REMARKS upon the foregoing Draught.

THis being the Second Embrio or Specimen handed about by the Promoters of the Toleration-Project, we may take it as the Result of their Riper Thoughts, and be allowed briefly to consider it.

1. Among the many Arguments given against any Toleration to Prelatical Dis­senters, in our present Circumstances, this is one never yet Answered; That as it is the Civil Interest of every Nation to have but one established National Church-Government, Disciplin and Worship; so also, that every Person within the Na­tion should conform themselves thereto: And that never yet did any Wise People grant a legal Toleration to Dissenters, where the Dissent was not sounded either upon doubtful and scrupled Terms of Communion, or upon the Hardships of ex­ternal Force. But neither of these can be alledged in the present Case; and there­fore all Toleration must tend to cherish a Pernicious Party, and soment a Wicked Design of overturning the present Quiet and Happy Establishment.

2. This Toleration, being only for Episcopalians, doth most directly set them up in competition with, and in some respects preserably to Presbytry; to try their skill and strength in overthrowing the legal Church.

3. The Ministers Indulg'd or Tolerated, are by this Draught to give no Evi­dence either of their Loyalty or Orthodoxy; so that their Principles, both con­trary to the Confession of Faith, and against Her Majesty's Succession and Govern­ment, as declared by the Meeting of Estates, are reserved and secured; and they are at liberty (tho' not [...]o Preach, yet) to Traffique and Practise for the Pretender at St. Germains, according to their known Inclinations. By the Former Draught, they were to swear the Allegiance, and to sign the Consession contained in the Test and enacted in the Reign of K. Ja. 6. Which Condition, tho' derogatory to the Act of Parliament 1690, ratifying the Westminster Consession, and in so far a Re­trograde step to the Rudiments of our Reformation, and consequently backwards to Popery; yet it was better than nothing at all. But it seems, tho' some have Latitude enough for Swearing and Signing, in subserviency to Designs of greater Service; yet it is found upon after-Thoughts, that even that Consession is of too hard Digestion to others, as containing some Principles of Liberty, and against Arbitrary Courses, and such like Tenets as are not for their purpose.

4. This Draught founds the Dissent from Communion, upon being Baptised and Educated in the Communion of the Episcopal Church. That their Education hinders not their peaceable joining with the National Worship, is plain from the Experi­ence of several Years since the Revolution, till within these few Moneths, that some have been practised inro a contrary Byass. And it is no less plain, that their Educators, the Ministers, can never have the Brow to pretend the least Pinch or Qualm of Conscience in this Matter; Since their own Addresses to King Wil­liam, and to his High Commissioner the Earl of Tullibardine, as likewise those to the General Assembly 1692, upon the Formula sent from Court, are standing Wit­nesses against them. But that their being Baptised in the Episcopal Communion should be mentioned as a Ground of their Dissent, is altogether surprizing; As if the Episcopal Baptism were not that one Baptism of the Catholick Church, which the Presbyterians hold their Baptism to be: For whatever Grounds Presbyterians give for separating from Prelatical Communion, yet they never gave their Baptism for one. But it seems, by this Scheme, that the Episcopal People are taught to reckon themselves Baptised unto Prelacy, and not unto Christ. And unto what then are their Children Baptised since the Revolution? Or unto what were the Conformists of the late times Baptised, before Prelacy came in? This is an Insinu­ation [Page 3]of the last Disgrace among Protestants, and only fit for the Dragoon-Con­versions of France, where, it a Popish Surgeon or Midwife Baptised a Child, that Child was ever after to be held as a Roman Catholick.

5. What makes any of the People of this Nation averse from joining with Pres­byterian Government and Worship, but either,

• 1. Downright Threatning and Vio­lence us'd by some Masters unto those, over whom they have Influence and Power, of which there are divers Instances. Or,
• 2. That Mens Vices are galled by Presbyterian Discipline, and their Libertine and Popish Designs obstructed. And,
• 3. That they have of late got great Encouragement to expect a Change. We chal­lenge the Wit of our Adversaries to assign any other Reason of this pretended Aver­sion, which was not heard of nor known among any of the People, till of late some have taken vast pains viis & modis to procure it.

The Nation was in Peace and Quiet, and well dispos'd to comply with the Establishment; till some who delight in Contention, threw their Fire balls and told People, that they should be grati­fied in their unreasonable Demands; and now that they have rais'd the Flame, they must have Oyl, instead of Water, to quench it.

6. The Draught sets forth, That the Design is, To give just and due Ease to all the Subjects; That is indeed flat Licentiousness without controle. For this is an Ease which no Body needs, and the granting whereof by a Law, wou'd prove the greatest Disquiet and Dis [...]ease to Her Majesty's best Subjects. For,

1. It con [...]ains a Toleration in every Parish, without exception, contrary to the Laws against, Intruding into planted Congregations, and which in many places (as appears already by the Example of the Tumults in G [...]asgow) can never be at­tempted without Blood, and the most fatal Discontents and Disorders.

2. It contains a Comprehension, which carries both the Overturning of the Laws of our Settlement, and most horrid Confusion in the bosom of it; the Nulli­fying of Disciplin, the Impunity of Immoral Practices, the Exercise both of Era­stianism and Independency, a restoring of Prelatical Jurisdiction and Power, and a transmitting (at best) of incurable Schism to Posterity: Beside, a most grievous Hardship upon such as Own and Adhere to the National Worship, where in any Parish they happen to be the lesser or weaker part: For, it were hard enough, that they should be obliged out of their own Purses to Maintain a Presbyterian Minister, or else to want the Ordinances of the Gospel; yet even for this, there is no Pro­vision of Toleration made by this Draught, for them.

3. It opens a Door to p [...]secure Presbyterians for insisting upon their legal Priviled­ges, and testifying the least Dis-satisfaction with the Intrusions of Prelatis [...]s; for they must be punished according to the good and wholesom Laws made by Her Majesty's Religious Prede­cessors (viz Charles 2. and James 7.) for the Protection of the Ministers of the Gospel: By which Title, these whom the Country call Curats, are plainly understood. So that, this is evidently to Revive the Caroline and Jacobite Persecution against Presbyterians, upon every pretext that may be interpreted an Interruption or Disturbance of the Prelatists, tho' acting never so much against Law: And indeed Prelacy can never be Tolerated, far less Supported in this Land, without Blood and a standing Army.

4. For Sedition, Disloyalty and Heresy, they are only to be convented before the Privy Council, or such as shall be appointed by them. One would think in all Reason, that the Council before whom they are to be convented, should be very Presbyterian and Or­thodox, as well as Loyal, otherwise there can be no Security from the Tolerated Party, nor can the Delinquents be under any Fear or Restraint, in appearing before Judges of their own Principles and Perswasion.

5. That the Indulgence and Toleration shall have full Force and Effect from the Day and Date of the Act, notwithstanding former Acts of Parliament, is in effect a dispensing with these Acts for the time past, and an Indemnity for the Transgressions already made. And this carries in it a plain and short Answer to all the Complaints and Grievances given in to the Council by the General Assembly, and their Commission, of Encroachments and [Page 4]disorderly Practices already committed contrary to Law, of which no Redress is hence­forward to be expected.

6. The Appointment of Interpreting this Act in the most benign and favourable Sense in be­half of the Ministers indulged, and of seeing it put to vigorous Execution, is in other Words, as Matters are now stared, a full abolishing of Presbytry, and an establishing of Prelacy by Law, These things are so plain, and the Legislative at this time, we hope, entrusted into so honest Hands, that as he must be a bold Man, who dares present such an Act to a Scots Parliament, after the late happy Revolution, so let the Tolerators vary their Projest as they will, we cannot doubt, but that it shall prove abortive.

To conclude, Pamphlets being at present much in fashion, it may not perhaps be a­miss to subjoin a Citation or two out of one.

The Interest of England considered, Pag. 25. — Places must be filled with these, who never Qualified themselves by Civil Tests, till Honour, or Advantage, or deeper De­signs, engag'd them, — who were against the Abdication of the late King James, the Association to support King William, and the Abjuration of the pretended Prince of Wales, in order to maintain Her Majesty's unquestionable Right to the Throne, and the Succession in the Protestant Line. Pag. 29. The Whigs have been a firm Rampart to the Liberties of the People, against [...]ll the Assaults of Arbitrary Power; and have so heartily oppos'd the Designs of ill Reigns, as to get the Names of Common-Wealths Men: But who, to shew they were thorow Friends to our Constitution, and for de­fending [...] Prerogative vested in a good Prince, who, they knew, would use it to their Advantage, and who dese [...]v'd the Marks of their Gratitude, have gone so far on the obli­ging side in the late Reign, as to be term'd Countiers in Reproach. Pag. 38. The Pro­testant Interest is attacqu'd by the Devil heading an Army of Libertines and Practical Atheists at Home, and a Confederacy of Papists Abroad; — and when they have dar'd to make such Progress in a time of Action and Business Abroad, what Attempts are we not to look for from them, when they come to enjoy a Peaceful Leasure for perfect­ing their Designs. Pag. 74. The depriving the Protestants in France of their Offices and Places of Trust, which had been confirm'd to them by the Edict of Nantes, was one of the first Steps taken to repeal that Edict, and extirpat the Reformation.