fion fupplied; yet could I not prevail to get a competent number of elders, till about a year ago. And I am perfuaded I had not obtained it at that time neither, but that, no end of the deferting humour appearing, and finding the mifled perfons, time after time, confirmed in their prejudices, by abfenting from the ordinances, a confiderable space before I knew that they were led afide, I was like to fink under my burden; which i difcovered to fome; whofe hearts were at length moved with compaffion, and otherwife, to take part with me and the reft, in the Lord's work in the congregation; whereby my heart has been encouraged, and my hands ftrengthened. And now that I have obtained this, muft I fee I have obtained it, only to the end I might leave them? that I have tafted of the comfortable fruits thereof, only that by the plucking them from my mouth, my being condemned unto my former uncomfortable work might be made more bitter? Muft I be obliged to leave that congregation, just when, by the good hand of God upon me, I am put in a capacity to be more ferviceable among them than ever I was all the nine years preceding?

Although I cannot own this change in the ftate of the parith of Etterick to be owing to the ftruggle made for this transportation, fince it was begun ere the leaft motion was made in that affair; yet it is evident, the congregation of Etterick in the communion of this church, have all along, in the progress of that bufinefs, cordially adhered to me, and exerted their utmost endeavours for my continuance among them; and that there is no removing of me out of that parish, but by renting me from them; which I hope may be admitted as an evidence, that my labours have not been altogether in vain there. I beg the Very Reverend Commiffion to confider, what will be the confequences of renting me, by this tranfportation, from that congregation. The defolating of that parifh, which lies at fuch a diftance from neighbour-kirks, as has been represented; and that in a mountainous country, which it is hard to travel to or from in the winter-feafon, as appears from their not having one fermon in their church for eight or nine Sabbaths fucceflively, in time of their laft vacancy; the defolating, I fay, of that parish in fuch circumstances, would challenge the ferious regard of our Reverend judges, though both they and I were indifferent in the matter of this tranfportation. But fince it is far o

therwise,

therwife, on their part, as well as on mine, how can I think on their cafe, as left irritated, both heritors and people?

Moderator, I was planted in that parish under a great difadvantage, with refpect to moft of the Honourable perfons, heritors of it; yet now it is quite against their mind that I be removed. And I doubt they think themselves but harfhly treated by the judicatories of this church, if my removal from, and my settlement in, that parish, be fo much of a piece as this tranfportation will make them. And as there is very little hope, that they and the people will agree in the choice of another minifter, fo it is hardly to be expected, but that the manner of my settlement in that parifh will be remembered, on another fuch occafion, to the prejudice of the interest of the gofpel there, and I fear (not without ground) to a more public prejudice. What fhall become of the irritated people, bereaved of their paftor, to whofe ministry, by the good hand of God, they have adhered, notwithstanding of their manifold temptations to defert it, and the communion of this church? How will the fcorn of their deserting neighbours work on their paffions? Can any who know the circumstances of that country, obtain it of themselves to think, that fuch a fair occafion for promoting the fchifm there will be neglected? Will not those who have kept their meetings feveral times within the bounds of the parifh fince I was fettled there, return again to the church-yard, where they have met in the time of the laft vacancy? The parish of Etterick is almoft quite furrounded with neighbouring parithes, notably broken, as well as they are themselves; in one of which, Efkdalemoor, feparatifts of different factions have their diftinct parties, and their meetings one after another and fome of my congregation are almost as near to a church, which the prefbytery has feldom, if ever, access to, viz. Wamphray, as they are to their own church. I am loth to be more particular on this head; I with the Reverend Commiffion may in due time inquire further into the ftate of that country. But from what is faid it appears, that the parish of Etterick, lying in the center, is, by this transportation, threatened to be made the very feat of feparation in that country.

Moderator, The parish of Clofeburn is fo confiderable, numerous, and divided, that it is a burden quite too heavy for me, and requires a minister endued with quali fications

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fications I cannot pretend to, and withal of another spirit than I am; being very unfit, on many accounts, to appear in the world in any fuch poft, even though it were an unanimous parish. But as it is a parifh notably divided, I am ftill the more unfit for it. I have had too much acquaintance with myfelf, in the management of the parish of Etterick, to think I am fit to undertake the charge of the parish of Clofeburn, wherein (I am perfuaded) the work of the gofpel would egregiously suffer in my hands. I know, that little ftrefs is fometimes put upon profeffions of this nature; but I do ingenuously declare, that, in my moft retired thoughts of this tranfportation, the difadvantages I find I labour under from myfelf, in managing my work in the congregation I am set over, do fo ftare me in the face, that I cannot encourage this defign, without a witness against me in my own bofom, teftifying I fhould be injurious to the parith of Clofeburn, in accepting their call, which I plainly perceive has proceeded on a mistake concerning me. For though it has pleafed the Lord fometimes to make my preaching-gift acceptable to his people; yet it is well known to thofe of my acquaintaince, I labour under fome uncommon difadvantages, which render me unfit for fuch a post.

Befides, Moderator, I have feriously confidered the matter of this transportation again and again, and I can have no other apprehenfion of it, but that it will be a renting of me from a congregation whose hearts are pierced with the thoughts of my removal from them, and a throwing me undefired into another. I am convinced, that upon whatever views that parith made choice of me to be their minifter, when they figned their call to me, matters are now fo far altered, that had fome things, with relation to the parish of Etterick and to myfelf, which in the progrefs of this affair have manifeftly appeared, to the conviction of all unbiaffed perfons, been believed before this procefs was commenced, they had not proceeded therein. And whatever reafon the purfuers may have to go on, fince they have begun, I hope our Very Reverend Judges will find themfelves obliged to determine as the prefent state of affairs requires. Several perfons, commiffioners from the parish of Clofeburn, at different times, have had the trouble of feveral long journies in this af fair, which I am heartily forry for. And I freely own, that Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick, and another of that parifh,

U u

have

have all along appeared cordial and serious in that matter : but I muft have been unaccountably blinded, if, by repeated evidences otherwife, I had not perceived the parifh of Clofeburn not inclined to be hard on the parish of Etterick in this affair. And however this might perhaps be deemed to be of fmall importance in the cafe of one inclinable to embrace their call; yet it cannot but have weight with our Reverend and compaffionate judges, in the cafe of a fixed minifter, whofe congregation and himself must both be violented, in order to the cafting him in upon another that defires him not.

Moderator, I need not put the Reverend Commiffion in mind of the great end of this project, namely, the healing of breaches there: but I heartily with it may be duly weighed, whether this tranfportation be a means proper for attaining that end? And one would think, fome more than ordinary certainty was neceffary in this point, efpecially confidering that the widening of the breaches in Etterick, and the adjacent parts, will furely follow upon the event of this transportation; and that a mistake, or false step, in an affair relating to fuch a broken country as Nithfdale is, may be of dangerous confequence. I am perfuaded, with the Reverend fynod of Merfe and Teviotdale, that this tranfportation will not anfwer the end; and think it strange, if any who know all circumstances be otherwife minded. Whatever measures the wifdom of fome other perfon, who fhall be called to that parish, may fuggeft unto him for compaffing the defired end, I find myfelf fo ftraitened in that refpect, that I cannot forbear to fay, with all deference to my Reverend Judges, that the transporting me to Clofeburn, will in effect be a driving me into a fnare, where, to which hand foever I turn, I must be broken.

Now, Moderator, will the juftice of the Reverend Commiffion allow them, to lay a congregation defolate, which was planted with fo much difficulty, has been managed with fo much uneafinefs, and, upon the event of this tranfportation, muft become the very feat of feparation in the country, and which there is to very little hope of the comfortable fupply of, they in the mean time fo vigorously reclaiming; and all this, in a time wherein there is fo very little need of transportations, but the parish purfuing may be otherwife fettled, to far greater advantage? Will their refpect to the peace of this church, fuffer them

to

to give fuch ground of irritation to a congregation in these circumftances I have narrated? Will their compaffion allow them, to take one whofe fpirit is already shattered with the effects of the divifive temper, and caft him into another place, where it must be far more fo? or to lead out one, and fet him upon the ice, where he knows no way (in the course of ordinary Providence) how to keep his feet; and when he falls, must fall for nought, I mean, no advantage to the church gained thereby? Nay, Moderator, I cannot believe thefe things.

I have the greatest averfion to this tranfportation; and whofo confiders what I have reprefented, will not think it ftrange. I hope the Reverend Commiffion will not violent me; which they will do, if they transport me to Clofeburn. The cafe of the Reverend Mr Warden's tranfportation to Falkirk, and of the Reverend Mr Wodrow's to Stirling, which were refufed by the Commiffion, though each of thefe parishes is more confiderable than the parish here purfuing, are fuch inftances of the lenity of this Very Reverend Judicatory, that it will be thought exceeding ftrange, if it fhall be my lot only to be violented.

Moderator, I have been twice fettled already; and I blefs the Lord, who was pleafed, in both, convincingly to fhew me his own call coming along with the call of his church. And I have felt fo much need of the former, its accompanying the latter, that I would be moft inexcufable to venture on removing to another parifh without it. I was perfuaded in my confcience of the Lord's calling me to Etterick; and my clearnefs as to my call to that place, was never overclouded, no not in my darkest hours; and had I not had that to fupport me there, I had funk under my burden. Now I have endeavoured, according to the measure of the grace bestowed on me, to fet afide my own inclinations, and the confideration of the cafe and fatisfaction of my own heart, and to lay this matter before the Lord, for light, to difcover his mind about it, labouring to wait upon him in the way of his word and works. But I fincerely declare, after all, I have no clearness to accept the call of Clofeburn, nor a foundation for my confcience, in this tranfportation, which ought not to reft on human authority. I have all deference for the authority of this church, and my miniftry is very dear to me: fo I caft myself down at your feet, begging that you will U u 2

not