SCOTLAND.
The " second centenary of the rising of the memoraide Assembly of the Church of Scotland, held at Glasgow in 1635,- was celebrated at Glasgow on the 20th instil:it. The Lord Provost, Councillors, Magis- trates, the Presbytery, clergymen, " preachers." students. and citizens. went in solemn procession to the High Church, where a sermon was delivered by Dr. Muir, of St. Stephen's, Edinburgh, 3lotlerator of the General Assembly. In the evening, about five hundred persons dined together in the Trades' hIall ; and two hundred more, who dined in a side-room, were admitted into the hall after dinner. 3Ir. leury Dunlop. Lord Provost. presided ; and amongst the party were Dr. Chalmers. Dr. Brown, Sir C. I). Fergus-soh, Mr. Campbell of Monzie, Dr. M.Gill, Mr. 3laitlattd Makgill, 3IlLeod, and Dr. Paterson. Dr. Chalmers returned thanks after dinner, and the Hundredth Psalm was sung. The Queen's health was received with ,lac respect bat that of -her Majesty's 3Enis- ters" was drunk amidst " some lausliter."The sp,,d),s wen, to have consisted chiefly of email-amid:tee attneks upon Popety and Episcupse;, to which the general company listened with mach impatience. The Reverend Mr. Lorimer declaimed in the following fashion against Epis- copacy— " I cannot shut my eyes to the fact, that 3,a matter of history the Cloweh of Scotland was reformed, not as some ignorant advocates of Episcopacy inmeine. from the Church of England, hut came forth directly from the Church of Rome; and that therefore the thrustiag of Episcopacy upon her by dames and his unhappy son, was an act of the gross, st usurpation, and ithich was more- over carried into effect by the most jesuitiettl, and violent means. I can- not turget that the Bishops were deposedby our noble-minded ancestors of 163S, in:cause their Mike had no authority in St ripture. because they hod been
the greatest instruments in the hands of the king in oppressing the people, and because many of them were also noturiou, for unsound doctrines, Popish lean- ings, and immoral life. Yes, Illy Lord, they and their Ch!lrell were not '111111- getlinv, the native, the cherished growth of the Scottish soil. No; the:n we -re like a miserable party of titreigners, without any li 11 on, or sympathy in tim country—put forth as mere puppets, couvenient tools, to serve the purposes of a domineering Crown."
He represented the Episcopalians as a small minority in the Christian Church- " It would be well fur such persons to remember that Epitcopacy embratas bus a sinall number Qt. the Cbtashes of the Protestant Reformation. Who were the Waldenses, those noble men who throughout the dark reign of Popery kept alive the flames of pure religion, and thus fulfilled the :Masters promise of perpetual presence inn his Church ? They w ere Presbyterian. What was the Protestant Unwell of France ? STae was strictly Presbyterian. What were the Protestant Churches of Holland. and Switzerland. and Germany—so remarkable for the eminent learn- ing of many of their ministers—a learning which Episcopal England is not asienned to borrow ? They were, they are, Presbyterian. What is ths Church of the only peaceful province of Ireland? anti what is by far 11.•• most eminent anti influential Chord: of the United States of .kinerica—.1 Church which has recently vindicated her discipline. by cutting oil Iittecn lit:- sound Congregational Presbyteries at a stroke? They are both Pre,hyteriee. Nay, more. Sir, who were the men to whom England, and her religioa and ii her- ties were, in the seventeenth century. so deeply indebted: They were the Presbyterian Noncontitrmists—the Church Establishment men—the dv-pised Puritans of England. The truth is. that the Church of England stands affiss; alone in her Episcopacy. I say it ..vithout any disrespect—she is no au curs,'. among the daughters of the Reformation; pad, high as some of her modcro advocates may talk of their peculiar and exeinsive privileges—the Refort tiers of their Church—the moral heroes of the age tie Edward the Sixth, with whom the Newmansand the ReItles, and the Posey, of the present times are not to be named—would have been ashannsi of their modern descendants. and ,nuld have disowned them as apostates. Nev. r did they dream of unelowelting the Protestant Church of Scotland. No tiny were glad to harm ti iii her—they envied her high reformation—they entbraeyd her with the affection of a sister— they would almost have died tar her principles."
The Reverend Dr. Buchanan of tile Tron Church. Glasgow. pro- posed •' The Union of Church and State upon the principle of the Church of Scotland." lie (lid not spare the Church of England- " Snell is the Erastian character of the tuition between Chard! and state which exists in the Southern halt' of this island. that the essential power of in- ternal government and legislation cannot be said to be p",•es-ed at ell. Tibrir Convocation or Church .‘,,evoldy. has not met tie church busine- for more than a hundred years. And were it CO:1,1.1i,..1. to-morrow, in the first place it Cannot meet without the Royal I; .eenee ; is the second plaee, ware it east. it cannot even enter with a view to etmet any room, without an express per- mission granted under the Great Seal ; itt the third place. were all these per- missions obtained, it cannot ewes promulgate the canon v.iThout the Ho; al sanction obtained once more. It is thus hedged in at so cry step by the Royal prerogative ; and the Church in consequence is powerless men for the exercise of discipline over its own members. The right even of deposiug her own ministers is vested in lay officials ; and admission to the Lord's Supper is held to be a civil privilege, enforcible by law. Let no one suppose that I no:Litho' these things with a view to disparage the Church of England. We all know, and I rejoice to know, how much of the spirit of Christ there is in her, notwithstand- ing the shackles site bag improperly consented to wear. But I mention these things to show the importance of the union between Church and State being settled on it sound mum Scriptural basis. 1 know there are multitudes in the Church of England—both clergy and laity—who envy us the power of free internal government and legislation, which we as a church enjoy ; and I trust that the time may not he distant when they too may obtain that liberty in spiritual things with which Christ has made us free."
Dr. Paterson said-
" The people knew the natural !adorn of die Beast; and thv could recognize lase crouching au his muffled paw, us well as in his rampant mar, vexing, tear- ing, and tormenting. They were not to he taken by his gentle look; and the only safety was to see him out of the Wad; and to see nut also a comtptell Episeupary, which had sheltered and disguised him. They had learned, too, that even on the bare heads of Presbyters the mitre was apt to bud so long as Bishops were amougst them. The love of filthy lucre corrupted some ; and on such heads the mitre budded. not like a dower that blushes unseen., but like mushroom!, that sprout large in one night on decayed thither. The h.tivit y to this corruption was enlightened. It was dirt-001 not against the life ofthe offenders, but sickly to the remwal of the ;donee; and the Bishops were all gnu rid of without shedding tine drop of Mood. or miler ii jury. save their flight in dishabille. (Great cherriny.) The desigm too. of all that was attempted was to estahiiSh, in room ofthat which was disailaced. a permanent and abetter light" Dr. Chalmer% who g!),Ilie toward. the Intl sr part of the evening, adverted to his own flays of sin and Iffin,hase_ " It is now upwar,14 of twent---three nu l colne to tae a sojourner and a labourer in vour city, frr.,m the other side of the island : and the first err!, siastical peentiarity that struck me, as di-Tin.A!liatz new neighhour- hood from Inv old., was the excessive length of you,- senotets,—witich. I frankly confess, I did not altogether like ; and I renumber hiving not been many weeks itt the place. when 1 :Mewled. a pultiic meeting alofig with. tine or the ;:r,.,test lights of your city. the venerahle Dr. Baffisur. He and I were to ba speakers on the oecasion : and he asiked me I eforeleoal if my "paTell wait to he It lone one. I replied. you know very well I dislike the longitude of the West ; on Which he replied, with all the promptirtle and 'toot-humour which chrt- rwterized my rev, read triend, • T.C-ie care tit you 'do not give its nay of the of the East.'" The facetious Doctor then proassaled to deliver a commentary on the toast '• Union with Seceders. adhering to the constitulion and standard of the Church of Scotland."
The other speeches do not present noticeable features.
At Elialmrgh. on the cull.! char, :1 " smaller scale. War, got up. There w:e: the Assemble Roams. Sir Ceoram ocis; attd he was ',up- ported by Sir Andrew Sir .1. :s1 r. Earle Monteith. Mr. J. Moneriefti and Mr. Mi lrie. We give an extract from one of the speeches. The Reverend .1. t Brown said- '. It was monstrous to contend that the civil ruler should be the head of the
church. NVIty. the supreme cird p over Toi,,ht be in tie had/.. 14.a.f.
mai were ten g to submit to r/ ((Yu ris N tine l'010.0111:10110 that IL! 11101:It to te,y- weed :1:,ainst theale_irtnee hi.-71 to her Majesty. lie IrtI sworn prod !!!!'e to her. i,ml 11.1t oath Le yo' 1I .14 Bat It: was speaking of a woman'is srbte rid: in Paul had de-
clared he would not suffer a Willa 1. a:Il !, timt 41e
was to regulate them iii Inatter., of reli;aal Ile • said that /I/ t 'a 1-, • •
Previous page
