may be pursued by any Protestant; and, upon conviction, to have the same for reward. By the 28th act, sess. 6. of King William's Parliament, whoever perverts a Protestant subject to Popery, shall be proceeded against as a trafficking Papist; that a Protestant servant turning Papist in a Popish family, be punished as an apostate; and the master, when required, is obliged to dismiss that servant, never more to be received by him, or any other Popish master, under pain of an hundred pounds; and that Popish masters allow their servants due liberty to attend worship and catechising, under the said pain; and that these servants use that liberty, under the pain of be ing banished the parish. By the 5th act, Parl. 1. James VI. the sayers and hearers of mass, or such as are present thereat, are punished by confiscation of all their goods, moveable and immoveable, and an arbitrary punishment of their persons for the first fault, banishment for the second, and death for the third fault. By the 122d act, Parl. 12. James VI. the sayers of mass, resetters of Jesuits, seminary priests, and trafficking Papists, against the King's Majesty, and religion presently professed within this realm, is, and shall be a just cause to infer the crime and pain of treason, provided how soon they satisfy the Prince and the kirk the penalty foresaid shall not strike against the resetter. By the declaration of the estates, containing the claim of right, April 11. 1689, it is declared, that by the law of this kingdom, no Papist can be King or Queen of this realm, nor bear any office whatsoever therein.

4. The latest and most comprehensive acts of Assembly against Popery, are these: By act July 29. 1640, all idolatrous monuments are appointed to be taken down and destroyed; and presbyteries and synods are to see this work with all diligence performed. This is conform to the 64th and 90th canons, Concil. Carthag. "Ut reliquæ idolorum radicitus extirpentur, simpliciter placuit peti a gloriosissimis imperatoribus, ut relique idololatriæ non solum quæ sunt in statuis: sed quæ sunt in quibusuis locis vel lucis vel arboribus, omni modo deleantur." By Assembly 1642, sess. 7. and 1648, sess. 38. presbyteries are Q

appointed to convene known Papists in their bounds, and oblige them, within a month, to put from their company Popish friends and servants, and give their children above seven years of age, to be educated at their charges, by such Protestant friends as the presbytery shall approve, and find caution, within three months, to bring home such of their children as are abroad, to be educated at the sight of the presbytery. The obstinate are to be processed instanter, and those who comply are to confer with professors in the next university, in order to their conversion. Item, The government is to be supplicate for an act, that in no regiment that goes out of the kingdom, any Papist bear office, and the colonel to find caution for this effect. But the substance of this desired act is already declared in the claim of right, and enacted by 9th act, Parl. 1. James VI. and the 5th act, Parl. 2. James VI. By the 8th act of Assembly 1699, they appoint all ministers to study Popish controversies more. Item, That all due endeavours be used to unite Protestants among themselves. Item, That ministers faithfully watch the flock committed to them, that so, by public preaching, private instruction and conference, apostacy may be prevented. Item, Ministers are to deal wisely and convincingly with those who have fallen to Popery, and other corrupt practices, for their recovery. Item, When other means are ineffectual, presbyteries are appointed to proceed to church censure. Item, That, according to the former acts of Assemblies, and acts of Parliament, the names of Popish priests and Jesuits, and trafficking Papists, and of those who have sent their children to Popish colleges and countries, be given in to each provincial synod, and by them transmitted to the respective magistrates, to the effect they be proceeded against according to law, Car. II. Parl. 3. act 6. Item, The General Assembly resolves, that application be made to the civil magistrate, as often as need requires, for the vigorous execution of the laws against Papists, Popish schoolmasters, mistresses, governors, and pedagogues, and Popish meetings, and for seeing to the training up of Popish youth in the Protestant religion. By the Assembly 1704,

scandalous persons turning Popish, or pretending to do so, to evite censure, shall, after due pains to reclaim them, be excommunicated. By the 17th sess. of Assem. 1700, and 9th sess. of Assem. 1703, no private acknowledgement of a Papist's renouncing that religion verbally, is to be held sufficient to admit them into church privileges; but their reception thereunto must be the deed of a church judicature, not below a presbytery. By the 8th act of Assembly 1707, it is appointed that the synod in which these presbyteries are where Popery increaseth, do sometimes send ministers that are well acquainted with these controversies, to assist the ministers of the bounds in conferring with the seduced, and for establishing others. Item, Probationers, well seen in such controversies, are to be sent to assist the ministers in these parts in preaching, that they may have the more time to instruct the people, and watch over them against Popery. All which acts and recommendations, as to ministers diligence against Popery, are revived by the 4th act of Assembly 1708. Calderwood, in his History, p. 594, tells us of an act against Papists made in that pretended Assembly holden at Linlithgow 1608, wherein they appoint, that at every service of any person as heir to his father, or any of his predecessors, he be not served by any judge without the testimonial of the Bishop, and moderator of the presbytery, where he dwells, bearing the confession of his faith, and integrity in the religion presently professed.

5. By the 23d art. cap. 14. of the French Church Discipline, all violence and unbecoming language against those of the Romish Church, and even against priests and friars, shall not only be hindered, but also wholly suppressed, as much as possibly may be.

6. By the 10th act of Assembly 1695, for preventing of the growth of these abominable heresies of the Quakers, it is recommended to all church judicatures to use all proper means for reclaiming of them, and in case of their obstinacy, to proceed against them with the censure of the church, but especially against the ringleaders, or those who have apostatized from our holy faith.

7. The Assembly 1701, by their 11th act, finds, that

the writings of M. Antonia Bourignion, are fraughted with impious nnd damnable doctrines, as they are represented in the Apology for her, condemned by the immediately preceding act, which exhibits to the world an epitome of her errors in the fairest dress; such as, 1. The denying the permission of sin, and the inflicting of vengeance and damnation for it. 2. The attributing to Christ a twofold human nature, one of which was produced of Adam, before the woman was formed, the other born of the Virgin Mary. 3. The denying the decrees of election and reprobation, and the loading these acts of grace and sovereignty, with a multitude of odious and blasphemous aspersions, particularly, wickedness, cruelty, and respect of persons. 4. That there is a good spirit and an evil spirit in the souls of all men before they are born. 5. That the will of man is unlimited, and that there must be in man some infinite quality, whereby he may unite himself to God. 6. The denying of the doc trine of divine prescience. 7. The asserting of the sinful corruption of Christ's human nature, and rebellion in Christ's natural will to the will of God. And, 8. The asserting a state of perfection in this life, and a state of putrefaction in the life to come; that generation takes place in heaven, and that there are no true Christians in the world.

TITLE III.

Of Schism and Prelacy, and of the Laws and Acts for prevent» ing Innovations and Errors.

1. According to the canon law," Schismaticus est qui ab unitate ecclesiæ se separat," schism is to the church what a cut is to the natural body, and it may be where no heresy in doctrine is: it is a breaking of that church union and communion which ought to be among her members.

2. Schism in church government is either about the government itself, or about the persons in whom it is lodged; which difference may occasion the erecting of

altare contra altare. Schism may be in worship, when both the same doctrine and government are acknowledged, but communion is not kept in the Lord's supper, according to Christ's appointment. This seems in part to have been the schism among the Corinthians, occasioned perhaps through the corruption of some members with whom others have scrupled to communicate.

3. The understanding having such influence upon the will and affections, and union having so much interest in both, the same will be more easily attained by persuasive reasonings than authoritative injunctions. Though the authority of a church may be interposed to condemn heretical and scandalous members, yet it is rarely found to be the way of uniting a rent church, but rather the way to govern an united church: For it often happens, where such divisions arise, that parties do reciprocally decline each others authority; indeed, where schism is only a spreading, or but among few, who cannot be otherwise gained; in that case, the censures of the church may be more successfully applied against them.

4. The General Assembly, by their act December 8. 1638, having considered the proceedings of this kirk, and acts of General Assemblies in former years, the vote was stated, whether, according to the Confession of Faith, (i. e. the national covenant) as it was professed in the years 1580, 1581, and 1590, there be any other bishop, but a pastor of a particular flock, having no pre-eminence nor power over his brethren? And, whether by that Con fession, as it was then professed, all other Episcopacy is abjured, and ought to be removed out of this kirk? The haill Assembly most unanimously (one only hesitating) did voice, that all Episcopacy, different from that of a pastor over a particular flock, was abjured in this kirk; and therefore prohibits, under the pain of ecclesiastical censure, any to usurp, accept, defend, or obey the pretended authority of bishops in time coming. By the act of Assembly, August 17. 1639, it is declared, that the changing of the government of the kirk from the Assemblies thereof to the persons of some kirk-men, under the name of Episcopal government, was against the Confes