ON THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, FROM 1555 TO 1842. WITH A SUMMARY OF HER ECCLESIASTICAL GOVERNMENT AND DISCIPLINE, BEARING UPON THE PRESENT CONTROVERSY. BY E. C. HARINGTON, INCUMBENT OF ST. DAVID'S, EXETER. EXETER, P. A. HANNAFORD. LONDON, J. G. F. & J. RIVINGTON; AND HAMILTON & CO.: MDCCCXLIII. TO THE VERY REVEREND THE DEAN OF EXETER, AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE EXETER CLERICAL SOCIETY, (BEFORE WHOM THESE PAPERS WERE ORIGINALLY READ,) IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THE PLEASURE AND IMPROVEMENT DERIVED FROM HIS INTERCOURSE WITH THEM AT THEIR MONTHLY MEETINGS, THESE FEW PAGES ARE, WITH DUE RESPECT, HUMBLY INSCRIBED BY THEIR OBEDIENT SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. THE Writer of these pages has only to allege the deep interest excited in the country at the present moment respecting the Church of Scotland, as an apology for publishing the following very imperfect sketch of the Scottish Church from the period of the Reformation to the passing of the Veto Act. He claims no merit but that (if any) of having perused (amidst much parochial occupation) some few works on the subject of the Government of the Church of Scotland, in order to increase his own very partial information; and, if a similar advantage should in the slightest degree be conferred on others, the Author will have received the only return which he can anticipate. Exeter, May 1843. |