clerical Commissioners make a similar communica interdict of any earthly court. I hold in my hand an CHAP. XIV. authority in this holy book (here the speaker held out in his other hand his pocket bible), which does not prohibit me from standing forth in support of the principles of the church of Scotland, in which I have been brought up: and so long as I am permitted, I will serve God as faithfully as I have served my country, and I am ready to serve my country again, whenever the time arrives and the circumstances may come when I may be called upon to do so." The Rev. Mr. Dewar having stated, that he and the other clerical com- Th missioner had also been served with copies of the same interdict, Dr. Candlish proceeded to comment tion." on this novel and startling incident, unparalleled in their ecclesiastical history. He read the petition to the lord ordinary from the deposed ministers. It prayed his lordship "to interdict, prohibit, and discharge the said Rev. David Dewar, Harry Leith, and Major Ludovick Stewart, and all and each of them, and all and every person or persons, except the persons elected by the complainers, * from appearing at the ensuing meeting of the general assembly, or of any committee of said assembly, and by themselves or their agents, presenting or transmit- The applica ting to the said assembly, or committee thereof, any commission or representatives of the said presbytery of Strathbogie and also, to interdict, prohibit, and discharge the said respondents from claiming any right to sit or vote, and from sitting, voting, or acting in the said assembly, as members thereof, under the foresaid pretended nomination and election, for the presbytery of Strathbogie in any * * * tion for the interdict. had been craved by Lord Cun ningham. CHAP. XIV. manner of way: and also, to interdict, prohibit, and discharge the said respondents * * from molesting or opposing the complainers in reference to the election lawfully made by the said presbytery and the majority thereof, and the commissioners thereby chosen to represent the said presbytery, in the said ensuing general assembly, in any manner of way." This The interdict extraordinary demand the Lord Ordinary Cunningham granted as had granted as craved,-and the interdict, therefore, now brought under the notice of the house, went the full length of the prayer of the deposed ministers of Strathbogie. The assembly did not for a moment hesitate as to the course which, on this emergency, it ought to pursue. By a formal resolution it invited the interdicted presbyters to take their seats and to exercise their functions as members of the house, just as if the interdict had never been issued, thus sharing with them all the responsibility and the hazard which a breach of the interdict might be found to involve. Further, it recorded in its minutes a solemn on the sub protest against the "attempt now for the first time. made, on the part of any civil tribunal, to interfere with the constitution of the supreme court of this church," as wholly unconstitutional. Dr. Cook admitted that this interdict was "a strong case" of civil interference. "But," said he, "we might have lamented this interference, and entertained an opinion that, under all the circumstances, it was a stretch of power in the court to do so. But where is your remedy? Not here. You cannot sit pari passu with the court of session, and review its decisions. If it violate our privileges, we go to the legislature and tell Resolutions of the House ject. Dr. Cook's ar gument in defence of the inter dicts. Speech of Rev. Dr. reply to Dr. Cook. our wrongs, and complain and petition that they be so CHAP. XIV. guarded as that no violation of them can take place." Yes, complain and petition,—but in the meantime submit and conform to the orders of the civil power. If you resist the interdicts of the civil tribunals," where," said Dr. Cook, "is this to stop?" But surely this other inquiry was at least as pertinent,-if you comply with their interdicts, "where is this to stop?" If the interdict forbids what Christ commands, is the church to obey man rather than God, and then to go to the legislature to pray that she may be allowed to cease from the sin? "So far," observed Dr. Candlish, in reply, making a distinction which Dr. Cook, as usual, had altogether overlooked, "from having the slightest objection to the remedy to which he pointed, against this unconstitutional interference with our ecclesiastical rights and privileges, secured to us by law, I will rejoice to go along with the Rev. doctor in seeking such a remedy: and I hope, therefore, that he will go along with us when we propose to seek such a remedy. But the adoption of that particular remedy, which consists in going to the supreme civil power to complain against this encroachment on our ecclesiastical privileges, and to protest against it as unconstitutional and illegal,—that is one question. But it is another question,-what is our duty when such encroachments are attempted and made? and that is the only question before the assembly." Dr. Cook having moved a simple negative upon the resolution proposed by Dr. Candlish, the assembly divided, and the resolution was carried by 173 to 76. The movement at which Dr. Candlish hinted in his an appeal to parliament. CHAP. XIV. answer to Dr. Cook, was destined to be the great chaNecessity for racteristic event of this assembly. Even before this last outrage had been perpetrated, it had become abundantly manifest that to go on in the face of such incessant assaults upon the rightful jurisdiction and liberties of the church, as were now made by the courts. of law, was altogether impossible. The church was entitled to know from the legislature, whether it intended to sanction, by its sovereign authority, that supremacy in matters spiritual which the courts of law had now assumed, and were daily attempting, by means so harassing and intolerable, to enforce. The time had come when, instead of facing these encroachments in detail, and remaining under the fire of those civil processes which constituted the artillery of erastianism, the church should go at once to the state itself, and submit the whole matter to the arbitrement of one authoritative and final decision. Up to the point at which she now stood, the church was in the attitude of maintaining that not she, but the civil tribunals, were acting, in respect of the matters now in dispute, in violation of the law of the land. If the state was prepared to sanction this plea, the church was entitled to ask and expect that effect should be given to it, by the immediate adoption of such a legislative remedy as would relieve her from the yoke of so grievous an oppression. If, on the other hand, the state was not prepared to follow that course, an alternative still remained. Let the announcement be distinctly made, that the right of interference now claimed and exercised by the courts of law has the sanction of the state, and that submission to that tives the Church must offer to the State. course that interference is henceforth to be the understood and CHAP. XIV. avowed condition on which alone the church can retain the temporal benefits and immunities of her establishment, and then the two parties concerned in this contract-the church on the one hand, and the state on the other-will know what to do. If, after that announce- The only ment, the church resist the decrees of the civil tribunals, she is a rebel against Cæsar; but if after it she submit to these decrees, she is a rebel against Christ. In one way alone could she, when that announcement should be made, combine loyalty to an earthly sovereign with true allegiance to her heavenly King,-by dissolving her union with the state. would rethe event of disregarding main to the Church, in the State this appeal. Such a solemn appeal to the legislature as has now been described, was at length about to be made. Before, however, this great and decisive step was taken, the assembly adopted a resolution condemnatory of the law of patronage. This alone had been hitherto awanting to complete her testimony as a thoroughly reforming church, and to bring her back into the very foot prints of her illustrious founders. The motion embodying this important resolution was made by the Rev. Mr. Cunningham, who all along had been the Rev. Mr. Cunlearned and uncompromising opponent of a system motion which had been the bane of the church of Scotland patronage. from the beginning,—and which now, by a new and more rigorous interpretation and enforcement of its claims, had been made the grand instrument for effecting the entire overthrow of her spiritual rights and liberties. In a speech distinguished equally by profound and accurate research, and by resistless force of argument, Mr. Cunningham arrayed against the whole ningham's against |