that Erastianism and spiritual supremacy exercised by the civil powers
in these lands over the church and kingdom of Christ. Herein we have an
open and avowed justification of that anti-scriptural right and power
claimed by them to settle and establish whatever mode of religion they
please, or is most agreeable to the inclinations of the people, or which
best answers their worldly political purposes, although it should be the
religion of Satan in place of that of Christ. This has been the great
leading principle all along since the Revolution, but never more openly
discovered than in this instance. Upon all which it may appear how
sinful and provoking to the divine Majesty this act must be.

2. The _folly and shamefulness_ of it as to ourselves. How disgraceful
and dishonorable is this public act in favor of Popery, even to the
nation itself, and its representatives, who me the authors of it. How
palpably inconsistent is it with our national character and profession
as Protestant, and with our national establishments, civil and
ecclesiastical (both which are professedly built upon reformation from
Popery), to come to take that idolatrous religion under our national
protection, and become _defenders_ of the _anti-christian_ faith; nay,
were it competent for the presbytery as a spiritual court, and spiritual
watchmen, to view this act in a civil light, they might show at large,
that it is a violation of the fundamental national constitutions of the
kingdom, and reaches a blow to the credit of the legal security granted
to the Protestant religion at home. We need not here mention how
contrary this act is to the fundamental laws and constitutions of the
kingdom of Scotland, which are now set aside. But it is contrary to, and
a manifest violation of the Revolution and British constitution itself;
contrary to the Claim of Right, yea, to the oath solemnly sworn by every
English and British sovereign upon their accession to the throne, as
settled by an act of the English parliament in the first year of William