But as they were not all Israel who were of Israel, so they are not all Methodists who have been called by that name *. And while the name of Methodist (which, like the term Pietist, is often applied to religious persons who have no connection with any of the above parties) has been disgraced by several Antinomians, &c. it has been highly honoured by having been long applied to many clergymen of the Church of England, whose Methodism chiefly consists in their being more zealous and diligent in the duties of their profession, and their living in a state of greater piety and separation from the world than the generality of their brethren." The number of these," says Dr. Haweis," is of late amazingly increased, where before scarcely a man of this stamp could be found. Some hundreds," adds he, "as rectors or curates in the Established Church, inculcate the doctrines which are branded with Methodism; and every where, throughout the kingdom, one or more, and sometimes several, are to be found within the compass of a few miles, who approve themselves faithful labourers in the Lord's vineyard. They naturally associate among themselves, and separate from the corruption which is in the world, &c. Their exemplary conversation procures them reverence from the poor of the flock, as their faithful rebukes often bring upon them the displeasure of the worldling, the dissipated, and the careless. They join in none of the fashionable amusements of the age, frequent not the theatres, or scenes of dissipation, court no favour of the great, or human respect: their time and services are better employed in the more im portant labours of the ministry, preaching the word in season, out of season, and counting their work their best wages +." Christian unanimity and religious alliances, but rather for endless schisms and interminable divisions. "Do what you will, if you preach in earnest, as one desirous to save souls, you cannot escape being branded as a Methodist. At least I cannot, who have no sort of connection or acquaintance with them."Orton and Sir J. Stonehouse's "Letters to Stedman," vol. ii. p. 128, anno 1778. "Impartial History of the Church of Christ." vol. iii. p. 265-6.— If this be Methodism, as applied to certain clergy of the United Church, and I believe that, upon strict inquiry, in this much of its essence will be found to consist, I heartily pray with Moses (Numbers xi. 29), Would God that I, and all the Lord's ministers, both in and out of the Church, were such prophets or Methodists, and that the Lord would pour this spirit upon us! or, in Dr. Haweis's own words, "May they grow into an host, like the host of God!" It may perhaps be viewed as an axion, that, were there more zeal with knowledge and without innovation in the church, there would be less zeal without knowledge and with innovation out of it. These men, on account chiefly of their resembling many of the Methodists in piety and zeal, have been confounded with them, and even called by their name *. Yet these are the churchmen who combat the Methodists most effectually, not indeed by abusive language, but by gradually and quietly superseding their labours; by out-preaching, out-labouring, and out-living their opponents. And would the great body of their brethren descend into the field, equipped in the same armour: by adding religious zeal to their love of ecclesiastical decorum, piety to their learning, and a practical acquaintance with the influence of the leading truths of the Gospel upon the heart, to the cold orthodoxy and scanty morality with which too many, it is feared, rest satisfied; sooner or later the consequence would be a happy triumph over their opponents-the certain decrease, not only of Methodism and Methodists, but also of Sectarism and Sectarists, of every description +. Many" See others work, where they refuse, And save the souls their follies lose; They shew their teeth-display their fists- But, as the excellent Mr. Scongal has well observed, "I account him not worthy of the name of a minister of Christ, who cannot patiently suffer injury, contempt, and envy." "The several sects among us lament his loss, and seem to confess that a few like him would soon heal our schisms."-Dr. Gairden's Sermon at the Funeral of the Rev. Professor Scougal. + See Mr. Ingram's "Causes of the Increase of Methodism and Dissention, and of the Popularity of what is called Evangelical Preaching," &c. p. 39 et passim. THE SCOTTISH OLD DISSENTERS. NAMES. THE old Presbyterian Dissenters of Scotland have assumed, and received this appellation, because they are of longer standing, as a distinct body, than any denomination of Presbyterians who have separated from the Established Church. They, in fact, never belonged to the present Establishment, but are the only existing one of that multitude of sects that started up during the troubles in Britain, in the middle of the seventeenth century. Various nicknames have frequently been given them by others. They have been called Cameronians, from the Rev. Richard Cameron, one of their preachers who fell in an action with the kings troops at Airsmoss, in Kyle, on the 20th of July 1680; -Mountain-men, on account of their adhering to the same cause with those who preached the Gospel on the mountains and moors of Scotland during the persecution under Charles II. and because that they themselves, have often been obliged, even since the Revolution, to administer ordinances in the open fields ;-M'Millanites, from the name of the first minister who espoused their cause after the Revolution, and whose immediate descendants, of the second and third generation, are yet ministering among them. There is, besides, one very forbidding epithet, viz. Antigovernment People, which some have bestowed upon them, but which they reject with indignation, as wholly inapplicable to them; whether justly or not will in some measure appear below. In Ireland they are usually called Covenanters. RISE, PROGRESS, &c. The Old Dissenters profess to hold no new opinions, but "only contend for the very same things which were generally received by all ranks of men in the purest time of our Reformation, between 1638 and 1649, and which were solemnly ratified, by the fundamental laws of both church and state, in the kingdom of Scotland. The present establishment, however, owe them a debt of gratitude for their services at the Revolution. "Sic vos non vobis," &c. A memorial of their activity and zeal on that occasion still exists in the 26th regiment of foot, which was first raised from their body, and still bears the name of Cameronians. Immediately after the said Reformation had arrived at its zenith, public resolutions were formed, for receiving into places of power and trust, especially in the army, even such as were unfriendly to the covenanted cause. Under the baneful influence of these resolutions, both during the usurpation of Oliver Cromwell, and during the succeeding period of bloody persecution, from the restoration of Charles II. in 1660, till the Revolution in 1688*, there was a gradual and most alarming defection from the Reformation-attainments. In this trespass, all ranks, in general, through the nation, were deeply involved. Nevertheless, even in those days of trouble, rebuke, and blasphemy, there were some faithful witnesses for Christ and his cause. They were valiant for the truth upon the earth; they stood and asked for the good old way;—they remembered how they had received and heard;-they resisted the prevailing defections, even unto blood, striving against sin, and they generally held their meetings in the open air †. The last ordained minister, who openly espoused their cause, and went out and in before them, previous to the Revolution, was the Rev. James Renwick, who suffered at the Grassmarket of Edinburgh, February 17, 1688. After his death, Mr. Alexander Shields, author of The Hind let loose,' &c. who had laboured a considerable time along with Mr. Renwick, in supporting the same testimony, continued to preach among the people who had lately lost their young champion, and beloved pastor. While matters were in this situation, a Mr. Thomas Linning, who had been formerly sent over to Holland, for finishing his education, and receiving ordination, came home to Scotland. He, together with a Mr. William Boyd, who had also lately come from Holland, joined Mr. Shields; and the three together administered Gospel-ordinances, for a few months longer, among the poor afflicted people above-mentioned. But when the General Assembly met at Edinburgh, in 1689, these three ministers, deserting their former flock, and relinquishing, in some respects at least, their former principles, gave in their accession to the judicatories of the Revolution Great cruelties were certainly used towards them under Charles II. At the same time, the conduct of many of them was then most fanatical and rebellious; and some of those who were executed in 1681, might have saved their lives, if they would have complied with the request to " pray for a blessing on the king." See Dr. Cook's "History of the Church of Scotland," vol. iii. p. 360. 66 Ker says, they continued to preach in the fields even long after the Revolution, still retaining the doctrine of resistance and self-defence, which they never fail to put in practice when violence is offered, or when in the least disturbed in their worship, &c. by any sort of governors or governments whatsoever."-Memoirs, p. 15. church. Thus, the people who wished closely to adhere to the Reformation-attainments, were left as sheep without a shepherd. Having, long before this time, formed themselves into praying societies, they still continued these, and had, at particular times, a general correspondence of all the societies together, in order to ascertain the state of matters through the body at large, and to cultivate a closer acquaintance with one another. In this trying, and rather singular situation, without any change of sentiment, they stedfastly adhered to the very same principles, which were openly espoused, and solemnly ratified by the covenanted Church of Scotland, in the times of her purest reformation." Thus they remained for about the space of sixteen years, till, in 1706, the Rev. John M'Millan-formerly minister of Balmaghie, in Galloway, but who, previous to this, had given in his declinature from the judicatories of the Revolution Church-acceded to them, and espoused their cause. Having received an unanimous call to be their minister, he took the pastoral charge of them, and laboured amongst them for many years after, with much acceptance. After having laboured long by himself, he and his people at last received the accession of the Rev. Thomas Nairn, who had been in connection with the Secession Church, but had dissented from them, for reasons which were published to the world. Mr. McMillan and he, with some ruling elders, who had been regularly ordained before, and held the same principles, constituted a Presbytery, in the name of Christ, the alone Head of his church, on the first of August 1743, under the title of the Reformed Presbytery. This title it still bears; "not that they consider themselves as any better than other men, or as having, in their own persons, arrived at any higher degrees of perfection; such thoughts they never entertained; but purely for this reason, that it is at least their honest intention, faithfully to adhere to the whole of our Reformation-attainments, in both church and state, without knowingly dropping any part of them. On this account, it is presumed, they may justly enough be called the Reformed, or Reformation Presbytery; while, in another point of view, they might, with equal propriety, be denominated the Dissenting Presbytery." Mr. Alexander Marshall, having studied divinity for a competent number of years, and having passed the ordinary pieces of trial before the Reformed Presbytery with approbation, was by them licensed to preach the Gospel, in April 1744. He soon after received a call, was regularly ordained, |