Principles and observations on many and various subjects, for the health of nations and individuals / by John Moodie.

  • Moodie, John.
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Principles and observations on many and various subjects, for the health of nations and individuals / by John Moodie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    of building churches, as a means of increasing the religious worship and instruction of the Establishment, and as there was a deficiency in the accommodation generally of the Established churches ; and as they at the same time adhered to the laws, and were in connection and communion with the Church of Scotland, and their clergymen attended the General Assembly with the others, and these churches were generally opened, and preached in for the first time by some eminent divine of the Scotch Church, and as they were built for the purpose of being the same in every respect, as the other churches of the Establishment, and for that purpose alone, and no one ever dreamed that they were to be applied to any other purpose, and the original schemer and subscribers would never have got them built, if they had thought of such a thing at the time of their building. Although these buildings had not been handed over at the time of their building, and joined the Established Church, and their clergy- men been granted the same rights as other clergymen of the Esta- blished Church ; yet if the original subscribers built them for the purpose of churches in connection with the Established Church, and holding the same principles, yet, if only one of these subscribers ob- jected to their joining any other body, be it the Free Church, Episco- palian, or Roman Catholic, it is equally the same which, as if either, it was a deviation from the original principles on which, and for which they were built; and although every subscriber but this one had approved of their joining another body, yet, from its not being according to the original intention for which it was built, and as it is more than probable that it would never have been built for or on any other principle than that for which it was built, the church therefore belongs to those who adhere to the original principles, be they the majority or not; and those who keep the church, keep the endow- ment, if there is one. If the original builders had put into their deed of contract or copartnership any clause to the effect that the church was to belong to the majority, or not to the Establishment, it would then have been the property of the majority; but as such a secession was never dreamt of, and was unheard of in any age, ex- cept at the time of the Reformation, if it had, it is likely it never would have been built: it is therefore right to suppose that it belongs to those who adhere to the principles for which they built it. Now, if there were also an act incorporating themselves with the Established Church, and as subscriptions were given by members belonging to the Establishment, and who did not regularly attend these churches, and as they are still members of the Establishment, and as these churches were got up by the influence of the Established Church generally, it cannot be doubted but that they belong to the Established Church. If there had been no agreement or incorpora- tion with the Established Church, and if their ministers had not joined the fellowship of the Established Church, although they might have held all the principles of the Established Church without any difference, and if the church were built by all on these principles, yet, if all the subscribers agreed in this case to go over to the Free, or any other Church, they had a right to do so, and to keep the church ; but as this was not the case, and as they had openly joined the Church, or as some of their subscribers had done so, and as it