STATISTICS OF THE SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH. Church History and Bell Lecture, Rev. Alfred Barry, A.M. The Annual Course commences on Monday, or on Monday next after the 11th November, and continues to the end of March. 1. Aberdeen. Right Rev. Wm. Skinner, D.D., Bishop, ordained 1802, consecrated 1816. 4. Edinburgh. Right Rev. C. H. Terrot, D.D., Bishop, ordained 1814, consecrated 1841. This Diocese comprehends-Edinburgh, This Diocese comprehends-Aberdeen, (St. Paul's, York Place, St. John's, St. (St. Andrew's, Henry-Street, and St. George's, St. James, St. Paul's, St. Peter's, John's,) Arradoul, Banchory - Ternan, Trinity, St. Columba's.) Leith, Alloa, DalBanff, Cruden, Cuminestown, (Turriff,) keith, Dalmahoy, (Ratho,) Dunmore, Ellon, Forgue, (Huntly,) Fraserburgh, Greenlaw, Haddington, Musselburgh, PorInverury, (Keithhall,) Longside, (Mint- tobello, Stirling. law,) Lonmay, (Mintlaw,) Meiklefola, (Fyvie,) Monymusk, New Pitsligo, Old Deer, (Mintlaw,) Old Meldrum, Peterhead, Portsoy, Tillymorgan, Turriff, Woodhead, (Fyvie.) 5. Brechin. Right Rev. A. P. Forbes, D.C.L., Bishop, ordained 1844, consecrated 1847. This Diocese comprehends-Arbroath, Brechin, Broughty F., Catterline, (Stonehaven,) Drumlithie, (Stonehaven,) Dundee, Fasque, (Fetterc.,) Lochlee, (Brec.,) Montrose, Muchalls, (Stonehaven,) Stonehaven: 6. Argyll and the Isles. Right Rev. A. Ewing, D.D., LL.D., D.C.L., Bishop, ord. 1838, con. 1847. This Diocese comprehends-Balahulish, (Appin,) Carroy, (Isle of Skye, Broadford,) Campbelton, Cumbrae, Dunoon, Fort-William, Lochgilphead, Oban, Portnacroish, Rothesay, Stornoway, (Lewis.) 7. Glasgow and Galloway. Right Rev. W. J. Trower, D.D., Bishop, ordained 1829, consecrated 1848. This Diocese comprehends-Baillieston, Glasgow, (St. Mary's, St. Andrew's, Christ Church, St. John's,) Annan, Ayr, Coatbridge, Dolphinton, Dumbarton, Dunse, Dumfries, Galashiels, Girvan, Greenock, Hamilton, Hawick, Helensburgh, Jedburgh, Kelso, Kilmarnock, Largs, Melrose, Maybole, Paisley, Peebles, West Linton, Selkirk. THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. BY THE REV. ROBERT JAMIESON, D.D. MINISTER OF ST. PAUL'S PARISH, GLASGOW. praise as before, the service is closed by the minister pronouncing with extended hands the apostolic benediction. The service is usually finished in less than two hours. THE Church of Scotland, or the given in this work, of Presbyterian sects Kirk, as it is often called, is that in Scotland. branch of the Church of Christ which The form of worship is exceedingly is by law established in the northern simple and solemn. The service is part of Britain, and to the maintenance begun by the singing of a psalm, of which its inhabitants, amid many previously announced and read aloud severe and protracted struggles, have by the minister. Then a prayer is clung with hereditary attachment for offered, a chapter generally read from more than three centuries. From the the Old or New Testament, and a time of the Reformation down to 1740, smaller portion of a psalm sung. These the great mass of the population pro- preliminaries over, a discourse is adfessed the religion, and ranged them-dressed to the people assembled, which selves within the pale of that establish- having been followed by prayer and ment. With the exception of a very small number of Catholics, Episcopalians, and Cameronians, dissent was entirely unknown; and even now that the ancient unity in ecclesiastical affairs has in form been broken up, there is Such is the ordinary routine of worstill a greater harmony of opinion and ship in the Church of Scotland, and, as feeling on religious matters in Scotland, thus described, it seems to have been than is to be found perhaps in any other studiously arranged by its founders, in country of Christendom. Of the vari- order that by the extreme simplicity of ous sects that have sprung into exist- its forms it might be as far removed as ence, the principal, in point both of possible from the pompous ceremonial numbers and influence, while seceders of the Popish Church, which it supfrom the communion, adhere faithfully planted at the Reformation. There is and zealously to the standards of the Es- no altar, no liturgy, no organ or instrutablished Church. In other words, though mental music of any kind—no cerein a state of separation, they continue monies of human invention to engage amid their several peculiarities to follow the senses or imagination: every part her doctrine, discipline, and form of of the service seems to have been government; and, therefore, as she is the model from which so many of them have drawn their derivative forms of ecclesiastical worship and polity, it may be expedient to give a full view of her constitution, such as may render unnecessary the repetition of similar details, in the subsequent notices to be ordered as with a jealous anxiety to exclude every thing that might prevent the great truths of religion from reaching, through the medium of the understanding, the devotional feelings of the heart. Thus, at the very commencement of the service, in the department of sacred music, where it might be supposed that scientific taste might be for the purposes of public worship, at indulged with less risk to piety than in length received the formal sanction of any other part, the Presbyterian worship the General Assembly of 1781, which displays the simplicity of her character. appointed it "to be used in public This interesting portion of the service, worship and in congregations, wherever instead of being left to a choir of mer- the minister finds it for edification." cenary musicians, is performed by the This caution was necessary-for the peowhole congregation present, who, with ple at large and many even of the clergy united voices, follow the precentor after of the period could not be reconciled to he has commenced the first notes, or its introduction, on the ground of strong finished the first line, esteeming it their conscientious scruples, to employ in privilege as well as their duty to take the praises of God any composition that a personal share in singing the praises flowed from an uninspired source. of their God and Redeemer. The Such prejudices, however, have long words of this sacred music are furnished ago died away, and the almost univerfrom two sources. The first is a met- sal suffrage of the Christian public in rical version of the Psalms of David, Scotland is borne to the fact, that this which, having been sanctioned by the selection of Metrical Translations and Westminster Assembly of Divines, and Paraphrases appointed to be used by still further improved by our General the authority and sanction of the Assembly, was ratified by an act of the Church is, for beauty of sentiment, as Scottish Parliament at Edinburgh, 8th | well as a fine vein of Scriptural simJanuary, 1650. It is a version in which plicity and devotional feeling, second although there are many uncouth, to none in the English language. quaint, and inharmonious lines, these These are the sacred songs which are blemishes are far outbalanced by the used in the worship of the Scottish manifold excellencies that distinguish Church. They are sung, not chanted; it-its simple versification, and the and the tunes which obtain the greatest extraordinary closeness with which it favour everywhere, even in the most approaches to the style of the prose educated and fashionable congregations, translation, enabling the worshipper to are, with the exception of a few by employ in his devotional strains the modern composers, those slow, solemn, very words which the Spirit indited. | and impressive strains which have been The second source of Scottish Psalmody hallowed by long and venerable associis found in a collection of Metrical ations with the memory of our PresbyTranslations and Paraphrases of Scrip- terian forefathers. To a stranger the ture, supplementary to the Psalms, and Psalmody of the Presbyterian Church containing interesting announcements appears dull and lifeless; and Wesley, of the grand blessings of the gospel, as whose susceptible ear had been long well as plain statements of Christian habituated to the varied measures and duty-in short, embodying such senti- light airs of the Methodist hymns, has ments as an evangelical preacher is recorded his feelings of surprise and likely to enlarge upon, and expressed disappointment at the cold and uninin that lively style which tends to teresting manner of singing in Scotland.” quicken and elevate the tone of devo- But the tunes are sufficient to enliven tional feeling, which his previous | the calm and reflecting minds of Scotsexhortation may be supposed to have men, and they awaken associations that begun. This collection of hymns, find a response in every bosom. So original and selected, after having been averse are the people generally to for many years under the earnest con- innovations in these melodies, that sideration of the church, and subjected when early in the present century the to the most rigid scrutiny to make it "repeating tunes were introduced, suitable both in sentiment and language i.e., tunes in which one or another of a the lines in a stanza were sung twice (practices of their ancestors, of which over, numbers of the old people refused the Scottish people have always been to join in the praise, or left the place peculiarly tenacious, and there is of worship altogether. At a still nothing which they are universally less earlier period, when, in consequence of willing to endure, or more prone to the generally increasing ability to ridicule, than repeated prayers. Hence, read amongst the church-going popula- as the devotions are the momentary tion, a strong desire arose in singing effusion, or, at least, the private comthe praises of God, to go on without position of the speaker, and every man's the intermission of the precentor read-thoughts are apt to run in a certain ing each line before the congregation, channel, and to be expressed in certain the Assembly of 1746 resolved to words or combinations of words that introduce the change gradually, by recommending the adoption of the new method to the people, first, in their private houses and at family worship. These facts illustrate the strong hold which the forms of the national worship have taken of the Scottish mind, and show that the popular character is so strongly moulded by the simple genius of Presbytery, that the refinements and artificial graces of composition, either in Psalmody or Sacred Music, are entirely unsuitable and distasteful. One peculiarity, however, remains to be noticed, which is less worthy of commendation, viz., that the congregation continues seated while in the act of singing the Psalms; and whether this practice arose at first from the great distances people travelled to church, or from the long prayers that precede and follow the psalmody, the impropriety of the posture is so manifest, that nothing but the force of immemorial custom could make it be overlooked. The people all rise at the prayer, which is offered by the minister standing also in front of the congregation, with clasped hands and with eyes shut, the better to secure his mind from being interrupted by external objects while in the solemn act of addressing God. The public prayers are always without the shackles of prescribed forms; for the directory of public worship shows only the manner, and not, except in very general terms, the substance of the sentiments to be expressed. This custom of praying extempore is one of the religious become familiar to his mind, ministers are obliged more or less to study variety in conducting the devotional part of the service. There is some difficulty in doing this in the opening prayer, which always includes statement of those wants and feelings, and a supplication for those blessings which nature and Christianity lead us to reiterate at every approach to God. But the utmost variety is attainable in the concluding prayer, in which it is customary to recapitulate the leading topics that pervaded the discourse in the form of petitions for grace to enable the hearers to carry the lessons of heavenly wisdom into practice. These prayers usually last for a quarter of an hour-perhaps too great an effort for the generality of minds to engage with sustained attention in a pure act of devotion. But the people are accustomed to such protracted standing, and, where the service is strictly of a devotional character, that space of time is not too long for overtaking all the topics which a public prayer ought to embrace. The discourse holds a prominent place in the worship of the Scottish Church. So much are the people accustomed to regard it of pre-eminent importance, that this habit of thought has moulded their common conversation; and, while an inhabitant of England speaks of going to chapel, or attending service, a native of Scotland comprehends all the purposes of church attendance in the phrase of going to hear a particular minister. The forenoon's discourse consists of a lecture or exposition of Scripture. The usual country, where the people, through the practice is to select a book, say one of medium of the parish schools, as the gospels or epistles, and to proceed well as family instruction, acquire from beginning to end regularly through from their early years a more or less its successive chapters, expounding a intimate acquaintance with the range considerable portion, longer or shorter, of Biblical subjects—to aim at a dignias its connection with the context may fied style of elocution, and variety and indicate, on every Sabbath. This is a richness of illustration, as there are few most useful species of instruction, which places in Scotland where the hearers are is almost peculiar to Scotland, and is not capable of appreciating the merits of attended with many advantages,-espe- a well-prepared and connected discourse. cially as it both enables a minister, by The labour of preparing those public bringing all his natural and acquired discourses is immensely increased, by resources to bear on the illustration of the necessity of delivering them as a passage, to exhibit to his hearers a spoken addresses. Owing to the deep full and connected view of Divine truth, and long-prevailing dislike of written and affords him, at the same time, as notes, the clergy-in a country where diversified topics are brought in the acceptability is indispensable to usefulcourse of review before him, an oppor-ness in their sacred office, feel themtunity of admonishing his people on selves under a moral necessity of yieldmany faults in their life and practice, ing to the popular prejudice; and accordwithout incurring the charge of an invi-ingly from time immemorial, the pracdious reference. The afternoon's dis- tice in Scotland, down till a considerable course, which is always a sermon, is in time after the Revolution in 1688, was, like manner founded on a short passage that sermons pronounced in Scottish or single verse of Scripture, prefixed not pulpits were unread. In such circumas a motto, but a text, out of which the stances, however, one of two things is address is formed, and instead of being the inevitable result-that either the a superficial essay, or a loose harangue, minister having confidence in himself, and it is a solid, substantial discussion of in his power of extempore speech, will one leading subject-the burden of it abandon all idea of preparatory study, being to blend doctrine with duty, and content himself with going through principle with practice, illustrations the public service in a loose manner, of faith with evangelical motives and with the unselected words of the to obedience. Where there is only moment; or, if he is not possessed of one diet of worship on a Sabbath, this natural fluency, he will be obliged as in the generality of country parishes, first of all to write out his discourses, it is customary to give both a lecture and afterwards commit them verbatim and sermon at the same meeting, a to memory. This latter method, judgshort interval being afforded by the ing from the average extent of ability interposition of a psalm and a prayer. in speaking, will be the most common; The preparation of two and sometimes and many, who have neither quick nor three discourses a-week, each of which retentive powers of recollection, will occupies from forty to fifty minutes in the find the effort so great as to occupy one delivery, makes the stated public duties or sometimes two days a-week, to the of a Presbyterian minister a very onerous neglect of other duties, and of the general task, especially as the high measure of improvement of their minds. To escape intelligence that distinguishes the great from this drudgery, an attempt was body of the people forbids him to made early in the middle of the last descend to a low colloquial strain, or century to depart from the ancient practo dole out merely stale and common- tice of delivering sermons, and, in imiplace truths. He is obliged-even tation of the preachers in the English when preaching to congregations in the Church, to read them from beginning |