shall be deemed, adjudged, and taken to be a public act; and shall be judicially taken notice of as such, by all judges, justices, and other persons whomsoever, without specially pleading the same 1." QUEEN ANNE'S Act of Toleration still remains in force, or rather its provisions were revived; for it was in abeyance during all the time that the penal statutes were in operation. It protects episcopalian congregations from being disturbed in the exercise of divine worship, by either malicious individuals or by men in authority. The same penalty that was imposed by it, of £20 for neglecting to pray for the sovereign and royal family, is continued in the new act. Registration of letters of orders are not required, and the laity are only required not to be present twice in one year in any place of worship where the royal family are not prayed for. This was an unnecessary precaution, as the prayers for them are read exactly as they stand in the liturgy, and as they are from time to time altered by authority to suit the circumstances of the case. Even when churchmen considered their allegiance due to the exiled prince, they were obedient to the sovereign in possession; but ever since the extinction of that illustrious house, they have not been surpassed by any of their fellow-subjects in loyalty and obedience to the present dynasty. Their tenacious adherence to their native sovereigns, whom God had set over them, should recommend them more decidedly to the sovereign on the throne, as the principle of loyalty which prompted their former political conduct remains in full force in their present position. Loyalty is a divine principle founded on the fifth commandment, the fatherhood being the foundation of kingly government; therefore, " to love, honour, and obey the king," or the queen, as at present," and all that are put in authority under him," according to the apostolic ordinance, is the daily teaching of the reformed Catholic church of Scotland. NOW BY THE exertions of her chief pastor, and other servants of God, the church, that had so long groaned under affliction and persecution, was delivered from her Babylonian captivity in a peaceable and legal manner. During her long captivity an apostolical succession was preserved; for even in her deepest misery God remembered that He promised to the church of the Jews "a continuance of the kingdom [or church], and the priesthood:"-" For, thus saith the Lord, David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the Statutes at Large, cap. Ixiii. vol. xvi. p. 265-267. house of Israel; neither shall the priests, the Levites, want a man before me to offer burnt-offerings, and to kindle meatofferings, and to do sacrifice continually." It is plain, from the contents of the chapters, that the church understands both this prophecy, and also the corresponding one of Isaiah, to mean the christian church, of which that now relieved from oppression is a lively member-" And I will take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord. For as the new heavens [the evangelical church] and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain;" for "the Gentiles shall have an holy church." We that can now sit under our own vine and fig-tree, ought to keep the memory of bishop John Skinner, and his associates, in grateful remembrance, for God raised them up to lead His people out of the house of bondage1. AN ANECDOTE of bishop Horne is related by Mr. Fabre, when he is speaking of whether or not the Roman church be a true church. "It is within the bounds of possibility that an individual may be a REAL bishop, and yet a very bad man: or still more paradoxically in verbal appearance, inasmuch as the same ambiguity attends upon the word GOOD, a very bad man may be a perfectly GOOD bishop. The late amiable bishop Horne, of Norwich, with the kindly playful humour which distinguished him, very happily drew from the ambiguity of this latter word a well-merited compliment to the Scottish bishops, who waited upon him in the day of their honourable depression for conscience-sake. "Your lordship, I am sure, will allow, that at least we are GOOD bishops,' said one of their number. Much BETTER bishops than myself, gentlemen, I am quite persuaded,' was the prompt and felicitously delicate reply. Yet the reply turned upon the very equivoque which I have pointed out 2"" 1 Jeremiah, xxxiii. 17, 18.-Isaiah, lxvi. 21, 22; and the Table of Contents of both chapters. Christ's Discourse at Capernaum fatal to the Doctrine of Transubstantiation. Note on page 38. CHAPTER LXXVI. PRIMACY OF THE RIGHT REVEREND JOHN SKINNER, AND PRIMUS SCOTIE EPISCOPUS. 1792.-Bishop Skinner's Return. A general convention summoned. The independent congregations-the one in Banff added to the church.-Convention meets at Laurencekirk-transactions-Widows' Fund-consecration of bishop Watson.-An episcopal synod.-Aberdeen diocesan synod—their resolution.-Rev. R. Aitkin's letter.-Number and position of episcopalians.· 1793.-French Revolution-Republic-a striking coincidence.-Affiliated societies. Declaration of the bishops-a determination to heal the independent schism-attempt at Edinburgh.-Rev. Jonathan Boucher.-Widows' Fund.-1794.-Mr. Donald Mackintosh.-A brief for collections.-Extracts from the Register of the Charitable Fund.- -1795.-Address to the throne. -1796.-Coadjutor in the bishoprick of Moray-Mr. Jolly proposed.objected to-consecrated.--1797-98.-Appointed bishop of Moray.-The Assembly's admonition.--1799.-Rowland Hill.-Mr. Simeon.-Act of Assembly.-Oath of abjuration. 1792.-AFTER EFFECTING the liberation of the church, bishop Skinner returned to Aberdeen on the 4th of July. It was suggested to the primus that it might be expedient to summon a convention of the whole church, and to lay before it a narrative of the measures that had been so wisely and successfully adopted for the relief of the church from the operation of the persecuting statutes of the first two Georges; and at the same time to devise some means for raising a sufficient sum for defraying the expenses attending the recent journies to London, and the passing of their bill through parliament. In compliance with this suggestion, the primus summoned a general convention of the whole clergy to be holden at Laurencekirk on Wednesday, the 28th day of August, for the purpose, "First, of receiving their committee's report of the proceedings adopted in carrying through the act of repeal; secondly, on deliberating on an address to his majesty. And, lastly, of devising a plan for establishing a fund for the support of the widows and children of episcopal clergymen in Scotland." Each congregation was directed to send a lay-delegate, and when from circumstances that could not be done, then they might appoint their priest as their proxy to act in their name. It was also stated in the circular, that "as the applications to parliament have been attended with considerable expense, it has been judged most equitable and expedient to raise a sum for defraying the same by public collection or private contribution in the different congregations throughout the church, previous to the meeting of the convention, when, it is hoped, you will bring with you, or send to the convention, the sum or sums which your congregation shall be pleased to contribute for the purpose aforesaid; the overplus (if any), after paying the expense incurred, to be employed for the general advantage of the church, in the manner the convention shall direct1." THE SMALL END of the schismatical wedge had been inserted by Queen Anne's toleration act, commonly called "the tenth of Queen Anne," which required registration of orders and subscription to oaths, &c.2 These conditions being contrary to the principles by which they had all along acted, could not be taken, and therefore that schism commenced to which we have already alluded, of gentlemen obtaining orders from English bishops, and gathering congregations independent of the bishops in whose dioceses they settled. This schism made but small progress till after the enactment of the persecuting statutes, when the laity being involved in the act of extirpation, these independent congregations became numerous, and carried off all the middling and upper classes from the church. Both the clergy and the people of these independent meetings became the most bitter and implacable political enemies of the church, the members of which had all along been denominated non-jurors. Their introduction, says Mr. Skinner, "which at first took place with a view to brotherly assistance, has conduced more than avowed enmity would have done to depress that episcopacy which, waving political scruples, the English bishops have at all times acknowledged to be orthodox and valid 3." As mentioned, p. 426, there was one of these independent meeting-houses at Banff, which at this time was served by the Mr. Cordiner who had been ordained in Arbroath by the bishop of Down and Conner. "Vide iv. ch. lxi., p. 78. 1 Skinner's Annals, 233, 234. No sooner was the Repeal Act passed, than this worthy man set the blessed example of healing the schism, and united himself and his congregation to the church, by recognizing and submitting to the jurisdiction of the bishop of Aberdeen, some time in the month of July. There was also a small chapel in the same place, containing a handful of the faithful, which now united with the former, and became one congregation, both clergymen officiating together for some time1. THE CONVENTION met at Laurencekirk on the 22d of August; the Primus was elected to the chair. He opened the business of the meeting, and declared, that as it was of purely a civil nature, it was not to be considered as any precedent for an ecclesiastical synod. Bishop Skinner then read a long report, and went over all the provisions of the bill, explaining each, but particularly the restrictive clause, which presented the most offensive aspect to his audience. He expressed himself 66 at a loss to determine whether we have or have not reason to complain of it. Time will shew how it is likely to operate, and I would fain hope that there is as much probability of its being friendly, as of its being prejudicial to the interests of our church." He showed that the oath of abjuration was forced upon them by the obstinacy of Thurlow. "Here it was that our opposers took their firmest ground; and here it was that the lord chancellor of England fixed his foot,-that the highest officer of the crown entrenched himself in such a manner, that after various attempts to dislodge him, it was found necessary to drop all thoughts of a commutation of the oaths." As regards the clause in the act which enforces subscription to the Thirty-nine Articles, he continues-the Articles 66 seem to have been considered by the British senate as that confessional of christian doctrine, which, being best entitled to establishment in England, is most fit to be tolerated' in Scotland; and we having professed our communion with the Church of England, there really appears to me no hardship in our clergy being required, as the law directs, to acknowledge that the Articles of that church are agreeable to the Word of God?.'" AFTER A SHORT adjournment the Primus left the chair, and the Convention having formed itself into a committee, the very Rev. Patrick Rose, dean of Brechin, took the chair, and a vote of thanks was unanimously, and most justly, given to the committee of delegates, but in particular to bishop Skinner, whose exertions had been mainly instrumental in procuring |