principles of civil government by which our li berties are fecured:

A fubject which feems to be rendered neceffary, not only by the reflections which enemies of different kinds have frequently thrown out against the principles of Presbyterians; but alfo from the little attention that is paid by many profeffed friends, to fupport the purity and vigour of that conftitution, and to enable its minifters to pursue the objects thereof with reputation and fuccefs.

Let it not, however, be imagined, that I am to enter into any of those controverfies which, either formerly, or of late, have unhappily divided Proteftants, on the fubject of church-government, and which have fo often been the occafion of much angry and unchristian debate, while each party, by fcrewing their own pretenfions too high, in effect anathematized all of a different opinion.

Nor will I, in order to defend our own particular form, pretend to affirm, that our church has attained an abfolutely perfect conftitution; or that, in practice, we always act up to the perfection she hath attained on the contrary, impartiality will oblige me to confefs, that, in both refpects, we may need amendment; and that our reformation, in fome inftances, has not been carried to that height which our first reformers feem evidently to have defigned; but which, from the fituation of civil affairs, the oppofition of avowed enemies, and the felfifh difpofition of pretended friends

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friends, they were not able to effectuate in their own time, nor have their fucceffors been able fince.

As to thofe things in which the fault is owing to minifters not acting up to the true fpirit and plan upon which our church is .formed, I fhall not defcend to particulars; fince, by pointing out what, according to our conftitution, ought to be our temper and conduct, every man will be able to judge wherein he fails, and thereby become his own reprover and fo that difagreeable office will not be affumed by one who muft, ere this dif courfe is finished, owe fo much to the humanity and candour of his brethren, on account of thofe mistakes into which he probably may fall, from the difficulty and extent of his fubject.

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When I fpeak of our church, you will eafily perceive, that I mean that ecclefiaftic contitution, which in Scotland received the fanc tion of civil authority at the Revolution; and which, through a long course of years, and much oppofition, had been rifing to that ftate which fhe then attained.

As we judge of the excellency of any particular form of civil government, from its tendency to promote and fecure the temporal happiness of the people who live under it;

So we must judge of the excellency of any ecclefiaftic conftitution, from its tendency to promote the fpiritual and eternal welfare of thofe who fhall embrace it. Whatever churchconstitution

conftitution has this tendency, may claim a divine warrant and authority: And whatever has not, will in vain pretend to the fanction of a jus divinum, although, by the tor ture of criticism, fome particular texts of fcripture should feem to give countenance to it.

Every true church must indeed. be built

on the foundation of the apostles and pro"phets, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief "corner-ftone;" i. e. it must hold and adhere to thofe great and important doctrines which diftinguish Chriflianity from all the other religions which ever were in the world, and obferve thofe methods of worthip prefcribed in fcripture; for "there is not an"other name under heaven given among men, by which we can be faved, but the name of Christ.”

And as true religion can never be deftructive of the happiness of mankind, fo a church founded on Chriftian principles must always be friendly to civil liberty, which stands connected with it by the ftricteft ties.

To determine whether this be the character of the church of Scotland, it will be neceffary to confider, Her rise,—Her establishment,—and the influence of her form on the manners of the people.

It was the happinefs of Scotland, very early, perhaps as early as the apoftolic age, to receive the light of the glorious gofpel: and although, as was the cafe with the reft of the Chriftian

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Chriftian world, this light came to be greatly obfcured, by the ambitious incroachments of the church of Rome; yet it is evident, that in Scotland it was never entirely extinguished. For, in fome of the remoter parts of our country,-in fome of thofe very iflands which we are now apt to confider as the feats of ignorance and barbarity, lived a people, remarkable for fimplicity of manners, purity of behaviour, and unaffected piety towards God, These never submitted to the ufurpations of the Papal tyranny; and thefe were the little leaven which afterwards leavened the whole lump. Of their number, a Columbus and a Kentigern were famous in the fifth century, and a Clemens and Sampfon in the fe

venth.

And even in the tenth age, when the darknefs of corruption and error had greatly increafed, we are told, there were fome godly men in Scotland, who taught the true doctrine of Chrift's atonement, and continued to exercife their functions apart by themfelves, without acknowledging the authority of thofe who affumed a fpiritual power over God's heritage. But it was not till about 400 years after this, that any thing of a general reformation began to appear. Then indeed waters broke forth in our wilderness, and freams in our defert. Nor was all the cruelty of bigotted. zeal able to deftroy this heavenly plant; but, watered by the blood of a Resby, a Hamilton, and a Wifbart, it grew ftronger and ftronger, till thousands

thousands flocked to its refreshing fhade, and took shelter under its branches.

To fupport and animate these, and to carry on the glorious work fo happily begun, Providence raifed up a man of apoftolic piety and refolution, whofe zeal awakened the attention, and whofe prudence conducted the zeal of his countrymen, in fhaking off the Romish yoke.. Every one will immediately perceive, that I fpeak of the famous John Knox, that great inftrument of our reformation, whofe name will be precious to lateft ages.

The civil diffenfions which them prevailed in the country, did not a little befriend the Reformation. And the bold attempt of the Popish clergy to get the whole power into their own hands, on the death of James V. opened the eyes of many who till then had remained infenfible; while the hope of enriching themselves with the revenues of the church, made others ready to join in abolifhing Popery. And thus, from different principles, a barrier was formed in defence of the Reformation, which all the fraud and cruelty of the Queen-Regent, or the addrefs and deftructive charms of her unfortunate daughter, were never able to overturn. Nay,' those very measures which they took for crushing the Protestant intereft, by the tender mercies of our God proved the means of establishing it, and haftened the overthrow of the Papal power in this country. So that, in the 1560, the effential doctrines of genuine

Christianity