Scotland, advocated in touching appeals union between the Church of Scotland and the Episcopal Church in Scotland. But it is singular to observe that, great and good as he was, there is no declaration in his statement of terms1 regarding the Episcopal claims to ordain and confirm. These are points on which Presbytery could not retrench without compromising the ideal of the ministry on which it rests. Presbytery admits degrees in office, but not difference of kind, and its idea of bishop is that of "pastor of a particular congregation." It is not alien to a superintendent, but it could not delegate the exclusive power of ordination to a Bishop without the Presbytery, as an accredited Court of Christ's Church, ceasing to be; neither could it delegate the act of confirmation to the Bishop without interfering with the spiritual jurisdiction of the Kirk-Session and of the minister who admits communicants into the Communion of the Church in the presence of the congregation, and after a resolution of Kirk-Session. To surrender these two points would be for Presbytery to annihilate itself in the act, and these are the two points on which Bishop Wordsworth said nothing, and these are the points on which something needed to be said. Apart from the inevitable Erastianism of Leighton's position, (from its historical environment), and apart from 1 Bishop Wordsworth thus states them: "When the time shall arrive for such a reconciliation as that which I have advocated, there will be nothing to prevent the continuance of that system. (1) Kirk Sessions will remain as corresponding to our Vestries. (2) Presbyteries will remain, as corresponding to Rural Deaneries, not yet revived among ourselves, from the scantiness of our numbers, but revived in England. (3) Synods will remain as corresponding to our Diocesan Synods. (4) Above all the General Assembly will remain, only with Bishops constituting an Upper Chamber, and having the control of judicial processes There is nothing in such a system to stand in the way of intercommunion with the Church of England, with the Irish Church, with the American Church, and with the Anglican Churches throughout the world." (Appeals in Behalf of Christian Unity, vol. ii. p. 466.) 2 See p. 491. another weakness in the system that lay-elders were not admitted as members of the Synods, it is certain that Leighton never interferred with the jurisdiction of the Kirk-Session in the parish, and it is equally certain from the account of the ordination at Port of Menteith, extracted from the Presbytery Records, that he did not ordain alone, but with the Presbytery, who laid on the probationer their hands, as is done still. Leighton's example is thus unique, and his scheme proposes the only possible solution of the question: it is "low-church": it is founded upon the full recognition of Presbytery as a Church and of Presbyterian orders, as well as on the recognition of Presbyterian sacraments had Leighton but been able to admit lay-elders into the Church Courts (and on this point the difficulty would not be on his side, but on that of his colleagues), everything in Presbytery would have been retained in his diocese, with an Episcopal superintendence added in a very mild, if not solely in an advisory, form. Yet McWard stated one of the chief objections to it when he wrote, "The Accommodation utterly disowns and cuts off the ruling elder," while the whole concession was founded (unfortunately for Leighton) "on the all-swaying prerogative of the King." 3 "3 Leighton at least did all he could by way of limiting his own prerogatives, and would have conceded further if he could, but he was prevented from doing so by his Episcopal colleagues. Yet it is interesting to find one, who declared himself "an Episcopalian" and who filled the office of a Bishop, making concessions as he did, and no one can doubt that he did so, because his spirit was so intensely Christian, and because his mind distinguished between the permanent and the contingent in the Christian Church, and never lost its sense of proportion. The scheme he advocated bears henceforth the glory of 1 Also from the historical environment, p. 353. 2 See Appendix, p. 581. 3 Pp. 451, 452. having his honoured name connected with it, as well as those of Archbishop Usher and Richard Baxter. In the future it is certain to be much considered, and it stands forth as an example of the Christian spirit creating a proposal to unite two systems, which many think are incapable of being united. But it is something to have had this proposal proceeding from such good and honoured men. The beacon lights are not yet burned out, nor has the need for separate organization in the evolution of the religious society passed from the minds of men, while each part has a contribution to make towards the richness of the whole. Some day forces that now run parallel may work themselves out, and the desire for unity may overpoweringly break down barrier walls presently immoveable; then indeed the fresh study of this proposal of Usher, Leighton and Baxter may be helpful to the Church, and may become the guiding principle of a new development. In the meantime the invisible and spiritual unity of all the Churches may be more abundantly realized : it can pass more and more into mutual helpfulness and at last into visible unity. Verily the Day of the Lord will come, and none can stay it. Duty is ours, but results are God's. Manus ad clavum: oculus at caelum. Scottish history may be stormy and the course of the Church of Scotland 1 may seem chequered. They are rugged, but grandly heroic. Reformation, Restoration, Revolution, Disruption, only express its visible history of the latter, but the grace beneath it all-the Divine life in the Church-has created saints, inspired prophets, has moulded Scottish life and character as well as the Scottish nation, and its full record is written in the Book of Life above. While then we lovingly part with Leighton and admire his toleration in an age when toleration was unknown, or regard him as a leader whose day is yet to come, let us be grateful that the Co venanters saw into the heart of the historical situation, Sonuna vas made in the storm, and osresre within us the spit 1 grand overmatering sense of cox of Gradience vich have made Scottish signs Bury me and a contribution to the world's Extracts from Dunblane Presbytery Records, with an account of an Ordination Service in which Bishop Leighton and the Presbytery conjointly take part. Presbytery of his lettere. 6 January, 1663. The quhilk day, thair was ane lettere of the Bishop's reade of the dait 11th 10 [[December], which occasioned the meiting desyreing the brethreine to meite at Dunblane first Tuysday Januarj in respect thair was no meiting since the synod; and the breithreine present considdering the said lettere quhilk did beare that the bischope would either write or be present himselfe, and in his absence Mr. Thomas Lyndsay the deane diddelyver ane other lettere of the daite 31 1obris [i.e. December] quhairin Mr. Johne Edmonstoune, lettere by expreso2 thairin wes nominate moderatour to the next expressing meiting of the Synode, quhairunto the haill breithreine did Mr. John give thair heartie applaus. And the meiting proceids as Edmonstone follows, and, first, ordaines the next meiting to be on Weddinsday 20 dayes, the 28 January instant. And the absent breithreine to be acquainted with the said diete. Ane uther moderator. P. 191. 9 September, 1663. This day thair was ane peaper produced to the presbitrie The bischope from the bischope be John Grahame, his clark, quhilk the his peaper of submissione presbitrie having harde the presenter desyrit it might be to the bookit and the principall to be returned to him as he was presbitrie.¦ enjoynde. The presbitrie finding his desyre reasonabill returned the principall being then registrat, the tennour quherof followes and is thus: Because I heir that thair hes beine ane contest betwixt the ministers of Dunblane and Calendare tuicheing fourscoir merkis of yeirlie dew now payable to me be Johnne Buchanane of Arnepryour and confest by both no longer to belong to aither of thame; and yet being resolved to receede from my awne right to it, and to assigne it to thame or either of thame as the presbitrie of Dunblane, after dew inquyrie into 1 Memo. This is really p. 279 of book. After p. 268 the paging reads 169, 170, etc.—always 100 pages short. After page 210 the numbers proceed from 301 onwards. 2 This word is contracted, and probably means expression. |