cure from the trouble of hearing any further concerning him, either from himself or me: and if you please to let me know your mind, your reasonable satisfaction shall be to my utmost power endeavoured by

Your affectionate friend

And humble servant,

R. LEIGHTON.

The charges of this venerable prelate to the clergy of the diocesan synod of Dunblane are valuable and interesting records, as well on account of the sterling good sense and piety with which they abound, as of the light they shed on his professional character and deportment. From the instructions, which he found it necessary to issue in the year of his inauguration, it may be inferred that the district, over which he presided, had not made much proficiency in godliness under presbyterian pedagogy. He prescribed such rules of worship and discipline, as were indicated by the disorders of the existing system, and were adapted to correct the flagrant immoralities of the time and place. Officiating ministers were directed to read portions of the Old and New Testaments, not after the irreverent manner, hitherto in vogue, of making it a by-work while the congregation was assembling, but as an integral and important part of the service. It was the Bishop's wish, that the Lord's prayer, the Apostles' creed and the doxology, should be restored to more frequent use; that a weekly day should be appointed for catechising; and that an easy compendium of christian doctrine should be agreed upon by

his clergy, to be made the basis of catechetical instructions to the young and the ignorant. Probably the short catechism, which is among his printed works, was composed for this purpose. The sermons of that period generally ran in a high strain of controversy. Against this the Bishop set his face; and he laboured to bring into the place of subtle and passionate disputations a modest and sober style of preaching, that should be level to the capacities and calculated to mend the morals of the vulgar. On the ignorance and viciousness of the people in general he touches sorrowfully; and he warns his clergy against slackness and timidity in reproving the prevalent sins of their respective parishes. Large portions of holy scripture were preferred by him, as subjects for sermons, to single texts; for he thought they offered more scope for pithy practical remark, and were better calculated to lay hold on the attention of the auditory.

Though friendly to a grave and masculine eloquence, of which he was himself no common master, yet his chief desire was that discourses from the pulpit should be simple and perspicuous. After hearing a plain and homely sermon, he expressed the highest satisfaction; "For the good man," said he in reference to the preacher, "seems in earnest to catch souls." The measure of speech he remarked, and it is a remark well worthy of being preserved, ought to be the character of the audience, which is made up for the most part of illiterate persons.

Any deliberate opinion of this great man must deserve respect, even when it may not command acquiescence. It would therefore be wrong to omit mentioning, that he disliked the practice of reading sermons, a practice scarcely known across the seas; being of opinion that it detracted much from the weight and authority of preaching. “I know (he said) that weakness of the memory is pleaded in excuse for this custom; but better minds would make better memories. Such an excuse is unworthy of a man, and much more of a father, who may want vent indeed in addressing his children, but ought never to want matter. Like Elihu, he should be refreshed by speaking."

Although disposed to lenity, he was not regardless of discipline. Gross offences committed in his diocese were to be branded with church censures; and the restoration of offenders to the communion of the church was to be delayed, till indubious symptoms of repentance had shown themselves.

It was among his pious plans to bring about a more frequent celebration of the Lord's supper, which, in those days, was not in every place so much as an annual ceremony; and he wished the people to be carefully instructed in the spiritual import of this holy rite, and to be frequently exhorted to maintain a constant fitness for it by uniform blamelessness of conversation. He also made it incumbent on his clergy to promote the practice of family worship, and to exercise a watchful superintendence over their flocks, bearing the spiritual bur

dens of every member, and dealing out to each, as his case might require, instruction, or counsel, or reproof, or consolation.

It has already been stated, how careful he was to put his clergy in remembrance, that no substantial good could be expected from their ministrations, unless they were themselves remarkable for sanctity of heart and life; men of prayer, of study and meditation; of "great contempt of this present world, and inflamed affections towards heaven;" whose pure and peaceable demeanour, full of mercy and good fruits, should stamp them for the sons of God and servants of the meek and lowly Jesus. Moreover he considered a singular modesty and gravity even in externals, such as their apparel and the adjustment of their hair, to be highly becoming in ministers, whose profession it was to give themselves wholly to the care of immortal souls.

Having these things much at heart, he gave in a paper at the synod of 1667, in which, after a most conciliatory introduction, and blaming himself for having, through averseness to lord it over Christ's heritage, been more backward to advise them than perhaps his situation demanded, he proceeds to urge the importance of adding life and efficiency to those " privy trials," in which the presbyters used to examine each other for mutual correction and edification. This process, he is satisfied, might be made exceedingly salutary to those, who were declining in zeal and diligence, were entangled in doctrinal errors, or were in

any way swerving from the path of ministerial duty; provided they were so conducted, as to constrain a man to serious reflection upon himself: and, with a view to their being rendered thus useful, he lays down some admirable rules, which are included in the body of his works.

Let it here be noticed how remote this holy man is from an imperious and domineering exercise of his authority. Instead of exacting submission from his clergy by peremptoriness and menaces, he industriously waves the superior character of a bishop, and bespeaks their obedience by urbanity and gentleness. It is asserted by Wodrow and others, that the clergy of Dunblane were notoriously ignorant and disorderly. I have met with nothing to corroborate this heavy charge; and from their diocesan's pastoral letters and addresses it is rather to be inferred that their defects have been overstated, or else were greatly corrected during his administration. He seems to have judged it expedient to raise them as nearly to a level with himself, as the indispensable dignity of episcopal government would allow; and whatever alterations he thought necessary were proposed in the shape of friendly suggestion, and not of overbearing dictation. The only priority he sought was in labours; the only ascendancy he coveted was in self-denial and holiness; and in these respects he had few competitors for preeminence.

Proceeding steadily upon these principles, and exerting all his influence to impart to others the