THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND IN ITS RELATIONS TO THE STATE. GREENOCK:-PUBLISHED BY A. M'IVER. EDINBURGH, WM. BLACKWOOD AND SONS; A. AND C. BLACK; WM. WHITE AND CO.; 1813. TO THE MEMBERS OF THE NORTH CHURCH CONGREGATION, GREENOCK. MY DEAR FRIENDS, I FEEL that the time is come, when the members of my congregation are entitled to receive from their minister, a full and undisguised exposition of the views he has been led to form regarding the position of the Church of Scotland in its relations to the State, and the consequent duties incumbent both upon minister and people. Some of you, perhaps, are of opinion, that I ought to have done this sooner; but in answer to that implied reproach, I have just to plead -not certainly my unwillingness that my sentiments should be fully known (for I have never sought to conceal them); but simply my long-cherished hope, that by some satisfactory settlement of the question, I should have been spared the necessity of entering on the painful discussion. Being unshackled by the trammels of party, which has ever been the bane of our Church, and now threatens to be its ruin-seeing much to condemn and deplore in the principles and proceedings of both the extremes of faction, by which the Church is rent, I am one of those who have been waiting in the expectation, that by some well-devised measure, in which both Church and State might agree, every ground of controversy between them might in the meantime have been taken out of the way, and their harmonious cooperation restored. In that hope, I grieve to say, I have been disappointed; and now, by the irresistible force of events, (which, however, it was not difficult to foresee,) things are hastening to such a pass, that it becomes the imperative duty of every one, be he clergyman or layman, to come forward, and freely and frankly declare both his sentiments as to the past, and his determinatiou as to the future. As the origin of the lamentable controversy dates more than eight years back, it will be necessary to refresh your memories with certain facts, which you heard of at the time, but may since have forgotten. The two points, therefore, to which I would devote the present letter, are, 1st. What was the leading motive of the Church in framing the Veto Act: and, 2d. What was the course open for her to pursue, when she found that in the judgment of the Supreme Civil Court she had thereby exceeded her constitutional power. I presume you are all aware, that that which brought the Church |