lady Culross tell the following things of her. That she seldom or ever prayed but what she got a positive answer. That she one time desired her to pray for the temporal state of her family, and when she enquired what answer she got, Euphan said the answer was, "He that provides not for his own house, has. denied the faith." Whereat the lady Whereat the lady said, "Now you have killed me, for I go to preachings and communions here and there, neglecting the care of my family. Euphan replied "Madam, if you are guilty in that sort, you have reason to be humbled for it; but it was not said in that sense to me, for the Lord said, "He that provides not for his own, is worse then an infidel. Will not I provide for her and her house, seeing she is mine"

This passage affords matter of very serious reflection. The irreverent familiarity in the address to the deity-the great God of heaven and earth, is indeed horrible. What is there here but the dregs of Popish credulity? How can Protestants object to the visions of St. Clara, St. Bridget, and St. Terressa, and yet justify the visions of Euphan M'Cullan. See lord Hales's Remarks, page 255. But to return to the subject:

After sermon there is a long prayer, and then the preacher, who is to repeat the excommunication, goes up into the pulpit, and for the most part orders the hundred and ninth psalm to be sung, in which so many dreadful curses are imprecated on the enemies of God. Where they find the enemies of God mentioned, they apply it to the enemies of the church under the gospel; whereas it relates only to those Heathen nations who fought against the Jews.

The psalm being ended, the minister prays for a blessing upon the curse he is going to pronounce, and then all the people standing up, he reads the crime the offender is guilty of, and then says, "For these and for all other acts of disobedience to the church, I being a minister of Jesus Christ, and having power and authority from him, do, in his name and by his authority, excommunicate and cast out of the true church of God, A. B. and deliver him up to satan to be tormented in the flesh, that his soul may be saved in the day of the Lord." He concludes, by praying that God would ratify, seal, and -confirm the sentence he has pronounced.

These are pretty words, perhaps the reader may say, to be pronounced by a son against his father. But the most remarkable thing in the words is, that sa tan, the grand adversary of mankind, is here made a minister of the gospel; he has the excommunicated person put under his tuition, and by tormenting No. 29.

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his flesh he is to bring him to a sense of the dreadful sin of differing with another in opinion.

It was imagined the Burghers would have returned the compliment and excommunicated in their turn, but they did not, only that on the excommunication days they preached in their own churches against the Anti-burghers. Some may imagine they did this to keep their people together, but whatever might be in that, there was no manner of necessity for it; because at that time they were so exasperated against each other, that they would have continued without sermons a whole year, rather than go into each other's meetings. However, at present, the Burghers are as great Latitudinarians as the Methodists are in England.

On the other hand, the Anti-burghers still continue to take the covenant, and, like the Roman catholics, to hate all those who differ from them in opinion. They are as severe in their discipline as ever, and not long since, a poor taylor, who was clerk to one of their meetings, was silenced from singing a single stave, merely because he went one working day into another meeting.

Sometime ago, a report was made to one of their ministers in Scotland, who is at present the chief leader of the party, that two young men of his congregation had been admitted into the society of free-masons.

The minister, imagining he had now an oppor tunity of disclosing to the public all the secrets of free-masonry, which frighten so many people, sent for the young men to his own house. When they came, they were threatened, under the penalty of church censures, that they would reveal to him the secrets of free-masonry. Their answer was, they could not do it, but if he pleased they would make him a mason and then he would know all.

Not so enraged were the Scribes and Pharisees, when Jesus made them condemn themselves by their own words, nor so enraged was the consul when Polycarp set all his torments at defiance, as the Antiburgher minister was when the young men gave him such an answer. He raged like a madman, and told them they should be excommunicated. He was as good as his word; but the young men appealed to their synod, which is the highest court the Seceders have. This made things worse, for it occasioned the excommunication of all the freemasons in Scotland that belonged to them; and all these turning to the Burghers, who readily admitted them, became a valuable acquistion to the latter. Many other instances of their superstition might be mentioned, but we shall only relate the following. It

It was the custom formerly in Scotland, and is so still in many parts, for the women to fan the chaff from the corn before it is ground into meal. This was tedious, but it was an ancient custom. An ingenious artist made a machine that stood in the inside of the mill, having flat thin boards to go round by means of a connection with the wheel.

A miller near Edinburgh had one of them made, and this man being a Seceder, the same minister who had the dispute with the free-masons, happening to call at the miller's, he looked at the machine. It displeased him much, and he told the miller to take it down, for those who were so new fangled as to set up such machines, would in time follow the wolf in sheep's cloathing, meaning Mr. Whitefield. The miller stood amazed to think what connection his fanners could have with religion, and refused to pull them down. Upon that he was excommunicated and went to the Burghers. They have but one meeting in London, and so wedded are they to their ancient opinions and practices, that although they have no more occasion for it than a cart has for the third wheel, yet once every year they must have a minister sent up to them from Scotland to assist their own pastor in administering the sacrament. As none of them in Scotland will be married by the established clergy, the ceremony is performed by their own ministers, so it is generally supposed that when the minister comes up from Scotland, marries such as desire it privately. It would not be prudent in their own minister, because he might bring himself into trouble, but as the other is to set off for Scotland, so he is out of all manner of danger. However, they do not consider that these marriages are illegal, for disputes might arise if a law suit was depending between one of them, concerning a will made in favour of one of their children, and the opposite party, who had been born in legal wedlock.

he

Supposing the judges should order both parties to produce a certificate of their marriage, where would the Anti-burghers be found. The man would then reflect on the injury he had done to the child, and the child himself would have cause to remember it ever after. Some of them go down to Scotland and get married, but those are few in number; for the greatest number of them are working men, and few of them can bear the expence. On the other hand, the Burghers are so regardless about these things, that they are married in the churches.

No people in the world have a stronger hatred to the Methodists than the Anti-burghers. The minister had a scuffle with the miller, and afterwards wrote a book, wherein he endeavoured to prove,

first, that Mr. Whitefield's doctrine was diabolical. Secondly, that it was a horrid sin for any one to hear him preach. Thirdly, that the justice of God would overtake him. In this work is the following remarkable passage:--

"As for the gentleman himself, while he is under a ruinous delusion, and thereby led out into the horrid path we have been describing, which, besides all its other dreadful tendencies, is calculated for gathering upon him his own blood and the blood of multitudes; thus his condition loudly requires the pity of all who know him. And I know no way wherein to shew it, than by avoiding his company, that he may be made ashamed of his conduct.. In this manner it is that we are called to the exercise of love to his person, and a desire for his recovery."

An Account of the Presbytery of Relief.

THE third and last sort of Presbyteries, who arose in Scotland in consequence of the patronage act, have called themrelves the Presbytery of relief..

To understand this term rightly, it is necessary. to observe, that the people in Scotland have, ever. since the reformation, loved those doctrines which point out salvation as only to be obtained through the imputation of Christ's righteousness. Now it has unfortunately happened, that many of the young preachers presented by the patrons, were of different sentiments; and some of them went so far as to point out to their hearers all those doctrines as true, which commonly go under the name of Arminianism. This was too good a name for them to assume, for Arminianism never denied the imputation of Christ's righteousness, only that it allowed there was a freedom in the human will. Whereas, their young preachers, in Scotland, often preached whole sermons without mentioning the name of Christ as a mediator. This was shocking to those people who had been brought up in the principles of their own confession of faith and catechisms; but they did not chuse to join the Seceders.

It was said that a club of young divines met at a house in Edinburgh, to ridicule the doctrines of Calvin; and certain it is, that one of them, who was no more than a probationer, and a shoolmaster, had his licence taken from him, for publishing a pamphlet on that subject. In answer to this pamphlet, one Dr. Weatherspoon, minister at Paisley, about six miles from Glasgow, published an essay,

entitled

entitled, "The Ecclesiastical Characteristics." In this treatise he endeavoured to prove, that most of the clergy of Scotland taught nothing but downright Heathenism, or, as they call it, morality. For this he was called before the synod of Glasgow, but having no proof of his being the author, the case was dismissed. As Weatherspoon was continually quarrelling with his people, and as they had instituted a law-suit against him for defamation, he went over to America, where he was made president of the college of New Jersey, and is at present one of the members of the congress.

However, he did not leave Scotland till he had laid a plan for a schism in that church. He collected together as many of the popular clergy who had poor livings as he could, and told them, that it they would leave their churches without joining the Seceders, they would find a powerfu! assistance from many of the people. They would build them meetings and their livings would be doubled.

Accordingly, many left their churches and had some meetings built for them. It was some time before they could fix upon what name they should assume, and therefore, as they were to give relief to those people who were plagued by the moral preachers, they took upon themselves the name of the Presbytery of Relief..

This circumstance did not take place till within these twenty years, but the ministers did not find their account in it. Their moderation was equal to that of the established church and to the Burghers, which did not suit the tempers of the people. There were some other circumstances much against them, one of which was, that most of their meetings were built in populous towns, where none of the moral preachers had been settled. The people found nothing new, and therefore many of them returned home to their own churches. Another circumstance was, that one of them deserted his flock, and settled at the head of a populace congregation in London, because the salary was four times as much as they could allow him.

It is certain, the clergy cannot live without money any more than other men, but they ought to examine from what motives they leave a poor for a rich congregation. It is a maxin among the laity, that a clergyman never leaves a rich benefice to go to a smaller one, and undoubtedly it is in general rue, as it is with all other professions, and yet we have known inftances to the contrary, both among the clergy and laity. However, when a body of poor people are indulgent to their pastor, he ought not to leave them..

But with respect to these people, or rather to their clergy, they are but few in number, and they hold a synod once every year. Their form of discipline is weak, and they are only followed for their popularity. Like the Seceders, they visited their people from house to house, and do all they can to keep, them in their interest. They are industrious in the discharge of their pastoral office, but they now have academics, like the Seceders who are more numerous, for the education of young men for the ministry. As their reasons for separating from the church of Scotland were the most trifling that could be ima- gined, so they have not many friends among the better sort of people; and as they do not deal muchin invective or abuse, they are considered as lukewarm by the vulgar.

Many of them have left their first principles, and are daily returning back to the established church. Some of their preachers have made attempts to join the established church again, and obtain livings, but an everlasting door is shut against them. In a word, they will only exist a few years longer, for few men are sooner bankrupts than those who carry on the wholesale trade in religion. When the motives that at first induced a man to change his religion are once found to be insincere, he is despised by all parties, and, in general, converts are but little esteemed. Upon the whole, we shall conclude this article by observing, that all these parties which have sprung from the established church of Scotland, swear the same articles of religion, teach the children the same catechism, and observe the same form of worship, so that there is no difference but in the covenant.

Account of the Cameronians, or Mountaineers.

This sect of religious people did not take their rise from any of the causes already mentioned. They existed long before the revolution. One Mr. Cameron, a Presbyterian minister, having made his escape from the battle of Bothwell-bridge, 1679, fled towards the south, and being followed by about three hundred men of his own sentiments, they once more renewed the covenant, and began their march, having first read a proclamation, settting forth that the king had no right to the throne, because he had taken the covenant, and afterwards ordered it to be burnt by the hands of the common executioner ; that they were determined to turn out the bishops, and have them punished, as the Amalakites were of old by the divine command; that they were to re

store.

store the kingdom of Christ in Scotland, and once more to revive it to its ancient glory. They meant, that they would overthrow the government both in church and state, and put all those to death who differed from them in religious sentiments.

These mad brained people, who had been driven by oppression to desperation, vainly imagined, that they would be joined by the country people as they went castward; but alas instead of meeting with new reinforcements, Sir John Graham, afterwards lord Dundee, came up with them at a place called Aird's Moss, where they were mad enough to attempt opposing the king's forces, They shot two or three of the dragoons, who had not so much as fired upon them, and then Sir John ordered his men to attack them. Cameron, their leader, was killed, with about thirty more, and most of the others were taken prisoners, and the ringleaders were executed at Edingurgh in a most barbarous manner, among whom was one Mr. Hackstone, a young gentleman, who assisted in the murder of Sharp, archbishop of St. Andrews. The remainder of the prisoners were sent to the colonies in America.

From this time till the revolution, some of these madmen assembled on the mountains, from which circumstance they were called Mountaineers, and sometimes Cameronians. When kimg James published the indulgence for liberty of conscience, they would not accept of it, but followed one Mr. James Renwick, a young probationer, who was afterwards hanged at Edinburgh a few months before the revo

lution.

When the revolution took place, they would not acknowledge it, because the covenant was not restored, and because king William would not abolish .episcopacy in England. They continued to preach on the mountains for many years after the revolution, although they were at liberty to build meetings. At the union, they abused government so much, that some of them were imprisoned, and others set in the pillory. One of them being asked in the court of justice by what authority he abused government, pulled out his bible from his pocket, and toid

the judges that it was by the authority of that book which he believed their lordships had never read. They hated the present family on the thone as much as they did the Stuarts, and being a sort of fifth monarchy men, would acknowledge no king but Jesus. Some of the established clergy, who had little learning and less knowledge, took part with them, and one more impudent than the rest, told his hearers that king George I. had no more right to the crown than a Moor-Cock.

This man escaped the vengeance of the civil power, but he was despised and excommunicated. He died some years after at Edingburgh, and always was called the Moor-Cock. In latter times, these people had private meetings in different parts of the south of Scotland, and many scandalous stories were told concerning them, some of which perhaps

were not true.

These people are much dwindled away, there being but only a handful of them left, but they still retain their old sentiments. They are Calvinists with respect to the terms of acceptance, but their notions concerning ecclesiastical and civil power are abominable. They marry their own people, and baptize their children. They have still no meetings but in private houses, and they discard, all those who differ from them. They admit of no toleration, and if they had power, probably they would make a very bad us of it.

They are in general treated with much contempt, and sometimes they deserve it. Some of their members joined to the Seceders, and for that were sent to the devil, by a warrant of excommunication. Their meetings are as private in Scotland as those of the Roman Catholics, and they are of such unsocial tempers, that few sober, sensible persons will keep company with them. Their worship, is the same as that observed in the church of Scotland, but in their sermons they are continually abusing the clergy and the government. They are, however, too insignificant to be brought to punishment for their insolence.

AN

THESE people did not take their rise in Scotland,

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in consequence of the patronage act, for they disclaim every connection with all the established churches in the world, but of this we shall take notice afterwards, when we come to speak of their principles. In the mean time, having read all the books published by them, and conversed with many of their leaders, we shall lay before the reader a faithful account of them, for although some persons who are but little acquainted with history and less with divinity, may be disposed to laugh at their simplicity of worship and government, yet many good things will be found amongst them.

In the year 1727, Mr. John Glass, minister of a parish church near Dundee in Scotland, published a book, entitled, "The testimony of the King of Martyrs.' His chief design in that work was to prove, that as Christ's kingdom was not in this world, so it could no where receive a civil establishment. That it might be persecuted or tolerated according to the will of princes, but all those bearing the name of Christian ministers, who accepted of civil emoluments from the state, were unacquainted with the gospel, and enemies to Christ's kingdom.

These notions alarmed the clergy of Scotland, in the same manner as Dr. Hoadly's sermon had alarmed the clergy in England. They did not know what might be the consequence, for had the principle advanced by this man once been established, the crown might have seized on their revenues and left them and their families to starve. It is certain, that statesmen are not always the most pious Christians, and there have been times when such a favourable circumstance would have been made a bad use of. However, this man although an excellent reasoner, was too obscure to create much division or defection among his brethren, had not their public judicators called him forth from his retirement, and made him conspicuous on the theatre of the world.

He was summoned before the Presbytery, and made a most able defence, and because they could not answer him, they deposed him. He appealed to the synod, where he defended himself still more ably, but the clergy were his most bitter enemies.

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He was obliged to appeal to the general assembly,who were very unwilling to lose a man who was esteemed in his parish, and an honour to the church. They reversed the decrees of the presbytery and synod, restored Mr. Glass to his ministry, and ordered the cause to be brought on before themselves in the first instance.

In the mean time, the sober persons who were members of the assembly, were willing to let the affair drop; for as Mr. Glass's ministry was confined to his own parish, and as in his general doctrine, he taught nothing inconsistent with the fundamental articles of their own religion, they could not see any danger in it. To this they added the character of the man, which was fair and respectable.

The affair came on again before the general assembly, about two years after, and the arguments i took up four days. Some of the members, especially the elders, were men of high rank, and amongst these was the famous Duncan Forbes, lord advo-vate of Scotland. Besides the lord'advocate, there were several other gentlemen and noblemen of highrank, members of the assembly, who pleaded strongly in favour of Mr. Glass. They represented that his opinions were only of a speculative nature, nor had they any immoral or irreligious tendency. They insisted further, that to depose a man of Mr. Glass's knowledge and approved virtue, would be to do au injury to the church of Scotland.

These worthy members were seconded by some of the most respectable of the clergy, and by all the commissioners from the universities. They said that they could not see any hurt in the doctrines taught by Mr. Glass, for, with respect to the grand article, namely, the atonement made by Christ to reconcile us to his father's love, he was of the same sentiments with themselves. They added, that to proceed in such a summary manner against him, would be acting inconsistent with their characters as representatives of the church of Scotland; and therefore they begged that every sober member of the assembly would drop all thoughts of the prosecution.

However, this moderate party was strongly op- posed by those of more violent tempers, particularly because Mr. Glass had made an attempt to rob them 8 N.

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