The Booke of the Universall Kirk of Scotland / Wherein the Headis and Conclusionis Devysit Be the Ministers and Commissionaris of the Particular Kirks Thereof, Are Specially Expressed and Contained.

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2. In Collier’s Ecclesiastical History of Great Britain, we find a most important corroboration to the same effect. He was a contemporary of Archibald Campbell, already referred to, and had access to the original Registers recently burnt, as appears from numerous marginal references to and quotations from them. Thus (vol. ii. p. 700) he refers to “MS. Acts of the Assembly, penes Mr Archibald Campbell, Armig.;” and there are very many other references to the same MS. record,[5] as the source whence he derived numerous Acts and documents embodied in his work. These, too, substantially and closely, coincide with the text as now published.

3. Archbishop Spottiswood, in his History, (and he had full access to the original records,) in like manner transfers many extracts to his pages.

4. Bishop Keith, in his History of the Church and State in Scotland, incorporates a great portion of the “Booke,” during the first seven years of the existence of the Reformed Church—all agreeing (except trifling variations in orthography) with the extant MS. Abbreviates; and Knox’s History coincides substantially with Keith’s.

5. But David Calderwood, who had full access to the Registers, in his larger History and Collections, (MS.) gives the most ample transcripts from the originals that are any where to be found; and he further supplies many particulars from those Registers which the Abbreviates do not contain, but which are of material importance to the elucidation of the proceedings in the Assemblies of the Church.

6. Petrie, in his History of the Church (Universal) from 600 to 1600, embodies a very great portion of the Booke of the Kirk from the first Assembly downwards; and he refers expressly, as his authority for so doing, to “An Extract of the Acts of the Nationall Assemblies,” (p. 242,)—the Acts, which he embodies very copiously, being identical in all respects with those in the present Edition. The copy of his work now before us was printed at the Hague in 1662, immediately after the Restoration of Charles II.;—Petrie being “Minister of the Scots Congregation at Rotterdam,” when his History was published. That work is one of the most conclusive vouchers of the authenticity of the “Booke,”—his transcripts being given from an Extract, authenticated, of course, by the Clerk of Assembly.

We have thus, what is next to the best evidence (viz. the Registers themselves) in support of the authenticity of our publication—the concurrent testimony of three Episcopalian and two Presbyterian Historians, in proof of the general fidelity of the transcripts which remain; and the force of such evidence is strengthened by the consideration, that all their works were published while the originals were yet in existence, and could have been resorted to for the correction of any errors, whether wilful or accidental.

In justice to the Church of Scotland and to Dr Lee, the Editor of this publication feels himself called on to add such particulars with regard to the attempts made for the recovery of the Registers, as are to be found in the recent Acts of the General Assembly, within the last twenty years. Without pretending to enter into any detail of the great and zealous exertions of Dr Lee for the recovery of our Church Records, (exertions for which it owes him a deep debt of gratitude,) we shall merely note a few of the Minutes of the Assembly referable to this matter since the year 1820.

At the Assembly of that year, the “Report of the Committee upon the Manuscripts belonging to the Church [was] called for, which was given in at great length by Dr Lee, Convener of the said Committee. The Assembly highly approve of the Report, and of the zeal and diligence of the Committee. They renewed the appointment of the Committee, and recommended to their attention the written Report now laid upon the Assembly’s table.”—“Upon a motion, the unanimous thanks of the Assembly were given from the chair to Dr Lee, for the extraordinary labour to which he had submitted in prosecuting the inquiries of the Committee.”

The year following a similar approval took place; and in 1822, the Assembly “renewed the appointment of the Committee, and direct them to continue their labours; and in particular, they authorised them to continue their correspondence with the members of Sion College, respecting access to certain manuscripts in the said College, formerly belonging to the Church; and they direct the Moderator to convey to the Lord Bishop of London an expression of the sense which they entertain of his Lordship’s polite attention to the communication made to him by the Committee on this subject.”