clared by the first and fecond books of Difcipline: That the reftoring of them will inevitably obftruct the work of the gofpel, and create great diforders and difquiet in this church and nation; and that there is one known abuse attending patronages, viz. the laying a foundation for Simoniacal pactions betwixt patrons and those prefented by them." Though this did not avail to ftop the bill, yet it was a plain teftimony from the church against patronages; which we cannot but approve and adhere to. Likewife, we approve of that noble teftimony which the General Affembly gave against both the toleration and patronages, May 14. 1715, when they approved a memorial concerning them, which they appointed to be fent to the Duke of Montrofe, principal fecretary of ftate, most humbly entreating him to lay it before the king, viz. King George I. The tenor of it is as follows: "The church of Scotland, being restored at the happy revolution, was, by the claim of right, and acts of parliament following thereupon, established in its doctrine, worship, difcipline, and government; and, that this legal conftitution and establishment might be unalterably fecured, it was declared to be a funda mental and effential condition of the Union, and accordingly ratified in the parliaments of both kingdoms. But the zeal of the established church of Scotland for, and their steady adherence to, the Proteftant fucceffion, did expose them to the refentments of a dif affected party. And now they account themselves aggrieved by fome acts paft in the Parliament of Great Britain; as, 1. By the act granting fuch a large and almoft boundlefs toleration to thofe of the Epifcopal perfuafion in Scotland, while the liberty allowed to Proteftant Diffenters in England (who had always given the most fatisfying proofs of their undoubted zeal and good affection to the Proteftant fucceffion) was retrenched. And though the church of Scotland hath an equal fecurity in a legal establishment with that of England, yet there is a vaft inequality as to the toleration of the refpective Diffenters. In Scotland the tole ration doth not reftrain the diffeminating the most dangerous errors, by requiring a Confeffion of Faith, or fubfcription to the doctrinal articles of the established church, as is required of Diffenters in England: it alfo weakeneth the difcipline of the church against the fcandalous and profane; by withdrawing the concurrence of the civil magiftrate. It is alfo an inequality and hardship upon the established church of Scotland, that those of her communion who are employed in his Majefty's fervice in England or Ireland, fhould be obliged to join in communion and conformity to the church of England; whereas conformity to this church is not required (nor do we plead that it fhould be) of members of the church of England, when called to serve his Majesty in Scotland, who here enjoy the full liberty of Diffenters without moleftation; and the common and equal privileges of the fubjects of the united kingdom, ftipulated by the union, do claim the fame liberty to the members of the church of Scotland, when employed in his Majefty's fervice in England or Ireland. 2. By the act reftoring the power of presentation to patrons, the legally established conftitution of this church was altered in a very important point; and while it appears equitable in itself, and agreeable to the liberty of Chriftians and a free people, to have interest in the choice of thofe to whom they intrust the care of their fouls, it is an hardship to be impofed upon in fo tender a point, and that frequently by patrons who have no property nor refidence in the parishes; and this befides the fnares of Simoniacal pactions, and the many troubles and contefts arifing from the power of patronages, and the abufes thereof, by dif affected patrons putting their power into other hands, who as effectually ferve their purpofes: by patrons competing for the right of prefentation in the fame parith; and by frequently prefenting minifters fettled in eminent pofts to mean and fmall parishes, to elude the planting thereof: By all which, parishes are oft kept long vacant, to the great hindrance of the progrefs of the gospel." Although 3 C2 Although the church of Scotland was brought under diftrefs enough by the toleration and patronages, yet, to add to it, the oath of abjuration was also imposed upon the minifters thereof in the year 1712. This occafioned a great question among them, and much writing upon it, whetl:er the conditions or qualifications required of the fucceffor to the Crown, in the acts of parliament fettling the fucceffion, of which this is one, that he must join in communion with the church of England," be understood as any part of the oath, or not? Those who were not clear to take it, apprehended thefe conditions might be reckoned a part of the oath, because in it they were to fwear to maintain the fucceffion AS entailed by the acts of parliament, in which thefe conditions were contained. Others again understood thefe conditions as no part of the oath, feeing when the oath was firft framed in the English parliament in the year 1701, and a claufe was offered to be added to it for maintaining the church of England, it was rejected, because the Diffenters could not take it: and, at the Union, the parliament had exprefsly exeemed these of this church from all oaths inconfiftent with their principles: and confequently, that the AS in the oath was not reduplicative upon the qualifications of the fucceffor, but merely indicative, as only pointing out the acts wherein the fucceffion was settled, and the illuftrious family and perfons on whom it was entailed failing the heirs of king William, queen Anne and her heirs, &c. And therefore they underflood that the oath brought them under no other obligation, but of allegiance to the fovereign, and to an engagement against a Popish Pretender, and to the fuc cellion in the Proteftant line: and, to prevent mistakes and mifreprefentation they might be liable to in this matter, they refolved to give in written declarations to this purpose upon inftrument, at taking of the oath, which generally they did. At this time the commif fion addreffed the queen (as alfo did the affembly) in favour of those who still fcrupled at the oath, as if the AS in it did fome way refer to the conditions required of the fucceffor, that fuch might be favourably dealt with, as her loyal fubjects. As alfo they petitioned her, that their declarations of loyalty to the queen, their renouncing the Pretender, and engagements to fupport the fucceffion to the crown in the Protestant line in the family of Hanover, as contained in their addrefs, might be accepted by her as their fenfe of the faid oath, without refpect to the condition fcrupled at. In answer thereto, the queen, in her letter to the affembly, declared that the address of the commiffion did so much manifeft their loyalty to her, and their true concern for the fucceffion in the Proteftant line by law eftablished, that it could not but be acceptable. This answer did very much confirm those who judged that. the AS in the oath did not reduplicate upon the qualifi cations of the fucceffor, and gave freedom to many to take it. After king George I. came to the throne, and underfood our difficulties, by the reprefentation of Affembly 1715, and former addreffes, he interpofed for the relief of those who fcrupled at the oath, and got the parlia ment to turn the AS into WHICH, as alfo to declare that the oath was not meant to oblige his majesty's fubjects in Scotland to any thing inconfiftent with their church establishment, according to law. This removed the fcruples of many; but nevertheless there were not a few worthy minifters who remained uneafy and fcrupulous upon account there was ftill mention made in the oath of the act of parliament that required the conditions of the fucceffor, and therefore wanted to have it wholly taken out of the oath. Which, upon applica tion, the king was fo good as to grant, by act of parlia ment in the 5th year of his reign. Thus did the Lord. in his mercy fettle the great commotions that were in the church by reason of that oath, and extricate her out of fome of her difficulties; yea, fo far, that the molt ftrict and zealous minifters in Scotland were brought to declare, both from the pulpit and the prefs, that the em. bracing or refusing the oath of abjuration did not afford the leaft ground for feparation. It is remarkable, that, in the midft of all thefe grievances and preflures which the church groaned un der, der, the Lord did not fuffer her to fink. The times indeed became very cloudy and dark; the church's friends were turned out of place, and her enemies were exalted in power; Jacobites were put in places of highest trust, and many of them became fo infolent, as to maltreat and abuse the ministers of the gofpel, and fometimes to caufe burn at market croffes the acts of fynods for fafts, because in them they_appointed prayers to be made for maintaining the Proteftant fucceffion, and for defeating the defigns and plots then forming for overturning it, and for bringing in a Fopish pretender. Yet even then the Lord infpired the commiffion with courage and refolution to emit their famous feasonable warning at their meeting 19th August 1713, which was read from the pulpits; wherein they obteft all Proteftants and lovers of their country to look to themselves, that they be not deluded by the fubtilè devices of a Jacobite party, who would bring us under the yoke of a Popith Pretender. Here the commiffion mention their articles at large; one whereof is, "They, with great appearance of zeal, efpouse and promote the English liturgy through the land, tho' neither they nor their fathers would receive it heretofore; and at the fame time they omit all the prayers for queen Anne and princefs Sophia. Likewife they make a great outcry, etpecially in diftant places, of their having fuffered grievous perfecutions becaufe of their being of the Episcopal perfuafion, though without ground. Bleffed be God (fay they) we can appeal to the confciences of all who know our conduct, that we have never, fince the late happy revolution, in the least returned the severities, and unparalleled cruelties, which we met with when they had the ascendant; and which we from their present temper, as well as from their former behaviour, may reasonably conclude they want nothing but power to renew against the minifters and members of this church. Wherefore they feriously obteft and defeech all ranks of perfons to humble themfelves deeply under the many fad caufes and tokens of the Lord's anger, and turn to him with all their hearts, and flee to the blood of fprinkling for reconciliation, and pray earnestly to God to difappoint the defigns and hopes |