time alluded to, began to be held inconsistent with the constitution of the Church, and with that subordination of the inferior Courts to the General Assembly, which was essential to its character and existence;-and in the year 1751, the practice of appointing" Riding Committees,” as they were called, was discontinued.

In the month of November of that year, the Commission of Assembly ordered the Presbytery of Dunfermline, which had already been guilty of disobeying the orders of their superior Courts, to admit Mr Richardson as minister at Inverkeithing, intimating to them, at the same time, that, in case of their continued contumacy, the Commission would proceed, at their next meeting in March following, to a very high censure. The Presbytery again disobeyed; and yet the Commission suffered their conduct to pass with impunity. Against that decision of the Commission the celebrated Principal Robertson dissented, and brought the conduct of the Commission under review in the General Assembly 1752; and such was the force of his argument, that the Supreme Court reversed the sentence of the Commission, and issued a peremptory injunction on the Presbytery of Dunfermline to effect the settlement, enjoining every member of Presbytery to attend on that occasion, five to be a quorum, and to report their obedience to the Assembly then sitting. When the members of Presbytery returned, they reported that, of their whole number, only three had attended; and that not being a quorum, as appointed in the remit, they could not carry its orders into effect.

Mr Thomas Gillespie, minister of Carnock, and five of his brethren who had absented themselves, and thus disobeyed the peremptory injunctions of the Supreme Court, were summoned to the bar of the Assembly. Mr Gillespie was deposed, although he pleaded conscientious scruples; and the others were subjected to various measures of censure, &c.; and Mr Gillespie's deposition gave rise to the Relief Church, which he and two other clergymen soon

after originated,*—the epithet Relief being assumed as indicating that this class of Dissenters would be relieved from the law of patronage.

It is not necessary to our purpose to inquire whether this sentence was requisite in all its severity, although, after so many repeated acts of contumacy, it is difficult to discover what other course the Assembly could have followed, in order to vindicate its authority, and ensure that obedience and subordination of the inferior Courts which were essential to the maintenance of its fundamental principles from the first establishment in 1592. The Assembly had no option, but either to enforce its authoritative injunctions by an exemplary act of severity in this instance of aggravated contumacy, or to recognise the privilege of every minister within its pale, on a pretext of conscientious scruples, to assert practically the doctrine of independency, in violation of his ordination-engagements "to assert, maintain, and defend the doctrines, discipline, and government of the Church, and never to attempt any thing, directly or indirectly, which may tend to its subversion or prejudice."

But, whatever may be thought of this act of the Assembly 1752, it cannot be denied, that the Relief Church was based primarily upon the principle, that although it assumed the Presbyterian form, and the doctrine and discipline of the Established Church, yet it recognised such a latitude to its clerical members as warranted them in disobeying, or at least evading the injunctions of its several judicatories, whenever individuals chose to plead conscientious scruples; for, unless that be a fundamental principle of their Church, it is difficult to discover wherein they differ from the Establishment, except in the particular of patronage. It is held that the Relief Body took its rise, not from

Act of Assembly, 1752. Stuart's Life of Principal Robertson. Sir H. Moncreiff Wellwood's Brief Account of the Established Church of Scotland. Adams's Religious World Displayed. Smith's Historical Sketches of the Relief Church.

the law of patronage simply, but from the mode of carrying that law into effect.*

Besides the latitude thus deducible from the very origin of this dissent, there are other elements to be found in their usages, which imply a very considerable extent of discretion in their several ministers and congregations; for they allow their members" to join in any other society of sound Presbyterians, where the speaker is known to be orthodox, of good report, and regularly called to the ministry;" they admit to communion, not only Presbyterians, but Christians of every denomination, who" as far as they can judge, have a competent measure of knowledge, are sound in the faith, and unblameable in their lives, though not their followers:" and their Synod has determined "that it is agreeable to the principles of the Synod of Relief, to hold communion with visible saints in the Episcopalian and Independent Churches.”+ A Church thus composed may therefore, without any breach of charity, or any violence of logic, be deemed rather a friendly communion of independent congregations, allowing large discretionary powers to their several ministers and congregations, than a rigid ecclesiastical corporation, fettered by strict rules of government and established laws of a binding and restrictive nature, which may not be deviated from in

Adams.

+ Edinburgh, May 27, 1773.-" A motion was made by Mr Cowan, to know the mind of the meeting on the subject of holding Christian and Ministerial Communion with those of the Episcopalian and Independent persuasions, and with those who are unsound in the essentials of Christian faith, known particularly by their publications to the world. With respect to the last of these, the meeting unanimously agreed, that their principles did not allow them to hold communion with them. But with respect to the other,-Christian and Ministerial Communion occasionally with those of the Episcopalian and Independ ent persuasions,-the meeting, being of different opinions, put it to the vote, Hold communion with those of the Episcopalian and Independent persuasions occasionally, upon the supposition always that they are by profession visible saints, or not?' The roll being called, and votes marked, it carried, nemine contradicente, HOLD COMMUNION WITH THEM; and therefore the meeting find it agreeable to the principles of Relief to hold communion occasionally with such."— Vide the Records of the Relief Synod.

one iota without subjecting the contraveners to expulsion, or at least to censure.

We have given this sketch of the nature of the Relief Church, and of its principles and usages, because a reference to these, independently of other considerations, enters very materially into the question, how far the Relief Synod acted in conformity to their avowed principles, in the proceedings which they adopted in regard to Mr Johnston and his congregation in 1829; for assuredly, if a pastor of a Relief Church may, on his own judgment and discretion, admit to his pulpit and communion-table all classes of Presbyterians, -Episcopalians,-Independents,-it is no great stretch of that discretionary power to adopt any innocent auxiliary to public worship that is common in congregations of all these denominations, in a Church which thus opens its doors and its ordinances to all sincere and devout worshippers. But this topic we lay aside, and proceed to state, from authentic documents, the circumstances connected with the obnoxious innovation which led to Mr Johnston's renunciation of the Relief Synod.

The organ was first used in the Roxburgh Place Chapel on Sabbath, the 18th day of January 1829;—and, as used in that chapel, it was an unquestionable improvement on the church-music in that congregation, every member of which joined in " the voice of psalms," so that it did not supersede, but guided and harmonized in a very striking degree, the full swell of vocal praise. This was universally felt by the congregation and all who ever attended divine service in the chapel, amongst whom no one complained of it as an unscriptural or unseemly innovation. But whatever were the merits or demerits of the organ, Mr Johnston had little concern in it. The proposal emanated from some worthy members of the congregation, and the management and the expense of it were sustained by a liberal subscription among themselves; but Mr Johnston had no particular taste for music, and, after mature consideration,

he could discover no valid ground of objection to the proposal, and acquiesced in the wishes of his flock.

This change, however, was not long uninterrupted. A system of opposition was speedily set on foot by the very persons who have since that time taken an active share in a more widely-extended system of innovation.

The first movement of this opposition took place in the College Street Relief Chapel, on 4th February 1829, when a meeting was held, and certain resolutions adopted, and a memorial in terms and in the spirit of these resolutions was brought before the Relief Presbytery of Edinburgh, on the 7th of April following. A similar meeting was held by the members of the James's Place and Brighton Street Chapels, who adopted resolutions and a memorial of the same tenor, which were also presented to the Presbytery on the same occasion; and a system of general agitation, of a similar character, was fomented by a correspondence with persons in the Relief Connexion in various districts of the country.

These unprecedented modes of proceeding became known

• Resolutions of the meeting in College Street Chapel, 4th February 1829.-1. That this meeting regard the introduction of instrumental music into the public worship of God as not only unauthorized by the New Testament Scriptures, and the Directory of Worship annexed to the Confession of Faith, and conformed to by the Relief Body, but highly inexpedient, being calculated to injure the feelings of pious individuals, and occasion in churches murmurings, contentions, and divisions.-2. That this meeting consider it their duty, and that of every congregation in communion with the Relief Synod, to come forward on the present emergency, and by a temperate but firm declaration of their sentiments, make it publicly known that they are resolved to abide by the Scriptural Presbyterian forms of worship; for the maintenance of which many of their forefathers shed their precious blood.-3. That this meeting do therefore resolve to memorialize the Relief Presbytery of Edinburgh, and, if necessary, the Synod, praying them to adopt such measures as they in their wisdom may deem necessary for the preservation of order in the worship of God, and unity of affection among the churches under their inspection.-4. That this meeting appoint a committee to prepare a memorial, embodying the sentiments expressed in the foregoing resolutions, and to present the same to the Presbytery and Synod.-5. That copies of these resolutions be transmitted to the congregations in connexion with the Synod.

The resolutions of the meetings in James's Place and Brighton Street were of a similar import.