judge
for himself what it behoves him to do at this juncture, and the whole
Church for herself. All that is intended in this appeal is to begin, in
a tone of dignity and disinterestedness, the consideration of the
question; for when such matters are much pulled about in public prints,
and have been often discussed from many different, and not always from
very high, points of view, there is ever a tendency that the decision of
the parties may contract some taint of meanness from the spirit of their
critics. All that is desired is to press upon you, as ministers of the
Church of Scotland, some sense of the high expectation with which your
country looks to you at this time; and how many reasons there are that
you should show an example of signal disinterestedness and zeal in the
encouragement that you give to returning brethren. For, first, it lies
with you to clear the Church from the discredit of our miserable
contentions; and surely you can never have a fairer opportunity to
improve her claim to the style of a peacemaker. Again, it lies with
you, as I have said, to take the first step, and prove your own true
ardour for an honourable union; and how else are you to prove it? It
lies with you, moreover, to justify in the eyes of the world the time
you have been enjoying your benefices, while these others have
voluntarily shut themselves out from all participation in their
convenience; and how else are you to convince the world that there was
not something of selfishness in your motives? It lies with you, lastly,
to keep your example unspotted before your congregations; and I do not
know how better you are to do that.

It is never a thankful office to offer advice; and advice is the more
unpalatable, not only from the difficulty of the service recommended,
but often from its very obviousness. We are fired with anger against
those who make themselves the spokesmen of plain obligations; for they
seem to insult us as they advise. In the present case I should have
feared to waken some such feeling, had it not been that I was addressing
myself to a body of special men on a very special occasion. I know too
much of the history of ideas to imagine that the sentiments advocated in
this appeal are peculiar to me and a few others. I am confident that
your own minds are already busy with similar reflections. But I know at
the same time how difficult it is for one man to speak to another in
such a matter; how he is withheld by all man