exhortation or admonition, or sist the accused before them, as they
gates of Jerusalem; promising, in his strength, to endeavour to lead a holy life, to forsake every known sin, and to comply with every known duty? 4. Lastly, Do you promise to subject yourself to exhortation, admonition, and rebuke, and the discipline of the church, in case (which God forbid) you fall into any scandalous sin?
11. The party having professed, consented, and promised, as above said, is to be admitted to the table of the Lord, by a sentence of the session which is to be recorded in their register, and an extract thereof allowed to be given him, when called for.
12. It were fit, that the names of all those who, from time to time, are admitted to the Lord's table, be inrolled in a bound book belonging to the session.
13. And how often soever that ordinance be administered in a congregation, the aforesaid roll of those who have at any time been admitted, is always to be read over distinctly, in presence of the session, some competent time before, and the members required to declare, if they know any thing against the life and conversation of any of them.
14. If any thing be objected, the session is to order private exhortation or admonition, or sist the accused before them, as they shall see ground, and find the matter to require. And this is to be so managed, as that the accused be sisted, as aforesaid, on report concerning the private exhortation or admonition made, before the time of the administration of the sacrament. But those who have been once orderly admitted, are at no time after to be denied the privilege they were admitted to, except in the case of scandal; for which they are to be debarred by the session, till they have removed the scandal according to the discipline of the church; which done, they are restored to their former church-state."
No. IV
Mr. Gabriel Wilson's speech before the Synod of Merse and Teviotdale, in defence of his sermon preached before that synod, Oct. 1721.
MODERATOR.—How many soever may be otherwise minded, this day I take to be a day of the Lord's jealousy and indignation on all ranks and conditions of men, and on all societies and assemblies. The anger of the Lord has set us on fire round about, yet we know it not; and though it consumes us, we lay it not to heart. Of all which this present occasion, being such an one as I know not if the like, in all its circumstances, has happened in any Reformed church since Calvin's days, is an instance none of the least notable and discernible.
Moderator, according to the measure of the gift bestowed on me, I delivered before this Reverend Synod, what I took to be the Lord's mind and message by me. In which message, I, according as I conceived the state of religion in these lands required, and as my subject led me, endeavoured to witness for truth, and against sin. Among others, I offered my poor and mean testimony to that glorious gospel-truth, the justification and salvation of the lost and undone sinners by free grace, without works, through faith in a crucified Saviour; where, at the same time, the unalterable obligation of the law of God upon believers, and the necessity of holiness in the redeemed, was in the strongest and plainest terms asserted. I likewise bore witness, not immodestly, as I thought, though somewhat plainly, against sin, the defections of former and present times, for which I did, and do still, apprehend the Lord's anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. Upon some words, Moderator, and occasional passages, in my enlargement on these two heads, am I this day called in question before this court.
Moderator—It is known all the world over, and will be while the world lasts, that where a man's discourse is generally solid, sound, and to the purpose, little notice is taken, or severity used, as to some words or phrases, though not so well chosen, or fitly set; because men for most part remember themselves to be but men, who cannot
promise on every occasion to write or speak infallibly; else process of this sort had not unto this day been such a rarity in the churches of Christ, and particularly in the Church of Scotland. Now, since it is undeniable, so might it have been expected, if the main of what I delivered on these subjects had been agreeable, and acceptable, the want of some of that accuracy and exactness of words, or prudence, which others knew themselves could have managed these subjects with, would have been overlooked or pardoned? But the measures which have been taken, will, I am afraid, occasion suspicions, which I heartily wish may be groundless.
There are, Moderator, many things to persuade a shyness and wariness in judging and condemning what is delivered as a message from the Lord, which it might be reckoned impertinent for me to insist upon before such a reverend judicatory: and therefore I shall not do it. Far be it for me to mean hereby, that it should be any screen to a man's delivering error or heresy, that he does it from the pulpit; or that this Reverend Synod should not shew a due zeal for the purity of gospel-doctrine; but I must say, it was a sore matter, if so many learned men, having their spiritual senses exercised to discern betwixt good and evil, could not judge of the doctrine of a sermon they heard, without so much ado, and such a procedure, so very extraordinary; having for its native tendency (however the mercy and wisdom of Divine Providence may turn it) the utter and irretrievable ruin of a man's reputation and usefulness in the world; things that no judicatory of Jesus Christ should be very fond or rash of attempting. This, I say, being the native tendency of such measures, every failing or imperfection, the wit and invention of men set on work, and doing their utmost, may find out in a man's papers, forced from him, will be so far from justifying such pomp and solemnity before the Lord, the world, or their own consciences, acting a faithful part, that, without they have some very considerable matter for their foundation, they must be a persecution less merciful, and more bloody, than carrying one to a scaffold would be.
Moderator—It is given out of me, propagated among the people, and through the church, as far as it will go, that I deny the Father in the glorious Godhead, the necessity of holiness in believers, that the law of God is binding upon them, or that there is any need of a preparatory work of the Holy Spirit on the souls of men, &c. and what not? and now, when the sermon is delivered, that I have altered it, and kept back all the gross things that were in my papers, and which I delivered before the Synod; whereas the brethren appointed to receive the copy knew, and the brethren of the committee know, they have a faithful copy of my notes; and not only so, but of all things delivered by me, though they were not in my notes, so far as I can remember them. Whatever measure I have got, or may further get, never did one give his judges fairer play against himself, than I have done. What shall I say, Moderator? I am made a gazing-stock, a reproach, and a world's wonder, throughout Scotland, and may be further too, for any thing I know. Reproach sometimes breaks my heart; and were it not in some measure I believe the promises, and the special providence of God, I behoved to sink, and be broken effectually
Moderator—It is not in the power of this Synod, were they ever so willing, to make reparation of the injuries done me by means of their procedure; for infamy will stick better.
As to the point of prudence and expedience, under which consideration some of the quarrelled passages will fall, I will not pretend so much as a tolerable skill of that sort; but I desire to depend on him on whom the spirit of wisdom and understanding rests, and in whom dwell all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The expediency of speaking and acting in particular instances, is a point we will never all be agreed in; but good folks, as they will be differing among themselves, so they may happen to be of a different judgment from our Lord Jesus Christ himself in cases. The gospel furnishes us with instances enow of this, particularly of the woman who was not only accepted and approved of our Lord, but has an everlasting badge of honour put upon her for a deed which was the
object of the disciples' indignation. Moderator—I adduce this, not as if I took mine for an exact parallel case, but only as a document of what may be, where even good folk are very confident, and reckon themselves pretty sure; and it is not very choiceable, nor what any of us would wish, to be of a different judgment from Christ, especially in such matters as concern his own glory.
Moderator—As ministers should shew an example of impartiality one towards another, in case of error or vice, so ought they to set people a pattern of charity, tenderness and brotherly love, in not wresting, stretching, or straining one another's words or actions, to such meanings as they neither fairly bear, nor were ever intended to express, or so as to discover the prevalence of such works of the flesh in themselves, as we condemn and preach against in others. This hath been, and will be the way of the world; the way of enemies towards the saints, especially towards the ministers of Christ; and it is both pity and shame that it should ever be their way one towards another. Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. If there had dropped from one's pen, on a paper which on his account the world was never to see, expressions not so well chosen, or guarded; would not the love of God, the love of truth, and the love of our neighbour, which the gospel so much teacheth and recommends, make all men in whom it dwells, rejoice to see those things elsewhere in the same paper, more plainly and fully expressed to satisfaction? And will not that humility, modesty, and compassion, which a sense of human weakness and frailty, with a sense of our own imperfections, and liableness to mistake, begets, persuade the same thing? Even the wisest of societies happen at times to express themselves, for removing such misapprehensions as their words have given occasion to.
The straining or wresting of words, or occasional passages in this case, in order to the fathering inferences or consequence not owned, or to the fixing of odious notions, that the words neither express, nor, candidly interpreted, give any countenance to, cannot miss to be held as a clear evidence, that something is aimed at, either with respect to
the person or doctrine, that is not fairly or honestly owned, and spoken out.
Moderator.—Though I shall readily own, that any who hear the word at the Lord's mouth, and bear his message, may be able to express the truth in more fit and acceptable words than I have done in these papers; yet, considering my unskilfulness, and my profound security from all fears of such unprecedented measures, I conceive I have much reason to bless the name of the Lord, who instructs the simple, and guides the blind in the way they know not; and accordingly here I desire, with all my soul, to bless him, that my escapes were not both more and greater than they are; else, alas! where had I been? I had been swallowed and eaten up as bread; the truth had suffered by my means, and the friends of truth had been ashamed for my sake. Which brings to mind another thing, namely, whatever imperfections or alleged offensive things may be found in that sermon, you are not, Moderator, so much as in thought, to impute them to any but me. My reason for saying so is, that I know it has been strongly, though most invidiously suggested, that there was concert and advice in this affair; but never was any thing less true, Moderator. No advice, no consultation, about word or thing in these papers; yea, so far from it, that I sincerely declare, no one in the world knew so much as the text I was to preach from, till I read it in this place. Moderator, we have not so learned Christ as to consult with man in such cases.
I own, Moderator, I have cause, more than for all the committee's remarks to be humbled, that I had not more of the Lord's presence in the delivery of that sermon, (yet I desire to bless him for carrying me through); and that so little of the Lord's power accompanied the word from my mouth; for it is but too evident, it has been an unblessed sermon to many; woes me for it! However, it might have been expected, some regard might have been had to conscience, honesty, and sincerity, in declaring one's mind as to what he reckoned amiss or in danger, on an occasion the most solemn and public he ever had before, or was like to have again. Whereas, or at the same time, it may be easily seen, these measures tend to
discourage all faithfulness and plain dealing for the time to come, be the evidence or aspect of affairs in the church what it will; which, therefore, some will perhaps think might have fallen less unseasonably out in some other juncture than this.
Moderator—However contemptible I may be in the eyes of many, this piece of conduct being so very extraordinary, and of such a conspicuous judicatory in the Church of Scotland, will be under the observation and examination of, not only both friends and enemies at home among ourselves, but of strangers (I doubt not) also; for all people are at this day wrestling for liberty, and many will be curious to look into a case reckoned to have so unfavourable an aspect upon it.
To conclude—Moderator, I can say it in truth, though my brethren and mother's children have been very angry with me, and have dealt roughly with me, my Lord and master has not yet, to my discerning, discovered himself displeased with me on account of that sermon, or of any one thing in it. No doubt, he saw many more faults, and other sort of ones, than you can find; yea, the whole performance, I know, was full of blemishes, and would not at all abide a trial at the bar of his holy law; yet I believe he has graciously pardoned all, and will never article me on that head; which, though it may be of no consideration with others, nor do I desire it should be of any, yet it is of great importance to me. And as for the little remarks some people make on it, I believe I may venture to say, he laughs at them; nay, I will say more, Moderator, I believe he will deliver me out of all this trouble I am meeting with on account of it, when such as seek my hurt have done their worst and utmost against me; yea though I should be tossed like a broken vessel to assemblies and commissions, I am not afraid of the issue. But though in such an event I may be delivered, allow me to say it, Moderator, though it may seem bold, it shall not, I hope, be found irrelevant; and was their soul in my soul's stead, none here present would think much of any thing I have yet said, or am going to say? whoever shall send me there, I regard their doing so, can import no less than that they reckon me worthy of
death, or of bonds, neither of which I deserve at the hand of man; they shall be held guilty of my blood before the Lord.
To the above is subjoined another speech.
MODERATOR—I own the copy by me delivered to the brethren appointed by the synod to receive the same, to be a true copy of the notes or papers from which I preached the sermon before the last synod; and that the said copy contains nothing but what is my sentiments; and being favourably constructed, will be found, I hope, to bear no ground of offence. The additions, being mostly of words deficient, transitions, or enlargements upon heads barely named in the papers, together with the filling up of some pieces of the method proposed, but left blank, are all distinctly marked, and do not touch the sense of what is in the notes; nor do I crave any benefit of them. But for as much as it ought to be presumed, that the Reverend Synod did peremptorily require the copy aforesaid, only in order to satisfy themselves as to some particular points touched in the sermon, and not out of it to form a libel, or draw articles against me, upon which I may be judged in order to censure; and since I neither did, nor could exactly repeat these notes or papers in the pulpit, and likewise since many things in them were not at all delivered, and other things were delivered that were not in the said notes, which nevertheless are now added in their proper places, so far as I could remember them, and several things were delivered purposely in other and smoother words than were written; I do protest the said copy cannot be improved to the forming of a libel or articles against me, as said is; and that the using it to such a purpose, would be in effect to make me mine own accuser, contrary to the word of God, the form of process, and the natural rights of mankind; and also that the said copy can never be used, and sustained as probative, in any process against me, on the account of the sermon above mentioned. And finally, that which I reckon myself concerned to say here on this affair, for satisfying the committee as to my sentiments on the heads they may be pleased to bring into question, shall not militate against me in any process upon
the account of these heads, or that sermon aforesaid. Upon all which I take instruments in the clerk's hands.
No. V
Concerning this Essay on the Hebrew text of Genesis, the author wrote the following memorial, when a copy of it was sent to Mr. Grant at London.
1. "The design of it is, to explain the text immediately from the Hebrew phraseology. For that effect, the sacred Hebrew pointing, or stigmatology, is religiously stuck to, and expressed in the versions by equivalent stops; and in the rigidly literal version, the words are generally ranged according to their order in the Hebrew; but where that could not be obtained, the Hebrew order is notified by a figure above the word; as, Gen. 1:1, "God he created;" the figure "I" notes, that word to be the first of the two in the Hebrew; and more than that, the original words are, wheresoever they occur, rendered in that version, in their one formal signification, according to their use of them in the Bible; the which signification is established in the notes, being discovered by comparing of other places where the words occur. For which effect, the Bible itself, with Buxtorf's Hebrew Concordance, is, I humbly conceive, the best Lexicon. Upon this subject I cannot but mention with honour, "Guesset's Comment. ling. Ebr." Meanwhile this cannot miss of making that version uncouth, and even shocking to some. Nevertheless, by means thereof, the English reader hath a kind of original (if I may so express it) in his own language, by which he may the better judge of smooth versions; and the Hebrew reader may discover the true sense of a text, together with the reason thereof, from the language itself, and the phraseology of the Holy Ghost. But however shocking it may be to any, I am apt to think, that a version of any Roman author, on such a plan, and under such strict rules, would be far more so.