your

would be a dereliction of principle. As to the authority to which a minister of the Church of Scotland is subject, there can be no doubt; but before going farther, it may be well to set this matter at rest. When a minister is ordained, among other questions which must be answered by him is the following: "Do you sincerely own and believe the whole doctrine contained in the Confession of Faith, approven by the General Assemblies of this Church, and ratified by law in the year 1690, to be founded upon the word of God? And do you acknowledge the same as the confession of faith; and will you firmly and constantly adhere thereto, and, to the utmost of your power, assert, maintain, and defend the same, and the purity of worship as presently practised in this national Church, and asserted in the 15th Act of Assembly, 1707 ?" And by the same Act, such as after trial are approved of, are appointed to sign a formula in these terms, "I do hereby declare, that I do sincerely own and believe the whole doctrine contained in the Confession of Faith, approven by the General Assemblies, of this national Church, and ratified by law in the year 1690, and frequently confirmed by diverse Acts of Parliament since that time, to be the truths of God. And I do own the same as the Confession of my Faith."

Now, Sir, in considering the relevancy of the libel against a minister, who, at his ordination answered these questions affirmatively, and subscribed this formula, I am persuaded that the Presbytery will consider any detailed reference to the Scriptures altogether unnecessary.

With the Confession of Faith the reverend members of this Court must be much better acquainted than I am; but as it will be expected, I shall take the liberty of quoting a few passages, in order to show that the doctrines alluded to in the libel are contrary to it. The doctrines charged as erroneous, are two; 1st, That of Universal Atonement and Pardon; and 2dly, That Assurance is of the Essence of Faith and necessary to Salvation. Regarding the first of these, the Confession of Faith, is extremely explicit; and though Mr. Campbell has quoted some of the passages, which I shall now read, with comments, I shall feel it unnecessary to do so before this Court.

Mr. M'George then read the following passages from the Confession of Faith: "Chap. iii. section 6th and 7th; chap.

vi. sect. 6th; chap. viii. sect. 1st and 5th; chap. x. sect. 1st; chap. xi. sect. 1st and 5th; chap. xv. sect. 3d, 4th, and 6th. There is one fact charged in the libel which, in express terms, sets the doctrine of the Church of Scotland at nought; part of the 7th count relating to the sermon preached at Row, on the 4th July, 1830. "And on the same occasion you said that the doctrine of the Church of Scotland tended to fatalism."

The second doctrine charged against Mr. Campbell is, that Assurance is of the Essence o fFaith, and necessary to salvation.

This point is likewise condemned in the Confession of Faith. (Mr. M'George then read) Chap. xiv. sect. 3d; chap. xviii. sect. 3d and 4th. Then, Sir, as to the Act of Assembly 1720, I should think it quite unnecessary to defend the authority of that Act on which Mr. C. has made various observations. It is considered as the authoritative declaration of the opinions of the Church of Scotland, and will undoubtedly be received with respect in this Presbytery. (Mr. M'G. then read the Act.) Now, Moderator, it is upon these express propositions of the Confession of Faith, and this judgment of the General Assembly, that I found the relevancy of the libel. I consider it unnecessary to detain the Court, and expect that the Presbytery will find the libel relevant. Mr. C., in his able defence, has acknowledged the minor proposition qualified in certain respects; but the major proposition he has admitted in as many words. There are explanations given of the doctrine of universal pardon, but none of universal atonement; I should therefore think that a proof from witnesses is unnecessary. If I understand the defence, it substantially admits the doctrines imputed to Mr. Campbell, but denies the relevancy of the charges; but I am perhaps anticipating, for the first duty of the Presbytery is to consider whether the libel, if made out, is sufficient to infer the conclusion.

Mr. Campbell. I do not expect to add any thing of importance to what I have already stated; but seeing that it resolves itself so entirely into a question of relevancy, I am very desirous that the ground on which I deny the relevancy be distinctly apprehended. I did not utter a syllable that had the least air of casting discredit on the Standards; but

the Act of 1720, I regard with regret, and, as a minister of this Church, have cause to be humbled on account of it.

Mr. Campbell then shortly explained the grounds of his objections to the relevancy, in as far as they referred to the Standards, and the Act of the General Assembly of 1720. He said that had he been libelled for denying the doctrine of election, Mr. M'George's arguments would have been quite relevant against him; but, as he did not deny it, but on the contrary held it freely and fully, that he did not feel that they applied to him.

Mr. M'George then rose, and observed, that the authority of the Act of Assembly of 1720, could not, in the present case, be doubted, as the Assembly of 1830 had, in their remit to the Presbytery of Dumbarton, expressly referred to it; to which Mr. Campbell replied that, the principle of " an Act of any single Assembly not being a law of the Church" being applicable to them all, the remit of the Assembly of 1830 could not be regarded in any other light.

The Church-officer then, by the command of the Moderator, declared the parties to be removed from the bar.

The Moderator next called for any observations on the relevancy of the libel laid on the table.

The Rev. Dr. Graham, of Killearn, went at considerable length over the different doctrines libelled, and contended that they were contrary both to the Scriptures and the Standards; and concluded by moving that the Presbytery find the major proposition of the libel relevant.*

The Rev. Dr. Hamilton, of Strathblane.

"It is with great pain that I must now address you, in such a case as this; it would have been more delightful to have been co-operating with my brother. The defence he has made corroborates the statements of the counsel at the barhe admits that he holds the doctrines in a certain sense. It is possible if you take detached sentences of Scripture to

*The Rev. Dr.'s speech is not reported here, because it was found on comparison, that it is, to a considerable extent, the same, word for word, with his speech at the bar of the Synod of Glasgow and Ayr, already printed, and given at a subsequent part of this record.

fasten on it any sentiments you please. If you read any book, and look at one part of it and not at other parts of it, any degree of nonsense may be found in it. Look at one part of the Bible, and it is said there, that the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God; look to another part and you will find it said, that the whole world lieth in wickedness; stop there, and the conclusion is irresistible that the whole world shall be turned into hell. But if I come to the Scriptures in a proper manner, I must renounce the doctrines my young brother has this day advanced. We must not go back to any confession before the Westminster Confession, for to it we must bow. By my subscription, I am bound to receive the Bible in the sense of the Westminster Confession. I am looking at the Confession used in the English church at Geneva, and here I see the language that was quoted to purge the sins of all the world; but when I look to another part of the same Confession, I find these words, to all them that believe.' This universal redemption, then, is limited to all them that believe. And, in another part, I find, "which Church is not seen to man's eye, but only known to God, who of the lost sonnes of Adam hath ordained some, as vessels of wrath, to damnation." If there is any difference between light and darkness, life and death, the man who holds the doctrine of reprobation, cannot hold the doctrine of universal atonement and pardon. Were there no other thing than this count in the libel, This doctrine of our Church leads to fatalism,' this would be sufficient to condemn the preacher. Our Standards maintain that Christ is the only Redeemer, but to say that for this reason all are pardoned, is just as absurd as saying, that because there is a road from Britain to France, therefore, all the inhabitants go to France.

Mr. Campbell's doctrine, regarding assurance, is at variance with our Standards, for he reprobates the idea of a man looking into himself for his interest in Christ. But I disdain all reference to the previous confessions to interpret our present one, which was received as being in nothing contrary to them: it holds that comfort is to be obtained from grace within us; and in the 80th, the 167th, and 172d questions of the Larger Catechism, we find the same doctrine, and, likewise, that our assurance increases as our holiness increases. This, I think, may be sufficient on the subject of

с

assurance; as to the tenet of universal redemption, I shall merely read to you the 59th question of the Larger Catechism, in addition to what has been stated at the bar.

(Dr. H. here entered into a minute consideration of the language of the Standards of the Church of Scotland, which he said was that of "offering salvation and grace to sinners;" in illustratation of this, he referred to the 67th and 68th questions of the Larger Catechism, and then proceeded as follows:)

I shall merely mention one passage more, the 32d question. I have many more marked, but with these I need not trouble you.

We find, through the whole of the sacred volume, if the Lord has a people, the serpent has one also; we find at the very opening of the sacred canon, there was enmity to be placed between the seed of the woman and that of the serpent; we trace this opposition through the whole of the Old Testament, and also through the New.

I hold in my hand a letter, in which a licentiate of this Church tendered his resignation. (Dr. H. then read the letter, in which it was stated, that the individual regarded the 6th section of the 3d chapter of the Confession of Faith, (in which it is stated, that none other are redeemed by Christ but the elect only,) as denying part of the truth of God, and that this appeared to him to be contrary to the plainest declarations of Scripture, in which it is said, that he died for all; and that, for this reason, he desired to tender his license to the Presbytery.) This individual, continued Dr. H. the very found it to be his duty to leave the Church on grounds on which our friend finds it to be his to remain. However unwilling I am, I must declare the libel relevant, and that we ought to take proper measures to establish the truth of the minor proposition."

The Rev. Mr. Gregor, of Bonhill.

“I will not find any great difficulty in stringing a few sentences together. I expected that Mr. Campbell would have wrought a very desirable reformation in the parish of Row. His talents are most respectable-of his zeal I never had a doubt: the last sermon I heard from him but one, I heard with great pleasure; there was a degree of talent and genius in it, which, in a sermon, is not misplaced. Our hearers are better judges of what we set before them than