been obliged to withdraw it, in their own vindication, and to secure their own bounties; and to impress them with apprehensions of a severe scrutiny into their conduct, during the insurrection in 1798, if they did not abandon all connexion with me.

With

By these and other means the end was accomplished, with great difficulty, in November 1799, but, not without hope, that the connexion would be renewed, on my liberation. what took place, respecting the choice and ordination of a successor in my absence, (a young man of taste, learning, and unblemished character,) as the public have no concern, I shall not trouble my readers. I shall only say that, after my return, he generously offered to resign the congregation in my favor, which I would not allow on any account; but, particularly, as I was undetermined whether I would continue in Ireland. Indeed, some time afterwards, I had serious thoughts of removing to America; and, probably would have done so, had it not been for what I have already related of the rev. John Cleland's proposals to David Thomson. The apprehension that my removal would have been represented as an acknowledg ment of guilt, and attributed to fear, rivetted me to my country.

But to return to the general synod. If I can credit individuals, members of the body, and men of character unimpeachable, the suspen. sion of bounty did not satisfy Mr. Black and his friends. A motion was made, seconded and reasoned on, that I should be suspended, and, consequently cut off from the body. This, notwithstanding the terror of the times, was rejected by a small majority, though upwards of thirty suspended between principle and fear, withheld their votes. Of this, I own, there is no mention in the minutes of synod. But this does not invalidate the evidence on which I mention it, as few rejected motions, not immediately affecting discipline, are there recorded, Besides, it deriyes a kind of side-wind evidence from a similar attempt of Mr. Craig, before mentioned, after the dissolution of my connexion with the congregation of Portaferry, to have my name expunged from the presbytery's book, because I had ceased to hold a congregation in their bounds. Of this I can have no doubt, as I had the pleasure of laughing at his puny attempt to plead the incompetency of the same presbytery to receive a call for me, in 1803, to my present congregation, for the very same rea

son.

I have now to mention another matter seemingly problematical, and of which also I can produce only circumstantial evidence. This

is, that a motion was made, and carried, by a small majority, to cut me off from the list of subscribers to the fund for supporting the widows and children of presbyterian ministers; and thereby excluding my family from the benefits thereof, though I had been a contributor for 27 years. This was done on the strength of a motion passed, at the meeting of synod, in 1797, "that any minister, a contributor to the widow's fund, on his leaving this kingdom, shall no longer be considered as connected with said fund."

Plain people would certainly think that the "leaving the kingdom," here mentioned, must have been a voluntary act, in order to incur the penalty. But, how my being carried out of the kingdom by a military guard, and under the escort of an armed ship, could be considered as voluntary, they will not easily conceive. Such an idea could occur, only to such learned and ingenious expositors, as have already been alluded to in another case.

That this has also been omitted in the records of synod, I grant; but I appeal to the synod, as a body, if it did not take place. If they deny it, I shall admit that I have been imposed on. However, the following circumstance gives it a strong appearance of probability. In 1800, Mrs. Dickson wrote an expostulatory letter to that rev. body, which, being

read

read from the pulpit by the rev. John Bankhead, their moderator, excited no small degree of irritation in some delicate breasts; but afterwards produced a declaration, which appears in their records, "that the peculiar circumstances of dr. Dickson did not militate against any rule of synod; and that, on paying up arrears and 40 per annum, he might be continued a contributor." Whether these words shew a previous exclusion from being a contributor, and consequently, the exclusion of my family from every prospect of benefit from the fund, I leave my readers to judge.

Here, let me pause-as here, for a season, the operations of synod, respecting me, came to a stand; and, as will appear, merely for. want of matter and opportunity. I cannot, however, on reviewing the acts, which I have mentioned, pass unnoticed some circumstances which they present.

I. No official notice was taken, or judgment pronounced, by the synod, respecting my seditious or treasonable practices, during the ten months of my confinement in Ireland, though a meeting was holden, at which the names of others were entered on their records, as stigmatized with treason and sedition.

2 Three

2. Three months after my banishment to a distant prison, in another country, where I could neither witness, nor hear of, their proceedings, till my family were languishing under the penalty inflicted by them, they pronounced and executed sentence against me; and that without having examined a witness, quoted a report, or alleged the shadow of a reason for such sentence, except that Mr. Black had asked their opinion concerning the payment of the R. D. to the two members in confinement."

3. That, in pronouncing and executing this sentence, they, not only confounded the distinct, and strictly defined, powers of church and state, but spurning the ecclesiastical chair, and giving all its wholesome correctives-its admonitions, its rebukes, its censures, suspen sions, and degradation, to the winds usurped the vice-regal throne, and exercised a power over the royal bounty, which the then existing grants vest, exclusively, in the representative of majesty, or lord's justices for the time being.*

In

In the preceding charge of usurpation, I am more than warranted, if possible, by dr. Black and twenty-eight of his friends, as will afterwards appear. In 1806, commissioners were appointed by the synod, "to suggest to the lord lieutenant, the propriety, &c. of an equalization of the royal `bounty," Against this suggestion, a protest was entered on the books and signed, alleging a variety of reasons, of which the following is one.

III. "Because