proposed and adopted in 1572, when the name of Episcopacy was resumed, together with almost every thing that was necessary to constitute its essence and reality, except the consecration of bishops, which was strangely overlooked. Nor did this improved, but still defective, constitution of the Church long continue; for the reforming party, ever ready to pull down with one hand what they had just raised with the other, began to call Episcopacy in question in 1575, and in 1580 they condemned it as unlawful and unscriptural, and soon departed much farther from it than before. Not stopping at a superintendency, they made nearer approaches to presbyterianism; and, through the influence of Mr. Andrew Melvil, who, admiring that novel form of church government as lately set up at Geneva, was a great promoter, if not the first parent, of Presbyterian parity here, it was at last adopted, and became the establishment in 1592

In this state, and under this form of government, the church continued till the accession of King James to the crown of England. That monarch, whose wisdom and measures of policy have been extravagantly praised by some, and undeservedly blamed by others, had long been endeavouring, by a prudent and peaceable mixture of advice and authority, to put ecclesiastical affairs in his ancient hereditary kingdom of Scotland on a more regular and permanent foundation. And, by his accession to the Euglish

throne, becoming better acquainted with the doctrine and worship of the Church of England, he appears to have been thoroughly convinced, not only of the authority of Episcopacy, as a divinely instituted form of church government, but also of its superior advantages for promoting Christian piety, and producing due subordination, peace, and harmony, among Christian people. Under the influence of this conviction, and having taken such measures of prudence and precaution as were necessary to ensure the peaceable and cordial adoption of his plan, he called up to London three of those distinguished preachers, who had been nominated to bishoprics,* that they might have regular consecration from the hands of the English bishops, and so constitute a regular Episcopal Church, and be qualified to keep up the Episcopal succession in Scotland.

The consecration was accordingly performed, on the 21st October, 1610, in the chapel of LondonHouse, by the Bishops of London, Ely, and Bath. And the three newly-ordained prelates, on their return to Scotland, conveyed the same Episcopal powers and authority, with which they themselves had been duly and canonically invested, to their former titular brethren who had been duly nominated to that office and dignity; by which means, a true and regular Episcopacy was at length intro

* Mr. John Spotswood, titular Archbishop of Glasgow ; Mr. Andrew Lamb, titular Bishop of Brechin; and Mr. Gavin Hamilton, titular Bishop of Galloway.

duced into the Reformed Church of Scotland; "and that," says Bishop Guthry, "not without the consent and furtherance of many of the wisest among the ministry."*

Instead of the mere shadow of Episcopacy which had formerly been set up, we now see an Episcopal Church settled on the solid foundation of a regular apostolic succession, derived from the Church of England, which has been justly styled, even by foreigners, "the glory of the Reformation." This change was chiefly brought about by the pious and prudent policy of the sovereign himself, who had the happiness to find it generally approved by a great majority of his subjects, and to see the good effects of it, by the return of peace and harmony among all ranks of people. Nor was it in the power of those fanatical levellers, who had long kept both church and state in a continual ferment, to create any very serious disturbance, for some time, under this more regular form of church polity. At length, however, they prevailed, and fully accomplished their object; for this calm was changed into a storm, and this sunshine into "darkness visible ;" and the Episcopal Church, it seems, after the pattern of her Lord and Master, was destined to be tried in the furnace of adversity, and disciplined in the school of affliction. The spirit of faction and rebellion which had begun to ferment during the life of James, broke out into open rupture in the reign

Memoirs, p. 7.

of his son Charles, and at last terminated in the total overthrow of the constitution, both civil and ecclesiastical. The Church was again thrown into the utmost confusion. A parity of ministers was adopted in 1638, and a "Solemn League and Covenant" was entered into for effecting the entire extirpation "of prelacy, or the government of the Church by archbishops and bishops, and all the ecclesiastical officers depending on that hierarchy." Monarchy and Episcopacy shared the same fate; their rights were trampled upon, and their honour laid in the dust. The long night of tyranny and persecution that followed, brought the Episcopal succession in Scotland to almost total extinction; for the bishops who had been driven into exile by the violence of the times, had all died, except one, without being able to provide for it.

When, therefore, the restoration of Episcopacy was determined upon, in consequence of the restoration of monarchy in the person of Charles II., before that measure could be carried into effect, the necessity of the case required, that application should again be made to the Church of England for assistance. Nine of the English bishops had survived the usurpation of Cromwell, having, no doubt, been providentially preserved to re-establish their own church, and to lay again the foundation of the ecclesiastical edifice in Scotland. With this view, and to make the necessary provision for the full restoration of Episcopacy, recourse was had to the same expedient which had been adopted about fifty years before; and accor

dingly, four* of those persons who had been selected by his majesty for the Scottish Episcopate, being convinced of the invalidity of their former ordination, were first ordained deacons and priests, and then were consecrated in St. Peter's Church, Westminster, on the 15th of December, 1661, by four of the English bishops.†

The four newly consecrated prelates, on their return to Scotland, took possession of the several sees to which they had been appointed; the other ten sees were soon canonically filled by men duly invested with the Episcopal character; and this restoration of Episcopacy, after suffering

* Dr. Sharp, Mr. Andrew Fairfowl, Mr. Robert Leighton, and Mr. James Hamilton.

The Scottish preachers who were called to London in 1610, were not raised to the Episcopate in the same regular way, notwithstanding Dr. Andrews, bishop of Ely, suggested the propriety of their being previously ordained deacons and priests, as was done in this instance.—The validity of Presbyterian ordination has been sometimes contended for in cases of necessity; and irregular ministers were frequently allowed to officiate in the scarcity of pastors in Queen Elizabeth's reign. Such ordination has, however, been justly condemned in all cases not unavoidable, as an unauthorised deviation from the universal practice of the church for fifteen centuries. And Archbishop Bancroft's insisting that those Scottish preachers, who had not received Episcopal ordination, might be consecrated in the reign of James VI., is no doubt considered, by many sound churchmen, as bespeaking an unnecessary degree of delicacy towards the Reformed Churches abroad; and was chiefly, if not solely justifiable, upon the idea that the whole Episcopal character might be conveyed at one ordination.