"ders, in a great measure, from that folemnity "of thought, which is only to be found in calm "retirement. In the parish where the facra"ment is dispensed, the minister's wife and fa"mily must be all Marthas, and no time allow"ed them to look after the better part.

"(4.) It is equally inconvenient to ministers as a fociety. It often proves the fource of "heart-burning, mifunderstanding, party, and "faction amongst us. Tho' we have a regard "to a neighbour, yet the averfion of our parish "to him, fometimes not well founded too, tempts "us to purchase peace at home, by overlooking "him on fuch occafions: and this, proves a "wound that can fcarcely be healed. But by "difpenfing this ordinance in its primitive fim

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plicity, one occafion of diftance and interfe "rings will be removed, and brotherly love pro"moted.. -Sometimes jealoufies, that fuch a "candidate for a vacant congregation would not " employ us, but popular men from a distance, "at his communions, occafions us, underhand "to oppose his fettlement. Every new fettle"ment is half my own, fays the neighbour:

half my peace and comfort depends upon it. "In the way now propofed, there could be no "room for fuch fufpicions, and therefore it is "probable candor and friendship would more "prevail.

(5.) In our prefent way, there can, in moft "places, be no feast in the winter.

If it be alledged, That this will prevent "peoples being edified as they now are by a di"verfity of gifts; I answer,

(1.)

(1.) We cannot expect the church fhould "be edified by neglecting the means the head of "the church has appointed for their edification, "(of which frequent remembering him in the "breaking of bread is one) and fubftituting, "in their room, means of our own devifing. "For our Lord has no where prefcribed a mul❝titude of fermons on fuch occafions, as a means "of our edification. Whereas, in receiving the bread and wine, he has promifed his fpecial * prefence.

"(2.) Four preparation days in the course of a year, may procure as great a variety of gifts sas we now have. Befides, congregations may and ought to faft often, in which way diverfity of gifts may be obtained, without neglecting the dying command of Christ.'

"

2. It was hinted to me, by a worthy and judicious friend, that communions might be had in our present way, if minifters were confined to one affistant; and if the minister of the parifh, and that one affiftant preached each of them three or four times: or if that fhould be reckoned burdenfome, week-days fermons might be got from probationers, or even from neighbouring minifters, without afking their affistance, and thus throwing their churches vacant on the Lord's day.

If I can be convinced, that frequent communions may be had in this way, without danger of fuperftition, or hurt to fociety, I fhall not be the firft to decline fuch a plan. I own, it is free from fome objections which ftartle people at our fynod's overture: but, to me, it feems liable to greater difficulties of another kind..

(..)

(1) Would not this take up minifters as much, or more, from private preparation, as our prefent way, which I have heard many complain of on that account?

(2.) How few probationers are there in many corners? And could their affiftance be more eafily procured, how difagreeable would our employing of them be to fome congregations ?

(3.) Would it not be hard on poor people, and occafion the murmurs of others, that a parifh, four times every year, should spend three entire working days, in the space of a week, in religious exercises? And would not this hardship appear greater to people, when there was little variety of gifts, only their own minifter and one affiftant?

(4) Employing neighbouring minifters will -not remove the difficulties mentioned in the laft head. But I own, tho' some may think it a pa radox, it is my judgment, that neighbours ought never to be employed at facraments. For there are fome, who will not, and others who dare not, employ their neighbours. And this being looked on as a piece of contempt, is an unhappy fource of divifion amongst us. Whereas, if it were the cuftom, always to employ people from a distance, every one, without giving umbrage to any of his brethren, would employ whom he pleased.

3. It is objected, that a multitude of congregations will be thrown vacant by our overture for if the facrament be dispensed thro' a whole prefbytery on the fame day, fixteen or eighteen parishes in neighbouring presbyteries must be thrown vacant to fupply them with affiftants. But,

(1.) Tho'

no

(1.) Though many congregations will, doubt, be thrown vacant, even by our overture; yet it will not be a whole countryside of contiguous congregations, as is the cafe at present; for the affiftants will be got from different prefbyteries, and some minifters will feek none.

(2.) In our prefent way, the fame parish is often vacant five Sabbaths in the space of ten or twelve weeks: But if the overture fucceed, this can scarce ever happen.

§ 4. It has been urged, that celebrating the facrament four times in the year, will scarce be practicable in some parts of the Highlands, and therefore ought not to be bound upon them by an act: And that it would be highly inconvenient for a whole prefbytery there to have the facrament the fame day, as they would find it hard to be fupplied with affiftants from neighbouring prefbyteries, confidering the great distance.—Ĭ believe, none will oppofe altering or amending the overture in this respect, if once it were known what is the alteration which northern fynods would judge moft for their benefit.

$5. Some were of opinion, that abridging the number of fermons more gradually might perhaps prevent the oppofition which the overture, in its prefent form, will undoubtedly meet with. To this I reply, in the words of a worthy Member of this Synod.

"As to correcting these abuses gradually, it is highly probable, that any fuch half or faint "attempt, would defeat its own defign. Pufil"lanimous affailants are easily beat back. The "abuses complained of are fuch, as we may "boldly avow our defign to correct; Whereas,

"if we conceal this defign, or feem afhamed to "profefs it, this very conduct will harden fuch "of our people as may be wedded to the prefent

way, in their prejudices. Palliatives will look 66. more like flothfulness in ourselves: Whereas, "if we boldly avow the whole design at once, "the abuses which we aim at will be allowed, I "believe, to be indefenfible, and the remedy "proposed must be admitted to be the only cure: "And, by that means, a conviction, I think, "will be more eafily fastened upon our people. «Befides, as nobody proposes to stop at the first 66 ftep, the very flowness of our procedure will

encourage and occafion oppofition, at least pro"tract and lengthen it out. Every new step may "be expected to raise as great a clamour as the "whole would do, which in the one case would "be over at once, whereas in the other cafe "it would be conftantly fed by fresh springs. "And the people having once declared them"felves, as this would involve them in a con"ftant oppofition to every further alteration, "before they really could perceive the reafon"ableness of the whole that was intended, so it "would render it more unpopular in minifters, 66 to be fo often flying in the face of what is already difcovered to be fo unpopular. What "happened at the first establishment of the prefent Verfion of the Pfalms, is an evidence what an advantage it is to accomplish any confiderable alteration all at once. It was extremely unpopular, as it may eafily be imagined, any thing that had the appearance of altering the 66 Bible would be. But as the thing was boldly 46 begun over all Scotland on the fame day, and

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"minifters