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church with the kings of the earth, that a church fo connected with them laboured under difficulties, in keeping up the pretence of her connection with Jefus Chrift, in a confiftency with her connection with the legislative powers of the earth, whereby fhe was established. And no wonder if hereupon fhould enfue two parties in fuch a church; fome, as their interest led, chufing to infift on the pretence of her connection with Jefus Chrift, unto the weakening of the other connection, and others infifting on the real connection with the legislative power that established her, unto the weakening of the other pretended connection; and these that are at the helm in church-courts going this last way, while others, that cannot get into the management, strive to ftir up the people the other way. And if they that manage the church should, at any time, infift vehemently on the pretence of connection with Jefus Chrift, unto the weakening of the other, it could not miss to produce fuch convulsions in the nation, as the contention of a man and wife for the pre-eminence makes in a family. But, however it be, this connection of the church and the kings of the earth makes it fome way neceffary for the members of the church, as fuch, to be politicians as well as Chriftians, and to be let ins to the affairs of the ftate, as well as into the affairs of the kingdom of heaven.

Further, when, by the legiflative power of the nation, the maintenance of the minifters of the church is provided for, and their authority over the people of the nation raised and fecured, this muft, in the nature of the thing, be an allure. ment to worldly men to feek into the miniftry, that feek nothing but their own honour, gain, and cafe, and to lay out themselves for it, as men do for any honourable, gainful, and eafy worldly employment. And whatever profeffions or fubferiptions be required of them, when connected with fuch temporal advantages, thefe will be complied with by multitudes that have nothing but thefe advantages in view.

When there are several candidates for the overfight of a parish, and contending parties, there is a neceffity for fome ftanding rule to go by, to avoid utter confufion; and this role must be confiftent with the connection betwixt the church and the legislative power of the nation, whereby a lone that fet of clergy that poffeffes parithes has the pof feffion of them.

In this cafe, it is not poffible that this ftated rule can be agreeable to the rule obferved by Chriflians, when there was VOL. I

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no connection between the church and the powers of this earth, and no worldly advantages fecured unto the minifters of the gospel, or connected with the miniftry of the word, by the legislative power of any nation of this world, and no maintenance provided for them by any law but the law of Chrift that influences only his willing people. And it is eafy for the party that finds not this rule calculated for them, to raife a cry againft it, as not agreeable to the practice of the first Christians, recorded in fcripture, and therefore disagreeable to the law of Chrift. But was there a national church and a national covenant, and the coercive power of the magiftrate about the church, cutting off heretics, and giving no toleration to any but the right fort of Chriftians; or, was there a national church by law established among the first Chriftians? And why then do not these men cry out on these things alfo, as difagreeable to the kingdom of Chrift? The anfwer is, Ay, but that was the infancy of the church, when there was no Chriftian magiftrate, and fo no legal eftablishment. And this anfwer will ferve in the other cafe alfo: fo that, if our worldly honour, gain, and ease, will not fuffer us to be conformed to that infancy of the church in thefe things, why will we be conformed to that infancy in this thing, that behoved to alter with the other alterations, and as a confequent of them? But even then, when it is faid, the church was in infancy, they that contributed to the maintenance of the paftors chufed them; church-members chufed them fo that the alteration is at least no greater here than it is in the other things. To tell a man, in those days, that he would be obliged to maintain the teacher, though he had no liberty to chufe his own teacher, would have been then an odd ftory. And yet we have not heard any outcry or fcruple at taking ftipend from a difaffected heritor, or raifing an augmentation from his eftate by law; though the ground of fcruple, in this cafe, be the fame as in the other.

As to the liberty of the Chriftian people, it cannot be said to be more taken away by this act of affembly, than it has been by all the acts and methods of doing about fettling pariches that have been in Scotland: for the majority of heads of families deftroyed the liberty of the minority, and the greater part of all focieties is not always the beft, the head of a family reprefenting the family, and yet at laft differing from them in his choice, deftroyed the liberty of the perfons in his family capable to chufe, and perhaps better Chriflians than himself; and lay-elders reprefenting the people may do

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the fame. And if a mafter of a family may thus reprefent his fervant, a better Chriftian than himself, what is the difference, as far as Chrift's law is concerned, betwixt this and a Jandlord's reprefenting his tenant? So that unless it be reduced to the old confent of the whole church, (without the lording of any one church member over another, either as to the receiving or rejecting of a minifter), when there was no connection between the church and the kings of the earth, and every Christian professed subjection to Chrift in fupporting his paftor, it is no great matter which way men be put in parishes, and in poffeffion of the benefice afforded by law, providing it be ftill in the greatest agreeableness to the legislative power of the nation, and to the connection between that and the national church.

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But the ancient Chriftian liberty remains entire, notwithftanding patronage, as it now ftands, and the prefent act of affembly for while they provide teachers for people that would neither chufe nor maintain them, if left to themselves, there is nothing in these acts, under the prefent government, that offers violence to no man's confcience, to hinder any that are not fatisfied with the public teachers to chufe their own teachers, and contribute to their maintenance, as they chufe their own phyficians. But it is far easier for the people to make grievous complaints of the want of liberty to chufe teachers, whofe maintenance is otherwise provided for, without any foundation in the fcriptures, than to chufe them, and be at the charge of maintaining them according to the scriptures. And it is easier for minifters to be popu. lar, by contending for the liberty of the people, while they enjoy the public maintenance, than to leave their worldly ad vantages, to serve the Chriftian people in the ministry, and live as they are capable to enable them, and on the provi dence of the head over all things to the church. Though yet, if none of these that are bred for the legal maintenance. will deny themfelves, and ferve them in the miniftry of the word, it is ftill agreeable to Mr Erfkine's fermon, that they should chufe from among themselves, men not educated for the ftipends that the law provides, but knowing more of God, and of the things of God, than even the builders that reckon them among the accurfed mob. And thefe may be as eafily maintained as the firft Chriftian elders, before whom Paul fet himself, at the fame time, as an example of great labour in the miniftry, and of labour with his hands and if his example be to be followed by elders, or minifters of the word,

to the end of the world, in the firft, why not in the laft? feeing he commends it to elders, and calls them to follow it as well as the other. Thus the people may have their liberty, if they were delivered from that carnal notion of Christ's kingdom, that has no more real ground in the Old-Teftament prophefies, than the notion of the Jewish builders. This, and no prefent act of parliament or affembly, holds them in bondage; and till they be delivered from it, com· plain as they will, they will never have true liberty to ferve Chrift according to the New Teftament, and follow the footfteps of his flock fet before them there. If Mr Erskine would be fo good to them as tell them this, it might perhaps get a better hearing from them: but it is ftill better they hear the truth from any body, than not all.

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The Right of the CHRISTIAN PEOPLE, and the Power of their PASTORS, in the ORDINATION of Minifters of the Gofpel, afferted. With fome Directions for REFORMATION.

[First published in the year 1733.]

F one would know the truth in any point touching reli

controverly between

for the pre-eminence in this world, the keennefs of each faction must be far from him, and the lefs concern he has in the temporal interefts of either fide, he is the more fit to judge of the ftrength of their arguments, fo far as these are able to instruct him in things that have a reference to eternity. In the heat of contention, every party fnatches the readieft weapon for self-defence, or for the hurt of the adversary. And in this cafe fomething of the truth may be found on both fides, but mixed with a deal of falsehood; and in that field of battle it appears not like itfelf; it drudges there to the ambition, avarice, or flefhly ease of a set of men, and ferves to promote the temporal interest of one faction upon the ruin of another; and is ready to be treated by either side according to the appearance it makes against their interest. Yet truth, where-ever it appears, demands regard; and it is not the least part of the duty we owe it, to contribute to our power to deliver it from the flavery it is put to by them that want only to serve themselves of it.

Would it not move the indignation of any man that indeed believes the holy fcriptures to be the words of eternal life, the words of God's grace, that teacheth us to deny ungod linefs and worldly lufts, and to look for that bleffed hope, to fee thefe fcriptures wrefted by all parties of men, contending for worldly pre-eminence in one shape or other, to answer their defigns, and ferve them in their malice and guile, hypocrifies, envies, and evil speakings against one another? In oppofition to this, it becomes us to ftudy the exhortation given us by the Apoftle Peter, when he tells us, "That all flesh is grafs, but the word of the Lord endureth for "ever," and calls us to lay afide all malice and guile, and, as new-born babes, to defire the fincere milk of the word,

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