Mm. In ,»root of th-s 1 0<#rve, ^ ^ firft 
 
 ,, ,,o„^ U f JJJ^IS offspring, was <o obey 
 
 A3a mj * ^ - -' ta £f,JJ5 nom eJ included that he 
 
 ,he im in to**!?-. , . ,,. Vithoni a call ; for the law, 
 ws ,„ perf** occa .on ld»«i - wotks> ^ ru , e of 
 
 aciiha as ihe law of ruiuie, co providence. 
 
 L Quires occafipnal duties without a call i P _. nW 
 
 Rejected Book 
 
 Internet Archive Princeton Scanning Center 
 
 Shipment ID: 
 
 Date: 
 
 Item#: 
 
 
 Barcode: . 
 Scribe #: . 
 Operator: 
 
 Was this book partially scanned 
 
 Yes / No If yes, # of pages scanned 
 
 Reason for rejection(s): 
 
 circle appropriate reason (s) 
 fold out uncut pages 
 
 I 
 
m 
 
 V 
 
 ^ys. ** 
 
 * ^ 
 
 ^'v*. 
 
/ 
 
 1 £%. 
 
 %^ - / c 
 
 v 
 
njx, 
 
 
 JCi 
 
 <<fk* 
 
 r #4 / • 
 
REVIEW 
 
 Of a late Publication, intitled, A compendious View zf 
 the Religious Syjlem maintained by the Synod of Re- 
 lief, 6c. By Patrick Hutchison, A, AU 
 Minifter of the Gofpel in St. Ninians* 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 A Defence of the Secession againd: the Charge? 
 exhibited by faid Author, on the articles of Into- 
 kraut Principles, Promifcuous hearings and Unfcrip- 
 
 ^ tural Terms of Communion. 
 
 AND 
 A Farther Display of the Relief-Scheme, par- 
 ticularly in relation to the Spirit and Con/iitiition t 
 Doctrine and Communion of the Relief Church* 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 A few observations in Vindication of the Re- 
 lief Scheme confidered. 
 
 By JAMES R A MSA Y, 
 
 Minifter of the Gospel in Glasgow. 
 
 jf% ? of your onufi fives Jhalhnen arife, fpeaking perverse 
 
 things to DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTEi THEM. Acts 
 
 xx. 30. 
 
 Jin d by good words and fair fpeeches deceive the hearts of 
 
 /^simple. Rom. xvi. 18. x 
 Thus faith the Lord of hosts, they shall build, bull 
 
 WILL THROW DOWN. Mali 1. 4. 
 
 T H £ SECOND EDITION, 
 
 GLASGOW: 
 
 Printed by John Bryce; 
 And Sold by him at his Shop, Salt market, and by 
 Robert In g lis, Potter-row, Edinburgh } and o* 
 ther Bookfellers. 
 
 m, d c c, l x x 1 x. 
 [Price FouR-rsNCE^ 
 
PREFACE 
 
 NO fooner did the Relief Scheme confidered appear 
 in December laft, than the whole Relief mxertfc 
 took the alarm. The author was branded with the 
 xnoft infamous names, and his piece rtigmatized for 
 a collection of Ires and fcurrility. The zeal of the 
 Clergy in a particular manner was roufed to themoft 
 exorbitant pitch. Pronouncing it unworthy of the 
 perufal of Chriftians, and condemning it to everlaft- 
 5ng obl'vion, they ufed all their influence to keep fo 
 dangerous a performance out of the hands of their 
 people. Nay, like Demetrius and the workmen of 
 like occupation, who fet the city of Ephefus in an up- 
 jroar, and meditated nothing but violence and blood 
 againft Paul, becaufe his diicourfes threatened to re- 
 trench their fuperftitious gain, they proceeded fo far 
 as to hold folemn confultations about incarcerating a 
 'Brother not far from Glafgow, who had been active 
 in fpreading the Publication, till he mould produce 
 the author of it. 
 
 However more moderate counfels prevailed- T'* r 
 inclination to exemplify the charitable opinion, that 
 nothing is fo effectual ;o convince an obftinate heretic, 
 or filence a noify opponent, as to deliver him over to 
 the fecular arm, was violent ; but fome Revd. Father, 
 we fhall fuppofe, better acquainted with the Britijh 
 conflitution than the reft, willing to avoid a meafure, 
 which muft have rung thro' the kingdom, and given 
 the petulant author, and his doughty piece a degree 
 of confequence, which they ill deferve ; or fenfible, 
 that it would forever forfeit their pretcmfions to mo- 
 deration and zeal for liberty, had fo much credit with 
 bis angry Brethren, as to perfuade them to drop, for 
 the prefent, fo hoftile a deiign. 
 
 Next accounts allured us the daring invader is im- 
 mediately to be repelled fro;n the prefs ; but whether 
 
 in 
 
C « 1 
 
 In apiece ftamped by Sy nodical authority, at leaftcom- 
 pofed and publifhed by Prefhyteriat appointment, or 
 in the laboured production oi fix of the fraternity, 
 with Mr. Hutchifon of St. Ninians at their head, was 
 not for fome lime eafy to conjecture, as both reports 
 went current. The gentleman juft mentioned, being 
 of fome repute for learning, decency and good feofe, 
 the Relief people, and indeed all who concerned them- 
 felves in this controverfy, approved of his ftanding 
 foremoft in the caufe, as fomething more fatisfying 
 was expelled from him, than any other in the Relief 
 aiTociation. For my part, 1 was happy to be engaged 
 with a perfon of fo much merit, perfuaded he would 
 fee the requefl: of " giving me argument inftcad of 
 hintcr and ill names'* to be a very reasonable one ; 
 and therefore that he would enter into the debate, 
 and manage his anfwer with calmnefs and candor. 
 
 J compendious View, &c. bearing Mr. Hutchifon' s 
 name, was foon after publifhed ; but how great was 
 our difappointment to find him actuated by the fame 
 fpirit, and treading in the fame Iteps, as the author of 
 A juft Viewy &c. who acquired fo much honour in 
 the Reliefca.uk lafl year. In moft i&ftances he alto- 
 gether (huns the argument ; and when he ventures to 
 look it in the face, it feems to be rather with an in- 
 tention to make a noife, and inflame the paflionsof 
 his reader againft the Seceders, than to carry convic- 
 tion to the mind. He ftudies either to hide the force 
 of it, that a tig word, may deliver him from any fur- 
 ther trouble, ortocarryus off with a long difcourie 
 about what he mu(t be convinced makes no part of 
 the bufinefs in hand ; that being fo long entertained 
 vrhhfomething, we may be deceived into an opinion 
 of his femiments being now fully eftablifhed ; accom- 
 panied with fuch a torrent of perfonal abufe, dif- 
 charged on the writer of the Relief fcheme con/idered, 
 as no man can be capable of, who has not firlt work- 
 ed himfelf up into the moft frantic rage. Some have 
 been pleafed to al'edge he chole this mode of defence 
 to prevent a reply, as I had expreily put in a caveat 
 againft it. 
 
 Whatever be in that, only one thing has prevailed 
 with me :o take the Icaft notice of his pci-formance ; 
 
 —to 
 
[ iv j 
 
 — to wipe ofFtheafperfions ca ft upon the memory of 
 our worthy Reformers in the laft century, and alio u- 
 pon tjie principles and conduct of that religious body 
 with which I have the honour to be connected. To 
 many fuch a vindication is wholly unnecelFary ; to o- 
 thers it may be ufeful. In purfuance of this defign, 
 the Relief fd erne is further illuftrated, particularly on 
 the article of communion as ftated by cur author, toge- 
 ther with a few things in defence of the former pub- 
 lication. 
 
 I (hall only add, that flnce concealing my name 
 has been mi'confuucled, no threatenings of a ltill Se- 
 verer drubbings nor of the great fums of money which 
 the Relief chrgy have in readinefs to fupport a prose- 
 cution again ft me, upon avowing the Relief fcheme 
 confidered, tho' thefe menaces be both in the higheft 
 tone and daily repeated, fliall deter me from ingenu- 
 oufly confeffing, that the public have had ad this. 
 trouble from 
 
 JAMES RAMSAY. 
 
 GLASGOW, 7 
 
 Sept. 30. 1779. .5 
 
C * I 
 
 REVIEW, &c. 
 
 THOUGH the Relief Schcrre centered, raf- 
 fed the indignation of the parti/ans of that 
 caufe, one of them was fo obliging as to ap- 
 prize me of the blow that was meditated, not only 
 againft the production itfelf, but againft the Cba- 
 rafter cf the deteited author. The writer of this 
 piece was unwilling I fhould know the kind perfori 
 \ .io laid me under fo ftrong an obligation ; yet as ic 
 fometimes fails out with the good offices of our friends, 
 which, contrary to their inclination, will difcover 
 them by fome circumftance attending their kindnefs, 
 iheflamp of the Pofi Office, gave me the fcent to Fal- 
 kirk. Mr. BoHon % therefore, the Relief minifter in that 
 town, who fills his place with fo much dignity and ap* 
 plaufe, is the worthy Brother, to whom I hold my- 
 felf indebted for this favour, and fhall be ready upon 
 all occaiions, to make the mod ample acknowledge- 
 ments of his ger.eroiity, unlefs he fhall publicly dif- 
 claim fuch a proof or his friendfhip. It (hews fo much 
 fublimity of Genius, fuch brilliancy of wit, and fo much 
 of the true fpirit of the Gcfpel, that the impulfe to 
 lay it before the public is ii refill ibl*\ It is as foU 
 lows : 
 
 Revd. Dr Br. 
 
 I HAVE read your Pamphlet with that attention 
 which it merited, and with that pleafure, which 
 every genuine friend of truth fhouid feel, in the pe- 
 rulal of fuch a performance. I doubt not but you 
 have received many congratulatory Letters, from dif- 
 A ' ferent 
 
( * J 
 
 ferent minifters and private chriftians of our party, for 
 the valuable ferviceyou have done the caufe of truth, 
 %vhich is wholly among our hands, and for fojuftly ex- 
 pofing the vile Iatitudinarian relievers,and theirfcheme, 
 which you have clearly demonftrated to be u an odd 
 pernicious device, and the growth of modern fcepti- 
 cifm and infidelity." I cannot help joining my breth- 
 ren in a Letter of gratitude, on fo joyous an occafion. 
 Your exceffive and well known modefty, Dr. Br. 
 and my difpofition not to flatter, will not permit me 
 to beftow on you,, and your pamphlet, half the en- 
 comiums, to yourfelf, which I ufually do behind your 
 back. There are only two things, which I think 
 wrong in your valuable performance, not in the mat- 
 ter, but in the order of it. i. I am of opinion, that 
 the firft part of your pamphlet fhould have been laft; 
 becaufe as you have told io many notorious lies, in the 
 firft part, tho* with a truly pious intention, to fup- 
 port the caufe of truth, a great many people, efpeci- 
 ally the Relievers, do not think it worth their while 
 to read any farther, and take the liberty to call your 
 whole pamphlet a eolleiiion of fa]fhoods> and yourfelf 
 an infamous, lying Bl ack- gu are>.. 2. I am 
 Humbly of opinion, that you erred in another refpecly 
 •viz. in having your falfhoods fo interfperfed amoDg 
 the few truths in your book. I think you fhould have 
 connected them together, in their beautiful harmony, 
 and placed them at the end of your book, that there 
 they might have fhone forth as one bright conftellati- 
 on, and dazzled every beholder. Had this been done, 
 then 1 am certain, that every genuine Seceder, who is 
 as friendly to truth as your/elf, would have /worn that 
 they -were a clvftcr of divine truths, and would have pe- 
 titioned the Revd. AfTociate Synod, that the beauti- 
 ful clufter fhould be adopted in the Judicial Tejli- 
 mony, where they may (hine forth to lateft ages, as 
 the infallible guide of the whole Ajjociate inter eft into the 
 temple of truth. I was going to advifeyou to do this 
 in the fecond edition of your book ; but as I have; 
 come to underftand, that, in a new publication, which 
 will appear in a few weeks, your lies zvejudicioufly' 
 marked and clofely joined together, in their number, or- 
 der and harmony, all. properly illuflrated, andalljuf- 
 
 ticc 
 
. 
 
 C 3 )' 
 
 lice done the refpectable character of their author, I 
 thought it my duty to inform you of this, as it will 
 fave you the trouble of collecting them into one clus- 
 ter yourfelf, and in all probability render a fecond im- 
 preflion of your book entirely unneceflary. Before I 
 conclude this congratulatory epiftle, I cannot but ex- 
 prefs mydefire and hope, that your multiplied faljhoods % 
 narrated with iuch a modeft confidence, in your 
 pamphlet, and with (uch a worthy intention to pro- 
 mote the caufe of truth, may meet with that recepti- 
 on from the public which they deferve ; and that the 
 public may be fo candid and difcerning, as to view 
 your own character in a proper light, that you may lofe 
 nothing of that refpect and veneration, to which you 
 
 are fojuftly entitled. As, in your publication, you 
 
 have neither mentioned the author, the printer, nor 
 the place -of printing, but only the year of the Chrif- 
 tian ?era, that ufhered this production into the light; 
 fo in imitation of your own conduct, fo extremely 
 cautious, fo becoming the character of an honoura- 
 ble, well-bred gentleman, who wants truth, and not 
 names to appear, I have not told you the author of 
 this Letter, the place nor time of writing it, but the 
 year. I remain, 
 
 Revd. Dr. Br. 
 
 1779. Tours refpetl/ul/y, 
 
 PSEUDOPHILOS *. 
 
 Soon after receiving this miflive, A Compendious 
 View, &c. was put into my hand, confirming the in- 
 telligence of my valuable friend in all its extent. In 
 this performance I am indeed cudgelled to great fatis- 
 faction f. 
 
 A ^ The 
 
 * The fame gentleman is fuppofed, from a variety of cir- 
 cumftances, to be the author of a very valuable iermon upon 
 Lies, lately pubhfhed. Whoever admires the noble efforts of 
 human genius, and has a juft rehfli of the genuine Attic jalt t 
 
 will lind the nchelt entertainment in that celebrated piece. 
 
 They 'are fold, at Clajgow % in three penny parcels, by the 
 Revd. Mr. G. Grocer. 
 
 t ItdecJares me " an anonymous fcribler," who ufes 
 , great iwelung words of vanity and faljbood t u and •• more 
 
 refemUics 
 
< 4 j> 
 
 The 70pld will judge, on reading the Relief fchemt 
 Xonfidered % how far I have merited fuch abufe. Jt is 
 4n.uch.t0 the honour of the Relief xntcreR, that many 
 of its moil zealous adherents, profefs themfelves per- 
 fectly 
 
 refembles the accufer of the brethren than a Minifler 
 of the new TelUment." Part 1. p. 25. I " teem to be a 
 ■$oor critic" am admonimed for " not having made myfelf 
 more a matter of the original language ;" Since my " com- 
 pentary upon texts is a huddle of confufion and nonfenfe%' 
 jn confequence whereof he*' pities ihe people who are un- 
 der the miniftry of fuch an ignorant perverter offcripture." 
 Part 3. P. 67. 68 The reader is fuppofed to have a " iuf- 
 Jicient fpecimcn of my ignorance aud errors ; infomuch 
 that the auihor •' h loth to tire his patience with more of 
 .this inconftflent notifenfe." Part 3. p. 7:. 73. But in the 
 appendix all regard to decency is, cf purpoie, caft off. There 
 the Relief fcheme confidered, is ftigmatized ?s a "Jcur-rilm* 
 invective," and the writer of it ** a deceitful, Hood thirjly 
 , 0jfajfin$ — * lying defamatory fcribler, — a deceitful fophifler % 
 whofe performance is characlerrlcd by mazes of error, con- 
 fujion* contradiction, and ?wnfenfe. >i V. z. One would think 
 this pretty liberal chaftifement ; but it is little more than 
 irandifhing the rod ; for in the next pa^e the attention of the 
 reader is fummoned, <s till he is held (01 th tn the infpeclion of 
 the public, as the object of jufiderifion and contempt. — chaftt- 
 Jed as an illiberal petulant defamer" Alter this fludiej 
 humility and meeknefs, he falls en in obferving, " the ahufi^e 
 fcurrility" which proceeds from the " envenomed tongue of 
 this nvafpijh petulant defamer, that with cruelty and im- 
 piety hath torn up the afhes of the deac ;--an invidious up* 
 flart ; who, tho'a celebrated pulpiteer, has a continued mono- 
 tony, roaring with the voice like a bull, and t offing the head 
 like a mountebank.'" P. 3. Tho J " a (launch prorefTcd ivitvefs 
 for truth, he bears a reiemblance of that fpirit who is called 
 the father of lies : and the grand diitingniming feature of the 
 Parent characlerifes the Son,/* No marvel, therefore, that 
 •'he palms upon the world a grsfsfulf.ood, afTerts a notorious 
 falf^ocd and teJ!s * glaring lie." P. 4. He is an " officious intru- 
 Jive intermeddler, a bufy body* engaged in a practice, which 
 chimney f weeps would efteem btlow their character ;-- -gives 
 demonitrable evidence.of his being deflitute of the Christian 
 femper ;--bred on a dunghill^ is engaged in k», dirty, and 
 •unvianly exercifes ; in -thefe he is as much in his element, 
 Q.s the lerpent ticking dull, and the faw when wallowing in 
 the mire."- -An ** tiliberal bigot , that has the impudence to 
 afTert down- ight f aljhoods to accomplifh his diabolical pur- 
 pofe, the greedy blood fucker " whofe '" cloven foot, a fourth 
 time, appears in afferting a moil notorious lie" P. -5. On a 
 clan, comes anotysr " bare faced falfiood" The next mo- 
 nitor 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 fe&!y afbamed of their advocate, and his manner of 
 agenting their cauie. Some parts of Mr. Hutchiforfs 
 character have been reprefented to me in fuch a light 
 as to make it highly probable, when he has leifure to 
 
 review 
 
 mcnt he is even convicted o f " a notorious lis" and yet again 
 prefumes to aflert a " no lefs notmius lis." Is cot this a 
 M h*ng prophet ? What lhall be done to thee, O false 
 tongue !'' and then this ** lying, defamatory fcribler is put 
 to defiance." P. 6. Nay he has formed a "fy/lemoflies; 
 and the fimilarity of his character to that of the accufsr of tjae 
 brethren, who was a liar from the begining, (hews, that they 
 are one in heart, counihl and operation." And 
 if fo, why fnouldour author fcruple to call him '* a down- 
 . right liar, io the name of all toe Relief people ?" ?. 7. Ail 
 this don't fatisfy, for he is ftili proclaimed T a notorious It- 
 er ; a defamatory, viperous bigot" Again "he tells a de- 
 left a He lie ; impudently alerting fo many falfe 'hoods ■," as a- 
 mount to " a noted proof of his integrity, and the Sincerity 
 and truth of his profefiion. He will not content himfelfwkri 
 resembling Satan, in the black art of falfehood and de- 
 famation, but he mult invade the prerogative of that great 
 Bring, who alone fearches the heart."" After .this it is 
 very kind in Mr. H to " with him a little more of that cha- 
 rity, which fuffereth long and is kind, and doth not behave 
 \\\z\lunfeemly, P. 8. for, he has given fuch a" fpec-imen of 
 his Chrijiian Moderation, and regard to truth*' that our Au- 
 thor " would be extremely forry the lives or the Relief rai- 
 r.iilers were in his hand ; Jelt he might accomplifh literacy 
 on them, what the mild Evjperor Caligula, (a man tfjirtri- 
 lar complexion with himfelf ) wilhed to do to Rome" P. 9. 
 Ah ! '' tins Reverend Liar, whom Mr. Bell will endeavour to 
 . expofe to public jhame as a lying Prophet: 1 P. 11, In fum- 
 nnr.gupthe whole, it is found that Mr. H. " has convi&ed 
 this illiberal, defamatory bigot, of as many glaring falfchoods 
 as there were years in the liege of Tt oy ; and were all his other 
 lies fe leered, it is qaeitionabie, if any publication, fince tb-at 
 diltant period contained a greater number of abominable lies 
 <*"d falfchoods:* The party with whom this author is con. 
 ,,'./.' zrz f°l er nnly admoniflted to bring him under fcrip- 
 lural difciplme, after he has been convicted of ten notorious 
 lies— It they do not, they will be latitudinarians with a 
 <wttne/s t and afterwards may ho'd communion, Min.fterial 
 and Lhrtftian, with the beaftly drunkard, the prolans Swear- 
 er, and the vile adulterer H <5cc But under an apprehenfioo 
 they may be deaf to fo falutary a counfel, the author boarts 
 him again with a " for fhams \ a minirter of the God of 
 truth to be guilty of fo many glaring violations of truth, in a 
 publication to the world, a icene of fuch open deliberate falfe* 
 Mod, methods fo diabolical and infernal" P. xx. Lett all 
 
 this 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 review bis performance, and begins to think coolly % that 
 he will condemn himfelf much more than any other 
 can. Who is not ready to fret when his fore heel is 
 touched ? Neither is it eafy to keep temper in a def- 
 ferate caufe. The heat of controverfy is apt to trans- 
 port the Deft of men beyond the bounds of religion, 
 reafon and decency. My fympathy with him is the 
 greater, fince I was acquainted with his " infirm ftate 
 of health ;" which appears to be fuch in its nature 
 and effects, as might well have excufed his lack of fer- 
 vice. 
 
 As to me; I hope to be delivered from the fpirit 
 and ftile of the Relief writers ; fenfible that it is a dif- 
 bonour to Chriftianity, and injurious to any caufe. 
 The reader fhall not therefore be difturbed with any 
 pafEonate outrage, in return to the fcurrility and a- 
 bufe which has been poured fo liberally upon me. An 
 infinitely greater than I, was reviled as a de- 
 ceiver of the people, — a Samaritan, and one that had 
 a devil i nay, in league with Beelzebub % the prince of 
 devils : and his adverfaries fuppofed they faid well, 
 when all thofe blafphcmous accufations were laid a- 
 gainft him* " But when reviled, he reviled not again, 
 • c but committed himfelf to him that judgeth righ- 
 •* teoufly." This is the glorious pattern we are called 
 to ftudy and follow. After this manner I defire to 
 learn Chrift. Confcious of having advanced nothing 
 asfacl, which I was not perfuaded upon good grounds 
 was true, nor any point of doctrine, but what appears 
 to me fcriptur at , I can affure Mr. Hutchifon, that none 
 of his charges and denunciations have come near my 
 confeience ; neither has his torrent of abui'e affected 
 for a moment my feelings. Thsy have fwelled my pi- 
 ty > never my indignation and refentment. Any re- 
 marks upon his performance, which are thought ne- 
 
 ibis fhould not work, " This poor unhappy man" is besged 
 to " turn his attention to the righteous judgment of God* 1 and 
 very kindly doomed to the pit of eternal perdition " if infinite 
 mercy and repentance prevent not.'* The public in the mean 
 time are " guarded againft the writings of a man that are 
 evidently fluffed wiih lies and fa Ifebood) virulence and defa- 
 mation" P. j*. 
 
 cefTtry 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 ceffary, (hall be offered, therefore, with all the refpec\ 
 thai is confiftent with honefty and plainnefs. 
 
 The author of A compendious View, &c. intending 
 to filence the loud complaints of the public about the 
 doctrines and form of the Relief church being kept ia 
 the dark, is fo obliging as to give us, what he fome- 
 times calls u a fpecimen of her doctrines," and at other 
 times, '* a compendious view of the religious fyfiem 
 maintained and taught by the fynod of Relief" con- 
 firming of 22 pages. I fhall fay nothing about the 
 propriety of dwelling upon the exigence of God, — the 
 nature and order of the creation, and particularly o£ 
 the creation of man, in fo very fhort an abftratl ; P. 
 
 4, 5 ; Nor of his taking up io much of the reader's 
 time and attention in liftening to his reafonings con- 
 cerning the equity of the divine conftitution, in ap- 
 pointing Adcrm the foederal head of his pofterity, P- 
 
 5, 6 ; concerning the extent of Chrift's reprefentation 
 in the covenant of Grace, P. 8, 9. or the pardon of 
 fin in justification, P. 20. and the like ; tho* fome have 
 thought this very ridiculous ; and others have wifhed the 
 place occupied by his argumentation had been alfigned 
 to fome other material articles of the Relief Creed, All 
 intended on this part of the pamphlet is, to point out 
 fome things that are not eafily comprehended, which 
 it miy be necefTary therefore to explain a little more 
 particularly ; and then offer a reafon or two why, af- 
 ter all our author's labour, we are as much at a loft 
 about the Relief fyftem as ever. The matters reckon- 
 ed hard to be underftood are fuch as thefe 
 
 That M the tree of life, which grew in the midft of 
 the garden, was a material and vijible reprefentation of 
 that glorious and happy life which was promifed ia 
 the covenant of works. * P. 7. That this tree was a 
 feal of the covenant, deflgned to confirm Adam's 
 faith of that happy life, fit to awaken and fix hie me- 
 ditations upon it, is plain ; but how it could be a ma- 
 terial vijible reprefentation of the favour and image of 
 God which he then enjoyeJ ; or of the unutterable glo- 
 ries of the heavenly ftate, is not fo clear. Will thefe 
 things hear a material vifibte reprefentation ? What 
 material object could poiUbly pKefcnt them to his bo- 
 dily 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 &\ly eyes ? or how does it appear, that the tree In quef- 
 tion, was intended to ferve thefe purpofes ? 
 
 Another thing equally uncommon is, " that Chrift 
 afiumed human nature into union with his divine per** 
 Tonality." P. g, 10. That our gracious Redeemer affii- 
 itied man's nature into union with his divine perfon as 
 the Son of God, is true, and has been the doctrine of 
 the church from the beginning. But is the perfon of 
 Chrift and his perfonality the fame ? or don't they 
 convey as different ideas, as that of a man and his hu- 
 luanity? When did this manner of exprdlion creep 
 Into ufe ? Is it meant to teach an abfuraitf or does it 
 mean nothing ? and fhall we employ unmeaning terms 
 on Co high amyftery, for the fake of faying fomething 
 new andftriking. 
 
 Perhaps it may be of fmall confequence, when he 
 afierts that Chrift's kingdom " commands every thing 
 that hath being." There can be no herefy in this. 
 His kingdom undoubtedly ruleth over all things ; and 
 every thing mult have beinp^ ; but wheu he fpeaks of 
 " the law and go/pel- church" in the fame page, P. 14; 
 the matter is more interefting. Perhaps, he may be 
 right in this too; only we may enquire what is meant 
 by the law- church in diltinclion from the gaf pel-church? 
 Is not the gospel ejfentiat to the church ? Can there 
 be any church founded upon and adminiftred by the 
 law ? Was not the church under the old difpenlation 
 as much a go/pel church as under the new one, — a 
 church ftanding on the the new covenant, — erjoying 
 the tidings, and alfo the bleillngs of (alvation through 
 Chrift ? What is our author's opinion on this head ? 
 The account of church officers is a little my/icnous, 
 P. 15. " They are paftors and teachers, together 
 with helps and governments, cr prefbyters, who are 
 
 to aid the paftors of the church in ruling. To ihel'e 
 
 vre add Deacons. '' Do you fo ? but why ? when was* 
 it agreed that both helps and governments mentioned 
 by the apoflle, 1 Cor. xii. 28. were Prejhyters ? Our 
 divines ufe to explain thefe as diftinct officers, one of 
 which can have no fhare in church-rule ; nor are 
 cither of them in ecclefiaftical and ordinary phrafe, 
 counted Prefbyters* To helps aud governments you 
 
 add 
 
( § ) 
 
 av!d deacons. But Prefhyterian writer* and churches 
 think that this is juft adding Deacons to Deacons ; be- 
 caufe they take helps and Deacons to be the fame, as 
 diftincl from Paftors and Ruling Eilers. Nor does it 
 appear they are miftaken in this ; for it is plain in the 
 paiTage under consideration, the apoftle enumerates 
 all church officers, ordinary and extraordinary. Thefe 
 and none other our Lord hath authorized. If there- 
 fore to helps and governments you will add Deacons^ 
 we are afraid the queftion may be propofed, Who 
 hath required this at your hands ? 
 
 What is under-ftood by ob'ervfng, P. 17. that M fe^P 
 In comparifon improve their right to believe into real 
 faith. '* It is a great matter to be fully convinced o£ 
 our warrant to believe in Chriih Many have it, whn» 
 never think of it ; and many think of it, who do not 
 fee it in any proper light, and thence make no proper 
 ufe of it. But by what means, natural or fupernatu- 
 ra!, can a man improve his -warranty or as our au- 
 thor calls it, his right to believe into real faith ? Can 
 the warranty or that which gives a man a right to be- 
 1 eve be turned into fa'.hitfelj ' ? Or is not the very im- 
 provement of the warrantor right to believe, )^ faith? 
 
 When dating the difference between juftification and 
 regeneration, P. 18. he tells us that " the one refpects 
 the penalty of the law and the punifbment, which it 
 threatens; the other relpecls the precepts of the law, 
 and the obedience, which it requires. " Pray what is 
 the difference bcuv^en the penalty of the law, and the 
 punijhment which the broken law threatens ? How can 
 juftification refpect the penalty of the law, without re- 
 specting alio it? precepts, the violation whereof incurs 
 the penalty ? While in juftification we obtain pardon, 
 are we not alfo accepted as righteous ? How is this 
 poflible, if juftification refpeft nor, and that immedi** 
 diately, direclly and effent tally, the precepts of the law, 
 which are the rule and meafure of righteoufnefs ? 
 
 Purfuing his dilcourfe upon the fame great doctrine 
 of Jufti/icatbn, in fomc things he is not fo dark; for 
 be very gravely allures us, that when the " righteouf- 
 nefs of Chrift is imputed to a Tinner, it is not infulect 
 iuto his nature ;" a point which no Protefiant will 
 queftioD j aud which no man wjio uadcrftands the 
 
 B terms, 
 
( ■ IO ) 
 
 terms can have any difficulty about. What is iwpv.t*a% 
 in the nature of things, cannot be infufcd. What be- 
 comes a man's property in laiu reckoning, cannot by 
 that imputation be put within him. He alfo observes 
 very judiciovfly , that " in jpftifkation a believer not 
 only obtains a title to life, which he cannot lol'e ; but 
 alfo a full, free and irreveriible pardon of all his fins.'* 
 This is perfectly plain. If a man have have an inde- 
 fcafible title to life, he muft have a pretty lingular 
 mrn of thought who can imagine, that fuch a pen'on's 
 iniquity is not forgiven. The one is neceftarily impli* 
 ed in, and, in the Oi\Jer of nature, cannot but go be- 
 fore the other. But what follows needs fome little 
 explication to make it comprehenfible, char " a belie- 
 ver's obedience is at once the evidence of his title to 
 life, and his meetnefs for the poiTcflion of eternal life 
 in refpect of the frame and temper of his mind" P. io> 
 That the fanctification of our nature by the fpirit is 
 our meetnefs for heaven, to which we obtain a title 
 in juftificatjon, and that obedience is an evidence to our> 
 ielves and others, both of our perfons being juft ified, 
 and our natures being renewed, we have been taught^, 
 and firmly believe. But how \jedience fpringing from 
 faith, and a fruit of a believer's meetnefs for heave.r, 
 in refpect of the frame and temper of his mind, fhoulci 
 be that meetnefs itfelf is ftrange. A gracious frams 
 and temper of foul will fliew itielf in acis of gofpel o- 
 bedience ; but are thefe acls of obedience the fame with 
 the renewed frame and temper from which they pro- 
 ceed ? Is a fubject's obedience to the laws of his princ* 
 bis meetnefs, in refpeel: of the frame and temper ofhiy 
 mind, tor being admitted into the palace, and to (land 
 continuaLly in the royal prefence ? 
 
 We fhall only notice another expreffion, which Co 
 far as has occurred in my fmali reading, muft be very 
 new. — That " darknefs, enmity and diforder ft ill re- 
 main in all the powers of the mind till the body of clay 
 be difiblved " P. 22. The difficulty is not, how the 
 unJerftanding, will, and affections, which our au- 
 thor exprefly names, are made powers of the mind % 
 though that muft be fame .nice ftroke of fcience ; but 
 &ow corruption remains in all thefe till the body of chy 
 be diffohed; For it has hitherto been thought, that 
 
( » ) 
 
 $n death believers are made perfecl in holinefs ; all re« 
 maining impurity being then purged for ever, from 
 every power of the foul. But ufuaily, it is not till a 
 confiderable time after death that the body of clay is 
 dijohed. May we be permitted to enquire, in what 
 ftate he fuppofes the powers ofthe-m/m/to be, during 
 that intermediate fpace ? Is his purgatory the fame, 
 which the good Papifts have invented? Or has he 
 luckily hit on a more gentle one, where the fouls of 
 the faints mud necelTarily take a fhort, though a very 
 profitable turn ? 
 
 But admitting all thefe points to be quite clear and 
 fatisfactory ; our author certainly cannot be fo vain 
 as to fuppofe, the public will fuftain his (t Treatifc" 
 as he is pleafed to call it, for a proper exhibition of 
 the religious fjflem maintained by the Synod of Relief. 
 for, 
 
 First; This Treatife, however elaborate, compre- 
 hends but a few articles. Several capital and impor- 
 tant doctrines, it mult be acknowledged, are here fet 
 before us, and fuch no doubt as the writer thought 
 would (land particularly recommended to ferious peo- 
 ple -, but it is a pity, fince engaged in this buflnefs, that 
 fie has taken fo narrow a compafs. How many precious 
 articles of the Chriitian/a&A are wholly omitted ? no 
 iefs precious than thofe our author has done fo much 
 juftice to. The worfhip of the church, too, he fays 
 nothing about ; fave in general, that Ch rift has ap- 
 pointed two feals of the covenant, Baptifm and the 
 Lord's Supper. Her government is left untouched, 
 farther thai* a fort of enumeration of her officers, ac- 
 companied with a very neceiTary obfervation, that 
 their power is in fubordination to her great Head. 
 Not a fyllable about its form or Unzr of adminifirati* 
 ■en Nor have we the mod diftant hint, whether dis- 
 cipline, be fo much as competent to her. From all 
 which, one of thefe things, in fpite of our utmoft 
 charity, will follow; — either that the Relief fy ft cm is 
 the mod imperfetH and curious fyilem in Chriftendom,; 
 or that our author has failed unaccountably in his 
 exhibition of th2tjjflcm t notwithftanJing his laborious 
 pains for our information ; a fimple reference to 
 Che U'cjlminfler ConfcJJioiu after the manner of his par- 
 B 2 ty f 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 ty, would have directed us to an incomparably better 
 view of their principles. 
 
 Secondly ; It does not appear, nor has our author 
 the hardineis any where to infinuate, that the Relief 
 Synod either appointed him to give us a compendious 
 view of their religious fylfem, or that when he fub. 
 milted to the drudgery of drawing up their creed> from 
 an impulfe of generous zeal, it obtained their appro- 
 tation, or the fancVion of their authority. The public, 
 made no demands for Mr, Hutchifon's private confef- 
 jion of faith. We wanted a declaration of what the 
 Relief church, as fuch t holds ; and expected it from 
 her reprefentatives met in judgment. Do the Synod 
 of Relief avow this creed? Where (hall we find their 
 Synodical deed to that effect ? If they did not compile 
 this confeflion, nor ever acknowledged it to be theirs * 
 tipon what rational grounds can this writer conclude, 
 the world will give him credit that it is indeed the Re- 
 lief fyilem ? Were I compofe a creed to my liking* 
 and call it the conftrflion of th,e JJfociate Synod, while 
 they never employed me in that work, never offered to 
 adopt it as their own, perhaps never faw nor heard 
 of it, till it appeared in print ; whether would their 
 charge of temerity and prefumption, or the complaint 
 
 of the public of impofition and injult, be mod juft ? 
 
 The cafes feem to be parallel ; unleis the Relief Synod, 
 as Mr. Roflon elegantly expreffes it, have conftkuted 
 him the Lord-keeper of their faith. 'Tiil fomething 
 farther be done, therefore, the world muft be per- 
 iuaded the Relief church lies in the fame obfeurity as 
 before. And when they fhall fee meet to ufher her 
 into the light, perhaps from the above reflections \% 
 may appear, our author is not perfectly qualified for 
 fuch important fervice, except his pen be under the 
 direction of a more accurate and ikilful hand. 
 
 The Second Part of his piece, confining of eight 
 pages, contains an account of the prscije points, in 
 which the Synod of Relief differ from the eftahhfhed 
 church. Thefe preci/e points, it feems, are only two ; 
 legal and unfound preaching, together with violent 
 intrufions into the miniftry. Upon which, at prefent, 
 I XhaU quly express juy farrow tfcat the points in dif- 
 ference 
 
( *3 ) 
 
 ferenee with our Mother are fo few, when the Lord 
 is evidently calling for a far more extenfive pleading* 
 and proceed to the 
 
 Third Part of his treatife, which is faid to con* 
 tain the things in which the Synod differ from the S<- 
 teffim in Scotland. Here, after fetting afide feveral 
 tamgs, which he fays make no part of the peculiar 
 fcheme of Seceders, he fiods the points in difference 
 to be, i. Their anti-toleration principles. 2, The ar« 
 tide of occasional hearing. 3. The unfcriptural nar- 
 rownefs of their terms of communion. I have no 
 objection to thefe feveral heads marking our further 
 progrefs in this review. 
 
 On the first of thefe heads, our author Is at great 
 pains in dreffing a man of ftraw ; and when he ha« 
 got him properly attired, and fet in the moft ftriking 
 attitude, he falls zibrejbing the poor wretch moft un« 
 mercifully thro* twenty pages. He will have it, * that 
 the reformation which Seceders contend for, is an a- 
 itiformity in one fyftem of doctrines, one mode of wor- 
 ihip, and one form of church-government, to be 
 
 INFORCED BY THS SWORD OF THE CIV IL MAGIS- 
 TRATE on all ra/.iks of perfons in Scoihn d, --England 
 and Ireland, without toleration to any who cannot a- 
 grec m the fame fyftem. — It is not an unanimity in re* 
 ligious fentiments, to be effected among the Britifi ful>- 
 j.dts, by reafonable perfuafion and conviction of the 
 truth ; but a forced profelhon of a certain fyftem of 
 doctrines by the pains o? the state" P. c>. 
 In regard this calumny is as abominable, as it is bold* 
 this writer might be fuftered to pleafe himfelt in his 
 inglorious triumph. But, for the lake of others, w* 
 Hull beg leave to obftruct his progrefs, 
 
 Toleration in ikejiate is ufually, and may juftlf 
 be diftinguiihed into negative and pofitive. By po/i- 
 tive toleration is meant, the Aljgi/lratd's giving pcji~ 
 tiveznd direct countenance to a fyitem of error, and to 
 erroneous perfons, in the profeflion and maintenance 
 of it ; when lie takes the former under the pjfnive 
 .protection of law, and encourages the litter to dille- 
 minate their uafcripturai tenets, and abide in iluir ido- 
 latrous 
 
( 14 ) 
 
 latrons or fuperftitious pra&ices, by honouring them 
 with places of power and tru/t, building and endowing 
 churches for their religious affemblies, and the like. 
 Toleration of this kind, Seceders are not alhamed to 
 pronounce unlawful. They are of opinion, that there 
 is an ejjential difference between truth and error , as 
 there is between what is morally right and wrong ; 
 and therefore, that error can have no jutt claim to 
 the patronage or defence of any, more than to its 
 being received and profdVed, On the contrary ; as it 
 is On in in a private perlon toefpoufe, profefs *nd en- 
 courage an erroneous fyftem, with whatever plaufibi- 
 k'tyit may be digefted and recommended ; it mud be a 
 crime much more atrocious in the magijlrate t who is 
 the minifler and deputy of God to mew it favour; e- 
 fpecially when he has been enlightened in the know- 
 ledge of the truth, and is fully psrfuaced of the faliity 
 of the oppofite lyftem. We cannot underftand how 
 God*s vicegerent upon earth can lawfully approve of, 
 *md favour what his Sovereign Lord condemns, and 
 sbhors v but think the divine command "be not par- 
 •* taker of other mens fins : keep thy'felf pure," I 
 Tim v. 22. of as undoubted and forcible obligation. 
 ©n magifl rates in their place, as on miitifters in their 
 place ; and that if it be the duty of the Kings of the 
 earth to withdraw their power from the antiJniftian 
 freaft, it mutt be their duty to deny, or having granted 
 it, to withdraw their power from the kingdom of dark- 
 ttefs and error under -every new fiiape it may aiTume. 
 If this be a miftake, we confefs it to be one of feme 
 ccofequence, and wiil take it kind to be fet right. 
 
 Negative toleration is, the Magiftratc's forbearing 
 to moled the erroneous in the proreffion and exercile 
 of their religion, when their principles are not fub-* 
 verfive of good order in fociety, and their deport- 
 ment regular and inoiFenfive. Such a toleration^ 
 
 Seceders approve of, and contend for. From their 
 beans they deteft perfecution for confeience fake, un- 
 der whatever name or pretence it can be pracYifed. 
 They are clear, that neither Magi/Irate nor Clergy 
 ought to dictate to their fellow-men in matters of reli- 
 gion ; and that, with the limitation now mentioned, 
 men are amenable to God only for their religious 
 
 priaci- 
 
principles, and the ufe made of their Bibles. Con-* 
 vinced. that the kingdom of Chrift is, in its whole con- 
 ftitution and frame t diftindr. from the kingdoms of this 
 world, and therefore is not to be propagated by car- 
 nal weapons of any kind, they can fay as itrong things 
 agarnfl intolerance^ as our author is capable of ; and: 
 have the vanity to think, they could manage the ar- 
 gument in defence of their principles about it, with 
 more convincing evidence than he has done, after ail 
 his airs of felf-importance. 
 
 The world, I doubt not, will give more credit to 
 their joint, unanimous, judicial declarations, than to 
 this writer's mofr folur.n aifeverations. One Synod 
 of the Jactation allures us, they u deteft the princi- 
 " pis of perlecution for confeience fake, or of deny^- 
 '• ing the enjoyment of natural rights to fuch, whole 
 " principles or practices are nor inconfiftent with ths 
 w peace and order of civil fociety *.'* The other Sy- 
 nod indeed have nothrng exprefly upon that fubjeft 
 in their warning againit Popery , but fufBciently dif- 
 cover the fame amiaWe fpirit of moderation and for- 
 bearance f . 
 
 Does not our author grant, that t( both parties of 
 Seceders feem now to be of opinion, that all peace- 
 able members of the civil (late ought to be allowed 
 the free exercife of their religion." P. 26. How then 
 can he have the confidence to reprefent them as men 
 of intolerant principles, in the moil odious light imagi- 
 nable ? How fhall he anfwer for it to God or the pub- 
 lic, for dating that to be their principle which he him-* 
 felf muft know to be a vile calumny^ and which he is 
 obliged publick'y to acknowledge fuch ? — They were 
 once of another opinion. — Though they had once en-' 
 tertained different fentiments, an honcft mind would 
 rejoice at their being better enlightened, rather thau 
 turn it into a fcandal and reproach. It yields them 
 tlie merit of being open to conviction, eagerly graf- 
 ping at truth when tuey perceive it, and in readinefs 
 to embrace the fir ft opportuniiy of avowing it openly. 
 
 * See A Tcftimcny hy the Aflwate Syrod againf; the legal 
 Vicourjgemtrit lulcly given to PoPFRY. V. <j, 
 
 •fr See a IVarnin^ by the Burgh*) Synod. 
 
C 16 ) 
 
 But what proof has our author that thefe were not 
 the original views of Seceders ? Oh ! ** in their Judi" 
 cial Teflimony they condemn all the tolerations that e- 
 ver took place in Britain tiuce the reformation." P. 5. 
 No, Sir; not in their tefiimony ; nor in any other pa- 
 per emitted by them, You either condemn a teftimo- 
 ny which you never read with attention, or muft have 
 fmall acquaintance with the hiftory of the chuich in 
 Britain. But tho* this allegation were true, as it is 
 not, it will not eftablifh his insinuation, that, from 
 the beginning, their principles were intolerant ; be- 
 caufe it were eafy to fhew, that all the tolerations that 
 have obtained in Britain were unfcriptural in tbeir 
 principle, nature and end ; efpecially in the infamous 
 reigns of Charles II. and James VII -, — tolerations 
 flowing from an ufurped, blafphemous, fpiritual /?//;/-£- 
 macy, pretended prerogative and abfolute power, tor 
 the introduction of Popery zndjlavery. To this the 
 acls of toleration them felves, and the hiftories of thete 
 times bear undeniable witnefs. Is it not admirable 
 reafoning, that becaufe Seceders condemn all the tole- 
 rations hitherto granted in Britain, they muft be, or 
 at leaft have been, adverfaries to all toieration ? 
 
 As to the toleration <( granted by queen Ann 1712, 
 allowing her fubjecls (papifts excepted) the free exer- 
 cife of their religion according to their confciences M, P. 
 5. we grant that Seceders condemned it in their tefti- 
 mony ; they do To ftiil, aod yet are perfectly confident 
 withthemfelves : becaufe this was much more than a 
 /imp le forbearing to vex the erroneous and fuperftitious 
 for confeience fake. It was diretl, pofitive encourage* 
 Vfient to men of the word principles, religious and pO' 
 litical ; men who, for many years, had been labouring 
 by methods the moft diabolical, for the overthrow of 
 
 all our civil and religious liberties The officiate 
 
 Prefbytery exprefs themfeives with much precilion a* 
 bout it. " Tolerations of this kind, are contrary 
 ■* to the word of God, and to the principles of this 
 " Church contained in the Confefllon (Chap. 22. § 3. 
 ■' Ch. 23 § 3.) and the anfwer to the queuicn in the 
 " larger Catechifm, What are the fins forbidden in the 
 * l fecond commandment ? And the prefent was mainly 
 £' intended and defigned for ftrengthening and fup- 
 
 •■ porting 
 
( 17 ) 
 
 * f porting a malignant and difaffecled party in Scotland 
 V who ever iince the revolution have openly efpoufed 
 " the caufe and intereft of a Pcpifb Pretender ; and 
 '• whofe meetings to this day are not only nurferies of 
 " fuperftition, but feminaries of difaffection to our 
 " fovereign king George and the proteftant fucceffioa 
 " in his illuflrious Family " Aft and Teftimony, P. 95, 
 "Was not this a fufficient reafon for condemning it, 
 though I were not to add, that it was contrary to the 
 mpftfolemn national engagements to purge out Epif- 
 copacy with other evils ; aud alfo to the late union fet- 
 tlement ? Has our author fo little of the fpirit of a 
 Briton, is he fo much a friend to the Chevalier of St. 
 GermainSy and fo great an enemy to the illultrious 
 houfe of Hanover t as to approve of, and zealoufly 
 plead for fuch a toleration ? 
 
 This is not all. Our good friend thrufts in the 5e- 
 ceders between the horns of the Solemn League % and the 
 aft of the commijfioners jof the convention of eftates en- 
 joining it Oct. 12th, 1643 ; and there he will oblige 
 them to take with their perfecuting principles. "They 
 own the obligation of that folemn league and covenant % 
 and muft, on that account, allow they contend for 
 an uniformity enforced by thefword." P. 6, 7, 8. Yes ; 
 they own the obligation of it, and are perfuaded the 
 violation of this covenant, is one of our moll heinous 
 national fins ; yet execrate all fuch bloody principles, 
 as he would force upon them. 
 
 It has been the manner of every generation to fup- 
 pole themfelves much wifer than their Fathers ; thence 
 we have been taught by many to look on our ancef- 
 tors in the laft century, who compofed this covenant, 
 and joined in {wearing it, in no other light, than a fee 
 of Enthufiajts aud Madmen, that neither underftood 
 the gofpel, nor had imbibed any thing of its fpir/c' 
 13ut who that is not totally ignorant of their princi- 
 ples, temper and conduct, can be the dupes of fuch 
 credulity ? The annals of Britain cannot fhew a lift 
 of I'o illultrious names as adorned this period. For a 
 fpirit of manly liberty, political fagacity, folid learn- 
 ing, and pure religion, out covenanting Fathers were 
 the brightelt ornaments of their country. It muff, 
 therefore, betray the molt unpardouable vanity and 
 
 C deep- 
 
( »s ) 
 
 deepeft ingratitude, for the weaklings of fhefe time*, 
 in a great meaiure ftrangers to their circumftances, 
 to throw out illiberal and rajb eenfures upon their eon- 
 duel. This obfervation is not intended either to vin- 
 dicate or excufe their miiiakes ; bat to imprefs the 
 reader with the propriety of ftudying the hiftory of 
 that age, and the characters of the principal perior.s 
 who flourished in it, before he liften to every goiTip 
 who ukas the liberty to reflect on their memory, to 
 whom, under Providence, we owe every thing valu- 
 able. 
 
 One part of the Solemn League had matters oiftai; 
 for its object, luited to their peculiar and perilous cir- 
 cumftances. To this part belongs the third article, 
 and alfo the paragraph quoted with fo much indig- 
 nation by our author u about the difcovery of all fuch 
 as have been, or fliall be incendiaries, malignants or 
 evil inftruments by hindiing the work ot reformati- 
 on of religion, dividing the king from the people, op 
 dividing one of the kingdoms from another, or mak- 
 ing any faction or parties contrary to this league and 
 covenant.'* Befides an engagement to abide by, and 
 defend the reformed religion, it was an oath of al t* 
 giance to the Sovereign, and a bond of political union 
 between the three nations, fas ftrenathenina mutual 
 confidence, with the defence and preiervation of their 
 unalienable civil rights, which had been daringly in. 
 vaded and wrefted from them. Now where is the harm 
 of annexing civil penalties to the perpetration of civil 
 crimes, fuch as thefe fpecified in that oath ? Where i^' 
 the injuftice, or even the final I eft impropriety or pu« 
 nifliing thofe in an exemplary manner, who not only 
 refufe to accede to a political alliance, and fwear an 
 mill of allegiance,, which the very exigence of the 
 ^;*e makes necefTary ; but exert all tjjei* influence ta 
 ftp th^ foundations of government, $0> ruin the belt 
 interefts o* their country ? What nattbn under hea- 
 ven has not eSoe this ? What man "endowed with 
 common fenfe, cart find fault with it ? 
 
 If it be faid, the harriers of this covenant commit- 
 ted an egregious miftake in blending civil and religi- 
 ous things in the fame oath. Perhaps they did : and, 
 J fincerely wifh, had iheir cir cuiaOauc.es and th- one 
 
 great 
 
( >9 ) 
 great object in view permitted it, that thefe mat- 
 ters had been prcfcrved diftinct, in two diftinct oaths > 
 becaufe I am confcious an overfight in this, if it be 
 one, has been the occaftoo of tearing the memory of 
 our Reformers, and fixing the black ell imputations u- 
 pon their caufe. Yet this was not fo cafy as fome fu- 
 perncial thinkers apprehend. The churches of £ng+ 
 iand aad Ireland wtie groaning under an enormous 
 load of tyrranny acd fuperftition ; the whole political 
 fyftem of Britxp liberty was (baking to its center. 
 The object of thefe worthy men was complex, as it was 
 great and perilous ; — the prefervatjon of the ftate, and 
 the reformation and defence of the church. The inte- 
 refts of truih were blended to their hand, and as fuch 
 presented themfelves to their min !s. Thus it was na- 
 tural, if not abfolutely neceflfary, to comprehend theia 
 in oneinftrument of affurance and defence. 
 
 One thing is certain, being unanimouily vouched 
 by the hiftorians of thefe times, that none were ene- 
 mies to this covenant, or profeiTed fcruplcs in taking 
 ir, but thofe, who being of Popifb or Prtlatical princi- 
 ples, were the flaves of prerogative and arbitrary pow- 
 er ; in ufe to employ every effort for overturning the 
 conftitution of the ftate, and for reconciling the 
 church to the See of Rome ; or, at leaft, for retaining 
 and {offering the ancie~«- fu partitions. The worthy 
 perfons before us were perfectly fatisfied of this. Was 
 it not neceiiary then, even upon the principle of fe'f- 
 defencs, to detect thefe malignant, prerogative mini*- 
 ens ; and if they would lay themfelves open to the 
 jult refentment of their country, that they fhould have 
 caufe to repent their bloody, traiterous defjgns. 
 
 Moreover, it is not in the power of the greateft e- 
 remies to this covenant and the framers of it, toihew, 
 that it was enforced upon rtvy in the high terms of the 
 iict of the Comnrlflloners of the convention, or that 
 the lead fc verity was exercifed upon recufants on ac- 
 count of their religious fcruplcs. The cafe ftood here, 
 as when the National Covenant, of which afterwards, 
 was enjoined. So -far were the friends of the Solemn 
 League in Scotland from enforcing it in the terms of this 
 act, or in any lefs rigorous, which the (fate of the na- 
 tion might (eeoa to require, that we Had fpecial c^r € 
 C % take a 
 
( *° ) 
 
 taken by them to be fatisfied about the fincenty of 
 thofe who offered to take the covenant, after having 
 difcovered their averfion and malignity. In an act of 
 the General Affembly, 1649. Sei. 19. it is appointed 
 and ordained, that " none of thefe perfons who are 
 debarred from the covenant and communion, (halt 
 be admitted and received thereto, but fuch as after ex- 
 act trial, (hall be found for feme competent time be- 
 fore or after the offer of their repentance, to have, 
 in their ordinary converfation given real teftimony of 
 their diflikc of the late unlawful engagements, and ofthe 
 courfes and way of malignants, and of their forrow for 
 their acceflion to the fame, and to live foberly, righte- 
 oufly and godly." A little after, fpeaking of fome who 
 had made defection, it is ordained, " that thofe not- 
 withftanding their profeflion of repentance, be not 
 fuddenly received, but a competent time, according 
 to the difcretion of the Judicatory, be afligned to 
 them for the trial of the evidence of their repentance.*' 
 Inftead of violently obtruding the covenant upon all, 
 what greater caution could have been ufed to prevent 
 theadmiillon of the unworthy ? Thefe things are on- 
 ly offered to wipe off the afperfions caft upon our Re» 
 formers. For — 
 
 After all, the Seeeders can fee no neceffary connexion 
 between approving of the Solemn League^ and acknow- 
 ledging its obligation in things undeniably binding 
 from the moral law of God and approving of the aft 
 tf the CommJJioners, enjoining it by fevere penalties. 
 They confider thefe things as widely different •, and 
 are of opinion, that their approbation of the one no 
 more infers their approbation of the other, than their 
 receiving the Chriftian religion, as delineated in the 
 fcriptures, implies, directly or indirectly, their fatis- 
 faction with all the meafures, which have been taken, 
 in many kingdoms to ejlablijh and propagate it. And 
 bad the penalties in this act been intended for puni- 
 fhing, and actually inflicted upon thofe who fcrupled 
 the covenant, (imply on the fcore of the religious prin* 
 ciples engaged to in it; whatever veneration they have 
 for the memory of their worthy ance/lcrs, the Seeeders 
 would with all their heart, reprobate fuch methods 
 
 of 
 
( 21 ) 
 
 of advancing their caufe, as cruel and truly antichrifli- 
 an. They wi{h to fee their creed crammed down no 
 man's throat ; nor would any thing ever extort from 
 them an approbation of fuch methods of converfion, 
 by whatever names they have been fanctified. Nay, 
 left their Amen to every thing, done by our fathers in 
 that memorable period, fhould be taken for granted ; 
 they exprefly declare, " that fince the church militant 
 is in an imperfect ftate, it is, not intended to affirm, 
 that under the above-mentioned period, (between 
 1638 ond 1650) there was nothing defective or want- 
 ing, as to the beauty and order of the houfe of God ; 
 or that there was nothing culpable in the adminiftrati- 
 on." Act andTeftimony, P. 62. So that tho' it could 
 be (hewn, the reformation intcrefts were carried for- 
 ward and fupported with all the iniquitous proceed- 
 ings of a Spinijh inquifitxon, it would not in the lead: 
 affect them, or the caufe in which they are engaged. 
 They would take no farther intereft in thefe things, 
 than to bewail, and teftify, as they have opportunity, 
 2gainft them. When all this is confidered, I hope the 
 world will treat (o bold and groundlefs a calumny, as 
 this writer attempts to fix on Seceders^ with all the 
 contempt and indignation it deferves. 
 
 The second thing our author thinks fit to defcant 
 upon, is, what he calls occafional hearing. He tells 
 us, u Seceders maintain it to be unlawful for thole 
 of their way to hear any minifter whatever, upon any 
 occafion whatever, but thofe of their own party ; e- 
 fpecially they hold it unlawful to hear the minilrers of 
 Relief** P. 23. He affirms " the Antiburghers rebuke 
 their hearers who offend in this article," tho' he al- 
 lows them the merit of being confident in this ; P. 21. 
 and is pleafed to afcribe the averfion, which Seceders 
 in general have to this practice, to a " fearful appre- 
 henfion that fome of the Secejfion fheep, by wander- 
 ing into /^//V/paftures, may find the food fojweet 
 and nourijhing, as to endanger their returning to the 
 fold and pafture of the AJJbciation ;" in all which u he 
 perceives a confiderable degree of the ferpent's am* 
 ning ; " P. 23 : and then raii'cs a wonderful hue and 
 cry upon them. 
 
 There 
 
( ll ) 
 
 There is one circumfrance, which gives my good 
 friend much the advantage on this head, that as he 
 appeal to the pajjlons and prejudices of the multitude, 
 io theie are ftrongly engaged on his fide. With ma- 
 ny, fhefe need only to be roufed fufficiently, and his 
 point is gained -, whereas he that would agent the 
 caufe of the Secejjion, puihing againft wind and tide, 
 can fcarce hope tor an attentive, diipaflionate bear- 
 ing. However, fince a call is given me in providence, 
 this (hall not hinder from laying before the candid my 
 fentiments on the fubjecT:. 
 
 Only it may be proper at the entry to obferve, that 
 the Sectders are fsr from thinking, as their enemies 
 are wont to traduce them, that there are no worthy 
 minijiers or chrijiians in the eftablijhed church. They 
 are convinced of the contrary, and take all proper oc- 
 casions of declaring their fentiments both in public 
 and private. They rejoice in it, and love fuch with a 
 pure heart, fervently. As to the Relief ; they doubt 
 not there may be/iw^in that connexion, who under- 
 hand, are hearty friends to, and count it their honour 
 to preach many of the peculiar doctrines of the glo- 
 rious gcfpel ; nor did they ever queftion, whether 
 many ferious well difpofed people in private character 
 have been gathered into that communion. 
 
 Notwithstanding, that they difapprove of prcmifcu- 
 tats hearings particularly in thole focicties, is true'; 
 though what our author aiUits about the Antiburgh- 
 trs rebuking ail who offend in this article, fo far as f 
 know, is a milfake. I never knew any brought un- 
 der cogniiance, who did not repeat the offence, and 
 appeared to allow themfelves in a practice of this kind -, 
 except there were fome extraordinary circum fiances 
 attending it. Nor when fuch were ca led to account, 
 wascenfure carried io far as he rcprefents. However, 
 tbat our difapprobation has often been exprefTcd by a 
 Jejfionai admonition, is fact ; not from the fearful appre- 
 henjion he fpeaks of, in inftar.ccs ci hearing in tbe Re- 
 lief. He mud excufe the Sccedcrs, if they have nei* 
 ther fuch an opinion of the lle ! >ief Jhepherds, nor of 
 their pajiu res, as he insinuates; and charity might 
 have directed him to many things rather than the craft 
 of $4T£N for their principal motive. Tiieir reafons 
 
 for 
 
( *3 > 
 
 for tills conduct are extenfive, and we hopeimportiBf 
 and praife worthy. 
 
 The minifters of the Seceffion are not fatisfkd with 
 
 the reigning principle of this promifcuous bearing. 
 
 "When we attend divine ordinances at any time, in a- 
 ny place, or with any denomination of our fellowr- 
 chriftians, it certain'y ought to be from conftraining 
 love to Chriff, and the inftitutions of his grace, with 
 a fingle eye to his glory in the edification of our fouls 
 for eternity ; fubjecting ourlelves to his authority dif- 
 ptayed in and by ordinances. We are to receive the 
 word, not as the word of man, but as the word of the 
 living God, in readinefs to anfwer fuch a qneftion as 
 that to the prophet, N what doft thou here Elijah?" 9 
 But when Secedert take their place in a woHhipping 
 afTembly belonging to the eflalilijhment or the Reliefs for 
 inftance, and are queltioned about it, thefe things ap- 
 pear wholly out of view. Not one in twenty fo much 
 as pretends any thing more than mere curiofity. • - 
 They are curious to hear, whether minifters of thefe 
 ways do indeed preach the gofpel ; whether ail the 
 foppery and afieclation, in ilile, in manner and acYion, 
 prevail among them, which has been re pre fen ted j. 
 whether this and the other popular gentleman acquits 
 himfelf fo agreeably as they have heard 5 perhaps ad- 
 ding, that the importunity of a friend carried them off^ 
 when they had no intention of it. Now, the Seceding 
 minifters think themfelves bound to check fuch a prin- 
 ciple of vain curiojity, whether among themfelves, or 
 rn refpecr of other denominations, as finful in itfeif, 
 efpecially in the things of God and eternity ; tending 
 to make their people airy and JtecuUiive, fo as to pre- 
 fer the feeding of their fancy to- the nourishment o£ 
 their faith; and in a word, laying them undrr the 
 puilt, and expoftng them to the danger of thofe per- 
 ixms. who w after their own ////?/, heap to themfelves 
 ** teachers, having itching £.;rjy." 
 
 Befidcs, fuch a prait : cj mars fpiritui! improve^ 
 merit, and is contrary to all good order in the church- 
 It is a common proverb, that a ' rolling jhne gathers 
 no fog? It holds in religious as in civil concerns. A 
 
 i 1 Tim. iv y 
 
 perfoa 
 
( *4 ) 
 
 perfon Continually gadding about from one church 
 and minifter to another, is not like to be much wiier 
 or better by his reftlefs afiiduity. There is much ia 
 the manner of a public fpeaker being familiar to us; 
 and in fuch a courfe this cannot be expected. In all 
 fubjects treated in public too, the connexion of pur- 
 pofe is loft ; and every intelligent hearer muft be con- 
 vinced how this injures edification. In fhort, the per- 
 fon is like " a wave of the fea, driven of the wind and 
 P* tofTed.*' Experience afTures us, that when people 
 indulge this humour, they fall under a viable decline. 
 If their heads be filled with notions and their tongues 
 unceafingly employed about religion, their hearts are 
 xnanifeftly cold and dead. No wonder; for it is not 
 the Lord's way ; and he will not give us countenance 
 •in our own ways. He is the God of order in all the 
 churches : and this practice is inconfiftent with all 
 order ; which requires, that, as Chrift has appointed 
 ordinances to be ftatedly and regularly difpenfed in 
 all the congregations of his people, thefe be punctu- 
 ally attended by us, in the feveral churches with which 
 vtt ftand connected, when opportunity is granted in 
 providence. How is this necefiary regulation, a dictate 
 of reafon, and exprefly enjoined in fcripture, obferv- 
 ed, when perfons to gratify their humour, for exercife 
 or amufement, to fatisfy their curiofity, or even un- 
 der a pretence of confulting their greater edification, 
 linnecefTarily abfent from their own place of worfhip, 
 and make the tour perhaps of all the churches within 
 their reach ? Is it not calculated at once to make them 
 loofe, by imperceptible degrees, from any dated and 
 uniform profefiion of the truth, and hinder the re- 
 gular practice of the duties of church-fellowfhip ? If" 
 one may take this liberty at pleafure, who fhall deny a 
 hundred, or even jive hundred the fame privilege, wiiea 
 the notion ftrikes them ? And thus particular church- 
 es are occafionally laid defolate, and the difpenfation 
 of ordinances fufpended ; anarchy reigns, and the fer- 
 vants of Chrift have only to enquire, •' For what in- 
 tent have ye fent for me V 
 
 But tho' there were much lefs in all this, than any 
 judicious perfon can allow ; we are extremely forry 
 to have fo frequeat and convincing proofs, that many 
 
 who, 
 
( *s ) 
 
 who are efteemed the moft orthodox teachers in our 
 day, neither do, nor upon their principles can, preach 
 the uncorrupted doctrine of the crofs. Some boaft 
 they can be Calvinifts in one place, and Arminians iQ 
 another ; and it has been found fo. Others are a fort 
 of trimmers, who, if they don't teach error, to accom- 
 modate themfclves to the tafte of the moft refpectable 
 in the audience, approach as near the confines of it as 
 poffible, and think they come clear off by hints and 
 equivocal expreflions. A third order avow themfelves 
 Baxterians, and teach, that faith and repentance are 
 the conditions of pardon according to the conftitutioa 
 of a new law of grace ,• that divine power will co-ope- 
 rate with our endeavours, if we are but fincere and 
 ferious; that the call of the gofpel does not extend to 
 all, but is directed only to fenlible finners, and perfont 
 whoarepofleflcd of this and the other good qualifica- 
 tion, &c. They corrupt or mifreprefent, in a word, 
 fome of the moft material articles of gofpel truth, 
 which naturally leads to a perverfion of others. And 
 the Seceding minifters wifh to be w jealous over theic 
 people with a godly jealoufy, left by any means their 
 minds mould be corrupted from the Jimp licity that is 
 in Christ," and their eternal interefts endangered, 
 or their spiritual progrefs marred. They know many 
 of their people to be in lefs danger, becaufe eftablifh- 
 ed in the faith, and able to difcover the fnare ; though 
 error has fuch advantage from ,the blindnefs of mind, 
 and depravity of heart which remain with the beft, 
 that they dare not put confidence in the moft en- 
 lightened ; but they are r.ifo convinced, that others 
 are only babes and M unfkilful in the word of righte- 
 oufnefs," whom cunning ciaftinefs would more eafi- 
 ly deceive •, and therefore cannot without fome emo- 
 tion fee them in the way of harm. 
 
 It is true, our author " ingenuoufly declares, that 
 he does not think the gofpel, both in its doctrinal 
 and practical part, is preached with greater clearnefs 
 and fimplicity in any denomination of Chriftians ia 
 the kingdom, than in the Relief lociety.'* P. 24 What- 
 ever be his thoughts, fome people difpute the fact. It 
 is pretty openly talked by the Relief people themfelves, 
 that fome of their minifters are dowaright Arminians. 
 D A cou- 
 
( *;■■ ) 
 
 A congregation could be mentioned that declare^ 
 they would have been (nattered to pieces by the con- 
 tinued miniftrations of a gentleman in that communr- 
 on. Be that as it may; we will certainly be allowed 
 tojudgeotthe /fc/Z^doclrincby the publications, which 
 miniiters of that way fee meet to oblige the world 
 with. Thefe are fuch fpeeimens of the purity andjm* 
 giicity, with which the gofpcl i3 preached in this fociety, 
 that we think our/elves under increafirsg obligations 
 to fecva-e our people againft the coatagiou*. 
 
 There 
 
 * As to the Jimplicity, which adorns t\e po^el in rtte fifa 
 Uef> I (hall only beg leave to refer the reader to Mr BwptC* 
 fynod fermoD, May, iy,6. Upon confciitir.g this carious 
 piece with attention, I doubt not he wifr'agrie, that feld.-r^ 
 has a more empty and bombajr, a more pedantic and uireM/y*' 
 ing diicourfe been prefTed into the- hands of the public ia 
 this kingdom. It isimpofiibie todo juftice to the dttcQiwf^ 
 without reading the whole ; onlv, to excite the reader to co- 
 quire after it, he will iind the fubjeft divided into fo many 
 ** departments, ' T one of which departments is to frew, " wh;»t 
 may b:e supposed a violation of our chriftian libertv." 
 The whole is undertaken a:id managed " mder the a l 
 ces of heaver*," P. 5 ; as if the preacher had received his- 
 education in the purlieus of Jupitfr. Ca?;tolinus, and 
 werejuft come from confuhmg a Roman Justtr. I i«y no- 
 thing of his pretty couplits for charaftcrilmg our Britifh lo- 
 ver eigr 5,-- fuch as Pope Henry VIII of rj< sen- kitting memf>ty+ 
 Mary of blood-tbirji'f me maty, Elizabeth of maiden- memo- 
 ry y her fuccenor, James VI, cf witch- killing memory, Cbarie* 
 I. of prieft- ridden memory, Charles II, of covenant keeffirig, 
 memory ;• becaufe this is only in a note, intended " to amiile 
 an inquifitive and philofophi*: mind." P. 3D. 
 
 As 10 purity ; it is a pity the fame fermon is fo poor a fpe- 
 cimen of ir ; for we are there taught, that the "laws of 
 Chrifl are a tranfeript of his. all peifed nature, binding- as well' 
 on account of their ou'h irtrinfic excellency, as of the (ove- 
 reign authority of their Author." P. 6. Has Chrifl then but 
 one nature, or is he Gorman in one media'^ry ; erfon ? If 
 he has tnuo natures, are both thele a// per feci ? Is his human 
 fiature independent and infinite ? Is toere any law ahoat tap* 
 tifm and the Lord's fcp per y and is this Chr'tWi law I Is tin*, 
 inoraliy good from its own intritftc L-xrcHe/tcy, and a tran- 
 feript of Ch rift's all<perfecl nature 1 Or is the celebration c£ 
 thefe ordinances to be refolved into hit jDiwreign aut.kwiif 
 
 AXOME i 
 
 ' We are further inftrufted, that it was the " ptovince of the 
 difciples of Chrift to publilh to mankind the truth as it was- 
 revealed \o them ; and by argument and perluaiion to open 
 
 tneir- 
 
( V ') 
 
 There is ft ill more in this matter. For if we con« 
 fider the eft abli/hed Church : — lome of thofe, who arc 
 now efteemed the moft found and pious, were violent- 
 ly intruded into their feverd pariihes. The election 
 D 2 of 
 
 their underftartding for 'the reception of it." P. S. An ar- 
 duous, an smp^J/ible talk indeed ! What man or angel was e- 
 ver appointed to open the nndarjlanding by argument and 
 perfuafion^x otherwife \ Whzx. finite power and wifdom can 
 iucceed in fuch an undertaking ? How confident is this with 
 the plain declarations of fcnpiure a. d the experience of the 
 fainis, £ph. i. 17, 18. 1 Pet. ii. 9. 1 John v. 20. ? 
 
 We are aifo informed with much pathos, that " true chrif- 
 tian liberty conhfis in that right, which every man has to judge 
 forhtmfelfin matters of religion.'' P. 7. No man is to judge 
 for another in matters of Teligion, and impofe his fentimente 
 -upon him ; but no man living has, or can have, fuch liberty 
 as is here pretended ; for God has judged Tor him, and laia 
 k'u judgment before us in the word.; and all matters of reli- 
 gion prefer.Ud to us in this word, whether reflecting faiih or 
 practice, we are indifpenfibly bound to accept and practife 8 
 without gainfaying, delay or murmur. Tne man who re'ufe's 
 this implicit fubje&ion of faith and conscience, muft bear 
 his own burden, whatever a po Jog v he offer for his conduct. 
 — If it be faid, that when any religious lyitem is prdpofedioa 
 •man, he has a right to judge about the truth or error of it ;*- 
 We would rather fay, he is to make the Scripture Judge, or 
 ♦the-n-rv.iNE Spirit fpeaking in the fcripture, and fubmiilive- 
 ly receive ail his decifior.-s, however contrary to his own hu- 
 mours, fancies, or pre] u-iicate opinions, hut were we to ad- 
 mit the truth of the alter t^n, it is ftiil plain, that true Chrif- 
 tian liberty h fo ht from r,7?:ftjling in this, that it is no branch 
 oi Chrijiran liberty at all. A Heathen or a Mahometan* a 
 Hottentot or a Tartar \ has as much liberty of this kind as 
 any Chrijlian on earth, the Revi. Mr. Bojion of Falkh k not 
 excepted. 
 
 TctHsmoft excellent difcourfe we m^iy join Mr. N^iVs 
 iermons, lately published. Our author tells us this gentle- 
 man's u character was well eltabliflied for piety, learning and. 
 other ministerial endowments ; his ftation in the church of God 
 lie not only filled but adorned." Ap. P. 3. Far be it from me 
 to detract from Mr. Neil's chara&er ; but from the account 
 ro v given of him, and from Ins fermons being publllh^d un- 
 der Mr. Stuart's inspection, it feems his do a He e was ettee-m- 
 aA.found in the Relief (oc\e\y ; and this gives jne occasion to 
 offer a few remaiks upon his drfcouries; (till admitting tnat he 
 rmght think much better than he fomuimes fpoke and wrote. 
 
 He teaches, that Baptijm conjlitutes a chid a member of 
 *he viable church. " They (the parents) defign to devote the 
 cUld to God in baptifni, and thereby conftitiite it a member 
 
( *» ) 
 
 bf others is not free. True, a moderation is appointed 
 by the Pre/bytery, but the people are ftaked down in 
 their fuffrage. They have but one object to vote u- 
 pon ; and one too, whom perhaps not Jive in two 
 
 thonfand 
 
 of his visible church.'* P, 47. Now, reformed divines ha^e 
 tenacioufly held, that the children of profelling parents are 
 born members of the vifible church ; and of coniequence, that 
 bapfifm is no more, in refpedt of the church, than a puhlic ac- 
 knowledgment or declaration of their meraberfliip. It mud 
 be fo, if we grant, that they are federally holy, or external- 
 ly related to God's covenant from their earlieitinfancy, and 
 derive their membermip thro' the profeflion and membership 
 of their parents. . Upon which principle alone it is, that they 
 can have a right to baptifm at all. It is plainly taught in fcrip- 
 ture, Rom. xi. 16. Cor. vii. 14. It has ever been thought 
 of the laft importance againfl the Anabaptifs ; and to deny 
 it muft be exceedingly dangerous 
 
 He affures us, that the " gofpel carries in it, not only the 
 promifes of pardon and regeneration, but thefe duties which 
 God requires of us, and which we owe to him as our creator 
 and preierver ; nay, that it means the divine threatnings ;V 
 and he pronounces it " a vain and impious tenet of the An- 
 tinomiant to affert, that the gofpel is all promifes, but requires 
 no duties." P. 85, This I take to hegrofly unfcriptural, and 
 dreadfully pernicious* Between the Law and Gofpel there 
 is a vaft and eternal difference : and to preferve the diftincli- 
 cn in the pulpit, and in our excrcife is of the greateft impor- 
 tance. Where is the uuty which the law does nor require ? 
 Where is the thrgatning which the law does not denounce, 
 that the gofpel to the abfolute de$: u&ion of its nature, muft 
 come in to its aid ? If the law b e jerfecl, as undoubtedly it 
 is, it muft reach ^t^ryduiy. No^ng e;fe can fix duty. No- 
 thing el fe can denounce wrath. To affrrt the gofpel carries 
 in it both cVies and threatcnings, is to annihilate the uiftin- 
 guijhing peculiarity of both law and gofpel. It is to turn 
 the law'uxlo the gofpel, and the gofpel into the law y and there- 
 by deftroy both ; ---that gofpel, wi ich is juft the report op 
 
 SALVATION TO MANKIND SINNERS THRO' CHRIST, and 
 
 knows as little of duties and tbreatnrngs, as the law does of 
 Cbrift and falvation. What is the tenor of it, let prophets 
 anfwer, Ifa. Hi. 7. lxi. 1 ; let apoftles anfwer^ % Cor. ▼. 19 ; 
 John v. 10, 11. let angels anfwer, Luke ii- 11. 14. 
 
 He thinks, " that God is merciful, is an aimiable truth, pro- 
 claimed both by the light of nature, as well as divine revela- 
 tion." P. 135. This cannot be called a new difcovery, be- 
 caufe fafhionalle divines have been talking of it for many 
 years, the famous Profejfor Simpfon among others ; tho' in- 
 deed he takes in tradition to make up the defeats or the Jight 
 of nature, and therefore went riot £0 far as this preacher. But 
 
 we 
 
( 2 9 ) 
 
 ever heard, and^therefore, cannot chufe with jodg- 
 ment. If they will not have him, at leaftthey cannot 
 have another, till the Patron has once more refolved. 
 Thus it is the prefentaUon y and not the election of 
 
 the 
 
 we may be permitted to call it an imaginary difcovery : For 
 where is that light of nature ? What is that work of God iq 
 creation or providence, that gives us the leaft hint of divine 
 mercy in the pardon of fin and the falvation of the (inner ? 
 They proclaim many of his adorable perfections ; but whe- 
 ther pardoning mercy be in God at all, they leave under an 
 impenetrable vail. It is to the lively oracles of God, which 
 he hath magnified above all other manifestations of his name, 
 that we are wholly indebted for this admirable and moft com- 
 fortable difcovery. Paul could obferve nothing of it in the 
 light of nature, Rom. i, 19, 20 ; and their claims are too highi 
 who pretend to greater penetration. 
 
 He tells us, " it is declared every where in the gofpel, both 
 in fenfe, as well as in exprefs terms, that our offended fove- 
 reign is ready to be reconciled to all upon their exercifing re- 
 pentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jefus Chrilt ;" 
 And talks of M free pardon hy an offended, but reconcileable 
 God.'* P. 7,16, 261. Ah ! is our offended fovereign no more 
 than reconcileahle, ready to be reconciled? Then are the hu- 
 man race undone for ever ; for what fhall carry this placable 
 difpofition into aclual reconciliation ? Not '* thoufands of 
 M rams,'* <&c* The whole creation could not accomplifh it. 
 But to our unfpeakable confolation the lcripture teaches other 
 doctrine. It proclaims aclual, full, perfetl reconcilaticn 
 thro'that great atonement, which pureed, perfectly purged 
 f'n, put it away, made an end of it, and finifhed trangreflion. 
 Thence it exhibits almighty God " in Chrift reconciling the 
 world to himfelf ; well pleafed for his rightepufnefs fake ;•-- 
 the God of peace," who not only loves, but M is love ;'* 
 already on a throne of grace,- -ready, preferjly, terftciiy rea- 
 dy, not to be reconciled, but actually and freely to beftow 
 grace and glory. 
 
 He often talks of the terms of mercy and of thefe terms as 
 very various. " Some of the terms of mercy are above the 
 power of human natuie to perform, fuch as repentance and 
 faith ; others are too hard wod difficult ; fuch as to be employ- 
 ed in the exercife of mortification and a clofe application i& 
 the various duties of the chriltian life." P. 215. It is true, 
 he puts this into the mouth of an objector ; but then he al- 
 lows the truth of all. Whet e docs the gofpel fpeak of the 
 terms of mercy ? It prefems mercy to us, ^sovereignly, ab- 
 folutelyfree mercy, for the enjoyment of which in its richeft 
 iruits, no mo,/cjr or price of any kind is required. Faith is 
 indeed nectl'.J y to an intereit id the fruits of fovercign mer- 
 cy* 
 
( 30 r 
 
 the -people, which bring3 any man into oiHce onthe*. 
 fiablijbment. The former is all in all ; the latter is on- 
 ly a ridiculous farce. And Secsders cannot think 
 thofe regularly called, who come into oi£cw under the 
 
 wing 
 
 cy ! but white that faith itfdfis a gift of pure mercy, it is 
 not necefTary as a term or condition ; but as the hand oFthe 
 foul, which applies, or takes home the perfon of Chiift and 
 all mercies in him, upon the footing of the record abaut 
 him,— the unlimited offer and grant made of him in the gof- 
 fel. Were it otherwife, repentance has no fuch place in ths 
 »ew covenant, no fuch -bufinefs *n falvation ^% faith, though 
 Springing from and accompanying it; much lefs (may we 
 fpeak of degrees in a cafe, which cannot admit any) mortifi- 
 cation, &c Why, rnuft we notoniy believe and repent, but 
 Ipend a life, or part of a lrfe, in mortification., and ciofe ap- 
 plication to Chriftian duties, before we prefunje to put in for 
 mercy ? H earth fs faith J Heart lefs repentance I Heartlefs- 
 itiortific<*tionl It is time enough to look for mercy, when we 
 come to die, and have employed all our days in the perfor- 
 mance of tfaefe terms ©1 mercy. To. this we add, it is a very 
 grange difcinSion, that feme of thefe terms are a^ove the pow- 
 er of nature, others only hard ard difficult. Is mortificaticn 
 then, and a cUfe application to the duties of tie Chri/lia>. life, 
 more within the reach of our natural ability, than jaith and 
 repentance**. If fo, our Lord and his fervant Paul, muifc 
 be miftaken ; for the former declares, ** without me ye can 
 €t do nothing.** The latter, that " we are not fuflhient ib 
 ••' much as to think any thisgas of ourielves." 
 
 Other parts of the fyftem are quite agreeable to thefe thiugs. 
 He feems to fuppofe, thro' his whole lermons, thai moral 
 ferioufnefi and Javing grace are infallibly connected. "God 
 has promifed he will enable us to do thefe things lie requires 
 of us, if we pray or afk grace from him." P. 136. Agiin, 
 Speaking of heathens, .*• we may be fure he will much more 
 hear the cries of finners under the gofpel, who endeavour to 
 repent and apply to him for mercy for the fake of his own dear 
 Sot>." P. 240. But where is fuch a connexion ttated between 
 the ufe of means and the fascial grace of the new covenant ? 
 In the neglect of the meant, which a gracious God hath ap- 
 pointed, we can expect nothing from him. Thefe he will 
 have honoured; yet we are taught, *' the prayer of the 
 *' wicked," tho' prayer be his duty, '?• is fin, and an abo- 
 " minatioo to the Lord," as performed by him. No cries for 
 grace are acceptable, nor can be regarded, where there is not 
 previously grace iu the heart, in fuch ex^rcife as to denomi- 
 nate them gracious In fact, how many have prayed, or alli- 
 ed grace, not only with much ferioufnsfs, but with tiie molt 
 pafTionate burjis of tears, ur ?r app;ehenfijns cs \ impending 
 11110, thro' the charges of aaaiaraied coofris'n',fs. who never 
 
 obtain- 
 
( 3' V 
 
 wing of an antichriftian vfurpation, and make facrv. 
 fice of a divine ordinance. Bolides, were their en- 
 trance into the miniftrv quite unexceptionable, how 
 are theie good men Isaveaed ? They accept ordinati- 
 on 
 
 obtained it ? Kow many have endeavoured to rrper.t and ap- 
 ply for tuercvf\n their own wav, who were never favoured with 
 £<?/p(?/ repentance, or had any thare \nfav^ mercy ? To h o,if 
 many convinced linner3 has God (aid in ette^t, as well as in the 
 wards of inspiration, " When you (pread forth your hands, 
 *' I will hide mine eyes from you ; yea, when you make many 
 " prayer?, ! will not he2r." 
 
 rie repr ferns the " onedience of the divine Surety as capa* 
 ble to recommend our fir.cr.re tho' imperfect iervces to the di~ 
 \ine accept <mce and reward,' P. 261. The very itile of mo- 
 derate Aiminiarsy all the Neonoutans^ and the moil learned 
 and hu-mbic cf the Papifs. J-t ,; recommends ok hnccre 
 tho' imp.rfeel fervrces to the divine accrp'ance." No; don£ 
 in faith, it makes ihem auualty accepted. Prefented on the 
 footing of his great atonement, and with ao eye to his glori- 
 ous intcrcclTi n, they are not recommended to the divine atten- 
 tion, as if there were Con* imrinfic worth :n them ; but they 
 are/// him, only in and thrf in v., * an odcur or a fweet 
 '" fme;i," They come from us weak, very weak and imperfect 
 indeed, under die raoit fenhoie aids of divine grace ; but th*v 
 are prefented by him to the Father perfef;, all their dc 
 
 being covered by the incenfe of his glorious mediation r 
 
 V V hey are recommended to the divine reward, *' No ; there 
 is notumR mihem dclervinjj; reward, net even thro-' the obedi- 
 ence of Chrilt. Xo- proper reward is alugned to them. AH 
 mat the faints receive, when enabled t|> perform the hioheit 
 fcrvice is of grace) not partly from their furviccs, part*/ 
 thro' Chri(f recommending them ; but abfolntely of ^r?.zc, 
 reigning and triumphant gracf, lodtfitiktth thro' Christ. 
 It is a reward, which he meiited, not they ; a reward not ^a 
 the footing 01 the work performed by them, one way or other, 
 in any dcRrcc or in any tiling ; but fttil greater privihdge be- 
 llowed in the wax of duty, or in co/.fl~*ence of the couile of 
 duty beinft fiailhcd. 
 
 He teaches, tlut •• our Creator has fent us into this worlij 
 as into aftate cf trial, and lias ic. before us an eodlcfs happi- 
 nefs or mifcry ; and has allured u% th ,t cither the one or me 
 odier n.ult be our Unal portion, when this v/vhi is ever, accor- 
 ding as we have Behaved ou-lclves in it. I o which the fore* 
 going icniirnent p-rttc't.y fcgreet, tint ■« death puts an end r<> 
 that ieaion vAith God hat. 1 aiuyneu us to prepare and work, 
 for a future wot Id :" P. 435^ v\ hat votary (A. free \v:>L $0r 
 cifijan or /inhiniiin, could talk in a mere lojic and unfenp- 
 tural manner ? We appeal to every intelligent reader, whether 
 tins reprdeataucc is not (Lri.tly appAic ..-.. IQ Hdsutk in tunc? 
 
 c:ncc 2 
 
( S* ) 
 
 vn by the hands of the mofl: erroneous, and of thfi 
 moft defpicable Intruders ; they affift at their facra- 
 mental folemnities, and invite their affiftance in return : 
 Or if fome never went fo far, don't they cultivate all 
 
 the 
 
 Cence ? To his fallen race it can hate no relation. It would 
 take much time todluftrate all the Spirit of error collected ia 
 thefe words We (hall only therefore obferve, that not a foo 
 of Adam it in a ftate of trial. He is either in a (late of Jin 
 and condemnation, or in a date of acceptance thro' Chrilt and 
 an heir of the eternal inheritance. From the latter no belie- 
 ver can fall, tho' our preacher mould call him a *• candidate 
 of eternal life.*' P, 27Q. Into this blefled (late, a perfon may 
 be tranflated from the other ,-a ftate of fin and condemnation ; 
 yet neither is that a probationary date. However a man be- 
 have, he cannot work, himfelf out of it. To change his con- 
 dition is the work of God alone. And whoever continues in 
 it, the wrath of God abideth on him. It is not uncertain whe- 
 ther all the fury of Jehovah's power will be difcharged upon 
 him. This is infallibly fure ; and for the prefent, in the moft 
 profperous outward condition, the ftorm is already broke. 
 
 He infills, that " the knowledge and love of God, faith in 
 Chrift and helinefs, are by the conftitution of heaven made 
 the Krcat and neceflary qualifications to eternal life." P, 4*7 ; 
 again, that " faith in the Lord Jefus by the conflitutioa of 
 heaven is made the qualifying condition tor glory and immor- 
 tality." P, 445. What is meant by thefe modes of expreffion, 
 I will not pretend to determine ; they are fomewhat uncom- 
 mon : but qualifications and conditions are fo unlike the (pint 
 of the gofpelj and appear (o natively to imply fome merit at 
 lead of congruity, that I heartily wifh them caflricred. We 
 admit,that the fanclifi cation or the Spirit is a believer's vieetnefs 
 for the enjoyment of the heavenly ftate; but then we confide r 
 it, in all its branches, not as a necejfary qualifying condition, 
 but an effential part of eternal life ; as much lo as the imme- 
 diate vilion and enjoyment of God in glory. *' He that ha;h 
 •* the Son bath" already, in the earnejl and pledge, " ever- 
 • f lafting life. It is life eternal to know the Father, and Je- 
 f< lus Chrift whom he hath fern." And what way ipart of 
 anything, an ejfential part, (hould be a necejjary qualifica- 
 tion, or a qualifying condition of that thing, is jar from being 
 obvious. 
 
 A great many other paflages of thefe fermons might be pro- 
 duced equally exceptionable ; butthofe quoted may furhce for 
 a (ample. All of them are manifeftly unfcriptural, nn&fome 
 of them fubverfive of the whole gofpel. lffuch doclrine be 
 common in the Relief, as there is every reafon to fear it is, 
 their writers would do well to bo*ft lefs ot their orthodoxy ; 
 and mud excufe Seceders, tho' they prohibit their people from 
 fitting under " another eofpel than that which they have recei- 
 Ted." 
 
 Mr. 
 
< 33 ) 
 
 the intimacies of minifterial and Chrifttan communion 
 with many of this character, when invited by others \ 
 A Calvinift makes no fcruple to give place to an At' 
 minion or Socinian, or to take the pulpit after htm ; 
 and to feal their friend fhip, they fit down at the fame 
 facramenta! table. We need not remark their ftated 
 and neccff^ry connexion, in all prejlyterial or fy nodi- 
 cal acts of government and difcipline ; that is palpable 
 and common. Is the apoflle's maxim true, " that a 
 little leaven leaveneth the whole lump ?" Surely then 
 thefc minifters, however refpextable in their perfons 
 or admioiitrations, are leavened in the corrupt com- 
 
 Mr. Bain's fermons have certainly much merit. The ex- 
 prcflion, for the moft part, is neat and pretty, the ftile fim- 
 ple and eafy. But 1 am forry to find fo mauy things favour- 
 ing of the fame fpirit of legality and error ', as in Mr* Neil's ; 
 and on the fame tubjects too The public have a right, af- 
 ter this obfervation, to know particulars. Like his brother, 
 he thinks, " in baptifm we are brought into God's houfe ;*' 
 not that receiving the feal of God's covenant fuppofes we have 
 place there already. P. 200. He confiders church members 
 as " candidates for heaven by profeflion ; " and obferves that 
 " it is a reproach for a candidate for heaven, to be flothful 
 or ignorant about his real character. P. 143, 310. Speaking 
 of the gofpe/y he finds it *' true, that the religion of nature,, 
 and the whole obligations to piety zndrvirtue, which reafoa 
 can appi ove, are adopted into this plan, ar.d an efTential branch, 
 of it." P. 314. He informs us, that " it belongs to Chrift's 
 royal power, to prefcribe the terms of falvation" — P« 38 ;-— 
 That " his death renders the deity placable." P. 267 ; that 
 *' if we confider them, (the elect) as defcribed in the gofpel 
 revelation, and qualified 'for the bleffings promifed there, they 
 are believers in Chrift, his 'willing ard holy people." P. 280 ; 
 and, that in the New Tcftamcnt there is " mercy to give re~ 
 petttance, and to pardon us when penitent-'" P. 287. To fuch. 
 doctrine the above tinctures on /». NieTs fermons will ap- 
 ply. There are other things in thefe difcourfes which I can- 
 not pretend to underltand, and therefore fhall fay nothing a- 
 bout them, but mull leave them to greater divines: fuch as, 
 " that grace" by which he tells us he uuderftands " the free 
 and moft exc-lltnt favour 0; God, with all the precious fruits 
 of it, to the unworthy and miferable, reigns thro' a righte- 
 oujnejt implanted in us." P. 28, 35 ; that believers have, 
 as a diftinguifhing privilege of fonfhip, " a title to incorporation 
 and immortality ; or," which it feems is the fame, " a blef- 
 fed refurrec'tion" P. igz ; and •' that the teflament of Jefus 
 the Mediator, receives great force and vajidity from his re" 
 furreflUnr P, 286: 
 
 E munion 
 
C 34 ) 
 
 munion of this national church. Mnde pftrtaleefs of Ou- 
 tlier mens fins, \vc ("peak it with the deepeft regret,, 
 they tbemfclves cannot be pure. And when we go to 
 hear fuch a miniffer, we cannot view him merely in; 
 his amiable perfonal character and in the purity of his 
 adminiftrations ; but as a member and minifter of an 
 incorrigibly corrupt church, and kneaded in the fame 
 impure eccleliaftical mafs. Men may talk of feparat- 
 ing thefe things, but it is impofiible. While Seceders 
 think it fo, they muft be pardoned forjudging, that 
 to hear the moll valuable minifter that ever filled a 
 pulpit, in thefe circumftanees. is, net quite fo inno? 
 cent as lome would have them believe. 
 
 It is true, our author afferts that the ivW*V/'minifters 
 enter upon the minifiei ial office bv the free election of 
 the people, and have regular Prefoyterial ordination. 
 P. 23, 24. However, Seceders queftiou bath. The/ 
 queftion the Jirft ; — becaufe the genera! rule, from 
 which there muft be very few exceptions, if any in the 
 choice of the Jirft minifter in a Relief congregation, is, 
 as before obfervedf, that none be allowed to vote, bus 
 thofe who have property in the place ofwoifhip, or 
 contributed to build it. Want of money will exclude 
 the moft holy chriftian ;. a device unknown in fcrip. 
 ture, which fo changes the nature of that election 
 Chrift hath appointed, that it is an infult on commons 
 Jenfe to call it free^ and muft preclude any man from 
 a right to exercife a miniftry upon the footing of it. 
 They queftion the fecond ; — becaufe we cannot allow* 
 the Prejhyteries in this intereft to be rightly conflitute& 
 courts of Chriit ; or fuppofing their constitution fcrip- 
 tural, that they are faithful in the trufi committed to> 
 them, and the neceffary duties, which the King of Zi- 
 01) expects from them. 
 
 We cannot admit, that they are righlly covftituted 
 courts of Chrift \ becaufe, on the ground above men- 
 tioned, : t is rnanifeft, that many of the minifters came 
 not in by the doer, but climbed up fame other way; 
 and f>'l may know what n^me our Lord gives to fuch. 
 es j lii.ee they will plead, that they are not in a 
 fia^e of feparation from : : ie e/I a b lifted church, out of 
 which they came, how is it poffible they can have & 
 .xercife of the keys as a feparate inde- 
 
 Uef t febeme. Sec. P. 10* 
 
C 35 ) 
 
 pendent body ? yet fuch exercife they have afTumed. 
 Nay, and were they to confider themfelvesasa diftincl: 
 feparate fociety, in which light ail men muft view them, 
 their claim is not more valid ; partly becaufe, as they 
 never took the necejjary fteps for the honour of Chrifr, 
 the recovery of the national church t or their own exo- 
 neration, in order to reparation, fo the grounds of their 
 (Vpiration are unwarrantrble. Our author fpeaks of 
 onry two things the fynod of Re'ief find faulty in the 
 ejlablifhed churchy — the laiv of patronage and legal 
 preaching by fonts of its minifters. Now thefe things 
 in tkemfeheSy though clifagreeable enough and highly 
 pernicious, never can be zfufficient reafon for defert- 
 ing any church, as 1 am ready to demonftrate upon, 
 a proper call, if any can think a matter fo clear needs 
 iluftration. At prefent it may fu-ilice to obferve, that 
 no divines ever thought fo. No lawful leparation in the 
 world was ever fo Rated. — Partly becaufe, were their 
 cttenfible grounds of feparation more weighty and va- 
 lid, there is not the leafi credible evidence, that it o- 
 riginated from fcriptural zeal for the truth of the 
 gofpe!, the rights of the church, and in all for the 
 glory of Chriil, but from a fpirit oifatliorty di/content 
 and rcjllefjnefs. Kad it not been for the predominan- 
 cy of this humour in fome afpiring minds, the foun- 
 dation of the Relief church would not yet have been 
 If thefe things be lb, the Belief Prefbyteries 
 can have no authority horn Jelus Chritt, tu meet for 
 the exercife of the keys ; and therefore no regular 
 ordination can be received from them. After this}, 
 whether the minifters in that way are indeed the called 
 and fent cf God, my reader (hall judge. 
 
 Suppoling their courts rightly confiituted ; we can- 
 not admit, that they are faithful 'tVj the trujl commit- 
 ted to them, and the duties which the king of Zion 
 experts from them. They decline any open and honefi 
 teftimony for the truths and ordinances of the Redee- 
 mer. They will not fo much as favour the worid, or 
 do justice to themklves by a declaration of their prin- 
 ciples ; even when it is importunately and inceiYantly 
 caiicd for. So far from making a re fo lute JcripturcA 
 (land for the intc refts of Chrift, and sgaiaft a di 
 I couife of defection in this nc\ 
 
 )L z tbwrck 
 
( 3* ) 
 
 church, they approve of, and contend for fome of thefe 
 defections, and even give the moft Jolemn and un- 
 doubted confent to all, while they join in her facra- 
 mental fellowfbip, 2nd fuffer their people to do fo at 
 pleafure ; not to fpeak of that extravagant and ruinous 
 fcheme of communion they have adopted ; the unferip- 
 tural nature and great iniquity of which, we have be- 
 fore proved*. What then becomes of thatrrz/y? Chrift 
 hath committed to his church, and the judicatories of 
 it ? Are thefe his profefled minifters acting for or a- 
 gain/l him ? Are they " gathering with him," or are 
 they not rather " fcattering abroad ?" Whatever be 
 the fentiment of others, Seceders are at no lofs about 
 thefe things ; and muft: be of opinion, that as their 
 fubmiffion occafionally to the miniftry of the bejl mi- 
 nifters on the eftablijhment is giving them encourage- 
 ment to continue in the communion of an impure a* 
 poftate church, fo to hear members of the /?<?/zV/Yynod 
 is a tacit approbation, not only of their conftitution y 
 but of all they have done, and are doing aga nft the 
 glory and interefts of Chrift in our times. 
 
 Moreover, the Seceders are engaged in an open Tef- 
 timpny for the whole reformation caufe, as that was e- 
 fpoufed and maintained by the church of Scotland in 
 her pureft times. This testimony is ftated and manag- 
 ed againft the feveral focieties around them, who in 
 their view, at leaft, do not endeavour to confefs Chrift 
 to the world with uniformity ', confidence and [leadinefs. 
 Much of it is turned againft: the ejtablijhed and Relief 
 churches. Reproach and ridicule, fhame and fuffer- 
 ing in abundance, they have met with on this ac- 
 count, and perhaps harder things are before them : 
 But they dare not, upon any confideration, play 
 faft and loofe with the truft which Chrift has commit- 
 ted to them, to be kept inviolate in their own day, and 
 tranfmitted to pofterity. At the fame time, they are 
 fatisfied, that to attend ordinances as difpenfed in the 
 ejtablijhed and Relief churches, or the like, muft fix 
 the charge of 'wavering and irrefolution in holding their 
 teftimony. It weakens it, nay, is aninterpretative/ir/- 
 lingfrom it, in fo far as pointed againft thefe denomi- 
 nations refpeclively ; juftas for a Protcftant to join in 
 
 the 
 * Re lief fcheme, &c. P. 4^ — 63, 
 
(37 ) , 
 
 the public worfliip of the Romijb church, or a Cahu 
 nifl tojoin with a Sccinian fynagogue, — is materially to 
 drop his teftimony againft thefe pretended churches. 
 Don't miftake us, we are far from fetting the eftablU 
 fhed church of Scotland, and the Relief church on the 
 fame foot with thofeof Rome and Socinus. We readily 
 acknowledge both the former to be true churches, tho' 
 very corrupt ones, which we cannot grant as to either 
 of the latter ; but every judicious peribn muft fee the 
 inconfijlency to be the fame in both cafes. The quefti- 
 on is not, whether our Tejiimony be a neceffary, ajuft 
 and fcripiural one ? It would be abfurd to fuppofe, 
 the eftablifhed or Relief church think fo ; becaufe in 
 this they would condemn themfelves : But the quefti- 
 on is, whether we, who are fatisfied it has thefe cha- 
 racters, can, in a confiflency whh ourfelves, fit under 
 ordinances as difpenfed in thefe churches ; and in 
 this we are willing to abide by the verdict of common 
 fenfe. 
 
 To this I fliall only beg leave to add, that the of 
 fence of chrijiian brethren deferves great conllderation. 
 Had I no fcruple in my own mind to hear .in the ejla- 
 bli/hsd or Relief churches, tec. if fome of my -weaker 
 brethren hold my conduct in this matter to be inju- 
 rious to Chrift and his interefts, llrengthening to the 
 hands of an unfaithful miniftry and lukewarm church- 
 members, inconfiftent with that folemn profeffion, 
 which I have made together with them, and confe- 
 quently are grieved and ftumbled ; I am certainly- 
 bound to abftain from fuch practices. Admit that no 
 real offence is given ; \ fee it is taken ; and does not 
 the law of love oblige me to avoid every thing which 
 may hinder the edification of the iveake/l, while this 
 indulgence is coniiftent with the duty which I owe to 
 God, and does not fct their prejudices higher than his 
 authority ? Let the Apoftle determine the point — 
 ♦' But judge this rather, that no man put a flumbl'mgm 
 block, or an occafion to fall in his brother's way. — Ic 
 is good neither to eat flefh nor drink wine, ncr any 
 thing whereby thy brother /lumbleth, or'iscffendel, or 
 is made -weak" Rom xiv. 13, 21. Again, " When 
 ye fin againft the brethren, and wound their weak con- 
 Science, yc fia againft CmusT." Oa this principle 
 
 he 
 
he him felt acted, i Cor. viii. 12, 13. In both thefe 
 fafTages he (peaks of things in fhemfclves lawful ; ycc 
 when the ufe of them is with offence to the very weak- 
 eft brother, the anodic declares it to be finful The 
 high tide of prejudice againft Scceders on the article of 
 promifcuous heiring muft be my excufe for dwelling fo 
 long upon a plain point ; the rather, as nothing has 
 yet been offered to the public upon that ftibject. IF 
 they be in an error, their miftake is to themfelves ; 
 and they know they muft account for it to God. The 
 more enlightened will pity and pray for them, others 
 will do as they pleafe. 
 
 However, it maybe fome encouragement, that the 
 fvnod of Relief go fo far with Scceders in this matter. 
 That rcfpeclable body *' unanimoufly agree with us, 
 that it is tm/awful to hear /<?:Wand un found preachers." 
 2nd alfo, " that it is unlawful and finful to hear Intrii- 
 ders t who have violently thrufl ihemfelves into par- 
 ticular charges in the church of Chrft," i\ 22. 
 When they (July enquire into the grounds of our com- 
 mon opinion about thefe articles, they may foon per- 
 ceive, on what principles Secedcrs think their diiap* 
 probation of promifcuou§ hearing) in other inftances, 
 justifiable. What fecures them, wiil at lead be a pret- 
 ty pood out work for our defence. 
 
 Only, I cannot help obferving the glaring inconfif- 
 tency of the Relief fynod on this head. Mr. Hutcbi* 
 foil afligns it as a reafon of its being unlawful ro hear 
 Jntruders t that "fuch have not entered by Chrifb, 
 the door, by the way of his appointment, vjz. the caljt 
 and invitation ofhisflock-, but have climbed up fome 
 other way, by virtue of a premutation to the legal be- 
 nefice j and by doing fo, have at once robbed Chrjft 
 of his authority, and his peop'e of their liberty " P. 22. 
 for he teaches, that 4< to the liwful exercii^ and dif- 
 charge of the minifterial function, in any particular 
 and fixed ftation, the call, confenf, and approbation 
 of thofe who are to be under that miniflry, is indif- 
 penfibly neceflary ; and that none have a right ro ex- 
 ercife any office in the church of God without fuch a 
 call to it." Part II. P. 4, 5. Who would not think 
 this a good argument at a-'/ times, and in relation to 
 tf//perfons ? But we greatly mlftakc the Relief Syivod, 
 
 if 
 
( 39 > 
 
 if we would fuppofe they mean it to conclude ag?.m£ 
 any other than a Scotch Intruder. The reader will be 
 fcrious ; 
 
 For, it is well known, that the law of patronage, 
 poffeffiog the plenitude of power in England and Ire- 
 land, operates with much more defpotifm in thefe 
 countries, than in Scctland,- even at this day. In pa- 
 rochial churches, To far is (he caj.l of the people from 
 being thought ejpmtial to the discharge of the miniftr^ 
 among thern, that not even a fhadow of it exifts. — 
 Their confent and approbation is not fo n»uch as 
 fought. Their complaint: cannot be heard. In a mo- 
 icent the premutation filences every murmur. Belidei; 
 the King being, by .the confulution of the real on, the 
 viftbU head of the church, all church power flows 
 from him, and ail church-officers are the creature: oi 
 his fpiritual fupremacy. He gives thembeing,and anni- 
 hilates them at pleaiure ; none prcfuming to enquire, 
 What doft thou ? Even the B-jhop y in the bight ft a&i 
 of his authority, ordination and induction not except- 
 ed, is no more than the deputy of the Sovereign. 
 Tbe confequence is, according to our author's funda- 
 mental and very juft maxim, that no n:ini/hr in thefc 
 churches can lawfully difcharge his function. Why, 
 he comes not in by the door, but, in a very different 
 way from the mo ft violent Intruder in this country, 
 climbeth up fome ether way, and in all miniiterlal 
 duties is the fervant of the Frince, Yet the Synod 
 ©f Relief, and our fagacious writer among the reft, do 
 not find it in the leaft unlawful to hear him* Hear 
 kirn J If he but found in the ejfential doctrines of 
 ChriAianity, they will receive him into the cIoiTeft 
 tninijlerial and Chrijlian communion. Thus entrance 
 into the minifterhl Gff.c? in virtue of a prejentaiion* 
 the very holds fl and moit iniquitous iniru/ions, in them- 
 selves con fide red, ar^ no obj d of Relief detestation, 
 but derive all their criminality from local err cum 
 ces. To paint a Scotch Intruder a*, black as the devil, 
 ferves Come valuable ends ; but an Engl'tjb or Irijb 
 intruder (hall be received as an ar.gcl of God. The 
 ore it excommunicated from the Relief church ; thee- 
 ther (lull be cheriihed with matciaal /heu 
 
 he 
 
( 40 ) 
 
 he pleafes to give her an opportunity of difplaying her 
 blind affection. 
 
 This brings me to our anthor's third head,-— 
 the unfcriptural narrownefs of our terms of commun- 
 uion. The lefs need be offered here, as the argu- 
 ment formerly advanced agairift the Relief Scheme of 
 church -fello-wfmp ftands in its full force. Mr Hutchifoii 
 is fo far from deftroying it, in its principles or other- 
 wife, that he was wife enough fcarce to come within 
 fight of it. Let it but have a fair hearing, and I am 
 perfectly willing it be left to its fate with the imparti- 
 al, without any reinforcement. And as the icheme 
 of communion adopted in the SeceJ/isn t and that of 
 which the- Relief boaji % are fo directly oppofite, the ar- 
 gument againft the latter^ goes every necelTary length 
 in eftablifhing the former ; This all will perceive, who 
 take the trouble to examine it. I fhall therefore only 
 beg my reader's attention to a few things on this 
 point. 
 
 Our author is pleafed to reft the Relief febeme of com- 
 tnunion, as oppofed to that held by Seceders, upon two 
 pillars; both which we ihall fee, are rotten to the 
 heart. 
 
 One of thefe is, that " office bearers may warrar?- 
 tably admit any man to the participation of the facred 
 fupper, who has a fuitable meafure of knowledge and 
 a converfation becoming the gofpel." P. 37. He 
 fpends much time in illuftrating and proving what no- 
 body denies, that thefe two are necejfary qualifications 
 5n all who apply for church privileges \ but inftead of 
 attempting to let afide what is offered for another re* 
 quifite of church fellowfhip, he is fo prudent as not 
 once to hint, that ever fuch a thing had been contend- 
 ed for. I fay prudent ; for it is impoffib.le but he 
 muft know, that it is a capital point in debate; 
 vrhich once admitted, overturns the whole Relief 
 febeme of communion to the foundation. 
 
 What I mean is, a pure profejjion of the truth, 
 known and believed. It is true, this is fallen into great 
 difcredit in our times, and even turned into ridicule. 
 Once to mention it as the duty of chriftians,a matter of 
 confequence to the glory of Chrift, the edification of 
 the churcb, and the conviction of the world, is worfc 
 
 thuQ 
 
( 41 ) 
 than herefy in the eyes of many. But this will preju- 
 dice none to whom the word of God is precious. 
 From the beginning it was not fo. An honefi profef- 
 fan or the truth, Chrift puts a high eftimate upon, 
 Rev ii. 13. It is reprefented as no lefs necejfary in its 
 place, and for its own purpofes, than faith itielf, Rom. 
 x, 9, K). A fevere mark is put on thofe, who thro* 
 fear or (name, or any other corrupt principle, decline 
 it, Mat. viii. 38. Stedfu/tne/s in it is ftridtly enjoined, 
 Heb. x. 23. Apoftacy from it is feverely cenfured and 
 threatened, Luke ix. 32. Heb x. 38. We need not, 
 therefore, be furprized to find, tho' ruining to the 
 Relief caufe, that it was made an ejfential prerequijite 
 of communion in the viiib'e church, in the pureft 
 times of Chriftianhy. 
 
 Philip had, no doubt, good evidence of the profi- 
 ciency which the Ethiopian Eunuch had made under 
 his inftructions, was perfectly fatisfied with his religi- 
 ous knowledge, and his fixed purpofe to walk circum- 
 ipeclly, through grace, in all things ; yet he would 
 not admit him to the facrament of baptifm till he made 
 a confejjion of Chrift in the great truth, then efpecial- 
 ly controverted. u What doth hinder me to be bap- 
 tized ? And Philip faid, if thou believed with all 
 thine heart, thou mayeft. And he anfwered and 
 faid, I believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God." 
 It was only in confequence of this declaration, 
 that the feal of the covenant was difpenfed to him, 
 Acts viii. 36, 37, 38. Whatever his knowledge 
 or appearance of piety were, had he refufed to 
 confefs Chrift, or been imperfect in his confeffion* 
 this would have been (ufficient in the view of the E- 
 vangelijl, to have debarred him from this ordinance. 
 The lame rule was obferved on fimilar occafions. 
 Thus we are told, that M they that gladly received the 
 word were baptized •," not they who (imply knew it, 
 and againft whole outward deportment there lay no 
 exception ,• but they who received the gofpel truths 
 jet btfore them, and declared in a proper manner their 
 acceptance of them ; for without this, it was impoffi- 
 ble to know who received them. Thofe only were 
 baptized. And after this, it was only in the way of 
 Continuing ia the apoftles dedfrine, which they had re- 
 F tcivci 
 
C 42 ) 
 reived, that they enjoyed their fclloufli'p, Ae*fo if, 
 41, 42. Agreeably to all which, we find communi- 
 on with the erroneous, or thole who turn away from 
 the prejejjion of the truth, be the occaiion of their er- 
 ror, and. reafons of their apoftafy, their knowledge 
 or externa! conduct what they may, expreily prohibit- 
 ed. V He that is an heretick, after the firft and fe- 
 cond admonition, rejeel," Titus iii. 10. " If there 
 come any unto you, and bring not this docltine % re- 
 ceive him not into your houfe j neither bid him God 
 fpeed." Whyfo ? " For he that biddeth him God 
 fpeed, is partaker of his evil deeds/' 2 John »o, 11. 
 Had our author and his friends lived in thefe times, 
 it is highly probable, they would have declared this 
 condition of church communion a grois imp'jition on 
 the children of God. Yet how they come 10 talk fo 
 high, i3 Orange"; — 
 
 For, it is the doctrine of this church, to which they 
 pretend an adherence, that a profejfion of the faith, 
 v/hich muft certainly be more than the knowledge of 
 5t, and a regular convcrfaiion is an indifpenfi'ole condition 
 of church memberfhip * Hence our former laudable 
 practice of taking a declaration of the faith of church- 
 members in order to the baptifm of their children \ 
 and feciuding thofe from her communion, who were 
 erroneous and unfound, as well thole in private, as thofe 
 in public ftation in the church. 
 
 Now I think the only question can be, what prcfef- 
 fion was required and fuftained in the apoftolic age, 
 and is intended by our church in her fiandards f .A 
 fcriptural one furely ; — a profeffion agreeable to the 
 •word, and that exprelled the faith of the church in 
 the feveral truths, in which (he had been enlighten- 
 ed ; more exprefly and particularly, thefe that were 
 eminently oppofed and impugned. Can we imagine 
 the apoftles and primitive churches under their care, 
 fuftained a profeffion as opening the door to chuieh- 
 fellowfhip, which caft off, and ftood in oppotition to- 
 the received faith of Chrift ? That they did not, we 
 are as lure as the whole tenor of New TefTameut writ- 
 ing can make us. Shall we preiume to mark out a 
 
 * Shorter Caiechifm, Q±95 Lar. Cat, Q^66. 
 
 way 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 way different from, nay, oppofiteto th* good old path 
 that has the lanclion of fucH authority ? Did the plan- 
 ters of the Chriftian church make an honeft, uni- 
 form prcffjfion of the truth a term of admiiiion to Seal- 
 ing ordinances, no lefs than a competency of know- 
 ledge and irreproachable converfation ? Andfhallthe 
 new fchemers of tbefe times make bold to brand it with, 
 ignominy, and caft it out of the church ? And it is. 
 to be obierved, that when we infift upon ihhprofef- 
 Jim as a condition of membership, we do not go be- 
 yond the fruits expected of Christians, of which our 
 author talks to much : for it is our fixed perfuafion, 
 that true faith, in its proper excrcife, will fhew itfelf 
 no lefs in the purity of a man's profejfion than of his 
 converf-uion. From this the conclusion is obvious and 
 undeniable, that we are no more bound to efteem him 
 who offends in the former, a regular, a faithful and 
 fruitful church-member, than him who offends in 
 the latter. Both, according to fcripture, are to be 
 debarred from the communion of the church, iho* 
 many things amiable in other refpecls be found about 
 them ; till ihe be fatisfied of their repentance for their 
 Ir.tter fruits, and of their gracious concern to glorify 
 Chrift, and edify her by fruits of a different kind *,. 
 all our author's looie difcourfe about uncharitablenefs t 
 bigotry, arrogance, and what not, upon this Subject, 
 gees forjuit nothing. He might as well have enter- 
 tained us with Barbara, Celarint, flip flap, or Tom 
 Thilmb. The fame is to be laid of all his reafonings, 
 concerning ■• perfect unanimity in every thing not be-, 
 ing neceiVary to church fellowship." P. 51, 52. 53, 54; 
 becaule no body pleads for it, If people will fight 
 with their /7A2'/y7u, in Head of abiding by the point in 
 debate, what lhall a wife man do, but laugh at their 
 ghiixotifm ? 
 
 The other pil'ar, on which our author is bold e- 
 rcRigh to venture the Relief (cheme of communion is, 
 his glofs on the fir II fix veiles of the fourteenth chap-' 
 ter to the Ilcmans. Here he proceeds with much 
 learning and caution ; by an elaborate paraphrafe ; a 
 let of native deduclijr.s, applied to the caie in hand ; 
 d then follows the dettruftion of theie tvaflons and 
 futurfuges, which be Suppofes Sccecurs will* have re- 
 F a coude 
 
( 44 ) 
 courfe to. He is fo well pleafed with the ftrength of 
 this fortrefs, as to give himfelf no trouble to throw up 
 even an out-work from any other paflage of (cripture. 
 The whole fchefne then (lands or falls with this, as far 
 zsjcriptureis concerned. If we can fuccefsfully ftorm 
 this hold, our author will certainly yk Id his fwcrd. 
 
 Convinced in experience, that the friends of Relief 
 make no fmall noii'e with this paffage, I was at fome 
 pains formerly to {rate the controverfy in the church 
 of Rome, and fhew, that no argument could be taken 
 from it in favour of Relief communion J ; expecting if 
 it mud flill be brought on the carpet, that they would 
 have at leaft endeavoured to detect the fallacy of my 
 reafoning on it. But here too, our author turns helm 
 a-lee ; only obferving, in order to fland ofr with fome 
 feeming decency, xhztSccedcrs will maintain that the 
 matters in debate in this church were entirely indiffe- 
 rent ; and therefore we ought not to argue, that 
 the matters of difference between Prejhyterians, Epif- 
 topalians and Independents, relating to church - govern- 
 ment, fhould be an object of forbearance alfo ; as they 
 are things not indifferent \ To which he gives a very 
 fhort, and as we (hall fee, unfatisfaclory reply. Yes, 
 indeed, Sir, they maintain this; only, correcting a 
 fmall miftake, by certifying you, that the difference we 
 have with Epifcopalians and Independents, is not mere- 
 ly in relation to church-government . And if it can be 
 made good, that the matters in debate in this church 
 were entirely indfferent, the /lately fabric you have 
 reared, by paraphrafe, and deduclicn, falls about your 
 cars in an intrant. "What fay ycu againft it, " Tho" 
 the obfervation or non-obfei vation of ceremonial u- 
 fages, after the death of Chrift, was a thing entirely 
 indifferent in itfelf, when unconnected with religion ; 
 yet this was not the ftate of that famous controversy.'* 
 
 To a judicious, impartial perfon, enough has alrea- 
 dy been faid upon this fubjecl. However, truth can 
 lofe nothing by a repeated and Hill more clofe exami- 
 nation. By a thing indfferent is meant, what is nei- 
 
 % Relief Jcheme, &c. P. 85.— 93. 
 
 that 
 
( 45 ) 
 
 ther duiyby any law in force enjoining it, nor fin from 
 any law prohibiting it. Now, that many ceremonial 
 rites were, for a leafon, in this fenfe, which we fup* 
 pofe is the fenfe univerfally received, -wholly indifferent t 
 feems. clear as noon-day. Every man, who knows 
 what he fays, muft grant, that the whole ceremonial 
 law was abrogated in the death of Chrift. Its infti- 
 tutions after this, were no longer of divine obligati- 
 on upon any. But neither was the obfervation of 
 fome of them for a time discharged. There is no fuch 
 prohibition upon record. It is probable, that moft, 
 if not all the Jewifo converts throughout the world, 
 were, for a confiderable feafon, in the practice of va- 
 rious legal rites. It was remarkably (o at Jcpufalcm. 
 " Thou feed, brother, how many thoufand Jews there 
 are which believe, and they are all zealous of the law." 
 Acts xxi. 20 ; and can we believe, that fo many 
 churches, under the eye of the apoftles, were allow- 
 ed to live in the practice of what God had perempto- 
 rily forbidden r No certainly. More ; ir is evident 
 the apoftles themielves fet the churches an example 
 of this. It is pretty clear in the cafe of James, Afts 
 xxi ; of Peter % Gal. ii. 14; nor muft we except Paul 
 himielf. u He fheared his head in Cenchrea, for he 
 had a vow," A c~ts xviii. 18. u He took the men, and 
 the next day purifying himfelf, entered into the tem- 
 ple, to fignify the accomplishment of the clays of pj- 
 rification, until that an offering lliould be offered for 
 every one of them, Acls xxi. 20. He even carried it 
 
 the length of circumcifing Timothy, Acts xvi. 3 
 
 Were the apoftles then at once the patrons and the per- 
 prctrators of cp*n fin ? If not, what cou'il thr.fe ufa- 
 ges be but matters of indifferency ? That thofe bbi rv- 
 ed in the church of Rome in particular, were fo, is 
 manifeft. " Let every man," fa\s the . " be 
 
 fuliv pcrfuaded in his own mind." Is any man pec- 
 (uaded, that thefe rites are bin. ling upon Aim, anxi 
 therefore ought to be obferved ? it is 'well ; let him 
 plcafe himfelf, Is any man again pcrfuadod tkat rhey 
 are not obligatory, nor ihoi: J in I 
 ed by him ? This alio is well ; let him aft according- 
 ly. The only point is, that no man objtrve thcic 
 
 thii 
 
( 46 ) 
 
 things., or /ifyl.ihi from them, with ofrVnce, or a 
 doubtful mind, vcr. lo, 21. 
 
 Notwitnftsmding that thefe fame indifferent things 
 were connecled with religion, is (b plain, that it is afto- 
 ni&ing any. man oF icnie fhould infinuate the contra- 
 ry ; much more riique an important caufe on it. The 
 apoitle exprefiy (rates (ucli a connexion ; for he that 
 " regarded thj day, regarded it unto the Lord \" out 
 of refpeet to his iovereign authority, which he weakly 
 thought interpoicd m this matter; and of confequence, 
 fpent much of it,,no:doubt, in rus inimedine iervice ; 
 " and he that are not, TZ'Tthe Lohd he ate not;'* 
 on the fame account .and from a religious fcruple. 
 Did not this fee the obterv-stion of certain days, and 
 abttinencc from certain meats, in the vein' clofjeft con- 
 nexion with rei'igicn ? In facTt, it was impoffible^ that 
 a practical, devout attention to thefe rites could be un- 
 connected with religion ; becaufe they were considered 
 as of divine obligation, and thus a piece of indifpsnfi- 
 ble duty toward God ; the neglect of* which was fup- 
 po.ied to make a perfon heinoufly gui'ty in his fighr. 
 And as to the days mentioned in particular, they 
 were devoted to, and employed in r digitus wdrfikpi 
 Was uo: this the very controverfy the GenVte part of 
 the church had with their brethren of the Jews t who 
 contended for thefe ufages ? On this very account they 
 defpifed them, and had thoughts of cutting them ctY 
 from their fellowfhip, — even becaufe they were ob- 
 served on religious principles, with religious views, as 
 religious divine inftnurions, in which much of religion, 
 or the kingdom of God was thought to confift. Now, 
 if thefe things, fo very intimately connected with re- 
 ligion, as really to make a part of it, in the cafe of 
 the Jewifb converts, were yet for a feafon left abfo- 
 lately indfferent, the very weakeiV perfons mult fee, 
 our author has clearly loft h*s point. Nor is it pof- 
 <Ib!e, with all the aids rhe Relief Synod cm bring him, 
 to frame an argument from this cafe of the church of 
 Rome, for communion with Prelutijts and Indepen- 
 dents. 
 
 But perhaps he means, that as the Jexvijh converts 
 maintained that tlide ceremonial ufages were ifiil di- 
 vine ordnances, fo they got them introduced into the 
 
C 47 ) 
 
 pubfic -worfhip of the church, and made the obfervati- 
 on of them (he condition and rule of communion ; 
 wheh effectually bring? them out of thedafs of things 
 rent. It does indeed ; and this may be his mean- 
 ing; for he talks about thir.gs indifferent in their na- 
 ture, when brought into the ivorjhip of God, and 
 held to be divine ordinances, cealingto be indifferent j 
 adding "this was the true (Lite of the controversy $ 
 for the Jewtjh Christians maintained, that abstaining 
 from ceremonial meats, and obferving ceremonial 
 days, were fiill of divine authority, and ordinances of 
 God to be obferved by the new teftament church 5 
 which brought thefe things entirely out of the predica- 
 ment of things indifferent, and prefents them to our 
 view in a very different attitude/' This he illustrates 
 by kneeling in partaking of the Supper : " K*tee.'vtg ig 
 in it/elf indifferent ; but when it is required as an or- 
 dinance of Gody and neceffary to the participation of 
 the Ucrament, is it then a matter of indifference?" 
 Pi 6$, 66. 
 
 Not to infifl en their making the obfervation of Mo- 
 Juic rites the rule and condition of communion with 
 them, what evidence has our author that they intro- 
 duced thefe into the public wcr/hip of the church at 
 all ? He offcis none. He does not give us the leaft 
 hint where we may be turn! (bed in any. Indeed it is 
 as ridiculous a figment as ever entered a human mind. 
 Is there any thing like it fuppofed in this chapter, in 
 the whole epiftle, or in any part of lcripture? Nay, 
 it is demonstrably falfe. Nothing is mentioned by the 
 apoftle as matter of debate in this church, but the dif- 
 tnKtion of merits and diys. Now the former did not 
 admit of a place in the public ivor/hip of the church. 
 As obferved among the people, it had no rehtion to, 
 or connexion with it, id any generation. And if ib, 
 whit fancy could introduce it, and what end could be 
 .1 by it in the public worfhip of the new Tefra- 
 ment church? By tne dttfi in quedion it is evident, 
 and indeed geneVaHy agreed 1 ,' fhit we are to undcr- 
 € ffand fome Jewifb fejliv it's. Some of thefe Were of a 
 public nature, and tor the I I we fhall 
 
 luppofe, that the Jewilh drift ians- pleaded- for the 
 puuclu.ii celebration of them, 1 is a inert con- 
 
 jeeture 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 jedture, and a very improbable one too ; but hbvr 
 does it appear they carried fo important a point in the 
 church of Rome P The Gentile converts, at lea'ft, to- 
 gether with the more enlightened Jews, were a very- 
 great majority in this church. This is implied in the 
 whole addrefs in this chapter. Thefe were not only per- 
 fectly fatisfiecl about the abolition of the ceremonial 
 law, but had an utter abhorrence of tts- rites as ob- 
 ferved by their brethren. Is it then in any degree cre- 
 dible, that the Jewi/b Chriftians, who bare <b fmail a 
 proportion to the whole church, were defpifed, and 
 ill uied on account of their weak prejudices, had fo 
 much credit and influence as to procure the public ce- 
 /titration of any Jewijhfeftival ? True, they might ob- 
 ferve thefe days in a diftinct feparate affembly ; but 
 this is no where infinuated, nor is there the leaft pre- 
 sumption on any gronnd that they did fo. It would 
 have given the controverfy quite another turn, and 
 the apoftle's difcourfe would have run in another ftile. 
 Whatever fome zealots might infift for, all they attain- 
 ed was the obfervation of meats and days in their per- 
 Jonal unconnected capacity, not as members of the church, 
 but as fo many individuals. Hence the apoflie fpeaks 
 of what one did, and another neglecled, in his Jingle 
 flate. juft as it pleafed him, ver. 2, 3, 5, 6. From this 
 it follows, that thefe legal rites, as obtaining in that 
 church, no way affected the fyftem of new Teftament 
 ordinances. They neither corrupted the whole, nor 
 
 fet afide, or altered any part of them. They made 
 
 no part of the worfhip of the church, nor were in the 
 ieajl connected with it. 
 
 Moreover, he takes it for granted, that as this was 
 the real ftate of the church of Rome, To the apoftle 
 permitted things to run in their former channel. 
 "What did he ? He faw the authority of his divine 
 matter daringly counteracted, the Gentile converts en- 
 flaved, the fyftem of new Teftament ordinances chang- 
 ed, by a fpirit of dejpotifm and imp'cjition in all things 
 triumphant, not only v/ithjilence, but avowed appro- 
 bation. If the Jewijb Chriftians, full of the notion 
 that ceremonial rites were (till divine ordinances, for- 
 ced them into the worihip of the church, and made 
 
 the 
 
C 4 9 ) 
 
 the rule and condition of their communion; I think, 
 none will deny, this was \\\p fcene prefented to the a- 
 poftle : and that he carried, notwithstanding, very 
 fmoothly, is no lefs plain ; for it was enough in his 
 judgment, that^/every man was perfuaded in his own 
 mind ;" and he exhorts the members of this church to 
 ber j .r with one another in meeknefs and love, never 
 fufFering their 'differences in the leaft: to afrecY their 
 feilowihip, ver. 17, 18, jo. But who will have the 
 
 afTurance thus to impeach his faithfuinefs ? his 
 
 faithfulnefs, who was fo zeahus for the honour of 
 (Thrift, and the liberties of Chriftians ; who was fo 
 jealous of the truth of the gofpel, and purity of ordi- 
 nances, while a keen, a [worn enemy to all the ufurpa- 
 tion in the ch'hrch of God. How his zeal would have 
 burnt againft fuch indignities done his Redeemer, and 
 againft fo flagrant, fo ruinous injuries done his peo- 
 ple and intqrefls, — his conduct at Ant'iGch, at Jerufa- 
 lenu through Galatia, and indeed wherever he came, 
 is a conviheing evidence. 
 
 Indeed, upon the principle here laid down, from 
 the true ftatc of the controversy in the church of 
 Rime, the power of the church, or of fome in it, call 
 him Pope or Prince, call them convention or council, 
 or what you will, to eftablifh human inventions in the 
 worfhip of God, rauil no longer be conrefted, but u- 
 niverlally believed and fubmitted to. For, wherein 
 confitls this power, as claimed and exercifed in the 
 churches of Rome and England, with fome others, but 
 in a right of bringing things in their own nature in- 
 different into the worlhip pf God, and enjoining the 
 observation of them ? Does not much of the Romijh 
 Juperjiition, and all the fantnjlical ceremonies of the 
 church of England, ftaod upon this pietended powec 
 alone ; It is for more than one unwoithy caufe, there- 
 fore, that our author (lands forth a determined ad- 
 vocate We fhall charitably hope, he has not exa- 
 mined his argument, nor traced its confequence?, But 
 the concluiion is evident, that any way he chufes to 
 be taken, he will never find a warrant for communi- 
 on with Prcl.tifts and Independents from the Itate o£ 
 the ancient church of Rome, -Whatever was the opi- 
 nion or practice of the Jewtfb converts about fomece- 
 G remoaiaj 
 
( 50 ) 
 remonial rites, the matter was for a feafon wholly in- 
 different ; but the points debated with Prelatifts and: 
 Independents are or quite another nature. "Whatever 
 were the fentiments or the former about Jewifb obler- 
 vances, we have juft nowdemonllrated, that tbefe got 
 no place in the church ; and therefore did not in the 
 leait affect hex ft ate > or the nature and tenor of her 
 adminift ration ; whereas the tatter have carried their o • 
 pinions and inventions into full and eftablified 'practice ; 
 have caft the church into a mould of their own, not 
 only unknown in fcripture, but reprobated by it ; have 
 changed her ordinances, corrupted her worfhip, and 
 leavened her whole adminiftrarion ; while they malign » 
 jnfult and impugn that church (fate, and entire frame 
 of ordinances, which we as Prcfbyterians are firmly 
 perfuaded Chrift the fole Lawgiver in Zion bath 
 appointed in his word. Jn this cafe, I leave any man 
 to judge, whether cur communion with the Utter 
 Hands on the fame grounds, as- the communion of ths 
 Centile church-members at Rome- with their Jewtfb bre- 
 thren did. 
 
 One obfervation more, and we are done with this 
 point. It is this, that were the cafes of the Jcwifh con- 
 certs at Rome, and that of Prelati/is and Independent? 
 much more parallel than any man can rationally con- 
 ceive, the former had a claim to unl'peakably more lenity 
 and forbearance than the latter ; becaufe thefe ulages, 
 to which they were fe sealoufly attached, were once of 
 divine appointment, much depended upon the due ob- 
 fervation of them, and feveral paflages both of Mofes 
 and the prophet which they continued to hold as a 
 part of the rule of faith and practice, at irrft view, and 
 when not taken in connexion with other parts of fcrip- 
 ture, appeared to give them a perpetual eflablifhment 
 in the church. It is eafy to fee, how much thefe 
 things contributed to confirm anil forter their preju- 
 dices, and what fpecious arguments they might frame 
 in defence of them. It took fome time, and much 
 pains, fo far to difengagc the moft eminent Chrifti- 
 ans, # the apoftles themfelves not excepted, from thefe 
 prejudices, as not to impofe many branches of the ce- 
 remonial law upon the Gentiles. But what (hall we 
 fay of Prelatifts and Independents ? Were their diftin- 
 
 gtt&ing 
 
(. s* ) 
 
 guifhing tenets and church order ever of divine ap- 
 pointment ? or are they not, from the leaft to the 
 greater! , the vain opinions and corrupt inventions of 
 men, which the fcriptures condemn, and utterly un- 
 known to the church for lome ages ? What can be 
 laid for their peculiarities, comparable to what the 
 Jcwijlj Christians might have advanced for their opi- 
 nions and practices ? Who then can fuppofe they 
 ftand equally recommended to our fympatby and in- 
 dulgence ? 
 
 Befides, tho' the obligation of the whole ceremoni- 
 al fyftem had for fome time been diffblved, and inti- 
 mation of this great event made to the church by va- 
 rious degrees, the grand demonftration of it was ftill 
 wanting at the time of this contcoverl'y, and for feve- 
 ral years after it. — I mean the definition of the tern' 
 ple x and ruin of the whole political and ecclcfiaflical ftatc 
 cr typical Ifrael. It was this great, and to the Jews 
 unexpected revolution, which the Lord meant to car- 
 ry irrefiflible conviction to the hearts of all, that the 
 yoke of bondage was forever broken off from the 
 neck of his church. Till that time, he was willing 
 to bear with the weak prejudices of proftmng Chrii '« 
 tians. After it, the fignification of his pleafure was 
 complete •, o f confequence the obfervation of thefe rites 
 which was lawful, tho' not binding by his authority, 
 became utterly fin juU and no longer an object: of Chrif- 
 tian forbearance. Can any thing like this be offered 
 for Prelatiftst Independents and others, on a ftill more 
 unfcriptural foundation, with whom the Synod of 
 llelief are ready to hold communion? Is not the ca- 
 non of fcripture perfected ? Is any thing more than 
 what is contained in thefe facred oracles neceffary, to 
 (hew, that their opinions and obfervances are " the 
 doctrines and commandments of men V Are their 
 fancies the object of divine long differing and patience, 
 as fome Mofaic ordinances were? And if not, where 
 is their title to the like toleration in the church ? 1c 
 is true, there are times of general reformation com- 
 ing, when, I doubt not, many of the abettors of thefe 
 feveral fyftcms, will caft away their idols, with as much, 
 deteitation, as ever they hugged them with pleafure ; 
 but if we aiuft bear with them in church-communion 
 G % till 
 
till tliat happy period, the fame reafon will oblige us 
 to communion with all others, who cannot fee as we 
 do, however heretical and monfirous their refpt£tive 
 creeds be. And indeed the Relief ^v\ni\\\z about com- 
 munion, is driving with a fliong current into this un- 
 fathomable gulf 
 
 Let their claim to communion in a Pre/lyterian church 
 be as gioundiefs as it will, our author can perceive no 
 inconhftency in fuflaining it ; for he aiks with much 
 confidence, " Tho* Chrifthns in Social worfhip cannot 
 hold communion in the /mailer points, in which they 
 dffer, does this hinder them to hold communion in 
 the many great points in which they are agreed ?" 
 This, hetellsus, is " a conuwxMuorioi forbearance , where 
 they cannot in fome cafes maintain the communion cf 
 unanimity and Jamcncfs c/ judgment* P 72. For the 
 diftinclion it may pal's. We are fo overwhelmed with 
 novelties in this piece, that we muft ceafe to wonder: 
 But a communion of forbearance, if he will have it fo, 
 this is with a witnefs ; and fuch a communion too, as 
 will extend our religious connexions, as tar as heart 
 could wifh, and give way to the torrent we were 
 fpeaking of. Why, there are fome /mailer points, in 
 which we cannot hold a communion of unanimity with 
 Socinians and Quakers, with Armimam and Lutherans, 
 with the churches of Rome and Rvjjia. There are 
 fome /mailer points in which we cannot agree with 
 Jews and Mahometans ; yet what fhould hinder us to 
 hold communion in the man) great points in which 
 we are agreed ? For there may be a communion of 
 forbearance, where there cannot be the communion of 
 unanimity and /amenc's 0/ judgment. The points in 
 difference with people of thefe denominations refpec- 
 tively, are great in them [elves ; but we have only to 
 call them/wj//, like other things of the fame kind, and 
 then we are fellow citizens. The queftion certainly 
 reaches fo far, that it is not worth propofing. Had 
 his fundamental principle been cbferved, we fhould 
 never have heard of Ditfenters in England, nor of the 
 Proteftant reformation itfelf ; nay, a d\/fe:\i:::g intereji 
 formed in any part of the Chriftian world, at leaft, 
 mull be uafcriptural and abfurd. 
 
 1 fhould 
 
( 53 ) 
 
 I fhould be unjult in leaving this part of the fubjecl 
 without doing juftice to the candor of my friend. The 
 claufe in the Confejfwn of Faith, which ufed to be caft 
 in our teeth upon all occafions, he fairly gives up, P. 
 48. We hope, therefore, whatever fervice it has hither- 
 to done them in deceiving the multitude, it will ne- 
 ver more be bandied about by the Relief Tynod, or their 
 adherents. As to what he talks about the dffembly be- 
 ing compofed of Prrfoyterians and Independents for af- 
 certaining their judgment about communion ; this can 
 be no argument in favour of Epifcopaiians, of whom 
 there were none at this time in the dffemhly. Nay, it 
 is highly probable from Mr. Bail/ie's letters, who was 
 a member of that famous Ailembly, that the Indepen- 
 dents had alfo deferred their feats, when this article of* 
 the Confejfion was framed. The Confejfion was among 
 the la ft lervices done by the JJjemb ] y ; and long be- 
 fore they proc-eded to this article, Mr Baillie informs 
 us, the Independents were wont to abient whole weeks, 
 even two or three -weeks at a time. But admitting all 
 the original members had contiuuedto the iult, what 
 he advances is nothing to the purpofe ; for what was 
 to hinder them in a general declaration of the truth, 
 when it was not applied to thernfclves, — when it full re- 
 mained to be debated among them, what profejfon 
 fhould be the bond and centre of their communion 
 with each other > Our author and I are agreed about 
 the general truth afTerted in the article of the Confejfion 
 on communion, and yet we have fo different views ot 
 that profejfion, which faints are bound to make and 
 maintain, that we cannot joio in church fellowship. 
 Tho' the parties under consideration efteemed each o- 
 ther faints, their meeting in the Affembiy no way lup- 
 polcd every bar to church- communion was removed ; 
 becaufe they were not there fitting in the Judicato- 
 ry of an organized church, as the rtprefent&ives 
 of feveral Pre(b)teries, like our Synods 01 AffemblUs ; 
 but were called for the advice of Parliament, in a very 
 uafettled and troublous time both of church and fate. 
 — And it was no doubt, one great inducement to bo;li 
 Prcfbyterians and Independents to accept of, and retain 
 for a time, at lealt, their feats in the /ij-.mbiy, thac 
 
 an 
 
( 54 ) 
 an open, candid communication of each other's fenti* 
 ments might be the happy mean of extinguifhing dif- 
 ferences, which had long (unfitted, and been carried 
 very high by both parties. The mean appeared feaft* 
 tie, tho' it proved meffetlual. One thing is undeni- 
 able, when the Affcmbty was diflblved, the Pre/byte- 
 riant, who made the greateft part of it, as well as 
 their brethren who had not been called, were fo far 
 from holding communion with the Independents, not- 
 mrithftanding this article ot the ConfeJJion, that tlu-y 
 would by no means yield to a toleration of them in fe- 
 parate congregations. Herein, indeed, I am clearly 
 of opinion, they were wrong, according to the idea of* 
 toleration explained above. But it ferves to fhew, 
 that every way, the argument from their fitting toge- 
 ther in this famous AJJembly, is utterly inconclufive. 
 
 Loofe, indigefted and unfcripiural as the Relief plan of 
 communion is^ our author would gladly imprefs the 
 public with an idea of the Seceders having once adop- 
 ted it, tho' on a fomewhat fmaller (cale. ** It is ob- 
 fervable, and merits the particular attention of the 
 candid reader, that the Seceders themfeives have fet 
 an example of that very communion, as far as it re- 
 lates to the church of Scotland, which the Relief body 
 now plead for.*' How does that appear ? " It is well 
 known, that for a considerable time after the com- 
 mencement of the Secejfion, the Seceding minifters de- 
 clared their willingnefs to hold communion with thofe 
 minifters and Chriftians of the ePtablifhed church, who 
 were contending again ft her defections. 5 ' P. 27. 
 
 The fact here ailed^ed I cheariully acknowledge, 
 and as it is fometimes managed to the reproach of 
 Seceders, who afterwards altered the^r conduct, we 
 fhall take the liberty to fuggeft a few things for their 
 vindication, and thereby fhew how little it makes to 
 the purpole of the Relief. 
 
 The Ajjociate Brethren were led forward to a total 
 feparation from this church, in refpect of vitible com- 
 munion, gradually, even as the firft Proteflants were 
 from the church of Rome. In their firft contendings 
 they had no views of matters being carried iuch lengths 
 as they afterwards arrived at, more than Luther and 
 his friends hid of withdrawing from the church of 
 
 Rome, 
 
( 55 ) 
 
 R:me, and managing their teffimony in a feparafe corn. 
 munion, — when that venerable reformer began to" 
 preach againfi papal indulgences, and otherwise to con- 
 tend with the cuurt of Rome. Their Secession was 
 rot like the Relief fepar&tion, a rath and precipitate 
 Aep, under the influence of humour, the love of mo- 
 ney, and ipirit of faction. It was the refult of mature 
 reflexion, many prayers, and the concurrence of va- 
 rious difpenf'ations of providence, from a principle of 
 noble difinterefled zeal for the honour of Chrift, the 
 vindication of his truth, and the liberties of his church. 
 It took, of confequence, lb me time to affurae a due 
 form, and acquire liability. 
 
 It was during this period, that the Seceding mlnifters 
 had freedom to hold occaiional communion with the 
 |els degenerate part of the church of Scotland. When 
 the Lord fhined more clearly upon their path, point- 
 ing out Secejfion, as an rndifpenfible duty to him 
 and the church, and enabling them to (fate it upoa 
 more enlarged grounds than they firlf thought of, — 
 they willingly followed him bearing his reproach, and 
 found themfclves rhut out from that communion, 
 which otherwife would have been warmly cultivated. 
 Nor is it any wonder their Secejfion was a few years in 
 afl'uming its more perfect form. — Their fkuation was 
 peculiar. There had been nothing like it in any pe- 
 riod of the church of Scotland.— Their aversion to re- 
 paration was proportioned to their love of peace, and 
 tender regard to the unity of the church. — They bad 
 a ftrong attachment to many worthy Fathers and Bre- 
 thren, iirengthened by all the reciprocal endearments 
 qr religion and friendship. It k not furprizing, that 
 thtfe and the like coniulerations difpofed them to 
 maintain occafional communion with fome in this 
 church, as long as they found they could do fo, in a 
 confitfence with truth and a guod confeience toward 
 God.— The Relief miniAers are, in flatu quo, the lame 
 fituation in relation to the national church, as when 
 many years ago they deforced her. not once lee king, 
 nor fo tar as we can judge, once wifhing to know 
 Lord's mind more perfectly. 
 
 It likewife merits our attention, thattho' much un- 
 faiibfolncfs appeared in. the Judicatory* olxhcxhvrcK t 
 
 and 
 
( $6 ■) 
 
 and very arbitrary meafures had been purfued before 
 the year 1732, which, with the following veal-, 
 brought a great acceffion of guilt in thefe rcfpects, 
 and puihed the ajfociate Brethren on the firft tteps to- 
 ward a SeceJJion ; yet in the year 1734, and for fome 
 time after it, matters feemed to take another turn. 
 This church feemed awakened at lead to the confe* 
 quences of her defpotifm and apoftacy, and difcover- 
 cd fome resolution of returning to the Lord, by her 
 act for purity ofdoftrine, by repealing the aft of 1732, 
 about fettling vacant congregations, by giving fome 
 check to violent intrufion's, by declaring it the privi- 
 lege of members of court to have their dijfents or pro- 
 teftations recorded, and, tho' this indeed was exprefTed 
 in very ambiguous language, that it fhould not be held 
 unlawful to give a dotlrinal teflimony againft the ini- 
 quitous proceedings of the Judicatories, with fome o- 
 ther things of lefs confideration. It was indeed with 
 the greateft exertion the honed party carried thefe 
 things ; but it gave the church an appearance of re- 
 formation. The Seceding ministers heartily rejoiced at 
 this. They could not fee their way clear to return to 
 the bofom of their mother, who had treated them as 
 aliens, notwithstanding thefe laudable fteps ; but they 
 hoped the morning would brighten, and every ground 
 of feparation and complaint be fully removed. Wait- 
 ing with much anxiety, and praying importunately 
 for that happy period, in the mean time, they teftifkd 
 their fincere deiire for peace, and their refpect to the 
 zeal and fidelity of their brethren, by holding occa- 
 iional communion with them. Their fond hopes, 
 however, foon vanifhed. In a very fhort time, the 
 torrent of apoftafy broke forth with redoubled impetuo- 
 fity ; as if it had acquired ftrength by the opposition 
 made to it in fome former years. It continued to 
 increafe, and bear down every thing before it to this 
 day ; while the few more worthy names gave over the 
 conteft, or changed their ground, or even began %o 
 plead the caufe of defetlion. It was natural to think, 
 if their principles were right and their aims pure, that 
 the Seceding ministers would take their pofitioo accord- 
 ing to the new ftate of affairs. They did io. They 
 
 broke 
 
C 57 ) 
 
 broke off all connexion with the national church.—^* 
 When on the way of reformation they found it their 
 duty to keep fome terms with her, by communion 
 with thofe, who confcientioufly ftudied to preferver 
 themfelves pure ; but wheu fbe ftopt fhort, and even 
 revolted more and more, and yet thefe good men, 
 for whom the Seceders had fo endeared an efleem, 
 hearkning to the fuggeftions of weak prejudice, fin- 
 ful timidity, or fome more forcible r p mon(trances of 
 flcfh and blood, would remain in her, — there was no 
 choice left. It they would not let the banner fall, it 
 was necefiary to difphy it more fully.* — The Relief ^ par- 
 ty make nothing of all the growth of incorrigible de- 
 fection to this day. 
 
 From what was juftnow faiJ, it is eafy to gather, 
 they were men of,another fpirit, with whom the Seced- 
 ing Minifters held occafional communion, than are 
 now, alas ! to be found. Determined adverfaries of 
 error, inftead of maintaining communion with the er- 
 roneous, they brought them under procefs, or con- 
 curred in the profecution. What linifter of the e- 
 flab!fhment % in our times, has i*o much zeal and refo- 
 iution ? Friends to the divine law of popular eleclion p 
 they oppofed intrufions out of principle, and thus their 
 oppofition was univerfal and Jleady. Intruders they 
 would not own at their ordination, or in afliftance at 
 facramental folemnhies. Now, alas ! the beft friends 
 of the people treat their rights as chimerical, and wilt 
 not be thought to plead for them. Some violent fettle- 
 ments they oppofe ; as to others they are filent, or 
 take tham under their patronage. How they behave 
 at ordinations and facramentv I folemnities with intruders 
 we faw before. Do they fomet-mes defert fuch ordina- 
 tions ? feldom ,• and when they do, their fubmiflion to> 
 cenfure for this pretended offence is both very tame and 
 very ready, as in fome late inftances. Several of the 
 ions of other times, wholly abfented from Judicatories 9 
 from conviction, that they could not (it in them with- 
 out (in \ and thofe who attended made as faithful a 
 ftand, as a (fate of communion would admit, againft 
 the pievailing ryrranny and corruption of the courts 
 themfelves, and from the pulpit in every corner, asr 
 the Lord ^avs thum opportunity. Where now is that 
 H courage 
 
C 5* ) 
 
 courage and faithfulnefs ? Who now deferts VrcfJjy* 
 tries, Synods and Affemblies, becaufe they are leaven- 
 ed ? Who now does not content him felf with ifyirit- 
 lefs fpeech in our convocations, again ft even the mofl 
 tyrannical and opprejfive meafures ? It is a marvel to 
 hear of a diffent or protcjiation in fuch cafes. It is 
 ftill more marvellous, to hear any thing of them from 
 t\e pulpit. Is there fuch a miracle now in Scotland ? 
 No ; almofi all are become more foed of tbepraife of 
 men for their moderation and forbearance, than for the 
 praife of God in a fteady, well-tempered zeal, for 
 his glory and Gaufe. It would be long ere we could 
 finifh the contraft. But this (hews, that Seceders, in 
 the circumftances above reprefented especially, might 
 bejujiifiedin holding occasional communion with feme 
 in the national church in time p:Ji, when they would be 
 condemned in fuch facred intimacies with taofe who are 
 fuppofed to be their followers new. — The Relief mike 
 no fuch dillincYion. 
 
 Befides ; at the.commeneement of the Seceffion, the 
 Jpirit, principles and views of the JJJhciate Prefhytery, 
 could not be known in aninftant. Their A6i, decora.- 
 Hon and teftimony> and their Act concerning the doc 
 trine of grace were not yet publiQied. The Declina- 
 ture was not yet given in. After a reprefsntation of 
 the procedure of the Synod of Perth and Stirling about 
 Mr Ebenezer Erfkine, and of the Affembly y 1733, with, 
 its Commijfion, the only joint papers emitted by thenv 
 for fome time, were the Fir/i tejiimony, declaring, 
 the grounds of Secejfion from the eftablifiud church, 
 and Reafons of ncn accej/ion on the footing of what was 
 done by the AJfembly, 1734. But it was proper to 
 give their weil-affected brethren all ntcefTary infor- 
 mation about their principles and views, with a reafon- 
 able i\mz for considering maturely (0 important a ilep 
 as fcparation from the national church, and forming a 
 connexion v*ith them, before they entirely difengng- 
 cd themfelves from their communion ; efpeciaily as 
 not a few of them honeftly fet themselves againft the 
 prevailing management^ and feemed henny friends to 
 tbeircauie, and ilrenuous advocates, for it. It was e- 
 very way fit to bear with them for a feafon ; fince 
 the opeuiags of providence particularly, about which 
 
 the 
 
( 59 ) 
 
 ihc b^ft of men, with different *neafures of light, may 
 have different - apprehenfions, muft in all cafes point 
 out the propriety of feparation. 
 
 The cafe is now greatly altered. The world has long 
 been furniihed with all defirable information about the 
 SeccJJion and its adherents ; fo that no roan, who will 
 give himfe'f a little trouble to enquire, can be igno* 
 rant. The grounds of SeceJJlon acquire force daily. 
 The calls of Providence, uniting with the directions of 
 the word, wax louder and louder. Yet thofe of the 
 eftablifimcnt, minifters and people, however valuable 
 in other things, give a deaf ear to all thefe adaioniti- 
 ons. Whether from illy prejudice, or wilful igno- 
 rance of the true nature an i iiate of our testimony, 
 or fear of man, or refpec't to their character and 
 worldly convenience, -or fome other principle of the 
 fame kind, they^defpife and abule their advantages. 
 Not able to hear of the SeceJJion or a Seceder with pa- 
 tience, fome Qt the be ft men on the eft'ablifbment strange 
 to tell ! ar J the bittereft enemies to our caule, which 
 we are fu'!y convinced is the caufe of God and truth ; 
 -and iay themfelves out in all ways, confident with any 
 repute for moderation, to weaken, and even extir- 
 pate it. Poor encouragement indeed, to renew all 
 the folemn intimacies of church-communion ! — Nay, 
 the cafe was very foon altered with the firft Seceders. 
 lnftcad of being drawn off from a backfliding churchy 
 after the year 1734, they who teemed in fufpence and 
 open to li'jht, fiificd their convictions, and were con- 
 firmed in their objlinite adherence to the eft ablijhment <. 
 They not only couched under the increating burdens 
 ol the times, and yielded the cau r e, for which they 
 had appeared with lo much warmth; but turned their 
 artillery ham pulpit and prefs % upon their once much 
 eileemed and greatly beloved Seceding brethren and 
 their interelis ; nor were they, in the tranfports of 
 their refentment, good men,ow?r fcrupuhus about the 
 means of blackening their character and injuring their 
 caufe Was it not high time for Seceders, then, to 
 take farewei of them ? Whatever might be their in- 
 clination, the Tejiimony of Jesus required it; and 
 •this they prefericd to their chief perfoual joy. 
 
 ii 2 Thefc 
 
( 6o ) 
 
 Thefe things confidered, it will appear the Seceders 
 did not change their conduct in relation to many wor- 
 thy men in the national church without caufe ; and al- 
 fo, that the Synod of Relief deceive themfelves and 
 their followers, by pretending to find any thing in the 
 example of Seceders that can be the fmalleft apology 
 for the communion, which they fo eagerly court with 
 thofe on the cftab'tifhment. 
 
 But tho' lefs could be faid for this and fome other 
 parts of their conduct, how comes our author to enter- 
 tain a fufpicion that the " Seceders will find fault with 
 bim for maintaining, that the terms of admifiion to the 
 Lord's table are only to be found in the divine word?" 
 P. 29. Whether is there more charity or juflice in fuch 
 an infinuation ? Do they adopt any other rule of faith 
 and practice than the divine word ? He knows the con- 
 trary. Tho' it were his opinion *.'.:n, that fome of 
 their terms of communion were neitr.er founded in 
 the divine word, nor agreeable to it, he might have 
 the charity to fuppofe they think otherwifc, and there- 
 fore would never find fault with him for maintaining 
 this pofition with all his might # . 
 
 Whether he believe it or not, they and he are 
 tnoft certainly agreed^ that " the under fhepherds have 
 no right by their own authority to admit, or exclude 
 
 * He takes occafioo here to bring in a long flory about a 
 controverfy h? had upon this fubjeft, with the RevL Mr. 
 Campbell of Stirling. So noble, i: feems, was the ftarxi 
 made againft this gentleman that he wants words to exhibit 
 his own importance, and to ce'ebrate his indisputable victory. 
 I have no perfonal acquaintance with Mr. Campbell ; but his 
 character for good fen'e, learning and talents of reafoning, is 
 jfuch, as to perfu-'de me, Mr B's confident boafting is not 
 good *,-- a? groundlefs as it is ui:fee?nly\ and, that mould he 
 be fo unhappy as to brinp; that B.orhtr into the field in any 
 caufe, he would find himfelfinlike circumftances as the U'l'.- 
 putiaiu in their war with Gulliver. Be that as it may, I am 
 credibly informed* that lv*s account of thai affair is, in many 
 things, 3 t er-y} mifreprejentation ; and thut the honou r ot be- 
 ing made Mr. Campbells text, of which he appears fo proud 
 is no crc'n of glory ; fince it only lay in a fhort difcourfe at 
 the clofe of public worfliip, expofing the palpable deceit, va- 
 tiity and ignorar^e of a ttudied harangue againft Seceders, by 
 Way of preparatory exercife to the communion a: St. Nini- 
 <tn y s t on the Saturday immediately preceding* 
 
 < from 
 
( 6i ) 
 
 from Pealing ordinances ; but only to declare and faith- 
 fully to obferve the terms of Chriftian fellowfhip 
 which Chrift hath appointed." P. 31. But then faith- 
 fully to declare, apply and obferve thefe appointed 
 terms, neceffarily implies, that it mud be their ore 
 to frame the teftimony of the church agreeable to the 
 divine word, and exhibit it to the world, according to 
 the circumjlances, ia which all wife providence fees 
 meet to place her ; — turning the edge of it in defence of 
 thefe particular truths or ordinances, thac are efpeci- 
 ally impugned ; and againft the oppofite errors or in- 
 ititutions, which prevail in any age. The greater at- 
 tention which is paid to this, the more does the church, 
 look like herfelf, and the better does the anfwer the 
 defign of her erection, as M the pillar and ground of 
 the truth" 
 
 Now, the circumftances of the church are often 
 greatly altered in a fhort time ; of conl'equence her 
 terms of admilTion or conditions of memberfhip re- 
 lative to the truth and a due profejjion of it, mull be 
 differently itated. What there was no need to fix as aa 
 explicit term of communion in a former period, may 
 become a great part of the word of Chrilt's patience 
 in the prefent age. and therefore a main hinge of ad- 
 mifliop. to the feals of the covenant. Thus the great 
 term of communion at the erection of the new TeJU- 
 rnent church leems to have been, that Jefus Chrift was 
 come in the flefh, that he was the Son of God, and 
 actually raifed from the dead, Acts viii 37. t John 
 v. 5. 2 John 7. Rom. x. 9, 10. Whoever declared 
 his afTent to thefe general important truths, was im- 
 mediately received into the vilible church. They were 
 the leading points of the church's teftimony at that 
 time ;- and as Satan had not yet employe i his craft ia 
 perverting or corrupting them, every man was fuf- 
 rained found in the faith, who profciKx! to receive 
 theie articles; but when men of corrupt minds fet e- 
 very engine at work to deftroy the truth of the gofpel, 
 a farther explication of it, and an application of its 
 feveral branches, fuited to the ft.it« of the church, 
 were found absolutely necefT.iry ; and thence an •fleot 
 to thefe general truths could be no longer a fatisfyutg 
 teft of athnifUon, 
 
 When 
 
C ^ ) 
 
 \Then tbif Ariin herefy, for inftance, was broach - 
 ccd, would it have been warrantable or Ufc ro have 
 admitted all to church communion, who declared 
 their belief of the proportions above mentioned ? No; 
 for while the fticklers for this herefy allowed that Je- 
 {us of Nazareth was the true McJJiub, and the ion of 
 God, they affirmed at the fame time, thu he was not 
 of ihzfvme nature with the Father, and therefore was 
 not poiTe/Ted of, at leaft, all divine perfections. In 
 order to detect f'uch perfons, and prevent the church 
 from being leavened with them, {he found it nectilary 
 to ftate this article as a term d . . .ion, ihxZ 
 
 fcjfo' the Son he difiinct from the Father in reip.et 
 of perfinality, he is not merely like . .ic Father, but of 
 the fame nature and F.JJence with him. So while the 
 Petagim, Socinian and A r mini an fyilems were not yet 
 i orged, the church had no call to make the truths 
 which ftand oppofed to the pernicious figments cf 
 thefe feveral collections, terms of her communion: 
 But when the fpirit of error impudently attacked the 
 fakh of the go-pel in thefe different ways, it was cer- 
 tainly high time to difplay her banner as openly t-nd 
 particularly againft it as flie could : cfpecially by filia- 
 ting the door upon thole who would (fan i by their 
 delations. It is upon this very principle that Confef- 
 cm of faith as tc/ls of orthodoxy have been juftly c- 
 fteemed fo uleful, and evtn necdl-iy by the church ©f 
 Chrift. And thefe confeilious, when managed with 
 fuccefs, have affirmed, and ever mull aiTume, a form 
 iuited to the devices of Satan for explaining away, or 
 corrupting the truths of Clirift. Thus terms of com- 
 munion not only may, but in the nature of things, 
 mztft be multiplied and dilfereutly ftated according to 
 cceafion*. But will any man aiiirm, that this is to a<|d 
 to the written word, and enact the terms of our own ? 
 He cannot with the leaft iliew of reafon; becaufe in 
 all this the church is only declaring arid faithfully ob- 
 serving the terms which Cariit has appointed. She 
 does not invent her terms, but receive them from him. 
 le is not to frame new ones, but to apply >*nd vinds* 
 cate the old. The one pure, undivided doctrine of 
 Chriit fhc is bound, agreeably to her changing condi- 
 tio i;, 
 
( 63 ) 
 
 t;on, to hoM up to the world and difp T ay sgsinfr er- 
 ror under every new fhape, the fnhtilty of hell fir.d» 
 convenient to give ir. And when fhe mnkes the be- 
 lief and profefli :>n of thefe feveral controverted arti- 
 cles, terms of her communion, if is no more than rca 
 make an honeft fcrrptural confefiion of Chrilt, as re- 
 vealed in the word, an indifpenfi'ole condition of 
 church-memberfhip. 
 
 Bearing this obfervation, which appears undeniably 
 true, in Lis mind', my render will ice, that nothing 
 can be more idle and fenfelefs, than tota'k, as our au- 
 thor does, of the Relief Synod " having no freedom t<* 
 make thefe things terms of communion, or w?. 
 ftparation between them and other Ghriftians, which 
 had no exigence for nigh 1500 years after the terms 
 of the chiiftian fellowship weie unalterably fixed by 
 Chrift and his apofHes." P. 30. and to a Ik concerning 
 the national covenant and folemn league — u Wai noc 
 this a term of communion of the church's own mak* 
 ing ? Was it known by the apoftles of Chrift ? Had it 
 anyexiftence for nigh 1500 years after thefe venerable 
 infpired men were in their graves :" I fay this is as idle 
 and fenfelefs, as the whims of the Catholic Chr\ftl.in t 
 or any other unthinking Libertine^ who takes it into 
 his head to rail againft all Tejh of orthodoxy. The 
 objection is of the fame kind ; I might therefore, once 
 for all, refer our author to Dunbp's excellent defence 
 of ConfefTions of faith, forananfwer. However, left 
 he fliould imagine I wifh to (hi ft him, — 
 
 It is true, that the terms of Chriftian feliowihip 
 were unalterably fixed by Chrill, whereas the ;? i/*- 
 onil covenant and the folemn league had no exigence 
 for many ages after. But what then? Vvhy, we have 
 no freedom to n akc them a term of communion as 
 our fathers did" in former times, whofe practice Sece± 
 ders approve. Very well. The terms or communi- 
 on were unalterably fixed by Chrilr, whereas the Wejl- 
 • minfter Cohfrffitm 0/ faith had no exiiteoce, till 
 years 3ftcr our LortJ entered into his glory. You 
 have no freedom, therefore, to make an approbation 
 of it a ttrm of communion i O y- s ; none are admit- 
 ted to the miitjlry t or any other churcij 
 
 t_s 
 
( 6 4 ) 
 fcs, without declaring their adherence to that valua- 
 ble ConfeJJion ; and befides this, we would be under- 
 ftood to receive none even of a private character into 
 our communion, who do not approve of the lame ex- 
 cellent fummary. This is mighty ftrange ! for is not 
 this a term of communion of the church's own mak- 
 ing ? Was it known by the apoftles of Chrift ? Had 
 it any exigence for near 1600 years after thefe vene- 
 rable men were in their graves ? Tell me how you 
 can reconcile thefe two, and then it will be ealy for 
 me to (hew, that tho' our Covenants had'no exiftence, 
 till many ages after the death of the apoftles, yet they 
 . were not terms of the church's own making. — Men 
 may raife a gho/i which they cannot conjure. 
 
 We have already feen, that thefe covenants were 
 compofed and fworn, at a time when the Briti/b 
 churches were in a very peculiar and trying condition. 
 A great many concurring circumftances of provi- 
 dence, without which they would never have been 
 heard of, fuggefted both their propriety and ufe; 
 while in taking and enjoining them, the church did 
 no more than folemnly ftate her teftimony, for the 
 defence of the truth and its friends, againft the abet- 
 tors of error and corruption, according to her circum- 
 fiances* The national covenant was originally framed 
 againft Popery ; and afterwards its edge was laid againft 
 various corruptions, which, upon popi/h principles, had 
 been introduced into the church of Scotland. The 
 Solemn League was more immediately turned againft £- 
 pifcopacy, as it had been eftablifhed and practifed in the 
 kingdoms of England and Ireland, with the various 
 arts employed by its adherents to hinder the work of 
 reformation. Thus both covenants were adapted to 
 the times, — the parties concerned, — and the various 
 corruptions abounding ; and in both, Zion ftood forth 
 boldly to confefs her God. Pray, what was there a- 
 mifs in that appearance ? Aye, — but term of commu- 
 nion. — Term or cemmunion ! In the name of common 
 fenfe, could our Fathers do Iefs, even on the principle 
 of felf-prefervation, than exclude them from the com- 
 munion of the church, and more efpecially deprive 
 them of the Pulpits, and all power in the univerjities> 
 colleges and fchools t who by their refuting the co- 
 venant 
 
( *5 ) 
 
 tenant, publicly declared themfelves ofpopifb and/r*- 
 iitical principles, and the apowed, refolvcd patrons 
 of that mafs of corruption, which our Fathers, under 
 divine conduct, meant to have purged ; — men, who, 
 of confcquecce, were the injidious, implacable and 
 refllejs enemies of that great work of God in which 
 they were engaged ? Men of this character alone, felt 
 the covenant bear hard on them, or had the leaft ob- 
 jection to it ; and to feclude fuch from the commu- 
 nion of the church, befide other things which might 
 be mentioned, was no more than to take Care thofe 
 fhould not be nourifhed in her bofom, who were 
 tvatcbing for opportunities of /tabbing her to the heart. 
 Without it, our anceftors could neither have been 
 faithful to God, pofterity, nor themfelves. Their 
 work was only h&lf done, nay, every ftep they propof- 
 ed was vain. If their caufe then was good, which we 
 fuppofc our author will not deny, this method to fe- 
 cure it was lomething more than expedient^ it was ab- 
 foiutely netejjary, and could not be evil. 
 
 Thofe who arraign the excellent perfons of thefe 
 times on this head therefore, to make their indictment 
 good, muft prove one of thefe three things, — either 
 firft, that the dotlrines avowed in thefe covenants 
 are not the truths of God, nor the duties engaged to 
 in them ot moral obligations-even all thefe duties in their 
 circumftances ; and thus that the doctrines, rites anil 
 inftitutions abjured in them, have the fanction of 
 divine authority — Or they muft prove, that it is un- 
 lawful for the church at any time, in order to greater 
 mutual confidence, and a firmer oppolition to pre- 
 vailing apoftaly, to cun/efs Chrift, and foiemnly bind 
 herielf to a zealous maintenance of his truths and 
 ways by oath, — Or finally, they muft prove, that fucli 
 folemn covenants were an improptr mode of confefling 
 Chrift, and an unfuitable mean of exciting her to vi« 
 gilance and fidelity at this time. And for all the bluf- 
 ter fome people mnke, they will not find this an eafy 
 talk. It appears tq me i:r>poiiible to prove any of thefo 
 points If the Relief Synod, or any member of that 
 refpedabt'e body, ihail try it, we will hear them. Shew 
 us any thing in the matter of thofe covenants, the 
 circumfULCcs of uur Fathers coaiiUcred, which was 
 X moraU 
 
C 66 ) 
 
 morally evil. Set afide the arguments that have been 
 advanced in favour of avowing the truths and ways 
 cf Chrift, on fpecial occafions, by folemn oath, and efta- 
 blifh the oppofite opinion ; or demonftrate, that there 
 was no call to it, when the covenants were fworn ; 
 and our author's opinion (hall from that moment be 
 mine, that thek covenants were indeed a term of com- 
 munion of the church's own making. 
 
 The fame general principle, on which we have ar- 
 gued, carries the fulleft vindication of the act of the 
 jijfociate Prefhytery , relative to Minijlerial and Chrijli- 
 an communion, about which our author makes io much 
 noife ; even tho* it had been conceived in itrongec 
 terms than it is. The Affcciate Brethren were led out 
 of the national church, with a teftimony in their hands 
 for the invaluable interefts of the reformation, at a 
 time, when Britain and Ireland were over-run with the 
 naoft peftilent errors and corruptions of different 
 kinds. Set againft a torrent of apoftafy which was 
 fwelled to an unufual pitch, and receiving daily ac- 
 ceffions, in the midft of countlefs dangers both from 
 within and without, they entered into a folemn bond, 
 Suited to the circumftances in which holy and wife 
 providence had placed them. This Hep* agreeable 
 to the word of God, and the practice of the beft re- 
 formed churches in perilous times, appeared to them 
 highly- necefifary to make their teftimony as explicit as* 
 poffible, to give it all the force it was capable of, to' 
 itrengthen mutual confidence and cement their union. 
 Satisfied at the fame time, that fuch a determined ftand 
 for the work of God among their hands, was no lefs 5 
 incumbent on private Chriftians in their place, than u- 
 pon the minijlry in thirs, they agreed, that joining 
 In this bond mould be " the term oiChriJlian as 
 well as minijlerial communion in the admiflion of 
 people to dealing ordinances ; fecluding therefrom 
 aWoppofcrs, contemners and fighters of the laid rcno* 
 vation of our covenants." Was this a term of com- 
 munion of their own making ? Or was it any thing 
 different from declaring t applying, and faithfully oh* 
 ferving the terms Christ hath appointed, — even an 
 jhoneit confeilion of his name, agreeably to the cir* 
 syraftances of the church, and the work of God in 
 
 her., 
 
( G 7 ) 
 
 her. WeilHl fuppofe, as in the cafe of the national 
 covenants argued above, that there is nothing renoun* 
 ced in this bond, but what is condemned in the word 
 as error, nor any thing engaged to, but what is un- 
 deniable duty, enjoined in the fame word ; — and that 
 avouching God as cur God, on the footing of the new- 
 covenant, with a folemn avowal of his truths and ways 
 by oath, on proper occafions, is of moral obligation. 
 The firjl of thefe the Relief Synod ', we hope, will not 
 difpute. The fecond I fhonld willingly undertake to 
 prove both from fcripture and reafon, were it not un- 
 answerably proved already in different publications, to 
 which all have accefs f . 
 
 However the Affociate Prefbytery wifely "judged, 
 that much tendernefs and lenity is to be ufed with the 
 weakeft of Chrift's flock, who are lying open to light,. 
 and minting to come forward in the faid caufe," and 
 therefore that they were to be waited for till they wil- 
 lingly offered themfelves J. They were fenfible that 
 public vows are a duty not of a dated nature, and con- 
 tinued practice, in all periods of the church, fuch as 
 prayer, reading, hearing and communicating ; but an 
 occafimal exercife, of the fame general nature as fa(l- 
 ing, according to the openings ot providence, and the 
 calls given to the church by them ; — that weak, or 
 ill-informed Chriftians are in danger of being entang- 
 led by the cunning craftinefsof thofe, who, being e- 
 nemies to the troth, or of a lukewarm temporifing 
 fpirit, fct themfelves in all ways to oppofe fo impor- 
 tant and necefHry a lervice ; that others, not duly 
 apprehending the nature of this duty and the evange- 
 lical manner of performing it, und^r impreflions of 
 the deceit and defperate wicke Jnefs of their own hearts, 
 or difquieting fears about their gracious (tate, might 
 be filled with fcruples relative to their joining in fo 
 folemn a bond ; — I fay, fully fenfible of all this, they 
 were willing to be ° gentle among their people even 
 as a nurfe cheriQieth her children." And to this day, 
 
 f Seethe very valuable performances of the Revd % n' 
 Moncrieff, Mori/on and Graha^n upon this fubjeft. 
 X S^e"iheir /iffs, Oct. 2 1. 1741- Feb. 14.1744- 
 
 1 2 Scceders 
 
( 68 ) 
 feeders never forced their public vows upon any*. 
 Nay, perfons are not admitted to join in the bond, rill 
 they give fatisfying evidence of their underftanding it 
 in all its connexions, and declare themfelves perfectly 
 clear about the divine obligation of fuch a mode of con* 
 feifing Chrift, with its feafonablenefs at this time, af- 
 ter much pains taken with them in public and pri- 
 vate. Numbers who offered themfelves have been 
 kept back for a time, from an appreheniion that they 
 could not fwear in truth , judgment and righteoufaefs ; 
 but I never knew of a tingle perfon being denied 
 church-communion in the Secefftm on account of their 
 fcruples, while they were not letting themfelves againd 
 the received principles of the fociety on this head, 
 Thoufands juft now are admitted to all church pri- 
 vileges, who never joined in the bond. There are ma- 
 ny fuch in every congregation. With what face then 
 can it be faid, that the door of communion is unrea- 
 fonably ftraitned ? 
 
 Shall this very lenity, for want of which Seceders 
 are perpetually reproached, particularly by the Re- 
 lief, be made their crime? Unaccountable indeed, 
 one author thinks fo ! They find covenanting " a 
 moral duty, and yet fuffer their hearers to tie open to 
 light about the obligation of a moral duty ; they are 
 therefore much greater latitudinarians than the Relief 
 minifters themfelves, who will fuffer none of their hea- 
 rers to lie open to light, whether the moral law \s &b* 
 ligatory or not, without excluding them from commu- 
 nion." P. 76. Whether feeders then rigoroufly in* 
 |ilt upon iwearing their bond as a term of communi- 
 on, or cheerfully bear with the weak and un in form* 
 ed, it is all one. They fhall be impanelled either for 
 iropofing on confeience, or making void of the divine 
 law. How like is this to the conduct of the Jews, re- 
 Jative to our Lord and his meflenger the Baptiji ? Si-* 
 milar to children fitting in the market place, nothing 
 vrould pleafe them, becaufe the divine procedure did 
 not fuit their humour. 
 
 It is well, that the " Relief minifters have fuch a 
 regard to the moral law :" but how bafe and unmanly 
 is it to infinuate, that Seceders fuffer their hearers to 
 lie pDea to light, whether that law be obligatory or 
 
 not I 
 
( 69 ) 
 
 not? If men will argue, why are they not candid f 
 What Seceder, Sir, takes this liberty ? Is it not one 
 thing to allow a roan to hefuate about the obligation 
 of the moral law, as an unalterable rule of righteouf- 
 nefs, and quite another thing to bear with a perfon 
 who cannot fatisfy his own mind, whether this or 
 the other particular duty be indeed required in the 
 moral law, and his duty, and at this time ? The Sece~ 
 tiers dare not on any accouut, venture the former; 
 but think themfelves every way juftiiied in the latter. 
 Is it not a moral duty to celebrate the memorial of our 
 Lord's death in the (upper ? but may not a man be ad- 
 mitted to the baptifm of his child, who, from jealouiies 
 ot his ftate before God, from weak fears and violent 
 temptations, has not communicated for fome years, 
 perhaps never in his life ? Do you then give him a 
 liberty to difpute the obligation of the divine law % 
 becaufe you fuffer him to lie open to light about a 
 moral duty*. Is not family fafting a moral duty ? but 
 do you debar from the communion all who neglect it, 
 cannot for fome time understand it, make excufes a- 
 bout it, or from various circumftances of their family, 
 cannot fee the expediency of it ? What, pray, is this, 
 to fay the leaft, but to fuffer men to lie open to light 
 about a moral duty ? Is not attendance on focieties tor 
 prayer and Chriftian conference, as the Lord gives op- 
 portunity, a moral duty ? but are there not fome 
 members of the /tezV/'congregation ofSf. Ninians % who 
 cannot fee it to be lb, or who, from their circum- 
 ftances in providence, or from the various abufes to 
 which this inftitution is liable, cannot fee it to be their 
 duty, after all the care our author has taken to iaflru& 
 and direct them ? What is this bnt to fuffer people to 
 lie open to light about a moral duty ? do you, in thefe 
 cafes therefore, give them a privilege of queftiomng, 
 whether the moral law be obligatory or not? Many 
 fuch inftances might be produced. 
 
 In like manner, Seceders hold, conform to fcrip- 
 ture and the judgment of the beft divines, who have 
 had occafion to touch on that fubjec't, thai pubic 
 vowing to the Lord, on fit occafions, i? a duty of 
 moral obligation, and yet can bear with numbers in 
 ihe pcrfem omiffion of it, who appear confcieotioulT 
 
 \y 
 
( 70 ) 
 
 Ty fcrupuiem?. Perfons who. openly contend againfi: 
 its obligation, and are ar pains to call (tumbling 
 -blocks in the way of their brethren, they will not ad- 
 mit to communion. Such they reckon oppofers and 
 contemners of a divine ordinance, labouring to un- 
 dermine the teftimony of jefus, as held and maintain- 
 ed by them, and therefore, no proper objects o\ for- 
 bearance in a ftate of communim. But thofe who 
 u dull of hearing," are fettered by unallowed preju- 
 dice, cannot properly enter into the difpenfations of 
 our day which call fo loudly for this exercife, have 
 difficulties about our manner of conducting it, or from 
 darknefs about their own fpiritual condition dare not 
 proceed in it, and at the fame time, regular and in- 
 offenfive in their behaviour, Seceders. think entitled to 
 their fympathy and indulgence. Men of the former 
 defcription they have little or no immediate bufmefs 
 with, as they don't apply for communion with them, 
 or quickly turn off to their own ways ; and he muft 
 be either very ignorant or malevolent, who will inlllt, 
 that the admiflion of perfons of the latter defcriptiun 
 implies the Icafr allowance for people to lie open to 
 light about the obligation of the moral law. At the 
 fame time our author muft fee, that fucb reafoning 
 can be turned with the greateft force againft the Re- 
 lief. For the obfervation of the Prefryterian confti- 
 tution and order, by their own confefiipn, is a moral 
 duty, and fuch too, that it muft enter rjfcntiil'y into 
 a due public profcjfion of the church in all periods, 
 ftands intimately connected with the -whole frame of 
 her ordinances, and upon it the prefervation of thefe 
 ordinances, in any due meafure of purity, greatly de- 
 pends ; yet they can allow Prelatijh and Independents 
 not only to lie open to light -about them, but to deny 
 them obftinately, oppofe them vigoroufly, an, I treat 
 them with all poffible fcorn, nay afSduoufly labour to 
 fubvert them, in all the intimacies of church commu- 
 nion. Shall I therefore plead, " that they allow pjo~ 
 pie to lie open to light, whether the moral law be ob- 
 ligatory or not P No ; I think the praclice both Jlnful 
 and dangerous, but the inference ufuft. 
 
 Our author feems alio much inclined to fay fome- 
 nting agaioH one party of Senders making the con- 
 demnation 
 
( 7* ) 
 
 <?cmnation of the Burgefs -oath a term of communion^ 
 But what that fomething ihould be, it is probable he is 
 not refolved. His diicourfe is lb ambiguous and wa- 
 vering, that it is hard to tell what to make of it. His 
 judgment of that matter feems but half formed. We 
 fhall therefore give him leifure to digeft it better, and 
 put his opinion into more determinate language. 
 
 Mean time we may proceed to his Appendix. 
 The deli'gu of this laft part of the performance is twp~ 
 fold ;-to ehaftife me with un bounded fcurrility, and to 
 quihble about fome facb advanced in the Relief Jcbeme 
 confidered. The execution of the jirft anfvvers io well 
 for itl'elf, in the ab (tract laid before the reader, that 
 it would be an infult on his patience and good fenfe^ 
 to take any farther notice of it. If my Relief oppon- 
 ents can glory in their fhame, I have other bufioefs 
 on hand than to difturb them. But it may be reafona- 
 bly expected, iince I have been led to review this 
 piece, that the Jecond ihould not pafs without obferva- 
 tion. 
 
 Our author here joins in the prodigious outcry by 
 the Relief again ft attacking the chambers of their lea- 
 ders. It is certainly much eafier to perceive the de- 
 iign, than the ground of this uproar. Where narra- 
 tive has been employed, it is fimple and fhort ; with- 
 out the fmalleft degree of colouring, which it would 
 eafily have admitted, and which lb me would have 
 thought neceflliry ; while many circumftances, as 
 thole concerned muft know, are induftrioufly concea- 
 led. The character of no man has been touched, 
 further than th-e manner in which fome have con- 
 nected themfelves with the Relief, or the courfe of 
 the public admini/lration of the lbciety, or the miftakes 
 in their printed performances, and the temper, which 
 runs through them, — all exhibiting the fpirit of the 
 fcheme, can be fuppofed to a tic it their reputation. 
 And if in thefc points men are not willing to meet with 
 cenfure,\tt them take care nut to defer ve it ; but if they 
 are not aihamed to do things worthy of blame, they 
 muft not take it amils to be told of them. 
 
 Is it not a very lingular touch to charge me with 
 " tearing up the allies of the dad with much cruelty 
 
 and 
 
( 7> ) 
 
 and impiety?' becaufe it is obferved the late Mr. Lof- 
 ton left his charge at Oxnam at his own hand, and 
 formed a Relief congregation at Jedburgh without any 
 regular call; and becaufe I prefumed to make Toms 
 ftrictures on Mr. Neil's difcourfes on Chri/tian commu- 
 nion ? This muft be a fpecies of impiety and cruelty of 
 a very extraordinary kind, and, for any thing 1 know, 
 is efteemed fuch by the Relief only. 
 
 It is no lefs entertaining to obferve, how he (trains 
 every nerve to mufter up half a fcore of lies, and bra- 
 vades with as much affurance, as if I were already a 
 convicl, and had nothing between me and execution, 
 but to take farewell of my friends. 
 
 It was faid that Mr. Ram fay ie was employed in the 
 Shotts* as a probationer, with a view to reconcile an 
 abuled parifh to their Intruder and his kirk * ' This 
 it feems is a grofs falfehood ; for " Mr. Ramfiy was 
 employed only to preach the gofpel to the people at 
 their own defire, not to reconcile them to the intru- 
 der" Ap. P: 4. What were Mr. Ramfay* s intention3 
 he beft knows ; nor do I meddle with the defigns of 
 the people. Pofiihly the views of both were upright. 
 But upon what principle, and to what end were iome 
 of the moil popular members of Hamilton Prefbytery 
 lent to preach at Shotts, before the erection of the 
 Burgher congregation in that place, and lometimc af- 
 ter it ? Was it not intended tt> keep the people in the 
 communion of the national church, reconcile then% 
 to Mr. Wells, and cruuYthe Secejfion in the bud ? Was 
 not Mr. Ramfay employed on the fame ptan ? Was it 
 not upon this ground alone, iha* the intruder con- 
 fented to countenance, and invited his miniflrations ; 
 expecting, if not exprefly ftipulating, that the people 
 ihould attend him as they did the afiiftant ? Did not 
 the Prejhytery abide in thefe views, and fupport Mr, 
 Ramfay in ferving them ? Was Air. Ramfay a (Iranger 
 to all this, or was he not the willing tool of the Pref- 
 hytery and the Intruder r Will it be denied, that when 
 the people faw the fnare, and avoided.it, attending 
 on Mr. Ram/ay's day of officiating, and abfenting on 
 
 * Relief Jcheme. &c. P. 6. 
 
 Mr, 
 
C 73 ) 
 
 Mr.Weilsy andthusthe fcheme proved abortive, that 
 Mr. llimfay was di (miffed ? How can this affertion 
 then be a grofs fafehood ? 
 
 It had been ajledged concerning Mr. Ker at Bells* 
 fcl! y that "the Prefbytery of Edinburgh admitted, li- 
 cenfed and ordained him *." To which he replies, 
 " That the Prefbytery of Edinburgh admitted and li- 
 cenfed him, is true ; but that they ordained him is a 
 notorious falfehood." In this I (hall give our author 
 Credit for once. He had accefs to know ; and as 
 this correction is of fingular importance, and a lead- 
 ing hinge of the controversy, as all may fee, I hum- 
 bly beg Mr. Ker'sy Mr. Hutchifon'sy and the Revd. 
 Prtfbytery's pardon. My allegation was a flagrant in- 
 jury to each of thefe parties'; if the miftake be not 
 more pardonable, from the confideration, that, at 
 this time, there were a fort of two Prefbyteries of 
 Glafgow in the Relief ; and I am fure one of thefe had 
 no hand in this fettlement. Did Mejfrs. Cillefpie % 
 Crude n and Cowan concur in it ? 
 
 I obferved that u every afliftant at a facrament muft 
 have feme pecuniary compenfation according to the 
 length and other circumftances of the jonrney. Does 
 he come ten, twenty or thirty miles? Then he will 
 efcpe'&i - n d actually receives two, three ov five pounds. 
 The iums mentioned are moderate, and it-feems com- 
 mon. Double the greateft of them has been given J." 
 This our author cannot get denied, and yet he would 
 be thought to do fo ; for he "declares P 5. that he 
 was never at a facrament where u fucb funis" were 
 going. But I afk him, whether he never heard of 
 fitch fums going at different facraments ? Never at E* 
 dinburgh, never at CumpbeltotiyStc.? Farther I afk him, 
 Whether he has been at facraments where fame " fuais 
 have been received .'" He has " feveral limes rode far 
 without receiving a (ingle farthing." But has he al- 
 ways done fo ? ** Iris the ordinary way of Relief mi- 
 nilrers to aflift one another without any ihing.'' But 
 is there not often another way ? Dare he anfwer this 
 queftion in the negative ? If not, how has he the con- 
 fidence to call my affertion as it ftands above, M a 
 
 * Relief fcheme, &c, P. 7. % Relief fckemsy Sec. P. 9. 
 K glaring 
 
•Hi 
 
 ( 74 > 
 
 glaring lie ?" " But even fuppofing, that Relief con- 
 gregations fliould think it proper to make a compli- 
 ment to minifters, who afiift at their communion, 
 are they not free to do with their own what they 
 pleafe ? !> By all means. Who doubts their right to 
 difpofe of what is indeed their own, as they fee 
 meet ? Only eftablifliing a practice of this kin J,, and 
 pleading for it with lo much acrimony, fhews iome- 
 what or the fpirit of the fcheme. 
 
 He talks in the fame ambiguous and evafive man- 
 Der about their rule of election. It was reprefentcd,. 
 44 that in the election of theory? minuter, at leali, in 
 every particular congregation with them, none are per- 
 mitted to vote, but thofe who contributed to ths 
 building of the place of worfhip, or have purchafed 
 feats in it f." h this fact ? No \ It was not lb in the 
 congregation of St Ninians. P. 6. Will our author be 
 offended, if I beg leave to que Prion his afTertion ? Is 
 he fure ? Did he make all proper inquiry ? I was at 
 fome pains to fearch out the fact ; and 0.1 all the Relief 
 fettlements I have known or particularly heard about, 
 there is notc«<? exception to this iu!e. Was not this 
 the rule in Edinburgh ; in Glafgow>ho\\\ when MrCruden 
 and Mr Bill were called ? Was it not fo at Andcrftovmr 
 at Hamilton, at Irvine, &c. &c. &ci I muft therefore 
 have other evidence than Mr. Hutchifm has adduced, 
 to believe the fettlement at St. Ninians was a lingular 
 one. W r hy, but our author u prefided in the electi- 
 on of two candidates, in two congregations, where it 
 was not fo much as a que ft ion, whether contributors 
 only were to vote ; but«j//ia church communion, and or 
 a good character were allowed a vote in the election." 
 Perhaps no iuch queftion was debated in his prefence. 
 But was there no luch queftion made at all i Wil! he 
 aver this i Is he politive about it ? and what were thefe 
 iame congregations ? I am npt to think, if there wore 
 not fome quibble here, he would have named them, 
 " All in church-communion were allowed to vote." 
 Aye ; but were any beii.le contributors reckoned in 
 church-communion ? This queftion is the rather necef 
 farv^ becaule our author will, in his zeal to icreen 
 
 | Relief fcheme, &c, P. io* 
 
 things, 
 
( 75 ) 
 
 tilings, turn to every fide j andbecaufe it has been of- 
 ten warmly contended in my hearing, that it canuot 
 be known at zfirjl election, who are in church-coizmuni* 
 en with the Relief ybut by their contributions; which is Taid. 
 to make their rule of election indifpenfible. He "knows 
 the fame to have been the cafe in many other elections.* 
 Where were they Sir, and how many ? If you will 
 pleafe to inform us, we may come at the truth. When 
 all is done, is not what is here charged the common 
 and ordinary method ? Then the argument on this 
 head, (lands in its full force. It would do fo, tho* 
 not one election in ten were managed upon this prin- 
 ciple. If there be a jingle exception to the prevailing 
 mode, I muft be or opinion, it is no more than a 
 popular ftroke to fzjve a turn, — not to alarm a peo- 
 ple, who cannot underfrand the fcripture-ground of 
 the reigning practice : Or, to make the very beft of 
 it; Relief elections are neither conducted upon the fame 
 principle, nor in the fame way; which at leaft proclaims 
 a. glaring and important contradiction, — mewing al- 
 io, that a divine nftkution, allowed by themfelves 
 to be lb, in moil inltances, is trifled w'nh and counter* 
 afled. 
 
 The other p.irt of their plan of election is denied 
 with a great deal of paflionate language : P. 6. that " all, 
 who are qualified after this manner, may claim an LPg 
 tereii in the election, whether they be Reliefs 
 properly fo calleJ, ov not ; whether they be crc 
 iaints, — men of blanielefs circumfpect lives or n-ot ; — 
 whatever their profeflion or even their practice be *." 
 But not (o warm, Sir. Was it ever known in the 
 Relief, that any man, who contributed money and in- 
 filled upon voting, was denied this privilege ? ^ x trow 
 not. Has not his money always hitherto 
 pofed to give him a right ? It has beyond contrr 
 on. Have all been ftrictly of the Relief profeflion an4 
 principles, and men of blamelefs lives, who gave mo- 
 ney to build a houfe ? Who will venture to lay it I 
 Is not our author fure of the contrary ? Speak p?a!:j» 
 ly, Sir, and the fact will be cftablilheh Ha-ve uot 
 people of the eflabltfbment, perfons ol declared 
 
 * Relief fchme % C.c. P. 10. IX, 
 
 K 2 pendent 
 
( 7« ) 
 
 pendant principles, and a fort of mongrel- Seceders con- 
 tributed money, and been allowed to vote in Relief e- 
 leclions ? Are not thefe people of very different pro- 
 feffions ? Are [wearers, fabbath breakers \ tiplcrs &c. 
 men of good character ? And have all fuch, upon alt 
 occafions, been debarred from voting, after having 
 caft their mite into the treafury ? 
 
 Speaking of the advantages attending the mode of 
 election in the Relief , my words are, that " perfons, 
 who refolve never to enter into any further religious. 
 connexion with the Relief congregation, having ob- 
 tained a popular preacher, make their property turn 
 out to an excellent pecuniary account. Their money 
 will yield double intereft while it lies in that houfe ; 
 and a bill of fale will produce a good reversion *.* 
 Our author does not believe this, and takes leave to 
 place it alfo in the fyftem of lies ^ P. 7. "We mall there- 
 fore try to render it a little more credible. Did he ne- 
 ver know any, who, tho' they purchafed feats in a 
 Belief meeting-houfe, frill retained their property; 
 perhaps ordinarily ufed it by acendance on ordi- 
 nances for many years, yet never applied for admifir- 
 on to the fealsofthe covenant, but fiatedly joined in 
 another communion; often declaring, th<y never 
 meant any clofer connexion with the Relief congre- 
 gation ; — perfons, who let fome part of their property 
 to others with pecuniary advantage, or, who, when 
 felling- their feats, found their own account in it * 
 I can fcarce fuppofe him ignorant of this. But if he 
 be ; I beg leave to tell him it confifts with my cer- 
 tain knowledge. Let him inquire how this nutter 
 ftood in Glafgow, during Mr. Cruderfs incumbency, 
 or fince the new Relief cix£i\on there. Then let him 
 ftep out to Anderftown. Impartial and earneft in his 
 inquiries, he will gather particulars in both thefe pla- 
 ces. And there is no reafon to imagine things Angu- 
 larly new obtain in thofe congregations. 
 
 I allowed that "fome Relief people feek a purer 
 difpenfation of the gofpel than general iy can be enjoy- 
 ed in the eftablifhed church 5" but added, that, •' by 
 far the greateft part are utterly incapable cf rendering 
 
 9 Relief fchemc Sec. P. 1*. 
 
 any 
 
( 77 ) 
 
 any tolerable reafon of their conduct. One is actual 
 ed by humour ; another by vanity ; a third by novel* 
 ty ; a fourth ftudies nothing more than his own con- 
 venience, and that of his family f." Upon which, 
 after calling me a downright liar, our author thinks 
 proper to ma-ke fome very curious, declamatory, Tooth- 
 ing flourifb.es. Ap. P. 7, 8. To all which I fhali on- 
 ly infift that trial be made. Some have found the 
 matter as here reprefented. One becomes a Relief* 
 man, becaufe he is piqued at the perfon of his parifh 
 minifter, or the conduct of fome ot his brethren in a- 
 nother communion : When that humour has fubfid- 
 ed, perhaps he is gone. Another, becaufe he would 
 be diftinguifhed and talked of ; and when he finds 
 himfelf unnoticed, or his confequence declining, he 
 is gone. A third, becaufe the fcheme is new, and 
 the minifter new ; when both become a little more 
 familiar, he is gone. A fourth, becaufe he is nearer 
 a Relief church than any other ; and when his circum- 
 ftances are altered, he alfo is gone. Pray do not hu- 
 mour, vanity % novelty or convenience influence fuch 
 perfons ? And are not inftances undeniably com- 
 mon ? 
 
 It was infifted, that " the people in the efrablifh- 
 ment are cheerfully admitted to the Lord's table with 
 them, (the Relief J as often as they pleafe, upon am 
 atteftation of their moral character by the pariih mi- 
 nifter, found in the faith or unfound, an intruder or 
 not J." The Jiigma of a deteftab'.e lie is put on this 
 obfervation. Ap. P. 8. '• It is not the way of the 
 Relief minifters to receive certificates from minifters 
 unfound in the faith." It is not their way. What 
 do you mean by that ambiguous expreflion ? Can you 
 deny that it has been done, often done ? Certainly 
 you will not have the aflurance to refufe a thing (0 
 unqueftionable ; if B ixterians, Arminians y Pelagims, 
 or Socinians be unfound in the faith No, you do 
 not deny it, but only wouid have us to fuppofe you 
 do. " It is not the way." — Was ever fuch a certificate 
 in any inftance rejected > When Sir ? Where ? If it 
 never was, becaufe of the unpundnefs of the attefter, 
 
 t JUHefftfmt* ** P.17. t Rt!:effchemt> fcc. P. - 
 
 thi; 
 
( 73 
 
 this we may prefume is very like a -way. tf I do not 
 
 believe, that one of them ever received certificates from 
 Intruders in order to admit their hearers to commu- 
 nion" Muft the charge be nectfTariJy a defrftable lie. 
 becaufe you do not believe it ; when no proper realon 
 of your incredulity is given ? That is a very eafy way 
 of argumentation. It will make any thing a lie, which 
 you pleafe to pronounce fuch. " It would be a great 
 wonder to fee thofe under the minifiry of Intruders 
 apply to the Relief minifters for fealing ordinances." 
 Was there never fuch a preternatural event, oris it 
 not a wonder pretty common ? Whether fuch applica- 
 tions have been received, afk at Colling four gb, at Auch* 
 termuchty, at Cowpar of Fife, at Largo, &c. &c &c. 
 What Relief clergyman is fo fqueamifh as to fcruple 
 fuch applications, if there be no other circumftance 
 of difgulf, than that the incumbent is an Intruder ? 
 
 Speaking of the folemn league I give it as my opi- 
 nion, that tC it was not the intention of our worthy 
 anceftars to call in the aid of fire andfwerd, racks 
 and gibbets, — tbefe antichriftian engines, to convert 
 men to the truth *." Here too it feems I make, in 
 my ufual manner, a a pleafing excurfion beyond the 
 limits of truth," and with very much meekn: fs am 
 pronounced a Reverend liar accordingly. Ap. P. o, 10 
 Pray, may not our author and I differ in our opinion 
 about the intention of our anceftors, and yet neither 
 be a liar ? O but the notional covenant) agreeable to 
 the petition of the General Ajfembly, 1 639. was enjoin- 
 ed by Parliament under all civil tains, 1640. 
 The reader will no doubt obferve it is the Solemn 
 League I am fpeaking of; whereas Mr. H. makes his 
 inflections on the National Covenant. However it does 
 not much alter the cafe. I fhall give my realbns for 
 being of opinion, it was not the intention of our wor- 
 thy anceftors to call in the aid of the antichriftian en- 
 gines above-mentioned to convert men to the ttuth, 
 notwithstanding what our author fuggefts ; fubmit- 
 ting them to the impartial and candid. 
 
 In this oath our fathers " deleft and refufe the u* 
 furped authority of the Roman antichrijl upon the 
 
 * Relief fchsme, &c. P. 61. 
 
 fc rip- 
 
C 79 ) 
 
 fcriptures of Cod, the civil magiflrafe, and the con- 
 sciences of men :** § I, And we ought certainly to pre- 
 Jume as much upon the good fenfe and religion of 
 our reforming ancestors, eipectally confidering their 
 character in hiitory, as to conclude they did not meaa 
 to claim and exercife an authority over others, which 
 they were convinced was vjurped, and as fuch detcflcd 
 and refufcd ; unlefs we had the rood unquejlionable 
 jails to demonftrare the contrary. 
 
 Derides, every Jurant u protefts, that after long 
 *■ and due examination of his confcience in matters 
 l< of true and fall'e religion, he was now thoroughly 
 4i refohed in ths truth by the word andfpirit of God ; 
 *■* and therefore that he believed with the hearty con- 
 •' felled with the mouth, and fubferibed with his hand" 
 that oath. — He •• protefts, and calls the Searcher 
 " of all hearts to witnefs, that his mind and heart did 
 tl jully agree with this his confeffion, promile, oath and 
 * c fublciiption, (b that he was not moved with any 
 *' worldly re/pe3" J 2. Now, what man of any con- 
 fcience could declare this, \fjire and/word, racks and 
 gibbets w^re his conftraining motives ? Or who has 
 the heart to think, or the audacity to maintain, that 
 our worthy anceftors would allow perfons to fwearfuch 
 an oath, when they had every fatistying evidence, that 
 fear of punifhment alone prevailed with them to take 
 it ;— and accordingly th.it they meant to employ the 
 fhftrtinttnts of persecuting violence to convert men to 
 the truth ? Before he can imagine this, he muff be- 
 lieve thole great and good men, were a race of the 
 moil abandoned mifcreants that ever faw the fun. 
 
 Tho* cur author is very certain thatjffr* and fvord, 
 racks and gibbets are included in all civil pains, 
 yet the judgment of thofe, who are acquainted with 
 the Scots Lw is a gain it him. It is their opinion, time 
 unlefs the law expieily declares death to be the punifh- 
 ment, or mentions the pai.is zf treaf:n % any other, e- 
 ?en the highe/i annexed to any P>irta?nentary ft*. 
 tute y cannot be contracted in law to amount \o death ; 
 and that when the punilhsnenr is alt civil pains, the 
 judge is at liberty to proportion the puniihmer.t to the 
 nature of the crime, and qutlity of the offender f. 
 
 tSee/f/#Vj Defence, l\i^. 
 
 • I: 
 
( 8o ) 
 
 tt is one thing to defend the church and Aatej— *td 
 fecure a people in the enjoyment of their civil and reli- 
 gious liberties, againft the machinations and encroach- 
 ments of enemies by alt civil pains; and another thing 
 to attempt converting men to the truth by them. The 
 jirfi was the intention of our fathers, as is plain from 
 the hiftory of that time,— their many public declarati- 
 ons, representations, prote/iations, &c. It is evident 
 from the whole fpirit, nay, and feveral paragraphs in 
 
 the National covenant itfelf. It was to " fecure and 
 
 •* defend the liberties of their country, the mini- 
 u niftration of juftice, and punifhment of iniquity a- 
 " gainft all enemies within this realm, or without it, 
 § 3 ; — having in their eye, perfons who were " mind- 
 V ing firft, under a cloke of religion, to corrupt and 
 '* fubvert fecretly God's true religion within this kirk ; 
 •■ and afterward, when time might ferve, to become 
 ''open enemies and perfectttors of the fame, under vain 
 " hope of the Pope's difpenfation." § 2. This was 
 their declared intention. And was itnotjuft? Was 
 it not laudable ? The other is no where iniinuated, nor 
 does it appear they ever dreamt of it. 
 
 If they meant to make any examples of this mode 
 of converfion, Parliament men were fit objects of the 
 national refentment, as many things concurred to give 
 them greater influence than others upon the whole 
 ftate of their affairs. Yet in the fame a& referred to 
 by our author, while it is provided, that the Covenant 
 " be prefented at the entry of every Parliament, and 
 41 before they proceed to any other act, that the fame 
 •* be publicly read and fworn by the whole members 
 •' of Parliament, claiming voice therein ;"it only" or- 
 dains, that the refufersto fubfcribe and fwear the fame 
 fhall have no place or vote in Parliament .*' Pray, 
 is not mere exclujion from places of power and trujl t be- 
 caufe I will not give fociety a neceffary pledge of my 
 fidelity, fomething very different from endeavouring 
 to convert me, or others, thro* my capital pun ijhment, 
 by the inftruments of bloody cruelty above-mention- 
 ed. 
 
 It is no more than reafonable, certainly, to judge 
 of their intentions by their aclions. If they really in- 
 tended 
 
C 81 ) 
 
 tended to call in the aid of thefe antichriflian engine*,' 
 why were they not actually employed ; efpecially when 
 our fathers thought the caufe of the lalt importance, 
 and had it fo much at heart ? That numbers refufed 
 the covenant, we are fure i that the whole power oi 
 the nation was in the hands of the Covenanters at this 
 time, is no lefs undeniable ; it muft have been eafy 
 therefore, to have carried fuch an intention into execu- 
 tion : Yet I put all the Relief intereft to defiance to 
 fhew, that perfons of any rank, order or denomination in 
 Scotland, fuffered by fire or /word, racks or gibbets for 
 a fimple refufing the covenant. Nay, it does not ap* 
 pear that the leait violence was offered by government 
 to any on a religious account. This I think of itfelf a- 
 mounts to a demonftration, all circumftaaces confider- 
 ed, that our reformers had no fuch bloody defigns as 
 this writer charges them with. So much to fhew that 
 my opinion is at lead plaufible. 
 
 The tenth and laft fallehood charged on me is that 
 *' tho* Mr. Bell before his late facramental folemnity 
 invited the afliftance of his quondam brethren, they 
 to a man denied him ♦.' , He is. u perfuaded Mr. Bell 
 will endeavour to expofe me as a lying prophet for this 
 afTertion,'' App. P. n. But wherein is this contra- 
 ry to truth ? The reader muft be amazed to obferve 
 what a bafe, dijingenuous quibble is employed to find it 
 fo. Do I affirm that Mr. Bell invited all his quondam, 
 brethren ? No. Nor is it probable on many accounts 
 that he did. I never imagined it. That he invited 
 ftveral of them our author allows ; and that all whom 
 he did invite to a man denied him,even our writer has 
 not the boldnefs to refufe. Where then is the falfe- 
 hood of what is afierted ? Whether Mr. Stuart was 
 invited or not, I (hall give myfelf no trouble to examine, 
 nor is it any thing to the purpofe. 
 
 HAVING now offered every thing which I 
 thought neceflary on the fever*! parts of this excellent 
 performance, I cheerfnlly leave the ifiue of the caufe 
 with thofe who can thiuk without prejudice, and de- 
 cide with impartiality. Truth will prevail on what- 
 
 % K:lUf fchsm^ 9T6 P. 9. 
 
 L ever 
 
( ** ) 
 
 fever fide it is found ; and he is a contemptible writer 
 indeed, who ftrives only for the applaule of vi&ory. 
 The human heart is a great depth ; but fo far as I 
 have been able to trace its operations in this contro- 
 verfy, it is the caufe of truth, and not of party y which 
 I wifh to plead. The attacks made upon its intereits 
 by the Relief raft put the pen into my hand, and have 
 now impelled me to refume it. Let truth be lecured, 
 and my performances ihall attend our author as tro'<* 
 jjbies of his heroic deeds. 
 
 He intimates in the conclusion of his piece, that 
 '/• if he has conducted his vindication of the Relief 
 principles at the expence of thole of Seceders,, they 
 have their own friends to blame, who by their folly and 
 indferction provoked the combat ; and without being 
 endued with the gift of prophecy, he forefees that the 
 Secffion caufe will acquire neither credit nor profit by 
 this controversy ." 
 
 It is certainly true, that the fcope of his perfor- 
 mance, is, rather to raife a duif upon Seceders } than 
 defend his own connexions, 'to attempt the one is 
 eafier than to accomplish the other. His plan of ope- 
 ration therefore, muft be commended for the pru- 
 dence with which it has been laid and executed. Whe- 
 ther he has vindicated the Relief principles, my (Hence 
 will not hinder others to determine. The Secrffiui 
 caufe has furvived much more formidable attacks than 
 the combined force of the Relief is, or ever will be ca- 
 pable of. Its credit, 1 doubt not, will fleurifh, and 
 its profit be enhanced, when /Jr. Huichi/on and I 
 fleep in the duif. That it will acquire either by my 
 method of agenting it. I dare not boaft, feft my fpeecti 
 prove me perverfe. That it will not fi'jjer, we may 
 be pernrited to hope. It is worthy of a much better 
 advocate ; and fuch it muft have found, if any of* 
 my lathers or brethren could have commanded as 
 much Feiftire as to lay open the perni:ioits fcherne of 
 Reluf\ and appear for the enpofue intereft ; but till 
 their attention be turne'd this way, the weakeff, well- 
 meant endeavour will not fail of their indulgence, 
 13e my folly and indifcretion "what they may, the blame 
 is wholly mine own, fine? noac of them ever faw the 
 
 - for- 
 
 
( 8 3 ) 
 former or prefent produaion, till they appeared froav 
 
 ""it waf Wnted before, aod there is too much .ground 
 to repeat the obfervat.on.that many are fteeled againft 
 ever? mp effion in favour of the truth upon this fab- 
 ?eft7 Moftmen are too high, to bring either th r 
 'principles or prance to the bar of the -ord. Jh e r 
 main concern is to twi/i it into a coincidence with their 
 own pre-conceived opinions; and in this cafe we muft 
 not expea, they will bear with pat.ence any thing that 
 b" aSrie/dly affect toward then , Wh, ■£« >u d 
 not .uch take their own way? The Judgl ttaodetn 
 at the door.— It is encouraging on the other and, 
 hat here is no fnare laid with fo much (ubrdty, but 
 our exalted Lord can break it; nor any_ mean to 
 contemptible, but he can make ,t *W*§™5g 
 his own at liberty. If what has now an [-foxmcAj 
 been advanced, ftiall be bleffed to any for that end, it 
 Sw be a furtherance of my joy. In the mean time 
 ,he Public willexcuie me for not following : ? r «► 
 cbifon's example, in cautioning them againft . w^ 
 tin*, as he does againft mine. By all means let them 
 ££ a candid, deliberate perufal. Tr^l^io ap„ 
 pear; but to hear one fide of any caufe anu Hut our 
 cars againft the other, is manifefttojuftice bo.a to 
 truth and ourftlvtt^ 
 
 THE END. 
 
c3* Speedily will be publlflied, the Second 
 Edition of The Relief Scheme confidered ; 
 wherein the origin of the Relief Church is 
 traced, her conjiitution and order delineated, 
 and the plan of communion adopted in her exa- 
 mined, 
 
 By JAMES RAMSAY, Minlfterofthe 
 Go/pel in Glasgow. 
 
r 
 
 
 up 
 
*iw 
 
 f 
 
 ■ 
 
 ■