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fpiracy," let him be very well affured that it is indeed" for the public intereft;" that he is in the way of his duty; and that the law of his God will bear him out in the undertaking.

2. This point being fecured, and the action of suicide fuppofed to be (as we apprehend) malum in fe, then the refolution of the question is clear; we are not to "do evil that good may come;" it were better the conspiracy fhould be difcovered than that the man fhould commit a fin, for the reafon affigned elsewhere by Mr. H. himself, that "the damnation of one man is an infinitely greater evil than the fubverfion of a thousand millions of kingdoms.' Let the man therefore continue in his integrity, and

truft God for the event.

3. He who is invited to take a part in a dangerous and desperate enterprize, fhould confider confequences poffible and probable, and weigh well his own ftrength, beforehand; and if he fufpects himself likely to fail in the day of trial, let him by no means engage.

A cafe of this kind may doubtless be imagined, which will feem extremely hard; and mankind will be difpofed not only to excufe, but even to honour him who thus falls by his own hand, to fave his companions, and his country. The behaviour of fome Christian virgins in the early ages, who chose rather to inflict death upon themselves, than fuffer the violation of their purity by their ruffian perfecutors, has obtained in its favour the fuffrage of the Fathers, as a cafe excepted from the general rule; and we cannot readily blame those, who, to preserve their honour, despised their life. They committed one fin, to escape another which they deemed greater; (though, as their will would not have been concerned, they were perhaps miftaken ;) and deftroyed the temple, to avoid its prophanation. But these extraordinary inftances, whatever may be thought of them, canprove that to be lawful, which is in itself unlawful.†

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As to the other cafe ftated by Mr. H. in the fame P. 20. that of "a malefactor justly condemned to a fhameful death," there can be no difficulty. It is the duty of him who has tranfgreffed the laws of his country to make the fatisfaction they require. The virtues, called forth upon the fad occafion, of repentance, and faith in the divine mercy, confequent thereupon, are of the higheft benefit to himself in his most important concerns; while his example at his death undoes, as far as in him lies, the evil perpetrated in his life, and by warning others not to offend, is of eminent fervice to the community.—I am aftonithed that Mr. H. fhould atk, "can any reafon be imagined why he may not anticipate his punishment?" and affert, that " he invades the bufinefs of Providence no more than the magiftrate did who ordered his execution ;" and that " his voluntary death is equally advantageous to fociety."-It is an unparalleled outrage at once upon common fense, the laws, and the religion of his country.

We may now, I believe, venture to conclude, notwithstanding all which Mr. H. has faid to the contrary, that fuicide is a breach of our duty to our neighbour.

*Effay on the Immortality of the Soul, P. 33.
† See Bp. Taylor, ubi fupra.

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TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN,

FROM the brief account which has been published in your useful mif

cellany, of the Scotch Epifcopal Church, it will, it is hoped, appear to the difcerning, that the fame purity of principles, the fame excellent liturgy, and the fame divine authority of the priesthood, which diftinguith fo happily the Church of England, diftinguish alfo the Scotch Epifcopal Church. The caufe therefore of these two churches is, in reality, the fame. And to lead your readers thus to regard it, and to be affured that, when the Episcopal Church in Scotland is fupported, the Church of England is at the fame time fupported: this was my motive in fending you what is now before the public on the subject of the former, and actuates me in giving this fupplementary detail, on the general accuracy of which you may rely.

In the diocese of Edinburgh there are seven presbyters, and fix congregations; in the diocese of Dunblane and Fife there are five presbyters, and fix congregations; in the diocese of Dunkeld there are five prefbyters, and fix congregations; in the diocefe of Brechin there are eight prefbyters, and feven congregations; in the diocefe of Aberdeen there are nineteen prefbyters, and nineteen congregations; in the diocefe of Moray there are three prefbyters, and fix congregations; and in the diocese of Rofs, which includes the Highland districts, there are two prefbyters, and about eight congregations.

There are then in Scotland, 6 bishops, 49 prefbyters; and, if we take in the congregations, which belong more immediately to the bishops themselves, and which are not comprehended in the above lift, 64 congregations.

These congregations are, by no means, all equally numerous. What the precife number of communicants in each is, I am unable to fay; but taken altogether, they are fuppofed to confift of 30,000.

In Scotland there is another body of epifcopalians, whom it is not eafy to characterize. To thefe, clergymen ordained by English or Irish bishops officiate according to the liturgy of the Church of England, without, however, fubmitting, as epifcopal principles require, to the fpiritual authority of the Scotch bifhops, in whofe diocefes they officiate. Of fuch clergymen there are, I think, two and twenty in Scotland.And fuppofing each of their congregations to comprize 200 communicants, which is not too low a calculation, there are 4,400 epifcopalians, communicants of this description: which number, added to that of fuch as are of a confiftent behaviour, makes the epifcopalians, who are communicants, or of an age to approach the altar, amount in this part of the united kingdom, to 34,400.

Before this fubject of the Scotch Epifcopal Church is difmiffed, it may not be improper to mention, as a fit conclufion of it, that she may be faid to be just emerging from that dark cloud in which fhe has been more or lefs enveloped, fince he was deprived of a legal establishment at the revolution. The fuccefs attending the labours of her bishops and clergy, though not inconfiderable in fome places, is yet, upon the whole, not fuch as might be expected. The caufes which I would affign for this matter of juft regret are, the indifference with respect to religion in general, which diftinguishes unfortunately the age-the diffufion of en

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thufiafm among the lower ranks by itinerant and disloyal preachersand what I must call the unprincipled conduct of the Epifcopal Clergymen, already noticed. This laft caufe, however, which has operated against the profperity of the Scotch Epifcopal Church, will, I expect, in a fhort time ceafe, fince fome of these gentlemen have acceded to the propofals of union held forth to them by the Scotch bishops; and others I would fain believe are disposed to follow an example, fo commendable in itself, and fo creditable to their fenfe of duty, and love of order and unanimity, who fet it. The profpect of a termination of the fatal effects produced by indifference, and a fectarian fpirit, which threaten the overthrow, even of the Church of England herself, and the extinction of true religion in this ifland, is not, it is to be feared, fo near. If ever brought near, it must be by a continuance of fuch labours as thofe in which you are engaged-by the zealous inculcation of found principles, by all who are clothed with the epifcopal character, and their clergyand by a life and conversation becoming their facred function, and commanding the respect of the enemies of the church themselves.

That the church of England may enjoy, till time is no more, the bleffings which God has beftowed on her; that he may always evince herself deferving the glorious title of the bulwark of the reformation; that the may be the fuccefsful champion of the truth against the fons of ecclefiaftical republicanism, fanaticifm, and civil difcord; and that she may never be fo far unmindful of her own interefts, as to forget her fifter churches in Scotland and America; these are the fentiments which animate the breafts, these the prayers which arise from the hearts of all true Scotch Epifcopalians. A SCOTCH EPISCOPALIAN.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

IF no other perfon has answered the queries of an "English Episcopalian, the following remarks are offered respecting the Epifcopal Church of Scotland.

Hiftory. The regular epifcopacy given to Scotland by King James in 1610, and detailed by Spottefwood, fell a facrifice to fanaticifm in the following reign. No care was taken during the rebellion, and ufurpation of Cromwell, as was the cafe in England, to keep alive the fucceffion; and at the Restoration none of the Scotch bifhops were in life, except Thomas Lydferf, bishop of Galloway. Epifcopacy was reftored a second time to Scotland, by the Church of England, in 1661. Two Archbishops (Sharp of St. Andrews, and Fairfowl of Glafgow) and two bishops (Hamilton of Galloway, and Leighton of Dunblane) were confecrated by the bishop of Winchester, aflifted by two other English bishops; the two English archbifhops being exprefsly excluded, that no pretext might be given for any claim of spiritual authority over Scotland. The jealoufy of the Scotch church, in that refpect, will be found amply related by Spottefwood. The prelates thus confecrated filled the other vacant fees on their return to Scotland; and at that period the Scotch Epifcopate stood thus:

Archbishopricks. 2.

St. Andrews.

Glafgow.

Bishopricks

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The fucceffion of bifhops has been carefully and canonically continued from the Reftoration to the prefent time. The Scotch church, fo greatly obliged by the Church of England, regards her with the highest refpect, and warmest affection; and I trust there is no want of good-will on the other fide. Indeed, confidering the state of the world, they cannot be too clofely connected, nor too zealous to fupport each others interefts. The Scotch church, it is true, has not the fplendour of an establishment to recommend her to the notice of the world, but the Church of England knows, from contemplating fuch an example, and from reflecting on her own history, and on that of other churches, even in these days, that no eftablishment, however well it may be defended, is unaffailable, and may not be broken up; but to hers the Scotch epifcopalians fay with one heart, and one voice, Efto perpetua !-It has been confidered an unfortunate event, that the Scotch bishops did not recognize the title of William III. The church would doubtlefs have preferved her establishment, but perhaps fome important views of Divine Providence have been better promoted by her fufferings.

The refufal of the bishops, to fwear allegiance to King William, gave the covenanting party all the advantage it withed for. In 1689 epifcopacy was abolished by act of parliament; and fuch cruel outrages were committed against bishops and clergy, by the triumphing Prefbyterians, as were difgraceful to humanity. Some of these scenes are given in Leflic's "Rehearsals."

The bishops and clergy displayed the fortitude of martyrs, and continued in the most prudent manner to adminifter the facred offices of religion; but another act was paffed in 1695, prohibiting them from performing baptism, or folemnizing marriage. The treatment they continued to receive appeared at laft fo fcandalous in the eye of the world, that King William thought fit to interfere, by recommending a more Chriftian temper to the Prefbyterians; but as that was a thing quite new to them, and lay entirely out of their way, the recommendation had no effect. But relief was granted to the church in 1712, by Queen Anne, who repealed the act against baptifms and marriages, and favoured the epifcopalians with a complete toleration, allowing them to exercise their religion in all places without molestation, the parish churches alone excepted; and inflicting fevere penalties on those who fhould difturb them.

Between the revolution, and the paffing of the act of toleration, fix bishops had been confecrated in the non-juring church; but in those "perilous times" it was done very privately, and the perfons, promoted, known to be bifhops only to their own communion, as it was nearly as dangerous then to be a bishop, as it had been in the primitive times. All #pifcopal titles were dropt, and no more fees were filled up, as they became Vol. III. Churchm. Mag. Aug, 1802.

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vacant, than were fufficient to preserve the fucceffion, and to perform the facred offices peculiar to the epifcopate. Since the revolution there has been no perfon promoted to the rank of archbishop; the only diftinétion known among the Scotch prelates being that of primus, a title much older in Scotland than the other. The dignity of primus is conferred by election among the bishops, commonly on the fenior bifhop; but he has no more power than the rest, except that of convoking and prefiding in fynods. As this arrangement was merely prudential, adopted to fuit a particular emergency, it is not to be confidered as permanent, the conftitution of the church, as it was unalterably fixed after the restoration, being very different.

The act of toleration afforded peace and fecurity to the church. Meeting-houfes were built, and the members of the church encreased confiderably; but the attempt made in 1715, to reftore the Stuart family, brought fresh calamities upon them. Difaffection was naturally implied from a refufal to qualify according to law; and an act was paffed in 1719, declaring that no epifcopal clergyman fhould perform divine service in the prefence of more than nine perions, without being qualified, under certain penalties. This was a great grievance upon the clergy; but it was in fome measure conquered by their great labour, going about from houfe to houfe, more apoftolico, reading the fervice, and adminiftering the facrament.

In a few years the church, through courtesy, obtained greater liberty; but the troubles, which threw the kingdom into confufion in 1745, involved the church in greater misfortunes than ever. The clergy were restricted by an act paffed in 1746, to four hearers, unless they qualified, and registered their letters of orders, by a given day; and every offence was punifhable with extreme rigour. But another act, paffed in 1748, declared that, though the Scotch clergy had complied with the former act, it would not avail them, unless they had, or would receive their letters of orders from an English or Irish bishop: And it deprived the laity of all their civil privileges if they attended the miniftration of unqualified clergymen. Under the authority of these laws the clergy fuffered many hardfhips-their congregations were broken to pieces-religion was profcribed, and a fchifm established by law, which has been more fatal to religious and moral principle in Scotland than all the former fufferings of the church. Attempts have been made to heal this fchifm, by inviting the English and Irish ordained clergy to join communion with the Scotch bishops, but they have hitherto refifted, except in two cafes, in which the clergy and their congregations cordially united. For this fchifm no apology can be made. Both communions hold the fame principles, and no reafon can be affigned but that, infenfible of their ordination vows, the English-ordained clergy choose to refitt epifcopal authority from a fpirit of pride and independence; the evil of which, and the influence it has had, and muft continue to have upon religion, may in fome measure be conceived from the effects of thofe chapels in England which are extra-parochial, or built and conducted by fubfcription.

When our prefent gracious king afcended the throne, the epifcopal clergy "found favour in his fight," and never were again difturbed under the authority of government; though in fome inftances private malice, or party-fpirit, proved very troublefome to individual clergymen. The voluntary tender of their allegiance to his majefty in 1788, put an end to thefe vexations; and in 1792 the penal ftatutes were repealed, and both

clergy

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