of it, and, indeed, I did not desire it; so that I believe my sending you the remarks will be to no purpose, seeing I cannot but reckon while you want the letter you will grope in the dark with them. Only, I may tell you, that I have blows from both sides; for, as I never could think as some do, so I was never for the measures that others take.' And I hear that I am to be called in for the endeavours I used to rectify the first draught of Mr Hamilton's Catechism, some seven or twelve years ago, though Mr H. took the rectifications with him, made what use of them he thought meet, and printed his Catechism without either the advice or allowance of those who endeavoured to do what was then reckoned good service to the Church. I am sure some people miss their man; but it seems we will debate.

Let this give my most humble service to Mr Warner. I long for his answers to my queries about baptism. Remember me with much affection to your spouse. I am your own,

[JOHN WARDEN.]

Mr Warden, in the Marrow Controversy, appears to have valued himself considerably as a middle man, not entirely approving the sentiments and measures of either side, and steering clear of the extremes into which he apprehended both went. In reference to Mr Drummond's case, he says-" I am squadronie in that matter, being sometime on one side and sometime on another, as I think most agreeable to the gospel." (Letters to Wodrow, vol. xiv. No. 41.)-The consequence was, as usually happens with middle men, that he pleased neither party, and thought himself harshly treated by both. "In the meantime, I am grieved," says he, "that in your country, as I hear the ministers of a certain bounds, [the Presbytery of Stirling in the affair of Mr Drummond,] should be accused of such things as to their doctrine, the very thought whereof their souls abhor. And, for my own part, I am weary of contending and calumny, and am at giving over standing betwixt partics, having blows from both; for we were once like to have had a libel here against Mr Wylie much the reverse of Mr Drummond's; but, I hope that affair is crushed, and so is be ready to be, who, saluting your spouse and father-in-law, ever is, though now in great haste and much fatigue, your own."—(Ib. vol. xiv. No. 88.)-He says again, when speaking of the same case-" In the meantime, you judged perfectly right when you alleged to some I was not on a certain side, but rather a mediator, and, therefore, had blows from both hands; for this is certainly true, contentions are the burden of my life, and I cannot but be grieved to see some so expose themselves as to give offence, so am I to see others so violent as to make more noise about this than things of far greater concern."—(Ib. vol. xiv. No. 98.)

LETTER CLXXXVIII.

MR HAMILTON'S CATECHISM.-ACTS ABOUT BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER.-PROFESSOR JAMESON.

To Mr John Warden, Minister at Gargunnock.

REV. DEAR BROTHER,-I have yours of the 8th, with the learned Mr Forrester's manuscript with his letters, aud shall take care to insert what is needful in the History, if what relates to him be not printed off.

If I can understand the remarks without Mr Hamilton's letter, by all means send them. I'll guess at them if the resumptions be anywise large. I cannot understand the call you are to get to come in to the Committee for Purity of Doctrine, because of your endeavours to rectify Mr Hamilton's first draught of his Catechism. The notion I had of this good man, (perhaps it's ill-grounded, but I tell you my very thoughts,) upon an overly view of his Catechism, some eight or nine years ago, and a very transient conversation with him at Edinburgh, was, that he had taken up some phrases and ways of speaking, and put a sense and meaning upon them, I had not observed to have been used by practical writers, and using them in his own sense. He differed in sound and expression from others, but in sense, when he came to explain his terms, he did not, as the term, personal covenanting, Gospel, &c.; but hæc inter nos.

Our Synod had Mr D. Turner's affair before them last week, and Cartsburn's' appeal from our Presbytery was unanimously rejected, and you need not question but the settlement will go on. For my share, I disprove [disapprove] the method of his licensing ; and, indeed, I know not where the contempt of our reasonable acts of Assembly, that seems growing upon us, will end. My difficulty

1 Crawfurd of Cartsburn.

lies not so much there as in comparing persons and charges. We have also unanimously, save Mr Anderson, who voted Refer to the Assembly, and Mr Ritchy, who was Approve, except in extraordinary cases, passed an act of Synod, and ordered it to be printed with the Act of Assembly, 1690, against private baptisms, and both are to be read from pulpit. Our act enjoins the keeping of Acts of Assembly, and regulates the scandalous abuse we have at Glasgow, in the Clerks' giving warrants to parents and sponsors for baptism without minister or session. Mr Anderson alleged the act, 1690, was obsolete, and instanced that it was no more to be enjoined than the acts obliging ministers to take the Solemn League and Covenant; for which instance he was taken up pretty sharply, and told that the substance of the Covenant was what every minister was yet engaged to at his ordination.

Pray send me the copy of Edinburgh's act about the Lord's Supper, and also, if you have it, the representation and protestation given in against it last week save one, wherein it's said some things are excepted against in the narrative about consulting of sessions, as not fact. And it's alleged it's against our rules, lodging the power of naming the time of that ordinance in the minister and session, and complaining of the curtailing one sermon, whereas they think we need rather more than fewer sermons.

You will have heard that the Presbytery of Edinburgh at their last meeting rejected the two calls to Messrs Brown and Gusthart, because not agreeable to the former way of choosing ministers at Edinburgh, and there was no appeal by the magistrates from them.

I send you the following passage out of Calderwood's Large History, which may a little help us out of the difficulty of Buchanan's being Moderator. Mr George Buchanan, "after his return to Scotland, was a Professor in Saint Leonard's College, and gave proof of his skill in theology in the exercise of prophesying, when it fell to him by course."

I am glad to hear the differences among the ministers at Dumfries are pretty well taken up, and that Mr Veitch preaches now, and visits Mr Paton.

You will be sorry to hear Mr William Jameson is in a dying condition, and so low with a complication of troubles that Saturday's night he raved some. If he and Mr Anderson, who is in very dangerous circumstances, be carried off, we lose two who understood the controversy about Episcopacy as well as any they leave behind them. Mr Jameson has not been valued and encouraged in his life as he ought to have been, and after ages will reckon him a wonder and prodigy considering his circumstances.

You must write long letters to me, and expect scrapes from me; for I am almost still under a load of writing. I am, yours, &c.

Eastwood, Oct. 12, 1720.

LETTER CLXXXIX.

WODROW'S HISTORY.-DEFOE'S MEMOIRS.

To Mr James Fraser, at the Golden Angel in the Haymarket, Westminster, London.

DEAR SIR, I cannot express how much I was pleased to have yours of October 5th, by my dear friend, Colonel Erskine, about a month ago. The Colonel's delay in returning to London hath hitherto made me put off my acknowledgments for so kind a letter, hoping to have made them by him.

But being at some distance from him, and uncertain when he comes up, I could not prevail with myself to be any longer in your debt, and have presumed to send this under my Lord Ross's cover, since I know his Lordship reckons you among his friends.

Your kind approbation of my History of the Sufferings, after you had given yourself the trouble to read it over, was, I must own, one of the first things made me in earnest think upon the printing of it. Your exact knowledge of books and exquisite taste makes

you one of the best judges I could have wished for. Meanwhile, I am very sensible how little any thing that drops from my pen is adapted to answer the English palate. But what is wanting in beauty and neatness of style will, in some measure, be made up by the well-vouched facts it contains; and I own these were what I made it my business chiefly to look after, and I can say that they very much surprised myself. This collection from our records, and particular attested narratives, I flatter myself may be of some use to the interests of religion and liberty, and may open out to the world such a scene of severity and barbarity, as may make a rising generation value the late glorious Revolution, and the happy establishment of the Protestant succession, and abhor tyranny, Popery, and persecution.

I humbly thank you (as I before desired Colonel Erskine to do in my name) for the offer of twenty pounds to help on this work. I wish none of my friends lose by any risk they are pleased to run in promoting this design; and unless you know of hands to take so many copies, I cannot allow myself to embrace your generous offer. But if the matter be that you know of twenty of your acquaintances ready to take books, and give in their guineas as the first subscription, (or ten, if the twenty pounds relate to the whole price,) please to let me know, and their names and designations, that I may print them, and I shall draw upon you very soon. If you send me not their names, I must print you among my subscribers for the whole.

The loss you are at by the fall of the stocks I very much regret, and the more that you had so noble and generous views in employing it. I hope the Lord will accept your willing mind, and bless you for your having it in your heart.

Defoe's Memoirs I have, and can assure you he is grossly imposed upon in the informations he has got. I wonder how he is fallen into so gross blunders as he is guilty of in the matter of the Highland Host, the Indulgence, and other heads. I have been urged to take some notice of his misrepresentations; but hitherto I have done nothing. What I may do in a preface I am not determined. Had I any acquaintance of him I would acquaint him