join Adm. Arbuthnot, and fee the trade to a certain latitude.

A very ingenious forgery on the bank of England was lately discovered. A perfon who had taken out notes payable to James Maxwell became fufpected; and before the middle of April he having called at the bank, was apprehended, and examined by the directors, and by them referred to Sir John Fielding; to whom the name occurring as under fome former predicament, the records of Bowfreet were fearched; and there Mr Max. well flood advertised, by hand-bills, and by news-papers in town and country, as well as Sir John's Hue and Cry, under the name of James Matthifon, for feveral forgeries on the Newcastle and Darlington banks. A mark on his leg, and feveral other particulars, fully anfwering the defeription, he immediately loft all confidence, and confeffed, that his real name was John Matthifon; that he came from Gretna Green, in Annandale, in Scotland, and was the perfon meant in the > advertisements; that, with regard to the forgery on the bank, no perfon what foRever was concerned with him in any part of the work and he made a candid confeflion of all his different forgeries.-He was tried at the Old Bailey, May 20. Samuel Fids, a teller of the bank, and a witnefs on the trial, was prefent at the apprehenfion of the prifoner: he was then let go, and next day retaken, with a bundle, containing paper, piftols, and graving and watch tools, 200 guineas, and fome ten-pound bank-notes. Mr Acton, folicitor of the bank, faw the bundle taken from him on the 15th of April. He then denied the forgery, but next day confeffed. He had no promifes of mercy; but confeffed voluntarily. He faid, the water-mark might be put in after the paper was made; but he would not disclose the mode of doing it; for he faid, no other man knew the art, and the public might be injured by the difcovery. The jury, after deliberating fome time, found him guilty. His own confeffion was the strongest evidence againft him, without which it is thought he could not have been legally convicted, though no doubt remained of his guilt.

IRELAND. [52.]

"Dublin, April 27. Yefterday, purfuant to notice iffued by the high fheriffs of this city, a numerous body of the aggregate inhabitants affembled at the Thol

fel, to take into confideration the moft effectual method of promoting the trade and manufactures of this country; when it was refolved, that from and after the firft day of May next, they would not, directly or indirectly, ufe any of the goods or wares of G. Britain which can be manufactured in this kingdom. The reft of the refolutions were fimilar to those entered into by the corporation of the Quarter-Affembly."

"Dublin, May 4. We have received from all quarters of the country, accounts of affociations among towns, villages, and even families, not to confume for the future any British manufactures what foever."

"London, May 29. The Irish papers contain advertisements from the high fheriff and grand juries of the counties of Mayo, Monaghan, and Rofcommon, afferting, that they will in future wear only the manufactures of their distressed country, and recommending the fame refolution to the rest of that kingdom.

In the month of April, recantations from the errors of the church of Rome were read by three perfons: by Mary Macgrath, in the parish-church of St Bridget, Dublin; by Richard Talbot, Efq; of Mallabide, in the parish-church of St Mary; and by the Rev. Barnabas O'Farral, a Capuchin friar, in the parith-church of St Michan, before the Rev. Mr Butler: and they all embraced the Proteftant religion.

On the 8th of April laft, the meetinghouse of Mr John Rogers, (a minister of the Burgher Seceders), near Ballybay, in the county of Monaghan, was maliciously fet on fire, and confumed, together with the pulpit, pews, tables, &c. and alfo the retiring-houfe.

SCOTLAND. [220.]

The general affembly of the church of Scotland, met, at Edinburgh, on Thurfday, May 20. [40.275.]. After a fermon, from Phil. iv. 5. by Dr Patrick Grant, minifter at Urray, the former moderator, the affembly convened; and Dr James Gillespie, one of the minifters of St Andrew's, having been proposed by the moderator to be his fucceffor in that office, and the affembly having put in nomination alfo Dr James Blinshall, one of the minifters of Dundee, Dr Gillespie was chofen, 107 to 38. No other queftion was put to a vote in this affembly: A remarkable inftance of concord in fo

numerous

numerous a body, who fat ten days, and before whom so many queftions were agitated. George Earl of Dalhoufie was Commiffioner, this the third time. His Grace prefented his commiffion, the King's letter to the affembly, and the warrant for payment of the roool. royal bounty; and then made a fpeech to the affembly; to which the moderator made a fuitable return. His Grace in his fpeech faid, that he had his Majefty's command to affure the affembly, that his Majefty was determined to maintain the rights and privileges of the church of Scotland, as by law established, in their fulleft extent; and would not countenance any attempt to alter the laws refpecting Popery in this country. He alfo informed the affembly, that from the converfations he had had with his Majefty's minifters, though they confidered the very limited indulgence granted to the Roman-Catholics in England as what could not be productive of the smallest bad confequences to the Proteftant religion; yet no fooner were they informed, that the extending this indulgence to Scotland would be difagreeable to many of his Majefty's good fubjects in this part of the united kingdom, than they immediately deter mined not to give the finalleft encourage ment to any alteration of the laws at prefent in force against Popery. And while his Grace thus gave the most ample affurances that could be given, that every idea of introducing a bill to repeal the penal laws against Papifts was laid a fide, he at the fame time animadverted, in pretty pointed terms, on the unconftitutional and riotous proceedings which lately took place in this country. [108.] A motion was made for an addrefs to the King; which was unanimously agreed to; and the committee appointed to prepare a draught of the answer to the King's letter, were appointed to prepare alfo a draught of the addrefs.

Friday, May 21. On report of a committee, the following minifters were appointed to lecture and preach in the forenoon, and to preach in the afternoon, before the Commiffioner, viz. Mr John Scotland of Linlithgow in the forenoon, and Mr Robert Foote of Fettercairn in the afternoon, of Sunday May 23. and Mr Alexander Mackie at Arbroath in the forenoon, and Mr James Fergufon at Dolphington, in the afternoon, of Sunday May 30.

Saturday, May 22. Draughts of the

answer to the King's letter, and of the addrefs, were prefented, read, approved of unanimously, fubfcribed by the Mo derator in the prefence of the affembly and, at their defire, the Commiffioner undertook to tranfmit them. The addrefs was prefented by the Viscount Weymouth, was received very graci oully, and appeared in the gazette May 29. viz.

"May it please your Majefty,

WE, your Majefty's most faithful fubjects, the Minifters and Elders of the Church of Scotland, met in National Affembly, beg leave to approach your throne with our refpectful congratulations upon the birth of another prince. While we rejoice in every event which augments) the domeftic felicity of a fovereign esdeared to his people by his amiable vir tues, we regard the increase of your Mi jefty's family as an additional fecurity to our religion and liberties; and we number, with much fatisfaction and thankfulness, the princes born in the Royal family, as raifed up by the Divine Providence to afford your subjects tie happy profpect of enjoying, through a courfe of ages, under the protection of your Majefty's defcendents, that full exercife of the Proteftant religion, and tho civil immunities, which the illuftrious Houfe of Hanover was called to maintain, and of which your Majesty has been the faithful guardian.

In this feafon of national exertion, and public alarm, we confider it as our duty to exprefs an inviolable attachment to your Majefty's perfon and government: And we are happy in being able to affare your Majefty, that the fame fentiments of duty and affection which we entertain, prevail amongst the people committed to our care. That loyalty which prompted the exertions lately made in this part of your Majefty's dominions for internal fecurity, and the fupport of the national honour, remains unthaken. The open affiftance given by the natural rivals and enemies of Great Britain to the reboot • colonies in North America, has united all ranks of men in zeal for the comman caufe. They rejoice in the fuccefs which attends your Majefty's arms in different quarters of the world; they confide in the wisdom and vigour of your Maicfty's councils; and they, trufting in the Almighty, look forward with the folicitude of good citizens, to a happy terminatica of the prefent commotions.

inftructions to their commiffion on this fubject: And they did, and hereby do, appoint the commiffion to watch over any fteps which may hereafter be taken for removing or weakening our legal fecurities against Popery; and that they may be able more effectually to attend to this object, the Affembly hereby authorise and appoint the moderator of the commiffion to call meetings pro re nata, as often as he fhall be required fo to do by any ten members of the commiffion. The General Affembly do further refolve to exert their most effectual endeavours, in order to provide for the better inftruction of the people in those corners of the church where Popery chiefly abounds, by increasing the number of flated paftors among them."

Wednesday, May 26. On reading the refolution of yesterday, a motion was made, and agreed to, to cause print 1000 copies of it, to be ready in two days, and to lie in the Society-hall, to be called for by the members of affembly, to be carried by them to their refpective places of abode, in order to quiet and fatisfy the minds of the people; and the clerks were authorised to furnish extracts of it to the publishers of the news papers. The refolution accordingly appeared in the news-papers, attefted thus: "Extracted from the records of Affembly, by JOHN DRYSDALE, Cl. Ecc. Scot."

This day were taken under confideration four petitions, of the donors for purchafing and building the meetinghoufe in Dunfermline occupied by the late Mr Thomas Gillespie, of the magiftrates and town-council, and of the guildry, of that borough, and of 118 heads of families, of the parish, appellants from fundry proceedings and fentences of the prefbytery of Dunfermline of May 5. & 12. 1779.-Our readers have feen the proceedings of five affemblies on this fubject already [40. 275.]. -A Cafe for the appellants, and an Information for the prefbytery, were printed, and diftributed. From these it appears, that the donors, &c. petitioned the prefbytery on the 7th of April 1779, propofing fpecifically, that the collections at the chapel fhould be difpofed of according to the laws now in being; the confideration of which petition the prefbytery delayed till their next meeting. The donors, &c. May 5. petitioned the prefbytery to grant the defire of their

petition of April 7. But as it appeared to the prefbytery, that that petition contained new matter, and differed from the petition of May 7. 1777 [39. 278.], remitted by the laft affembly [40. 274.], they refolved to take up the cause on the footing of the former petition, and ordered the clerk to return the petition of April 7. after writing on the back of it, "That it was produced and read in the prefbytery of Dunfermline, rejected, and returned." The donors, &c. appealed to the affembly.

The prefbytery, in support of their judgement, fay,

1. There is no occafion for an additional place of worship in Dunfermline. The appellants ftate the number of fouls at 9000. But this eftimate, though very much exaggerated, is a circumftance of no moment in the prefent queftion. The parish-church is large and capacious: and as Dunfermline was one of the ori ginal feats of feceffion, the number of Seceders make a very great proportion of the inhabitants: in the town there is one of the largest Burgher meeting-houses in Scotland, which is a collegiate charge, and filled with a vaft number of people in the town there is likewife the new Re lief meeting-house, which is filled with Mr Gillespie's congregation fince their expulfion from their former house by the power of thefe donors; and in the immediate neighbourhood, within the parish of Carnock, there is an Antiburgher meeting-house.

2. The number of people petitioning is too small to be indulged with a fepa rate house. The scheme of a chapel of eafe is the work of a small faction, who after the moft zealous canvass, carrying about their paper through every corner of the parish, and even into the neighbouring parishes, have been able to pra duce the names only of 102 perfons, or thereabout, and these not heads of families, but, in many cafes, as there reafon to believe, man, wife, child, man fervant, maid-servant, in the fame houfe,

[To the Cafe for the donors is fab joined their petition to the prefbytery) of April 7. 1779; and 110 names are fubfcribed to it; of whom the first and upwards of twenty more are female.]

3. The fcheme of a chapel of cafe in Dunfermline is contrary to the declared inclinations of both the minifters of the parish. The church of Scotland hath in the moft folemn manner, configned

into the hands of the Reverend Meff. Thomson and Fernie the spiritual charge of all the members of her communion within the parish of Dunfermline. They received this charge to be held in vitam out ad culpam, in terms of the known and ftated conftitutions of the church. While they continue to fulfil their part of this ordination-covenant, the church cannot, confiftently with good faith, recal any part of her grant; he cannot, confiftently with the great objects of her care, weaken the hands of her minifters in the work of the Lord. The church hath in no inftance hitherto incurred this guilt. In thofe few chapels which have been erected in Scotland, and where there was a real neceflity in the article of accommodation, the confent of the parifh minifters hath uniformly been regarded as an indifpenfable preliminary, without which no petition to that effect could ever be granted by a churchcourt.

4. The petitioners have declined to ex plain themselves concerning thofe terms which are neceffary to be afcertained before granting a chapel, even upon the fuppofition of the infufficiency of the parith-church. They engage to give fecurity for a yearly ftipend not less than sol. Sterling, only fo long as he shall continue to officiate in that congregation; and if the feats fhould not continue to fet, fo as to indemnify those who engage for it, the minifter may eafily be incommoded and ftarved out till he leave them, as already was the cafe with a Diffenting minifter they had brought there from England. Befides, the ftipend being of fered, not during the minifter's incumbency, but while he fhall continue to of ficiats; perhaps when he might be laid afide from officiating by age or infirmities, he might find himself without a ftipend when moft of all he stood in need of it.

5. To grant this chapel, would be to encourage schifm in the parish of Dun fermline.

6. To grant the defire of the petition in the prefent circumftances of the parifh of Dunfermline, would establish a precedent prejudicial to the interefts of religion, and fatal to the conftitution of the church of Scotland. The idea of the projected inftitution is fhortly this. A meeting-houfe, where no new place of worthip is needed, erected over the bellies of the minifters of the parish, under VOL. XLI.

the management of men in whom intereft and faction confpire to render them zealous in its fupport; to be filled with people drawn from the churches of the establishment; to be fupplied with a minifter to be elected by the people, and dependent upon the donors for the pitiful allowance of 50 1. per annum, while he continues to officiate, accountable to the donors alone for his life and doctrine, and removeable at their pleasure.- Such an erection would eftablish a precedent by which the ufefulness of the clergy may be deftroyed; by which the people, whom the legislature hath committed in their religious capacity to the care of a church which it knows and protects, are thrown loofe as a prey to a weak and independent priesthood; and a precedent, by which the conftitution of the church of Scotland is completely and finally unhinged. An established church is tiot fo trifling a thing in human affairs as to be thus wantonly overthrown. The weight of an established church in the interefts of government, was experienced with decifion in this kingdom, when a Popish pretender threatened the liberties of Britain. Had there been a regular church established by law in North America, peace and loyalty had to this day prevailed in the thirteen provinces. The clergy of independent congregations are the inftruments of fedition: an eftablifhed clergy are the minifters of peace. It is not very wife to deprive this kingdom of fo firm a political fupport, until the fuperior excellence of a fet of independent congregations is demonftrated, and the confent of the legislature obtained to refcind the Prefbyterian fyftem.

The donors, &c fay, That the body of people afking a chapel of eafe, are futficiently numerous, deferving, and respectable, to be indulged in their request.

The concurrence of the magiftrates and guildry, who must know the circumftances of the parish, and of the per fons ftanding in need of a chapel, affords the ftrongest testimony in its favour.

By the prefbytery's argument (conti nue they) however much the good of the parish of Dunfermline is interested in fending an affiftant to the minifters, there would be a guilt incurred by doing it againft their inclination. It is appre hended the guilt would be in with-holding one. We are taught to pray, that when the harveft is great, much to be reaped, much in danger to be loft, the Na

Lord