266 MEMOIRS OE PERIOD X. mation), while they thought I was willing, not tobe difpofed to be active in it afterwards they feemed to be keen. Wherefore meeting With one of their leading men, I,reprefented fome things concerningmyfelf, that I, thought might caufe them to remit of that keennefs, as my not employing jurors, &c. (though by the by what I have done that way ins merely on_the ground of offence, not that I aril ftraitened in my own confcience as to fuch joining) ; and it feemed to have fomething of the de- fired effect. So in the end I became very eafy. At that affembly, the affair of Mr John Simfon, profeffor of theologyi,in the college Of Glafgow, purfued by that great man, Mr James Webfter, one of the minifters of Edinburgh, and which had been in dependence for feveral years, was ended, with great foftnefs to the profeffor ; who, from the attempts he had then made againft the do&rine of the grace of Chrift, bath fince advanced to attack the do&rine of the perfon of Chrift, and to overthrow the foundations of Chriftianity. The {kid affair beingended at one of the diets, in the following diet was taken in a propofition, calculated by the prefbytery of Auchterarder, for oppofing the erroneous do&rine of profeffor Simfon, on the occafion of a fufpected young man on trials before them. This propofition, called in derifion the Auchterarder creed, was all at once at that diet judged and condemned ; though forne finall ftruggle was made in defence thereof. And poor I was not able to open a mouthbefore them in that caufe ; although I be- lieved the propofition to be truth, howbeit not well worded. It was as follows. " It is not found and orthodox to teach, that we mutt forfake fin, in order to our coming to Chrift, and inflating us in covenant with God." For this, when I came to my chamber, my confcience fmote me grievoufly ; for that I could fpeak in my own caufe, as faid is, but could not fpeak in the public caufe of truth. And I was obliged yet to fpeak upon it, and exoner my confcience, when it was out of feafon ; that is, upon the reading over of the minute about it, in the following diet. But this was made an ufeful leffon to me afterward ; and gave me fomething to balance my natural diffidence and bafhfulnefs, and to incite me to fpeak when I faw the caufe of truth call for it. And here, namely, in the condemnation, of that propofition, was the beginning of the torrent, that fòr feveral years after ran, in the public a&ings of this church, againft the doctrine of grace, under the name of Antinómianfm ; and is unto this day over- flowing. Mean while, at the fame time fitting in the aflémbly houfe, and converfing with Mr John Drummond minifter of Grief, one of the brethren of that prefbyteryabove mentioned, I happened to give him my fenfe of the gofpel- offer, If. Iv. 1. Matth. xi. 28. with the reafon thereof ; and withal to tell him of the Marrow of modern divinity. Hereuponhe, having in- quired in the fhops for the faid book, at length got it; and from
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