to say, that on hearing this libel read over, and comparing the major with the minor proposition, and again on hearing Mr. Campbell declare that he believed in and taught the doctrine of universal pardon, and that of assurance of faith being necessary to salvation; on hearing all this I believe that there will be no difficulty in our finding the relevancy of the libel; and I conceive that we have nothing to do but to take this voluminous document (the answers) into cur serious consideration, and that there will be no occasion for bringing any witnesses here.

The Rev. Mr. Niven, of Balfron, made a number of objections to the libel, in point of form, and, after stating these at some length, proposed that they should remit the case to the Assembly as it then stood, as Mr. Campbell, in his defence, had confessed that he held opinions which, in Mr. N.'s estimation were contrary to the Standards of the Church, and were even worse than any thing in the libel.

The Rev. Dr. Fleming, of Old Kilpatrick, observed, that of the three kinds of acts in the Church, two did not require the approbation of a majority of Presbyteries, which was necessary only in the case of statute acts, to which class that of 1720 did not belong; and he maintained, that for this reason that act had the force of a law. Besides he affirmed that the subject of this act had been the result of mature deliberation, and had been before the Church for many years previously; on this ground he found the libel relevant.

Alex. Dunlop, Esq., elder from Cardross, was of opinion that the doctrines of Mr. Campbell, as explained in his answers, were neither contrary to Scripture, nor to the Confession of Faith, and therefore he held the libel not to be relevant.

After a few observations from another of the elders, the question was put by the Moderator-" Is the libel relevant or irrelevant?" when all the members voted "relevant," with the exception of the Rev. Mr. Story and Mr. Dunlop; against which decision Mr. Campbell entered his protest.

Of the meetings of Presbytery on the 22d September, 5th October, and 7th December, we are, at present, unable to give any account beyond what appears in the Presbytery record; extracts from which will be found after the libel and answers. An abridged account of the proceedings at the meeting of Presbytery, on the 29th March, 1831, will be given as an appendix to the proceedings in the Synod of Glasgow and Ayr, the short-hand writer's report of it not having been received in time to admit of its being given at its proper place.

The Compiler cannot but regret the disjointed and irregular appearance which this volume must have, partly in consequence of the hurried manner in which it was necessary that it should be got up, but chiefly on account of the peculiar circumstances (which it is unnecessary to detail) under which those parts of it, extracted from the Presbytery record, had to be printed. He trusts, however, that he has been enabled (as he is sure it has been his earnest desire) to give a fair and impartial account of all the proceedings in this important case, up to the reference to the Assembly by the Synod of Glasgow and Ayr ; and he hopes to complete this record by giving, as soon as possible after the sitting of the ensuing General Assembly, as a supplement to this volume, a full and accurate report of all the proceedings in this case before that venerable body.

If any shall be led by the perusal of this record to consider more seriously and prayerfully, than they ever yet have done, what is the truth of God-if, by the perusal of these discussions, any be shaken out of

their confidence in the opinions of men, and be made to search the Scriptures of truth, to find out for themselves "what they are to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man," the Compiler will consider himself abundantly rewarded for his labour. Greenock, 14th May, 1831.

TO THE

LIBEL GIVEN IN AGAINST HIM,

TO THE

REV. PRESBYTERY OF DUMBARTON.

BY THE REV. JOHN M'LEOD CAMPBELL,

MINISTER OF ROW, DUMBARTONSHIRE.

R. B. LUSK, GREENOCK :

M. OGLE, W. COLLINS, AND G. GALLIE, GLASGOW; W. M'COMB, BELFAST; R. M. TIMS, DUBLIN; J.LINDSAY, & CO. EDINBURGH; & J. NISBET, LONDON.