Page:(1848) Observations on Church and State- JF Ferrier.pdf/30

30 or otherwise, however little they may have established in regard to the real question of independent spiritual power, let us add this, that one thing they did establish—they established a fact which will secure to them for ever the respect of the Scottish nation; they proved that in giving, for conscience' sake, their temporal possessions to the winds, they were the genuine inheritors—bating much of its fanaticism—of the heroic virtues of the Covenant.

We are aware that there are statements in our Scottish Acts of Parliament, referring to the establishment and government of the Church, which appear to be irreconcilable with our theory of the General Assembly. We frequently find the Scottish Parliament ratifying and confirming the proceedings of the Assembly. It may be asked, what occasion was there for this, if the General Assembly was Parliament itself, sitting in a new capacity? Various reasons may be given why the younger sister should have courted the countenance and support of the elder; although, even in this respect, she cannot be accused of having ever been above measure obsequious. We must remember that the Parliament for civil affairs was the elder, the more deeply-rooted, and, consequently, the more authoritative establishment of the two. By priority of institution, though not by constitutional principle, the name of “state” appertained to it more particularly than to the other. The state, moreover, in its civil capacity, had held, time out of mind, the executive. This was a most important consideration. And, above all, we have to consider that neither of the two Parliaments understood even the alphabet of their own constitution. The General Assembly may have thought, and perhaps thinks still, that the state had given or could give it the privilege of supreme and independent legislation in spiritual affairs. But what a mistake! What an ignorance of the nature of constitutional power does such a supposition betray! In short, the philosophy of church and state was in those days very imperfectly understood; and therefore it is not wonderful that the General Assembly should sometimes have sought (even in the attitude of a somewhat inferior tribunal) the support of the more venerable institution—and that we should find in the Acts of our Parliament frequent notices of the encouragement (or disencouragement) which she received. To reach the true bearings of church and state, we