PARKER, The regu lation and universities. And, to conclude this head, the superintendent is subjected to the censure and correction of the elders and ministers of his province; and in case of remissness, mal-administration, or inmorality, may be deposed. Their provision for schools and universities are not uncomprivileges of mendable. St. Andrew's, Glasgow, and Aberdeen are named for universities; the faculties, professors, and principals are named; the exercises, salaries, officers, and servants settled. As to matter of privilege, they seem rather willing to rely upon inoffensive behaviour than legal advantage; and therefore, when any member of the university is sued by any person foreign to their body, they would have him appear in the provost's or bailiff's court; but then they move the rector of the university may sit upon the bench, and be joined as an assessor with the magistrates: but if a dispute happened between any of the students, the cause was only to be tried by the rector and his assessors. 469. A complaint against the of the re Church. The rector and all other members of the university are exempted from all taxes and other public contributions to the government. They are likewise privileged from all offices which are likely to interrupt their studies, and take up too much of their time; such as the business of trustees, guardians, executors, &c. The sixth head complains loudly of the alienation of the alienations patrimony of the Church. And here, to use their own words, venues of the they take notice, "that some gentlemen are now more rigorous in exacting the tithes, and other duties paid before to the Church, than ever the Papists were; and so the tyranny of priests is turned into the tyranny of lords and lairds. For this we require (say they) that the gentlemen, barons, lords, earls, and others, be content to live upon their own rents, and suffer Spotswood, the Church to be restored to her right and liberty." p. 152, et deine. cal censures, crimes, and direction. The seventh head takes in Church censures. Blasphemy, Ecclesiasti adultery, murder, perjury, and such capital crimes, are said not for what to fall properly under ecclesiastical correction; for those who under what are guilty of such raging disorders ought to be cut off by the sword of justice. But intemperance in eating and drinking, fornication, excesses in clothes, oppression of the poor, circumvention in commerce, licentious discourse, and unguarded behaviour; these instances of misconduct lie within the discipline of the Church. If the misbehaviour is not publicly known, or can be reached ELIZArather by violent presumption than direct proof, the offender BETH. ought to receive a private reprimand; and upon promise of amendment, the discipline was to proceed no farther. If the reproof is contemned, the promise broken, and the former negligences and indiscretion continue, the minister's business is to reprove him; and in case of disobedience, to report the matter to the Church, and go farther in the discipline, according to our Saviour's direction. Where the crimes are public and heinous, such as fornication, drunkenness, swearing, &c., the offender must be convented before the minister, elders, and deacons; and here the quality and aggravation of the sin must be set forth. If he shews himself penitent, and desires to give public satisfaction, a day must be assigned him to appear before the congregation, and own his repentance. If these conditions are accepted, and performed, he ought to be received and treated as formerly. If the offender continues obstinate and unmanageable, he must be dismissed with an exhortation to consider the danger of his condition, and menaced with a sharper process. If he recovers himself within a proper time, and acquaints the minister with his recollection, he may be presented to the congregation, and admitted to Church communion: but if there are no signs of reformation, the fault and impenitence, but not the name of the person, must be notified to the congregation. And here the minister is to desire the people to call upon God that the conscience of the criminal may be awakened and brought to remorse and compunction. If his stubbornness holds on, his name must be published the next Sunday to the congregation, and his friends requested to use their interest to make him sensible of his fault. And now solemn prayers are to be made for his conversion. The third Sunday the minister is to demand whether the offender has made any step towards a recovery, and shown himself sorry for his misbehaviour. If nobody can testify thus far in his behalf, the minister, with the consent of the elders and deacons, and by the order of the Church, is to pronounce the criminal excommunicated. When this sentence is passed, nobody, excepting his wife and family, is allowed to eat and drink, to trade, to converse, or so much as salute him, without a license from the ministry; that, by seeing himself thus abandoned and abhorred, he may be shamed PARKER, into repentance. turgy, or His children born after he stands excommu nicated are not admitted to baptism till they are either adult, Knox's Li- and desire it, or else are presented by the mother, or some friends, who at the same time must declare their abhorrence of the father's incorrigibleness. the Whole Form of Discipline and Prayers, according to of Scotland. crimes, doned by the State, are excommuni Church. Those guilty of murder, manslaughter, adultery, and other the Church crimes which deserve death by the law of the country; such Those quilty persons, though pardoned by the civil magistrate, are not to of capital be received to Church communion without offering themselves though par to penance. However, notwithstanding this commendable discipline, they are permitted to hear the sermon. When a cated by the person under these circumstances petitions for communion, a day is set him to appear before the congregation; and here he is to make a public acknowledgement of his crime, and intreat being received into their society. When the minister has examined his disposition, put his sincerity to a proper test, and instructed him in the principal points of religion, he is to ask the congregation whether they are willing to readmit him. Upon their answering in the affirmative, prayer is made for the penitent; after which, the elders and one or two of the congregation take him by the hand, and embrace him in behalf of the whole Church. In the close, the minister recommends circumspection, and precautions him against a relapse; and after this exhortation, public thanks are returned to God for the conversion of their brother. All persons whatever are to be subject to these spiritual censures; and no quality or public office, either in Church or State, must be pleaded for an exemption. Common to be at ser- The eighth head, relating to elders and deacons, shall be passed over, something of this kind having been already mentioned upon another occasion. The ninth head goes upon the polity of the Church, as they call it. In villages, when there is no sermon, certain portions of Scripture are ordered to be read, and Psalms sung, though not without a latitude for omission in some cases as to the latter appointment. In great towns they think it proper that either sermon or Common Prayer with the lessons should be had every day. When a sermon is preached, they do not think the Common Prayer necessary. The reason of this odd opinion is, for fear the people should be encouraged to superstition, and come to the prayers as they do to the mass; or BETH. imagine, at least, that the pulpit-prayers before and after ser- ELIZAmon signify nothing. However, they have some reserve of regard for the liturgical ministrations; for where there is neither preaching nor catechising on Sundays in the afternoon, they order the reading the Common Prayer. As to baptism, though they conclude this sacrament may be administered whenever there is a sermon, they give notwithstanding a preference to the Sunday. On week days they would have this office performed only after sermon: they assign two reasons for this settlement; First, this is done, say they, to discountenance the gross error of those who affirm that children dying without baptism are damned. And, Secondly, to retrieve the honour of the solemnity, that people may recover a right notion of the dignity of the sacrament, and behave themselves with more devotion than they commonly do. 470. eucharist a-year. They conceive four times a year may be sufficient for admi- The holy nistering the holy eucharist. And here, as to the circumstance administered of time, their over-scrupulous apprehension of superstition runs four times them upon singularity, and disconforming with the ancient Church: and thus, instead of the festivals of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide, the first Sundays of December, March, and June, are fixed for this purpose; to which, to complete the number of the regulation, the first Sunday of September is added. They do not deny but that the Church may change the time, and increase the frequency. They are wholly of opinion the holy eucharist ought not to be given without previous examination, and especially where the ignorance of the person is either known or suspected; and that none who cannot read the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments, none that do not understand the end and efficacy of the institution, should be admitted to this holy mystery. They order an English Bible for every Church, and recommend the reading Common Prayer, morning and evening, in private families, by the best qualified person. They proceed to determine for the exercise of prophecy, or Liberty of interpreting the Scriptures in public assemblies: they ground prophesying. this practice upon the precedent of the Church at Corinth; 1 Cor. xiv. though, by the way, there is a great disparity in the case; for these Corinthians were furnished with miraculous assistance, and governed by supernatural impulse. Those who drew the PARKER, discipline seemed something sensible of this comparative disadAbp. Cant. vantage, and therefore confine the exercise within several rules. "First. All curious and unserviceable inquiries were to be avoided. The judg ment of those who drew the discipline concerning some cases about mar riage. Secondly. They were to decline all expositions inconsistent with the analogy of faith, or the practice of charity and, under this restraint, all interpretations which seem to imply a contradiction to other plain texts of Scripture, are comprehended. "Thirdly. The expositor must keep close to his text, and not run out into digression and common-place, nor form his discourse to the method and amplification of a sermon. 66 Fourthly. He must not take the freedom of invectives, unless in the confutation of heresies. "Fifthly. He must be brief in his exhortation, and spend the time mostly in explaining the sense of the text, showing the connexion, and making such remarks as may be most serviceable to the audience. Sixthly. There must be no squabbling nor school disputes, but every one that puts a question must resolve it himself. "Seventhly. After those concerned in this exercise have delivered their opinions, and finished their discourse, they are to withdraw, that the ministers and the rest of the assembly may examine their performance. When this is done, the persons were to be called in, and gently advertised of their mistakes, if they made any; and now all intervening difficulties were to be satisfied and disentangled." Under this head of polity they prohibit all clandestine marriages, without exception of privilege for the best quality whatever: and here they enjoin the publishing the banns three Sundays, unless where the persons are well known; in which case the notice may be shortened at the discretion of the minister. They allow of no divorce, unless upon the proof of adultery: when the charge is made good, they would have the injured party declared free to engage elsewhere, and the criminal executed. If the government is so merciful as to give the offender his life, the Church must, notwithstanding, proceed to excommunication. If the party submits to penance, and recovers communion, he may be allowed to marry again upon his request; but with this condition, that provided the injured person should be willing to pass by the breach of faith, and |