probably disappoint the Non-subscribers, who boasted that he was to make a glorious defence in favour of humane liberty, and the method of enquiry; and in so far hitherto our reasonable form and method of putting questions is not weakned. But hou to reconcile this with his Letter to the Committy in November last, wherein he calls us to put a stope to the inquisitory method, and declares it contrary to Christ's practise, the Form of Proces, Claim of Right, &c., I cannot see; neither hou it agrees with what hath been sett doun above, as to his peremptory resolutions against answering Queries, and what he said before three Ministers, within these ten or twelve dayes, in a passion, that he would as soon [see them] hanged before he answered their Questions. And, which affects me more, I cannot see hou this agrees with signed Answers to the Presbytery's Answers, and his first Letter, March, 1726, wherin he makes Necessary Existence, &c., pretty much personall propertys, and ouns that he had never used these expressions in teaching. Certainly such differences among his expressions cannot but weaken his reputation, and exhibit him as variable and inconstant, or, as some will be apt to think, inconsistent. The Presbytery read over the paper a second time, and referred it to further consideration to-morrou. I imagine they will agree to stope his suspension on this, and go on to the lybell: In which, may they be well guided!

This moneth, we hear of an Adress from the Lords of the Session to the King upon this remarkable juncture; and that my Lord Grange carys it up to London. The true state of this, as I am told by one of them, is, there are two different partys in the shire of Lothian, who last moneth wer forming and signing two different formes of Addresses, the one is headed by Mr Dundass, nou of Arnistoun, and therin they are to complean of the malt-tax; the other is promotted by the heretors who are on the side of the Court. The Lords of Session are universall Justices of Peace wherever they are, if they qualify. They wer much dealt with to meet at Edinburgh with the Justices of Peace, and going [go in ?] with the Court Address. The Justice-Clerk, my Lords Pollock and Neuhall, declined meeting with the rest, both because that they wer

against the Lords of Session mixing in with the manner of addressing upon every State change, which hath not been in use hitherto; and the Lords of Session have very seldom, if ever, in a body, addressed; and because some of them had never qualifyed as universall Justices of the Peace, nor ever resolved, because they thought it unreasonable to act as heretors where they had not one foot of land; and it may be some of them refused because they would not go in to the party nou carying on this Address. The rest of the Lords, as Justices of the Peace wherever they wer, met with the Addressers, and ane Address was accordingly signed, declaring the malt-tax, if restricted to two thousand pounds, and the excressency then applyed to the encouragement of manufactures, &c., was what was acceptable to them.

Another Addres that makes noise hereabout is that from the Colledge of Glasgou. The Master Ross, nou Rector, was prevailed to come west on Teusday the 28, and call a meeting of the Colledge, or be present with them for the greater solemnity; and that day they met accordingly. The Master was votted Preses, and an Adress was talked of as what was very needfull from that Society. Ther was no debate about the generall loyall expressions in it, nor addressing; but a clause was moved to be added, thanking the King for the last Royall Commission, in October last. This was declared, by the one side, to be of such consequence as they could not joyn in an Adress without it. The other side moved, either that it should be waved, as what would reneu their heats; or if they would have it in, that the expression should be in generall thanking the King for his kindnes in all the Royall Commissions. he had favoured them with, since the naming the last only was indeed to say materially that the former Commissions wer not an act of kindnes in the King. But the clause was tenaciously insisted on and brought to a vote; and it came to stand six and six, and came to the casting voice of the Rector, who declared for the clause. The six that wer against it wer the Principal, Mr J. Hamiltoun, Dean of Faculty, Mr William Anderson, Mr Murthland, who entered their dissent, Mr Carmichael, and Mr Loudon, who voted against it; but took it to advisement till to-morrou, whither to record their dissent. The six for it wer Dr Johnston, Mr Forbes, Mr Dick, Mr Ross, Mr R. Simson, and Mr Dunlop. Mr Simson

came not to them, which was much wondered at, and looked as if he was changing sides very sensibly; and Dr Birsban,* who was in toun, and would not come, either as being under the influence of Blythswood, or fretted because he had no share of the Duke of Chandois money, or being affrayed of irritating the other side, and being turned out at the nixt visitation, as doing nothing for his sellary.

This unhappy party-work inflames all societys, and carying things to such heights continoues the flame, and oblidges the next party who come in to be as violent upon their predecessors as these that have been before them, and hath no good effects, nor can serve for any usefull purposes.

Two things wer pretty much the subject of conversation during our Committy about Mr Simson, more privately. The method of Queries, and Inquiry, called by Mr Simson's freinds, "the inquisitory methods." It's said by some that many lauers and gentlmen, up and doun the country, are very much against this method, as what is contrary to human liberty, and the rights of mankind. Besides what hath been formerly observed upon November, and this moneth, I cannot but observe that the rights of society, both civil and sacred, make this method of inquiry absolutely necessary in all crimes that are occult, and of difficult probation, especially in verba emissa. But I heard, further, one of our best lauers, my L[ord] G[range,] observe, that nothing is more plain then in the Civil and Canon Lau there are two methods of probation alloued by all lauers; Modus Inquisitionis or Inquisitorius, and Modus Probationis; and that the modus inquisitionis is the same with Queries, and esteemed very habile in abundance of cases, especially in verba emissa. As to the sentiments of our gentlmen and others, especially in point of doctrine, ther is no great stress to be laid upon it, when I consider the generall laxnes that is got in among them. Indeed, in our situation at present, the opinion of many suspected to be corrupted in principles and doctrine, would rather be a presumption at least, not to say an argument, why the method of inquiry (and there seems to be no great bugbear in the word, though we should call it inquisition) should be used in Mr Simson or other sus

* Dr Brisbane, Professor of Anatomy.

pected person's case. But this being nou somewhat off the feild by Mr Simson's giving in Answers to the Queries, I shall say no more of it. Another thing, pretty much insisted on in conversation is, that our suspending or deposing a Professor of Divinity is among us but a kind of brutum fulmen: That the Church has that pour [power] indeed, to suspend or depose from preaching and the ministeriall office, but cannot suspend from teaching in an University, or depose a Teacher, and in the least affect his sellary. I do remember this was in the last Assembly spoken modestly, when the act against Mr Simson was framing, and the words, "from teaching and preaching," wer, upon the motion of a single member, dropt. It was, indeed, asserted by others, that the Church had pouer as to teaching as well as preaching; but for peace sake, and not to bring the Assembly to debate upon their oun pouers, which was not judged convenient, the phraze "suspend," in the generall, was keeped in, as it wer with a salvo jure. But the case is plain enough, if people would consider it. Professors of Divinity are not chosen by the King, at least the Divinity Professor at Glasgou is not, though he hath his sellary from the King; and beneficium sequiter officium. I do think, indeed, the Church, especially since the Revolution, have been wanting to themselves in this matter. When a man is transported from a parish to be Professor of Divinity, he is loosed from his parish, but not in terminis fixed by the Church, but received by the University: At least, I do not mind it has been so; though I think that the Church Judicatorys should have a share in a Professor's setlement, as well as his loosing from a congregation. And so it was in the first Presbiterian times, and so it ought still to be in the nature of the thing; and I knou the Synod of Glasgou did call my father to take the oversight of the youth who had their eye to the Ministry in the bounds, and he did teach them four years before he had any sellary for so doing, and was formally transported from the Ministry of Glasgou to the University, in the year 1692. But I was observing that the nature of things sheues us that there is nothing at all here. By our Books of Discipline, a Doctor is one of our four offices of Christ's institution, which we are bound doun to by our Covenants; and I think all Office-bearers in the Church are under the pouer of the

Generall Assembly, and other Judicatorys. The Doctor, whose office, in my opinion, leads him to be a member of the Presbytery and Synod, and even of Generall Assemblys, at least when he is chosen, as well as a Minister, when suspended or deposed, is just in the same circumstances the other Church Officers are in. But, after all, this is a very thin argument; though ther wer somewhat in Professors more than others, and though they had their patent from the King, as generally they have not, it's scarce to be supposed that when a Generall Assembly goes the lenth to suspend or depose an University man, they will represent the matter to the King, and ask his nomination of another; which, I belive, will never be refused.

This moneth another matter casts up, which I do not see well wher it will land. Mr James Graham of Airth is Patron of the parish of Airth. He presented Mr J. Gray in due form, and had his acceptance in termes; and hath, it seems, the bulk of the heretors, elders, and heads of familys with him. Some of the elders, and perhaps the most part of the people of any profession of religion, who are not many, and are generally inclinable to the Marrou, are against Mr Gray; because, as they say, he hath accepted a presentation, which they think is contrary to Presbiterian principles. This is put into their heads by their former Minister, and Mr Lindsay of Bothkinnar, who, some say, inclines to be in Airth. Mr Muir in Stirling, and these bretheren, stand stiff against Mr Gray. Mr Grahame is Prælatick in his judgment, and will not so much as take the advantage he hath in the plurality of his oun, and my Lord Elphingston's tenants, who, if he would allou them to choice, would be all for Mr Gray; but he stands stiff on the presentation, and tells the Presbytery that he will [not] urge the presentation, and have it to go on that foot. The Presbytery have not at all used that caution that such a situation oblidged them to, but, I fancy by my L[ord] G[range]'s advice, have alloued the inclinations of the people professing strictnes to Mr Russell, a very good young man, (but he has never been heard by them, nor will he at the Presbytery's desire preach at Airth,) and appointed a day for moderating a call. Upon which Mr Graham applyed to the Lords of Ses