ed to embrace the doctrine of scripture, and who are convinced of the perspicuity which, on this point, scripture exhibits; to whom it is that pas'sive obedience, and non-resistance,' on the christian's part is due; and by what means it is, that the authority which claims our passive obedience and 'non-resistance,' is either originally obtained, or successively conveyed? These are topics however on which scripture is wholly silent. Scripture speaks indeed of God's anointed:' It speaks of Cæsar,' of the powers that be,' of the higher powers,' of rulers,' as the ministers of God to us for good,' of kings, and all in authority,' of the king as su'preme,' and of governors sent by him.' Nay, scripture describes the nature of the kingly office, and the extent of our social and political duties. But scripture gives no mark of distinction to ascertain, in any case of disputed succession, him, whom the King of Kings and Lord of Lords recognizes; and seems to me to leave the ascertaining of this to some human method of discovery. Nor is primitive example more likely to solve our doubts on this point; since primitive example is wholly irrelevant to the decision of questions, which have arisen from the manifold changes and chances to which, in these latter days, thrones, dominions, principalities and powers,' have been, and are yet daily subjected.

It is no part of my present design to enlarge on this topic, much less to adduce the history of our

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church, and the public and private sufferings of its clergy, in times past, in proof of what may be endured, in this respect, for conscience-sake. It seemed good to a wise unerring providence, when temptation' to renounce their allegiance was thrown in the way of the bishops and clergy of the established episcopal church of Scotland, to give them grace to withstand it; and, with the temptation also, to make a way,' for them, to escape' the utter extinction of their order. It becomes us, then, who have succeeded, or whose ambition it is, in due time, to succeed to the truly honourable office of ministring,' as they did, in holy things,' to bless God, for having permitted his church, in this nation, to be persecuted, but not forsaken,' cast down, but not destroyed; and, for our own parts, to shew, by every word and action of our lives, that

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we look not at the things which are sten, but at 'the things which are not seen; for the things 'which are seen are temporal, but the things which " are not seen are eternal.

I cannot well conclude the subject in hand, without discussing the nature of that connection with the state, which has so long subsisted; and, where the state is a christian state and supports the church, which ought to subsist between the church and the state. Unquestionably the church of Rome has gone lengths, immoderately far beyond the lengths which it had the least shadow of right to go, in exempting what Romanists are pleased to call the church,

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that is, clerical persons of all ranks, from any subjection to the civil magistrate; and, in making degradation, which is with this church, in this restricted sense, a punishment merely optional, an adequate punishment for any crime, however atrocious, which persons in the priesthood could commit. Nor is this all; for the same church expressly prohibits the laity of its communion from obeying the civil magistrate, if he shall interfere in the least with the provisions of the ecclesiastical law. Nay, what crowns the Romanist's system of blind presumption, the Pope is held to possess the power of deposing kings at pleasure, of absolving subjects from their allegiance, and of modelling governments after any form or forms which he shall think expedient. These antisocial, and highly uncharacteristic claims, the Romish church is itself aware, are no part of the authority which it can be said to derive from Christ, who never authorised such claims, nor from St Peter, who never pretended to them; and I flatter myself that, with men of discernment, they require no other refutation than simply to be mentioned. The fallacy, under which they are imposed, is of the most impudent and absurd description; and the nature of the doctrines, when imposed, of the most pernicious, nay ruinous tendency.

The church of England, on the other hand, the first, regularly episcopal, church of the reformation, and hence well denominated its bulwark,' has been, by a host of sectarian enemies, accused of teaching

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doctrines of a very opposite tendency indeed-doctrines which, it is alleged, would sink the church, not in, but beneath the state, by clothing the British monarch with the pompous title of Head of the 'church. Would such ignorant and railing accusers consult the period of British history, when this title was first given, they would see the folly of inveighing against the church of England on this ground, because those, who first bestowed this invidious appellation, still retained their adherence to the Pope, and avowed their acknowledgement of his supremacy; and, would these objectors now consult the ⚫ articles of religion,' and the declarations' of the sovereigns of these realms, they would find that the title, Head of the Church,' has been long since dropped; and that the king's majesty' lays claim to no other prerogative, as supreme governor of 'the church within his dominions,' than that of ruling all estates and degrees committed to his charge by God, and of restraining, with the civil sword, the stubborn and evil doers' of every description, clergymen, as well as laymen.

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At its last legal settlement, in 1661, the episcopal church of Scotland was laid under several disagreeable restrictions, chiefly owing to the misconduct of those numerous usurpers of the clerical of- . fice, who had started up at that troublesome period; and accordingly these restrictions were enforced or withdrawn as times and circumstances required. But, on the parliamentary abolition of that legal settle

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settlement, about one hundred and twenty years ago, the bond of connexion which before subsisted between the church and state, in this part of the kingdom, was dissolved; and the episcopal church of Scotland has thereby reverted to the original foundation of the church catholic; on which foundation, uncherished and unprotected, but now happily tolerated, by the state, it humbly reposes, confiding in the support and protection of the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls; whose spiritual commission, and spiritual authority, it has (and may it ever have) the honour to bear-being a commission and authority not derived from the secular power, and therefore not to be extinguished or transferred by that power. At the same time, I, for my own part, and I believe I speak the language of my spiritual Fathers and brethren at large, do most steadily and sincerely acknowledge myself to be, as a good and loyal subject, bound in conscience by the laws of the realm, and amenable to the cognizance of the state, in my clerical capacity, as far as the good of Society and the preservation of the public morals are concerned—even to the length of being, in all such cases, passively obedient and non-resisting :' since, in my firm and unalterable belief, passive obedience and non-resistance,' although not many 'wise men, after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,' are of my belief, is the never to be relinquished doctrine of scripture, and the surest cement of social order. It is therefore the doctrine, of all others most becoming the ambassador for Christ,

when