touching the present duty of rulers and legislators, who are members of "the Church," in reference to the Scottish Establishment. Let us see how Mr. Gladstone deals with it.

"If, then, unity be a principle of the Church, and the Church a part of religion, ought governments voluntarily to surrender as unimportant any such part, however to fleshly perceptions it be separable from the essence? It would appear, certainly not. The great fact still remains applicable to the Scottish Church and its participation in the connection with the State, that it involves a breach of the principle of unity in the body. How then, it may be asked, are we justified in continuing to support it? in recognising its extension, both at home and throughout the colonies?

The difficulty is great, but the answer appears to me to be this. It has become matter of law, and of compact and good faith by the law as such. To this extent it may be said, fieri non debuit, factum valet. As individuals, those who hold the unity of the body, are bound to endeavour to restore the apostolical system in the national estate of religion for Scotland; and, for that end, TO USE EVERY FAIR MEANS OF PROCURING THE ALTERATION OF THE LAW. But the Act of Union with Scotland recites an act of the Scottish Parliament, establishing the Church with its Presbyterian discipline, and requiring of the sovereign an oath to maintain it; and it makes the observance of this act a fundamental and essential condition of the Union. Thus it has become a part of the nation's organic life, and, as a part thereof, still under the same contract, it claims that we shall fulfil, on its behalf, all that belongs to a national establishment."Pp. 242, 243.

Mr. Gladstone, it thus appears, has, as a Member of Parliament and of the Queen's Government, one duty to perform towards the Church of Scotland, and, as a private individual, another. In the former capacity, he is bound to respect the Treaty of Union between the kingdoms, and, passing from his churchmanship, to support our Presbyterian discipline: in the latter, it is equally incumbent on him to give full way to his Episcopalian predilections, and "to endeavour to restore the apostolical system in the national estate of religion for Scotland; and, for that end, to use every fair means of procuring the alteration of the law." Doubtless it will be the study of Mr. Gladstone to fulfil, to the utmost of his power, the somewhat discordant duties which, in his own view, now devolve upon him. That he has not been, and is not, unmindful of the duty of "endeavouring to restore the apostolical system" to the ascendancy among us, the circumstance that he was one of the first projectors, and is perhaps the most powerful friend, of the Scottish

Episcopal College, may be held decisively to prove ;* and that he does not despair of success, that his hopes are high of procuring the "necessary alteration of the law," and of substituting, ere long, Episcopacy for Presbytery in "the national estate of religion for Scotland," may be drawn from the following language, which he addressed to a meeting of the Scottish Episcopal Church Society, held in Edinburgh on the 1st of December, 1840 :

"I am one of those who can find many consolations under our present circumstances. It is difficult for mortal man to anticipate the course of events. Yet I cannot but cherish the belief that this Church has an important mission confided to her. I cannot venture to conjecture what her destiny for the next half-century may be. Yet I feel that it will be as distinct from the destiny of the last half-century, as that was from the destiny of the preceding half-century of legal suspicion and proscription. It is said indeed by some, that Episcopacy is a plant that can take no root in Scotland. So far as I have looked into the history of Scotland, I must say that I am not convinced of the truth of that statement. Let me see Episcopacy tried on its own merits, and then I will abide by the issue. But when Episcopacy was mixed up with civil or secondary considerations, it did not stand on its own merits. It is well known that among the rich and noble of the land a large proportion are adherents of our Church; but it is supposed that there is something in Episcopacy peculiarly repugnant to the common people. But the nature of the people of Scotland is human nature; and the nature of Episcopacy is, if our belief be sound, according to the nature of that scheme which God has ordained to redeem human nature. And let us not be told that it will not take root in the soil of this land, if it be indeed a plant which God hath planted. We are not left in this matter to consider mere general probabilities, or to rely upon such anticipations as faith might suggest, but the evidence we would entertain is that afforded by a number of cheering indications. Enough has already transpired, since the foundation of this Society, to render it impossible for any man to veňture upon saying, at this moment, to what extent Episcopacy is cherished in the hearts of Scotsmen."-Scottish Ep. Ch. Society's Report for 1840, Appendix, pp. 8, 9.†

* Mr. Gladstone exerted himself, and not unsuccessfully, to procure a munificent grant (£1,000), to the College, from the funds of the Christian Knowledge Society; and I think it not unlikely that the influence of the right honourable gentleman is in a good degree the cause of the numerous donations, which have lately been made by that great organ of the Church of England, for the purpose of erecting Episcopal Chapels in the kingdom of Scotland.

It deserves to be noticed, that, in his work above quoted, Mr. Gladstone applies, in an exclusive way, the name of "Reformed Catholic Church" to both the English and Irish Establishments, just as the Scottish bishops apply it to their own denomination. At p. 221, there occurs the expression, "our own national Church, THE REFORMED CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ENGLAND"--and at p. 79 he says, "Upon us of this day has fallen the defence of the Reformed Catholic Church in Ireland, as the religious establishment of the country." Why should not "Presbyter Edinburgensis" exercise his skill here, and give a "final and satisfactory reply" to the objections that may be taken against language apparently so exclusive? Mr. Gladstone is not unworthy of the benefit of his criticisms.

It is now time that this documentary proof should be brought to a close. I shall finish with Tracts for all Places and all Times, Edited by Scottish Churchmen. These Tracts were published at Edinburgh in 1839; and, in the preface to the first of them, it is stated, that

"It is somewhat extraordinary that the Scottish Episcopal Church, which comprehends within its pale so much of the wealth and respectability of the land, does not possess a single magazine or newspaper, by which either her clergy or her laity can give expression to their sentiments as churchmen. Not only is this the case, but there is not the smallest probability of such a want being supplied at present.

"With the view of providing a temporary substitute, certain clergymen and laymen have resolved to edit and publish three or four tracts each year in defence of the doctrine, the Polity, and the Liturgy of the Church."-Tract I. P. 3.

The "clergymen and laymen," from whom these publications have emanated, declare, at the same time, that they do not "hold themselves out to the public as an accredited organ of the Church." As having authority to express the mind of their Church, it is not necessary for my purpose to regard them; enough for me that they are clergymen and laymen of the Scottish Episcopal communion, who must surely be considered as giving honest utterance to the sentiments entertained by themselves. The reverend and honourable gentlemen seem to have been emulous of the fame of the Tract writers of Oxford; especially would it appear that they had envied the distinction which has accrued to the Churchmen of the South from the exclusiveness and bigotry of their doctrines on the subject of Christian ordinances and ecclesiastical government. On this point, therefore, let us hear what they say:

"In reference to the subject of Church Government, we must confess that we not only consider it worthy of attention, but as involving matter of the most serious import. Is it of no importance to a person who exercises the office of a Christian minister, to know whether or not he has been sent by God, as was Aaron? or whether he be merely in the gainsaying of Korah? Is it of no importance to a candidate for admission into the Christian Church, to know whether or not the person who is about to sprinkle water upon him, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, has received power to do so from our blessed Saviour, whose commissioned servant he affects to be? If such questions as these shall be answered by any man in the negative, we distinctly say, that that man, whoever he may be, does not duly reverence the word of God. It is written-How shall a man preach unless he be sent? and

may we not ask another question-How shall a man baptise unless he be sent?"-Tract I. pp. 4, 5.

"The question is whether our Saviour or the First Apostles acting under his authority, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, communicated exclusively to a particular order of men, a right to preach the Gospel, and administer Baptism; for if this was done, it necessarily follows that Baptism can only be obtained through the ministry thus set apart, and that we are bound by our duty to God to listen to the preaching of that ministry."-Tract II. p. 27.

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Believing as we do, that our Saviour instituted only one Church, and that all the covenant promises are made to the members of that Church, —we cannot avoid coming to the conclusion, that it must be of the greatest importance to all, who profess and call themselves Christians," to feel assured, upon scriptural grounds, that they have indeed entered into that Divine Ark, in which our Heavenly Father wishes that all would abide.” -Tract I. p. 5.

"Looking as we do to Episcopacy as a divine and perpetual institution in the Church-looking also to the ordinary means of grace, the dispensation of which, upon this supposition, EXCLUSIVELY belongs to an Episcopal ministry-looking, in fine, to the Church catholic, as the ground and pillar of the truth;"-Truct I. p. 54.

In one of the Tracts we are presented with an essay on Episcopacy by an American prelate. We there find the following observation by the author of the essay :

"When it is alleged, as it sometimes is, that the burden of proof in this controversy lies on Episcopalians, the only ground of the allegation is, that the claims of Episcopacy displace all non-episcopal ministers, and unchurch all non-episcopal denominations. The latter consequence is disclaimed by the author of the Tract." "(NOT SO BY ÛS.-Ed.)"-Tract I. p. 9.

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The American divine acknowledges that his system displaces all non-episcopal ministers;" but he does not allow that it "unchurches all non-episcopal denominations." "The latter consequence," says he, "is disclaimed by the author of the Tract." Not so by us," say our "Scottish Churchmen" sternly, in their note at the foot of the page; "Bishop Onderdonk may shrink from unchurching all non-episcopal denominations but we don't. Scottish Churchmen have more nerve."

"Having now answered some of the more popular objections generally urged by non-episcopalians, we proceed in the next place to show that Episcopacy ought to be reverenced and preserved, not only on account of its being a divine institution, but also in respect of the ordinary means of grace, the dispensation of which exclusively belongs to the apostolic Priesthood. The Church then being visible as well as spi

ritual, and being instituted by our Saviour, with a view to the application of the merits of his passion to those who might choose to accept of the redemption accomplished by him, it seems necessarily to follow that those who despise and reject the Priesthood, appointed by him to govern and guide that Church, and the ordinary means of grace, as administered by that Priesthood, are not within the one great and undivided fold of which our heavenly Master is the chief shepherd. It is extremely painful to the feelings to be obliged to arrive at such a conclusion, but this circumstance makes it the more incumbent on us to state the truth, and the whole truth, in the most undisguised manner, so that our fellowcreatures may have the subject, brought into a serious and prominent light before their eyes."-Tract II. p. 40.

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Seeing that the exclusive right to administer these means of grace belongs to the apostolic priesthood, we are furnished with a cogent reason for preserving and reverencing that ministry, unless in matters of religion, we are justified in discarding those principles of common sense which are acted upon in every other department of human investigation. The very idea of being obliged to enforce such things by argument induces us almost to ask whether we live in a country where christianity has ever been professed in simplicity of heart. Every inch of the ground is fought with a ferocity and a virulence, as if men were contending with some wild and dangerous theory-whereas they are all the time acting in opposition to their own benefit, and to the unquestionable commands of him whom they style their heavenly master."-Tract II. p. 43.

"The non-episcopal communities besides having abandoned the apostolic fellowship and the society of the Church, have invariably departed from the doctrine of the Apostles, as might have been supposed; we can point to the Rationalism of Germany, and the Unitarianism of Geneva, as surpassing in point of enormity the worst errors of Rome-and we can trace these results to nothing but the unauthorised preaching of the followers of Luther and Calvin."—Tract II. P. 45.

After all this, and much more of the same sort, which I need not quote, the Presbytery will be in some measure prepared to find, that these unhappy men deny us to be capable of saving faith in our Redeemer, if we do not submit to Episcopal government!

:

"Episcopacy," say they, "has often been represented as being so much a mere circumstantial of Christianity as to be unworthy of any serious consideration and it has been argued that in respect of such passages of Scripture as, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, it is absurd to say that a man's belief and obedience of the Gospel, however genuine the one, and however sincere the other, are of no significancy, unless he has received his information of the Gospel or been initiated into the Church by a proper minister.'-Campbell's Lect. vol. i. p. 86.—In reference to this proposition (which is intended to make the question of the Christian Ministry a matter of secondary importance) we beg to state our humble opinion, that a SAVING belief in the Lord Jesus Christ NECESSARILY implies an active obedience to all the institutions left by him for the government of his Church; and this just brings us back to the