136 MEMOIRS or PERIOD %ÍIL affair Of the Marrow ; though he had no freedom to go along with theaffembly, but was obliged to declare himfelf in favour of truth, before they fhould clofe that affair. And I remember, that with refpe& to this laft cafe, he, in private cónverfation, faid in his pleafant manner, thereafter, he had fo done, but knew not if he would have full fatisfaétion in it, when got home, and reflebting thereon in his clofet. Mean while the di%lying of that affembly by Seafield, was the occafion of adjuftirig that matter betwixt the church and ftate, and fettling it in the manner wherein, Ì !' fuppofe, it bath all along fince continued, the affembly being firft diffòlved in the name of Jefus Chrift, by the, Moderator as their mouth, and in the name of the magiftrate by the Cornmiflìbner. In April following, the fynod meeting at Dunfe, entered on making an aa, afferting their principles with refpecc to the eftablifhed government of the church. Againft which, Mr Alexander Orrock minifter at Hawick, a man of vaft parts, and the greateft affurance I ever knew, protefted, and left the fynod; pretending the fame to be a rifing of groundlefs jealoufies againfì the magiftrate ; though in the mean time the grounds of jeaioufy were looked on as not fmall. With him joined Mr Robert Bell minifter at Cavers, now at Crailling, Mr Robert Cuningham at Wilton, afterward at Hawick, and Mr Robert Scot at Roberton. Upon the other hand, I was diffatisfied with the aót, for that it touched not the particular point in which the church was at that timeefpecially aggrieved ; namely, her intrinfic power of meeting, and treating, in her judicatories, of her affairs, as neceffity might require, fbr the honour of her Head, and the fpiritual welfare of ber members. And fince, for the faid caufe, I could not approve of it, and had not fo clear accefs as ordinary to give my vote, I declared thismymind before the fynod ere it was put to the vote. Whereupon Mr Charles Gordon minifter of Afhkìrk, a learned and holy man, of uncommon integrity, fotnetime chofen to be profeffor of divinity in Aberdeen, though he accepted it not, fpoke fòmething in anfwer thereto, and for the adt, which there- after was voted, and approved by the reft. But that fame night, I think, he fent for to his quarters, where he lodging together with Mr William Macghie minifter of Selkirk, we flipped to- gether, and were brought acquainted. And this, I believe, was the occafion of the prefbytery of Selkirk their fetting their eye on me for the parifh of Etteriek. And I had the comfort of his `4eelaring to me, on his death-bed, fome time after my coming to Etterick, the fatisfadfion he had in having feen Mr Gabriel Wilfon, my friend, and me, fettled in their prefbytery. I being only a fingular fucceffor, and not heir to my father, was liable to Drummelzier, the fuperior, in a year's rentof my tenement, for entry, which otherwife would have been but the double of the feu-duty : fo, on the 15th of April, I compounded withhim for L. 00 Scots ; fòr which the town-clerk havingdrawn 4 bond in the jog-trot ftyle ofbonds for borrowed money, I refufed
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