ministers of this Church, to forbear such expressions as are apt to be mistaken, and have been used by adversaries in a wrong sense, though they may admit of a sound meaning when rightly explained; and to forbear teaching such positions not necessary in divinity, whereat offence is taken, and which tend to excite strife and differences in this Church; and likewise, that the Assembly should recommend it to the Faculty of the University of Glasgow, and Presbytery there, to see this injunction observed in that University, and also should give the like recommendation to the Faculties of the other Universities, and the Presbyteries where they have their seat, that they take care to have this injunction observed in the said Universities respectivè; and also the Assembly should recommend it to all the Presbyteries of this Church to see it observed, so far as it concerns ministers: And the General Assembly should seriously recommend to all to be careful of maintaining the purity of doctrine, and the unity and peace of this Church; and that they avoid strife and contention, and all uncharitable judging and reproaching one another, about points that our Church hath not thought fit to determine; and that all would study to make the right use of the excellent doctrines of the Gospel, in applying them for the purifying and governing of their hearts and lives, in order to the great ends thereof, their glorifying God, and obtaining eternal happiness in the enjoyment of him through Jesus Christ." (Wodrow MSS., 8vo, vol. xiii. No. 4.)

No. IV.

OVERTURES CONCERNING KIRK-SESSIONS.

These Overtures, 1. Provided for the establishment of General Sessions in cities; 2. Declared Principals and Professors of Divinity to be members of the said sessions; 3. Authorised the minister of a congregation to act as moderator of the session ex officio; 4. Gave the minister a negative upon the sentence of the majority of the elders when they were of different sentiments from him. They contained the following passage: "The ministers and elders ought always to study harmony and unanimity. But if any question fall out in a session, nothing

ought to be concluded unless it be agreed to by the minister and the plurality of the elders. And in a collegiate session, where there are two ministers, one of them agreeing with the majority of the elders, or both with the half of the elders, shall decide a cause. If more ministers than two, then a majority both of ministers and elders, or an equal half of the one agreeing with the majority of the other, is necessary for a decisive sentence.”

The paragraph in the Overtures establishing General Sessions was ob jected to, as unwarrantable and novel, as tyrannical, and as contrary to the Divine rights of particular kirk-sessions. Mr Dunlop, in his "Vindication of the Overtures," a large part of which he devotes to the answer of these objections, gives the following account of the origin of General Sessions :-" In the first period of our Reformation, till some considerable time after the composing of the Second Book of Discipline, there seem to have been in the Church neither presbyteries nor kirk-sessions of particular congregations; the only three judicatures which then took place being Assemblies, Synods, and General Sessions; that is, a Session consisting of the ministers and elders of several congregations; and this constitution obtained universally both in town and country. After Presbyteries were erected, particular sessions were also appointed in country parishes, the many inconveniences hereof being evident enough. Notwithstanding whereof, in all burghs only one session was authorised; and this continued a long time after the undisputed constitution of the Church, as it does at this day in all the burghs of Scotland except two; in several of which there are three or four ministers, and two congregations. At length the two greatest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, had particular kirk-sessions erected in them; it being, confessedly, very expedient that it should be so for dispatch of discipline, which, in these populous cities, became too laborious a task for one session. But, at the same time, all the matters of public and common concern to the whole burgh, the chief articles whereof are mentioned in the Overtures, were reserved to the sole cognizance and determination of the General Session, which was, indeed, the only proper court for them; and they also still maintained their natural superiority over particular sessions, and exercised this power in giving them directions and admo nitions, and providing for the uniform and vigorous administration of

discipline by them," (pp. 15, 16.) That part of the Overtures which gave the minister a negative on the sentence of the majority of elders excited much opposition, and was represented as an encroachment on the privileges of the Christian people. Wodrow, however, in his Letters to Mr Warden, defends the negative with a good deal of ingenuity.

END OF VOLUME SECOND.

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