Jine fix or eight feet from the wall, and then bent again downwards three or four feet, it will prevent damage to any of the ftones of the foundation.

A perfon apprehenfive of danger from lightning happening during the time of thunder to be in a house not fo fecured; will do well to avoid fitting near the chimney, near a looking-glafs, or any gilt pictures or wainscot; the fafeft place is in the middle of the room, (fo it be not under a metal luftre suspended by a chain), fitting in one chair, and laying the feet up in another. It is ftill fafer to bring two or three mattrasses or beds into the middle of the room, and folding them up double, place the chair upon them; for they not being fo good conductors as the walls, the lightning will not chufe an interrupted course through the air of the room and the bedding, when it can go through a continued better conductor, the wall. But where it can be had, a hamock or fwinging bed, fufpended by ilk cords equally distant froin the walls on every fide, and from the cieling and floor above and below, affords the fafeft fituation a perfon can have in any room what ever, and what indeed may be deemed quite free from danger of any stroke by lightning.

B. F.

Paris, Sept. 1767. SIR, Svice in the molt defperate cafes. Ometimes a fimple remedy does great fer

Thus have. I known convulfive fpafms attended with catchings of the breath, as alfo a delirium or light-headednefs in fevers, relieved only by bathing the feet and legs in a hot bath, made of any warm herbs boiled, or barely of warm water.

The patient is to be taken up, if in bed, and fit with the legs in a deep veffel, nearly up to the knees, a quarter of an hour, or more, night and morning, or oftener; then to be wiped dry, and wrapped up in flannel; having applied first four herbs, beat up with falt and vinegar, to the feet in hot diforders; but cataplafms of ftale yeft, with rosted onions, and bruifed mustard-feed, or rafpings of horfe-radifh, in cold ones.

Hereby the inferior parts being relaxed, the veins and other veffels are rendered more large and open, confequently urge the blood lefs upwards, whereby there will not be fo great a fullness and preffure on the breaft

and brain as before.

A noble, divine remedy, fays Boerhaave, by which I have cured fo many miferable pa. tients; and, if phyficians did not neglect this method, many more would escape to thank us, who now drop under their hands. J. Cook.

Thoughts of a Layman concerning P TRONAGE and PRESENTATIONS. pp. 52. Gray, Edinburgh.

Fuit hæc fapientia quondamn, Publica privatis fecernere, facra profanis. Ho ADVERTISEMENT. These thoughts co cerning patronage and prefentations we fuggefted by an overture offered to the k General Aembly, in the following war "That the General Affembly would ta into their confideration the grievances f from the rigorous ufe of the law of patro age; that they would appoint a committ of their number to correspond with i landed intereft and royal boroughs of So land, and the feveral prefbyteries of th church, to collect their fentiments concern ing thefe grievances, and the proper mea jures which ought to be taken for the purpo of relieving the church from them; and h far it is proper to apply to the legislature fo a repeal of the law itself; and to report t next Affembly." The overture met wit oppofition; but received the approbation the Affembly It hath been a question asked by many, What are the grievances com plained of? and how is it in the power o the church to apply a remedy thoughts relate to both of thofe topics. Tha the church hath remedies in her own power, if she will use them, it is hoped will appear incontrovertible. What particular remedies She is to use, or what measures she is to purfue, it does not become a private man to point out: Let it fuffice, that a few ideas on the fubject are fuggefed to the public for their confideration. If they have no other merit, they have at least fome degree of novelty.

The

Hole who feel fentiments of religion,

need not be told, that religion is of the utmost importance to mankind: they will leave no method untried that can tend to promote its intereft, or to extend its influence.

Even those who never felt its force, will own, that it is a matter of attention to human fociety. Experience will tell them, that in proportion as religion is unknown, the focial ties are weak. Or der and good government muft affume it for their chief fupport: for it is religion alone that can form the principles of by far the greater part of the human race; who, if ignorant of it, will hardly be fenfible of moral obligations at all.

Hence, even those who are infenfible to the impressions of religion, will from

felf

elf-concern, and from a defire of the fecurity and tranquillity of fociety, with to forward its interest among men. They may differ perhaps in their ideas of what the real intereft of religion is; but they will nevertheless endeavour to prevent is annihilation.

The greater part of every fociety conLit of men who are unable to form proper opinions of things themselves, far leis to argue correctly upon abftracted ideas. Of this fort are the common people in all countries; who, being obliged to gain their livelihood by the labour of their band, have no time to make abstract inquiries; nor can they have fuch an eduration as may enable them to make them. Few are so stupid or insensible as not to be conscious of the existence of a Supreme Being, and the reverence and duty that they owe to him; but if they are left to themselves, this produces no other effect than either a grofs and abfurd fuperftition, or a careless reliance on the protection of the Deity, without inquing after or regulating themselves by his laws.

It is from the inftruation of others, then, that fuch people are to learn the true nature and end of religion; and these inftructions must be reiterated frequently, elle they cannot have their due efect. To instruct every person, and to form their ideas with respect to religion, an established clergy has been formed, from whom the most important fervices to fociety may be expected.

By means of the clergy, the whole in habitants of the country, but in a more particular manner the lower class of people, are imbued with the principles of religion, and their manners are formed according to its dictates, which include every important duty incident to human life.

In proportion as clergymen are active and vigilant in the duty of their office, the manners of a people are more or lefs perfect; and that country may be faid to be in the highest state of civilization, where the pureft doctrines of religion are Poft aniverfally taught, and where the clergy are most affiduous in difcharging their duty of teaching them.

It is therefore an object of the higheft attention to every well-governed ftate, even viewing things in a political light alone, to put the establishment of the clergy on fuch a footing as may be moft conducive to the inftruction of the peo ple

This hath ever been one of the capital aims of the church of Scotland. She hath banished all poinp and parade; he hath endeavoured to turn the eyes of her members on the fimplicity of the primitive church; and to her clergy the hath prefented one fingle object, viz. that of labouring in their province with the utmost affiduity.

What measures in general the hath taken to promote this defirable end, it is not the purpose of the prefent inquiry to point out; let it fuffice for a little to confider what method of admitting men to the minifterial office is most conducive to this defign.

If we are to confider matters in a theoretical view, without any regard to positive inflitutions, we may expect, that the man to whom the people are willing to liften for inftruction, is of all others the most proper for conveying instruction to them, provided he is capable of doing fo; or, if such a man cannot be found, he to whom the people fhew the least averfion to liften, is, cæteris paribus, preferable to any other.

In the choice, then, of a pastor, twe objects are to be kept in view: the first, That he fhould be a man knowing in thofe doctrines he profeffes to teach, and capable of teaching them; the other, That the people fhould be willing to receive instruction at his hands. If neither of these are the case, or if one of these requifites are a-wanting, his labours must be unavailing the people, for want of conftant inftruction, must degenerate in manners and in knowledge; and the clergyman, instead of being an useful member of fociety, becomes a burden on the establishment, and an impediment to hinder others from performing that office of inftruction which he is unable to perform.

Hence, the fimpleft and most eligible idea of fettling a minifter of the establifhed church, feems to be the election of the people that are to be instructed, joined with a proper fcrutiny into the abilities of the perfon who is chofen by them to be their inftruator. A man whe is ignorant himself, or who has not the powers of conveying instruction, whatever the ideas of the people concerning him may be, ought not to have this charge committed to him. If, upon trial, therefore, he is found infufficient, he ought to be rejected. On the other band, let his knowledge and his powers

be

be what they will, if those whom he ought to instruct will not liften to him, he labours in vain: the people therefore ought not to have a man who is difagreeable to them forced upon them as their inftructor.

Let us fee how far the principles of the church of Scotland adopt this theory, or juftify it.

The total depravity which Popery introduced into every part of difcipline, worship, and church-government, is well known. The church of Rome was a fabric of political contrivance, tending to aggrandize the Pontiff, and to inflave the Chriftian world; its oppreffion had become intolerable, and our forefathers, by a spirited effort, threw off its yoke.

As the innovations of the church of Rome, not only in worship and religious principles, but in church-government and difcipline, had been numberless, and had been introduced, not at once, but by degrees, through a series of ages, our first reformers had no other model by which they could form themselves in church-government and difcipline, but that of the primitive church, in the age of the apostles. The fcripture they refolved to make the rule of their reformation throughout their principles of region and their worship they gathered only thence; and in fo far as it could aid them in government and in discipline, they followed no other rule.

:

In this state of things, it was natural for them to refort to the fcripture for a rule for admitting minifters. They there found, that among the first acts of the Christian church after our Saviour's death, an apoftle was chofen, and he was chofen by the voice of all the difciples gathered together: this method therefore they feem to have adopted.

Accordingly, in the First Book of Difcipline, which was drawn up at the Reformation, viz. about the year 1560, by fome of those clergymen who had been most active reformers, in chap. 4. S. 3. it is faid, "The admiffion of minifters to their offices must confift in the confent of the people and church whereto they fhall be appointed, and approbation of the learned ministers appointed for their examination." And in the Second Book of Difcipline, which was authorised by the General Affembly 1578, the 3d chapter, is intitled, How the perfones that beir ecclefiaftical functiones ar admitted to thair office. It is there laid, "Vocation

L

or calling is common to all that fou beir office within the kirk, quhilk is lawful way, be the quhilk qualifiet pe fones ar promotit to any fpiritual offi within the kirk of God. Without th lawful calling, it was never leifum to a perfon to meddle with any function e clefiaftical. There are twa forts of ca ling: ane extraordinar, be God himf immediatelie, as war of the profetis a apoftolis, quhilk in kirks establishit, a well already reformit, bes no place. T uther calling is ordinar, quhilk, befid the calling of God, and inward teftim nie of á gude confcience, hes the law approbation and outward judgement men, according to Godis word, and o der eftablifhit in his kirk. Nane auc to prefume to enter in any office eccl fiafticall, without he have this teftimo of a good confcience before God, w only knaws the hartis of men. This o dinar and outward calling has twa parl election and ordination. Election is t chufing out of a perfon or perfons ma abile to the office that vaikes, be t judgement of the elderfchip, and co fent of the congregation to whom th perfon or perfons beis appointed. T qualities in general requifite in all the wha fould beir charge in the kirk, conf in foundnes of religion, and godlyness lyfe, according as they are fufficiently fo furth in the word. In this ordinar ele tion it is to be efchewit, that na perfo be intrufit in ony of the offices of th kirk, contrar to the will of the congre gation to whom they ar appointed, without the voce of the elderfchip."

Such were the ideas of our first r formers, fuch the conftitutions of of earlieft affemblies. How surprising is then to hear it sometimes afferted, th fettlements by prefentation are agreeab to the spirit of the original conflitution the church of Scotland, and always we adopted under the Prefbyterian form church-government, fome fhort interva only excepted? A doctrine that h fometimes been openly avowed even the prefence of ecclefiaftical judicature

Settlements by presentation, and righ of patronage, were unknown in t earlier ages of Chriflianity. The fi mention we find of them is in two conf tutions of Juftinian, about the year 55 nor in the whole body of the Civil la are they mentioned a third time; even these they are mentioned only in a curso way,

T

tions.

The Roman Pontiff, however, at laft began to feel his own intereft concerned in establishing the right of patronage u niverfally. The first ideas of advantage from patronage to the church, was its baving a tendency to increase the number and wealth of ecclefiaftics, that right being then beftowed on those only who built and endowed churches. But at last it came to be established as a maxim, That a right of patronage was effential to every benefice; and upon this footing, where ever a clear title did not appear, the Pope affumed to himself the right of patronage; by this means acquiring a great acceffion of power in the bestowing of ecclefiaftical benefices.

At the Reformation, the right of patronage was found eftablished in confequence of these principles of the Romith church; and it had been attended with many valuable privileges. The right to tithes, which now follows it, did not indeed then belong to it; but a patron, by the Canon law, had certain ecclefiaftical privileges in that parifh, the right of patronage of which belonged to him; and in cafe of his becoming poor, and unable to maintain himself, he was intitled to an aliment out of the benefice: he had like wife a right to retain the fruits during

a vacancy.

This real and fubftantial intereft of patrons in the benefices, was a fufficient reafon for not abolishing the name of patronage altogether at the Reformation, that would have tended to hurt the civil rights of those to whom patronages had belonged. The name therefore, and the idea, of a patron, is found for a long time after this in our ftatutes: ant as the idea of a patron, and a right of preentation, were not eafily feparated, the idea of a prefentation is alfo retained; yet fo as that there is no clafhing of the civil and ecclefiaftical conftitutions on this point.

In the year 1567, in that very parlia ment which abolished Popery, and establifhed the Reformation, a ftatute in titled, Admissioun of minifters: of laick pa tronages, was made in the following words. "Item, It is ftatute and ordained be our Soveraine Lord, with advice of his dearest Regent, and three eftaitis of this prefent parliament, That the examination and admiffion of ministers within this realme, be only in the power of the kirk now openlie and publickly profeffed within the famin: The prefentation of laick patronages alwaies referved to the juft and auncient patrones; and that the patroun prefent an qualified perfoun, within fex monethes, (after it may cum to his knawledge of the decease of him quha bruiked the benefice of before), to the fuperintendent of thay parties quhair the benefice lyes, or uthers havand commiffioun of the kirk to that effect; otherwaies the kirk to have power to dif pone the famin to ane qualifyed perfon for that time; providing, that in caice the patron prefent ane perfon qualified to his underftanding, and failing of ane, ane uther, within the faid fex monethes, and the faid fuperintendent or commiffioner of the kirk refufis to receive and admit the perfon prefented be the patron, as faid is, it fall be lefum to the patron to appeale to the fuperintendent and minifters of that province quhair the benefice lyis, and defire the perfon prefented to be admitted; quhilk gif they refufe, to appeale to the General Affemblie of this haill realm; be quhome the cause heand decyded, fall take end as thay decerne and declair."

We have before feen the idea of our firft reformers about the fettlement of minifera, viz. that they ought to be cal

VOL. XXXI.

This ftatute is admirably calculated to conciliate the idea of a patron to the ecclefiaftical ideas concerning the fettlement of churches. The ecclefiaftical courts are declared to have the fole jurif diction in the fettlements of minifters. The patron may indeed prefent, but the ecclefiaftical courts may fettle or not fettle upon his prefentation as they think fit. Hence, if the prefentee is agreeable to the people, and they concur with the patron in defiring to have him fettled, his fettlement may proceed; but if the prefentee happens to be difagreeable to the people, the law impofes no neceffity on the ecclefiaftical judicatories to fettle him; on the contrary, they must proceed ac

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cording