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The ordination of the North American Episcopal communion was first derived through the Episcopal church of Scotland. Dr Seabury of Connecticut, having been sent to England shortly after the assertion of independence, in order to procure Episcopal ordination, it could not be given to him by the church, on account of a law prohibiting such to be done; but with the warm concurrence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, he was. introduced to the Scottish bishops, and was ordained by them at Aberdeen, from whence he carried across the Atlantic that mysterious and ancient heritage of the apostolic succession, which has come down on the stream of eighteen centuries, a pure and undying memorial of the divine institution of the church. It is a fact, which is perhaps not generally known, that John Wesley also applied to the Scottish bishops to grant the ordination of a bishop to himself, and some of his coadjutors. Luckily for the security of the church of England, this request was negatived. We have heard that he afterwards applied to the Greek church, by means of a bishop of that communion at the time in London, which attempt to gain apostolic authority was similarly frustrated. He then disregarded what he could not acquire, and founded his church with lay ordination.

Jacobitically inclined as this communion once was, it cannot be said that any feeling of this nature now pertains to it. Few of those clerical or lay members remain who remember of the period of its prescription, and a new race has sprung up with modern associations and sentiments. As a refutation of those calumnies which have unscrupulously been directed against it, as respects its opposition as an episcopacy to civil and religious liberty, it may be mentioned, that it possesses many members who would yield to no covenanter or presbyterian in the avowal of firm constitutional principles, and who would not lag behind in the assertion of civil and religious freedom. The chief peculiarity. of the whole body of Scottish Episcopalians is, however, a desire to pursue a career involving no contro

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THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

versy, and provoking no exacerbation of sentiment. The communion is humble, we might say, almost to a fault; for it suffers indignities with such meekness that many might be tempted to suppose that it was actually deserving of such contumely. The Christian virtue of charity seems indeed to be deeply imbued in its constitution. It pursues a serene and temperate course, disturbing the complacency of no one, and fulfilling the idea of a simple, yet efficient ecclesiastical institution. It seems to have prayed with success to be delivered "from all false doctrine, heresy, and schism, and contempt of His word and commandment,❞—for few communities of Christians trouble society so little with their internal or external arrangements. Within its sacred pale no jars or heresies are ever known to fester or break out. By the constant use of an orthodox liturgy and creeds, and the daily reading of those parts of scripture comprehending the plain principles of a true religion, no new dogma of belief can be started; and its adherents would lay no stress on the declamations of pulpit orators, if at variance with the doctrines therein set forth and fixed. There is a completeness about this communion which must strike every one who examines it. Its constitution and forms require little or no amendment. Its creed is one and unchangeable. It does not consider Christianity a science susceptible of improvement every generation. It lays claim to no occult power of discovering new meanings or readings in the verses of the sacred volume. By reason of this continuity of principle, this stedfastness in belief, the Episcopal church of Scotland is perhaps destined to stand as an impregnable bulwark of orthodoxy in the land; and should it be the fate of the kirk and its dissenting bodies, to be frittered away by the conceits of erring and shortsighted men, this poor, this oft contemned, but this unchanging communion, may be the means of still keeping alive, and handing down unimpaired to the latest posterity, that pure and beneficent faith "once delivered to the saints."

RELIGIOUS SUMMARY.

The population of Scotland by the census of 1821, was 2,093,456. It may be assumed, that that number is now increased to about 2,600,000, and calculating by the usual proportion, 600,000 of these are under ten years of age. Of the remaining two millions, the following table, founded on official lists and minute personal investigation, may be taken as presenting a tolerably accurate summary in round figures, of the number of individuals belonging to different classes of religionists, with the number of congregations.

Under the Church Courts of the Establishment.

Parish churches,

Chapels of Ease,

Missionaries employed in the Highlands and Islands, by a
Committee of the General Assembly for managing the Royal
Bounty of £2000 annually,

Missionaries employed in the Highlands and Islands, by the
Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge,

Chapels in the Highlands supported by Parliamentary grants,
Note.-The Kirk assumes a spiritual power over several
presbyterian congregations in England, Holland, and one
or two of the colonies.

Presbyterian Dissenters.

Reformed Presbyterian Synod, or Cameronians,
United Associate Synod of the Secession Church,

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Associate Synod and Constitutional Presbytery, now joined under the title of Associate Synod of Original Seceders, Original Burgher Associate Synod,

Relief Synod,

Relief Congregation of Rev. John Johnston,

Note.-Some of these sects assume a spiritual power ever several presbyterian congregations in England and Ireland.

Miscellaneous Sectaries.

Independents and Baptists,

Bereans and Glassites,

Swedenborgians, (Edinburgh,)

New Sects, with no distinct title,

Friends or Quakers,

Methodists, (9 stations, and only 2609 communicants,)

Jews, (Edinburgh,)

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Apostolic Churches.

Roman Catholics, 55 clergymen,
Episcopalians,

Congregations using the Liturgy and forms of the Episcopa-
lians, but under no bishop, and those individual members
of the Church of England resident in Scotland,

Unitarians; those holding Socinian opinions; pure disbelievers; and those who attend no place of public worship of any description, either from want of seats or want of will, though generally baptized Christians, and of presbyterian lineage,

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MINOR NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN SCOTLAND.

HIGHLAND SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND.

In each of the three kingdoms, there is an institution erected to accomplish similar ends in reference to the encouragement of Agriculture, and other departments of the rural menage. There is the Board of Agriculture of London, the Agricultural Society of Dublin, and the Highland Society in Edinburgh. Of the effects which the two first of these associations have had in their respective countries, it is not our duty to speak. The latter certainly deserves exposition. The Highland Society of Scotland is of no earlier origin than the year 1784, when a number of landed and professional gentlemen, being influenced with an anxious desire to further the agricultural improvement of the Highlands of Scotland, until then in lowly condition, associated themselves into a society to accomplish such a patriotic design. Most of these gentlemen were either natives of, or some way connected with, that part of the country they intended to benefit by their patronage. In 1787 they obtained a royal charter of incorporation, and the young institution received an impetus towards success at the outset, by a grant of L. 3000 from government, out of those monies paid for the forfeited estates of noblemen and gentlemen, attainted on the insurrection of 1745. In 1789 it was also so fortunate as to receive the first of an annuity of L. 800 from the public purse.

THE HIGHLAND SOCIETY.

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This beneficial society commenced operations at a very auspicious period. The American war and revolution had just given the first decisive blow to an ancient, and certainly a bad, order of things, and the nation then seriously began to think of putting its hands to the plough. The gradual introduction of the use of lime, manure, and draining, which took place about this period, opened up new sources of wealth, and a society to assist and direct industry was eminently desiderated. The Highland Society commenced in its career, by holding out the incentive of premiums in the shape of medals and sums of money for improvements in Agricultural instruments; cattle, ploughing, taking in waste lands, planting trees, &c. The value of these measures was soon manifested. Almost immediately, district and similar institutions sprung up in all directions, and powerfully tended to disabuse the peasantry and small farmers of their prejudices, and vivify the spirit of improvement. In a short time after its erection, the Highland Society extended its patronage over the whole of Scotland.

The agricultural board in London, was instituted in 1793, and heartily co-operated in the designs of the Highland Society. From whatever cause it may proceed, no comparison can be properly made of the effects of these two kindred societies, the latter having been of far greater benefit to Scotland, than the other has been in England. In this, like some few things else, the Scottish institution is fortunate in having a small country to exercise itself upon, and over which it can preserve a thorough supervision. Along with many subsidiary causes of agricultural activity, this Society has wrought almost miracles on the surface of this rude northern land. Instead of clumsy wooden ploughs, dragged with difficulty by three or four horses, or bullocks, and guided by two or more men, there are now handsome iron instruments of the most scientific construction, (that of the lamented and hardly well requited Finlayson in particular,) which can be drawn with ease by two horses through the most benty soils,

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