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the other is our common bond of religion . I wifth it were out of my power to persecute any Roman Catholic . He lias as much a right to my benevolence as even you Sir , and no man can have a better claim to universal esteem and regard . I bope , too , that you will nnt think it any
sort of derogation from the deference which I ought to pay to your judgment , that I think myself obliged , in conscience , to take my opinions of men ' s principles rather from themselves than from you . I keep at the same time , I Assure you , very
just weights and measures , and as I do not take my ideas of the churches of Prance and Italy from the pulpits at Edinburgh , so I shall most certainly not apply to the Consistory at Rome , or the Sorbonne at Paris , for the doctrines and genius of the Church of Scotland . "
u To represent a man as immoral by his religion , perfidious by his principles , a murderer on a point of conscience , an enemy even from piety to the foundations of all social intercourse , and then tell us that we are to offer no violence to
such a person , under favour appears to me rather an additional insult and mockery , than any sort of corrective of the injury we do our neighbour , by the character we give him . " u I cannot by any ineatis allow , that men , when they wish to free themselves from the terror of penal laws , and the
odium of being * supposed the just object of them , when they earnestly solicit to have that stigma taken off , and to recommend themselves to their government by dutiful applications , can be said to bring theiimisfortunes on themselves , if , on that account , a furious and bigoted set of miscreants choose to rob them of their goods , and to burn their houses /'
How far Burke afterwards acted on these noble principles , especially towards Dr , Priestley , or whether the jrioters of 1791 were not equally furious and bigoted with those of 17 SO , I ^ t the reader judge for himself .
Dr . Erskine was of the popular party in the Church of Scotland , who -wished a call from the elders to be considered as necessary to the induction of a minister . In this he was opposed to Dr . tyobert&on , who wished the right of patrons to present to be
always maintained . An Appendix to this beok gives a sketch of the history of the Scotch Church , from the Revolution to thp year 178 O , It is by no ** ie < u * s impartial , aiul in some parts obscure . Sir Hietiry is by no means sp well lquaJiiied to write * uch a . history a » Mr . Cook ^ , urbose < wmt 4-
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nuation of his History of the Scotcji Church , which he has hitherto <* n ly brought down to the time of the Revolution , is much desired by all who are interested in the subject . A few facts concerning the different secessions from the Scotch Church may be interesting * In the vear 17 S 3 , " Mr . Ralph Erskine , of - Dnmferuline , and a few
other ministers , were rebuked by the Assembly , and afterwards expelled from the Church , for refusing to join in the induction of a minister who was disapproved by the people . This occasioned the secession , from which ' have
arisen the Burghers and Antiburghers , who afterwards separated on account of a dispute , whether or not it was allowable to take the oath required of burgesses ; the Burghers leaving it to each individual to do as he pieasecf , theAntiburghers expelling from their communion all who took the oath .
These two bodies , it is probable , will wotv unite , the Antiburghers giving up their exclusive principle . In order to favour this uuion , the magistrates of many burghs in Scotland have resolved , that the oath objected to shall not be required of Burgesses in
their towns . In 1752 , Mr . Thomas Giilespie , minister of Carnock , was deprived for a similar reason . When sentence of deposition was passed upon him , as be stood at the bar of the Assembly , he replied , " I thank God , that to me it is given not only to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ ,
but also to suffer for hi * sake . ** This gave rise to the party of Seceders called ' « the Relief / ' All these Seceders are Presbyterians , and govern themselves bv presbvteries and synods ,,
but allow the people to choose their own ministers , who must , however , J $ § persons ordained by their presbyteries . Subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms
is required from every minister of these classes of Seceders , as well as of the Church . These form the pri ncipal body of Scotch Dissenters . Besides these , there are a ' considerable
number of Episcopalians who agree with the Church of England , of Roman Catholics , of Independents , a few Wesleian Methodists , # few Cameroiiians , principally ifi tfce eoMth of Scotland * a . few i *> midemixaiau&f very few Quakers and &wed&nhor $ * aus tmrne congreeaftocie of YJ # ii < vet °# » Hsts >
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440 Review , V ' — / ellwoods jAfe of Dr . John Ewkint .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1819, page 440, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1774/page/40/
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