teud to the ordinary principles of conftruction. If what article 4th communicates, it communicates purely; if it expreffes neither the condition of the teft, nor any other; nay, if a motion for inserting such a condition, though fanctioned by the authority of the archbishop of Canterbury, was reprobated by a great majority of the English Parliament, what ground is there for implying any fuch condition? Indeed, whatever laxity of fentiment may obtain in these days, would not the Scots of thofe days, who had but recently emerged from the miferies and bloodshed of the perfecution, who had oppofed the introduction of Epifcopacy with as much zeal and refolution as their forefathers had dif played against popery, and who regarded the former with little lefs rancour and abhorrence than the latter, would they not have deemed a communication so qualified, a virtual exclufion?

It cannot indeed be denied, that Belhaven proposed to infert the following claufe," that they (the Scots) "fhall be capable of any office civil or military, and "to receive any grant, or gift, commiffion, or place of

truft, from and under the fovereign, within any "( part of Great Britain." But this proves, not, either that the teft at common law extends to Prefbyterians, or even that his Lordship believed it to do fo, but only, that he thought it advifeable, when we had a parliament of our own, to put a matter of that importance beyond all doubt or controverfy. Befides, any conclufion which might be drawn from the rejection of Belhaven's motion, is obviously counterbalanced by the rejection of the archbishop's in the English house of peers. The fact (to be plain) food thus: In either country, the enemies of the union, on the one hand, tried to throw obstacles in its way, by fuggefting unreafonable demands, and to fet the two nations at variance, by perplexing them with minute difcuffions of fubjects, where the paffions of both were extremely vio

lent, and where a small spark might eafily kindle a great flame; while the cool and moderate, on the other hand, wished to involve fuch delicate matters in the fhade of general principles, leaving the conclufions to be evolved, and the particulars adjusted by pofterity, when the fervour of men's minds would be fubfided, and the reciprocal advantages of the union experienced. Hence in Scotland, Belhaven's motion to have our exemption from the teft explicitly recognised; and not only fo, but, regardless of the palpable deftinction betwixt British and English offices, to have us, contrary to reafon and equity, exempted from it in the case of the latter alfo. Hence, again, in England, the archbishop's, which went as far to the oppofite extreme. Hence finally, the rejection of both motions by the majority, who avoided fuch difcuffions, prudently leaving them, (as the twenty-two noble lords bitterly complain)" to double conftructions."

Had I not intruded already too much on your time, I could have wished to answer fome of the ordinary objections to the measure, and point out its multifarious importance. Suffice it, however, to obferve, that whether the country favour or diflike the application (for indifferent about it they cannot be supposed), it would have been fit to avow their fentiments publicly, as was done in the cafe of the Popish Bill, that, on the one hand, if we be of opinion, not only that the teft act in expediency and equity fhould not, but that in ftrict law it does not comprehend Prefbyterian communicants; if this be our opinion independently of (what I omitted mentioning) the clause inferted in the act of fecurity, paffed in contemplation of the union, and ratified in the preamble to the articles, exprefsly "freeing us from any oath, teft or fubfcription, contra

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ry to, or inconfiftent with the Prefbyterian church government, worship, or difcipline." If we cannot think it right or honourable, to let our religion labour under a ftigma and grievance, from which taking the

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trouble to get the law explained and understood, 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 liberal difcuffion, instead of letting it (as it probably will) be blasted by the infinuation, of their having officiously intruded themselves into the business, without the concurrence of those whom the grievance is alleged to affect. Or, if, on the other hand, we disapprove of the application, that then, by avowing our disapprobation, we may put a stop to the affair, as the affembly would never push it against the public opinion; or were they fo infatuated, the difgrace of their miscarriage would. fall on themfelves alone. But this opinion on the test can never be entertained, by a people free and spirited, and never noted for religious indifference. And therefore, as the General assembly are to be commended for exerting themselves to deliver our kirk from this contumelious grievance, it will only be to be lamented, fhould not the application be put on the footing of an explanation instead 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 Thought.

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 vanity or interell, because vanity and intereft well underftood, are alinoft as rare as virtue. But to love those to whom we have done good, is a thing perfectly natural, and in no refpect praife-worthy: It is a pure effect

of felf love.

To the Editor of the Bee.

On Command of Temper.

SIR,

COMMAND of temper is a quality fo exceedinly defirable, and fo important to happinefs, that every recipe for obtaining it, must be an acceptable donation to the public. Please take the following.

Cardinal Alberoni was often fo agitated by paffion, that he took fteps from the fpur of the occafion, that were ruinous to his mafter and to his country. But he had a chaplain, an athletic little man, who was well acquainted with public bufinefs, and very much attached to his patron; who, when the Cardinal loft himself in fury, and was about to act in confequence of it, ufed to collar the old gentleman, and tois him into his feat with great rudenefs and violence; the fhock and revulfion of which ufage brought the Cardinal to his fenfes, after which he proceeded with tolerable prudence. The Cardinal was fo fenfible of his obligations to his chaplain, that he never chose to be without him when he had any business to tranfact.

As many families, as well as individuals, are ruined by the effects of unbridled paffion, I beg leave to recommend fome fuch remedy as this, particularly in defperate cafes.

A ftrong chaplain or butler in noble families, may thus, under proper direction, prove an inestimable bleffing; and a ftout Abigail, may render fimilar fervice to their impetuous mittreffes, especially, as in all love affairs, I am perfuaded, that a thrashing or pomelling, may give time for due confideration, and the

happy influences of returning reason, and of the effects of an orginal good education.

I am, Sir, Your humble fervant

To the Editor of the Bee.
A Sermon.

Naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked I shall return thither. Job, Chap. 1, Ver. 21.

IN difcourfing from these words, I fhall obferve the following things:

A. B.

Firft, Man's ingrefs into the world.
Secondly, His progrefs through the world.
Thirdly, His egrefs out of the world.

To conclude,

We shall be well there, if we do well here,
And I could tell you no more, were I to preach a
whole year.

This very elegant fermon is extracted from a book called the fashionable tell-tale, by

CAPTAIN FIRELOCK.