnefs fakes and apply or abufe fcriptore for that purpofe. But the bufiuefs will come to a hearing aguin before aa impartial judge, when thefe as well as other injuries will be re&ifiei. Labour, then, to have your judge fcr your friend. Seek an acquaintance and union with him, aod then he will enable you to furmount aud pervade all your difficulties ; and fooaer or later will extricate and deliver you out of all your trouble. The righteous cries unto the Lord% tine! the Lord deliver* eth him out cf all his trouble. And, though you are dill to be in the ufeof all lawful means and endea- vours to obtain an agreeable Settlement in your religi- ous concerns, yet youmuft nd'her reft too much a- pon, nor be elated with your management in therri* No, commit your way unto the Lord% trujt alfo in him ; and he Jhall bring it to pafst wait patiently for him; fret nott becaufe of the man that bringelh wicked de- vices to pa/s. Leave not, nor give over the arduous work, until he bring forth your righteoufnefs as the lights and your judgment as the noon tide of the day.

And, for a final conclusion, that this may be your happy attainment, and the attainment or all in the like circumftaoce under this a<vful gloom in this dark and cloudy day, (when the churches defections are increasing, and her enemies recruiting their force or reconoitcring her fuength, and advancing on her apace) is aod ought to be the earned defire of your fouls ever well wither iu the truth,

Loohgoin ? JOHN HOWIE.

March 19th 1780 5

P O S T S C ..

Perhaps, Some may thich, hings in the foregoing pages to are of the fubjeft not only led naics of allowance ; bute?en th to luch an alarming crifis under . age, that, in relating things as coofiftency with truth) no alter this feems to be kfc — Others, again, i k^ )e ready to fay, we arc tavghti that we may bear andjzin with cy cry found teacher in the ejlau . thurcb) tbd9 put in by patronage, if he be not thruj in upon Qwfelves, but here youfeem to make no materi* difference. To thefe I would only further fay, tha as men and teachers, I have granted an odds ; for do not defpair, that there are yet fome (though buL comparatively few'lgocd men and orthodox preach- ers in the church ot Scorland. But are \vc to follow thefe in an evil courfe more than others ? For as they are. a party contributing to uphold the idol fu- premacy, and its firft born brat patronage, and con- icur with thefe corrupt hireliogs, drc. in point of tef- timony or witnefs bearing, where is the difference ? Sure the word of God makes none, He that biddeth him good fpeed, (i. e. foiiows, countenances, or en- courages in fuch acourfe), is partaker of his deeds ; and fays the apoftle of legal ceremonies, which can be of no greater importance than thefe truths above mentioned, Touch nptt tafle nct% handle not. Let us then bear a free, full and faithful tcfti- mony for every truth contained in the word of trut.i. The great patron, fupreme whoefs, and high pried of our profeffion was not afharoed to av art as

an example in this. Says he> To this end 1 was bu*nt and/or this caufc came I into the ivorli% to bear witnejs to the truth.

K R R a T \. Page 9. line 13. for 1710. read 171*. 3. T9 I. ?. for cOQ«

peancer.concurrenccp.il !.i:

Cioy, P- 35- I- 5- after conr

lanies r. votaries p. 6o. foot noce foi

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