1791" ON. The test act. 59 



lent, and where a fmall fpark. might eafily kindle ' 

 great flame ; while the cool and moderate, on the other 

 hand, wiihed to involve fiich delicate matters in the 

 fliade of general principles, leaving the conclufions to 

 be evolved, and the particulars adjufted by pofterity, 

 , when the fervour of men's minds would be fublided, 

 and the reciprocal advantages of the union experienced. 

 Hence in Scotland, Belhaven's motion to have our ex- 

 emption from the tell explicitly recognifed ; and not 

 only fo, but, regardlefs of the palpable deftintlion be- 

 twixt Britifti and Englifh offices, to ha\'e us, contrary 

 to reafon and equity, exempted from it in the cafe of 

 the latter alfo. Hence, again, in England, the arch- 

 bifliop's, which went as far to the oppofite extreme. 

 Hence finally, the reje£lion of both motions by the 

 majority, who avoided fuch difcuffions, prudently 

 leaving them, Cas the twenty-two noble lords bitterly 

 complain) " to doable conftruftions." 



Had I not intruded already too much on your time, 

 I could have wiflied to anfwer forae of the ordinary 

 objeftions to the meafure, and point out its multifari- 

 ous importance. Suffice it, however, to obferve, that 

 whether the country favour or diflike the application 

 -(for indifferent about it they cannot be fuppofed), it 

 would have been fit to avow their fentiments publicly, 

 as was done in the cafe of the Popifti Bill, that, oa 

 the one hand, if we be of opinion, not only that the 

 teft aft in expediency and equity lliould not, but that 

 in ftrift law it does not comprehend Prefbyterian com- 

 municants ; if this be our opinion independently of 

 (what I omitted mentioning) the claufe inferted in the 

 ad of fecurity, pafled in contemplation of the union, 

 and ratified in the preamble to the articles, exprefsly, 

 '* freeing us froni any oath, teft or fubfcription, contra- 

 " ry to, or inconfillent with the Prefl)yterian church 

 " government, woriiiip, or difcipline." If wc cannx^J 

 think it right or honourable, to let our religion labout 

 under a ftigma and grievance, fron\ vvhicli taking the 



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