who could not take it, to the officious intermeddling of Mr. Carstairs, and the recognition of "the lords spiritual," in their petition to the peers, gave great offence to some of the severer presbyterians-the commission of the general assembly, agreed, on their meeting at Edinburgh, in the month of March, immediately after the passing of the bill, as the last resource, to address the queen for relief, which they did in manner following:-" May it please your majesty. Upon notice we had of a bill depending in parliament, intitled, A bill to prevent the disturbing of those of the episcopal communion in Scotland, in the exercise of their religious worship, and in the use of the liturgy of the church of England; we in all humility, presumed to address your majesty, for the preservation of our present establishment, as secured to us by law, and for preventing the inconveniences that might ensue on the foresaid toleration, at the passing whereof thereafter, in both houses of parliament, we cannot but be deeply affected. "But now that by the foresaid bill, the oath of abjuration, enacted for the better security of your majesty's person and government, and the establishment of the succession to the crown in the protestant line, is appointed to be taken by all ministers, we do, in most humble duty, truly and sincerely own and acknowledge, that your majesty is lawful and rightful queen of this realm, and of all your other dominions and countries thereunto belonging: and do solemnly and sincerely declare, that we do believe the person pretended to be the prince of Wales, during the life of the late king James, and since his decease pretending to be and taking upon himself the style and title of king of England, by the name of James the eighth, or the style and title of king of Great Britain, hath not any right or title whatsoever to the crown of this realm, or any other of the dominions thereunto belonging; and we do most heartily renounce and refuse any allegiance or obedience to him; and we withal, solemnly and sincerely profess, that we will bear faith and true allegiance to your majesty, in all duties and occasions whatsomever, that can be incumbent on us. And further, we do faithfully promise to the utmost of our power to support, maintain, and defend the succession of the crown in the protestant line against the said pretender, and all other persons whatsoever, understanding the foresaid oath of abjuration in the fullest sense wherein it can be understood, to renounce and disclaim any right that the said pretender can claim to your foresaid dominions; and, in the plain sense of the words, in so far as the said oath, and the acts to which it refers, settles and entails the succession of the crown of these dominions, for default of issue of your majesty, on the princess Sophia, electress dutchess dowager of Hanover, and the heirs of her body being pro testants. "But seeing we cannot dissemble with your majesty, that there remains a scruple with many, as if the conditions mentioned in the acts of parliament, establishing the succession, referred to by the said oath, were to be understood as a part thereof, and that to swear to something in these conditions, seems not consistent with our known principles. And that it is expressly declared and statuted, by the treaty and articles of Union, and the acts of parliament of both kingdoms ratifying the same, that none of the subjects of Scotland shall be liable to, but all and every one of them for ever free, of any oath, test, or subscription, within Scotland, contrary to, or inconsistent with our present presbyterian church establishment; we, in the most humble and dutiful manner, most earnestly beseech and obtest, that this, our address and representation, and most sincere declarations therein contained, may be graciously accepted by your majesty, without respect to the foresaid conditions scrupled at, as the just and true signification of our allegiance and duty, and our sense of the foresaid oath and engagement, to prevent all mistakes and misrepresentations that possibly we may be liable to in this matter." &c. &c.* Much has been said of the rebellious genius, and the intractable spirit of presbytery. This address, however, will, we should suppose, appear to men of all parties sufficiently submissive. Unfortunately too, the addressers could derive no benefit from it, but by the queen assuming that dispensing power, the exercise of which had been one of the most aggra * Printed Acts of Assembly, 1712. vated charges against king James; and to ask that which her majesty could not legally grant, was, to speak in the softest terms, in the church of Scotland highly unbecoming. At the same time, her majesty seems to have been willing to gratify them as far as was in her power. The withdrawing of the civil sanction from ecclesiastical censures, had filled the hearts of all good men with fearful apprehensions of—what, were it possible to alter instantaneously national feelings, and national habits, by positive laws, would most certainly have been the immediate consequence-an overwhelming flood of immorality,* and, on the meeting of the General Assembly, May the first, 1712, in her letter by the commissioner, John, duke of Athol, keeping her eye on this very subject, she thus soothingly addresses them :- "It hath always been our concern to employ our authority for suppressing vice and immorality, and we assure you, that such magistrates as shall be most faithful in executing the laws and conforming themselves to our royal pleasure, signified in our proclamations, in punishing all such practices as are a scandal to the christian profession, shall have most of our countenance and favour. Lest any late occurrences may have possessed some of you with fears and jealousies, we take this solemn occasion to assure you, it is our firm purpose to maintain the church of Scotland as established by law; and whatever ease is given to those who differ from you in points, that are not essential, we will, however, employ our utmost care to protect you from all insults, and redress your just complaints.' The assembly, in return, observe, “It is a satisfaction to us that your majesty is pleased to assure us, that such magistrates, as shall be most faithful in executing the laws against those practices which are a scandal to the christian pro * The advantages flowing from moral and religious habits, and the mischievous tendency of bad laws, were, perhaps, never more fully manifested than in Scotland by these measures. Awed by moral and religious feeling, patrons, for a number of years, took little interest in the settlement of parishes, and it was long before candidates were found profligate enough to acknowledge them. Had it not been for the shameless conduct of ministerial candidates, patronage might have to this day remained a dead inoffensive letter. Magistrates too, continued to act as formerly, notwithstanding the new law, and it was comparatively long before the church of Scotland knew how much, by these acts, she had been shorn of her strength. fession, shall have most of your majesty's countenance and favour; and we humbly presume to persuade ourselves, that your majesty will, in your royal wisdom, find out such methods as shall be most proper for making your pious purposes, expressed in your royal proclamations, more effectual than hitherto, to our deep regret, they have been. "The late occurrences, which your majesty is pleased to take notice of, have, we must acknowledge, possessed us with fears and jealousies: but as we have always embraced, and do at present lay hold upon the assurance your majesty is pleased to give us, of your firm purpose to maintain the church of Scotland, as established by law, so we cannot, but with all dutiful submission, and in that truth and ingenuity that becomes the faithful ministers and servants of our Lord Jesus Christ, put your majesty in mind of the representations and petitions laid before you by the commission of the last General Assembly, for a remedy in these matters; humbly hoping that our most just complaints may come in due time and manner to be redressed."* The measures pursued by this assembly, however, were not calculated for obtaining any thing like a speedy redress of their grievances. Instead of intrenching themselves behind that legal constitution, which had so lately been declared unalterable; laying open the absurdity and contradiction of the oath itself, with its consequent sinfulness; discharging all under their inspection, from discrediting their principles, and debauching their consciences by having any thing to do with it, and, with the spirit of ancient confessors, boldly saying, we are not careful, O queen, to answer thee in this matter, they contented themselves with simply approving the representations of the commission, which they ordered to be engrossed in their books, made a similar protestation of loyalty, and, after supplicating, in the same words, for a dispensation for such of their brethren as might find themselves under the necessity of refusing it, proceeded to "most seriously obtest all the ministers and members of this church, whatever may happen to be their different practice, to entertain a good understanding herein, * Printed Acts of Assembly, 1712. in all mutual forbearance, firmly hoping, through the grace of God, that if they continue in the same good mind, seeking and serving the Lord in sincerity, and bearing with one another in mutual love and charity, our gracious God will extricate us out of all these difficulties." They also "instructed and empowered their commission, to advert carefully to all good opportunities, and to use all proper and dutiful means and methods, whereby these our grievances may be redressed;" but a paper, proposing some means to be used for that end, drawn up by Mr. John Hepburn, minister of the parish of Urr, and a number of the societies in the south and south-west adhering to him, was rejected without so much as a hearing.* * There appears to have been a great neglect of the ordinance of the Lord's Supper in the church of Scotland at this period; and this assembly passed an act, ordering its dispensation in every parish at least once a year. The assembly further renewed their injunctions with regard to the society for propagating christian knowledge in the Highlands and Islands, and had the satisfaction of learning, from a committee of that society, that they had already agreed to set up eleven schools, beside the catechist or schoolmaster established at St. Kilda, viz. one at Abertarf, one in Castletown of Braemar, a third in Auchintoul, these last both in the Highlands of Aberdeen, a fourth in the parish of Larg, in Sutherland, a fifth in the parish of Durness, in Strathnaver, a sixth in Erlish, in the presbytery of Skye, an eighth in Glenelg, a ninth in Harray, Orkney, a tenth in the Island of Sandy, in the north Isles there, and the eleventh in Zetland; and it was added, that for all these they had found young men duly attested, and upon suitable trial sufficiently qualified. Another act was also passed, in favour of students having the Irish or Erse language, in order that there might be an abundant supply of instruments for the propagating the light of divine truth in that benighted portion of the country; and the assembly was conIcluded with a "recommendation to all synods, presbyteries, and kirk sessions to be much in prayer for direction to the ministers and judicatories of this church, and that God would * Humble Pleadings, &c. &c. |