land, as exhibited in her creeds, canons, confessions, and forms of worship." This profession he solemnly makes unto the Presbytery, before his people, and promises, to abide by these, in subjection to his brethren.*

Such hath been their uniform practice, at the admission of every new pastor, from the date of their separation from the Kirk to the present day; and, consistently with this profession, in all their deliberations in church courts, the established laws of presbytery are consulted, and by them their transactions are regulated.

Their synod, consisting of all the ministers, and one lay elder, deputed from each congregation, meets for two years successively in Edinburgh, and every third year in Glasgow, in the month of May; and under it are six presbyteries, viz. those of Edinburgh, Glasgow, St. Ninians, Dysart, Perth, and Dumfries.

They have no academies of their own, like the Seceders, but their licentiates, or candidates for the ministry, are educated under the professors of divi

* Though nothing of all this, I presume, is required of their people, yet some of them, it would appear, are much higher Calvinists than their pastors; for a Relief minister, I am credibly informed, has of late found himself so very uncomfortable among those under his charge, in consequence of his having justly or maliciously, (I know not,) gotten the name which the Dutchman used at times to give to his horse, (see above, vol. ii. p. 261. note,) that he has been induced to leave them, and seek for a milder charge.

nity in the different Scottish Universities, whose certificates they acknowledge. Hence they are unwilling to be reckoned Seceders or Dissenters ;* and yet the members of the Establishment seem but little disposed to own them as brethren; for, by a late act of the General Assembly, their ministers are excluded from their communion, until they have undergone a fresh examination.

Their views of church-communion are not so contracted as those of the Seceders, for they permit their members, in the absence of their pastor, or when they are at a distance from any chapel in their own communion, " to join in any other society of sound Presbyterians, where the speaker is known to be orthodox, of good report, and regularly called to the ministry." Many of their people receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper with equal readiness in the established Kirk as in their own; and they admit to communion not only Presbyterians, but Christians of every denomination, who," as far as "as far as they can judge, have a competent measure of knowledge; are sound in the faith, and unblamable in their lives, though not their followers."

Mr. Gillespie assured the public, that "his views

"We do not separate from their communion, but approve of their ancient laws, creeds, and forms of worship. We are no enemies to them, we stand up for the original constitution and order of the Church, and are willing to assist and support them in the work of the Lord."-SMITH'S Historical Sketches, p. 42.

were to hold communion with all who appear to hold communion with the head, our Lord Jesus Christ, and with such only, and their synod has determined," that it is agreeable to the principles of the Presbytery of Relief, to hold communion with visible saints in the Episcopalian and Independent Churches."

Further particulars respecting this denomination, may be found in "A Compendious View of the Religious System maintained by the Synod of Relief," &c. by Patrick Hutchison, A. M. minister of the gospel in St. Ninians; and in "Historical Sketches of the Relief Church; and a few Subjects of Controversy discussed, with an Address to the Burgher Clergy," by Mr. James Smith, minister of the Relief Church, in Dunfermline; of which work much use has been made in this statement.

They seem to have met with more opposition from the two branches of Seceders, than from the members of the Establishment, or those of any other communion; and those who wish to know what has been said against them, may consult, "The Relief Scheme Considered; wherein the Origin of the Relief Church is traced, her Constitution and Order delineated, and the Plan of Communion adopted in her, examined," by James Ramsay, minister of the gospel in Glasgow; together with a "Review" of Mr. Hutchison's "Compendious View," by the same author, who was an Antiburgher Seceder.

THE

SCOTTISH BAPTISTS.*

RISE, PROGRESS, &c. It does not appear that there have been any Baptist churches in Scotland, till the year 1765, except one, of which some traces remain in a book, entitled, "A Confession of Faith of the several Congregations or Churches of Christ in London, which are commonly (though unjustly) called Anabaptists; published for the vindication of the Truth, &c. The fourth impression, corrected, printed at Leith, 1653." This edition contains a preface by some Baptists at Leith and Edinburgh, which, however, is silent with respect to the history of their Church; only it shows, that they were of the same faith and order with the

*For the following Account of the Scottish Baptists, the Author is indebted to Mr. William Braidwood of this place, a distinguished and very respectable elder of that denomination.

churches then in London. It is dated, "Leith, the 10th of the first month, vulgarly called March, 1652-3, and signed in the name, and by the appointment of the church of Christ, usually meeting at Leith and Edinburgh, by Thomas Spencer, Abraham Holmes, Thomas Powell, John Brady."

This Church, in all probability, was composed of English Baptists, who had left their native country during the civil wars; and many of them, it may be presumed, were soldiers, since no other description of men can be thought so likely to have emigrated from England to Scotland; and it is well known, that there were many Baptists in the army which Cromwell led into this country; a considerable part of which was left behind, for the purpose of garrisoning Leith, Edinburgh, and other places.

It may farther be supposed, that this Church continued in existence only till the Restoration, when probably it was dissolved and dispersed, owing to the garrisons of Leith and Edinburgh being then withdrawn, and replaced with other troops; or to the violence of the persecution which distinguished the reign of the second Charles. Be that as it may, no traces can be found of a Baptist Church in Scotland for more than a hundred years subsequent to that period, unless it were thought proper so to denominate the late Sir William Sinclair of Dunbeath, in the county of Caithness, and a few of his own tenants, whom he baptised, some of them probably before the