urable to Independency, among the chief of whom was Mr
Patrick Gillespie."(18) On the other hand, it has been supposed, that some
of the Independent clergy had no decided objection to presbyterianism, in
the form in which that system of ecclesiastical polity existed in
Scotland. Dr. Owen, in particular, has been said to have expressly
declared this; nay, that he would have thought it an honour to sit as a
member in one of her Assemblies.(19) There can be no doubt that the
differences betwixt some of the Presbyterians and the Independents, were
not originally so great as these were afterwards discovered to be, between
persons distinguished by the same names. They professed to believe the
same great doctrines, and conscientiously preached them; and they differed
only in regard to their mode of church government. But even in regard to
this, some of the earlier Independents were far from differing widely from
their presbyterian brethren. The Rev. Charles Herle, who, after the death
of Dr. Twisse, was made prolocutor in the Westminster Assembly, has been
represented to have said, "The difference between us, and our brethren who
are for independency, is nothing so great as some may conceive; at most,
it does but ruffle the fringe, not any way rend the garment of Christ. It
is so far from being a fundamental, that it is scarce a material
difference."(20) We are informed that Richard Baxter was likewise
accustomed to observe, that "if all the Presbyterians had been like Mr.
Marshall, and the Independents like Mr. Burroughs, their differences might
easily have been compromised."(21) The only part of the country in which
any ministers connected with the Church of Scotland appear to have
separated from it, and joined themselves to the Independents was the town
or county of Aberdeen. A small work on Independency, bearing the title of
"A Little Stone out of the Mountain, or Church Order briefly opened,"
which was written by Nicholas Lockyer, who accompanied the English army to
Scotland, was printed at Leith in 1652. This was replied to, in a work
from the pen of James Wood, professor of theology in St. Andrews, which
was printed at Edinburgh in 1654. The title of Professor Wood's
publication is, "A Little Stone pretended to be out of the Mountain,
Tried, and Found to be a Counterfeit," &c. In that work, Wood animadverts
upon a letter from "the new Independents of Aberdene," dated May 1652, and
laments that "some of them had been for so