(for fuch they are in temporals as well as fpirituals) are now again expecting, foliciting, and demanding (not without infinuated threats, according to their cuftom) that the parliament fhould fix them upon an equal foot with their church established. I would fain know to what branch of the legislature they can have the forehead to apply. Not to my lords the bishops; who must have often read how the predeceffors of this very faction, acting upon the fame principles, drove the whole bench out of the houfe; who were then, and hitherto continue, one of the three eftates: not to the temporal peers, the second of the three eftates, who muft have heard, that, immediately after thofe rebellious fanaticks had murdered their king, they voted a houfe of lords to be ufelefs and dangerous, and would let them fit no longer, otherwise than when elected as commoners: not to the house of commons; who muft have heard, that, in thofe fanatic times, the prefbyterian and independent commanders in the army, by military power, expelled all the moderate men out of the house, and left a rump to govern the nation: laftly, not to the crown; which those very faints deftined to rule the earth trampled under their feet, and then, in cold blood, murdered the bleffed wearer.

But the feffton now approaching, and a clan of diffenting teachers being come up to town from their northern head quarters, accompanied by many of their elders and agents, and fupported, by a general contribution, to folicit their eftablishment

with a capacity of holding all military, as well as civil, employments, I think it high time that this paper should see the light. However, I cannot conclude without freely confeffing, that if the presbyterians fhould obtain their ends, I could not be forry to find them mistaken in the point, which they have most at heart by the repeal of the test; I mean the benefit of employments. For after all, what affurance can a Scottish northern diffenter, born on Irish ground, have, that he fhall be treated with as much favour as a TRUE SCOT born beyond the Tweed?

I am ready enough to believe, that all I have faid will avail but little. I have the common excufe of other men, when I think myfelf bound, by all religious and civil ties, to discharge my confcience, and to warn my countrymen upon this important occafion. It is true, the advocates for this scheme promife a new world after this bleffed work fhall be compleated; that all animofity and faction muft immediately drop; that the only distinction in this kingdom will then be of papist and proteftant: for as to whig and tory, high-church and low-church, jacobite and Hanoverian, court and country party, English and Irish interefts, diffenters and conformists, new light and old light, anabaptist and independent, quaker and muggletonian; they will all meet and jumble together into a perfect harmony at the feffions and affizes, on the bench, and in the revenues; and upon the whole, in all civil and military trufts, not excepting the great councils of VOL. IX.

U

the

the nation. For it is wifely argued thus: that a kingdom being no more than a larger knot of friends met together, it is against the rules of good manners to fhut any perfon out of the company, except the papifis, who profefs themfelves of another club.

I am at a loss to know, what arts the presbyterian fect intends to use in convincing the world of their loyalty to kingly government, which (long before the prevalence, or even the birth of their independent rivals) as foon as the king's forces were overcome, declared their principles to be against monarchy, as well as epifcopacy and the house of lords, even until the king was reftored at which event, although they were forced to fubmit to the prefent power, yet I have not heard, that they did ever, to this day, renounce any one principle, by which their predeceffors then acted; yet this they have been challenged to do, or at least to shew that others have done it for them, by a certain [p] doctor, who, as I am told, hath much employed his pen in the like difputes. I own, they will be ready enough to infinuate themselves into any government: but, if they mean to be honest and upright, they will and must endeavour by all means, which they fhall think lawful, to introduce and establish their own fcheme of religion, as nearest approaching to the word of God, by cafting out all fuperftitious ceremonies, ecclefiaftical titles, habits,

[p] The late Dr. TISDEL, who died June 1731.

diftinction

diftinctions, and fuperiorities, as rags of popery, in order to a thorough reformation; and as in charity bound to promote the falvation of their countrymen, wishing with St. Paul, that the whole kingdom were as they are. But what affurance will they please to give, that, when their fect fhall become the national established worship, they will treat US DISSENTERS as we have treated them? Was this their courfe of proceeding during the dominion of the faints? Were not all the remainders of the epifcopal church in those days, especially the clergy, under a perfecution for above a dozen years equal to that of the primitive Chriftians under the heathen emperors? That this proceeding was fuitable to their principles, is known enough; for many of their preachers then writ books exprefly againft allowing any liberty of conscience in a religion different from their own; producing many arguments to prove that opinion, and among the reft one frequently infifted on; that allowing fuch a liberty would be to establifb iniquity by a law [q]. Many of these writings are yet to be seen; and, I hear, have been quoted by the doctor abovementioned.

As to the great objection of prostituting that holy inftitution, the bleffed facrament, by way of a teft before admittance into any employment; I ask, whether they would not be content to receive it after their own manner for the office of a judge, for

[9] See many hundred quotations to prove this, in the treatife callad, Scotch Prefbyterian Eloquence.

that of a commiffioner in the revenue, for a regiment of horfe, or to be a lord juftice. I believe they would fcruple it as little, as a long grace before and after dinner, which they can fay without bending a knee; for, as I have been told, their manner of taking bread and wine, in their conventicles, is performed with little more folemnity than at their common meals. And therefore, fince they look upon our practice, in receiving the elements, to be idolatrous, they neither can nor ought, in confcience, to allow us that liberty, otherwise than by connivance, and a bare toleration, like what is permitted to the papifts. But left we should offend them, I am ready to change this teft for another; although I am afraid, that fanctified reason is, by no means, the point where the difficulty pinches, and is only offered by pretended churchmen; as if they could be content with our believing, that the impiety and profanation of making the facrament a teft were the only objection, I therefore propofe, that before the prefent law be repealed, another may be enacted; that no man fhall receive any employment before he fwears himfelf to be a true member of the church of Ireland, in doctrine and difcipline, &c. and that he will never frequent or communicate with any other form of worship. It fhall likewise be further enacted, that whoever offends, &c. fhall be fined: five hundred pounds, imprisoned for a year and a day, and rendered incapable of all public truft for Otherwife I do infift, that thofe pious, in

ever.

dulgen