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tnem. The questions, which were delivered to them in writing, were twelve in number, and referred to the different topics alluded to in the representation. They were the following:

1. Whether are there any precepts in the gospel that were not actually given before the gospel was revealed?

2. Is not the believer now bound, by the authority of the Creator, to personal obedience to the moral law, though not in order to justification ?

3. Doth the annexing of a promise of life, and a threatening of death, to a precept, make it a covenant of works?

4. If the moral law, antecedent to its receiving the form of a covenant of works, had a threatening of hell annexed to it? 5. If it be peculiar to believers to be free of the commanding power of the law as a covenant of works?

6. If a sinner, being justified, has all things at once that are necessary for salvation? And if personal holiness, and progress in holy obedience, is not necessary to a justified person's possession of glory, in case of his continuing in life after his justification?

7. Is preaching the necessity of a holy life in order to the obtaining of eternal happiness of dangerous consequence to the doctrine of free grace?

8. Is knowledge, belief, and persuasion, that Christ died for me, and that he is mine, and that whatever he did and suffered he suffered for me, the direct act of faith, whereby a sinner is united to Christ, interested in him, instated in God's covenant of grace? Or, is that knowledge or persuasion included in the very essence of that justifying act of faith?

9. What is that act of faith by which a sinner appropriates Christ and his saving benefits to himself?

10. Whether the revelation of the divine will in the word, affording a warrant to offer Christ unto all, and a warrant to all to receive him, can be said to be the Father's making a deed of gift and grant unto all mankind? Is this grant made to all mankind by sovereign grace? And whether is it absolute or conditional?

11. Is the division of the law, as explained and applied in the Marrow, to be justified? and can it not be rejected without burying several gospel truths?

12. Is the hope of heaven, and fear of hell, to be excluded from the motives of believers' obedience? And if not, how can the Marrow be defended, that expressly excludes them, though it should allow other motives ?

Some of the brethren demurred to the answering of these questions, as they thought that the proposing of them, in the circumstances of the case, was an undue mode of procedure,

and calculated to ensnare; others, however, were clear that, whatever should be the consequences, the questions ought to be answered, as it would afford them an opportunity of vindicating the truth. It was, therefore, agreed by them, after some consultation, that the questions should be received and answered under a protest, that " their condescension herein shall not be constructed as an approbation of this method of proceeding, nor be improven as a precedent."

The answers were prepared by Mr. Ebenezer Erskine and Mr. Wilson of Maxton, and were given in to the commission in March 1722, but they do not appear ever to have been laid before the Assembly, which gave occasion to their being printed and published very soon after. They are long and elaborate, and somewhat tedious withal; but they discover a profound knowledge of the system of revealed truth, as well as an intimate acquaintance with the theological controversies of the day; and the person who shall not think it too great a tax upon his time and his patience to peruse them, will find himself amply repaid by the clear exposition, and the excellent defence, which he shall therein find of the doctrine of free grace.

A termination was put to this business by the Assembly, which met in May 1722, passing an act explaining and modifying their former one, though retaining the most obnoxious parts of it. They strictly prohibited all ministers, under pain of the censures of the church, from teaching, either publicly or privately, by writing, printing, preaching, catechising, or in any other way, the positions condemned; and they charged the several presbyteries and synods, and the commission, to take particular care that this injunction be punctually observed by all ministers and members of the church, and more especially the presbyteries and synods within whose bounds any of the brethren, who signed the representation, might reside. They farther ordained, that these brethren be rebuked and admonished by the moderator, on account of injurious reflections contained in their representation; and, at the same time, it was declared that their conduct deserved a higher censure, but that the Assembly forbore to inflict it, in the hope that lenity exercised toward them would excite them to a more dutiful behaviour in time to come.

The brethren appeared at the bar of the Assembly, and were rebuked and admonished by the Moderator; but foreseeing what would take place, they had previously prepared and subscribed a protest, which one of their number was appointed to present. Accordingly, no sooner were the admonition and

* Mr. Bonar being prevented by indisposition from attending, his name is not appended either to the protest, or to the answers to the queries.

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rebuke administered, than Mr. Kidd presented the protest in the name of himself and his brethren. But the Assembly would neither read it nor allow it to lie on the table, but quickly terminated the sederunt.* In this document, the representers, after enumerating the different steps which had been taken in this business, and briefly stating their objections to the proceedings of the Assembly, protests, That they dare not, in any manner of way, no, not by silence, consent unto, nor approve of, the acts relative unto this matter; and that it shall be lawful for them, agreeably to the word of God, and the standards of doctrine aforesaid in this church, to profess, preach, and still bear testimony unto, the truths condemned, or otherwise injured by the said acts of Assembly, notwithstanding the said acts, or whatsoever shall follow thereupon. On the afternoon, when the Assembly were to meet to give a final decision in the matter, a dreadful tempest of thunder and hail took place, by which the meeting of the Assembly was delayed for a considerable time. This was considered by many as a visible manifestation of the displeasure of heaven against the "black work” in which they were to be engaged. One of the supporters of the Marrow, speaking of this storm, says, "I well remember, with what serenity of mind, and comfort of heart, I heard the thunder of that day, the most terrible thunder-clap being just about three o'clock. It made impression on many as heaven's testimony against their deed they were then appointed to do, though in this (he wisely adds) it is not for me to determine."

The controversy concerning the Marrow excited a great ferment among the people; and the effects which it produced did not pass away when the controversy ceased. Indeed, few controversies have been carried on within the Church of Scotland which have been productive of more important or more lasting consequences. One of the more direct results of it was, that the attention of the ministers throughout the Church was more immediately turned to those grand and leading doctrines which formed the chief topics of discussion; and a line of separation, which gradually became broader and broader, began at this time to be drawn betwixt the ministers themselves, according to the sentiments which they entertained on these controverted points, and according to the side which they espoused in the ecclesiastical courts. Many of the ministers acquired clearer and more enlarged views of the system of revealed truth; the doctrine of free grace was better understood, and more faithfully preached by them; and their ministrations among the people were attended with a greater degree of success: while there were others among them who, that they might be as far removed as pos

• Boston's Memoirs.

This was the hour at which the Assembly was appointed to meet.

B

sible from the obnoxious sentiments of the Marrow-men, became more decidedly, as well as more avowedly, Arminian in their style of preaching. The gospel of Christ was exchanged by them for rationalism; and more of their time was spent in the pulpit in declaiming against what they called the antinomianism of the Marrow, than in preaching salvation through the blood of Christ. This empty declamatory mode of preaching prevailed chiefly among the younger divines, who, being newly sent forth from the universities, and being afraid that their literary attainments, and their intellectual acumen, might be called in question, should they be found ranking on the same side with such men as Boston, Hog, and the Erskines, thought that the best method of displaying their zeal and their learning, and of introducing themselves to the notice of their superiors, would be to declaim against antinomianism, and to make their discourses as rational and philosophical as possible.

The party spirit which the Marrow controversy kindled, was not confined to one district of the church. It pervaded, less or more, almost all the synods and presbyteries, though it raged more furiously in some than in others. From the zeal which some of the ministers displayed in suppressing the Marrow doctrines, it seemed as if they considered that the existence of their church, and even of religion itself, depended on the suppression of them. In some quarters, the zeal which was displayed in calling to account the abettors of these doctrines, was as great as that which was displayed against the supporters even of popery and of infidelity. The following statement is made by one who took an active part in the proceedings of that period:-"'Tis the manner of some of your synods, I'm also told, to ask at presbyteries, when to be removed for privy censures, if any in their bounds commends or recommends the Marrow. I don't mind to have read, that ever your church ordered so narrow a scrutiny about any book, besides the acts of the Council of Trent on the back of your Reformation from popery. We have been much diverted with the story of a zealous divine with you, who, when this matter came first to be spoken of in his synod, rose up and asked once and again, Moderator, are we to preach against it? And, though one of his brethren pulled him by the sleeve, desiring him to sit down, for there was no need of such questions; he still insisted, and at length said, Moderator, I have done it already, and I would know if I have done well, Yea, or No.'

**

It would be an act of injustice, however, to the memory of many good men, to affirm that all who united together in condemning the Marrow, were influenced by hostility to the

*Letter to a gentleman at Edinburgh, a ruling elder of the Church of Scotland, &c.-P. 32.

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truth. This was far from being the case. There were amongst them many excellent persons, whose piety and orthodoxy were unquestionable, and who, from conscientious motives, opposed the sentiments maintained by the Marrow-men, because they considered them unscriptural, and calculated to injure the interests of sound morality. Though it must be admitted, that the book which gave rise to this controversy, contains in it startling positions, and unguarded expressions, yet it contains in it also (what the title of it imports) the very marrow of gospel truth; and those persons who attempted to fasten upon it, and upon its defenders, the charge of antinomianism, certainly acted under mistaken views, and carried their opposition to an unreasonable length.

Another of the direct consequences which resulted from the agitation of this question, was the more extensive diffusion, among the people, of sound views of scripture doctrine. The condemning of the Marrow, by the Assembly, and the alarm sounded against it from many pulpits, had quite an opposite effect from what was intended.*

The condemned book was eagerly sought after by the multitude, who perused it with avidity; and, in the greater number of instances, became converts to the opinions which it inculcated. The press also teemed with controversial pamphlets, written, some of them, by the ablest ministers of the church, in which the peculiar doctrines of the gospel were brought prominently forward into notice. These had an extensive circulation among the people; and while they imparted to them clearer and more enlarged views of the gospel system, they tended, at the same time, to produce in them a relish for evangelical preaching. The current of popular opinion ran strongly in favour of those ministers who espoused the Marrow doctrines. Their sacramental occasions were attended by crowds,† many of whom came from a considerable dis

"I'm told (says the writer of the Letter already quoted), a worthy divine, who spent some of his time at one of our universities, bestowed several Sabbaths on the Marrow; holding forth the many damnable errors in the book, and beseeching his dear people, as they tendered the safety of their souls, to be aware of it. Now, this happening ere his people had either seen or heard of the Marrow, they were mightily alarmed, and had much discourse among themselves on that subject, but could not agree upon the true name. Some alleged it was the Marrow of Morality; but they were corrected by others, who told them it was the Mother of Divinity: and many names, less proper than either of these, were offered, scarce two of them agreeing on the same title. However, they were all of them very desirous to see the book."

The writer of the Antinomianism of the Marrow Detected, complains that "there are not a few who turn their backs upon communions in Edinburgh, or the suburbs thereof, and choose, at the very same precise time, to attend them, perhaps at the distance of a day's journey, as if the efficacy of ordinances were to proceed from ministers who distinguish themselves by some singular opinions."