^O ON THE TEST ACT. May 1 8 



trouble to get the law explained and underfteod, would 

 deliver it ; and if we cannot but lament the melancholy 

 operation of this grievance, in withdrawing from our 

 kirk many of our nobilty and gentry ; if we on 

 thefe accounts favour the application, we may, by 

 avowing our fentiments, fecure to it a broad and libe- 

 ral difcuffion, inrtead of letting it (as it probably will) 

 be blafted by the infmuation, of their having ofliciouily 

 intruJed thetnfelves into the bufinefs, without the con- 

 currence of thofe whom the grievance is alleged to 

 afFeft. Or, if, on the other hand, we dilapprove ot the 

 application, that then, by avowing our difapprobation, 

 ■we ™ay put a ftop to. the afFair, as the aflembly would 

 nevtr pufL it agalnfl the public opinion ; or were they 

 fo infatuated, the difgrace of their mifcairiage would 

 fall on themfelves alone. But this opinion on the tefl 

 can never be entertained, by a people free and fpirited, 

 and never noied for religious indiiference. And there- 

 fore, as the General ailembly are to be commended for 

 exerting themfelves to deliver our kirk from this con- 

 tumelious grievance, it will only be to be lamented, Ihould 

 not the application be put on the footing of an expluna- 

 tioji inftead of a repeal ; and appear before parliament, 

 not as the petition of the clergy alone, but fanctioned 

 and enforced by the unequivocal concurrence and 

 zealous cooperation of the country. 



Candidus. 



A detached Tljought. 



To love to do good is a praife-worthy thing, even when 

 the motive for it is not the beft, and always rare, what- 

 ever be the motive. It is rare to do good even from va- 

 nity or intereft, becavife vanity and intereft well under- 

 flood, nre alnioft as rare as virtue. But to love thofe 

 to whom we have done good, is a thing perfeftly natu- 

 ral, and in no refpedl praife-worthy ; It is a pure effect 

 of felf love. 



