12

PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &c.

ple do not now expect, that even the minilers of the gospel fhould become martyrs, when they can avoid it by taking the oaths to the On the contrary, the people will government: learn from them to look upon the impofition of fuch oaths as a fort of A perfecution, and to take the fame oaths themfelves, when required, without altering or forfaking their former principles, by which they will become more dangerous fubjects than they could have been, had they never taken the oaths; for thofe B concealed Jacobites, who are ready to take all the oaths we can put to them, are of all others, the government's most dangerous enemies. And tho' we cannot altogether prevent fuch minifters from exercifing their function privately, yet we fhall C prevent their having fuch a powerful, or fuch an extenfive influence, as they would have, were they to exercise their functious in a free and open manner. Our preventing their publick preaching will, therefore, be of fome fervice; and if we cannot ab- D lutely prevent an evil, it is not, furely, an argument against our doing all

we can.

F

As I was, from my infancy, educated in the principles of the church of England, and ftill profefs the fame principles, I hope it will be pre- E fumed, Sir, that I fhall be ready to concur in any meafures for propagating thofe principles in Scotland, as well as England, provided those measures be fuch as are confiftent with the articles of union, and of no dangerous confequence to the fafety of our prefent happy establishment, upon the prefervation of which the very being of our church depends. I am, therefore, very forry to hear it fuggested, that there are fofew epifcopal minifters in Scotland, except thofe who have had their letters of orders from fome G of the nonjuring bifhops there; and that if we exclude thefe laft, there will be a great want of epifcopal minifters in that country; but this want

Jani

will, I hope, be foon fupplied by the care of our bishops, and the charitable contributions of our clergy; for I cannot comprehend how the difficulties in obtaining ordination fuggested by the learned gentleman come to be fo great, as has been who fpoke laft, confidering how many priests, or deacons, we have every year ordained.

I do not pretend, Sir, to be learned in the canons or rules of the but from the little I have read, and church, with refpect to ordination; heard upon this fubject, I know that a title, fuch as a curacy, or the like, may be easily obtained; because the perfon who gives fuch a title, is not obliged to continue the perfon he he pleafes, and the bishop, within grants it to in poffeffion, longer than whofe diocese the title lies, may thereupon ordain him, or grant him letters dimiffory, in order to his being ordained by fome other bifhop. Then as to the testimonials of his good many worthy and learned gentlemen life and converfation, there are fo of Scotland, now fettled in the church here, and fo many other gentlemen of that country always refiding here, that if the teftimonial be fubfcribed by any gentlemen of character in fome of the gentlemen of that counScotland, they must be known to try refiding here, who can, and will, authenticate the teftimonial to the upon a letter from the fubfcribers, bishop here, who is to ordain. And tho', regularly, a deacon ought to office, before he can be ordained continue one whole year in that pricft, yet this the bifhop may dif penfe with, and may ordain a man prieft but a few days after he has been ordained deacon, the indifpenfable canon being only, that no man in one day; fo that a man, who fhall be ordained prieft and deacon comes from Scotland for orders, needs not make above one journey, and his expence, it is to be hoped, will be made up to him, by the charitable

con

contributions of the rich clergy in this kingdom.

hardly fuppofe, that any of the epifcopal minifters now in Scotland, are fuch as received their orders from any of those bishops; and furely neither the law nor the church will acknowledge thofe men to be bishops, who have been elected fince that time by virtue of an authority, or Conge d'elire from the late king James; or prefent pretender; for that there are fuch pretended bishops, both in England and Scotland, every one knows, tho' it be impoffible to find B fuch a proof of it, as may fubject them to a profecution, or convicti

I cannot, therefore, think, Sir, there are fuch infuperable difficulties in fupplying very foon all the meeting houfes in Scotland with epifcopal minifters, regularly qualified, accord- A ing to the late act, and fuch as have been bred up, from their infancy, in true principles of politicks, as well as religion; and if any fuch difficulties fhould appear, a remedy may eafily be contrived, by a new canon confirmed by act of parliament in fome future feffion.

Gentlemen may perceive, Sir, that what I have hitherto faid, has been in juftification of the act paffed two years ago, and upon a fuppofition that, by the faid act, all epifcopal minifters are excluded from the exer- C cife of their function in any meetinghoufe in Scotland, unless they be fuch as have received their letters of orders from fome bishop of the church of England, or of Ireland; and that this was the intention of

on.

But fuppofing, Sir, that there are ftill in Scotland fome epifcopal minifters, who were ordained by fome of the outed bishops there, and fuppofing that they have, in purfuance of the act of the 10th of Q. Anne, intitled themselves to fet up and officiate in a meeting-houfe in that country; which, pray, is the greatest wrong, to oblige them to take new orders from fome bishop of the Dchurch of England, or Ireland, as a fign of their thorough converfion; or to leave them to propagate rebellion and fedition among his majesty's fubjects, as from what has happened it is probable, they have been doing for thefe 30 or 40 years paft? I know of no canon, or rule of the church, that forbids a man's taking orders a fecond time, even tho' he be convinced, that the orders he at first received were regular, and valid, according to the rules of the church; and if he refuses to give this fign of his thorough converfion, the fhutting up of his meeting houfe is no wrong, but a punishment for his contumacy which he highly deferves; whereas, to allow him to continue in his former practices, is a wrong done to our country, and to all his majesty's honeft and faithful fubjects.

E

that law, appears fo plainly, from
the words of it, which I take to be
the only way of determining what
was the intention, that I was fupri-
fed to hear of any doubt raised in
Scotland about the meaning, but
much more to hear that doubt fup-
ported in this houfe. I fhall admit,
that if there were any doubt we
ought to chufe that meaning which
does no wrong to any innocent man,
rather than that which does; but
with me there is no doubt, and there-
fore I think the prefent claufe unne-
ceffary, tho' I fhall nevertheless agree
to it for the fake of others, and be-
caufe abundance of law can never
break the law; and fuppofing there
were fome ground for a doubt in this
cafe, I believe, we are debating
about a fhadow, or phantom, which
has no real existence; for, as I am G
informed, it is above 30 years fince
the last of those died, that were bi-
fhops in Scotland at the time of the
revolution, confequently we can

F

Thus, Sir, even according to the rule of interpretation laid down by the Hon. and learned gentleman who fpoke laft, if there be any doubt,

as

14

PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &c. Jan.

A

as to the meaning of that law which was paffed in 1746, that meaning ought to be put upon it, which it is propofed by this claufe to explain and enforce. And as to thofe epifcopal minifters, who had their orders from the pretended bishops chofen, as I have mentioned, fince the revolution, I think, it is abfolutely neceffary to oblige them to take new orders from fome bishop of the church of England, or Ireland, before they be admitted to officiate in any meeting-houfe in Scotland, whether they be B fuch as have qualified by mistaking the meaning of the late act, or fuch as may hereafter be willing to qualify by taking the oaths, and praying for the king and royal family, as by law appointed. If they refufe to get themfelves thus a fecond time or- C dained, they muft, I think, chufe fome other employment; for no compaffion towards them shall ever induce me to confent to what I think may be of dangerous confequence to our prefent happy establishment.

The laft Speech I shall give you in this Debate, was that made by A. Terentius Varro, the Subftance of which was as follows:

Mr. Prefident,

SIR,

HE prefent debate has con

TH tinued fo long, and fo much

the king and royal family, as by law directed, it is first fuppofed, that in ken, and in contempt of the prayers violation of the oaths they have tathey daily and publickly put up to and will continue to propagate and their Maker, they have continued, inculcate the principles of Jacobitifm: Now this I muft call a very unchari. table fuppofition; and what is ftill ing to the belt information I could worfe, it is contrary to fact, accordopportunity to inquire, because I am ever come at, and I have had an not only acquainted with feveral gentlemen of Scotland, but have been in afraid, that if any contrary informathat country; and therefore I am tion has been received, it comes from copal religion in Scotland, and very those who are enemies to the epif little acquainted with the behaviour of the minifters of that religion.

;

The other fuppofition is, Sir, that no man will receive orders from a nonjuring bishop, unless it be fuch a one as has, from his infancy, been Deducated in the principles of Jacobitifm. Now this fuppofition there for, if thofe of the epifcopal perwould, I fhall grant, be fome ground fuafion in Scotland had any choice but we all know, they have no choice. A man who is of that religion in E Scotland, and defigns to be a minifter of the gospel of Chrift, muft neceffarily receive orders from a nonjuring bishop, because there are none other in that country. I fay, he must neceffarily receive orders from bear the expence of a journey or fuch a bishop, unless he has money to two to England, or Ireland, and friends there to give him a title fuppofe any man has, who defigns and a testimonial, which we cannot to exercile his function in that counGment, nor try, where he can expect no preferany maintainance but what depends upon the generosity and good-will of his hearers, which they may diminish, or wholly withdraw, whenever they pleafe; for this

has been faid upon the fubject, that I fhould have given you no trouble on this occafion, had I not oblerved, that the whole of the argument, in favour of the claufe now before us, F is founded upon two fuppofitions, one of which I think extremely uncharitable, and the other entirely groundlefs. In order to fupport this regulation, for excluding from the office of the miniftry, all fuch epifcopal minifters in Scotland, as have received orders from any nonjuring bishop, even tho' they have qualified, or are willing to qualify, by taking the oaths to the government, and praying for

realon,

. reafon, if any man of family, or
fortune, in that country, be defign-
ed for a clergyman of the church
of England, he is fent up to one of
our universities here, and as foon
as he has got orders, he generally,
by his learning and capacity, recom- A
mends himself to fome preferment
in the church in this kingdom.

For thefe reafons I must think,
Sir, there is not the leaft ground for
this fuppofition. On the contrary, as
there is nothing in the ceremony of
ordination, no oaths to be taken, B
nor promises made, but what may
be taken and made by a man per-
fectly well affected to our prefent
happy establishment, and as I have
been credibly informed, that the
nonjuring bishops in Scotland have
added nothing to this ceremony,
I think, I have good reafon to fup-
pofe, that the nonjuring bishops in
Scotland have ordained feveral per-
fons, who were bred up in principles
agreeable to our prefent conftitution,
and who were ready to take the oaths
to the government, as foon as it
fhould become neceffary; for no
man ought, I think, to take an oath,
not even the oaths to the government,
till it becomes neceffary for him to
do fo.

D

ons; and from charity, as well as experience, I muft fuppofe, that no epifcopal minifter, tho' ordained by a nonjuring bishop, who has lately taken the oaths, or who may hereafter be willing to take the oaths; I fay, I must from both these motives fuppofe, that no fuch minifter will afterwards endeavour to propagate fuch principles; therefore, inftead of rendering it impoffible, or very difficult for them to reap any benefit from taking the oaths, I think, we fhould invite them by all the methods we can contrive.

I fhall admit, Sir, that for a gentleman born in England, who of courfe has many friends, and many clergymen of his acquaintance here, it is no difficult matter to procure a title for ordination; but for a man Cof low birth, and born in the north of Scotland, without any friend, without any gentleman or clergyman of his acquaintance in England, efpecially in thofe diocefes that border upon Scotland, can we fuppofe it eafy for him to procure a title? This he cannot be affured of before he fets out, and if he fhould fail in obtaining one, or fhould be refused ordination, on account of his not being duly qualified, he muft return home again re infecta. Under fuch uncertainties can we fuppofe, that any poor man will ever undertake fuch a long, fuch an expenfive journey? Therefore, if the claufe in the former act be explained, as intended, by that now under confideration, I shall look upon it as contrived and promoted by the presbyterians in Scotland, not with a defign to fecure, but to endanger our prefent happy eftablishment, by leaving the epifcopal party in Scotland, ftill under the influence of nonjuring clergymen, and bringing upon his majesty's reign, the odium of having paffed an act, to abolish the remains of epifcopacy in that kingdom.

I am therefore, Sir, fo far from joining in either of thefe fuppofitions, E that I am perfuaded no epifcopal minifter in Scotland, who has taken the oaths to the government, ever propagated any rebellious or feditious. doctrines; on the contrary, I am convinced, that both the late rebellions in Scotland were, in a great meature, F owing to their having fo few fuch men among them, which reduced the epifcopal party there to the neceflity of having divine fervice performed by nonjuring clergymen, who took all opportunities to propagate the principles of paffive-obedience, G non-refiftence, and the indefeasible hereditary right of kings, among the people of their refpective congregati

How the fucceffion of bifbops has been preferved, or whether it has been

been preferved, fince the revolution, in Scotland, is what I do not pretend to be acquainted with. If it has been preferved by a correfpondence with, or an authority from the late K. James, it is certain, the established church here cannot acknowledge any A bishops that have been chofen by fuch an authority. But if without any fuch authority, the order of bishops has heen regularly continued in Scotland, ever fince the revolution, according to the methods obferved among the primitive chriftians, whe- B ther fuch bishops may be acknowledged by the church here, is a queftion that deferves fuch a ferious confideration, that I fhall not, at present, prefume to deliver my opinion; but I am very fure, that fuch a question ought not, in the first inftance, to be C determined by parliament; and to enact, that no perfon ordained by fuch a bishop fhall be allowed to excercife his function in Scotland, notwithstanding his qualifying himself for that purpose according to law, looks fo like a parliamentary deter- D mination of this question before it has been confidered by the church, that I cannot give my confent to the passing of fuch a law, because I cannot convince myself, of its being no incroachment upon the rights of the church.

E

Befides, Sir, if ordination, by a bishop in Scotland, be such a one as ought to be approved by the church, I can fee no political reason why it ought not to be approved of by the ftate. To fuppofe that every man, fo ordained, must be fuch a one as F has been bred up in the principles of Jacobitifm, is a fuppofition that I have fhewn to be groundless, and if there were ground for it, it is neither christian nor prudent to fhut the door against every fuch man's converfi

on.

Such a maxim looks more like G that of a faction, who are refolved to monopolize all the powers and profits of government to thofe of their faction, than like that of a par

5

ty, who have the general good of
their country chiefly in view.

The Hon. gentleman who fpoke
laft, was fo fenfible of this, Sir, that
he was willing to admit fuch men,
provided they gave a new fign of
their thorough converfion, by tak-
ing orders a fecond time, which, he
fuppofed, they might do; and in-
deed I do not at prefent recollect
any canon or rule of the church a-
gainst it. Like parricide among the
old Romans, the thing is fo new,
that, I believe, there is no exprefs
canon against it; but it is making
fo free with the facred inftitution of
ordination, that I fhould not chufe
to be the person that received, or
the perfon that conferred holy or-
ders a fecond time; and can any
one fuppofe, that a man, who, in
violation of his oaths to the govern-
ment, fhould continue to promote
the cause of the pretender, would
have any greater regard for the fe-
cond orders he had received?

In fhort, Sir, I think we have gone too far, already, in enacting, That no letters of orders granted after Sept. 1, 1746, fhall be fufficient to intitle any epifcopal minifter to keep a meeting-house in Scotland; and that this was the utmost that was intended by the law made that year, I am as little in doubt about, as the Hon. gentleman feems to be about the contrary opinion; therefore I must look upon the clause now before us, not as an explanation, but as an extenfion of a former law, and as an extenfion too of a law that ought never to have been made. By that law, even in the fenfe I put upon it, you will make it very difficult to fupply the epifcopal church in Scotland, with minifters qualified according to law; but by this clause you will render the thing impoffible, at leaft for half a century to come; during all which time the people of that perfuafion in Scotland will be left a prey to nonjuring clergymen, and popish prielts; and as the latter have a

support