tion the affurance given to the public, that there Lectures on Ecclefiaftical History were transcribed, and revised, and prepared for the prefs by the author himself, we can only regret, that we are obliged to rely on the truth of this information; and in that cafe may juftly apply an observation which was made on a fimilar occafion, that-" when an au"thor charges his blunderbufs to be fired off by his "executors, it looks as if he himself was afraid of "the recoil."

We fhall now take our leave of Dr. Campbell, with much concern for having been compelled to accompany him fo long through that thorny field of controverfy into which we have been reluctantly dragged. Nothing could have induced us to enter on it but an imperious fenfe of duty, demanding every effort in our power to protect our ecclesiastical polity from the effects of that fharp and fevere treatment, which it has unfortunately experienced at the hands of one of the moft diftinguished of our countrymen. It is with pain that we reflect on a great part of the publication now before us, and hence unhappily feel a diminution of that refpect, which we would gladly have entertained for the memory of Dr. Campbell. He has however afforded us an opportunity of reviewing the grounds on which our principles have fo long stood firm and unshaken, resisting all 3 M

the

the Doctor himself maintained, in relation to the "rife and progrefs" of, what they both join in making the conftant butt of their raillery-the bierarchy.

the force of irony and declamation, even when aided by the ftill more powerful influence of worldly interest. And having thus, as we think, fully established what was propofed as the fubject of this chapter, That a part of the holy, catholic and apoftolic church of Christ, though deprived of the support of civil establishment, does ftill exist in this country under the name of the Scotch Epifcopal Church, whofe doctrine, discipline and worship have been happily found to agree with that of the first and purest ages of Christianity; it will now, we truft, be an easy matter to fhew, that these ought to be fteadily adhered to, by all who profefs to be of the Epifcopal communion in this part of the kingdom; the fhewing which, in as plain, inoffenfive, and concise terms as poffible, will, in our humble opinion, form a very fuitable conclufion to the defign for which these perfons have been addreffed on the present occafion.

A CON

A CONCLUDING ADDRESS TO THE EPISCOPALIANS OF SCOTLAND, RECOMMENDING THEIR UNITED ADHERENCE TO THE PRINCIPLES, BY WHICH THEY ARE DISTINGUISHED.

IT has been justly obferved, that no part of the hiftory of man's redemption is more worthy of our devout admiration, than that myfterious union, by which God and man became one Chrift, one Mediator, who was both to fuffer, and to fave; as man to fuffer, and as God to fave. But by the union of God and man in the perfon of Chrift, another union was effected between Chrift and his church; and as the head is joined to the body, fo "we being many, are one body in Chrift." Now the church is that body; which he has united to himfelf in the fame manner, according to another allufion of his own adopting, as a branch is in the vine, fo as to receive nourishment from the root that feeds

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and fupports it. But this points out the neceflity of thefe branches being alfo united by fuch common ties as may hold them together, and so promote the growth and vigour by which they mutually cherish 3 M 2

and

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and fupport each other; juft as Chriftians, reprefented as one body in Christ, are said to be" fitly joined together, and compacted by that which "every joint fupplieth," for the purpose of fhewing the falutary effects of that connecting principle, by which the members are all tied to one another, and bear the fame happy relation to the fame common head.

We know, it is the beauty as well as the fecurity of all regular focieties, to be well compacted ard clofely joined together, by fuch bonds of union as are best calculated for that purpose; and it is the peculiar recommendation of the church of Christ, that it has in its conftitution, as fettled by its divine Founder, every thing neceflary for conftituting a regular, well formed fociety. Its members are fubject to one Head, even to him, whom the "Father "of glory hath given to be head over all things to "the church," and who, as "the Captain of their "falvation, was made perfect through fufferings, "that his fons might be brought unto glory, by fighting manfully under his banner." To the order and difcipline eftablished by him, they are all bound to fubmit; and obliged to go through that courfe of probationary exercise, and perform that religious fervice, which he has appointed, as the means of training them up for the enjoyment of thofe heavenly rewards, by the promise and expectation of which they are peculiarly distinguished from all other people. This is the light in which we are

taught

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taught to view the great object and end of the Chrif tian church, while confined to its militant ftate here on earth; and from thefe, and fuch like allufions, frequently to be met with in the facred writings, we are juftly led to confider it as a fociety established on the most solid and lafting foundation.

Having therefore examined the nature of this foundation, and the order and uniformity of the ftructure raised upon it, we cannot fail to difcover, if we only look with an attentive, unprejudiced eye, the neceffity of preferving what is thus effential to the original purpose, and no lefs conducive to the permanent fecurity, of this fpiritual building. Thefe are things which ought not to be lightly regarded, as matters of mere indifference; for they are neceffarily interwoven with the gracious fcheme of our falvation, as laid down in the counfel of the most High, and ought not to be feparated from it. To attempt any fuch feparation is to affect being "wife "above what is written," which can only ferve to expose our own folly and prefumption. How much wifer and fafer muft it be, to put ourfelves under God's direction, and being once entered into the school of Chrift, to abide carefully by his inftructions, and make use of the means which he has appointed for training us up in the way, wherein we ought to go; the only way that leads to heaven and happiness ?Yet mankind have always fhewn a greater defire to travel in paths of their own devifing, than to keep in the way which God has kindly marked out for them.