Rutherford at this time, from his place of confinement at Aberdeen, ‘our service-book is ordained by open proclamation and sound of trumpet to be read in all the kirks of this kingdom. Our prelates are to meet this moneth for it and our canons, and for a reconciliation betwixt us and the Lutherians. The Professors of Aberdeene Universitie are charged to draw up the articles of a uniform confession: but reconciliation with Popery is intendid. This is the day of Jacob's visitation; the wayes of Zion mourn; our gold is become dim; the sun is gone down upon our prophets; a dry wind, but neither to fan nor to cleanse, is coming upon this land; and all our ill is coming from the multiplied transgressions of this land, and from the friends and lovers of Babel among us. . . . If I saw a call for New England I would follow it.' "The tumult at Edinburgh, on the 23d of July, 1637, on occasion of the first using the service-book, was the spark which kindled a flame that spread over the whole land. According to the deliberate judgment of the privy council, after minute investigation they could only report to his Majesty that this 'barbarous tumult,' proceeded from 'a number of base and rascall people.' It was an act altogether unpremeditated; but the spirit of resistance having thus openly manifested itself, supplications from every part of the kingdom were presented to the council, urging that the service enjoined was contrary to the religion then professed, and that it was introduced in a most unwarrantable manner, without the knowledge or approbation of a General Assembly, and in opposition to Acts of Parliament. The clergy, nobility, and all ranks of people, flocked to Edinburgh, with such petitions against the use of the liturgy: being encouraged by their increasing numbers, and irritated by delays and by the evasion of their first humble requests, they became sufficiently formidable; and enlarging their demands, they at length succeeded not only in having the service-book withdrawn, but in restoring Presbytery in its purest form, and in relieving the church from the thraldom of her prelatic oppressors."-Vol. iii. pp. xxxiii.—xxxv.

From this point our circumstantial Principal may be allowed to tell his own story and that of his times.

The following letter, addressed to a young friend visiting England, contains a series of instructions and inquiries that are very amusing; and so like were those days to our own, that mutatis mutandis they might be now used to ferret out, not the Canterburian, but which is the same thing, the Newmanian apostates, and to test the dispositions of those who, strange to say, are silent in "this day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy."

"If in your way ye have occasion to divert for three or four dayes to Cambridge, or if at your leisure ye go to it from London, see Dr. Ward: try of him the secret, how Arminianisme hes spread so much there; how Shelfurd's absurdities pleases him; how they were gott printed there, with such approbation of so manie fellowes, and Dr. Beel vice-chancellor for the time; if the book was called in, and any censure inflicted on the approvers. His colleague in the profession, Dr. Colings, is very courteous; sift him what he avowes of Arminianisme and Canterburian poperie; they say he is farr on and opposit to Ward. Conferre with that Dr. Beel, and try if ye find him a papist. I think Dr. Coosings be at Oxfoord, bot if he be at Cambridge, conferre much with him; he is thought the maine penner of our Scottish Liturgie: if he will be plaine with yow, ye will see what that faction would be at. Be cannie in your conferences, leist they take yow for a spye. Visit their fair Bibliothecks and manuscripts. Try who are fervent and able opposits there to Canterburie's ways, and let your chief acquaintance be with them: beware of our countrymen Hay and Areskine, for I heare they are corrupt.

:

"At London acquaint yourself with Holdsworth, lecturer at Grasham Inne; [and] with Dr. Featley the author of Pelagius Redivivus: try how they can be silent to see Poperie growing. Search for the author of the Holie Table, Name and Thing. Try the present estate of Burton, Bastwick, and Prin [Prynne]; also of Lincolne, Bishop Davenant, and Hall: if they be there, conferre much with them; see if they be opposit to all Arminianisme, to bowing to the altar. Try what crucifixes and new images are at Paule's and the Chappell; and if Burton's complaints be reasonable. "The Brownists had a church there; however, there are in the citie aneugh of them conferre with some of their preachers, or discreet people, See if they at Amsterdame, and these of New England, and these who yet are at home, be of one minde, that will not acknowledge the jurisdiction of Synods. Try if there be a considerable partie opposit to bishops besydes thir; if there be any hope of getting the Episcopall state and their ceremonies removed; at leist, if the Arminian faction, with Canterburie's overthrow, can be gotten crushed. Conferre with Bishop Montague; see how farr he is Popish, if he hes written anything thir four years, or hes anything for the presse. If Bishop Wren be affable, conferre with him; Dr. Potter also, and Helen [Heylin]; and if any more ye find of that faction learned. Wale your privat tymes that ye be not marked. Try of some discreet Alderman the grounds why London did not joyne against the Scotts; what hopes there is of a parliament, and taking order with the Canterburians for their Arminianisme and Poperie; if there be any correspondence betuixt Con and Canterburie, betuixt him and Rome, and what evidences of it; what is the charge of Sir William Hamilton, the Queen's agent at Rome; if the Prince's letter to the Pope from Spain be disavowed: There are ane hundred such things as thir, whereof ye will have occasion, if ye be dilligent, to find the ground and the very root. Search who is about the Prince, if they be orthodoxe, and if any of the chaplains be honest; if Dr. Lawrence's sermon be yet approven ; if Strafford's Female Glorie was never burnt; if the good ministers of London be silent at the faction's progresse; if all zeale there be dead; if publick avowing of the truth, in preaching and print, be banished close out of England, with Bastwick, Burton, and Prin. Take a start to Oxford, acquaint yourself thoroughlie with Prideaux; it is mervellous that he is silent: We thought that zealous men had not so feared prisons nor fyres. Bodleye's Librarie view it well. Try if all there be the Canterburian way; if any able opposits to it, and how they kythe their opposition. Let me hear the progresse of your Deputie's affairs at Court,

'My catalogues of Brownist's books search at London, where they may be found, at what pryce, and what more of that kind, that I may know what of them to send for. Try the estate of private meetings at London, how they are taken by the zealous ministers who are not Brownists; if there be anything written for that poynt pro or contra.

"Send me a catalogue of all that is printed against our late proceedings; why so few of the English divines hes medled to write against us; how our proceedings are thought of now there. Send me the pryces when ye have tryed in two or three diverse shoppes, of Augustine, Jerome, Bernard, Ambrose, Chrysostome, both Savil and Frontoduce, Gregorie the Great, in the best edition; Bibliotheca Patrum in eight tomes, six great volumes, not the last rabble of fyfteen tomes; Baronius, six volumes, also the last edition ten volumes; Thuan's Storie, the last edition, four or fyve volumes. Try if any Universall lyke Thuan be coming furth. Your letters to me send, if ye cannot better, to William Cunninghame in the Custome booth at Edinburgh. Give me account of all this memorandum first or last.

"Try the estate of the Churches of New England. Some merchands in the Exchange can inform you trulie, if ye be curious, of the present estate of all the Earth, for they have dailie intercourse with their factors at Mosco, Venice, Lisbon, Constan

tinople, Alexandria, Aleppo, Persia, India, China, Brasilia, let be in nearer kingdoms. Try for young Dr. Burgesse; it were good his father or he did ansuer Dr. Ames fresh sute. Conferre with Bishop Mortoune, and Dr. Primrose; try of him the state of the French Church, and of their controversie moved be. [Amyraud?] See at the Minister of the Italian church, if there be any hopes of getting Italie reformed.

"Ye will have occasion of letters to Edinburgh weeklie; if ye write not to me once in the three weeks, I will count yow forgetfull."-Vol. i. pp. 225-227.

Baillie having written a treatise, entitled, "Autokatacrisis: the Canterburian Self-Conviction," the commanders of the Scottish army, which had now advanced to Newcastle, required that he should attend them with all convenient speed.

This was introductory to his being sent to London, and the following extract from the letters to his wife explain why he was put into commission, and how he discharged it :

"At our presbytris, after sermon, both our noblemen and ministers in one voyce thought meet, that not onlie Mr. A. Hendersoun, but also Mr. R. Blair, Mr. George Gillespie, and I, should all three, for diverse ends, goe to London : Mr. Robert Blair, to satisfie the mynds of manie in England, who loves the way of New England better than that of presbytries used in our church; I, for the convinceing of that prævalent faction, against which I have wryten; Mr. Gillespie, for the crying doune of the English ceremonies, for which he hes wryten; and all foure to preach by turnes to our commissioners in their houses, which is the custome of diverse noblemen at court, and wes our practise all the tyme of the conference at Rippon."— Vol. i. pp. 268, 269.

He gives his wife the following account of his journey to London, which is interesting from the contrast it supplies to the modes of travelling from Edinburgh to the capital in the present day.

"I wrote to thee on Saturday was eight days from Durham. That day we went to Darntoun, where Mr. Alexander Hendersoun and Mr. Robert Blair did preach to us on Sonday. At supper, on Sonday, the post with the Great Seall of England for our safe conduct, came to us, with the Earle Bristol's letter to Lowdoun, intreating us to make haste. On Monday we came, before we lighted, to Boroubrig, twentiefyve myles. On Tuesday we rode three short posts, Ferribrig, Toxford, and Doncaster. There I was content to buy a bobin wastcoat. On Wednesday we came ane other good journey to Newark on Trent, where we caused Dr. Moyslie sup with us. On Thursday we came to Stamfoord; on Friday to Huntingtown; on Saturday to Ware, where we rested the Sabbath, and heard the minister, after we were warned of the ending of the service, preach two good sermons. On Monday morning we came that tuentie myle to London before sun-ryseing; all weell, horse and men, as we could wish; diverse merchands and their servants with us, on little naigs; the way extreamlie foule and deep, the journies long and continued, sundrie of us unaccustomed with travell, we took it for God's singular goodness that all of us were so preserved; none in the companie held better out than I and my man, and our little noble naigs. From Killwinning to London I did not so much as stumble: this is the fruit of your prayers. I was also all the way full of courage, and comforted with the sense of God's presence with my spirit. We were by the way great expences; their inns are all like palaces; no marvell they extors their guests: for three mealls, course enough, we would pay, together with our horses, sixteen or seventeen pound sterling. Some three dish of creevishes, like little partans, two and fourty shillings sterling."-Vol. i. pp. 271, 272.

The following passage is important, as it contains the testimony of an unexceptionable witness, that the Congregational ministers of that age kept themselves apart from "the Brownists and Separatists," and other advocates of extreme opinions.

"All the English ministers of Holland, who are for New England way, are now here; how strong their party will be here, it is diverslie reported; they are all on good termes with us: Our onlie considerable difference will be about the jurisdiction of Synods and Presbyteries. As for Brownists, and Separatists of many kynds, here they mislyke them weell near as much as we: of these there is no considerable partie. Anent private meetings, we know here no difference we have with anie: Our questions with them of the new way, we hope to get determined to our mutuall satisfaction, if we were ridd of Bishops: and till then, we have agreed to speak nothing of anything wherein we differ. Mr. Goodwin, Mr. Hooker, Mr. Baroues, [Burroughs,] Mr. Simmons, have all written verie gracious treatises of sanctification, which I mind to bring with me; all of them are learned, discrete, and zealous men, weell seen in cases of conscience. It were all the pities in the world that wee and they should differ in anie thing, especially in that one, which albeit verie small in speculation, yet in practice of verie hudge consequence : for, make me everie congregation ane absolute and independant church, over which Presbytries and Generall Assemblies have no power of censure, bot onlie of charitable admonition, my witt sees not how incontinent a National Church should not fall into unspeakable confusions, as I am confident the goodness of God will never permit so gracious men to be the occasions of, let be the authors."-Vol. i. p. 311.

Laud and his prelatical satellites had laboured for twenty years to enforce conformity to the Episcopal church, not only in England but in Scotland also, to the infinite disgust of both nations, and now their intolerant zeal rebounded upon themselves with destructive force.

Baillie's "Autokatacrisis" showed, from the books, speeches, and writings of the archbishop himself, and also of some bishops and other church writers, that there existed amongst them a conspiracy to bring in Arminianism, superstition, and popery, to the subversion of the Gospel, and the suppression of the doctrines of the Reformation. But the time was now come when the spirit of a patient people was aroused to avenge these wrongs. The position and researches of Baillie pointed him out as a suitable person to draw up "The Charge of the Scottish Commissioners against Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Earl of Strafford," and the success that attended the prosecution of these prime movers of the calamities of three nations, is in some measure to be attributed to the ability that he displayed.

His letters from London to his wife, his cousin, and other friends, are full of interesting and minute particulars of these proceedings; indeed his account of the trial of Strafford is probably the most complete and graphic in our language.

On his return with the Commissioners, from England, in June 1641, his countrymen were prepared to do him honour; and professorships in the four Universities, and a pastorate in Glasgow, were offered to him. After much anxiety, consultation, and prayer, he consented to leave

his beloved people at Kilwilling, to serve his alma mater, the university of Glasgow, as Professor of Divinity. There we must at present leave him, but cannot part with these most amusing and instructive volumes till we have made our readers acquainted with the succeeding incidents of the Principal Baillie's eventful life.

ON THE GOODNESS OF GOD.

THIS subject has been celebrated in the sweetest strains of sacred song, and in the noblest efforts of an inspired oratory. It possesses a charm over devout minds, which kindles a seraphic fervour of spiritual feeling, and which the pious, in all ages, have commemorated with grateful thanksgiving. "The goodness of God reigns not merely in one particular province of his empire, but in every place;" not in any special department of his administration, but through the whole compass of the Divine government. "The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." It is necessary for a moment, to bring within our range of thought the wide domain of the Sovereign of the universe; that, attaining to the psalmist's comprehensive view of his works, we may feel the sublimity, and rise to the ecstasy of his devout emotions. The Scriptures frequently allude to a world which is invisible to us; in fact, they proclaim its existence. They inform us also, that it is the abode of an innumerable company of angels. There is a grandeur about their nature to which ours in the present life bears no compariTheir powers are so exalted as to make it more just to compare them with what is Divine, than with anything human. We know not the day of their creation; but it is of an ancient date, compared with which the existence of the human race may be but as yesterday. We know not their number; but probably it is a countless multitude, compared with which the nations of the earth are but as a single family. We are not acquainted with all the gradations of their rank; yet there are various orders existing among them, as there are stars of different magnitudes. These "estates" of the invisible world form part of the works which are blessed with the tender mercies of God.

son.

The material universe also displays his goodness. For "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge." And the speech which is thus uttered, and the knowledge which is thus communicated, is a proclamation, in language intelligible to people of every tongue, that the visible universe is the work of a benignant Creator. It is not necessary to make any remarks on the beauty and the glory of those works. They invite the observation of every eye; they appeal to every thoughtful mind, to receive their witness of the Creator's perfections; they give wings to fancy, to gather