which had defaced her beauty, and impaired her vigour; and they. declared their readiness to return to her communion, as soon as the grievances of which they complained were redressed. In one word, they appeared as a part of the Church of Scotland, adhering to her reformed constitution, testifying against the injuries done to it, and the corrupt administration to which these had led, craving the redress of these, and pleading for the revival or a reformation, attained conformably to Scripture in a former period, approved of by every authority in the land, and sanctioned by public and national vows to the Most High.

SERIES. II.

1st, In giving a declaration of our principles, it is judged necessary to state our views of the nature and use of Public Creeds. These are received by us, not as the rule of our faith and man-ners, but as the form of our public profession; not as supreme, but only as subordinate and explanatory standards. We continue to adhere to the grand doctrine of Protestantism, That the Scriptures, contained in the Old and New Testaments, are the word of God, and the only rule of faith and practice. But as it is the bounden duty of a particular church, as well as of the church-catholic, at all times, to make a public and explicit profession of the doctrines and laws of Divine revelation; so it is necessary, when difference of sentiment prevails, and when error abounds among professing christians, for the more effectual detection of error and elucidation of truth,-for preserving that uniformity of sentiment among her own members, without which there can be no profitable religious fellowship,-for the information of other churches,—and for the transmitting of her religious attainments to succeeding generations, to commit the articles of her profession to writing, to give them her judicial sanction, and to require an assent to them from all those who seek admission to her religious fellowship.

2d, We continue to adhere to the whole doctrine contained in the Confession of Faith and Catechisms, compiled by the Divines who met at Westminster, with Commissioners from the Church of Scotland, as said Confession was received and approved by the Assembly of that Church in the year 1647. Moreover, in agreeableness to said act of Assembly, we adhere to that Confession, not simply as the confession of our faith, but also as a part of the covenanted uniformity, to which all ranks in these lands are bound to adhere by the oath of God.

3d, We continue to maintain the divine right of Presbytery. not only in opposition to Episcopacy, or the government of the

church by archbishops, bishops, &c, and in opposition to Independency, which assigns her government to the whole body of the faithful, and asserts that every congregation of Christians has a complete system of government within itself; but also in opposition to those who maintain, that no particular form of church government is laid down in the word of God, but that it is left to be framed and modelled according to her external circumstances, and agreeably to the genius of the secular governments of the different countries where she may be situated. More particularly, we maintain that the Lord Jesus Christ, the alone King and Head of the Church, hath appointed a particular form of government to take place in her,distinct from civil government,and not subordinate to the same; and that presbyterial government, without any superiority of office above a teaching presbyter, in the due subordination of judicatories (such as of kirk-sessions to presbyteries,―of presbyteries to provincial synods,—and of provincial synods to general synods or assemblies,) is the only form of government appointed by the Lord Christ in his word, to continue in his church to the end of the world unalterable.

4th, We continue to maintain the morality of the National Covenant of Scotland, and the Solemn League and Covenant of the Three Nations; or that these Covenants were, for the matter of them, just and warrantable, for the ends necessary and commendable, and for the time seasonable. And we farther maintain, that, as these covenants were national deeds, and as they had a permanent object, they must be of perpetual obligation upon all ranks in these lands; and that the violation of them, and the denying of their continued obligation, are great public evils, and grounds of the Lord's controversy with Britain and, Ireland.

5th, We continue to maintain, not only that public covenanting is a moral duty, agreeably to the seventh article of the former series, but also, that it is eminently seasonable at the present time; and that it is competent for us, though a small minority of these nations which covenanted in the days of our ancestors in support of the cause of reformation, to renew their federal deeds in a bond suited to our circumstances, by publicly avouching their continued obligation, and engaging, according to our stations and opportunities, to prosecute the ends of them.

We further declare, that, agreeably to to the act of the Associate Presbytery 1743, and also to their act in 1744, the renovation of these covenants shall be a term of ministerial communion, and of christian communion, so as to exclude from sealing ordinances all opposers, contemners, and slighters of the duty; it.

being understood that such alterations shall be made on the Acknowledgement of Sins, as may adapt it to the circumstances of the present time. Moreover, it is also agreed, that upon the proposed Union being formed, every proper means shall be adopted to revive the practice of this duty in our several congregations, and that none shall be admitted to preach the gospel who have not joined in the bond.

6th, It is agreed, that any new Statement of Principles that may be found necessary, along with a pointed defence of the doctrine, worship, discipline and government of the Church of Scotland, as contained in her Confession of Faith, and other formularies, and a condemnation of the many defections from them in former and present times, shall also contain an explicit condemnation of practical evils, such as the oaths formerly condemned by the Secession Church, so far as these shall be found still to be imposed or taken; together with amusements which are in themselves sinful, or of immoral tendency.

7th, The Associate Synod and Constitutional Associate Presbytery, deeply sensible of the low state of religion among themselves, and the people under their charge, and that union in church-fellowship, unless improved for promoting vital religion,. by mutual excitement to love and good works, will only tend to more ungodliness, do cordially agree, that should it please God to bring them together, they will endeavour to exert their combined influence for advancing practical religion, and raising the tone of morals among their people. And as a principal means for accomplishing these ends, through the divine blessing, is the regular exercise of the discipline of the Church, they shall endeavour in their several places and stations, to promote purity of communion through the Associate Body, by guarding against lax admission to sealing ordinances, and by employing every scriptural method for reclaiming the careless and immoral, and for excluding from their fellowship such as refuse to be reclaimed'. Moreover, as latitudinarian tenets and practices are coming in as a flood upon the religious public, it is farther agreed, that they will exercise all diligence in instructing their people as to the importance of strict communion, for the maintenance of the ́scriptural unity, order, and purity of the church; and in endeadeavouring faithfully to apply the rules that already exist or may be framed for that purpose.

POETRY.

The following verses which have been sent us for publication, though, containing marks of their untutored origin, contain also, not a little genuine poetry. Under the similitude of a dream, they present us a pieture of

scenes too often realized in the days of blood-thirsty intolerance to which they refer.

THE CAMERONIAN DREAM.

By a Muirkirk Shepherd.

In a dream of the night, I was wafted away
To the moorlands of mist, where the martyrs lay:
Where Cameron's sword, and his Bible are seen,
Engrav'd on the stone, where the heather grows green.

"Twas a dream of those ages of darkness and blood,
When the temple of God, was the mountain and wood;
When in Wellwood's dark valley, the standard of Zion,
All bloody and torn, 'mong the heather was lying.

'Twas morning, and summer's young sun from the east,
Lay, in loving repose, on the green mountain's breast:
On Wardlaw, and Cairnstable, the clear shining dew
Glistn'd sheen 'mong the heath bells, and mountain flowers blue
And far up in heaven, in the white sunny cloud,
The song of the lark was melodious and loud:

And in Glenmore's wild solitudes, lengthen'd and deep,
Were the whistling of plovers, and the bleating of sheep.

And Wellwood's sweet valley, breathed music and gladness;
The fresh meadow blossoms hung in beauty and redness;
Its daughters were happy to hail the returning,
And drink the delights of July's sweet morning:

But ah! there were hearts that cherished far other feelings;
Illum'd by the light of prophetic revealings;

Who drank from the scen'ry of beauty, but sorrow;

For they knew, that their blood would bedew it to-morrow.
'Twas the few faithful ones, who, with Cameron were lying,
Conceal'd 'mong the mist, where the heathfowl was crying;
For the horsemen of Earlshall around them were hovering,
And their bridle reins rung through their dim misty covering:
Their faces grew pale, and their swords were unsheath'd;
But the vengeance that darkened their brows, was unbreath'd:
With eyes raised to heaven, in calm resignation,
They sung their last song to the God of salvation.

The hills with the deep mournful music were ringing,
The curlew and plover, in concert were singing;
But the melody died, 'midst derision and laughter,
As the host of the ungodly rushed on the slaughter.

Though in mist, and darkness, and fire, they were shrouded,
Yet the souls of the righteous, were calm and unclouded:
Their dark eyes flashed lightning, as, proud and unbending,
They stood like the rock, which the thunder is rending.

The muskets were flashing, the blue swords were gleaming; The helmets were cleft, and the red blood was streaming;

The heavens grew dark, and the thunder was rolling,
When in Wellwood's dark moorlands, the mighty were falling,

When the righteous had fall'n, and the combat was ended,
A chariot of fire through the dark cloud descended:

Its drivers were angels, on horses of whiteness,
And its burning wheels turned on axles of brightness.

A seraph unfolded its doors bright and shining,
All dazzling, like gold of the seventh refining;
And the souls that came forth out of great tribulation,
Have mounted the chariot and steeds of salvation.

On the arch of the rainbow, the chariot is gliding;
Through the path of the thunder, the horsemen are riding:
Glide swiftly, bright chariot! the prize is before you—
A crown never-fading—a kingdom of glory!

Select Religious Entelligence.

WONDERFUL EFFECTS OF BURNING THE BIBLE IN PERU. We find in the August number of the London Evangelical Magazine, an extract of a letter from a British captain, giving an account of a very remarkable occurrence which took place at the port of Africa, in Peru. He jusutly remarks, that the effect which this circunstance may produce on the coast of Peru, no one can calculate but He who caused it.-N. Y. R. Chron.

"Some of the inhabitants came on board to see the vessel; on their leaving, I presented each of them with a Spanish Bible. A priest, the same evening, came into one of their houses, and found a gentleman reading the Bible: this instantly attracted his notice, and he demanded it from him, which was refused; a scuffle ensued, and the furious priest caught it from him, summoned him before the governor, who gave directions, (influenced by the priest,) that it should be burned, which was done immediately, in the most public manner. A search was made for more, but the inhabitants hid them -only one was discovered. The day after, about ten in the morning, a furious hurricane of wind came on instantaneously, which blew some of the smaller vessels from their anchors, covered the town with dust, and left it in perfect darkness. The inhabitants, expecting some awful judgment, either shut themselves up in their houses or churches, using their usual incantations or prayers to their saints. This continued several hours; and it is necessary to remark, that on that part of the coast of Peru it never rains; the wind is always very moderate, and such an event was never known. When I came on shore, after it had subsided, I told them it was a judgment from God for burning his Word. This opinion they themselves had already formed. A universal inquiry was consequently made, whether I had any more Bibles.-'The news spread all along the coast. I distributed five cases among them, and might have disposed of all I had, but preferred keeping some for Lima.A few days after, the Prefector of Arequipa, next in rank to Bolivar, came to Arica to inspect the custom-house department, and regulate the duties. He was informed of this outrage committed by the priest against liberty of couscience. The Prefector requested me to give him two copies of the Span ish Bible, which I did. One was sent to the Bishop of Arequipa, to know why that book should be destroyed; the other was retained for his own use. After I left, he gave directions, I understand, for a circulation of the Bible, and of all religious books, free of any duty or incumbrance. The priest is in great disgrace, and despised by the people. The effect which this may produce on the coast of Peru, no one can calculate but He who caused it."